gc.shadowslinger-第16章

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　　The　tall　being　faced　Raven。　〃These　have　been　dead　too　long。　They　have　little　value。　Take　them　back　if　you're　not　satisfied。〃
　　〃All　right。　All　right。　Let's　have　it。〃
　　The　being　counted　out　coins。　Raven　pocketed　six　of　each　ten。　He　handed　the　rest　to　Shed。　As　he　did　so；　he　told　the　tall　being；　〃This　man　is　my　partner。　He　may　e　alone。〃
　　The　tall　figure　inclined　its　head；　took　something　from　within　its　clothing；　handed　it　to　Shed。　It　was　a　silver　pendant　in　the　form　of　serpents　entwined。
　　〃Wear　that　if　you　e　up　alone；〃　Raven　said。　〃That's　your　safe…conduct。〃　Under　his　icy　stare　Shed　slipped　the　pendant　into　a　pocket　already　filled　with　silver。
　　He　ran　the　arithmetic。　One　hundred　twelve　leva　as　his　share。　It　would　have　taken　him　half　a　decade　to　accumulate　that　much　honestly。　He　was　rich！　Damn　him；　he　was　rich！　He　could　do　anything　he　wanted。　No　more　debts。　No　more　Krage　killing　him　slowly。　No　more　gruel　every　meal。　Turn　the　Lily　into　something　decent。　Maybe　find　a　place　where　his　mother　would　have　proper　care。　Women。　All　the　women　he　could　handle。　　
　　As　he　turned　his　wagon；　he　glimpsed　a　high　chunk　of　wall　that　hadn't　been　there　last　visit。　A　face　stared　out。　It　was　the　face　of　the　man　he　and　Raven　had　brought　in　alive。　Its　eyes　watched　him。
　　
　　　Chapter　Fourteen：　JUNIPER：　DURETILE
　　
　　Whisper　delivered　us　to　a　broken…down　castle　named　Duretile。　It　overlooks　Juniper　in　general　and　the　Enclosure　in　specific。　For　a　week　we　had　no　contact　with　our　hosts。　We　had　no　language　in　mon。　Then　we　were　graced　with　the　presence　of　a　thug　named　Bullock　who　spoke　the　languages　of　the　Jewel　Cities。
　　Bullock　was　some　kind　of　enforcer　for　the　local　religion。　Which　I　could　not　figure　out　at　all。　It　looks　like　a　death　cult　at　first。　Look　again　and　you　find　death　or　the　dead　not　worshipped　but　revered；　with　bodies　fanatically　preserved　against　some　millennial　revival。　The　whole　character　of　Juniper　is　shaped　by　this；　except　for　the　Buskin；　where　life　has　so　many　concerns　more　vital　than　the　welfare　of　the　dead。
　　I　took　an　instant　dislike　to　Bullock。　He　struck　me　as　violence…prone　and　sadistic；　a　policeman　who　would　solve　his　cases　with　a　truncheon。　He　would　survive　when　the　Lady　annexed　Juniper。　Her　military　governors　have　a　need　for　his　ilk。
　　I　expected　annexation　to　occur　within　days　of　the　Captain's　arrival。　We'd　have　it　scoped　out　before　he　got　here。　One　word　from　Charm　would　do　it。　I　saw　no　indication　the　Duke's　people　could　stop　it。
　　As　soon　as　Feather　and　Whisper　had　all　our　people　in；　including　translators；　Bullock；　the　Duke　himself；　and　a　man　named　Hargadon；　who　was　senior　Custodian　of　the　Dead；　meaning　he　ran　the　Catabs　where　bodies　were　stored…　they　led　us　into　the　bitter　cold　atop　Duretile's　north　wall。　The　Duke　extended　an　arm。　〃That　fortress　over　there　is　why　I　asked　for　help。〃
　　I　looked　at　it　and　shuddered。　There　was　something　creepy　about　the　place。
　　〃We　call　it　the　black　castle；〃　he　said。　〃It's　been　there　for　centuries。〃　And　then　he　gave　us　a　chunk　almost　too　big　to　swallow。　〃It　started　out　as　a　little　black　rock　lying　beside　a　dead　man。　The　man　who　found　them　tried　to　pick　the　rock　up。　He　died。　And　the　rock　started　growing。　It's　been　growing　ever　since。　Our　ancestors　experimented　on　it。　They　attacked　it。　Nothing　harmed　it。　Anybody　who　touched　it　died。　For　the　sake　of　their　sanity；　they　decided　to　ignore　it。〃
　　I　shaded　my　eyes；　stared　at　the　castle。　Not　that　unusual；　from　Duretile；　except　it　was　black　and　gave　me　the　creeps。
　　The　Duke　continued；　〃For　centuries　it　hardly　grew。　It's　only　a　few　generations　since　it　stopped　looking　like　a　rock。〃　He　got　a　haunted　look。　〃They　say　there　are　things　living　inside　there。〃
　　I　smiled。　What　did　he　expect？　A　fortress　exists　to　surround　something；　whether　built　or　grown。
　　Hargadon　assumed　the　narrative。　He　had　been　in　his　job　too　long。　He'd　developed　an　official's　pompous　style。　〃For　the　last　several　years　it's　grown　damned　fast。　The　Custodial　Office　became　concerned　when　we　heard　rumors　…　out　of　the　Buskin；　so　unreliable　to　be　sure　…　saying　the　creatures　inside　were　buying　cadavers。　The　accuracy　of　those　rumors　remains　a　source　of　heated　debate　within　the　Office。　However；　no　one　can　deny　that　we're　not　getting　enough　corpses　out　of　the　Buskin　these　days。　Our　street　patrols　collect　fewer　than　they　did　ten　years　ago。　Times　are　leaner　now。　The　street　poor　are　more　numerous。　More　should　be　expiring　of　exposure。〃　A　real　sweetheart；　this　Hargadon。　He　sounded　like　a　manufacturer　whining　because　his　profit　margin　was　down。　He　continued；　〃It's　been　hypothesized　that　the　castle　may　soon　be　beyond　a　need　to　purchase　bodies　…　if　it　is　at　all。　I'm　not　convinced。〃　Came　down　squarely　on　both　sides　of　a　question；　too。　That's　my　boy。　〃Its　occupants　may　bee　numerous　enough　to　e　take　what　they　want。〃
　　Elmo　asked；　〃You　think　people　are　selling　bodies；　why　don't　you　grab　them　and　make　them　talk？〃
　　Time　for　the　policeman　to　enter　his　bit。　Bullock　said；　〃We　can't　catch　them。〃　He　had　a　but…if…they'd…let…me…do…it…my…way　tone。　〃It's　happening　down　in　the　Buskin；　you　see。　It's　another　world　down　there。　You　don't　find　out　much　if　you're　an　outsider。〃
　　Whisper　and　Feather　stood　a　bit　apart；　examining　the　black　castle。　Their　faces　were　grim。
　　The　Duke　wanted　something　for　nothing。　In　essence；　he　wanted　to　stop　worrying　about　that　fortress。　He　said　we　could　do　whatever　it　took　to　eliminate　his　worry。　Only　we'd　have　to　do　it　his　way。　Like　he　wanted　us　to　stay　inside　Duretile　while　his　men　and　Hargadon's　acted　as　our　eyes；　ears　and　hands。　He　was　afraid　of　repercussions　our　presence　could　cause　if　known。
　　A　few　Rebel　fugitives　had　e　to　Juniper　after　their　defeat　at　Charm。　The　Lady　was　known　here；　though　little　considered。　The　Duke　feared　the　refugees　would　incite　trouble　if　he　was　suspected　of　collaborating。
　　In　some　ways　he　was　an　ideal　overlord。　All　he　wanted　from　his　people　was　to　be　left　alone。　He　was　willing　to　grant　the　same　favor。
　　So；　for　a　while；　we　stayed　tucked　away　…　till　Whisper　became　irritated　by　the　quality　of　information　we　were　given。
　　It　was　filtered。　Sanitized；　it　was　useless。　She　cornered　the　Duke　and　told　him　her　men　would　be　going　out　with　his。　He　actually　stood　up　to　her　for　a　few　minutes。　The　battle　was　bitter。　She　threatened　to　pull　out；　leaving　him　twisting　in　the　wind。　Pure　bluff。　She　and　Feather　were　intensely　interested　in　the　black　castle。　Armed　force　could　not　have　levered　them　out　of　Juniper。　　The　Duke　subdued；　she　turned　on　the　Custodians。　Bullock　was　stubbornly　jealous　of　his　prerogatives。　I　do　not　know　how　she　brought　him　around。　He　never　was　gracious　about　it。
　　I　became　his　panion　on　investigative　jaunts；　mainly　because　I　learned　the　language　quickly。　Nobody　down　below　paid　me　any　mind。　Him　they　did。　He　was　a　walking　terror。　People　crossed　the　street　to　avoid　him。　I　guess　he　had　a　bad　reputation。
　　Then　came　news　which　miraculously　cleared　the　obstacles　the　Duke　and　Custodians　had　dumped　in　our　path。
　　〃You　hear？〃　Elmo　asked。　〃Somebody　broke　into　their　precious　Catabs。　Bullock　is　smoking。　His　boss　is　having　a　shit　hemorrhage。〃　I　tried　to　digest　that；　could　not。　〃More　detail；　if　you　please。〃　Elmo　tends　to　abbreviate。
　　〃During　the　winter　they　let　poor　people　get　away　with　sneaking　into　the　Enclosure。　To　collect　deadwood　for　firewood。　Somebody　got　in　who　decided　to　take　more。　　Found　a　way　into　the　Catabs。　Three　or　four　men。〃
　　〃I　still　don't　get　the　whole　picture；　Elmo。〃　He　enjoys　being　coaxed。
　　〃All　right。　All　right。　They　got　inside　and　stole　all　the　passage　urns　they　could　lay　hands　on。　Took　them　out；　emptied　them；　and　buried　them　in　a　pit。　They　also　lifted　a　bunch　of　old…time　mummies。　I　never　seen　such　moaning　and　carrying　on。　You　better　back　off　your　scheme；　for　getting　into　the　Catabs。〃　I　had　mentioned　a　desire　to　see　what　went　on　down　there。　The　whole　setup　was　so　alien　I　wanted　a　closer　look。　Preferably　unchaperoned。　〃Think　they'd　get　overwrought；　eh？〃
　　〃Overwrought　isn't　the　half。　Bullock　is　talking　bad。　I'd　hate　to　be　those　guys　and　get　caught　by　him。〃
　　〃Yeah？　I'd　better　check　this　out。〃
　　Bullock　was　in　Duretile　at　the　time；　coordinating　his　work　with　tha