ggk.asongforarbonne-第42章

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　　It　was　Rudel's　turn　to　sound　amused。　〃That　much　is　out　of　my　control。　I　can　take　no　responsibility　for　your　pride。　But　the　letter　will　be　written。　I　take　it　you　are　leaving　your　money　with　us？〃
　　〃But　of　course；〃　said　Blaise。　〃With　whom　else　should　I　trust　it？〃
　　〃Good；〃　said　Rudel　Correze。　〃The　one　thing　my　father　most　hates　is　investors　withdrawing　their　accounts。　He　would　have　been　deeply　unhappy　with　me。〃
　　〃I　would　regret　being　the　cause　of　such　unhappiness。〃
　　Rudel　smiled。　〃If　I　had　not　seen　you；　Blaise；　I　should　be　an　extravagantly　pleased　man　tonight；　flushed　with　my　great　success。　I　might　even　go　out　and　join　the　Carnival。　Instead　I　am　rendered　curiously　sad　and　forced　to　take　a　night　voyage；　which　never　agrees　with　my　digestion。　What　sort　of　a　friend　are　you？〃
　　〃One　who　is　not　an　enemy；　at　any　rate。　Be　careful；　Rudel。〃
　　〃And　you。　That　Arimondan　will　kill　you　if　he　can。〃
　　〃I　know。　If　he　can。〃
　　There　was　a　silence。　〃A　message　for　Lucianna？〃
　　〃None　at　all。　The　god　guard　you；　Rudel。〃
　　Blaise　took　a　step　forward　and　the　two　men　clasped　hands。　For　a　moment　Lisseut　thought　they　would　embrace　but　they　did　not。　She　moved　silently　back　along　the　wall；　felt　below　in　darkness　with　her　feet　for　the　wooden　crate　and　slipped　down　into　the　odours　of　the　alleyway。　She　heard　the　rats　again　as　she　moved　quickly　back　towards　the　street。　As　she　left　the　alley；　she　picked　up　her　mask；　discarded　on　the　street；　and　put　it　on。　She　wanted　some　sort　of　barrier　between　herself　and　the　world　just　then；　and　what　she　still　wanted；　even　more　than　before；　was　a　quiet　time　and　a　clear　head　that　would　let　her　think。
　　She　didn't　think　she　was　going　to　get　either　tonight。　She　went　back　down　the　empty　street　away　from　the　square　at　the　top；　past　the　massive　iron　doors　that　were　the　entrance　to　what　she　now　knew　was　the　Arbonnais　palace　of　the　House　of　Correze。　She　knew　the　name；　of　course。　Everyone　knew　the　name。　She　had　stumbled　into　something　very　large　and　she　didn't　know　what　to　do。
　　A　little　further　down　she　came　to　the　arched　doorway　she'd　watched　from　before；　when　Blaise　went　down　the　alley。　She　slipped　back　into　it；　looking　out　from　behind　the　elongated　eye…slits　of　her　mask。
　　She　didn't　have　long　to　wait。　Blaise　of　Gorhaut　came　striding　out　of　the　alleyway　a　few　moments　later。　He　stopped　in　the　street　and　looked　up　at　the　stern；　square　tower　of　Mignano。　She　knew　why　now；　she　knew　more　than　she　should；　or　even　wanted　to　know：　Mignano　was　controlled　by　the　Delonghi　family；　it　had　been　for　a　great　many　years；　and　the　only　daughter　of　Massena　Delonghi　was　a　woman　named　Lucianna；　twice　married；　twice　widowed　prematurely。
　　Three　times　married；　she　corrected　herself。　To　Count　Borsiard　d'Andoria　now。　She　wondered；　briefly；　why　a　man　of　power　and　means　would　marry　her；　knowing　her　family's　ambition；　knowing　her　own　reputation。　She　was　said　to　be　very　beautiful。　How　much　could　beauty　excuse　or　pel？　Blaise　had　turned　away　from　the　tower　and　was　ing　back　down　the　street；　walking　quickly。　The　lantern　light　burnished　his　hair　again；　and　the　full　beard。
　　She　didn't　know；　until　the　moment　she　actually　called　his　name；　that　she　was　going　to　do　so。　He　stopped；　a　hand　moving　swiftly　to　his　sword；　then　wavering　before　it　dropped　to　his　side。　A　woman's　voice；　he　wouldn't　fear　a　woman。
　　Lisseut　came　out　from　her　archway　into　the　light。　Her　mask　was　on。　She　reached　up　and　removed　it；　the　makeshift　coiling　she'd　done　with　her　hair　came　undone　as　she　did；　and　she　felt　the　tangled　tendrils　ing　down　about　her　face。　She　could　imagine　what　she　looked　like。
　　〃Ah；〃　he　said。　〃The　singer。〃　Some　surprise　in　his　voice；　not　a　great　deal。　Not　a　great　deal　of　interest；　either。　At　least　he　recognized　her。　〃You　are　a　long　way　from　the　Carnival　here。　Do　you　want　an　escort　back　to　where　there　will　be　people？〃
　　His　tone　was　courteous　and　detached；　a　coran　of　the　god　doing　his　sworn　duty　by　someone　in　need。　It　hadn't　even　occurred　to　him　why　she　was　here；　she　realized。　She　was　merely　an　Arbonnais　female；　presumably　in　need　of　assistance。
　　Her　mother　had　always　said　she　did　too　many　things　on　impulse　and　that　it　would　cost　her　one　day。　It　already　had；　more　than　once。　It　was　probably　about　to　do　so　again；　she　thought；　even　as　she　opened　her　mouth。
　　〃I　followed　you；〃　she　said。　〃I　was　on　the　garden　wall　under　the　plane　tree。　I　heard　what　you　both　said；　you　and　Rudel　Correze。　I'm　trying　to　decide　what　to　do　about　it。〃
　　She　was　briefly　gratified　at　the　level　of　astonishment　that　showed　in　his　face；　even　behind　the　beard…as　much　a　screen　in　its　own　way　as　all　the　masks　were　tonight。　The　feeling　didn't　last　long。　It　was　entirely　possible；　she　realized；　that　he　might　kill　her　now。　She　didn't　think　so；　but　it　was　possible。
　　She　braced　herself　for　his　fury。　She　thought；　in　the　uncertain　light；　that　she　saw　it　e；　a　lifted　head；　a　narrowed　gaze　upon　her。　He　had　stabbed　Remy；　she　remembered。　He　had　killed　six　men　by　Lake　Dierne。　His　hands　remained　still；　though。　She　saw　him　working　out　implications；　surprise　and　anger　giving　way　to　a　flatly　professional　appraisal。　He　was　quick　to　control　himself；　had　she　not　watched　him　earlier　in　the　garden　spilling　wine　in　response　to　a　woman's　name　spoken　she　would　have　thought　him　a　cold；　grim　man。
　　〃Why？〃　was　all　he　said　finally。
　　She'd　been　afraid　of　that　question。　She　still　didn't　have　an　answer。　She　wished　her　hair　was　pinned　properly；　that　her　clothing　was　clean　and　dry。　She　felt　like　a　street　urchin。　Her　mother　would　be　so　ashamed。
　　〃You　seemed　to　be　hurrying　somewhere；〃　she　said　hesitantly。　〃The　way　you　left　the　pier。　I　think　I　was　very　。。。　irritated　with　you　in　the　tavern；　I　wanted　to　。。。　know　more。〃
　　〃And　now　you　do。〃　He　sounded　more　tired　than　angry；　actually。　〃So；　what　will　you　do？〃　he　asked。
　　〃I　was　hoping　you　would　tell　me；〃　Lisseut　said；　looking　down　at　the　cat　mask　in　her　hands。　〃I　heard　you　say　that　you　were　going　to　stay　instead　of　leaving　with　him。　I　heard　him　say　there　might　be　a　war；　and　I　。。。　I　heard　who　paid　for　the　killing。〃　She　forced　her　head　up　to　meet　his　gaze。
　　〃My　father；〃　he　said　bluntly。　〃Yes；　go　on。〃
　　She　felt　her　brow　knit　with　concentration。　〃I'm　not　famous　for　my　self…discipline；　but　I　don't　want　to　go　charging　into　something　that　is　out　of　my　depth。〃
　　〃Oh；　really；〃　he　said　with　mild　sarcasm。　〃How　restrained　of　you。　More　people　should　think　that　way。　But　the　obvious　question　is：　why　trust　me？　Why　are　you　telling　me　this　on　a　dark　street　when　no　one　in　the　world　knows　we're　here　together　or　knows　what　you　just　heard？　Why　are　you　asking　Galbert　de　Garsenc's　son　what　to　do？　You　know　who　he　is；　you　know　who　I　am　now。　You　know　that　Rudel　Correze；　my　friend；　is　the　man　who　killed　Valery。　You　spied；　you　learned　things　that　are　important。　Why　are　you　standing　with　me　now？　Do　you　care　so　little　for　your　life；　or　are　you　simply　ignorant　about　what　happens　in　the　real　world　to　people　who　do　things　like　this？〃
　　She　swallowed。　He　was　not　an　easy　man；　not　at　all。　She　pushed　her　hair　back　from　her　eyes　again；　it　was　snarled；　miserably。
　　〃Because　I　believe　what　you　said　to　him。　You　didn't　know　I　was　there；　you　had　no　reason　to　lie。　You　had　nothing　to　do　with　this　killing。　And　you　said　you　would　not　leave　Arbonne　and　。。。　and　then　you　didn't　tell　him　he　killed　the　wrong　man。〃　She　felt　her　forehead　smooth　as　she　realized　the　truth　of　what　she　was　saying。　These　were　her　reasons；　she　was　discovering　them　as　she　spoke。　She　even　smiled。　〃I　think　you　are　an　uncivilized　northerner　upon　whom　the　better　things　in　life　are　wasted；　but　I　don't　think　you're　evil　and　I　do　think　you　meant　what　you　said。〃
　　〃Why；〃　said　Blaise　of　Gorhaut　in　an　odd；　musing　voice；　〃am　I　so　pletely　surrounded　by　sentimental　people　tonight？〃
　　She　laughed　aloud。　A　moment　later；　as　if　surprised　by　himself；　Blaise　grinned　crookedly。　〃e　on；〃　he　said。　〃We　shouldn't　be　seen　in　the　neighbourhood。　Connections　will　be　made。〃　He　began　walking　back　down　the　wide　street。　His　long　strides　made　no　concession　to　her　size　and　she　had　to　take　quick；　skipping　steps　to　keep　up。　It　was；　in　fact；　irritating　again；　and　after　a　short　while　she　grabbed　his　sleeve　and　with　a　vigorous