gc.shadowslinger-第24章
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〃Not till I know a little more。 Darling； get your stuff together。 We have to disappear。〃
For the first time； Shed protested。 〃Hey！ What're you doing？ How am I supposed to run this place without her？〃
〃Get that girl Lisa in here。 Get your cousin。 I don't care。 We have to disappear。〃
Shed frowned。
Raven said； 〃They want her more than they want me。〃
〃She's just a kid。〃
〃Shed。〃
〃Yes； sir。 How do I get in touch； sir？〃
〃You don't。 I'll get in touch with you。 Darling； go。 Those are Taken up there。〃
〃What're Taken？〃 Shed asked。
〃If you have gods； Shed； pray that you never find out。 Pray hard。〃 And； when Darling returned with her meager belongings； Raven said； 〃I think you ought to reconsider leaving Juniper with me。 Things are going to start happening around here； and you won't like them。〃
〃I have to take care of my mother。〃
〃Think about it anyway； Shed。 I know what I'm talking about。 I used to work for those people。〃
Chapter Twenty： JUNIPER： SHADOW TALK
Raven vanished on us。 Even Goblin could find no trace。 Feather and Whisper worked on our prisoners till each was drained； and got nothing on our old friend。 I concluded that Raven had used an assumed name when dealing with them。
Why hadn't he used one down in the Buskin？ Folly？ Pride？ As I recall； Raven had too much of that。
Raven was not his real name； any more than Croaker is mine。 But that was the name we knew him by the year he served with us。 None of us； unless maybe the Captain； knew his real one。 He had been a man of substance once； in Opal。 That I knew。 He and the Limper became bitter enemies when the Limper used his wife and her lovers to do him out of his rights and titles。 That I knew。 But not who he was before he became a soldier of the Black pany。
I dreaded telling the Captain what we had found。 He was fond of Raven。 Like brothers； the two of them。 The Captain； I think； was hurt when Raven deserted。 He would be hurt more deeply when he learned what his friend had done in Juniper。
Whisper called us in to announce the results of the interrogations。 She said roughly； 〃We did not exactly score a triumph； gentlemen。 All but a couple of those men were dabblers。 We knocked the fight out of them at Charm。 But we did learn that the black castle has been buying corpses。 Its denizens even buy live bodies。 Two of our captives have sold to them。 Raising money for the Rebel。〃
The idea of trading in corpses was repellent； but not especially wicked。 I wondered what use the black castle people had for them。
Whisper continued； 〃They were not responsible for the raid on the Catabs。 In fact； they are of no interest to us。 We're turning them over to the Custodians to do with as they please。 You gentlemen will now go out into the city and resume digging。〃
〃Excuse me； ma'am？〃 Elmo said。
〃Somewhere in Juniper there is someone who is feeding the black castle。 Find him。 The Lady wants him。〃
Raven； I thought。 Had to be Raven。 Just had to be。 We had to find that son…of…a…bitch； yes。 And get him out of town or dead。
You have to understand what the pany means。 For us； it is father； mother； family。 We are men with nothing elset。 Raven getting caught would kill the family； figuratively and literally。 The Lady would disband what remained of the outfit after she'd mauled us for not turning Raven in back when。
I told Whisper： 〃It might help if we knew what we're dealing with。 It's hard to take something serious when nobody tells you anything。 What's the point of the exercise？ That castle is damned bizarre； I grant you。 But why should we care？〃
Whisper seemed to think about it。 For several seconds her eyes were blank。 She had taken the matter to higher authority。 She was in munion with the Lady。 When she returned； she said； 〃The black castle has its roots in the Barrowland。〃
That got our attention。 I croaked； 〃What？〃
〃The black castle is the Dominator's escape hole。 When it reaches a certain size and certain set of circumstances； the creatures who live there； who are his creatures； heart and soul； will conjur him out of the Great Barrow。 Here。〃
Several men snorted in disbelief。 It did seem far…fetched； for all the weirdness and sorceries we have seen。
Whisper said； 〃He foresaw his defeat by the White Rose； though not his betrayal by the Lady。 Even before the Domination fell； he started preparing his return。 He sent a faithful follower here with the seed of the black castle。 Something went wrong。 He never planned to spend so long waiting。 Maybe he did not know of Juniper's preoccupation with preserving the dead。 What are they waiting for？ A ship that will carry them to paradise？〃
〃Roughly；〃 I agreed。 〃I studied it； but the whole business is still monkey chatter to me。 Go on。 The Dominator is going to pop out on us here？〃
〃Not if we can stop him。 But we may have gotten here too late。 This man。 If we don't take him soon； it will be too late。 The portal is almost ready to open。〃
I looked at Elmo。 He looked at me。 Oh boy； I thought。 If Raven knew what he was doing。 。。。 I still couldn't get upset。 He did it for Darling。 He couldn't have known he was doing the Dominator's work。 He had that much conscience。 He would have found another way。 。 。 。 What the hell was he going to do with so much money？
We had to find him。 That was all there was to it。 Whatever we did from now on； our main goal； for the sake of the pany； had to be to warn him off。
I glanced at Elmo。 He agreed。 From this moment forward we would be fighting for the survival of the outfit。 Somewhere； somehow； Raven must have smelled trouble。 Goblin looked under every rock in the Buskin； watched every alley； practically lived in the Iron Lily； and still found a big bunch of nothing。 Time ground past。 Warmer weather threatened。 And we became ever more panicky。
Chapter Twenty…One： JUNIPER
Raven departed soon after the outer channel opened。 Shed went down to say good…bye…and only then discovered the nature of Raven's shipping investment。 He had had a ship built and crewed。 A whole new ship； and as big a vessel as Shed had seen。 〃No wonder he needed a fortune；〃 he mused。 How many bodies to build that？
He returned to the Lily numbed。 He poured himself some wine； sat staring into nothing。 〃That Raven was a man of vision；〃 he mumbled。 〃Glad he's gone； though。 Asa； too。 Maybe things can get back to normal。〃
Shed bought a cottage near the Enclosure。 He installed his mother with a staff of three。 It was a relief to be rid of her evil； blind stare。
He had workmen into the Lily every day。 They interfered with business； but business remained good。 The harbor was busy。 There was work for anyone who wanted it。
Shed could not handle prosperity。 He hared after every impulse he had known during his impoverishment。 He bought fine clothing he dared not wear。 He went places frequented only by the wealthy。 And he bought the attentions of beautiful women。
Women cost a lot when you pretended to be somebody off the high slope。
One day Shed went to his secret cash box and found it empty。 All that money gone？ Where？ The improvements on the Lily weren't finished。 He owed the workmen。 He owed the people caring for his mother。 Damn！ Was he back where he started？
Hardly。 He had his profits。
He scampered downstairs； to his business cash box； opened it； sighed in relief。 He'd done all his spending out of the box upstairs。
But something was wrong。 There wasn't anywhere near enough in the box。 。 。 。 〃Hey； Wally。〃
His cousin looked at him； gulped； raced out the door。 Baffled； Shed hurried outside； saw Wally vanish into an alley。 Then the truth hit him。 〃Damn you！〃 he yelled。 〃Damn you； you damned thief！〃 He went back in and tried to figure where he stood。
An hour later he told the workmen to knock off。 He left his new girl Lisa in charge； started the rounds of his suppliers。
Wally had screwed him good。 He had bought on credit and pocketed monies payable。 Shed covered his debts as he went； growing increasingly alarmed as his reserves dwindled。 Down to little more than copper； he returned to the Lily and started an inventory。
At lea
