ggk.thelionsofal-rassan-第67章

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d　took　all　the　parias　gold　back　to　Arbastro。〃
　　Idar　blinked　again；　struggling。　He　folded　his　arms　across　his　chest　and　tried　to　look　shrewd。　His　father；　after　a　moment；　laughed　aloud。
　　〃Magnificent！〃　he　said。　〃And　whose　is　the　credit　for　this　part　of　the　scheme？〃
　　The　two　men　before　him　glanced　again　at　each　other。　〃This　part；〃　said　ibn　Khairan　a　little　ruefully；　〃is　indeed；　I　am　sorry　to　have　to　say；　the　thought…child　of　Mazur　ben　Avren。　I　do　wish　I　had　thought　of　it。　I'm　sure　that　I　would　have；　given　time。〃
　　The　Valledan　captain　laughed。
　　〃I　have　no　doubt；〃　Tarif　ibn　Hassan　said　dryly。　Idar　watched　his　father　working　through　all　of　this。　〃So　that　is　why　you　killed　them　all？〃
　　〃Why　we　had　to；〃　Rodrigo　Belmonte　agreed；　amusement　gone　as　swiftly　as　it　had　e。　〃Once　they　saw　my　pany；　if　any　of　di　Carrera's　party　made　it　home　the　story　would　never　hold。　They　would　know　we　had　the　gold　back　in　Ragosa。〃
　　〃Alas；　I　must　beg　your　forgiveness　again；〃　Tarif　murmured。　〃We　were　to　do　your　killing　for　you　and　we　failed　miserably。　What；〃　he　asked　quietly；　〃would　you　have　done　if　we　had　taken　them　for　ransom？〃
　　〃Killed　them；〃　said　Ammar　ibn　Khairan。　〃Are　you　shocked；　ibn　Hassan？　Do　you　fight　by　courtly　rules　of　war　like　the　paladins　of　the　old　tales？　Was　Arbastro　built　with　treasure　won　in　bloodless　adventures？〃　There　was　an　edge　to　his　tone；　for　the　first　time。
　　He　didn't　like　doing　this；　Idar　thought。　He　may　pretend　otherwise；　but　he　didn't　like　it。
　　His　father　seemed　satisfied　by　something。　His　own　manner　changed。　〃I　have　been　an　outlaw　most　of　my　life；　with　a　price　on　my　head。　You　know　the　answer　to　your　own　questions。〃　He　smiled　thinly；　his　wolf's　expression。　〃I　have　no　objection　to　taking　gold　home　and　receiving　the　acclaim　for　a　successful　raid。　On　the　other　hand；　once　I　am　back　in　Arbastro；　it　might　please　me　to　embarrass　you　by　letting　the　truth　be　known。〃
　　Ammar　ibn　Khairan　smiled；　the　edge　still　there。　〃It　has　pleased　a　number　of　people　over　the　years　to　embarrass　me；　one　way　or　another。〃　He　shook　his　head　sorrowfully。　〃I　had　hoped　that　a　loving　father's　concern　for　his　sons　in　Ragosa　might　take　precedence　over　the　pleasure　of　distressing　us。〃
　　Idar　stepped　quickly　forward；　but　his　father；　without　glancing　at　him；　extended　a　hand　and　held　him　back。　〃You　would　stand　before　a　man　whose　youngest　child　is　dying　as　we　speak　and　propose　to　take　away　his　other　son？〃
　　〃He　is　far　from　dying。　What　sort　of　medical　care　are　you　accustomed　to？〃
　　Idar　wheeled　around。　Beside　Abir　now；　on　her　knees；　was　a　woman。　They　had　said　their　doctor　was　a　woman。　A　servant　was　with　her；　and　she　had　a　cloth　full　of　implements　already　opened。　Idar　hadn't　even　seen　her　walk　around　them　to　Abir；　so　intense　was　his　focus　on　the　two　men。　She　was　unexpectedly　young；　pretty　for　a　Kindath；　her　manner　was　crisp　and　precise；　though；　almost　curt。
　　She　said；　looking　at　his　father；　〃I　ought　to　be　able　to　save　his　life；　though　I　am　afraid　it　is　going　to　cost　him　the　leg。　It　will　need　to　be　taken　off　above　the　wound；　the　sooner　the　better。　I　need　the　place　and　time　of　his　birth；　to　see　if　it　is　proper　to　do　surgery　now。　Do　you　know　these　things？〃
　　〃I　do；〃　Idar　heard　himself　saying。　His　father　was　staring　at　the　woman。
　　〃Good。　Give　them　to　my　assistant；　please。　I　will　offer　your　brother　the　best　care　I　can　here；　and　I　will　be　pleased　to　look　after　him　when　he　returns　with　us　to　Ragosa。　With　luck　and　diligence　he　ought　to　be　able　to　move　about　with　sticks　before　spring。〃　Her　eyes　were　extremely　blue；　and　quite　level　as　her　gaze　rested　on　Idar's　father。　〃I　am　also　confident　that　having　his　brother　as　a　panion　will　speed　his　recovery。〃
　　Idar　watched　his　father's　face。　The　old　warrior's　expression　moved　from　relief　to　fury　to　a　gradual　awareness　that　he　had　no　resources　here。　Nothing　to　do　in　the　presence　of　these　people　but　accede。　It　was　not　a　role　he　had　ever　played　happily　in　his　life。
　　He　managed　another　thin；　wolf's　smile。　Turned　from　the　Kindath　doctor　back　to　the　two　men。　〃Do　help　an　old　man's　faltering　grasp　of　things；〃　he　said。　〃Was　this　elaborate　scheme　truly　worth　a　single　season's　delay？　You　must　know　that　King　Bermudo　will　send　again　to　Fibaz　in　the　spring；　demanding　parias；　almost　certainly　a　doubled　sum。〃
　　〃Of　course　he　will；〃　said　ibn　Khairan。　〃But　this　happens　to　be　an　important　season　and　this　gold　can　be　put　to　better　use　than　arming　Jalona　for　the　ing　year。〃　The　pearl　in　his　right　ear　gleamed。　He　said；　〃When　next　he　es　Fibaz　might　refuse　him　tribute。〃
　　〃Ah！〃　said　Idar's　father　then。　He　pulled　a　bloody　hand　slowly　through　his　beard；　smearing　it　even　further。　〃I　am　illuminated！　The　spirit　of　Ashar　allows　me　sight　at　last。〃　He　bowed　mockingly　to　both　men。　〃I　am　humbled　to　be　even　a　small　part　of　so　great　an　undertaking。　Of　course　it　is　an　important　season。　Of　course　you　need　the　gold。　You　are　going　after　Cartada　in　the　spring。〃
　　〃Good　for　you！〃　said　Ammar　ibn　Khairan；　encouragement　in　his　voice　and　the　blue　eyes。　He　smiled。　〃Wouldn't　you　like　to　e　with　us？〃
　　
　　A　short　time　later；　back　in　the　sunlight　of　the　valley；　Jehane　bet　Ishak　prepared　to　saw　off　the　right　leg　of　Abir　ibn　Tarif；　assisted　by　Velaz　and　the　strong　hands　of　Martin　and　Ludus；　and　with　the　aid　of　a　massive　dose；　administered　by　saturated　sponge；　of　her　father's　strongest　soporific。
　　She　had　performed　amputations　before；　but　never　on　open　ground　like　this。　She　didn't　tell　them　that；　of　course。　Ser　Rezzoni　again：　〃Let　them　always　believe　you　do　nothing　but　this　procedure；　day　after　day。〃
　　The　wounded　man's　brother　hovered　impotently　nearby；　begging　to　be　of　assistance。　She　was　struggling　to　find　polite　words　to　send　him　away　when　Alvar　de　Pellino　materialized　beside　the　man　with　an　open　flask。
　　〃Will　I　offend　you　if　I　offer　wine？〃　he　asked　the　white…faced　bandit。　The　look　of　grateful　need　was　answer　enough。　Alvar　led　the　man　to　the　far　side　of　their　temporary　camp。　The　father；　ibn　Hassan；　was　conversing　there　with　Rodrigo　and　Ammar。　He　betrayed　his　distraction　by　glancing　in　their　direction　with　regularity。　Jehane　noted　that；　then　put　all　such　matters　from　her　mind。
　　Amputations　in　the　field　did　not　have　a　high　success　rate。　On　the　other　hand；　most　military　doctors　had　no　real　idea　what　they　were　doing。　Rodrigo　had　known　that　very　well。　It　was　why　she　was　here。　It　was　also　why　she　was　nervous。　She　could　have　asked　the　moon　sisters　and　the　god　for　an　easier　first　procedure　with　this　pany。　For　almost　anything　else；　in　truth。
　　She　let　none　of　this　show　in　her　face。　She　checked　her　implements　again。　They　were　clean；　laid　out　by　Velaz　on　a　white　cloth　on　the　green　grass。　She　had　consulted　her　almanac　and　cast　the　moons：　those　of　the　patient's　birth　hour　were　in　acceptable　harmony　with　today's。　She　would　only　have　delayed　if　faced　with　the　worst　possible　reading。
　　There　was　wine　to　pour　into　the　wound　and　the　cauterizing　iron　waited　in　the　fire；　red…hot　already。　The　patient　was　dazed　with　the　drugs　Velaz　had　given　him。　Not　surprisingly：　the　sponge　had　been　steeped　in　crushed　poppies；　mandragora　and　hemlock。　She　took　his　arm　and　pinched　it；　as　hard　as　she　could。　He　didn't　move。　She　looked　into　his　eyes　and　was　satisfied。　Two　strong　men；　used　to　battlefield　surgery；　were　holding　him　down。　Velaz…from　whom　she　had　no　secrets…offered　her　a　reassuring　glance；　and　her　heavy　saw。
　　No　reason；　really；　to　delay。
　　〃Hold　him；〃　she　said；　and　began　to　grind　through　flesh　and　bone。
　　
Eleven
　　〃Where's　Papa　now？〃
　　Fernan　Belmonte；　who　had　asked　the　question；　was　lying　in　clean　straw　in　the　loft　above　the　barn。　Most　of　him　was　buried　for　warmth；　only　the　face　and　brown；　tousled　hair　showing。
　　Ibero　the　cleric；　who　had　reluctantly　acceded　to　the　twins'　morning　lessons　taking　place　up　here　today…it　was　warmer　in　the　barn　above　the　cows；　he'd　had　to　concede…opened　his　mouth　quickly　to　object；　but　then　shut　it　and　looked　with　apprehension　towards　where　the　other　boy　lay。
　　Diego　was　pletely　invisible　under　the　straw。　They　could　see　it　shift　with　the　rise　and　fall　of　his　breathing；　but　that　was　all。
　　〃Why　does　it　matter？〃　His　voice；　when　it　came；　seemed　disembodied。　A　message　from　the　s