bl.necroscope2-第51部分

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et　muniqués　Innocent　had　ordered　that　those　directly　responsible　for　〃gross　acts　of　excessive　and　unnatural　cruelty〃　must　gain　〃neither　glory　nor　rich　rewards　nor　lands〃　for　their　barbarism。　Their　names　should　no　more　be　spoken　by　good　men　and　true　but　〃struck　forever　out　of　the　records〃。　All　such　great　sinners　were　to　be　offered　〃neither　respect　nor　high　regard〃；　for　by　their　acts　they　had　shown　that　they　were　〃worthy　only　of　contempt〃。　Hah！　It　was　more　than　exmunication…it　was　a　death　warrant！
　Exmunication。。。　I　had　taken　the　Cross　in　Zara　as　a　matter　of　expediency。　It　meant　nothing。　A　cross　is　a　symbol；　nothing　more。　Soon；　however；　I　would　e　to　hate　that　symbol。
　We　had　a　large　house　on　the　outskirts　of　the　sacked　city；　my　Szgany　and　I。　It　had　been　a　palace　or　some　such；　was　now　filled　with　wine　and　loot　and　prostitutes。　The　other　mercenary　groups　had　turned　over　their　plunder　to　their　Crusader　masters　for　the　prearranged　split；　but　I　had　not。　For　we　had　not　yet　been　paid！　Perhaps　I　was　in　error　there。　Certainly　our　loot　was　an　extra　incentive　for　Crusader　treachery。
　They　came　at　night；　which　was　their　mistake。　I　am…or　was…Wamphyri；　night　was　my　element。　Some　vampire　premonition　had　warned　me　that　all　was　not　well。　I　was　awake　and　on　the　prowl　when　the　attack　came。　I　roused　up　my　men　and　they　set　to。　But　it　was　no　good；　we　were　heavily　outnumbered　and；　taken　by　surprise；　my　men　were　still　half…asleep。　When　the　place　began　to　burn　I　saw　that　I　couldn't　win。　Even　if　I　beat　off　all　of　these　Crusaders；　they　formed　only　a　fraction　of　the　total　body。　They　had　probably　diced　with　ten　other　equal　parties　for　the　privilege　of　killing　and　robbing　me。　Also；　if　they　had　guessed　what　I　was…and　the　fire　suggested　that　they　had…quite　obviously　my　situation　was　untenable。
　I　took　gold　and　a　great　many　gemstones　and　fled　into　the　darkness。　On　my　way　I　carried　off　one　of　my　attackers　with　me。　He　was　a　Frenchman；　only　a　lad；　and　I　made　a　quick　end　of　it；　for　I　had　not　time　to　tarry。　Before　he　died；　though；　he　told　me　what　it　was　all　about。　From　that　day　to　this　I　have　loathed　the　cross　and　all　who　wear　it；　or　live　in　its　shadow　or　under　its　influence。
　
　Of　my　Szgany；　not　a　man　of　them　survived　to　follow　me　out　of　that　place；　but　I　later　learned　that　two　captives　had　been　taken　for　questioning。　As　it　was　I　stood　off　and　watched　the　blaze　from　afar。　And　since　the　inferno　was　ringed　about　by　Crusaders；　I　could　only　suppose　that　they　assumed　I　had　died　in　the　flames。　So　be　it…I　would　not　disillusion　them。
　And　now　I　was　alone　and　a　long　way　from　home。　Well；　hadn't　I　desired　to　see　the　world？
　Now；　I　have　said　I　was　a　long　way　from　home。　In　miles　on　the　ground　this　statement　is　seen　to　be　far　from　accurate。　But　where　indeed　was　my　home？　I　could　hardly　return　to　Hungary；　not　for　some　little　time。　Wallachia　was　no　place　for　me；　and　my　old　castle　in　the　Khorvaty；　looking　down　on　Russia；　was　in　ruins。　What；　then；　was　I　to　do？　Where　to　go？　Ah；　but　the　world　is　a　wide　place！
　To　detail　my　adventures　from　that　time　forward　would　take　too　long。　I　shall　merely　outline　my　deeds　and　travels；　and　you　must　forgive　or　fill　in　for　yourself　any　great　gaps　or　leaps　in　time。
　North　was　out　of　the　question；　likewise　west；　I　headed　east。　It　was　1204。　Need　I　remind　you　of　a　singular　emergence　in　Mongolia　just　two　years　later？　Of　course　not；　his　name　was　Temujin…later　Genghis　Khan！　With　a　party　of　Uighurs　I　joined　him　and　helped　subdue　and　unite　the　last　of　the　rowdy　Mongol　tribes；　until　all　Mongolia　was　finally　united。　I　proved　myself　a　capable　warlord　and　he　showed　me　some　respect。　With　some　small　effort　I　was　able　to　change　my　features　until　I　looked　the　part；　that　is　to　say　I　willed　my　vampire　flesh　into　a　new　mould。　The　Khan　knew　that　I　was　not　a　Mongol；　of　course；　but　at　least　I　was　acceptable。　And　later　he　would　have　many　mercenaries　in　his　mand；　so　that　my　participation　was　in　no　way　a　rare　thing。
　I　was　with　him　against　the　Chin；　when　we　penetrated　the　Great　Wall；　and　after　his　death　I　was　there　to　see　the　total　obliteration　of　the　Chin　Empire。　I　passed　my　〃loyalty〃　down　to　Genghis's　grandson；　Batu。　I　could　have　offered　my　services　to　other　Mongol　Khans；　but　Batu's　objective　was　Europe！　It　was　one　thing　to　return　a　man　alone；　but　another　to　go　back　as　a　general　in　a　Mongol　army！
　In　the　winter　of　1237…8；　in　a　lightning　campaign；　we　smashed　the　Russian　principalities。　In　1240　we　took　Kiev　by　storm　and　burned　it　to　ashes。　From　there　we　struck　at　Poland　and　Hungary。　Only　the　death　of　the　Great　Khan　Ogedei　in　1241　saved　Europe　in　its　entirety；　there　were　disputes　about　the　succession　and　the　westward　campaigns　were　stalled。
　Later；　it　was　time　for　The　Fereng；　as　I　was　known；　to　〃die〃　again。　I　obtained　permission　to　journey　to　an　ambiguous　homeland　far　in　the　West；　my　〃son〃　would　join　Hülegü　in　his　push　against　the　Assassins　and　the　Caliphate。　As　Fereng　the　Black；　Son　of　The　Fereng；　under　Hülegü；　I　assisted　in　the　extermination　of　the　Assassins　and　was　there　at　the　fall　of　Baghdad　in　1258。　Ah；　but　a　little　more　than　two　years　later；　at　Am　Jalut　in　the　so…called　Holy　Land；　we　were　delivered　a　crushing　defeat　by　the　Mamelukes；　the　turning　point　for　the　Mongols　had　e。
　In　Russia　Mongol　rule　would　continue　to　the　end　of　the　fourteenth　century；　but　〃rule〃　implies　peace　and　my　taste　for　war　had　grown　insatiable。　I　stuck　it　out　forty　years　more；　then　parted　pany　with　the　Mongols　and　sought　action　elsewhere　。　。
　I　fought　for　Islam！　I　was　now　an　Ottoman；　a　Turk！　Aha！　What　it　is　to　be　a　mercenary；　eh？　Yes；　I　became　a　ghazi；　a　Moslem　Warrior；　fighting　against　the　polytheists；　and　for　nearly　two　centuries　my　life　was　one　great　unending　river　of　blood　and　death！　Under　Bayezid；　Wallachia　became　a　vassal　state　which　the　Turks　called　Eflak。　I　could　have　returned　then　and　sought　out　Thibor；　who　had　moved　with　his　Szekely　into　the　mountains　of　Transylvania；　but　I　was　busy　campaigning　elsewhere。　By　the　middle　of　the　fifteenth　century　my　chance　had　passed　me　by；　the　boundaries　of　the　Ottoman　state　at　the　accession　of　Mehemmed　II　were　shrinking。　In　1431　Sigismund　the　Holy　Roman　Emperor　had　invested　VIad　II　of　Wallachia　with　the　Order　of　the　Dragon…licence　to　destroy　the　infidel　Turk。　And　who　was　VIad's　instrument　in　this　〃holy〃　work？　Who　was　his　war…weapon？　Thibor；　of　course！
　Of　Thibor's　deeds；　strangely；　I　heard　with　no　small　measure　of　pride。　He　butchered　not　only　the　infidel　Turk　but　Hungarians；　Germans；　and　other　Christians　in　their　thousands。　Ah；　he　was　a　true　son　of　his　father！　If　only　he　had　not　been　disobedient。　Alas；　（for　him）　but　disobedience　to　me　was　not　his　only　failing；　like　myself　at　the　end　of　my　Crusader　adventure；　he　had　not　practised　the　caution　of　the　Wamphyri。　He　was　adored　by　the　Szekely　but　set　himself　on　a　level　with　his　superiors；　the　Wallachian　princes；　and　his　excesses　had　made　him　notorious。　He　was　feared　throughout　the　land。　In　short；　he　had　in　every　way　brought　himself　into　prominence。　A　vampire　may　not　be　prominent；　not　if　he　values　his　longevity。
　But　Thibor　was　wild；　demented　in　his　cruelties！　Vlad　the　（so　called）　Impaler；　Radu　the　Handsome；　and　Mircea　the　Monk　（whose　reign　was　so　short）　had　all　tasked　him　with　the　protection　of　Wallachia　and　the　chastisement　of　its　enemies；　tasks　in　which　he　delighted；　at　which　he　excelled。　Indeed；　the　Impaler；　one　of　history's　favourite　villains；　suffers　undeservedly：　he　was　cruel；　aye；　but　in　fact　he　has　been　named　for　Thibor's　deeds！　Like　my　name；　Thibor's　has　been　struck；　but　the　stark　terror　of　his　deeds　will　live　forever。
　
　Now　let　me　get　on。　When　I　had　lived　too　long　with　the　Turks；　finally　I　deserted　their　cause…which　was　crumbling；　as　all　causes　must　in　the　end…and　returned　to　Wallachia。　The　time　was　well　chosen。　Thibor　had　gone　too　far；　Mircea　had　recently　acceded　to　the　throne　and　he　feared　his　demon　Voevod　mightily。　This　was　the　moment　I　had　so　long　awaited。
　Crossing　the　Danube；　I　put　out　Wamphyri　thoughts　ahead　of　me。　Where　were　my　gypsies　now？　Did　they　still　remember　me？　Three　hundred　years　is　a　long　time。　But　it　was　night；　and　I　was　night's　master。　My　thoughts　were　carried　on　the　dark　winds　all　across　Wallachia　and　into　the　shadowed　mountains。　Romany　dreamers　where　they　lay　about　their　campfires　heard　me　and　started　awake；　gazing　at　each　other　in　wonder。　For　they　had　heard　a　legend　from　their　grandfathers；　who　had　heard　it　from　their　grandfathers；　that　one　day　I　would　return。
　In　1206　two　of　my　mercenary　Szgany　had　e　home　…the　same　two　taken　for　questioning　on　the　night　of　Crusader　cowardice　and　treachery；　whose　lives　had　been　spared…and　they　had　returned　to　foster　an　awesome　myth。　But　now　I　was　here；　a　myth　no　longer。　〃Father；　what　shall　we　do？〃　they　whispered　into　the　night。　〃Shall　we　e　to　meet　you；　master？〃
　〃No；〃　I　told　them　across　all　the　rivers　and　forests　and　miles。　〃I　have　work　to　finish；　and　I　alone　must　see　to　it。　Go　into　the　Carpatii　Meridionali　and　put　my　house　in　order；　so　that　I　may　have　my　own　place　when　my　work　is　done。〃　And　I　knew　that　they　would　do　it。
　Then。。。　I　went　to　Mircea　in　Targoviste。　Thibor　was　campaigning　on　the　Hungarian　border；　a　good　safe　way　away。　I　showed　the　Prince　living　vampire　flesh　taken　from　my　own　body；　telling　him　that　it　was　flesh　of　Thibor。　Then；　because　he　was　close　to　fainting；　I　burned　it。　This　showed　him　one　way　in　which　a　vampire　may　be　killed。　I　told　him　the　other　way；　too：　the　stake　and　decapitation。　Then　I　questioned　him　about　his　Voevod's　longevity：　did　he　not　deem　it　strange　that　Thibor　must　be　at　least　three　hundred　years　old？　No；　he　answered；　for　it　was　not　one　man　but　several。　They　all　were　part　of　the　same　legend；　they　all　took　the　same　name；　Thibor。　All　of　them；　down　through　the　years；　had　fought　under　the　devil…bat…dragon　banner。
　I　laughed　at　him。　What？　But　I　had　studied　Russian　records　and　knew　for　a　fact　that　this　selfsame　man…this　one　man…had　been　a　Boyar　in　Kiev　three　hundred　years　ago！　At　that　time　it　had　been　rumoured　that　he　was　Wamphyri。　The　fact　that　he　still　lived　gave　the　rumour　ample　foundation。　He　was　a　lustful　vampire…and　now　it　seemed　he　lusted　after　the　throne　of　Wallachia！
　Did　I　have　any　proof　at　all　in　support　of　my　accusations；　the　Prince　asked　me。
　I　told　him：　you　have　seen　his　v