anner.bloodandgold(v2)-第91节

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　　　My　pulse　quickened。　This　seemed　extraordinary　good　fortune。　I　did　not　interrupt。
　　　〃I　have　a　belief　that　there　are　angels　cast　out　of　Heaven；〃　he　said；　〃and　that　they　do　not　know　what　they　are　any　longer。　They　wander　in　a　state　of　confusion。　You　seem　one　of　those　creatures；　though　if　I　am　right；　you　will　not　be　able　to　confirm　it。〃
　　　I　was　so　struck　by　the　curiosity　of　this　concept　that　I　could　say　nothing。　At　last　I　had　to　answer。
　　　〃No；　I'm　not　such。　I　know　it　for　certain。　But　I　wish　that　I　were。　Let　me　confide　in　you　one　terrible　secret。〃
　　　〃Very　well；〃　he　said。　〃You　may　go　to　Confession　to　me　if　you　like；　for　I　am　an　ordained　priest；　not　simply　a　monk；　but　I　doubt　I　shall　be　able　to　give　you　Absolution。〃
　　　〃This　is　my　secret。　I　have　existed　since　the　time　when　Christ　walked　the　Earth　though　I　never　knew　of　him。〃
　　　He　considered　this　calmly　for　a　long　time；　looking　into　my　eyes　and　then　away　to　his　candle；　as　if　this　were　a　little　ritual　with　him。　Then　he　spoke：
　　　〃I　don't　really　believe　you；〃　he　said。　〃But　you　are　a　mystifying　being；　with　your　black　skin　and　blue　eyes；　with　your　blond　hair；　and　with　your　gold　which　you　so　generously　put　before　me。　I'll　take　it；　of　course。　We　need　it。〃
　　　I　smiled。　I　loved　him。　Of　course　I　wouldn't　tell　him　such　a　thing。　What　would　it　mean　to　him？
　　　〃All　right；〃　he　said；　〃I'll　write　your　letter　for　you。〃
　　　〃I　can　write　it　myself；〃　I　said；　〃if　only　you　give　me　the　parchment　and　the　pen。　I　need　for　you　to　send　it；　and　establish　this　place　for　the　receipt　of　an　answer　to　it。　It's　the　answer　which　is　so　important。〃
　　　He　obeyed　me　at　once；　and　I　turned　to　the　task；　gladly　accepting　the　quill　from　him。　I　knew　he　was　watching　me　as　I　wrote　but　it　didn't　matter。
　　　Raymond　Gallant；
　　　I　have　suffered　a　dreadful　catastrophe；　following　upon　the　very　night　which　I　met　with　you　and　talked　to　you。　My　palazzo　in　Venice　was　destroyed　by　fire；　and　I　myself　injured　beyond　my　own　imagining。　Please　be　assured　that　this　was　not　the　work　of　mortal　hands；　and　some　night　should　we　meet　I　shall　most　willingly　explain　to　you　what　happened。　In　fact；　it　would　give　me　great　satisfaction　to　describe　to　you　in　detail　the　identity　of　the　one　who　sent　his　emissaries　to　destroy　me。　As　for　now；　I　am　far　too　weakened　to　attempt　vengeance　either　in　words　or　actions。
　　　I　am　also　too　weakened　to　journey　to　Lorwich　in　East　Anglia；　and　thanks　to　forces　which　I　cannot　describe　I　do　have　shelter　similar　to　that　which　you　offered　me。
　　　But　I　beg　you　to　tell　me　if　you　have　had　any　recent　intelligence　of　my　Pandora。　I　beg　you　to　tell　me　if　she　has　made　herself　known　to　you。　I　beg　you　to　tell　me　if　you　can　help　me　to　reach　her　by　letter。　Marius。
　　　Having　finished　the　letter；　I　gave　it　over　to　the　priest　who　promptly　added　the　proper　address　of　the　monastery；　folded　the　parchment　and　sealed　it。
　　　We　sat　in　silence　for　a　long　moment。
　　　〃How　shall　I　find　you；〃　he　asked；　〃when　an　answer　reaches　here？〃
　　　〃I'll　know；〃　I　said；　〃as　you　knew　when　I　took　the　candles。　Forgive　me　for　taking　them。　I　should　have　gone　into　a　city　and　bought　them　from　a　proper　merchant。　But　I　have　bee　such　a　traveler　of　the　sleepy　night。　I　do　things　far　too　much　at　random。〃
　　　〃So　I　can　see；〃　he　answered；　〃for　though　you　began　with　me　in　German；　you　are　now　speaking　Latin　in　which　you　wrote　your　letter。　Oh；　don't　be　angry。　I　didn't　read　a　single　word；　but　I　knew　it　was　Latin。　Perfect　Latin。　A　Latin　such　as　no　one　speaks　today。〃
　　　〃Is　my　gold　repense　enough？　〃　I　asked。　I　rose　from　the　bench。　It　was　now　time　for　me　to　be　off。
　　　〃Oh；　yes；　and　I　look　forward　to　your　return。　I'll　see　the　letter　is　sent　tomorrow。　If　the　Lord　of　Lorwich　in　East　Anglia　has　sworn　his　allegiance　to　Henry　VIII；　you'll　no　doubt　have　your　answer。〃
　　　I　was　off　so　swiftly　that　to　my　new　friend；　it　no　doubt　seemed　that　I　had　disappeared。
　　　And　as　I　returned　to　the　shrine；　I　observed　for　the　first　time　the　beginnings　of　a　human　settlement　all　too　close　to　us。
　　　Of　course　we　were　concealed　in　a　tiny　valley　high　upon　an　ominous　cliff。　Nevertheless；　a　small　group　of　huts　had　caught　my　eye　far　below　at　the　foot　of　the　cliff；　and　I　knew　what　was　going　to　happen。
　　　
　　　When　I　entered　the　shrine　I　found　Bianca　sleeping。　No　question　came　from　her　as　to　where　I　had　been；　and　I　realized　the　lengths　I　had　gone　to　avoid　her　knowledge　of　my　letter。
　　　I　wondered　if　I　might　reach　England　were　I　to　travel　the　skies　alone。　But　what　would　I　say　to　her？　I　had　never　left　her　alone　and　it　seemed　wrong　ever　to　do　so。
　　　Little　less　than　a　year　went　by　during　which　time　I　passed　nightly　within　hearing　distance　of　the　priest　to　whom　I　had　entrusted　my　letter。
　　　By　this　time；　Bianca　and　I　had　frequently　hunted　the　streets　of　small　Alpine　cities　in　one　guise；　while　buying　from　their　merchants　in　another。
　　　Now　and　then　we　rented　rooms　for　ourselves　so　that　we　might　enjoy　mon　things；　but　we　were　far　too　fearful　to　remain　anywhere　but　in　the　shrine　at　morning。
　　　All　the　while；　I　continued　to　approach　the　Queen　at　intervals。　How　I　chose　my　moments；　I　do　not　know。　Perhaps　she　spoke　to　me。　All　I　can　avow　is　that　I　knew　when　I　might　drink　from　her　and　I　did　it；　and　always　there　came　the　rapid　healing　afterwards；　the　renewal　of　vigor；　and　the　desire　to　share　my　replenished　gifts　with　Bianca。
　　　At　last　there　came　a　night；　when　having　left　a　weary　Bianca　in　the　shrine　once　more；　I　came　near　to　the　Alpine　monastery　and　saw　my　monk　standing　in　the　garden　with　his　arms　out　to　the　sky　in　a　gesture　of　such　romance　and　piety　that　I　almost　wept　to　see　it。
　　　Softly；　without　a　sound；　I　entered　the　cloister　behind　him。
　　　At　once　he　turned　to　face　me；　as　if　his　powers　were　as　great　as　mine。　The　wind　swept　his　full　brown　robes　as　he　came　towards　me。
　　　〃Marius；〃　he　said　in　a　whisper。　He　gestured　to　me　to　be　quiet；　and　led　me　into　the　scriptorium。
　　　When　I　saw　the　thickness　of　the　letter　he　drew　from　his　desk　I　was　astonished。　That　it　was　open；　that　the　seal　was　broken；　gave　me　pause。
　　　I　looked　at　him。
　　　〃Yes；　I　read　it；〃　he　said。　〃Did　you　think　I　would　give　it　to　you　without　doing　so？〃
　　　I　couldn't　waste　any　more　time。　I　had　to　read　what　was　inside　the　letter。　I　sat　down　and　unfolded　the　pages　immediately。
　　　
　　　
　　　
　　　Marius；
　　　Let　these　words　not　move　you　to　anger　or　to　hasty　decision。　What　I　know　of　Pandora　is　as　follows。　She　has　been　seen　by　those　of　us　who　are　knowledgeable　in　such　things　in　the　cities　of　Nuremberg；　Vienna；　Prague　and　Gutenberg。　She　travels　in　Poland。　She　travels　in　Bavaria。
　　　She　and　her　panion　are　most　clever；　seldom　disturbing　the　human　population　through　which　they　move；　but　from　time　to　time　they　set　foot　in　the　royal　courts　of　certain　kingdoms。　It　is　believed　by　those　who　have　seen　them　that　they　take　some　delight　in　danger。
　　　Our　archives　are　filled　with　accounts　of　a　black　carriage　that　travels　by　day；　porting　within　two　huge　enameled　chests　in　which　these　creatures　are　presumed　to　sleep；　protected　by　a　small　garrison　of　pale…skinned　human　guards　who　are　secretive；　ruthless　and　devoted。
　　　Even　the　most　benign　or　clever　approach　to　these　human　guards　is　followed　by　certain　death　as　some　of　our　members　have　learnt　for　themselves　when　seeking　to　penetrate　the　mystery　of　these　dark　travelers。
　　　It　is　the　judgment　of　some　among　us　here　that　the　guards　have　received　a　small　portion　of　the　power　so　generously　enjoyed　by　their　master　and　mistress；　thus　binding　them　irrevocably　to　Pandora　and　her　panion。
　　　Our　last　sighting　of　the　pair　was　in　Poland。　However　these　beings　travel　very　fast　and　remain　in　no　one　place　for　any　given　length　of　time；　and　indeed　seem　more　than　content　to　move　back　and　forth　across　the　length　and　breadth　of　Europe　ceaselessly。
　　　They　have　been　known　to　go　back　and　forth　in　Spain　and　to　travel　throughout　France；　but　never　to　linger　in　Paris。　As　regards　this　last　city；　I　wonder　if　you　know　why　they　do　not　stay　there　long；　or　if　I　must　be　the　one　to　enlighten　you。
　　　I　shall　tell　you　what　I　know。　In　Paris；　now；　there　exists　a　great　dedicated　group　of　the　species　which　we　both　understand；　indeed；　so　large　a　group　that　one　must　doubt　that　even　Paris　can　content　them。　And　having　received　into　our　arms　one　desperate　infidel　from　this　group　we　have　learnt　much　of　how　these　unusual　Parisian　creatures　characterize　themselves。
　　　I　cannot　mit　to　parchment　what　I　know　of　them。　Let　me　only　say　that　they　are　possessed　of　a　surprising　zeal；　believing　themselves　to　serve　God　Himself　with　their　strenuous　appetite。　And　should　others　of　the　same　ilk　venture　into　their　domain　they　do　not　hesitate　to　destroy　them；　declaring　them　to　be　blasphemers。
　　　This　infidel　of　which　I　speak　has　averred　more　than　once　that　his　brothers　and　sisters　were　among　those　who　participated　in　your　great　loss　and　injury。　Only　you　can　confirm　this　for　me；　as　I　do　not　know　what　is　madness　here　or　boasting；　or　perhaps　a　blending　of　the　two；　and　you　can　well　imagine　how　confounded　we　are　to　have　one　so　loquacious　and　hostile　beneath　our　roof；　so　eager　to　answer　questions　and　so　frightened　to　be　left　unguarded。
　　　Let　me　also　add　that　piece　of　intelligence　which　may　matter　to　you　as　much　now　as　any　which　I