osc.am2.redprophet-第12节

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　　Bonaparte　sipped　his　coffee　（barbaric　fluid！　but　he　seemed　to　relish　it　exactly　as　the　Irrakwa　did）；　then　leaned　back　in　his　chair；　regarding　Frederic　with　his　steady；　piercing　eyes。　〃Do　you　mean　to　say　that　you　acpany　foot　soldiers　in　house…to…house　searches？〃
　　Bonaparte's　condescending　attitude　was　outrageous；　but　before　Frederic　could　utter　the　withering　retort　that　was　just　on　the　tip　of　his　tongue；　La　Fayette　laughed　aloud。　〃Napoleon；〃　he　said；　〃my　dear　friend；　that　is　the　nature　of　our　supposed　enemy　in　this　war。　When　the　largest　city　in　fifty　miles　consists　of　four　houses　and　a　smithy；　you　don't　conduct　house…to…house　searches。　Each　house　is　the　enemy　fortress。〃
　　Napoleon's　forehead　wrinkled。　〃They　don't　concentrate　their　forces　into　arniies？〃
　　〃They　have　never　fielded　an　army；　not　since　General　Wayne　put　down　Chief　Pontiac　years　ago；　and　that　was　an　English　army。　The　U。S。　has　a　few　forts；　but　they're　all　along　the　Hio。〃
　　〃Then　why　are　those　forts　still　standing？〃
　　La　Fayette　chuckled　again。　〃Haven't　you　read　reports　of　how　the　English　king　fared　in　his　war　against　the　Appalachee　rebels？〃
　　〃I　was　otherwise　engaged；〃　said　Bonaparte。
　　〃You　needn't　remind　us　you　were　fighting　in　Spain；〃　said　Frederic。　〃We　would　all　have　gladly　been　there；　too。〃
　　〃Would　you？〃　murmured　Bonaparte。
　　〃Let　me　summarize；〃　said　La　Fayette；　〃what　happened　to　Lord　Cornwallis's　army　when　he　led　it　from　Virginia　to　try　to　reach　the　Appalachee　capital　of　Franklin；　on　the　upper　Tennizy　River。〃
　　〃Let　me；〃　said　Frederic。　〃Your　summaries　are　usually　longer　than　the　original；　Gilbert。〃
　　La　Fayette　looked　annoyed　at　Frederic's　interruption；　but　after　all；　La　Fayette　was　the　one　who　had　insisted　they　address　each　other　as　brother　generals；　by　first　names。　If　La　Fayette　wanted　to　be　treated　like　a　marquis；　he　should　insist　on　protocol。　〃Go　ahead；〃　said　La　Fayette。
　　〃Cornwallis　went　out　in　search　of　the　Appalachee　army。　He　never　found　it。　Lots　of　empty　cabins；　which　he　burned　　but　they　can　build　new　ones　in　a　day。　And　every　day　a　half…dozen　of　his　soldiers　would　be　killed　or　wounded　by　musketry。〃
　　〃Rifle　fire；〃　corrected　La　Fayette。
　　〃Yes；　well；　these　Americans　prefer　the　rifled　barrel；〃　said　Frederic。
　　〃They　can't　volley　properly；　rifles　are　so　slow　to　load；〃　said　Bonaparte。
　　〃They　don't　volley　at　all；　unless　they　outnumber　you；〃　said　La　Fayette。
　　〃I'm　telling　it；〃　said　Frederic。　〃Cornwallis　got　to　Franklin　and　realized　that　half　his　army　was　dead；　injured；　or　protecting　his　supply　fines。　Benedict　Arnold　　the　Appalachee　general　　had　fortified　the　city。　Earthworks；　balustrades；　trenches　all　up　and　down　the　hillsides。　Lord　Cornwallis　tried　to　lay　a　siege；　but　the　Cherriky　moved　so　silently　that　the　Cavalier　pickets　never　heard　them　bringing　in　supplies　during　the　night。　Fiendish；　the　way　those　Appalachee　Whites　worked　so　closely　with　the　Reds　　made　them　citizens；　right　from　the　start；　if　you　can　imagine；　and　it　certainly　paid　off　for　them　this　time。　Appalachee　troops　also　raided　Cornwallis's　supply　lines　so　often　that　after　less　than　a　month　it　became　quite　clear　that　Cornwallis　was　the　besieged；　not　the　besieger。　He　ended　up　surrendering　his　entire　army；　and　the　English　King　had　to　grant　Appalachee　its　independence。〃
　　Bonaparte　nodded　gravely。
　　〃Here's　the　cleverest　thing；〃　said　La　Fayette。　〃After　he　surrendered；　Cornwallis　was　brought　into　Franklin　City　and　discovered　that　all　the　families　had　been　moved　out　long　before　he　arrived。　That's　the　thing　about　these　Americans　on　the　frontier。　They　can　pick　up　and　move　anywhere。　You　can't　pin　them　down。〃
　　〃But　you　can　kill　them；〃　said　Bonaparte。
　　〃You　have　to　catch　them；〃　said　La　Fayette。
　　〃They　have　fields　and　farms；〃　said　Bonaparte。
　　〃Well；　yes；　you　could　try　to　find　every　farm；〃　said　La　Fayette。　〃But　when　you　get　there；　if　anyone's　at　home　you'll　find　it's　a　simple　farm　family。　Not　a　soldier　among　them。　There's　no　army。　But　the　minute　you　leave；　someone　is　shooting　at　you　from　the　forest。　It　might　be　the　same　humble　farmer；　and　it　might　not。〃
　　〃An　interesting　problem；〃　said　Bonaparte。　〃You　never　know　your　enemy。　He　never　concentrates　his　forces。〃
　　〃Which　is　why　we　deal　with　the　Reds；〃　said　Frederic。　〃We　can't　very　well　go　about　murdering　innocent　farm　families　ourselves；　can　we？〃
　　〃So　you　pay　the　Reds　to　kill　them　for　you。〃
　　〃Yes。　It　works　rather　well；〃　said　Frederic；　〃and　we　have　no　plans　to　do　anything　different。〃
　　〃Well？　It　works　well？〃　said　Bonaparte　scornfully。　〃Ten　years　ago　there　weren't　five　hundred　American　households　west　of　the　Appalachee　Mountains。　Now　there's　ten　thousand　households　between　the　Appalachees　and　the　My…Ammy；　and　more　moving　farther　west　all　the　time。〃
　　La　Fayette　winked　at　Frederic。　Frederic　hated　him　when　he　did　that。　〃Napoleon　read　our　dispatches；〃　La　Fayette　said　cheerfully。　〃Memorized　our　estimates　of　American　settlements　in　the　Red　Reserve。〃
　　〃The　King　wants　this　American　intrusion　into　French　territory　stopped；　and　stopped　at　once；〃　said　Bonaparte。
　　〃Oh　he　does？〃　asked　La　Fayette。　〃What　an　odd　way　he　has　of　showing　it。〃
　　〃Odd？　He　sent　me；〃　said　Bonaparte。　〃That　means　he　expects　victory。〃
　　〃But　you're　a　general；〃　said　La　Fayette。　〃We　already　have　generals。〃
　　〃Besides；〃　said　Frederic；　〃you're　not　in　mand。　I'm　in　mand。〃
　　〃The　Marquis　has　the　supreme　military　authority　here；〃　said　Bonaparte。
　　Frederic　understood　pletely：　La　Fayette　also　had　the　authority　to　put　Bonaparte　in　mand　over　Frederic；　if　he　desired。　He　cast　an　anxious　look　toward　La　Fayette；　who　was　placently　spreading　goose…liver　paste　on　his　bread。　La　Fayette　smiled　benignly。　〃General　Bonaparte　is　under　your　mand；　Frederic。　That　will　not　change。　Ever。　I　hope　that's　clear；　my　dear　Napoleon。〃
　　〃Of　course；〃　said　Napoleon。　〃I　would　not　dream　of　changing　that。　You　should　know　that　the　King　is　sending　more　than　generals　to　Canada。　Another　thousand　soldiers　will　be　here　in　the　spring。〃
　　〃Yes；　well；　I'm　impressed　to　learn　that　he's　promised　to　send　more　troops　again　　haven't　we　heard　a　dozen　such　promises　before；　Frederic？　I'm　always　reassured　to　hear　another　promise　from　the　King。〃　La　Fayette　took　the　last　sip　from　his　wineglass。　〃But　the　fact　is；　my　dear　Napoleon；　we　already　have　soldiers；　too；　who　do　nothing　but　sit　in　garrison　at　Fort　Detroit　and　Fort　Chicago；　paying　for　scalps　with　bourbon。　Such　a　waste　of　bourbon。　The　Reds　drink　it　like　water　and　it　kills　them。〃
　　〃If　we　don't　need　generals　and　we　don't　need　soldiers；〃　asked　Bonaparte　condescendingly；　〃what　do　you　think　we　need　to　win　this　war？〃
　　Frederic　couldn't　decide　if　he　hated　Bonaparte　for　speaking　so　rudely　to　an　aristocrat；　or　loved　him　for　speaking　so　rudely　to　the　detestable　Marquis　de　La　Fayette。
　　〃To　win？　Ten　thousand　French　settlers；〃　said　La　Fayette。　〃Match　the　Americans　man　for　man；　wife　for　wife；　child　for　child。　Make　it　impossible　to　do　business　in　that　part　of　the　country　without　speaking　French。　Overwhelm　them　with　numbers。〃
　　〃No　one　would　e　to　live　in　such　wild　country；〃　said　Frederic；　as　he　had　said　so　many　times　before。
　　〃Offer　them　free　land　and　they'd　e；〃　said　La　Fayette。
　　〃Riff…raff；〃　said　Frederic。　〃We　hardly　need　more　riff…raff。〃
　　Bonaparte　studied　La　Fayette's　face　a　moment　in　silence。　〃The　mercial　value　of　these　lands　is　the　fur　trade；〃　said　Bonaparte　quietly。　〃The　King　was　very　clear　on　that　point。　He　wants　no　European　settlement　at　all　outside　the　forts。〃
　　〃Then　the　King　will　lose　this　war；〃　said　La　Fayette　cheerfully；　〃no　matter　how　many　generals　he　sends。　And　with　that；　gentlemen；　I　think　we　have　done　with　supper。〃
　　La　Fayette　arose　and　left　the　table　immediately。
　　Bonaparte　turned　to　face　Frederic；　who　was　already　standing　up　to　leave。　He　reached　out　his　hand　and　touched　Frederic's　wrist。　〃Stay；　please；〃　he　said。　Or　no；　actually　he　merely　said；　〃Stay；〃　but　it　felt　to　Frederic　that　he　was　saying　please；　that　he　really　wanted　Frederic　to　remain　with　him；　that　he　loved　and　honored　Frederic
　　But　he　couldn't；　no；　he　couldn't；　he　was　a　moner；　and　Frederic　had　nothing　to　say　to　him
　　〃My　lord　de　Maurepas；〃　murmured　the　Corsican　corporal。　Or　did　he　say　merely　〃Maurepas；〃　while　Frederic　simply　imagined　the　rest？　Whatever　his　words；　his　voice　was　rich　with　respect；　with　trust；　with　hope
　　So　Frederic　stayed。
　　Bonaparte　said　almost　nothing。　Just　normal　pleasantries。　We　should　work　well　together。　We　can　serve　the　King　properly。　I　will　help　you　all　I　can。
　　But　to　Frederic；　there　was　so　much　more　than　words。　A　promise　of　future　honor；　of　returning　to　Paris　covered　with　glory。　Victory　over　the　Americans；　and　above　all　putting　La　Fayette　in　his　place；　triumphing　over　the　democratic　traitorous　marquis。　He　and　this　Bonaparte　could　do　it；　together。　Patience　for　a　few　years；　building　up　an　army　of　Reds　so　large　that　it　provokes　the　Americans　to　raise　an　army；　too；　then　we　can　defeat　that　American　army　and　go　home。　That's　all　it　will　take。　It　was　almost　a　fever　of　hope　and　trust　that　filled　Frederic's　heart；　until
　　Until　Bonaparte　took　his　hand　away　from　Frederic's　wrist。
　　It　was　as　if　Bonaparte's　hand　had　been　his　connection　to　a　great　source　of　life　and　w