ggk.thelionsofal-rassan-第7章

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　　The　river　was　far　behind　them；　and　the　walls　of　Carcasia。　They　had　passed　the　wooden　stockade　forts　of　Baeza　and　Lobar；　small；　fledgling　outposts　in　emptiness。　The　pany　rode　now　through　the　wild；　high；　bare　sweep　of　the　no…man's…land；　dust　rising　behind　and　the　sun　beating　down　upon　them…fifty　of　Jad's　own　horsemen；　journeying　to　the　fabled　cities　of　the　Asharites　at　the　king　of　Valledo's　mand。
　　And　young　Alvar　de　Pellino　was　one　of　those　fifty；　chosen；　after　scarcely　a　year　among　the　riders　at　Esteren；　to　acpany　the　great　Rodrigo…the　Captain　himself…on　a　tribute　mission　to　Al…Rassan。　There　were　miracles　in　the　world；　truly；　bestowed　without　explanation；　unless　his　mother's　prayers　on　her　pilgrimage　to　holy　Vasca's　Isle　had　been　answered　by　the　god　behind　the　sun。
　　Since　that　was　at　least　a　possibility；　each　morning　now　at　dawn　Alvar　faced　east　for　the　invocation　and　offered　thanks　to　Jad　with　a　full　heart；　vowing　anew　upon　the　iron　of　the　sword　his　father　had　given　him　to　be　worthy　of　the　god's　trust。　And；　of　course；　the　Captain's。
　　There　were　so　many　young　riders　in　the　army　of　King　Ramiro。　Horsemen　from　all　over　Valledo；　some　with　splendid　armor　and　magnificent　horses；　some　with　lineage　going　back　to　the　Old　Ones　who　had　ruled　the　whole　peninsula　and　named　it　Esperana；　who　first　learned　the　truths　of　the　sun…god　and　built　the　straight　roads。　And　almost　every　one　of　those　men　would　have　fasted　a　week；　would　have　forsworn　women　and　wine；　would　have　seriously　contemplated　murder　for　the　chance　to　be　trained　by　the　Captain；　to　be　under　the　cool；　grey…eyed　scrutiny　of　Rodrigo　Belmonte　for　three　whole　weeks。　To　be；　if　only　for　this　one　mission；　numbered　among　his　pany。
　　A　man　could　dream；　you　see。　Three　weeks　might　be　only　a　beginning；　with　more　to　follow；　the　world　opening　up　like　a　peeled　and　quartered　orange。　A　young　horseman　could　lie　down　at　night　on　his　saddle　blanket　and　look　up　at　the　bright　stars　worshipped　by　the　followers　of　Ashar。　He　could　imagine　himself　cutting　a　shining　swath　through　the　ranks　of　the　infidels　to　save　the　Captain　himself　from　danger　and　death；　being　saluted　and　marked　by　Rodrigo　in　the　midst　of　roaring　battle；　and　then　after；　victorious；　drinking　unmixed　wine　at　the　Captain's　side；　being　honored　and　made　wele　among　his　pany。
　　A　young　man　could　dream；　could　he　not？
　　The　problem；　for　Alvar；　was　that　such　immensely　satisfying　images　had　been　giving　way；　in　the　almost…silence　of　night；　or　the　long　rhythms　of　a　day's　hard　riding　under　the　god's　sun；　to　the　vivid；　excruciating　memory　of　what　had　happened　the　morning　they　set　out　from　Esteren。　To　a　recollection　of　the　moment；　in　particular；　when　young　Alvar　de　Pellino…heart's　pride　and　joy　of　his　parents　and　three　sisters…had　chosen　the　wrong　place　entirely　to　unbutton　his　trousers　and　relieve　himself　before　the　pany　mounted　up　to　ride。
　　It　ought　to　have　been　a　perfectly　reasonable　thing　to　do。
　　
　　They　had　assembled　at　dawn　in　a　newly　built　sidecourt　of　the　palace　at　Esteren。　Alvar；　almost　giddy　with　excitement　and　the　simultaneous　effort　not　to　reveal　it；　had　been　attempting　to　remain　as　inconspicuous　as　possible。　He　was　not　a　shy　or　diffident　young　man　by　nature；　but　even　now；　at　the　very　moment　of　departure；　a　part　of　him　feared；　with　lurid　apprehension；　that　if　someone　noticed　him…Lain　Nunez；　for　example；　the　Captain's　lean　old　panion…at…arms…they　might　declare　Alvar's　presence　an　obvious　error　of　some　kind；　and　he'd　be　left　behind。　He　would；　of　course；　have　no　choice　but　to　kill　himself　if　such　a　thing　happened。
　　With　fifty　men　and　their　horses　and　the　laden　pack　mules　in　the　enclosed　space　of　the　courtyard　it　was　easy　enough　to　keep　a　low　profile。　It　was　cool　in　the　yard；　something　that　might　have　deceived　a　stranger　to　the　peninsula；　a　mercenary　from　Ferrieres　or　Waleska；　say。　It　would　be　very　hot　later；　Alvar　knew。　It　was　always　hot　in　summer。　There　was　a　great　deal　of　noise　and　men　were　bustling　back　and　forth　carrying　planks　of　wood；　tools；　wheeling　barrows　of　brick：　King　Ramiro　was　expanding　his　palace。
　　Alvar　checked　his　saddle　and　saddlebags　for　the　twentieth　time　and　carefully　avoided　meeting　anyone's　eye。　He　tried　to　look　older　than　his　years；　to　convey　the　impression　that　he　was；　if　anything；　a　trifle　bored　by　a　mission　as　routine　as　this　one。　He　was　intelligent　enough　to　doubt　he　was　fooling　anyone。
　　When　Count　Gonzalez　de　Rada　walked　unannounced　into　the　courtyard；　dressed　in　crimson　and　black…even　at　dawn　among　horses…Alvar　felt　his　feverish　anxiety　rise　to　an　even　higher　level。　He　had　never　seen　the　constable　of　Valledo　before；　except　at　a　distance。　A　brief　silence　fell　over　Rodrigo's　pany；　and　when　their　bustle　of　preparation　resumed　it　had　a　subtly　altered　quality。　Alvar　experienced　the　stirrings　of　inescapable　curiosity　and　sternly　tried　to　suppress　them。
　　He　saw　the　Captain　and　Lain　Nunez　observe　the　count's　arrival　and　exchange　a　glance。　Rodrigo　stepped　a　little　aside　from　the　others　to　await　the　man　who'd　replaced　him　as　constable　when　King　Ramiro　was　crowned。　The　count's　attendants　stopped　at　a　word　and　Gonzalez　de　Rada　approached　alone。　He　was　smiling　broadly。　The　Captain；　Alvar　saw；　was　not。　Behind　Rodrigo；　Lain　Nunez　abruptly　turned　his　head　and　spat　deliberately　into　the　dirt　of　the　yard。
　　At　this　point；　Alvar　decided　that　it　would　be　ill…mannered　to　observe　them　further；　even　out　of　the　corner　of　his　eye…as　he　noticed　the　others　doing　while　they　pretended　to　busy　themselves　with　their　horses　or　gear。　A　Horseman　of　Jad；　he　told　himself　firmly；　had　no　business　concerning　himself　with　the　words　and　affairs　of　the　great。　Alvar　virtuously　turned　his　back　upon　the　forthing　encounter　and　walked　to　a　corner　of　the　yard　to　attend　to　his　own　pressing　business　in　private；　on　the　far　side　of　a　hay　wagon。
　　Why　Count　Gonzalez　de　Rada　and　Ser　Rodrigo　Belmonte　should　have　elected　to　stroll　together；　a　moment　later；　to　the　shade　of　that　same　wagon　would　forever　after　remain　one　of　the　enduring　mysteries　of　the　world　Jad　had　created；　as　far　as　Alvar　de　Pellino　was　concerned。
　　
　　The　two　men　were　known　throughout　the　three　Jaddite　kingdoms　of　Esperana　to　have　no　love　for　one　another。　Even　the　youngest　soldiers；　new　to　the　king's　army；　managed　to　hear　some　of　the　court　stories。　The　tale　of　how　Rodrigo　Belmonte　had　demanded　at　the　coronation　of　King　Ramiro　that　the　new　king　swear　an　oath　of　nonplicity　in　the　death　of　his　brother　before　Ser　Rodrigo　would　offer　his　own　oath　of　allegiance　was　one　that　every　one　of　them　knew。　It　was　a　part　of　the　legend　of　the　Captain。
　　It　might　even　be　true；　Alvar　had　cynically　murmured　to　some　drinking　panions　one　night　in　a　soldier's　tavern。　He　was　already　being　known　for　remarks　like　that。　It　was　a　good　thing　he　knew　how　to　fight。　His　father　had　warned　him；　more　than　once　back　on　the　farm；　that　a　quick　tongue　could　be　more　of　a　hindrance　than　it　was　an　asset　in　the　army　of　Valledo。
　　Clever　remarks　by　young　soldiers　notwithstanding；　what　was　true　was　that　although　Rodrigo　Belmonte　did　swear　his　oath　of　fealty　and　King　Ramiro　accepted　him　as　his　man；　it　was　Gonzalez　de　Rada　who　was　named　by　the　new　king　as　his　constable…the　office　Rodrigo　had　held　for　the　late　King　Raimundo。　It　was；　therefore；　Count　Gonzalez　who　was　formally　responsible；　among　other　things；　for　overseeing　the　selection　and　promotion　of　young　men　throughout　Valledo　to　posts　in　the　king's　army。
　　Not　that　many　of　the　younger　horsemen　had　been　observed　to　deviate　greatly　from　the　collective　view　that　if　you　wanted　to　be　properly　trained　you　did　whatever　you　could　to　ride　with　the　Captain。　And　if　you　wanted　to　be　numbered　among　the　elite　soldiers　of　the　peninsula；　of　the　world；　you　offered　money；　land；　your　sisters；　your　own　young　body　if　need　be；　as　a　bribe　to　whomever　could　get　you　into　Rodrigo's　band。
　　Not　that　anyone　could　get　you　in；　for　any　of　those　offerings。　The　Captain　made　his　own　choices；　often　unexpected　ones；　with　gap…toothed　old　Lain　Nunez　his　only　counsellor。　Lain　was　manifestly　uninterested　in　the　alleged　pleasures　of　boys；　and　the　Captain　。。。　well；　the　very　thought　was　near　to　sacrilege；　besides　which；　Miranda　Belmonte　d'Alveda　was　the　most　beautiful　woman　i