rh.royalassassin-第20节

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　is　yours　to　mand。〃
　　　　　　　Curiosity　prodded　me。　〃Is　that　why　Chivalry　and　Verity　knew　of　you；　but　not　Regal？〃
　　　　　　　Chade　smiled　in　an　odd　way。　〃I　was　a　sort　of　a　kindly　step…uncle　to　the　two　older　boys；　if　you　can　believe　it。　I　watched　over　them；　in　some　ways。　But　once　I　was　scarred；　I　kept　myself　even　from　them。　Regal　never　knew　me。　His　mother　had　a　horror　of　the　pox。　I　think　she　believed　all　the　legends　of　the　Pocked　Man；　harbinger　of　disaster　and　misfortune。　For　that　matter；　she　had　an　almost　superstitious　dread　of　anyone　who　was　not　whole。　You　see　it　in　Regal's　reaction　to　the　Fool。　She　would　never　keep　a　clubfooted　maid　or　even　a　serving　man　with　a　missing　finger　or　two。　So。　When　I　returned；　I　was　never　introduced　to　the　lady；　or　the　child　she　bore。　When　Chivalry　became　king…in…waiting　to　Shrewd；　I　was　one　of　the　things　revealed　to　him。　I　was　shocked　to　find　he　recalled　me；　and　had　missed　me。　He　brought　Verity　to　see　me　that　evening。　I　had　to　scold　him　over　that。　It　was　difficult　to　make　them　understand　they　could　not　e　calling　on　me　anytime　they　chose。　Those　boys。〃　He　shook　his　head　and　smiled　at　his　memories。　I　can　not　explain　the　twinge　of　jealousy　I　felt。　I　called　the　conversation　back　to　myself。
　　　　　　　〃What　do　you　think　I　should　do？〃
　　　　　　　Chade　pursed　his　lips；　sipped　his　wine；　and　thought。　〃For　now；　Patience　has　given　you　good　advice。　Ignore　or　avoid　Molly；　but　not　obviously。　Treat　her　as　if　she　were　a　new　scullery　maid；　courteously；　if　you　encounter　her；　but　not　familiarly。　Do　not　seek　her　out。　Devote　yourself　to　the　Queen…in…Waiting。　Verity　will　be　glad　of　your　distracting　her。　Kettricken　will　be　glad　of　a　friendly　face。　And　if　your　intent　is　to　win　permission　to　marry　Molly；　the　Queen…in…Waiting　could　be　a　powerful　ally。　As　you　divert　Kettricken；　watch　over　her　as　well。　Bear　in　mind　there　are　those　whose　interests　do　not　support　Verity　having　an　heir。　Those　same　ones　who　would　not　be　enthused　about　your　having　children。　So　be　wary　and　alert。　Keep　your　guard　up。〃
　　　　　　　〃Is　that　all？〃　I　asked；　daunted。
　　　　　　　〃No。　Get　some　rest。　Deadroot　was　what　was　used　on　you；　by　Regal？〃　I　nodded　and　he　shook　his　head；　narrowing　his　eyes。　Then　he　looked　me　squarely　in　the　face。　〃You　are　young。　You　may　be　able　to　recover；　mostly。　I've　seen　one　other　man　survive　it。　But　he　trembled　the　rest　of　his　life。　I　see　the　small　signs　of　it　on　you　yet。　It　will　not　show　much；　except　to　those　who　know　you　well。　But　do　not　overtire　yourself。　Weariness　will　bring　on　tremblings　and　blurred　vision。　Push　yourself；　and　you　will　have　fits。　You　do　not　want　anyone　to　know　you　have　a　weakness。　The　best　course　is　to　conduct　your　life　in　such　a　way　that　the　weakness　never　shows。〃
　　　　　　　〃Was　that　why　there　was　elfbark　in　the　tea？〃　I　asked　needlessly。
　　　　　　　He　raised　an　eyebrow　at　me。　〃Tea？〃
　　　　　　　〃Perhaps　it　was　the　Fool's　doing。　I　awoke　to　food　and　tea　in　my　room　。。。。〃
　　　　　　　〃And　if　it　had　been　Regal's　doing？〃
　　　　　　　It　took　a　moment　for　the　realization　to　dawn。　〃I　could　have　been　poisoned。〃
　　　　　　　〃But　you　weren't。　Not　this　time。　No；　it　was　neither　I　nor　the　Fool。　It　was　Lacey。　There　is　someone　deeper　than　you　credit。　The　Fool　discovered　you；　and　something　possessed　him　to　tell　Patience。　While　she　was　flustering；　Lacey　quietly　ordered　it　all　done。　I　think　that　privately　she　considers　you　as　scatterbrained　as　her　mistress。　Give　her　the　slightest　opening；　and　she　will　move　in　and　organize　your　life。　Good　as　her　intentions　are；　you　cannot　allow　that；　Fitz。　An　assassin　needs　privacy。　Get　a　latch　for　your　door。〃
　　　　　　　〃Fitz？〃　I　wondered　aloud。
　　　　　　　〃It　is　your　name。　FitzChivalry。　As　it　seems　to　have　lost　its　sting　with　you；　I　will　use　it　now。　I　was　beginning　to　weary　of　boy。〃
　　　　　　　I　bowed　my　head。　We　went　on　to　talk　of　other　things。　It　was　an　hour　or　so　until　morning　when　I　left　his　windowless　chambers　and　returned　to　my　own。　I　went　back　to　bed；　but　sleep　eluded　me。　I　had　always　stifled　the　hidden　anger　I　felt　at　my　position　at　court。　Now　it　smoldered　within　me；　so　I　could　not　rest。　I　threw　off　my　blankets　and　dressed　in　my　outgrown　clothes；　left　the　Keep；　and　walked　down　into　Buckkeep　Town。
　　　　　　　The　brisk　wind　off　the　water　blew　damp　cold　like　a　wet　slap　in　the　face。　I　pulled　my　cloak　more　tightly　around　myself　and　tugged　up　my　hood。　I　walked　briskly；　avoiding　icy　spots　on　the　steep　roadway　down　to　town。　I　tried　not　to　think；　but　I　found　that　the　brisk　pumping　of　my　blood　was　warming　my　anger　more　than　my　flesh。　My　thoughts　danced　like　a　reined…in…horse。
　　　　　　　When　I　had　first　e　to　Buckkeep　Town；　it　had　been　a　busy；　grubby　little　place。　In　the　last　decade　it　had　grown　and　adopted　a　veneer　of　sophistication；　but　its　roots　were　only　too　plain。　The　town　clung　to　the　cliffs　below　Buckkeep　Castle；　and　when　those　cliffs　gave　way　to　the　rocky　beaches；　the　warehouses　and　sheds　were　built　out　on　docks　and　pilings。　The　good　deep　anchorage　that　sheltered　below　Buckkeep　attracted　merchant　vessels　and　traders。　Farther　to　the　north；　where　the　Buck　River　met　the　sea；　there　were　gentler　beaches；　and　the　wide　river　to　carry　trading　barges　far　inland　to　the　Inland　Duchies。　The　land　closest　to　the　river　mouth　was　susceptible　to　flooding；　and　the　anchorage　unpredictable　as　the　river　shifted　in　its　course。　So　the　folk　of　Buckkeep　Town　lived　crowded　together　on　the　steep　cliffs　above　the　harbor　like　the　birds　on　Egg　Bluffs。　It　made　for　narrow；　badly　cobbled　streets　that　wound　back　and　forth　across　the　steepness　as　they　made　their　way　down　to　the　water。　The　houses；　shops；　and　inns　clung　humbly　to　the　cliff　face；　endeavoring　to　offer　no　resistance　to　the　winds　that　were　almost　constant　there。　Higher　up　the　cliff　face；　the　more　ambitious　homes　and　businesses　were　of　timber；　with　their　foundations　cut　into　the　stone　of　the　cliffs　themselves。　But　I　knew　little　of　that　stratum。　I　had　run　and　played　as　a　child　among　the　humbler　shops　and　sailors　inns　that　fronted　almost　on　the　water　itself。
　　　　　　　By　the　time　I　reached　this　area　of　Buckkeep　Town；　I　was　ironically　reflecting　that　both　Molly　and　I　would　have　been　better　off　had　we　never　bee　friends。　I　had　promised　her　reputation；　and　if　I　continued　my　attentions；　she　would　most　likely　bee　a　target　for　Regal's　malice。　As　for　myself；　the　anguish　I　had　felt　at　believing　she　had　blithely　left　me　for　another　was　but　a　scratch　pared　with　the　bleeding　now　at　knowing　she　thought　I　had　deceived　her。
　　　　　　　I　came　out　of　my　bleak　thoughts　to　realize　that　my　traitorous　feet　had　carried　me　to　the　very　door　of　her　chandlery。　Now　it　was　a　tea…and…herb　shop。　Just　what　Buckkeep　Town　needed；　another　tea…and…herb　shop。　I　wondered　what　had　bee　of　Molly's　beehives。　It　gave　me　a　pang　to　realize　that　for　Molly　the　sense　of　dislocation　must　be　ten　times　…　no；　a　hundred　times　worse。　I　had　so　easily　accepted　that　Molly　had　lost　her　father；　and　with　him　her　livelihood　and　her　prospects。　So　easily　accepted　the　change　that　made　her　a　servant　in　the　Keep。　A　servant。　I　clenched　my　teeth　and　kept　walking。
　　　　　　　I　wandered　the　town　aimlessly。　Despite　my　bleak　mood；　I　noticed　how　much　it　had　changed　in　the　last　six　months。　Even　on　this　cold　winter　day；　it　bustled。　The　construction　of　the　ships　had　brought　more　folk；　and　more　folk　meant　more　trade。　I　stopped　in　a　tavern　where　Molly；　Dirk；　Kerry；　and　I　had　used　to　share　a　bit　of　brandy　now　and　then。　The　cheapest　blackberry　brandy　was　usually　what　we　got。　I　sat　by　myself　and　drank　my　short　beer　in　silence；　but　around　me　tongues　wagged　and　I　learned　much。　It　was　not　just　the　ship　construction　that　had　bolstered　Buckkeep　Town's　prosperity。　Verity　had　put　out　a　call　for　sailors　to　man　his　warships。　The　call　had　been　amply　answered；　by　men　and　women　from　all　of　the　Coastal　Duchies。　Some　came　with　a　grudge　to　settle；　to　avenge　those　killed　or　Forged　by　the　Raiders。　Others　came　for　the　adventure；　and　the　hope　of　booty；　or　simply　because　in　the　ravaged　villages；　they　had　no　other　prospects。　Some　were　from　fisher　or　merchant　families；　with　sea　time　and　water　skills。　Others　were　the　former　shepherds　and　farmers　of　ravaged　villages。　It　mattered　little。
　　　　　　　All　had　e　to　Buckkeep　Town；　eager　to　shed　Red…Ship　blood。
　　　　　　　For　now；　many　were　housed　in　what　had　once　been　warehouses。　Hod；　the　Buckkeep　weaponsmaster；　was　giving　them　weapons　training；　winnowing　out　those　she　thought　might　be　suitable　for　Verity's　ships。　The　others　would　be　offered　hire　as　soldiers。　These　were　the　extra　folk　that　swelled　the　town　and　crowded　the　inns　and　taverns　and　eating　places。　I　heard　plaints；　too；　that　some　of　those　who　came　to　man　the　warships　were　immigrant　Outislanders；　displaced　from　their　own　land　by　the　very　Red…Ships　that　now　menaced　our　coasts。　They；　too；　claimed　to　be　eager　for　revenge；　but　few　Six　Duchies　folk　trusted　them；　and　some　businesses　in　town　would　not　sell　to　them。　It　gave　an　ugly　charged　undercurrent　to　the　busy　tavern。　There　was　a　snickering　discussion　of　an　Outislander　who　had　been　beaten　on　the　docks　the　day　before。　No　one　had　called　the　town　patrol。　When　the　speculation　became　even　uglier；　that　these　Outislanders　were　all　spies　and　that　burning　them　out　would　be　a　wise　and　sensible　precaution；　I　could　no　longer　stomach　it；　and　left　the　tavern。　Was　there　nowhere　I　could　go　to　be　free　of　suspicion