ggk.thelionsofal-rassan-第50部分

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　Jad　had　been　pushed　as　far　north　as　it　was　ever　to　go。　Where　it　remained　now；　in　fact；　just　south　of　the　River　Duric　and　the　mountains　that　screened　Jalona。
　　That　savage　long…ago　campaign　had　begun…in　the　endless　paradox　of　things…the　centuries…long　splendor　of　Al…Rassan。　A　brilliant　succession　of　khalifs　in　the　growing　Al…Fontina　of　Silvenes　had　chosen　to　name　themselves　for　what　they　achieved　in　war：　The　Conqueror；　The　Destroyer；　Sword　of　the　Star…born；　Scourge　of　the　Unbelievers。
　　They　had　been　those　things；　there　was　no　hubris　in　the　naming。　Those　khalifs　and　their　armies；　following　upon　the　first　reckless；　astonishingly　successful　thrust　northward　across　the　straits　from　the　Majriti　more　than　three　hundred　years　ago；　had　carved　and　hewed　a　glorious　realm　in　this　peninsula；　driving　the　Esperanans　into　the　farthest　north；　raiding　them　twice　a　year　for　gold　and　grain　and　slaves；　and　for　the　sheer　pleasure　and　great　glory　of　doing　so　in　Ashar's　ever…bright　name。
　　It　had　been　called　a　Golden　Age。
　　Jehane　supposed　that；　as　such　things　were　measured；　it　had　been。　For　the　Kindath；　treading　lightly　at　all　times；　the　expanding　world　of　the　khalifs　had　offered　a　measure　of　peace　and　fragile　security。　They　paid　the　heretics'　tax；　as　did　the　Jaddites　who　dwelt　in　Al…Rassan；　they　were　to　worship　the　god　and　his　sisters　in　their　fashion　only　behind　closed　doors；　they　were　to　wear　blue　and　white　clothing　only；　as　stipulated　in　Ashar's　Laws。　They　were　forbidden　to　ride　horses；　to　have　intimate　congress　with　Believers；　to　build　the　roofs　of　their　sanctuaries　higher　than　any　temple　of　the　Asharites　in　the　same　city　or　town　。。。　there　were　rules　and　laws　that　enclosed　them；　but　there　was　a　life　to　be　found；　and　the　enforcement　of　laws　varied　widely　through　the　passing　centuries。
　　A　Golden　Age。　Now　gone。　The　moons　waxed　and　the　moons　waned。　Silvenes　was　fallen；　the　petty…kings　bristled　and　sparred　against　each　other。　And　now　the　Jaddites　were　ing　south　again；　on　the　magnificent　horses　they　bred　in　the　north。　Valledo　claimed　tribute　from　Fezana。　Ruenda　was　making　overtures　towards　Salos　and　the　towns　north　of　it　along　the　coast；　and　here　now；　below　them　in　this　valley；　was　the　first　parias　party　from　Jalona；　e　to　share　in　the　banquet；　to　bring　Fibaz　gold　back　to　King　Bermudo　in　his　drafty　castle　in　Eschalou。
　　If　they　could。
　　High　on　the　slopes　above　the　valley；　Jehane　lifted　her　voice　again　and　cried　out　in　Esperanan；　in　a　tone　she　hoped　would　convey　uncontrollable　desire：
　　〃Nino；　my　golden　king；　it　is　Fruela！　I　am　afire　for　you！〃
　　Screened　behind　cedar　and　pine；　they　saw　the　young　Jaddite　mander　look　up　again。　He　hesitated；　then　clapped　his　helmet　back　on　his　head。
　　〃That's　it；〃　said　Rodrigo　softly。　He　had　stopped　laughing。　〃I　think　you've　done　it；　Jehane。〃
　　〃He's　calling　back　the　party　he　sent　up　here；〃　Ammar　said；　also　quietly。
　　〃What　have　I　done？〃　Jehane　asked；　careful　to　whisper　now。　Neither　of　them　had　yet　bothered　to　explain。　They　had　simply　asked　her　to　e　up　here　and　pretend　to　be　helpless　with　desire。　It　had　seemed　amusing　at　the　time。
　　〃Goaded　him；〃　Rodrigo　murmured；　not　taking　his　eyes　from　the　valley　below。　The　Horsemen　were　beginning　to　move；　shifting　alignment；　turning　north。　〃Nino　di　Carrera　is　vain　but　not　a　fool。　He　had　outriders　ahead　and　behind。　Given　a　calm　space　in　which　to　think　he　would　do　the　intelligent　thing　and　double　back。　You've　been　taking　space　and　calm　away　from　him。　He　is　not　thinking　properly　because　he　is　humiliated　and　angry。〃
　　〃He　is　dead；〃　said　Ammar　ibn　Khairan　flatly。　He；　too；　had　never　stopped　scanning　the　valley。　〃Look　what　they're　doing。〃
　　The　Jaddites　had　begun　to　ride；　Jehane　saw。　High　up　among　the　trees　in　the　wind　she　heard　their　voices　lift　in　cries　of　menace　and　exaltation。　Their　massed　formation　looked　terrifying　to　her。　The　huge　thundering　of　hooves　carried　up　to　where　they　watched。　She　saw　Nino　di　Carrera　lead　his　pany　into　the　shadows　at　the　valley's　end　and　she　lost　them　there。
　　〃Too　fast；〃　said　Rodrigo。
　　〃Much。　There　will　be　a　spear　pit　where　the　canyon　bends；〃　Ammar　said　grimly。
　　〃And　arrows　as　the　horses　pile　up。〃
　　〃Of　course。　Messy。〃
　　〃It　works；〃　said　Rodrigo。
　　A　moment　later　Jehane　heard　the　screaming　begin。
　　The　two　men　looked　at　each　other。　They　had　shaped　events　to　achieve　exactly　this；　Jehane　understood　that　much。　What　they　were　striving　towards；　she　did　not　yet　know。　There　were　deaths　involved；　though；　she　could　hear　men　dying。
　　〃First　part　done；〃　Ammar　said　calmly。　〃We　ought　to　go　down。〃
　　She　looked　from　him　to　Rodrigo；　who　had　been　the　one　to　suggest　the　performance　as　Queen　Fruela。　〃You　aren't　going　to　explain　this；　are　you？〃
　　〃Later；　Jehane；　I　promise；〃　Rodrigo　said。　〃No　leisure　now。　We　need　our　own　swords　to　be　ready；　and　then　a　doctor's　labors；　I　fear。〃
　　〃There's　Lain　already；〃　ibn　Khairan　said；　pointing　to　the　other　end　of　the　valley　bowl。　Jehane　saw　their　own　men　ing　up　from　the　south　towards　the　shadows　where　the　Jalonans　had　disappeared。
　　〃Of　course；〃　Rodrigo　said。　She　detected　a　note　of　placency。　〃He　knows　how　to　do　this。　What　do　you　think　we　are？〃
　　Ammar　grinned　at　that；　the　white　teeth　flashing。　〃Valiant　Horsemen　of　Jad；〃　he　said。　〃The　same　as　the　ones　being　butchered　down　below。〃
　　〃Not　quite；〃　Rodrigo　replied；　refusing　to　be　baited。　〃Not　quite　the　same。　You'll　see。　e　on；　Jehane。　Can　you　control　your　smoldering　enough　to　get　down　from　here？〃
　　She　would　have　hit　him　with　something；　but　by　then　the　sounds　of　men　and　their　horses　in　the　darkness　beyond　the　north　end　of　the　valley　were　appalling　and　she　followed　her　two　panions　down　in　silence。
　　
　　〃We　kill　anyone　who　es　out　from　the　defile；〃　Lain　Nunez　said　flatly　when　he　gave　the　mand　to　ride。　〃No　surrender　accepted。　Treat　both　parties　as　enemies。　We　are　seriously　outnumbered　here。〃
　　Alvar　was　intimidated　by　the　grimness　in　the　old　warrior's　face　as　he　gave　his　orders。　It　was　no　secret　that　Lain　had　always　thought　this　intricate；　many…layered　plan　to　be　foolish　and　unworkable。　But　with　Mazur　ben　Avren　in　Ragosa；　Ser　Rodrigo　and　Ammar　ibn　Khairan　all　vying　to　outdo　each　other　in　subtlety　the　scheme　had　acquired　so　many　nuances　as　to　be　almost　inprehensible。　Alvar　had　long　ago　given　up　trying　to　follow　what　was　happening。
　　He　understood　no　more　than　the　essence：　they　had　made　certain　that　a　notorious　outlaw　leader　knew　about　the　Fibaz　gold。　They　wanted　him　to　e　after　the　parias。　King　Badir　had　delayed　agreeing　to　payment　of　the　gold　to　Jalona　until　as　late　in　the　year　as　possible　to　give　this　outlaw　time　to　act；　if　he　chose。
　　Then；　after　a　lone　messenger　had　arrived　from　the　south　one　night；　Rodrigo　and　ibn　Khairan　had　led　fifty　of　the　Valledans　out　from　Ragosa　the　next　morning　in　a　cold　rain　on　the　brink　of　winter。　No　banners；　no　identifying　emblems；　not　even　their　own　horses…they　rode　nondescript　mounts　from　Ragosa。　They　had　passed　like　ghosts　through　the　countryside；　heading　east；　twenty　of　them　at　any　time　scattering　to　watch　for　the　movement　of　panies　of　men。
　　It　was　Martin；　predictably；　who　had　spotted　the　outlaw　band　ing　north。　The　Captain　and　ibn　Khairan　had　smiled　then；　old　Lain　had　not。　From　that　point　on　the　bandit　chieftain's　progress　had　been　carefully　monitored　all　the　way　to　this　valley。　He　had　about　eighty　men。
　　The　Jalonans；　led　by　a　Count　Nino　di　Carrera…not　a　name　Alvar　knew…were　already　in　Fibaz；　east　and　south　of　where　the　outlaws　waited。　Di　Carrera　had　a　hundred　men；　superbly　mounted；　by　report。
　　When　word　came　of　where　the　ambush　was　being　laid；　Ammar　ibn　Khairan　had　smiled　again。　Rain　had　been　falling　that　day　too；　dripping　from　hat　brims　and　into　the　collars　of　overtunics　and　cloaks。　The　cart　roads　and　fields　were　already　turning　to　winter's　thick　mud；　treacherous　for　the　horses。
　　〃The　Emin　ha'Nazar？　That　old　fox；〃　ibn　Khairan　had　said。　〃He　would　do　it　in　the　valley。　Truly；　I　shall　be　a　little　sorry　if　we　must　kill　him。〃
　　Alvar　was　still　not　sure　how　he　felt　about　the　lord　Ammar　ibn　Khairan。
　　Jehane　liked　him；　he　was　fairly　certain　of　that…which　plicated　matters。　Her　presence　on　this　ride　was　plication　enough。　He　worried　about　her　in　the　cold　and　the　rain；　sleeping　in　a　tent　on　damp　or　frozen　ground；　but　she　said　nothing；　offered　no　plaint；　rode　a　horse…normally　forbidden　the　Kindath；　of　course…surprisingly　well。　She　had　learned　in　Batiara；　he　discovered。　It　appeared　that　in　Batiara　any　number　of　normally　forbidden　things　could　be　done。
　　〃What　is　that　valley？〃　Rodrigo　had　asked　ibn　Khairan。　〃Tell　me　all　you　know　about　it。〃
　　The　two　of　them　had　walked　off　together　into　the　mist；　talking　quietly；　so　Alvar　heard　no　more。　He　had　happened　to　be　watching　Lain　Nunez's　face；　and　from　the　older　man's　expression　had　grasped　a　part　of　why　Lain　was　so　unhappy　on　this　winter　expedition。　Alvar　wasn't　the　only　man　here　feeling　displaced　by　recent　developments。
　　Nonetheless；　Lain's　disapproval　seemed　unwarranted　in　the　end。　Even　with　all　the　plexity　and　the　need　for　absolute　secrecy　of　movement；　it　had　all　e　together　after　all；　here　at　this　strange；　high；　echoing　valley。　There　was　even　sunshine　today；　the　air　bright　and　very　cold。
　　Alvar　had　been　part　of　the　first　small　group　that　had　run　up…no　horses　allowed；　by　ibn　Khairan's　orders…to　close　the　southern　entrance　to　the　valley　after　the　Jalonans　had　gone　through。　They　were　posing　as　outlaws；　he　understood　that　much：　as　part　of　the　same　band　lying　in　ambush　to　the　north。　And　they　were　meant　to　be　seen　by　the　Jalonan　outriders。
　　They　were。　Martin　spotted　the　two　scouts　in　plenty　of　time　to　have　killed　them　had　they　wanted　to。　They　didn't　want　to。　For　whatever　reason　in　this　indecipherable　scheme；　they　were　to　allow　the　scouts　to　see　them　and　then　race　back　into　the　valley　to　report。　It　was　very　hard　to　puzzle　out。　It　was　made　even　harder　for　Alvar　because　all　through　the　tense　movements　of　the　morning　he　had　been　forced　to　listen　to　Jehane's　voice　from　high　on　the　slopes　as　she　moaned　her　desire　for　the　yellow…haired　Jalonan　mander　in　the　valley　ahead　of　them。　He　didn't　like　that　part　at　all；　though　most　of　the　others　seemed　to　find　it　killingly　funny。
　　By　the　time　Lain　Nunez　gave　the　order　to　ri