osc.am2.redprophet-第44节

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south　of　here　and　drive　the　Englishmen　back　across　the　mountains。　One　battle；　one　victory　　that's　why　we　work　together；　and　when　that's　done　I'll　never　think　of　you　again；　and　you'll　never　think　of　me。〃
　　Napoleon　was　angry；　but　he　laughed。　〃Half　true；〃　he　said。　〃I　won't　care　about　you；　but　I'll　think　of　you。　I've　learned　from　you；　Ta…Kumsaw。　That　love　of　a　mander　makes　men　fight　better　than　love　of　country；　and　love　of　country　better　than　the　hope　of　glory；　and　the　hope　of　glory　better　than　looting；　and　looting　better　than　wages。　But　best　of　all　is　to　fight　for　a　cause。　A　great　and　noble　dream。　I've　always　had　the　love　of　my　men。　They　would　die　for　me。　But　for　a　cause；　they'd　let　their　wives　and　children　die　and　think　it　was　worth　the　price。〃
　　〃How　did　you　learn　that　from　me？〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。　〃That's　my　brother's　talk；　not　mine。〃
　　〃Your　brother？　I　thought　he　didn't　think　anything　was　worth　dying　for。〃
　　〃No；　he's　very　free　with　dying。　It's　killing　he　won't　do。〃
　　Napoleon　laughed；　and　Ta…Kumsaw　laughed　with　him。　〃You're　right；　you　know。　We're　not　friends。　But　I　do　like　you。　What　puzzles　me　is　this　　when　you've　won；　and　all　the　White　men　are　gone；　you　really　mean　to　walk　away　and　let　all　the　tribes　go　back　to　the　way　they　were　before；　separate；　quarreling；　weak。〃
　　〃Happy。　That's　how　we　were　before。　Many　tribes；　many　languages；　but　one　living　land。〃
　　〃Weak；〃　said　Napoleon　again。　〃If　I　ever　brought　all　of　my　land　under　my　flag；　Ta…Kumsaw；　I'd　hold　them　together　so　long　and　so　tightly　that　they'd　bee　one　great　people；　great　and　strong。　And　if　I　ever　do　that；　you　can　count　on　this。　We'll　be　back；　and　take　your　land　away　from　you；　just　like　every　other　land　on　Earth。　Count　on　it。〃
　　〃That's　because　you　are　evil；　General　Bonaparte。　You　want　to　bend　everything　and　everybody　to　your　obedience。〃
　　〃That　isn't　evil；　foolish　savage。　If　everybody　obeyed　me；　then　they'd　be　happy　and　safe；　at　peace；　and；　for　the　first　time　in　all　of　history；　free。〃
　　〃Safe；　unless　they　opposed　you。　Happy；　unless　they　hated　you。　Free；　unless　they　wanted　something　contrary　to　your　will。〃
　　〃Imagine；　a　Red　man　philosophizing。　Do　those　peasant　squatters　south　of　here　know　that　you've　read　Newton；　Voltaire；　Rousseau；　and　Adam　Smith？〃
　　〃I　don't　think　they　know　I　can　read　their　languages。〃
　　Napoleon　leaned　across　his　desk。　〃We'll　destroy　them；　Ta…Kumsaw；　you　and　I　together。　But　you　have　to　bring　me　an　army。〃
　　〃My　brother　prophesies　that　we'll　have　that　army　before　the　year　ends。〃
　　〃A　prophecy？〃
　　〃All　his　prophecies　e　true。〃
　　〃Does　he　say　we'll　win？〃
　　Ta…Kumsaw　laughed。　〃He　says　you'll　be　known　as　the　greatest　European　general　who　ever　lived。　And　I　will　be　known　as　the　greatest　Red。〃
　　Napoleon　ran　his　fingers　through　his　hair　and　smiled；　almost　boyish　now；　he　could　pass　from　menacing　to　friendly　to　adorable　in　moments。　〃That　seems　to　dodge　the　question。　Dead　men　can　be　called　great；　too。〃
　　〃But　men　who　lose　battles　are　never　called　great；　are　they？　Noble；　perhaps；　even　heroic。　But　not　great。〃
　　〃True；　Ta…Kumsaw；　true。　But　your　brother　is　being　coy。　Oracular。　Delphic。〃
　　〃I　don't　know　those　words。〃
　　〃Of　course　you　don't。　You're　a　savage。〃　Napoleon　poured　wine。　〃I　forget　myself。　Wine？〃
　　Ta…Kumsaw　shook　his　head。
　　〃I　suppose　none　for　the　boy；〃　said　Napoleon。
　　〃He's　only　ten；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　〃In　France；　that　means　we　water　the　wine　half　and　half。　What　are　you　doing　with　a　White　boy；　Ta…Kumsaw？　Are　you　capturing　children　now？〃
　　〃This　White　boy；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw；　〃he's　more　than　he　seems。〃
　　〃In　a　loincloth　he　doesn't　look　like　much。　Does　he　understand　French？〃
　　〃Not　a　word；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。　〃I　came　to　ask　you　　can　you　give　us　guns？〃
　　〃No；〃　said　Napoleon。
　　〃'We　can't　fight　bullets　with　arrows；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　〃La　Fayette　refuses　to　authorize　us　to　issue　you　any　guns。　Paris　agrees　with　him。　They　don't　trust　you。　They're　afraid　any　guns　they　give　you　might　someday　be　turned　against　us。〃
　　〃Then　what　good　will　it　do　me　to　raise　an　army？〃
　　Napoleon　smiled；　sipped　his　wine。　〃I've　been　speaking　to　some　Irrakwa　traders。〃
　　〃The　Irrakwa　are　the　urine　of　sick　dogs；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。　〃They　were　cruel；　vicious　animals　before　the　White　man　came；　and　they　are　worse　now。〃
　　〃Odd。　The　English　seemed　to　find　them　to　be　kindred　spirits。　And　La　Fayette　adores　them。　All　that　matters　now；　though；　is　this：　They　manufacture　guns；　in　large　numbers；　cheaply。　Not　the　most　reliable　weapons；　but　they　use　exactly　the　same　size　ammunition。　It　means　they　can　make　balls　that　fit　the　barrel　more　tightly；　with　better　aim。　And　yet　they　sell　them　for　less。〃
　　〃You'll　buy　them　for　us？〃
　　〃No。　You'll　buy　them。〃
　　〃We　don't　have　money。〃
　　〃Pelts；〃　said　Napoleon。　〃Beaver　pelts。　Minks。　Deerhides　and　buffalo　leather。〃
　　Ta…Kumsaw　shook　his　head。　〃We　can't　ask　these　animals　to　die　for　the　sake　of　guns。〃
　　〃Too　bad；〃　said　Napoleon。　〃You　Reds　have　a　knack　for　hunting；　I've　been　told。〃
　　〃True　Reds　do。　The　Irrakwa　don't。　They've　used　White　man's　machines　so　long　now　that　they're　dead　to　the　land；　just　like　White　men。　Or　they'd　go　and　get　the　pelts　they　want　for　themselves。〃
　　〃There's　something　else　they　want。　Besides　pelts；〃　said　Napoleon。
　　〃We　don't　have　anything　they　want。〃
　　〃Iron；〃　said　Napoleon。
　　〃We　don't　have　iron。〃
　　〃No。　But　they　know　where　it　is。　In　the　upper　reaches　of　the　Mizzipy；　and　along　the　Mizota。　Up　near　the　west　end　of　High　Water　Lake。　All　they　want　is　your　promise　that　you　won't　harm　their　boats　bringing　iron　ore　back　to　Irrakwa；　or　their　miners　as　they　dig　it　out　of　the　earth。〃
　　〃Peace　for　the　future；　in　exchange　for　guns　now？〃
　　〃Yes；〃　said　Napoleon。
　　〃Aren't　they　afraid　that　I'll　turn　the　guns　against　them？〃
　　〃They　ask　you　to　promise　that　you　won't。〃
　　Ta…Kumsaw　considered　this。　〃Tell　them　this。　I　promise　that　if　they　give　us　guns；　not　one　of　the　guns　will　ever　be　used　against　any　Irrakwa。　All　my　men　will　take　this　oath。　And　we　will　never　attack　any　of　their　boats　on　the　water；　or　their　miners　as　they　dig　in　the　earth。〃
　　〃You　mean　that？〃　asked　Napoleon。
　　〃If　I　said　it；　I　meant　it；〃　said　Ta…Kurnsaw。
　　〃As　much　as　you　hate　them？〃
　　〃I　hate　them　because　the　land　hates　them。　When　the　White　man　is　gone；　and　the　land　is　strong　again；　not　sick；　then　earthquakes　can　swallow　up　miners；　and　storms　can　sink　boats；　and　the　Irrakwa　will　bee　true　Red　men　again　or　they　will　die。　Once　the　White　man　is　gone；　the　land　will　be　stern　with　its　children　who　remain。〃
　　The　meeting　was　soon　finished　after　that。　Ta…Kumsaw　got　up　and　shook　hands　with　the　general。　Alvin　surprised　them　both　by　also　stepping　forward　and　offering　his　hand。
　　Napoleon　shook　hands　with　him；　amused。　〃Tell　the　boy　he　keeps　dangerous　pany；〃　he　said。
　　Ta…Kumsaw　translated。　Alvin　looked　at　him　with　wide　eyes。　〃Does　he　mean　you？〃　he　asked。
　　〃I　think　so；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　〃But　he's　the　most　dangerous　man　in　the　world；〃　said　Alvin。
　　Napoleon　laughed　when　Ta…Kumsaw　translated　the　boy's　words。　〃How　can　I　be　dangerous？　A　little　man　stuck　away　out　here　in　the　middle　of　the　wilderness；　when　the　center　of　the　world　is　Europe；　great　wars　are　fought　there　and　I　have　no　part　in　them！〃
　　Ta…Kumsaw　didn't　need　to　translate　　the　boy　understood　from　Napoleon's　tone　and　expression。　〃He's　so　dangerous　because　he　makes　people　love　him　without　deserving　it。〃
　　Ta…Kurnsaw　felt　the　truth　in　the　boy's　words。　That　was　what　Napoleon　did　to　White　men；　and　it　was　dangerous；　dangerous　and　evil　and　dark。　Is　this　the　man　I　rely　on　to　help　me？　To　be　my　ally？　Yes；　he　is；　because　I　have　no　choice。　Ta…Kumsaw　didn't　translate　what　the　boy　said；　even　though　Napoleon　insisted。　So　far　the　French　general　had　not　attempted　to　cast　his　spell　on　the　boy。　If　he　knew　the　boy's　words；　he　might　try；　and　it　just　might　capture　Alvin。　Ta…Kurnsaw　was　ing　to　appreciate　what　the　boy　was。　Perhaps　the　boy　was　too　strong　for　Napoleon　to　charm　him。　Or　perhaps　the　boy　would　bee　an　adoring　slave　like　de　Maurepas。　Better　not　to　find　out。　Better　to　take　the　boy　away。
　　Alvin　insisted　on　seeing　the　cathedral。　One　priest　looked　horrified　to　see　men　in　loincloths　e　into　the　place；　but　another　rebuked　him　and　weled　them　inside。　Ta…Kumsaw　was　always　amused　by　the　statues　of　the　saints。　Whenever　possible；　the　statues　were　shown　being　tortured　in　the　most　gruesome　ways。　White　could　talk　all　day　about　how　barbaric　it　was；　the　Red　practice　of　torturing　captives　so　they　could　show　courage。　Yet　whose　statues　did　they　kneel　at　to　pray？　People　who　showed　courage　under　torture。　There　was　no　making　sense　of　White　men。
　　He　and　Alvin　talked　about　this　on　their　way　out　of　the　city；　not　hurrying　at　all　now。　He　also　explained　to　the　boy　something　of　how　they　were　able　to　run　so　far；　so　quickly。　And　how　remarkable　it　was　for　a　White　boy　to　keep　up　with　them。
　　Alvin　seemed　to　understand　how　Red　men　lived　within　the　land；　at　least　he　tried。　〃I　think　I　felt　that。　While　I　was　running。　It's　like　I'm　not　in　myself。　My　thoughts　are　wandering　all　over。　Like　dreaming。　And　while　I'm　gone；　something　else　is　telling　my　body　what　to　do。　Feeding　it；　using　it；　taking　it　wherever　it　wants　to　go。　Is　that　what　y