rz.signoftheunicorn-第29部分

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　I　shook　my　head。
　〃It　gets　even　more　plicated　there；　now。　Caine　would　have　been　next　with　him　dead；　I　see　it　as　swinging　over　to　Clarissa's　brood　…　the　redheads。　Bleys　would　have　followed；　then　Brand。〃
　〃Clarissa？　What　became　of　your　mother？〃
　〃She　died　in　childbirth。　Deirdre　was　the　child。　Dad　did　not　remarry　for　many　years　after　mother's　death。　When　he　did；　it　was　a　redheaded　wench　from　a　far　southern　shadow。　I　never　liked　her。　He　began　feeling　the　same　way　after　a　time　and　started　fooling　around　again。　They　had　one　reconciliation　after　Llewella's　birth　in　Rebma；　and　Brand　was　the　result。　When　they　were　finally　divorced；　he　recognized　Llewella　to　spite　Clarissa。　At　least；　that　is　what　I　think　happened。〃
　〃So　you　are　not　counting　the　ladies　in　the　succession？〃
　〃No。　They　are　neither　interested　nor　fit。　If　I　were；　though；　Fiona　would　precede　Bleys　and　Llewella　would　follow　him。　After　Clarissa's　crowd；　it　would　swing　over　to　Julian；　Gerard；　and　Random；　in　that　order。　Excuse　me　…　count　Flora　before　Julian。　The　marriage　data　is　even　more　involved；　but　no　one　will　dispute　the　final　order。　Let　it　go　at　that。〃
　〃Gladly；〃　he　said。　〃So　now　Brand　gets　it　if　you　die；　right？〃
　〃Well。。。　He　is　a　self…confessed　traitor　and　he　rubs　everybody　the　wrong　way。　I　do　not　believe　the　rest　of　them　would　have　him；　as　he　stands　now。　But　I　do　not　believe　he　has　by　any　means　given　up。〃
　〃But　the　alternative　is　Julian。〃　I　shrugged。
　〃The　fact　that　I　do　not　like　Julian　does　not　make　him　unfit。　In　fact；　he　might　even　be　a　very　effective　monarch。〃
　〃So　he　knifed　you　for　the　chance　to　prove　it；〃　Random　called　out。　〃e　on　and　eat。〃
　〃I　still　don't　think　so；〃　I　said；　getting　to　my　feet　and　heading　for　the　food。　〃First；　I　don't　see　how　he　could　have　gotten　to　me。　Second；　it　would　have　been　too　damned　obvious。　Third；　if　I　die　in　the　near　future　Benedict　will　have　the　real　say　as　to　the　succession。　Everyone　knows　that。　He's　got　the　seniority；　he's　got　the　wits；　and　he's　got　the　power。　He　could　simply　say；　for　example。　The　hell　with　all　this　bickering；　I　am　backing　Gerard；　and　that　would　be　it。〃
　〃What　if　he　decided　to　reinterpret　his　own　status　and　take　it　himself？〃　Ganelon　asked。
　We　seated　ourselves　on　the　ground　and　took　the　tin　dishes　Random　had　filled。
　〃He　could　have　had　it　long　before　this；　had　he　wanted　it；〃　I　said。　〃There　are　several　ways　of　regarding　the　offspring　of　a　void　marriage；　and　the　most　favorable　one　would　be　the　most　likely　in　his　case。　Osric　and　Finndo　rushed　to　judgment；　taking　the　worst　view。　Benedict　knew　better。　He　just　waited。　So。。。　It　is　possible。　Unlikely；　though。　I'd　say。〃
　〃Then　…　in　the　normal　course　of　affairs　…　if　anything　happened　to　you；　it　could　still　be　very　much　in　the　air？〃
　〃Very　much。〃
　〃But　why　was　Caine　killed？〃　Random　asked。　Then；　between　mouthfuls；　he　answered　his　own　question。　〃So　that　when　they　got　you；　it　would　swing　over　to　Clarissa's　kids　immediately。　It　has　occurred　to　me　that　Bleys　is　probably　still　living；　and　he　is　next　in　line。　His　body　was　never　found。　My　guess　is　this：　He　trumped　off　to　Fiona　during　your　attack　and　returned　to　Shadow　to　rebuild　his　forces；　leaving　you　to　what　he　hoped　would　be　your　death　at　the　hands　of　Eric。　He　is　finally　ready　to　move　again。　So　they　killed　Caine　and　tried　for　you。　If　they　are　really　allied　with　the　black…road　horde；　they　could　have　arranged　for　another　assault　from　that　quarter。　Then　he　could　have　done　the　same　thing　you　did　…　arrive　at　the　last　hour；　turn　back　the　invaders；　and　move　on　in。　And　there　he　would　be；　next　in　line　and　first　in　force。　Simple。　Except　that　you　survived　and　Brand　has　been　returned。　If　we　are　to　believe　Brand's　accusation　of　Fiona　…　and　I　see　no　reason　why　we　should　not　…　then　it　follows　from　their　original　program。〃
　I　nodded。
　〃Possibly；〃　I　said。　〃I　asked　Brand　just　those　things。　He　admitted　their　possibility；　but　he　disavowed　any　knowledge　as　to　whether　Bleys　was　still　living。　Personally；　I　think　he　was　lying。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃It　is　possible　that　he　wishes　to　bine　revenge　for　his　imprisonment　and　the　attempt　on　his　life　with　the　removal　of　the　one　impediment；　save　for　myself；　to　his　own　succession。　I　think　he　feels　that　I　will　be　expended　in　a　scheme　he　is　evolving　to　deal　with　the　black　road。　The　destruction　of　his　own　cabal　and　the　removal　of　the　road　could　make　him　look　pretty　decent；　especially　after　all　the　penance　he　has　had　thrust　upon　him。　Then；　maybe　then；　he　would　have　a　chance　…　or　thinks　that　he　would。〃
　〃Then　you　think　Bleys　is　still　living；　too？〃
　〃Just　a　feeling；〃　I　said。　〃But　yes；　I　do。〃
　〃What　is　their　strength；　anyway？〃
　〃An　endorsement　of　higher　education；〃　I　said。　〃Fiona　and　Brand　paid　attention　to　Dworkin　while　the　rest　of　us　were　off　indulging　our　assorted　passions　in　Shadow。　Consequently；　they　seem　to　have　obtained　a　better　grasp　of　principles　than　we　possess。　They　know　more　about　Shadow　and　what　lies　beyond　it；　more　about　the　Pattern；　more　about　the　Trumps　than　we　do。　That　is　why　Brand　was　able　to　send　you　his　message。〃
　〃An　interesting　thought。。。〃　Random　mused。　〃Do　you　think　they　might　have　disposed　of　Dworkin　after　they　felt　they　had　learned　enough　from　him？　It　would　certainly　help　to　keep　things　exclusive；　if　anything　happened　to　Dad。〃
　〃That　thought　had　not　occurred　to　me；〃　I　said。
　And　I　wondered；　could　they　have　done　something　that　had　affected　his　mind？　Something　that　left　him　as　he　was　when　last　I　had　seen　him？　If　so；　were　they　aware　that　he　was　possibly　still　living；　somewhere？　Or　might　they　have　assumed　his　total　destruction？
　〃Yes；　an　interesting　thought；〃　I　said。　〃I　suppose　that　it　is　possible。〃
　The　sun　inched　its　way　upward；　and　the　food　restored　me。　No　trace　of　Tir…na　Nog'th　remained　in　the　morning's　light。　My　memories　of　it　had　already　taken　on　the　quality　of　images　in　a　dim　mirror。　Ganelon　fetched　its　only　other　token；　the　arm；　and　Random　packed　it　away　along　with　the　dishes。　By　daylight；　the　first　three　steps　looked　less　like　stairs　and　more　like　jumbled　rock。
　Random　gestured　with　his　head。　〃Take　the　same　way　back？〃　he　asked。
　〃Yes；〃　I　said；　and　we　mounted。
　We　had　e　by　way　of　a　trail　that　wound　about　Kolvir　to　the　south。　It　was　longer　but　less　rugged　than　the　route　across　the　crest。　I'd　a　humor　to　pamper　myself　so　long　as　my　side　protested。
　So　we　bore　to　the　right；　moving　single　file。　Random　in　the　lead；　Ganelon　to　the　rear。　The　trail　ran　gently　upward；　then　cut　back　down　again。　The　air　was　cool；　and　it　bore　the　aromas　of　verdure　and　moist　earth；　a　thing　quite　unusual　in　that　stark　place；　at　that　altitude。　Straying　air　currents；　I　reasoned；　from　the　forest　far　below。
　We　let　the　horses　pick　their　own　casual　pace　down　through　the　dip　and　up　the　next　rise。　As　we　neared　its　crest；　Random's　horse　whinnied　and　began　to　rear。　He　controlled　it　immediately；　and　I　glanced　about　but　saw　nothing　that　might　have　startled　it。
　When　he　reached　its　summit；　Random　slowed　and　called　back；　〃Take　a　look　at　that　sunrise　now；　will　you？〃
　It　would　have　been　rather　difficult　to　avoid　doing　so；　though　I　did　not　remark　on　the　fact。　Random　was　seldom　given　to　sentimentality　over　vegetation；　geology；　or　illumination。
　I　almost　drew　rein　myself　as　I　topped　the　rise；　for　the　sun　was　a　fantastic　golden　ball。　It　seemed　half　again　its　normal　size；　and　its　peculiar　coloration　was　unlike　anything　I　remembered　having　seen　before。　It　did　marvelous　things　to　the　band　of　ocean　that　had　e　into　view　above　the　next　rise；　and　the　tints　of　cloud　and　sky　were　indeed　singular。　I　did　not　halt；　though；　for　the　sudden　brightness　was　almost　painful。
　〃You're　right；〃　I　called　out；　following　him　down　into　the　next　declivity。　Behind　me；　Ganelon　snorted　an　appreciative　oath。
　When　I　had　blinked　away　the　aftereffects　of　that　display　I　noticed　that　the　vegetation　was　heavier　than　I　had　remembered　in　this　little　pocket　in　the　sky。　I　had　thought　there　were　several　scrubby　trees　and　some　patches　of　lichen；　but　there　were　actually　several　dozen　trees；　larger　than　I　recalled；　and　greener；　with　a　clutch　of　grasses　here　and　there　and　a　vine　or　two　softening　the　outlines　of　the　rocks。　However；　since　my　return　I　had　only　passed　this　way　after　dark。　And　now　that　I　thought　of　it；　it　was　probably　the　source　of　the　aromas　that　had　e　to　me　earlier。
　Passing　through；　it　seemed　that　the　little　hollow　was　also　wider　than　I　recalled　it。　By　the　time　we　had　crossed　and　were　ascending　once　more；　I　was　certain　of　it。
　〃Random；〃　I　called　out；　〃has　this　place　changed　recently？〃
　〃Hard　to　say；〃　he　answered。　〃Eric　didn't　let　me　out　much。　It　seems　to　have　grown　up　a　bit。〃
　〃It　seems　bigger　…　wider。〃
　〃Yes；　it　does。　I　had　thought　that　that　was　just　my　imagination。〃
　When　we　reached　the　next　crest　I　was　not　dazzled　again　because　the　sun　was　blocked　by　foliage。　The　area　ahead　of　us　contained　many　more　trees　than　the　one　we　had　just　departed　…　and　they　were　larger　and　closer　together。　We　drew　rein。
　〃I　don't　remember　this；〃　he　said。　〃Even　passing　through　at　night；　it　would　have　registered。　We　must　have　taken　a　wrong　turn。〃
　〃I　don't　see　how。　Still；　we　know　about　where　we　are。　I　would　rather　go　ahead　than　go　back　and　start　again。　We　should　keep　aware　of　conditions　around　Amber；　anyway。〃
　〃True。〃
　He　headed　down　toward　the　wood。　We　followed。
　〃It's　kind　of　unusual；　at　this　altitude　…　a　growth　like　this；〃　he　called　back。
　〃There　also　seems　to　be　a　lot　more　soil　than　I　recall。〃
　〃I　believe　you　are　right。〃
　The　trail　curved　to　the　left　as　we　entered　among　the　trees。　I　could　see　no　reason　for　this　deviation　from　the　direct　route。　We　stayed　with　it；　however；　and　it　added　to　the　illusion　of　distance。　After　a　few　moments　it　swung　suddenly　to　the　right　again。　The　prospect　on　cutting　back　was　peculiar。　The　trees　seemed　even　taller　and　were　now　so　dense　as　to　puzzle　the　eye　that　sought　their　penetration。　When　it　turned　once　more　it　broadened；　and　the　way　was　straight　for　a　great　distance　ahead。　Too　great；　in　fact。　Our　little　dell　just　wasn't　that　wide。
　Random　halted　again。
　〃Damn　it；　Corwin！　This　is　ridiculous！〃　he　said。　〃You　are　not　playing　games；　are　you？〃
　〃I　couldn't　if　I　would；〃　I　said。　〃I　have　never　been　able　to　manipulate　Shadow　anywhere　on　Kolvir。　There　isn't　supposed　to　be　any　to　work　with　here。