ggk.thelionsofal-rassan-第20节

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　　Jehane　said　nothing。　It　seemed　that　whether　she　spoke　or　kept　silent；　this　man　was　reading　her　like　an　illuminated　scroll。
　　Something　occurred　to　her。　〃Tell　me；〃　she　said　firmly；　ignoring　his　ment；　〃if　you　lived　here　for　a　time；　why　did　you　have　to　ask　what　was　burning；　back　in　camp？　Orvilla　has　been　in　the　same　place　for　fifty　years　or　more。〃
　　She　couldn't　see　his　face；　of　course；　but　somehow　she　knew　he　would　be　smiling。　〃Good；〃　he　said　at　length。　〃Very　good；　doctor。　I　shall　be　even　sorrier　now　if　you　refuse　my　offer。〃
　　〃I　have　refused　your　offer；　remember？〃　She　wouldn't　allow　herself　to　be　deflected。　〃Why　did　you　have　to　ask　what　was　burning？〃
　　〃I　didn't　have　to　ask。　I　chose　to　ask。　To　see　who　answered。　There　are　things　to　be　learned　from　questions；　beyond　the　answers　to　the　question。〃
　　She　thought　about　that。　〃And　what　did　you　learn？〃
　　〃That　you　are　quicker　than　your　merchant　friend。〃
　　〃Don't　underestimate　ibn　Musa；〃　Jehane　said　quickly。　〃He's　surprised　me　several　times　today；　and　I've　known　him　a　long　time。〃
　　〃What　should　I　do　with　him？〃　Rodrigo　Belmonte　asked。
　　It　was；　she　realized；　a　serious　question。　She　rode　for　a　while；　thinking。　The　two　moons　were　both　high　now；　they　had　risen　about　thirty　degrees　apart。　The　angle　of　a　journey；　in　fact；　in　her　own　birth　chart。　Ahead　of　them　now　she　could　see　the　campfire　where　Husari　would　be　waiting　with　the　two　men　left　on　guard。
　　〃You　understand　that　he　was　to　have　been　killed　this　afternoon　with　the　others　in　the　castle？〃
　　〃I　gathered　as　much。　Why　did　he　survive？〃
　　〃I　didn't　let　him　go。　He　was　passing　a　kidney　stone。〃
　　He　laughed。　〃First　time　he'll　ever　have　been　grateful　for　that；　I'll　wager。〃　His　tone　changed。　〃Fine；　then。　He　was　marked　by　Almalik　to　die。　What　should　I　do？〃
　　〃Take　him　back　north　with　you；〃　she　said　at　length；　trying　to　think　it　through。　〃I　think　he　wants　to　do　that。　If　King　Ramiro　has　any　thoughts　of　taking　Fezana　for　himself　one　day…
　　〃Wait！　Hold；　woman！　What　kind　of　a　thing　is　that　to　say？〃
　　〃An　obvious　one；　I　should　have　thought；〃　she　said　impatiently。　〃At　some　point　he　has　to　wonder　why　he's　only　exacting　parias　and　not　ruling　the　city。〃
　　Rodrigo　Belmonte　was　laughing　again；　and　shaking　his　head。　〃You　know；　not　all　obvious　thoughts　need　be　spoken。〃
　　〃You　asked　me　a　question；〃　she　said　sweetly。　〃I　am　taking　it　seriously。　If　Ramiro　has　any　such　thoughts…however　remote　and　insubstantial　they　may　be；　of　course…it　can　only　help　to　have　the　sole　survivor　of　today's　massacre　with　him。〃
　　〃Especially　if　he　makes　sure　everyone　knows　that　man　came　straight　to　him　from　the　slaughter　and　asked　him　to　intervene。〃　Rodrigo's　tone　was　reflective；　he　didn't　bother　responding　to　her　sarcasm。
　　Jehane　felt　suddenly　weary　of　talking。　This　was　a　day　that　had　started　at　dawn　in　the　market；　in　the　most　ordinary　of　ways。　Now　here　she　was；　after　the　slaughter　in　the　city　and　the　attack　on　Orvilla；　discussing　peninsular　politics　in　the　darkness　with　Rodrigo　Belmonte；　the　Scourge　of　Al…Rassan。　It　began　to　seem　just　a　little　too　much。　She　was　going　to　set　out　on　her　own　path　in　the　morning；　and　morning　was　not　very　far　off。　〃I　suppose　you　are　right。　I'm　a　doctor；　not　a　diplomat；　you　know；〃　she　murmured　vaguely。　It　would　be　nice　to　fall　asleep；　actually。
　　〃Much　the　same；　at　times；〃　he　replied。　Which　irritated　her　enough　to　pull　her　awake　again；　mostly　because　Ser　Rezzoni　had　said　precisely　the　same　thing　to　her　more　than　once。　〃Where　are　you　riding？〃　he　asked　casually。
　　〃Ragosa；〃　she　answered；　just　before　remembering　that　she　hadn't　planned　to　tell　anyone。
　　〃Why？〃　he　pursued。
　　He　seemed　to　assume　he　had　a　right　to　an　answer。　It　must　e　with　manding　men　for　so　long；　Jehane　decided。
　　〃Because　they　tell　me　the　courtiers　and　soldiers　there　are　wondrous　skilled　in　lovemaking；〃　she　murmured；　in　her　throatiest　voice。　For　good　measure；　she　unlinked　her　hands　and　slid　them　from　his　waist　to　his　thighs　and　left　them　there　a　moment　before　clasping　them　demurely　again。
　　He　drew　a　long　breath　and　let　it　out　slowly。　She　was　sitting　very　close；　though；　try　as　he　might　to　hide　a　response；　she　could　feel　his　heartbeat　accelerate。　At　about　the　same　moment；　it　occurred　to　her　that　she　was　playing　the　most　brazen　sort　of　teasing　game　with　a　dangerous　man。
　　〃This；〃　said　Rodrigo　Belmonte　of　Valledo　plaintively；　〃is　distressingly　familiar。　A　woman　putting　me　in　my　place。　Are　you　sure　you've　never　met　my　wife　？〃
　　A　moment　later；　very　much　against　her　will　and　any　reasonable　expectations；　Jehane　began　to　laugh。　And　then；　perhaps　because　she　was　laughing；　genuinely　amused；　she　remembered　again　what　she'd　seen　in　that　small　hut　in　Orvilla；　and　then　it　came　back　to　her　that　her　father　had　spoken　his　first　words　in　four　years　tonight；　and　she　was　leaving　him　and　her　mother；　perhaps　forever。
　　She　hated　crying。　Laughter　and　tears；　Ishak　used　to　say；　were　the　nearest　of　kin。　It　wasn't　a　physician's　observation；　that　one。　His　mother　had　told　him　that；　and　her　mother　had　told　her。　The　Kindath　had　survived　a　thousand　years；　they　were　laden　with　such　folk　wisdom；　carrying　it　like　their　travelling　baggage；　well…worn；　never　far　from　reach。
　　So　Jehane　fought　against　her　tears　on　Rodrigo　Belmonte's　black　horse；　riding　east　under　moons　that　spelled　a　journey　for　her；　against　the　backdrop　of　the　summer　stars；　and　the　man　with　whom　she　rode　kept　blessedly　silent　until　they　reached　the　camp　and　saw　that　the　Muwardis　had　been　there。
　　
　　For　Alvar；　a　good　part　of　the　considerable　strain　of　that　night　came　from　feeling　so　hopelessly　behind　what　was　happening。　He　had　always　thought　of　himself　as　clever。　In　fact；　he　knew　he　was　intelligent。　The　problem　was；　the　events　unfolding　tonight　in　Al…Rassan　were　so　far　outside　the　scope　of　his　experience　that　cleverness　was　not　nearly　enough　to　show　him　how　to　deal　with　what　was　taking　place。
　　He　understood　enough　to　know　that　with　his　share　of　the　ransom　to　be　negotiated　for　Garcia　de　Rada　and　his　surviving　men　he　was　already　wealthier　than　he　had　ever　imagined　being　in　his　first　year　as　a　soldier　of　the　king　in　Esteren。　Even　now；　before　any　further　negotiations　took　place；　Alvar　had　been　assigned　a　new　horse　and　armor　by　Lain　Nunez…and　both　of　them　were　better　than　his　own。
　　This　was　how　soldiers　rose　in　the　world；　if　they　did；　through　the　plunder　and　ransom　of　war。　Only　he　had　really　not　expected　to　take　that　wealth　from　fellow　Valledans。
　　〃Happens　all　the　time；〃　Lain　Nunez　had　said　gruffly　as　they　divided　the　spoils　in　the　village。　〃Remind　me　to　tell　you　of　the　time　Rodrigo　and　I　served　as　privately　hired　mercenaries　of　the　Asharites　of　Salos　downriver。　We　raided　into　Ruenda　for　them　more　than　once。〃
　　〃But　not　into　Valledo；〃　Alvar　had　protested；　still　troubled。
　　〃All　one　back　then；　remember？　King　Sancho　was　still　on　the　throne　of　united　Esperana。　Three　provinces　of　one　country；　lad。　Not　the　division　we've　got　now。〃
　　Alvar　had　thought　about　that　on　the　way　back　to　the　camp。　He　was　struggling　with　so　many　difficult　things…including　his　own　first　killing…that　he　didn't　even　have　a　chance　to　enjoy　his　spoils　of　battle。　He　did　notice　that　Lain　Nunez　was　careful　to　allocate　a　substantial　share　of　the　ransomed　weapons　and　mounts　to　the　survivors　of　the　village；　though。　He　hadn't　expected　that。
　　Then；　back　at　the　camp；　where　the　Captain　and　the　Kindath　doctor　were　waiting　for　them；　Alvar　saw　the　chests　and　sacks　and　barrels；　and　came　to　understand　that　this　was　the　summer　parias　from　Fezana；　delivered　by　the　Muwardis…the　Veiled　Ones…out　here　at　night　on　the　plain。
　　〃The　merchant？〃　Lain　Nunez　asked　urgently；　swinging　down　from　his　horse。　〃They　came　for　him？〃　And　Alvar　abruptly　remembered　that　the　plump　Asharite　had　been　marked　to　die　in　Fezana's　castle　that　day。
　　The　Captain　was　shaking　his　head　slowly。　〃The　merchant；〃　he　said；　〃is　no　more。〃
　　〃Rot　their　souls！〃　Lain　Nunez　swore　violently。　〃By　Jad's　fingers　and　toes；　I　hate　the　Muwardis！〃
　　〃Instead　of　the　merchant；〃　the　Captain　went　on　placidly；　〃we　appear　to　have　a　new　outrider　to　join　Martin　and　Ludus。　We'll　have　to　work　some　weight　off　him　before　he's　much　use；　mind　you。〃
　　Lain　Nunez　gave　his　sharp　bark　of　laughter　as　a　ponderous　figure　rose　from　the　far　side　of　the　fire；　clad…barely…in　the　garb　of　a　Jaddite　Horseman。　Husari　ibn　Musa　seemed；　improbably；　quite　at　ease。
　　〃I've　been　a　wadji　already　today；〃　he　said　calmly；　speaking　passable　Esperanan。　〃This　is　no　more　of　a　stretch；　I　suppose。〃
　　〃Untrue；〃　the　Captain　murmured。　〃Looking　at　Ramon's　clothing　on　you；　I'd　call　it　a　big　stretch。〃　There　was　laughter。　The　merchant　smiled；　and　patted　his　stomach　cheerfully。
　　Alvar；　joining　uncertainly　in　the　amusement；　saw　the　Kindath　doctor；　Jehane；　sitting　on　a　saddle　blanket　by　the　fire；　hands　about　her　drawn…up　knees。　She　was　looking　into　the　flames。
　　〃How　many　of　the　desert　dogs　were　here？〃　Lain　Nunez　asked。
　　〃Only　ten；　Martin　says。　Which　is　why　they　didn't　e　to　Orvilla。〃
　　〃He　told　them　we　were　dealing　with　it？〃
　　〃Yes。　They　are　obviously　under　orders　to　give　us　our　gold　and　hope　we　leave　quickly。〃
　　Lain　Nunez　removed　his　hat　and　ran　a　hand　through　his　thinning