fs.thethirdbookofswords-第6部分

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　father's　looks。　Brazenly　wide　awake；　as　if　something　about　this　particular　night　delighted　her；　she　waited　in　her　silken　nightdress；　small　stuffed　toy　in　hand。
　The　man　spoke　to　the　nursemaid　first。　〃I'm　all　right；　Kuan…yin。　The　blood　is　nothing。　I'll　put　Beth　back　to　bed；　you　go　see　if　you　can　help　your　mistress　find　what　she's　looking　for。〃
　The　nurse　looked　at　him　for　a　moment。　Then；　like　the　other　employees；　wise　enough　to　be　incurious　tonight；　she　moved　away。
　The　huge　man；　who　for　the　past　four　years　had　been　trying　to　establish　an　identity　as　Master　Courtenay；　wiped　drying　gore　from　his　huge　hands　onto　a　robe　already　stained。　With　hands　now　steady；　and　almost　clean；　he　bent　to　carefully　pick　up　the　living　morsel　he　had　discovered　he　valued　more　than　his　own　life。
　Carrying　his　daughter　back　to　the　nursery；　he　passed　a　window。　Through　genuine　glass　and　rainy　night　he　had　a　passing　view　of　the　high　city　walls　some　hundreds　of　meters　distant。　The　real　watch　were　keeping　a　fire　burning　atop　the　wall。　Another　light；　smaller　and　steadier；　was　visible　in　a　slightly　different　direction；　one　of　the　upper　windows　glowing　in　the　Lord　Mayor's　palace。　It　looked　as　if　someone　was　having　a　busy　night　there　too；　the　observer　could　only　hope　that　there　was　no　connection。
　Fortune　was　smiling　on　the　huge　man　now；　for　he　was　able　to　remember　the　particular　story　that　his　daughter　wanted；　and　to　get　through　the　telling　of　it　with　reasonable　speed。　The　child　had　just　gone　back　to　sleep；　and　the　father　was　just　on　his　way　out　of　the　nursery；　shutting　the　door　with　infinite　care　behind　him；　when　his　wife　reappeared；　still　wearing　her　stained　white　robe。
　〃We　have　a　moment；〃　she　whispered；　and　drew　him　aside　into　their　own　bedroom。　When　that　door　too　had　been　softly　closed；　and　they　were　securely　alone；　she　added：　〃I've　already　taken　the　medicine　downstairs　to　Denis。　He　thinks　that　the　man　is　probably　going　to　die。。。　there's　no　doubt；　is　there；　that　he's　the　courier　we're　expecting？〃
　〃I　don't　suppose　there's　much　doubt　about　that；　no。〃
　The　lady　was　slipping　out　of　her　bloodied　robe　now；　and　throwing　it　aside。　In　the　very　dim　light　that　came　in　through　the　barred　window　from　those　distant　watchfires；　her　husband　beheld　her　shapely　body　as　a　curved　warmed　silver　candlestick；　a　pale　ghost　hardly　thickened　at　all　by　having　borne　one　child。　Once　he　had　loved　this　woman　hopelessly；　and　then　another　love　had　e　to　him；　and　gone　again；　dissolved　in　death。　Sometimes　he　still　saw　in　dreams　a　cascade　of　bright　red　hair。。。　his　love　for　his　darkhaired　wife　still　existed；　but　it　was　very　different　now。
　As　she　dug　into　a　chest　to　get　another　robe；　she　told　him　calmly；　〃One　of　those　we　killed　tonight　cried　out；　something　like：　'Greetings　to　Ben　of　Purkinje；　from　the　Blue　Temple。'　I'm　sure　that　Denis　heard　it　too。〃
　〃We're　going　to　have　to　trust　Denis。　He's　proved　tonight　he's　loyal。　I　think　he　saved　your　life。〃
　〃Yes；〃　the　lady　agreed；　in　a　remote　voice。　〃Either　trust　him　…　or　else　kill　him　too。　Well。〃　She　dismissed　that　thought；　though　not　before　taking　a　moment　in　which　to　examine　it　with　deliberate　care。　Then　she　looked　hard　at　her　husband。　〃And　you　called　me　Barb；　too；　once；　down　there　in　his　hearing。〃
　〃Did　I？〃　He'd　thought　he'd　broken　himself　long　ago　of　calling　her　that。　Ben　…　he　never　really　thought　of　himself　as　〃of　Purkinje〃　…　heaved　a　great　sigh。　〃So；　anyway；　the　Blue　Temple　has　caught　up　with　me。　It　probably　doesn't　matter　what　Denis　overheard。〃
　〃And　they've　caught　up　with　me；　too；〃　she　reminded　him　sharply。　〃And　with　your　daughter；　whether　they　were　looking　for　us　or　not。　It　looked　like　they　were　ready　to　wipe　out　the　household　if　they　could。〃　She　paused。　〃I　hope　they　haven't　located　Mark。〃
　Ben　thought　that　over。　〃There's　no　way　we　can　get　any　word　to　him　quickly。　Is　there？　I'm　not　sure　just　where　he　is。〃
　〃No；　I　don't　suppose　we　can。〃　Barbara；　tightening　the　belt　on　her　clean　robe；　shook　her　head　thoughtfully。　〃And　they　came　here　right　on　the　heels　of　the　courier　…　did　you　notice　that？　They　must　have　been　following　him　somehow；　knowing　that　he'd　lead　them　to　us。〃　〃Too　much　of　a　coincidence　otherwise。〃
　〃Yes。　And　the　alliance　still　holds；　I　suppose；　between　Blue　Temple　and　the　Dark　King。〃
　〃Which　means　the　Dark　King's　people　may　know　about　the　courier　too。　And　about　what　we　have　in　our　possession　here；　that　the　courier　was　going　to　take　away；　if　the　rest　of　the　shipment　ever　arrives。〃　He　heaved　another　sigh。
　〃What　do　we　do；　Ben？〃　His　wife　spoke　softly　now；　standing　close　to　him　and　looking　up。　At　average　height　he　towered　over　her。
　〃At　the　moment；　we　try　to　keep　the　courier　alive；　and　see　if　he　can　tell　us　anything。　About　Denis　we're　just　going　to　have　to　trust　him；　as　I　say。　He's　a　good　man。〃
　He　was　about　to　open　the　bedroom　door；　but　his　wife's　small　hand　on　his　arm　delayed　him。　〃Your　hands；〃　she　reminded　him。　〃Your　robe。〃
　〃Right。〃　He　poured　water　into　a　basin　and　quickly　washed　his　hands；　then　changed　his　robe。　Half　his　mind　was　still　down　in　the　workshop；　reliving　the　fight。　Already　in　his　memory　the　living　bodies　he　had　just　broken　were　taking　on　the　aspects　of　creatures　in　some　awful　dream。　Te　knew　they　were　going　to　e　back　later　to　assail　him。　Later　perhaps　his　hands　would　shake　again。　It　was　always　like　this　for　him　after　a　fight。　He　had　to　try　to　put　it　out　of　his　mind　for　now。
　While　he　was　getting　into　his　clean　robe；　Barbara　said；　〃Ben；　as　soon　as　I　saw　that　the　man　had　only　one　arm；　you　know　what　I　thought　of。〃
　〃Mark's　father。　But　Mark　always　told　us　that　his　father　was　dead。　He　sounded　quite　sure　of　it。〃
　〃Yes；　I　remember。　That　he'd　seen　his　father　struck　down　in　their　village　street。　But　just　suppose。。。〃
　〃Yes。　Well；　we've　got　enough　to　worry　about　as　it　is。
　In　another　moment　they　were　quietly　making　their　way　downstairs　together。　The　house　around　them　was　as　quiet　now　as　if　everyone　were　really　sleeping。　Ben　could　picture　most　of　his　workers　lying　awake；　holding　their　breaths；　waiting　for　the　next　crash。
　In　Denis's　room　on　the　ground　floor　they　found　the　young　man；　his　face　pale　under　his　dark　hair；　sitting　watch　over　a　stranger　who　still　breathed；　but　barely。　The　mistress　immediately　went　to　work；　improving　on　her　first　effort　at　bandaging　Denis's　arm。　Ben　thought　he　could　see　a　little　more　color　ing　slowly　back　into　the　youth's　cheeks。
　And　now；　for　the　third　time　since　midnight；　a　noise　at　the　back　door。　This　time　a　modest　tapping。
　Something　in　Ben　wanted　to　react　with　laughter。　〃Gods　and　demons；　what　a　night。　My　house　has　turned　into　the　Hermes　Gate　to　the　High　Road。〃
　And　now；　for　the　third　time；　after　making　sure　that　his　wife　and　his　assistant　were　armed　and　as　eady　for　trouble　as　they　could　get；　Ben　maneuvered　light　and　lenses　to　look　out　into　the　narrow　exterior　passage。　This　time；　as　he　reported　to　the　others　in　a　whipser；　there　were　two　human　figures　to　be　seen　outside。　Both　appeared　to　be　men；　and　both　were　robed　in　white。
　〃It　looks　like　two　of　Ardneh's　people。　One's　carrying　a　big　staff　that。。。〃　Ben　didn't　finish。　Barbara　caught　his　meaning。
　Those　outside；　knowing　from　the　light　that　they　were　under　observation　from　within；　called　loudly：　〃Master　Courtenay？　We've　brought　the　wooden　model　that　you've　been　waiting　for。〃
　〃Ah；〃　said　Ben；　hearing　a　code　that　gave　him　reassurance。　Still　he　signed　to　his　panions　to　remain　on　guard；　before　he　cautiously　opened　the　door　once　more。
　This　time　the　opening　admitted　neither　a　toppling　body　nor　an　armed　rush。　There　was　only　the　peaceful　entry　of　the　two　in　white；　who　as　Ardneh's　priests　saluted　courteously　first　the　master　of　the　house　and　then　the　people　with　him。　Denis；　this　time　holding　his　hatchet　left…handed；　was　glad　to　be　able　to　lower　it　again。
　White　robes　dripped　water　on　a　floor　already　freshly　marked　by　rain　and　mud　and　blood。　If　the　newers　noticed　these　signs　of　preceding　visitors；　they　said　nothing　about　them。
　Instead；　as　soon　as　Ben　had　barred　up　the　door　again；　the　older　of　the　two　whiteclad　priests　offered　him　the　heavy；　ornate　wooden　staff。　It　was　obviously　meant　to　be　a　ceremonial　object　of　some　kind；　too　large　and　unwieldy　to　be　anything　but　a　burden　on　a　march　or　a　hike。　Tall　as　a　man；　cruciform　in　its　upper　part；　the　staff　was　beautifully　carved　out　of　some　light　wood　that　Denis　could　not　identify。　The　uppermost　portion　resembled　the　hilt　of　a　gigantic　wooden　sword；　with　the　heads　and　necks　of　two　carved　dragons　recurving　upon　themselves　to　form　the　outsized　crosspiece。
　〃Beautiful；〃　mented　Denis；　with　a　sudden　dry　suspicion。　〃But　I　wonder　which　of　Ardneh's　rites　requires　such　an　object？　I　saw　nothing　at　all　like　it　in　the　time　I　spent　as　acolyte。〃
　The　two　white…garbed　men　looked　at　Denis。　Then　they　turned　in　silent　appeal　to　the　man　they　knew　as　Master　Courtenay。　He　told　them　tiredly；　〃You　may　show　us　the　inside　of　the　wooden　model　too。　Denis　here　is　fully　in　my　confidence；　as　of　tonight。　He's　going　to　have　to　be。〃
　Denis　stared　for　a　moment　at　his　master；　who　was　watching　closely　what　the　priests　were　doing。　The　younger　priest　had　the　staff　now；　and　was　pressing　carefully　with　strong　fingers　on　the　fancy　carving。　In　a　moment；　the　wood　had　opened　like　a　shell；　revealing　a　velv