ggk.thelionsofal-rassan-第115节

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hat　would　have　destroyed　a　people　with　a　lesser　heritage　to　sustain　them。
　　The　Kindath　physician　Alvar　ben　Pellino；　who　had　been　one　of　the　first　to　settle　here　in　his　youth…he　had　pleted　his　studies　at　the　newly　re…established　university…had　a　different　perspective　from　most；　and　a　more　pragmatic　view。
　　Men　and　women　of　all　faiths　struggled　to　find　ways　to　shape　a　life　for　themselves　and　their　children。　When　opportunities　emerged　they　were　grasped。　Sorenica's　revival　was　simply　such　an　opportunity　being　seized。
　　In　the　aftermath　of　their　army's　destruction　twenty　years　ago；　the　Jaddite　princes　of　several　kingdoms　had　been　informed　by　their　spiritual　advisors　that　the　god　had　not　been　pleased　by　the　brutal　attack　on　Sorenica　before　the　fleet　sailed。　The　Kindath　had　not　been　the　real　targets　of　that　holy　war；　the　clerics　solemnly　decreed；　conveniently　forgetting　their　own　role　in　the　massacre。　Sorenica's　destruction；　they　decided；　had　represented　a　failure　of　piety；　a　deviation　from　proper　awareness　of　the　holy　mission　that　lay　ahead。
　　Jad　had　sent　his　punishments：　storm　winds　at　sea；　sickness；　murder　among　princes；　deaths　in　battle　in　far…off；　inhospitable　lands。
　　Those　leaders　and　their　followers　who　finally　came　home　two　long　years　later　had　wearily　agreed　to　make　atonement　for　the　Sorenica　massacre。　The　Kindath　had　been　invited　back；　royal　monies　were　allocated　for　the　rebuilding　of　their　sanctuaries；　markets；　houses；　the　university；　the　harbor；　warehouses；　city　walls。　Taxes　were　remitted　for　all　who　agreed　to　settle　there　in　those　first　years。　The　highest　lords　of　Batiara…many　of　them　the　sons　of　men　who　had　died　in　the　Asharite　homelands…put　their　seals　to　a　long；　clerkly　document　drawn　up　to　attest　to　the　assured　safety　of　Sorenica　and　its　inhabitants。
　　One　did　not　have　to　believe　such　things；　Alvar　ben　Pellino　thought；　striding　quickly　past　the　stalls　of　the　market　towards　the　harbor；　to　have　decided　that　in　an　uncertain；　violent　world；　Sorenica　offered　no　more　risks　than　anywhere　else　and　a　few　benefits　not　otherwise　available。
　　In　his　case；　more　than　a　few　benefits；　in　that　long…ago　year　when　they'd　escaped　the　savagery　that　was　consuming　Esperana　and　Al…Rassan；　tearing　the　peninsula　apart　the　way　wild　beasts　shred　a　carcass。
　　Ben　Pellino　was　well…known　and　well…loved　in　Sorenica。　Hasten　as　he　might；　his　progress　towards　the　harbor　was　slow。　Every　few　steps　he　was　forced　to　stop　and　exchange　pleasantries　with　someone　or　another。　A　surprising　number　of　men　and　women　wished　him　the　moons'　blessing　on　his　fortieth　birth　day。　The　Kindath；　with　their　charts　of　birth；　paid　more　attention　to　such　days　than　his　own　people　had：　a　small　adjustment　among　larger　ones。
　　It　was　his　daughters；　Alvar　gradually　understood；　who　had　been　busily　informing　everyone。　Ruefully　smiling；　he　acknowledged　all　the　good　wishes；　agreeing　with　cheerful　suggestions　that　his　youth　was　now　behind　him。
　　He'd　had　a　highly　dramatic　life　in　his　early　years　and　people　knew　something　of　that。　He'd　been　a　Horseman　and　even　a　royal　herald　in　Valledo；　before　ing　away　from　that　peninsula；　adopting　the　Kindath　faith　and　beginning　his　training　in　medicine。
　　He　was　much　sought　after　and　trusted　as　a　physician：　calm；　learned；　reassuring。　A　steady　hand　and　eye　in　surgery。　His　services　had　once　been　in　demand　among　the　mercenary　armies　of　Batiara　but　he　had　never　gone　with　the　soldiers；　ever。　A　season's　summons　to　a　princely　court　he　would　accept…to　deliver　children；　attend　to　gout；　couch　cataracts…but　never　a　position　with　an　army　in　the　field。　Had　he　wanted　to　tread　or　ride　a　battlefield；　ben　Pellino　said　calmly　to　all　who　asked；　he　would　still　be　a　Horseman　in　the　army　of　Ramiro　the　Great　of　Esperana。
　　He　was　a　doctor；　he　said；　and　his　labor　was　preserving　and　easing　life。　He　would　not；　given　a　choice；　freely　venture　into　death's　own　domain　of　war。
　　His　wife　did　so；　however。　Also　a　physician…an　even　better　one　in　the　view　of　some；　since　she'd　been　trained　from　childhood　by　her　celebrated　father…she　was　not　averse　to　a　campaign　or　two　among　the　armies。　One　saw　injuries　and　ailments　in　the　field　that　could　only　serve　to　broaden　and　deepen　a　doctor's　knowledge。　Her　father　had　done　the　same　thing　in　his　day。
　　Alvar；　disengaging　from　yet　another　well…wisher；　made　a　mental　note　to　chastise　his　daughters　when　he　returned　home。　They'd　no　business　proclaiming　his　advancing　years　to　the　whole　munity！　He　didn't　look　forty；　everyone　said　as　much。　He　wasn't　ready　to　be　venerable　and　sage；　unless　it　helped　in　disciplining　two　girls　hovering　precariously　on　the　brink　of　womanhood。　In　the　case　of　his　daughters　Alvar　rather　doubted　anything　would　greatly　help。
　　On　the　other　hand；　they　were　the　ones　who　had　decided　to　have　a　celebration　today；　and　who'd　been　busy　all　week　preparing　it。　They'd　ordered　the　cook　out　of　the　kitchen。　They　had　been　making　the　confections　themselves。　His　wife；　more　sympathetic　to　his　desire　to　pass　the　day　quietly；　had　tried　to　deter　them…to　no　avail。　When　the　two　girls　acted　in　tandem；　the　idea　of　deterrence　was　naive。
　　Knowing　he　was　expected　home　by　now　for　the　celebration；　Alvar　hurried　along　the　slip　where　ships　from　all　over　the　world　were　loading　or　off…loading　cargoes。　He　looked　for　and　found　the　one　with　an　Esperanan　flag：　yellow　sun　on　a　pale　blue　field；　Queen　Vasca's　crown　above　it。
　　A　boy　from　the　docks　had　run　a　message　to　their　treatment　rooms。　A　letter　was　waiting　for　them；　entrusted　to　the　captain。　Alvar　had　finished　with　his　patients　first　and　had　e　to　collect　it。
　　He　didn't　recognize　the　captain　who　granted　him　permission　to　board　the　ship。　They　exchanged　pleasantries。
　　He　did　know　the　writing　and　the　seal；　and　he　took　a　deep　breath　when　he　accepted　the　salt…stained　packet　from　the　man。　It　was　addressed　to　him　and　Jehane　both；　so　after　offering　his　thanks　and　a　silver　coin　and　striding　back　down　to　the　wooden　planks　of　the　wharf；　Alvar　opened　it。　Normally　he　let　Jehane　read　their　mail　from　Esperana　first；　but　today　was　his　birth　day；　after　all；　and　he　allowed　himself　this　much　luxury。　He　was　immediately　sorry。
　　My　dear　Jehane；　my　dear　Alvar；　he　read；　may　the　god　and　his　sisters　guard　and　preserve　you　and　all　your　loved　ones。　We　are　well；　though　events；　as　you　will　have　heard　from　others　by　now；　have　been　turbulent　this　summer　。。。　
　　Alvar　stopped　reading；　his　heart　thudding。　They　hadn't　heard　anything　from　others。　He　turned　back　to　the　ship。　He　called　out。　The　captain　turned　at　the　rail　to　look　down　at　him。
　　〃What's　happened　in　the　peninsula？〃　Alvar　shouted　up。　He　spoke　in　Esperanan。　Heads　turned　towards　him。
　　〃You　don't　know？〃　the　captain　cried。
　　〃You're　the　first　Esperanan　ship　here　in　a　month。〃
　　〃Then　I　can　be　tale　teller！〃　the　captain　said；　visibly　pleased。　He　brought　his　two　hands　together　above　his　eyes；　making　the　sign　of　the　god's　disk。　〃Belmonte　took　Cartada　and　Aljais　this　summer；　and　then　Tudesca　surrendered　to　him！　Ramiro　the　Great　has　ridden　his　black　horse　into　the　sea　at　the　mouth　of　the　Guadiara。　Jad　has　reconquered　Al…Rassan！　The　peninsula　belongs　to　Esperana　again！〃
　　There　was　a　babble　of　noise　along　the　harbor。　The　news　would　be　all　over　Sorenica　by　the　time　Alvar　got　home　if　he　didn't　hurry。
　　He　began　moving　quickly；　almost　running；　barely　pausing　to　throw　a　thank　you　over　his　shoulder。　He　didn't　want　this　news　to　e　from　the　street。　There　were　those　at　his　house　today　who　would　need　a　warning；　some　shelter　from　this。
　　He　needed　that　himself；　in　truth。
　　Even　as　he　hurried　back　through　the　market；　Alvar　was　remembering　a　long…ago　night　north　of　Fezana；　when　King　Ramiro　had　told　him　and　Ser　Rodrigo　of　his　firm　intent　to　ride　into　the　seas　surrounding　Al…Rassan　and　claim　all　the　lands　that　touched　them　for　his　own。
　　He'd　done　it　now。　Ramiro　the　Great。　Nearly　twenty　years　after；　but　he'd　done　it。　He　was　king　of　Esperana。　Of　Valledo；　Ruenda；　Jalofia。　Of　Al…Rassan；　though　that　name　would　be　gone　now。　From　this　summer　forward；　that　name　was　a　word　for　poets　and　historians。
　　Clutching　the　letter；　Alvar　broke　into　a　run。　People　looked　at　him　curiously；　but　there　were　other　running　figures　in　the　street　now；　carrying　the　same　tidings。　He　cut　along　a　laneway　and　past　their　treatment　rooms。　Closed。　Everyone　would　be　at　his　house　by　now。　For　the　party。　His　happy　celebration。
　　Alvar　was　aware　that　he　would　need　to　weep　before　this　day　was　done。　He　wouldn't　be　the　only　one。
　　The　outer　doors　of　the　house　were　open。　He　walked　in。　No　one　to　be　seen。　They　would　all　be　in　the　courtyard；　waiting　for　him。　He　paused　before　the　looking　glass；　startled　by　his　reflection。　A　brown…haired　man；　unfashionably　bearded；　beginning　to　grey。　White…faced；　just　now。　So　much　so　that　were　he　his　own　patient；　Alvar　would　have　ordered　immediate　rest。　He'd　had　a　blow。　An　extreme　one。
　　He　heard　sounds　from　the　kitchen　and　turned　that　way。　In　the　doorway　he　stopped。　His　wife　was　there；　still　dressed　for　work；　checking　on　the　small　cakes　and　pies　the　girls　had　been　making。　Even　now；　even　with　what　had　just　happened　to　him；　Alvar　offered　his　prayer　of　thanksgiving　to　the　god　and　the　moons　that　he　had　been　vouchsafed　this　gift　of　love；　so　unexp