ggk.thelionsofal-rassan-第87章

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　estate　had　not　been　planned　by　those　who　arrived　at　the　ranch　house；　but　they　regarded　it；　nonetheless；　as　a　highly　fortuitous　circumstance。　The　lady　was　known　to　be　headstrong　and　even　violent。　She　had　killed　a　man　here　not　long　ago。　Put　an　arrow　through　him；　in　fact。　Nor　was　it　assumed　by　those　who　arrived　that　day　charged　with　a　particular　and　delicate　mission　that　Miranda　Belmonte　d'Alveda　would　regard　them　and　their　task　with　favor。
　　Mothers　were　chancy；　at　best。
　　There　had　not；　in　fact；　been　any　great　press　of　volunteers　in　Carcasia　for　this　task；　when　word　came　from　the　castle　that　one　of　the　sons　of　Ser　Rodrigo　Belmonte　was　to　be　brought　west　to　join　the　army　as　it　assembled　just　north　of　the　tagra　lands。
　　This　absence　of　enthusiasm　was　accentuated　when　it　became　clear　that　the　request　for　the　presence　of　the　young　fellow　came　not　from　the　king　directly；　but　from　the　Ferrieres　cleric　Geraud　de　Chervalles。　It　was　de　Chervalles　who　wanted　the　boy；　for　some　reason。　A　messy　business；　the　soldiers　agreed；　getting　tangled　in　the　affairs　of　foreign　clerics。　Still；　the　king　had　endorsed　the　request　and　orders　were　orders。　A　pany　of　ten　men　had　been　mustered　to　ride　east　along　the　muddy　roads　to　Rancho　Belmonte　and　bring　back　the　lad。
　　Many　of　them；　it　emerged　in　campfire　discussions　along　the　way；　had　had　their　own　first　taste　of　warfare…against　the　Asharites　or　the　pigs　from　Jalona　or　Ruenda…at　fourteen　or　fifteen　years　of　age。　The　boy　was　said　to　be　almost　fourteen　now；　and　as　Rodrigo　Belmonte's　son　。。。　well；　Jad　knew；　he　ought　to　be　able　to　fight。　No　one　knew　why　the　army　of　Valledo　needed　a　boy；　but　no　one　put　that　question　openly。
　　They　came　to　Rancho　Belmonte；　riding　beneath　the　banner　of　the　kings　of　Valledo；　and　were　met　in　a　cleared　space　before　the　wooden　pound　walls　by　several　household　officials；　a　small；　nervous　cleric　and　two　boys；　one　of　whom　they　were　there　to　claim。
　　The　lady　of　the　household…who　would；　in　fact；　have　cheerfully　killed　the　lot　of　them　had　she　been　present　to　learn　of　their　mission…was　elsewhere　on　the　estate；　the　cleric　informed　them。　The　leader　of　the　troop　showed　him　the　king's　seal　and　his　mand。　The　cleric…Ibero　was　his　name…tore　open　the　seal；　read　the　letter　then　surprised　them　by　handing　it　over　to　the　two　boys；　who　read　it　together。
　　They　were　utterly　identical；　Ser　Rodrigo's　two　sons。　A　few　of　the　horsemen　had　already　made　the　sign　of　Jad；　discreetly。　Magic　and　witchcraft　were　said　to　attend　upon　such　mirrored　twins。
　　〃But　of　course；〃　said　one　of　the　boys；　looking　up　as　he　finished　reading。　It　was　evident　that　they　could　read。　〃If　the　king　believes　my　。。。　gift　may　be　of　use；　if　he　wishes　me　to　e；　I　am　honored　to　do　so。〃
　　The　captain　of　the　pany　didn't　know　anything　about　a　gift。　He　didn't　much　care；　he　was　simply　relieved　to　find　things　going　smoothly。
　　〃And　I；〃　said　the　other　brother　quickly。　〃Where　Diego　goes；　I　also　go。〃
　　This　was　not　expected；　but　it　didn't　seem　to　pose　a　great　problem；　and　the　captain　agreed。　If　the　king　didn't　want　this　other　brother　in　Carcasia；　for　whatever　reason；　he　could　send　him　back。　With　someone　else。　The　two　boys　glanced　at　each　other　and　flashed　identical　smiles　before　dashing　off　to　get　ready。　Some　of　the　soldiers　glanced　at　each　other　with　ironic　expressions。　Youngsters；　everywhere；　looked　forward　to　war。
　　They　were　very　young；　and　not　especially　prepossessing　either。　Slightly　built；　if　anything。　Still；　it　was　not　a　soldier's　place　to　dwell　upon　orders；　and　these　were　the　sons　of　Rodrigo　Belmonte。　The　riders　were　offered　refreshments；　which　they　accepted；　and　a　night's　lodging；　which　they　courteously　declined。　It　would　be　imprudent；　their　captain　decided；　to　push　the　luck　that　had　caused　the　lady　of　Rancho　Belmonte　to　be　absent　this　day。　They　took　a　cold　lunch；　fed　and　watered　the　horses；　and　provisioned　themselves。
　　Ten　men；　escorting　two　boys　and　a　squire　of　little　more　than　the　boys'　age；　rode　west　from　the　ranch　house　towards　mid…afternoon　of　that　same　day；　passing　to　the　south　of　a　copse　of　trees；　and　crossing　the　stream　at　a　place　Rodrigo's　sons　suggested。　The　ranch　dogs　followed　them　that　far　and　then　went　loping　back。
　　
　　Ibero　di　Vaquez　had　lived　an　uneventful；　even　a　sedate　life；　given　the　turbulent　times　into　which　he　had　been　born。　He　was　fifty…two　years　old。　Raised　in　what　was　now　Jalona；　he　had　e　west　to　Esteren　to　study　with　the　clerics　there　when　quite　young。　Thirteen　years　old；　in　fact。
　　He　was　a　good　acolyte；　attentive　and　disciplined。　In　his　early　twenties；　he　had　been　sent　as　part　of　a　holy　mission　bearing　relics　of　Queen　Vasca　to　the　High　Clerics　in　Ferrieres　and　had　lingered　there；　with　permission；　for　two　years；　spending　most　of　his　time　in　the　magnificent　libraries　of　the　great　sanctuaries　there。
　　Upon　his　return　to　Esperana　he　had　been　assigned…and　had　cheerfully　accepted…the　short…term　position　of　cleric　to　the　Belmontes；　a　moderately　important　ranching　family　in　the　breeding　lands　of　the　southeast。　The　possibilities　for　advancement　were　certainly　greater　in　Esteren　or　one　of　the　larger　sanctuaries；　but　Ibero　was　not　an　ambitious　man　and　he　had　never　had　much　appetite　for　courts　or　the　equally　faction…riven　retreats　of　Jad。
　　He　was　a　quiet　man；　somewhat　old　before　his　years；　but　not　without　a　sense　of　humor　or　an　awareness　of　how　the　stern　precepts　of　the　god　had；　at　times；　to　be　measured　against　an　awareness　of　human　frailty　and　passions。　The　short…term　position　had　turned；　as　sometimes　happened　without　one's　noticing；　into　a　permanent　one。　He　had　been　with　the　Belmontes　now　for　twenty…eight　years；　since　the　Captain　himself　had　been　a　boy。　They　had　built　a　chapel　and　a　library　for　him；　and　then　expanded　both。　He　had　taught　young　Rodrigo　his　letters；　and　then　his　wife；　and　later　his　sons。
　　It　had　been　a　good；　gentle　life。　Pleasures　came　from　the　books　he　was　able　to　obtain　with　the　sums　allocated　him；　from　his　herb　garden；　from　correspondents　in　many　places。　He　had　taught　himself　a　little　of　medicine；　and　had　a　reputation　for　extracting　teeth　efficiently。　Excitement…not　inconsiderable…arrived　home　at　intervals　with　the　Captain　and　his　pany。　Ibero　would　listen　in　the　dining　hall　to　the　tales　of　warfare　and　intrigue　they　brought　with　them。　He'd　formed　an　unlikely　friendship　with　gruff　old　Lain　Nunez；　whose　profanity　masked　a　generous　spirit；　in　the　little　cleric's　view。
　　For　Ibero　di　Vaquez　the　stories　he　heard　were　enough　turbulence　for　him；　and　more　than　close　enough　to　real　conflict。　He　liked　the　seasonal　rhythms　of　existence　here；　the　measured　routine　of　the　days　and　years。
　　His　first　intervention　on　the　wider　stage　of　the　world；　seven　years　ago；　had　been　a　brief；　respectful　essay　on　a　doctrinal　clash　between　the　clerics　of　Ferrieres　and　Batiara　on　the　meaning　of　solar　eclipses。　That　clash；　and　the　battle　for　precedence　it　represented；　was　still　unresolved。　Ibero's　contribution　appeared　to　have　been　ignored；　so　far　as　he　could　tell。
　　His　second　intervention　had　been　to　write　a　letter；　in　the　late　autumn　of　last　year；　to　the　holy　person　of　Geraud　de　Chervalles；　High　Cleric　of　Ferrieres；　dwelling　in　Esteren。
　　A　pany　of　men　had　arrived　this　morning　in　response　to　that。　They　had　e　and　had　gone；　with　the　boys。　And　now　Ibero；　late　that　same　afternoon；　stood　with　his　head　bowed　and　trembling　hands　clasped　before　him；　learning　that　he；　too；　was　to　quit　this　house。　Leave　chapel；　library；　garden；　home。　After　almost　thirty　years。
　　He　was　weeping。　He　had　never　been　spoken　to；　in　all　his　life；　in　the　tones　with　which　he　was　being　addressed　by　Miranda　Belmonte　in　her　small　sitting　room；　as　the　sun　went　down。
　　〃Understand　me　perfectly；〃　she　was　saying；　pacing　before　the　fire；　her　face　bloodless；　unheeded　tears　sparkling　on　her　cheeks。　〃This　was　a　traitor's　betrayal　of　our　family。　The　betrayal　of　a　confidence　we　had　reposed　in　you；　regarding　Diego。　I　will　not　kill　you；　or　order　your　death。　I　have　known　you；　and　loved　you；　for　too　long。〃　Her　voice　caught。　She　stopped　her　pacing。
　　〃Rodrigo　might；〃　she　said。　〃He　might　find　you；　wherever　you　go；　and　kill　you　for　this。〃
　　〃He　will　not　do　that；〃　the　little　cleric　whispered。　It　was　difficult　to　speak