gc.shadowslinger-第3部分

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　　We　did　have　cards　up　our　sleeves。　We　never　play　fair　if　we　can　avoid　it。　The　pany　philosophy　is　to　maximize　effectiveness　while　minimizing　risk。
　　The　tall；　dark　man　rose；　left　his　shadow；　stalked　toward　the　stair　to　the　sleeping　rooms。　Candy　snapped；　〃Watch　him；　Otto。〃　Otto　hurried　after　him；　looking　feeble　in　the　man's　wake。　The　locals　watched；　wondering。
　　Pawnbroker　used　signs　to　ask；　〃What　now？〃
　　〃We　wait；〃　Candy　said　aloud；　and　with　signs　added；　〃Do　what　we　were　sent　to　do。〃
　　〃Not　much　fun；　being　live　bait；〃　Pawnbroker　signed　back。　He　studied　the　stair　nervously。　〃Set　Otto　up　with　a　hand；〃　he　suggested。
　　I　looked　at　Candy。　He　nodded。　〃Why　not？　Give　him　about　seventeen。〃　Otto　would　go　down　first　time　around　every　time　if　he　had　less　than　twenty。　It　was　a　good　percentage　bet。
　　I　quick　figured　the　cards　in　my　head；　and　grinned。　I　could　give　him　seventeen　and　have　enough　low　cards　left　to　give　each　of　us　a　hand　that　would　burn　him。　〃Give　me　those　cards。〃
　　I　hurried　through　the　deck；　building　hands。　〃There。〃　Nobody　had　higher　than　a　five。　But　Otto's　hand　had　higher　cards　than　the　others。
　　Candy　grinned。　〃Yeah。〃
　　Otto　did　not　e　back。　Pawnbroker　said；　〃I'm　going　up　to　check。〃
　　〃All　right；〃　Candy　replied。　He　went　and　got　himself　a　beer。　I　eyed　the　locals。　They　were　getting　ideas。　I　stared　at　one　and　shook　my　head。
　　Pawnbroker　and　Otto　returned　a　minute　later；　preceded　by　the　dark　man；　who　returned　to　his　shadow。　Pawnbroker　and　Otto　looked　relieved。　They　settled　down　to　play。
　　Otto　asked；　〃Who　dealt？〃
　　〃Candy　did；〃　I　said。　〃Your　go。〃
　　He　went　down。　〃Seventeen。〃
　　〃Heh…heh…heh；〃　I　replied。　〃Burned　you。　Fifteen。〃
　　And　Pawnbroker　said；　〃Got　you　both。　Fourteen。〃
　　And　Candy；　〃Fourteen。　You're　hurting；　Otto。〃
　　He　just　sat　there；　numbed；　for　several　seconds。　Then　he　caught　on。　〃You　bastards！　You　stacked　it！　You　don't　think　I'm　going　to　pay　off。　。。。〃
　　〃Settle　down。　Joke；　son；〃　Candy　said。　
　　〃Joke。　It　was　your　deal　anyhow。〃　
　　The　cards　went　around　and　the　darkness　came。　No　more　insurgents　appeared。　The　locals　grew　ever　more　restless。　Some　worried　about　their　families；　about　being　late。　As　everywhere　else；　most　Tallylanders　are　concerned　only　with　their　own　lives。　They　don't　care　whether　the　White　Rose　or　the　Lady　is　ascendant。
　　The　minority　of　Rebel　sympathizers　worried　about　when　the　blow　might　fall。　They　were　afraid　of　getting　caught　in　the　crossfire。
　　We　pretended　ignorance　of　the　situation。
　　Candy　signed；　〃Which　ones　are　dangerous？〃
　　We　conferred；　selected　three　men　who　might　bee　trouble。　Candy　had　Otto　bind　them　to　their　chairs。　It　dawned　on　the　locals　that　we　knew　what　to　expect；　that　we　were　prepared。　Not　looking　forward；　but　prepared。　The　raiders　waited　till　midnight。　They　were　more　cautious　than　the　Rebel　we　encountered　ordinarily。　Maybe　our　reputation　was　too　strong。　。　。　。
　　They　burst　in　in　a　rush。　We　discharged　our　spring　tubes　and　began　swinging　swords；　retreating　to　a　corner　away　from　the　fireplace。　The　tall　man　watched　indifferently。
　　There　were　a　lot　of　Rebels。　Far　more　than　we　had　expected。　They　kept　storming　inside；　crowding　up；　getting　into　one　another's　ways；　climbing　over　the　corpses　of　their　rades。　〃Some　trap；〃　I　gasped。　〃Must　be　a　hundred　of　them。〃
　　〃Yeah；〃　Candy　said。　〃It　don't　look　good。〃　He　kicked　at　a　man's　groin；　cut　him　when　he　covered　up。
　　The　place　was　wall…to…wall　insurgents；　and　from　the　noise　there　were　a　hell　of　a　lot　more　outside。　Somebody　didn't　want　us　getting　away。
　　Well；　that　was　the　plan。
　　My　nostrils　flared。　There　was　an　odor　in　the　air；　just　the　faintest　off…key　touch；　subtle　under　the　stink　of　fear　and　sweat。　〃Cover　up！〃　I　yelled；　and　whipped　a　wad　of　damp　wool　from　my　belt　pouch。　It　stunk　worse　than　a　squashed　skunk。　My　panions　followed　suit。
　　Somewhere　a　man　screamed。　Then　another。　Voices　rose　in　a　hellish　chorus。　Our　enemies　surged　around；　baffled；　panicky。　Faces　twisted　in　agony。　Men　fell　down　in　writhing　heaps；　clawing　their　noses　and　throats。　I　was　careful　to　keep　my　face　in　the　wool。
　　The　tall；　thin　man　came　out　of　his　shadows。　Calmly；　he　began　despatching　guerrillas　with　a　fourteen…inch；　silvery　blade。　He　spared　those　customers　we　had　not　bound　to　their　chairs。
　　He　signed；　〃It's　safe　to　breathe　now。〃
　　〃Watch　the　door；〃　Candy　told　me。　He　knew　I　had　an　aversion　to　this　kind　of　slaughter。　〃Otto；　you　take　the　kitchen。　Me　and　Pawnbroker　will　help　Silent。〃
　　The　Rebel　outside　tried　to　get　us　by　speeding　arrows　through　the　doorway。　He　had　no　luck。　Then　he　tried　firing　the　place。　Madle　suffered　paroxysms　of　rage。　Silent；　one　of　the　three　wizards　of　the　pany；　who　had　been　sent　into　Tally　weeks　earlier；　used　his　powers　to　squelch　the　fire。　Angrily；　the　Rebel　prepared　for　a　siege。
　　〃Must　have　brought　every　man　in　the　province；〃　I　said。
　　Candy　shrugged。　He　and　Pawnbroker　were　piling　corpses　into　defensive　barricades。　〃They　must　have　set　up　a　base　camp　near　here。〃　Our　intelligence　about　the　Tally　guerrillas　was　extensive。　The　Lady　prepares　well　before　she　sends　us　in。　But　we　hadn't　been　told　to　expect　such　strength　available　at　short　notice。
　　Despite　our　successes；　I　was　scared。　There　was　a　big　mob　outside；　and　it　sounded　like　more　were　arriving　regularly。　Silent；　as　an　ace　in　the　hole；　hadn't　much　more　value。
　　〃You　send　your　bird？〃　I　demanded；　assuming　that　had　been　the　reason　for　his　trip　upstairs。　He　nodded。　That
provided　some　relief。　But　not　much。
　　The　tenor　changed。　They　were　quieter　outside。　More　arrows　zipped　through　the　doorway。　It　had　been　ripped　off　its　hinges　in　the　first　rush。　The　bodies　heaped　in　it　would　not　slow　the　Rebel　long。　〃They're　going　to　e；〃　I　told
Candy。
　　〃All　right。〃　He　joined　Otto　in　the　kitchen。　Pawnbroker　joined　me。　Silent；　looking　mean　and　deadly；　stationed　himself　in　the　center　of　the　mon　room。　A　roar　went　up　outside。　〃Here　they　e！〃
　　We　held　the　main　rush；　with　Silent's　help；　but　others　began　to　batter　the　window　shutters。　Then　Candy　and　Otto　had　to　concede　the　kitchen。　Candy　killed　an　overzealous　attacker　and　spun　away　long　enough　to　bellow；　〃Where　the　hell　are　they；　Silent？〃
　　Silent　shrugged。　He　seemed　almost　indifferent　to　the　proximity　of　death。　He　hurled　a　spell　at　a　man　being　boosted　through　a　window。
　　Trumpets　brayed　in　the　night。　〃Ha！〃　I　shouted。　〃They're　ing！〃　The　last　gate　of　the　trap　had　closed。
　　One　question　remained。　Would　the　pany　close　in　before　our　attackers　finished　us？
　　More　windows　gave。　Silent　could　not　be　everywhere。　〃To　the　stair！〃　Candy　shouted。　〃Fall　back　to　the　stair。〃　We　raced　for　it。　Silent　called　up　a　noxious　fog。　It　was　not　the　deadly　thing　he　had　used　before。　He　could　not　do　that　again；　now。　He　hadn't　time　to　prepare。
　　The　stair　was　easily　held。　Two　men；　with　Silent　behind　them；　could　hold　it　forever。
　　The　Rebel　saw　that。　He　began　setting　fires。　This　time　Silent　could　not　extinguish　all　the　flames。
　　
　　　Chapter　Seven：　JUNIPER：　KRAGE
　　
　　The　front　door　opened。　Two　men　shoved　into　the　Lily；　stamped　their　feet　and　beat　the　ice　off　themselves。　Shed　scuttled　over　to　help。　The　bigger　man　pushed　him　away。　The　smaller　crossed　the　room；　kicked　Asa　away　from　the　fire；　squatted　with　his　hands　extended。　Shed's　guests　stared　into　the　flames；　seeing　and　hearing　nothing。
　　Except　Raven；　Shed　noted。　Raven　looked　interested；　and　not　particularly　disturbed。
　　Shed　sweated。　Krage　finally　turned　around。　〃You　didn't　stop　by　yesterday；　Shed。　I　missed　you。〃
　　〃I　couldn't；　Krage。　I　didn't　have　anything　to　bring　you。　Look　in　my　coin　box。　You　know　I'll　pay　you。　I　always　do。　I　just　need　a　little　time。〃
　　〃You　were　late　last　week；　Shed。　I　was　patient。　I　know　you're　having　problems。　But　you　were　late　the　week　before　that；　too。　And　the　week　before　that。　You're　making　me　look　bad。　I　know　you　mean　it　when　you　say　you'll　pay　me。　But　what　will　people　think？　Eh？　Maybe　they　start　thinking　it's　all　right　for　them　to　be　late；　too。　Maybe　they　start　thinking　they　don't　have　to　pay　at　all。〃
　　〃Krage；　I　can't。　Look　in　my　box。　As　soon　as　business　picks　up。　。　。　。〃
　　Krage　gestured。　Red　reached　behind　the　counter。　〃Business　is　bad　everywhere；　Shed。　I　got　problems；　too。　I　got　expenses。　I　can't　meet　mine　if　you　don't　meet　yours。〃　He　ambled　around　the　mon　room；　examining　the　furnishings。　　Shed　could　read　his　mind。　　He　wanted　the　Lily。　Wanted　Shed　in　a　hole　so　deep　he　would　have　to　give　the　place　up。
　　Red　handed　Shed's　box　to　Krage。　Krage　made　a　face。　〃Business　really　is　bad。〃　He　gestured。　The　big　man；　Count；　seized　Shed's　elbows　from　behind。　Shed　nearly　fainted。　Krage　grinned　wickedly。　〃Pat　him　down；　Red。　See　if　he's　holding　out。〃　He　emptied　the　coin　box。　〃On　account；　Shed。〃
　　Red　found　the　silver　leva　Raven　had　given　Shed。
　　Krage　shook　his　head。　〃Shed；　Shed；　you　lied　to　me。〃　Count　pressed　his　elbows　together　painfully。　　〃That　isn't　mine；〃　Shed　protested。　〃That　belongs　to　Raven。　He　wanted　me　to　buy　wood。　That's　why　I　was　headed　for　Latham's。〃　Krage　eyed　him。　Shed　knew　Krage　knew　he　was　telling　the　truth。　He　didn't　have　the　guts　to　lie。　　Shed　was　scared。　
　　Krage　might　bust　him　up　just　so　he　would　give　up　the　Lily　to　buy　his　life。　　What　then？　He　would　be　without　a　hearth；　and　in　the　street　with　an　old　woman　to　look　after。
　　Shed's　mother　cursed　Krage。　Everyone　ignored　her；　including　Shed。　She　was　harmless。　Darling　stood　in　the　kitchen　doorway；　frozen；　one　hand　fisted　before　her　mouth；　eyes　full　of　appeal。　She　watched　Raven　more　than　Krage　and　Shed。
　　〃What　do　you　want　me　to　break；　Krage？〃　Red　asked。　Shed　cringed。　Red　enjoyed　his　work。　〃You　shouldn't　hold　out　on　us；　Shed。　You　shouldn't　lie　to　Krage。〃　He　unleashed　a　vicious　punch。　Shed　gagged；　tried　to　fall　forward。　Count　held　him　upright。　Red　hit　him　again。
　　A　soft；　cold　voice　said；　〃He　told　the　truth。　I　sent　him　for　wood。〃
　　Krage　and　Red　shifted　formation。　Count　did　not　relax　his　grip。　〃Who　are　you？〃　Krage　demanded。
　　〃Raven。　Let　him　be。〃
　　Krage　exchanged　glances　with　Red。　Red　said；　〃I　think　maybe　you'd　better　not　talk　that　way　to　Mister　Krage。〃
　　Raven's　gaze　rose。　Red's　shoulders　tightened　defensively。　Then；　aware　of　his　audience；　he　stepped　over　and　threw　an　open…palmed　punch。　Raven　plucked　h