ggk.thelionsofal-rassan-第4节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ed　more　than　anything　else；　which　angered　her　further。
　　She　could　see　him　clearly　now　that　she　was　standing。　His　eyes　were　blue；　like　her　own…as　unusual　in　the　Asharites　as　it　was　among　the　Kindath。　The　hair　was　thick；　curling　in　the　heat。　He　was　very　expensively　dressed；　rings　on　several　of　his　gloved　fingers　and　a　single　pearl　earring　which　was　certainly　worth　more　than　the　collective　worldly　goods　of　everyone　in　the　line　in　front　of　her。　More　gems　studded　his　belt　and　sword　hilt；　some　were　even　sewn　into　the　leather　of　the　slippers　on　his　feet。　A　dandy；　Jehane　thought；　a　mincing　court　dandy　from　Cartada。
　　The　sword　was　a　real　one　though；　not　a　symbol；　and　his　eyes；　now　that　she　was　looking　into　them；　were　unsettlingly　direct。
　　Jehane　had　been　raised；　by　her　mother　and　father　both；　to　show　deference　where　it　was　due　and　earned；　and　not　otherwise。
　　〃Such　'niceties；'　as　you　prefer　to　call　simple　courtesy；　ought　to　matter　in　Cartada　as　much　as　they　do　here；〃　she　said　levelly。　She　pushed　a　strand　of　hair　back　from　her　eyes　with　the　back　of　her　hand。　〃I　am　here　in　the　market　until　the　midday　bells　have　rung。　If　you　have　genuine　need　of　a　private　consultation　I　will　refer　to　my　afternoon　appointments　and　see　when　I　am　available。〃
　　He　shook　his　head　politely。　Two　of　the　veiled　soldiers　had　e　up　to　them。　〃As　I　believe　I　did　mention；　we　have　not　time　for　that。〃　There　still　seemed　to　be　something　amusing　him。　〃I　should　perhaps　say　that　I　am　not　here　for　an　affliction　of　my　own；　much　as　it　might　gratify　any　man　to　be　subject　to　your　care。〃　There　was　a　ripple　of　laughter。
　　Jehane　was　not　amused。　This　sort　of　thing　she　knew　how　to　deal　with；　and　was　about　to；　but　the　Cartadan　went　on　without　pausing：　〃I　have　just　e　from　the　house　of　a　patient　of　yours。　Husari　ibn　Musa　is　ill。　He　begs　you　to　e　to　him　this　morning；　before　the　consecration　ceremony　begins　at　the　castle；　that　he　might　not　be　forced　to　miss　being　presented　to　the　prince。〃
　　〃Oh；〃　Jehane　said。
　　Ibn　Musa　had　kidney　stones；　recurring　ones。　He　had　been　her　father's　patient　and　one　of　the　very　first　to　accept　her　as　Ishak's　successor。　He　was　wealthy；　soft　as　the　silk　in　which　he　traded；　and　he　enjoyed　rich　foods　far　too　much　for　his　own　good。　He　was　also　kind；　surprisingly　unpretentious；　intelligent；　and　his　early　patronage　had　meant　a　great　deal　to　her　practice。　Jehane　liked　him；　and　worried　about　him。
　　It　was　certain；　given　his　wealth；　that　the　silk　merchant　would　have　been　on　the　list　of　citizens　honored　with　an　invitation　to　meet　the　prince　of　Cartada。　Some　things　were　being　clear。　Not　all。
　　〃Why　did　he　send　you？　I　know　most　of　his　people。〃
　　〃But　he　didn't　send　me；〃　the　man　demurred；　with　easy　grace。　〃I　offered　to　e。　He　warned　me　of　your　weekly　market　routine。　Would　you　have　left　this　booth　at　the　behest　of　a　servant？　Even　one　you　knew？〃
　　Jehane　had　to　shake　her　head。　〃Only　for　a　birth　or　an　accident。〃
　　The　Cartadan　smiled；　showing　white　teeth　against　the　tanned；　smooth　features。　〃Ibn　Musa　is；　Ashar　and　the　holy　stars　be　thanked；　not　presently　with　child。　Nor　has　any　untoward　accident　befallen　him。　His　condition　is　the　one　for　which　I　understand　you　have　treated　him　before。　He　swears　no　one　else　in　Fezana　knows　how　to　alleviate　his　sufferings。　And　today；　of　course；　is　an　。。。　exceptional　day。　Will　you　not　deviate　from　your　custom　this　one　time　and　permit　me　the　honor　of　escorting　you　to　him？〃
　　Had　he　offered　the　purse　again　she　would　have　refused。　Had　he　not　looked　calm　and　very　serious　as　he　awaited　her　reply；　she　would　have　refused。　Had　it　been　anyone　other　than　Husari　ibn　Musa　entreating　her　presence　。。。　
　　Looking　back；　afterwards；　Jehane　was　acutely　aware　that　the　smallest　of　gestures　in　that　moment　could　have　changed　everything。　She　might　so　easily　have　told　the　smooth；　polished　Cartadan　that　she'd　attend　upon　ibn　Musa　later　that　day。　If　so…the　thought　was　inescapable…she　would　have　had　a　very　different　life。
　　Better　or　worse？　No　man　or　woman　could　answer　that。　The　winds　blew；　bringing　rain；　yes；　but　sometimes　also　sweeping　away　the　low；　obscuring　clouds　to　allow　the　flourishes　of　sunrise　or　sunset　seen　from　a　high　place；　or　those　bright；　hard；　clear　nights　when　the　blue　moon　and　the　white　seemed　to　ride　like　queens　across　a　sky　strewn　with　stars　in　glittering　array。
　　Jehane　instructed　Velaz　to　close　and　lock　the　booth　and　follow　her。　She　told　all　those　left　in　the　line　to　give　their　names　to　Velaz；　that　she　would　see　them　free　of　charge　in　her　treatment　rooms　or　at　the　next　week's　market。　Then　she　took　her　urine　flask　and　let　the　stranger　take　her　off　to　ibn　Musa's　house。
　　
　　The　stranger。
　　The　stranger　was　Ammar　ibn　Khairan　of　Aljais。　The　poet；　the　diplomat；　the　soldier。　The　man　who　had　killed　the　last　khalif　of　Al…Rassan。　She　learned　his　name　when　they　arrived　at　her　patient's　house。　It　was　the　first　great　shock　of　that　day。　Not　the　last。　She　could　never　decide　if　she　would　have　gone　with　him；　had　she　known。
　　A　different　life；　if　she　hadn't　gone。　Less　wind；　less　rain。　Perhaps　none　of　the　visions　offered　those　who　stand　in　the　high；　windy　places　of　the　world。
　　Ibn　Musa's　steward　had　briskly　admitted　her　and　then　greeted　her　escort　unctuously　by　name；　almost　scraping　the　floor　with　his　forehead　in　obeisance；　strewing　phrases　of　gratitude　like　rose　petals。　The　Cartadan　had　managed　to　interpose　a　quiet　apology　for　not　introducing　himself；　and　then　sketched　a　court　bow　of　his　own　to　her。　It　was　not　customary　to　bow　to　Kindath　infidels。　In　fact；　according　to　the　wadjis；　it　was　forbidden　to　Asharites；　subject　to　a　public　lashing。
　　The　bejewelled　man　bowing　to　her　was　not　likely　to　be　lashed　any　time　soon。　Jehane　knew　who　he　was　as　soon　as　she　heard　the　name。　Depending　upon　one's　views；　Ammar　ibn　Khairan　was　one　of　the　most　celebrated　men　or　one　of　the　most　notorious　in　the　peninsula。
　　It　was　said；　and　sung；　that　when　scarcely　e　to　manhood　he　had　single…handedly　scaled　the　walls　of　the　Al…Fontina　in　Silvenes；　slain　a　dozen　guards　within；　fought　through　to　the　Cypress　Garden　to　kill　the　khalif；　then　battled　his　way　out　again；　alone；　dead　bodies　strewn　about　him。　For　this　service；　the　grateful；　newly　proclaimed　king　in　Cartada　had　rewarded　ibn　Khairan　with　immediate　wealth　and　increasing　power　through　the　years；　including；　of　late；　the　formal　role　of　guardian　and　advisor　to　the　prince。
　　A　status　which　brought　a　different　sort　of　power。　Too　much　so；　some　had　been　whispering。　Almalik　of　Cartada　was　an　impulsive；　subtle；　jealous　man　and　was　not　said；　in　truth；　to　be　particularly　fond　of　his　eldest　son。　Nor　was　the　prince　reputed　to　dote　upon　his　father。　It　made　for　a　volatile　situation。　The　rumors　surrounding　the　dissolute；　flamboyant　Ammar　ibn　Khairan…and　there　were　always　rumors　surrounding　him…had　been　of　a　somewhat　altered　sort　in　the　past　year。
　　Though　none　of　them　came　remotely　close　to　explaining　why　this　man　should　have　personally　offered　to　summon　a　physician　for　a　Fezanan　silk　merchant；　just　so　the　merchant　could　be　enabled　to　attend　a　courtly　reception。　As　to　that；　Jehane　had　only　the　thinly　veiled　hint　of　amusement　in　ibn　Khairan's　face　to　offer　a　clue…and　it　wasn't　much　of　a　clue。
　　In　any　event；　she　stopped　thinking　about　such　things；　including　the　unsettling　presence　of　the　man　beside　her；　when　she　entered　the　bedchamber　and　saw　her　longtime　patient。　One　glance　was　enough。
　　Husari　ibn　Musa　was　lying　in　bed；　propped　on　many　pillows。　A　slave　was　energetically　beating　a　fan　in　the　air；　trying　to　cool　the　room　and　its　suffering　occupant。　Ibn　Musa　could　not　have　been　called　a　courageous　man。　He　was　white…faced；　there　were　tears　on　his　cheeks；　he　was　whimpering　with　pain　and　the　anticipation　of　worse　to　e。
　　Her　father　had　taught　her　that　it　was　not　only　the　brave　or　the　resolute　who　were　deserving　of　a　doctor's　sympathy。　Suffering　came　and　was　real；　however　one's　constitution　and　nature　responded　to　it。　A　glance　at　her　afflicted　patient　served　to　focus　Jehane　abruptly　and　ease　her　own　agitation。
　　Moving　briskly　to　the　bedside；　Jehane　adopted　her　most　decisive　tones。　〃Husari　ibn　Musa；　you　are　not　going　anywhere　today。　You　know　these　symptoms　by　now　as　well　as　I　do。　What　were　you　thinking？　That　you　would　bound　from　bed；　straddle　a　mule　and　ride　off　to　a　reception？〃
　　The　portly　man　on　the　bed　groaned　piteously　at　the　very　thought　of　such　exertion　and　reached　for　her　hand。　They　had　known　each　other　a　long　time；　she　allowed　him　to　do　that。　〃But　Jehane；　I　must　go！　This　is　the　event　of　the　year　in　Fezana。　How　can　I　not　be　present？　What　can　I　do？〃
　　〃You　can　send　your　most　fulsome　regrets　and　advise　that　your　physician　has　ordered　you　to　remain　in　bed。　If　you　wish；　for　some　perverse　reason；　to　offer　details；　you　may　have　your　steward　say　that　you　are　about　to　pass　a　stone　this　afternoon　or　this　evening　in　extreme　pain；　controlled　only　by　such　medications　as　leave　you　unable　to　stand　upright　or　speak　coherently。　If；　anticipating　such　a　condition；　you　still　wish　to　attend　a　Cartadan　function　I　can　only　assume　your　mind　has　already　been　disjointed　by　your　suffering。　If　you　wish　to　be　the　first　person　to　collapse　and　die　in　the　new　wing　of　the　castle　you　will　have　to　do　so　ag