gc.shadowslinger-第59章

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t　of　people　through　in　the　summer；　so　I　wouldn't　have　noticed　except　like　you　say；　the　girl　was　deaf　and　the　guy　was　a　hard　case。　She　e　in　in　the　morning；　like　she　traveled　all　night。　On　a　wagon。　He　e　in　the　evening；　walking。　They　stayed　off　in　the　corner。　They　left　next　morning。〃　He　looked　at　my　coin。　〃Paid　in　that　same　funny　coin；　e　to　think。〃
　　〃Yeah。〃
　　〃e　from　a　long　way　off；　eh？〃
　　〃Yeah。　Where'd　they　go？〃
　　〃South。　Down　the　road。　Questions　I　heard　the　guy　ask；　I　figure　they　was　headed　for　Chimney。''
　　I　raised　an　eyebrow。　I'd　never　heard　of　any　place　called　Chimney。
　　〃Down　the　coast。　Past　Shaker。　Take　the　Needle　Road　out　of　Shaker。　The　Tagline　Road　from　Needle。　Somewhere　south　of　Tagline　there's　a　crossroad　where　you　head　west。　Chimney　is　on　the　Salada　Peninsula。　I　don't　know　where　for　sure。　Only　what　I　heared　from　travelers。〃
　　〃Uhm。　Long　hike。　How　far；　you　think？〃
　　〃See。　Two　hundred　twenty…four　miles　to　Shaker。　Round　two　hundred　more　to　Needle。　Tagline　is　about　one　eighty　on　from　Needle；　I　think。　Or　maybe　it's　two　eighty。　I　don't　rightly　recollect。　That　crossroad　must　be　another　hundred　down　from　Tagline；　then　out　to　Chimney。　Don't　know　how　far　that　would　be。　Least　another　hundred。　Maybe　two；　three。　Seen　a　map　oncet；　that　a　fellow　showed　me。　Peninsula　sticks　way　out　like　a　thumb。〃
　　Silent　joined　us。　He　produced　a　scrap　of　paper　and　a　tiny；　steel…tipped　pen。　He　had　the　innkeeper　run　through　it　again。　He　drew　a　crude　map　that　he　adjusted　as　the　fat　man　said　it　did　or　did　not　resemble　the　map　he　had　seen。　Silent　kept　juggling　a　column　of　figures。　He　came　up　with　an　estimate　in　excess　of　nine　hundred　miles　from　Meadenvil。　He　knocked　off　the　last　digit；　then　wrote　the　word　days　and　a　plus　sign。　I　nodded。
　　〃Probably　a　four…month　trip　at　least；〃　I　said。　〃Longer　if　they　spend　much　time　resting　up　in　any　of　those　cities。〃
　　Silent　drew　a　straight　line　from　Meadenvil　to　the　tip　of　the　Salada　Peninsula；　wrote；　est。　600　mi。　a。　6　knots　=　100　hrs。
　　〃Yeah；〃　I　said。　〃Yeah。　That's　why　the　ship　never　left。　Had　to　give　him　a　head　start。　Think　we'll　have　a　talk　with　the　crew　tomorrow。　Thanks；　innkeeper。〃　I　pushed　the　coin　over。　〃Anything　odd　happened　around　here　lately？〃
　　A　weak　smiled　stretched　his　lips。　〃Not　till　today。〃
　　〃Right。　No；　I　mean　like　neighbors　disappearing；　or　what…not。〃
　　He　shook　his　head。　〃Nope。　Less　you　count　Moleskin。　Hain't　seen　him　in　a　while。　But　that　don't　make　no　never…mind。〃
　　〃Moleskin？〃
　　〃Hunter。　Works　the　forest　over　east。　Mainly　for　furs　and　hides；　but　brings　me　game　when　he　needs　salt　or　something。　He　don't　e　around　regular；　but　I　reckon　he's　overdue。　Usually　es　in　e　fall；　to　get　staples　for　the　winter。　Thought　it　was　him　when　your　friend　e　through　the　door。''
　　〃Eh？　Which　friend？〃
　　〃The　one　you're　hunting。　That　carried　off　this　feller's　daughter。''
　　Silent　and　I　exchanged　glances。　I　said；　〃Better　not　count　on　seeing　Moleskin　again。　I　think　he's　dead。〃
　　〃What　brings　you　to　say　that？〃
　　I　told　him　a　little　about　Raven　faking　his　own　death　and　leaving　a　body　that　had　been　confused　for　his。
　　〃Bad　thing；　that。　Yep。　Bad　thing；　doing　like　that。　Hope　you　catch　him　up。〃　His　eyes　narrowed　slightly；　cunning。　〃You　fellers　wouldn't　be　part　of　that　bunch　e　down　from　Juniper；　would　you？　Everybody　headed　south　talks　about　how。　。。。〃　Silent's　glower　shut　him　up。
　　〃I'm　going　to　get　some　sleep；〃　I　said。　〃If　none　of　my　men　are　up　yet；　roust　me　out　at　first　light。〃
　　〃Yes；　sir；〃　the　innkeeper　said。　〃And　a　fine　breakfast　we'll　fix　you；　sir。〃
　　
　　　Chapter　Forty…Six：　MEADENVIL：　TROUBLE
　　
　　And　a　fine　breakfast　we　had。　I　tipped　the　innkeeper　another　piece　of　silver。　He　must　have　thought　me　mad。
　　Half　a　mile　up　the　road　One…Eye　called　a　halt。　〃You　just　going　to　leave　them？〃　he　asked。
　　〃What？〃
　　〃Those　people。　First　Taken　es　down　this　way　is　going　to　find　out　everything　we　did。〃
　　My　heart　flip…flopped。　I　knew　what　he　was　getting　at。　I　had　thought　about　it　earlier。　But　I　could　not　order　it。　〃No　point；〃　I　said。　〃Everybody　in　Meadenvil　is　going　to　see　us　put　out。〃
　　〃Everybody　in　Meadenvil　don't　know　where　we're　headed。　I　don't　like　the　idea　any　better　than　you　do；　Croaker。　But　we　have　to　cut　the　trail　somewhere。　Raven　didn't。　And　we're　on　to　him。〃
　　〃Yeah。　I　know。〃　I　glanced　at　Asa　and　Shed。　They　were　not　taking　it　well。　Asa；　at　least；　figured　he　was　next。
　　〃Can't　take　them　with　us；　Croaker。〃
　　〃I　know。〃
　　He　swung　around；　started　back。　Alone。　Not　even　Otto　joined　him；　and　Otto　has　very　little　conscience。
　　〃What's　he　going　to　do？〃　Asa　asked。
　　〃Use　his　magic　to　make　them　forget；〃　I　lied。　〃Let's　move　along。　He　can　catch　up。〃
　　Shed　kept　giving　me　looks。　Looks　like　he　must　have　given　Raven　when　he　first　found　out　Raven　was　in　the　body　business。　He　did　not　say　anything。
　　One…Eye　caught　up　an　hour　later。　He　busted　out　laughing。　〃They　were　gone；〃　he　said。　〃Every　blessed　one；　with　all　their　dogs　and　cattle。　Into　the　woods。　Damned　peasants。〃　He　laughed　again；　almost　hysterically。　I　suspect　he　was　relieved。
　　〃We　got　two　days　and　some　gone；〃　I　said。　〃Let's　push　it。　The　bigger　head　start　we　have；　the　better。〃
　　We　reached　the　outskirts　of　Meadenvil　five　hours　later；　not　having　pressed　as　hard　as　I　wanted。　As　we　penetrated　the　city；　our　pace　lagged。　I　think　we　all　sensed　it。　Finally；　I　stopped。　〃King；　you　and　Asa　wander　around　and　see　what　you　hear。　We'll　wait　at　yonder　fountain。〃　There　were　no　children　in　the　streets。　The　adults　I　saw　seemed　dazed。　Those　who　passed　us　moved　by　as　widely　as　they　could　navigate。
　　King　was　back　in　two　minutes。　No　lollygagging。　〃Big　trouble；　Croaker。　The　Taken　got　here　this　morning。　Big　blowout　down　at　the　waterfront。〃
　　I　glanced　in　that　direction。　A　ghost　of　smoke　rose　there；　as　if　marking　the　aftermath　of　a　major　fire。　The　sky　to　the　west；　in　the　direction　the　wind　was　blowing；　had　a　dirty　look。
　　Asa　returned　a　minute　later　with　the　same　news　and　more。　〃They　got　in　a　big　fight　with　the　Prince。　Not　over　yet；　some　say。〃
　　〃Wouldn't　be　much　of　a　fight；〃　One…Eye　said。
　　〃I　don't　know；〃　I　countered。　〃Even　the　Lady　can't　be　everywhere　at　once。　How　the　hell　did　they　get　here　so　fast？　They　didn't　have　any　carpets。〃
　　〃Overland；〃　Shed　said。
　　〃Overland？　But　。。。〃
　　〃It's　shorter　than　the　sea　trip。　Road　cuts　across。　If　you　ride　hard；　day　and　night；　you　can　make　it　in　two　days。　When　I　was　a　kid；　they　used　to　have　races。　They　stopped　that　when　the　new　Duke　took　over。〃
　　〃Guess　it　doesn't　matter。　So。　What　now？〃
　　〃Got　to　find　out　what　happened；〃　One…Eye　said。　He　muttered；　〃If　that　bastard　Goblin　got　himself　killed；　I'll　wring　his　neck。〃
　　〃Right。　But　how　do　we　do　that？　The　Taken　know　us。〃
　　〃I'll　go；〃　Shed　volunteered。
　　Harder　looks　you　cannot　imagine　than　those　we　bent　upon　Marron　Shed。　He　quailed　for　a　moment。　Then：　〃I　won't　let　them　catch　me。　Anyway；　why　should　they　bother　me？　They　don't　know　me。〃
　　〃Okay；〃　I　said。　〃Get　moving。〃
　　〃Croaker。　。。。〃
　　〃Got　to　trust　him；　One…Eye。　Unless　you　want　to　go　yourself。〃
　　〃Nope。　Shed；　you　screw　us　over　and　I'll　get　you　if　I　have　to　e　back　from　the　grave。〃
　　Shed　smiled　weakly；　left　us。　On　foot。　Not　many　people　rode　through　Meadenvil's　streets。　We　found　a　tavern　and　made　ourselves　at　home；　two　men　staying　in　the　street　to　watch。　It　was　sundown　before　Shed　returned。
　　〃Well？〃　I　said；　signaling　for　another　pitcher　of　beer。
　　〃It's　not　good　news。　You　guys　are　stuck。　Your　Lieutenant　took　the　ship　out。　Twenty；　twenty…five　of　your　guys　were　killed。　The　rest　went　out　on　the　ship。　The　Prince　lost。　。。。〃
　　〃Not　all　of　them；〃　One…Eye　said；　and　tipped　a　pointing　finger　over　the　top　of　his　mug。　〃Somebody　followed　you；　Shed。〃
　　Shed　whirled；　terrified。
　　Goblin　and　Pawnbroker　stood　in　the　doorway。　Pawn　had　been　carved　up　some。　He　limped　over　and　collapsed　into　a　chair。　I　checked　his　wounds。　Goblin　and　One…Eye　exchanged　looks　that　might　have　meant　anything；　but　probably　meant　they　were　glad　to　see　one　another。
　　The　tavern's　other　customers　began　to　fade。　Word　who　we　were　had　gotten　out。　They　knew　some　bad　people　were　hunting　us。
　　〃Sit；　Goblin；〃　I　said。　〃King；　you　and　Otto　go　get　some