ggk.thelionsofal-rassan-第21章

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　　〃Rodrigo！〃　Jehane　heard　Lain　Nunez　rasp。　〃Stop　this；　in　Jad's　name！　Kill　him　if　you　like；　but　stop　this　now。〃
　　〃But　that　is　the　problem；〃　said　the　Captain　of　Valledo　in　the　same　taut　voice。　〃I　don't　think　I　can。〃
　　Jehane；　struggling　for　understanding　amid　the　rawness　of　her　own　emotions；　wasn't　sure　if　he　meant　that　he　couldn't　kill；　or　he　couldn't　stop　what　he　was　saying。　She　had　a　flashing　sense　that　he　probably　meant　both。
　　With　a　roar；　another　of　the　houses　collapsed。　The　fire　had　spread　as　far　as　it　could。　There　was　no　more　wood　to　ignite。　Orvilla　would　be　cinder　and　ash　by　morning；　when　the　survivors　would　have　to　try　to　attend　to　the　dead　and　the　process　of　living　past　this　night。
　　〃Take　your　men　and　go；〃　Rodrigo　Belmonte　said　to　the　man　who　had　done　this　thing。
　　〃Return　our　horses　and　weapons　and　we　ride　north　on　the　instant；〃　said　Garcia　de　Rada　promptly。
　　Jehane　looked　back　and　saw　that　Rodrigo's　cold　smile　was　gone。　He　seemed　tired　now；　drained　of　some　vital　force　by　this　last　exchange。　〃You　sued　for　ransom；〃　he　said。　〃Remember？　There　are　witnesses。　Full　price　will　be　settled　at　court　by　the　heralds。　Your　mounts　and　weapons　are　a　first　payment。　You　are　released　on　your　sworn　oaths　to　pay。〃
　　〃You　want　us　to　walk　back　to　Valledo？〃
　　〃I　want　you　dead；〃　said　Rodrigo　succinctly。　〃I　will　not　murder　a　countryman；　though。　Be　grateful　and　start　walking。　There　are　five　hundred　new　Muwardi　mercenaries　in　Fezana　tonight；　by　the　way。　They'll　have　seen　these　fires。　You　might　not　want　to　linger。〃
　　He　was　going　to　let　them　go。　Privileges　of　rank　and　power。　The　way　the　world　was　run。　Dead　and　mutilated　farmers　could　be　redeemed　by　horses　and　gold　for　the　rescuers。　Jehane　had　a　sudden　image…intense　and　disorienting…of　herself　rising　smoothly　from　the　brown；　parched　grass；　striding　over　to　that　young　soldier；　Alvar；　and　seizing　his　sword。　She　could　almost　feel　the　weight　of　the　weapon　in　her　hands。　With　eerie　clarity　she　watched　herself　walk　up　to　Garcia　de　Rada…he　had　even　turned　partially　away　from　her。　In　the　vision　she　heard　Velaz　cry　〃Jehane！〃　just　as　she　killed　de　Rada　with　a　two…handed　swing　of　the　Jaddite　sword。　The　soldier's　blade　entered　between　two　ribs；　she　heard　the　dark…haired　man　cry　out　and　saw　his　blood　spurt　and　continue　to　spill　as　he　fell。
　　She　would　never　have　thought　such　images　could　occur　to　her；　let　alone　feel　so　urgent；　so　necessary。　She　was　a　doctor；　sworn　to　defend　life　by　the　Oath　of　Galinus。　The　same　oath　her　father　had　sworn；　the　one　that　had　led　him　to　deliver　a　child；　aware　that　it　could　cost　him　his　own　life。　He　had　said　as　much　to　ibn　Khairan；　earlier　this　same　day。　It　was　hard　to　believe　it　was　the　same　day。
　　She　was　a　physician　before　she　was　anything　else；　it　was　her　holy　island；　her　sanctuary。　She　had　already　caused　one　man　to　be　killed　tonight。　It　was　enough。　It　was　more　than　enough。　She　stood　up　and　took　a　single　step　towards　Garcia　de　Rada。　She　saw　him　look　at　her；　register　the　Kindath…style　drape　of　the　stole　about　her　head　and　shoulders。　She　could　read　contempt　and　derision　in　his　eyes。　It　didn't　matter。　She　had　sworn　an　oath；　years　ago。
　　She　said；　〃Wash　that　wound　in　the　river。　Then　cover　it　with　a　clean　cloth。　Do　that　every　day。　You　will　be　marked；　but　it　might　not　fester。　If　you　can　have　a　doctor　salve　it　soon；　that　will　be　better　for　you。〃
　　She　would　never　have　imagined　it　would　be　so　difficult　to　speak　such　words。　At　the　perimeter　of　the　open　space；　half　in　the　ruined　shadows；　she　suddenly　saw　her　patient；　Abirab；　with　the　two　little　girls　held　close　to　her。　Their　brother；　Ziri；　had　stepped　forward　a　little　and　was　staring　at　her。　Enduring　his　gaze；　Jehane　felt　her　words　as　the　most　brutal　form　of　betrayal。
　　She　turned　away　and；　without　looking　back；　without　waiting　for　anyone；　began　walking　from　the　village；　between　the　burning　houses　and　then　out　through　a　gap　in　the　fence；　feeling　the　heat　of　the　fires　on　her　face　and　in　her　heart　as　she　went；　with　no　prospect　of　anything　to　cool　her　grief。
　　She　knew　Velaz　would　be　following。　She　had　not　expected　to　hear；　so　soon；　the　sound　of　a　horse　overtaking　her。
　　〃The　camp　is　too　far　to　walk；〃　said　a　voice。　Not　Lain　Nunez　this　time。　She　looked　up　at　Rodrigo　Belmonte　as　he　slowed　the　horse　beside　her。　〃I　think　we　each　did　something　that　cut　against　our　desire　back　there；〃　he　said。　〃Shall　we　ride　together？〃
　　She　had　been　awed　by　him　at　first；　by　the　scale　of　his　reputation；　then；　briefly；　afraid；　then　angry…though　unfairly　so；　perhaps。　Now　she　was　simply　tired；　and　grateful　for　the　chance　to　ride。　He　leaned　over　in　the　saddle　and　lifted　her　up；　effortlessly；　though　she　wasn't　a　small　woman。　She　arranged　her　skirts　and　undertunic　and　swung　a　leg　across　the　horse　behind　him。　She　put　her　arms　around　his　waist。　He　wasn't　wearing　armor。　In　the　silence　of　the　night；　as　they　left　the　fires　behind；　Jehane　could　feel　the　beating　of　his　heart。
　　They　rode　in　that　silence　for　a　time　and　Jehane　let　the　stillness　and　the　dark　merge　with　the　steady　drumming　of　the　horse's　hooves　to　guide　her　back　towards　a　semblance　of　posure。
　　This　is　my　day　for　meeting　famous　men；　she　thought　suddenly。
　　It　could　almost　have　been　amusing；　if　so　much　tragedy　had　not　been　embedded　in　the　day。　The　realization；　though；　was　inescapable。　The　man　she　was　riding　behind　had　been　known；　for　almost　twenty　years…since　the　late　days　of　the　Khalifate…as　the　Scourge　of　Al…Rassan。　The　wadjis　still　singled　him　out　by　name　for　cursing　in　the　temples　at　the　darkfall　prayers。　She　wondered　if　he　knew　that；　if　he　prided　himself　upon　it。
　　〃My　temper　is　a　problem；〃　he　said　quietly；　breaking　the　silence　in　remarkably　unaccented　Asharic。　〃I　really　shouldn't　have　whipped　him。〃
　　〃I　don't　see　why　not；〃　Jehane　said。
　　He　shook　his　head。　〃You　kill　men　like　that　or　you　leave　them　alone。〃
　　〃Then　you　should　have　killed　him。〃
　　〃Probably。　I　could　have；　in　the　first　attack　when　we　arrived；　but　not　after　they　had　surrendered　and　sued　for　ransom。〃
　　〃Ah；　yes；〃　Jehane　said；　aware　that　her　bitterness　was　audible；　〃The　code　of　warriors。　Would　you　like　to　ride　back　and　look　at　that　mother　and　child？〃
　　〃I　have　seen　such　things；　doctor。　Believe　me。〃　She　did　believe　him。　He　had　probably　done　them；　too。
　　〃I　knew　your　father；　incidentally；〃　said　Rodrigo　Belmonte　after　another　silence。　Jehane　felt　herself　go　rigid。　〃Ishak　of　the　Kindath。　I　was　sorry　to　learn　of　his　fate。〃
　　〃How　。。。　how　do　you　know　who　my　father　is？　How　do　you　know　who　I　am？〃　she　stammered。
　　He　chuckled。　And　answered　her；　astonishingly；　in　fluent　Kindath　now。　〃Not　a　particularly　difficult　guess。　How　many　blue…eyed　Kindath　female　physicians　are　there　in　Fezana？　You　have　your　father's　eyes。〃
　　〃My　father　has　no　eyes；〃　Jehane　said　bitterly。　〃As　you　know　if　you　know　his　story。　How　do　you　know　our　language？〃
　　〃Soldiers　tend　to　learn　bits　of　many　languages。〃
　　〃Not　that　well；　and　not　Kindath。　How　do　you　know　it？〃
　　〃I　fell　in　love　once；　a　long　time　ago。　Best　way　to　learn　a　language；　actually。〃
　　Jehane　was　feeling　angry　again。　〃When　did　you　learn　Asharic？〃　she　demanded。
　　He　switched　easily　back　into　that　language。　〃I　lived　in　Al…Rassan　for　a　time。　When　Prince　Raimundo　was　exiled　by　his　father　for　a　multitude　of　mostly　imagined　sins　he　spent　a　year　in　Silvenes　and　Fezana；　and　I　came　south　with　him。〃
　　〃You　lived　in　Fezana？〃
　　〃Part　of　the　time。　Why　so　surprised？〃
　　She　didn't　answer。　It　wasn't　so　unusual；　in　fact。　For　decades；　if　not　centuries；　the　feuds　among　the　Jaddite　monarchs　of　Esperana　and　their　families　had　often　led　noblemen　and　their　retinues　to　sojourn　in　exile　among　the　delights　of　Al…Rassan。　And　during　the　Khalifate　not　a　few　of　the　Asharite　nobility　had　similarly　found　it　prudent　to　distance　themselves　from　the　long　reach　of　Silvenes；　dwelling　among　the　Horsemen　of　the　north。
　　〃I　don't　know；〃　she　answered　his　question。　〃I　suppose　because　I'd　have　expected　to　remember　you。〃
　　〃Seventeen　years　ago？　You　would　have　been　little　more　than　a　child。　I　think　I　might　even　have　seen　you　once；　unless　you　have　a　sister；　in　the　market　at　your　father's　booth。　There's　no　reason　for　you　to　have　remembered　me。　I　was　much　the