gc.shadowslinger-第32部分

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　　〃He　have　a　trunk　or　something　that　he　wouldn't　let　anybody　near？〃
　　Asa　seemed　baffled　by　the　direction　my　questions　had　taken。　The　others　did　too。　Only　Silent　knew　about　those　papers。　Silent；　and　maybe　Whisper；　who　had　possessed　them　once　herself。
　　〃Asa？　Anything　he　treated　unusually？〃
　　A　light　dawned　in　the　little　man's　mind。　〃There　was　a　crate。　About　the　size　of　a　coffin。　I　remember　making　a　joke　about　it。　He　said　something　cryptic　about　it　being　somebody's　ticket　to　the　grave。〃
　　I　grinned。　The　papers　still　existed。　〃What　did　he　do　with　that　crate　down　there？〃
　　〃I　don't　know。〃
　　〃Asa。　。。。〃
　　〃Honest。　I　only　saw　it　a　couple　times　on　the　ship。　I　never　thought　anything　about　it。〃
　　〃What　are　you　getting　at；　Croaker？〃　the　Captain　asked。
　　〃I　have　a　theory。　Just　based　on　what　I　know　about　Raven　and　Asa。〃
　　Everyone　frowned。
　　〃Generally；　what　we　know　about　Asa　suggests　he's　a　character　Raven　wouldn't　take　up　with　on　a　bet。　He's　chicken。　Unreliable。　Too　talkative。　But　Raven　did　take　up　with　him。　Took　him　south　and　made　him　part　of　the　team。　Why？　Maybe　that　don't　bother　you　guys；　but　it　does　me。〃
　　〃I　don't　follow　you；〃　the　Captain　said。　
　　〃Suppose　Raven　wanted　to　disappear　so　people　wouldn't　even　bother　looking　for　him？　He　tried　to　vanish　once；　by　ing　to　Juniper。　But　we　turned　up。　Looking　for　him；　he　thought。　So　what　next？　How　about　he　dies？　In　front　of　a　witness。　People　don't　hunt　for　dead　men。〃
　　Elmo　interrupted。　〃You　saying　he　staged　his　death　and　used　Asa　to　report　it　so　nobody　would　e　looking？〃
　　〃I'm　saying　we　ought　to　consider　the　possibility。〃　
　　The　Captain's　sole　response　was　a　thoughtful；　〃Uhm。〃　Goblin　said；　〃But　Asa　did　see　him　die。〃
　　〃Maybe。　And　maybe　he　only　thinks　he　did。〃　We　all　looked　at　Asa。　He　cowered。　The　Captain　said；　〃Take　him　through　his　story　again；　One…Eye。　Step…by…step。〃　For　two　hours　One…Eye　dragged　the　little　man　through　again　and　again。　And　we　could　not　spot　one　flaw。　Asa　insisted　he　had　seen　Raven　die；　devoured　from　within　by　something　snake…like。　And　the　more　my　theory　sprung　leaks；　the　more　I　was　sure　it　was　valid。
　　〃My　case　depends　on　Raven's　character；〃　I　insisted；　when　everybody　ganged　up　on　me。　〃There's　the　crate；　and　there's　Darling。　Her　and　a　damned　expensive　ship　that　he；　for　godsakes；　had　built。　He　left　a　trail　going　out　of　here；　and　he　knew　it。　Why　sail　a　few　hundred　miles　and　tie　up　to　a　dock　when　somebody　is　going　to　e　looking？　Why　leave　Shed　alive　behind　you；　to　tell　about　you　being　in　on　the　raid　on　the　Catabs？　And　there's　no　way　in　hell　he'd　leave　Darling　twisting　in　the　wind。　Not　for　a　minute。　He　would　have　had　arrangements　made　for　her。　You　know　that。〃　My　arguments　were　beginning　to　sound　a　little　strained　to　me；　too。　I　was　in　the　position　of　a　priest　trying　to　sell　religion。　〃But　Asa　says　they　just　left　her　hanging　around　some　inn。　I　tell　you；　Raven　had　a　plan。　I　bet；　if　you　went　down　there　now；　you'd　find　Darling　gone　without　a　trace。　And　if　the　ship　is　still　there；　that　crate　wouldn't　be　aboard。〃
　　〃What　is　this　with　the　crate？〃　One…Eye　demanded。　I　ignored　him。
　　〃I　think　you　have　too　much　imagination；　Croaker；〃　the　Captain　said。　〃But；　on　the　other　hand；　Raven　is　crafty　enough　to　pull　something　like　that。　Soon　as　I　can　spring　you；　figure　on　going　down　to　check。〃
　　〃If　Raven's　crafty　enough；　how　about　the　Taken　being　villainous　enough　to　try　something　against　us？〃
　　〃We'll　cross　that　bridge　when　we　e　to　it。〃　He　faced　One…Eye。　〃I　want　you　and　Goblin　to　save　the　games。　Understand？　Too　much　clowning　around　and　the　Taken　will　get　curious。　Croaker。　Hang　on　to　this　Asa　character。　You'll　want　him　to　show　you　where　Raven　died。　I'm　heading　back　to　the　outfit。　Elmo。　e　ride　with　me　part　way。〃
　　So。　A　little　private　business。　Bet　it　had　to　do　with　my　suspicions　about　the　Taken。　After　a　while　you　get　so　used　to　some　people　you　can　almost　read　their　minds。
　　
　　　Chapter　Thirty…Three：　JUNIPER：　THE　ENCOUNTER
　　
　　Things　changed　after　the　Captain's　visit。　The　men　became　more　alert。　Elmo's　influence　waxed　while　mine　waned。　A　less　wishy…washy；　more　inflexible　tone　characterized　the　pany　deputation。　Every　man　became　ready　to　move　at　an　instant's　notice。
　　munications　improved　dramatically　while　time　available　for　sleep　declined　painfully。　None　of　us　were　ever　out　of　touch　more　than　two　hours。　And　Elmo　found　excuses　to　get　everyone　but　himself　out　of　Duretile；　into　places　where　the　Taken　would　have　trouble　finding　them。　Asa　became　my　ward　out　on　the　black　castle　slope。
　　Tension　mounted。　I　felt　like　one　of　a　flock　of　chickens　poised　to　scatter　the　moment　a　fox　landed　among　us。　I　tried　to　bleed　off　my　shakiness　by　updating　the　Annals。　I　had　let　them　slide　sadly；　seldom　having　done　more　than　keep　notes。
　　When　the　tension　became　too　much　for　me；　I　walked　uphill　to　stare　at　the　black　castle。
　　It　was　an　intentional　risk…taking；　like　that　of　a　child　who　crawls　out　a　tree　branch　overhanging　a　deadly　fall。　The　closer　I　approached　the　castle；　the　more　narrow　my　concentration。　At　two　hundred　yards　all　other　cares　vanished。　I　felt　the　dread　of　that　place　down　to　my　ankle　bones　and　the　shallows　of　my　soul。　At　two　hundred　yards　I　felt　what　it　meant　to　have　the　shadow　of　the　Dominator　overhanging　the　world。　I　felt　what　the　Lady　felt　when　she　considered　her　husband's　potential　resurrection。　Every　emotion　be…　came　edged　with　a　hint　of　despair。　　　　In　a　way；　the　black　castle　was　more　than　a　gateway　〃through　which　the　world's　great　old　evil　might　reappear。　It　was　a　concretization　of　metaphorical　concepts；　and　a　living　symbol。　It　did　things　a　great　cathedral　does。　Like　a　cathedral；it　was　far　more　than　an　edifice。
　　I　could　stare　at　its　obsidian　walls　and　grotesque　decoration；　recall　Shed's　stories；　and　never　avoid　dipping　into　the　cesspool　of　my　own　soul；　never　avoid　searching　myself　for　the　essential　decency　shelved　through　most　of　my　adult　life。　That　castle　was；　if　you　like；　a　moral　landmark。　If　you　had　a　brain。　If　you　had　any　sensitivity　at　all。　　　　　
　　There　were　times　when　One…Eye；　Goblin；　Elmo　or　another　of　the　men　acpanied　me。　Not　one　of　them　went　away　untouched。　They　could　stand　there　with　me；　talking　trivialities　about　its　construction　or；　weightily；　about　its　significance　in　the　pany's　future；　and　all　the　while　something　would　be　happening　inside。
　　I　do　not　believe　in　evil　absolute。　I　have　recounted　that　philosophy　in　specific　elsewhere　in　the　Annals；　and　it　affects　my　every　observation　throughout　my　tenure　as　Annalist。　I　believe　in　our　side　and　theirs；　with　the　good　and　evil　decided　after　the　fact；　by　those　who　survive。　Among　men　you　seldom　find　the　good　with　one　standard　and　the　shadow　with　another。　In　our　war　with　the　Rebel；　eight　and　nine　years　ago；　we　served　the　side　perceived　as　the　shadow。　Yet　we　saw　far　more　wickedness　practiced　by　the　adherents　of　the　White　Rose　than　by　those　of　the　Lady。　The　villains　of　the　piece　were　at　least　straightforward。
　　The　world　knows　where　it　stands　with　the　Lady。　It　is　the　Rebel　whose　ideals　and　morals　conflict　with　fact；　being　as　changeable　as　the　weather　and　as　flexible　as　a　snake。
　　But　I　digress。　The　black　castle　has　that　effect。　Makes　you　amble　off　into　all　the　byways　and　cul…de…sacs　and　false　trails　you　have　laid　down　during　your　life。　It　makes　you　reassess。　Makes　you　want　to　take　a　stand　somewhere；　even　if　on　the　black　side。　Leaves　you　impatient　with　your　own　malleable　morality。
　　I　suspect　that　is　why　Juniper　decided　to　pretend　the　place　did　not　exist。　It　is　an　absolute　demanding　absolutes　in　a　world　with　a　preference　for　relatives。
　　Darling　was　in　my　thoughts　often　while　I　stood　below　those　black；　glossy　walls；　for　she　was　the　castle's　antipode　when　I　was　up　there。　The　white　pole；　and　absolute　in　opposition　to　what　the　black　castle　symbolized。　I　had　not　been　much　in　her　presence　since　realizing　what　she　was；　but　I　could　recall　being　morally　unnerved　by　her；　too。　I　wondered　how　she　would　affect　me　now；　after　having　had　years　to　grow。
　　From　what　Shed　said；　she　did　not　reek　the　way　the　castle　did。　His　main　interest　in　her　had　been　hustling　her　upstairs。　And　Raven　had　not　been　driven　into　puritanical　channels。　If　anything；　he　had　slipped　farther　into　the　darkness…though　for　the　highest　of　motives。
　　Possibly　there　was　a　message　there。　An　observation　upon　means　to　ends。　Here　was　Raven　who　had　acted　with　the　pragmatic　amorality　of　a　prince　of　Hell；　all　so　he　could　save　the　child　who　represented　the　best　hope　of　the　world　against　the　Lady　and　the　Dominator。
　　Oh；　'twould　be　marvelous　if　the　world　and　its　moral　questions　were　like　some　game　board；　with　plain　black　players　and　white；　and　fixed　rules；　and　nary　a　shade　of　grey。
　　Even　Asa　and　Shed　could　be　made　to　feel　the　aura　of　the　castle　if　you　took　them　up　during　the　daytime　and　made　them　stand　there　looking　at　those　fell　walls。
　　Shed　especially。
　　Shed　had　achieved　a　position　where　he　could　afford　conscience　and　uncertainty。　I　mean；　he　had　none　of　the　financial　troubles　that　had　plagued　him　earlier；　and　no　prospect　of　digging　himself　a　hole　with　us　watching　him；　so　he　could　reflect　upon　his　place　in　things　and　bee　disgusted　with　himself。　More　than　once　I　took　him　up　and　watched　as　that　deep　spark　of　hidden　decency　flared；　twisted　him　upon　a　rack　of　inner　torment。
　　
　　I　do　not　know　how　Elmo　did　it。　Maybe　he　went　without　sleep　for　a　few　weeks。　But　when　the　pany　came　down　out　of　the　Wolanders；　he　had　an　occupation　plan　prepared。　It　was　crude；　to　be　sure；　but　better　than　any　of　us　expected。
　　I　was　in　the　Buskin；　at　Shed's　Iron　Lily；　when　the　first　rumors　raged　down　the　waterfront　and　stirred　one　of　the　most　massive　states　of　confusion　I've　ever　seen。　Shed's　wood…seller　neighbor　swept　into　the　Lily；　announced；　〃There's　an　army　ing　down　out　of　the　pass！　Foreigners！　Thousands　of　them！　They　say。　。。。〃
　　During　the　following　hour　a　dozen　patrons　brought　the　news。　Each　time　the　army　was　larger　and　its　purpose　more　obscure。　Nobody　knew　what　the　pany　wanted。　Various　witnesses　assigned　motives　according　to　their　own　fears。　Few　came　anywhere　near　the　mark。
　　Though　the　men　were　weary　after　so　long　a　march；　they　spread　through　the　city　quickly；　the　larger　units　guided　by　Elmo's　men。　Candy