ggk.asongforarbonne-第49章

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　　My　heart　is　lonely　and　brim…full　of　grief　
　　When　I　remember　the　nights　that　are　past；　
　　When　my　sweet　love　would　offer　me　
　　Delights　beyond　all　earthly　measure　。。。　
　　〃I've　never　liked　that　verse；〃　he　said；　breaking　off　abruptly；　〃but　it　isn't　much　good　trying　to　talk　to　Jourdain　about　anything　he's　written；　is　it？　I　don't　even　know　why　I　keep　singing　it。〃
　　〃The　tune；〃　said　Lisseut　absently；　still　gazing　out　the　window。　〃I've　told　you　that　before。　Jourdain's　always　better　at　the　music　than　the　words。〃
　　Aurelian　chuckled。　〃Fine。　You　be　the　one　to　tell　him　that。〃　He　paused；　behind　her　she　could　almost　feel　his　scrutiny。　〃You're　too　pensive　for　a　Carnival　night；　my　dear。　You　do　know　that　Valery　is　recovering？〃
　　〃What？〃　She　spun　around。　〃I　didn't　。。。　he's　all　right。　How？〃
　　〃The　High　Priestess　was　in　Tavernel　tonight；　don't　ask　this　ignorant　troubadour　why。　Affairs　among　the　great。　Valery　should　probably　tithe　the　goddess　from　what　he　earns　of　Bertran　for　the　rest　of　his　life。　She　was　able　to　deal　with　the　poison；　and　the　wound　itself　was　minor。　He'll　be　fine；　they　told　us　at　the　temple。　So　most　of　us　came　back　here　in　a　wonderful　mood。　Can't　you　hear？　There　are　a　great　many　people　you　know　celebrating　downstairs；　why　don't　you　go　down？〃
　　〃Why　don't　you？〃　She　and　Aurelian　knew　each　other　very　well。
　　He　reached　for　his　goblet。　〃There's　only　so　much　carousing　I　can　take　these　days；　even　at　Midsummer。　Am　I　getting　old；　Lisseut？〃
　　Lisseut　made　a　face　at　him。　〃I　don't　know；　most　venerable　sage。　Are　you？〃　Aurelian　was；　in　fact；　only　two　or　three　years　older　than　she　was；　but　he'd　always　been　the　quietest　of　them　all；　slightly　removed　from　the　wilder　elements　of　the　troubadour　life。
　　〃Where　is　Remy？〃　she　asked；　a　natural　extension　of　that　last　thought。　She　looked　at　the　second；　disordered　bed；　and　back　to　Aurelian。
　　He　arched　one　eyebrow　elaborately。　〃Silly　question。　Rather　depends　on　the　hour；　I'd　imagine。　He　had　a　few　assignations　arranged。〃
　　〃How　is　he？〃
　　〃Wounded　pride。　Nothing　more；　but　a　good　deal　of　that。　He'll　probably　drink　himself　into　a　fury　tonight。　We'd　all　best　tread　warily　for　a　few　days。〃
　　Lisseut　shook　her　head。　〃Not　I。　He　owes　me　for　a　hat　and　a　shirt。　Not　to　mention　my　own　pride。　I've　no　intention　whatever　of　being　nice　to　him。　I　plan　to　tell　him　that　he　looked　like　a　sulky　little　boy　when　En　Bertran　was　chastising　him。〃
　　Aurelian　winced。　〃The　women　of　Vezét　。。。　what　is　it；　do　you　think？　The　olive　oil？　Something　about　its　sweetness　that　makes　you　all　so　fierce；　to　pensate？〃
　　From　the　room　below；　the　insistent　voice　of　Evrard　penetrated；　still　invoking　Rian　in　the　same　tired　ways。　Feeling　suddenly　tired　herself；　Lisseut　smiled　wanly；　laid　her　glass　aside　and　sat　beside　Aurelian　on　the　bed；　leaning　against　his　shoulder。　Obligingly；　he　shifted　a　little　and　put　a　long　arm　around　her。
　　〃I　don't　feel　very　fierce；〃　she　said。　〃It's　been　a　difficult　night。〃　He　squeezed　her　arm。　〃I　didn't　like　that　Arimondan；〃　she　said　after　a　moment。
　　〃Or　the　northerner；　I　saw。　But　don't　think　about　them。　It　has　nothing　to　do　with　us。　Think　about　your　song。　Alain's　downstairs；　by　the　way；　happy　as　a　crow　in　a　grainfield。　They're　all　talking　about　it；　you　know；　even　with　everything　else　that　happened。〃
　　〃Are　they？　Oh；　good；　I'm　so　happy　for　Alain。〃
　　〃Be　happy　for　his　joglar；　Lisseut。　And　don't　sign　any　contracts　tomorrow　without　talking　to　me　first…you're　worth　a　great　deal　more　now　than　you　were　this　afternoon。　Believe　it。〃
　　〃Then　why　don't　you　offer　me　a　job？〃　An　old　tease；　though　his　news　was　genuinely　exciting。　Too　much　had　happened　though；　she　couldn't　reach　through　to　any　clear　emotion；　even　for　something　like　this。
　　Characteristically；　he　chose　to　take　her　seriously。　〃If　I　write　a　woman's　song　like　Alain　did；　trust　me；　it　will　be　yours。　But　for　the　rest；　I'm　not　proud；　my　dear　。。。　I　sing　my　own　work　still。　I　started　on　the　roads　as　a　joglar；　and　I'll　end　as　one；　I　expect。〃
　　She　squeezed　his　knee。　〃I　wasn't　being　serious；　Aurelian。〃　One　of　the　first　rank　of　the　troubadours；　Aurelian　was　probably　the　very　best　of　the　joglars；　with　the　possible　exception　of　Bertran's　own　Ramir；　who　was　getting　old　now　and　on　the　roads　far　less　than　he　used　to　be。
　　Polite　applause　floated　up　from　below。　A　new　performer　began　tuning　his　instrument。　Aurelian　and　Lisseut　exchanged　wry　glances　of　relief；　and　then　laughed　quietly　together。　She　lifted　her　head　and　kissed　him　on　the　cheek。　〃How　many　years　in　a　row　now？〃　she　asked；　knowing　the　answer　very　well。
　　〃Together　at　Carnival？　I　am　aggrieved　and　affronted　that　the　nights　are　etched　on　my　heart　while　you　can't　even　remember。　Four；　now；　my　dear。　Does　that　make　us　a　tradition？〃
　　〃Would　you　like　to　be　one？〃　she　asked。　His　hand　had　moved　upwards；　stroking　the　nape　of　her　neck。　He　had　a　gentle　touch；　he　was　a　gentle　man。
　　〃I　would　like　to　know　you　and　be　your　friend　for　the　rest　of　my　life；〃　said　Aurelian　quietly。　His　dark　head　came　down　and　they　kissed。
　　Feeling　a　physical　sense　of　release；　and　a　genuine　fort　on　a　night　when　she　needed　exactly　that；　Lisseut　slid　slowly　back　down　on　the　bed　and　laced　her　fingers　through　his　black；　thick　hair；　pulling　him　down　to　her。　They　made　love　as　they　had　before；　three　years　running　on　this　night　。。。　with　tenderness　and　some　laughter；　and　an　awareness　of　shaping　a　still　place　together　amid　the　wildness　outside　and　the　music　below　and　the　wheeling　of　the　summer　stars　about　the　axis　of　the　year。
　　
　　Some　time　later；　her　head　on　his　chest；　his　arm　around　her　again；　the　two　of　them　listened　to　a　voice　singing　one　of　the　oldest　tunes；　Anselme　of　Cauvas's　most　tender　song。　In　The　Liensenne　someone　always　came　back　to　it　on　Midsummer　Eve：
When　all　the　world　is　dark　as　night
There　is；　where　she　dwells；　a　shining　light　。。。　
　　Softly；　not　entirely　certain　why　she　was　asking；　Lisseut　said；　〃Aurelian；　what　do　you　know　about　Lucianna　Delonghi？〃
　　〃Enough　to　avoid　her。　It's　Lucianna　d'Andoria　now；　actually；　since　she's　remarried；　but　no　one　but　her　husband's　family　will　ever　call　her　that。　I　would　not　place　any　sizable　wager　on　Borsiard　d'Andoria's　long　life　or　domestic　happiness。〃
　　〃Then　why　did　he　marry　her？　He's　a　powerful　man；　isn't　he？　Why　would　he　invite　the　Delonghi　into　Andoria？〃
　　Aurelian　laughed　quietly。　〃Why　do　men　and　women　ever　do　anything　less　than　rational？　Why　do　the　teachings　of　the　metaphysicians　of　the　university　not　guide　us　all　in　our　actions？　Shall　we　call　it　the　influence　of　Rian　on　hearts　and　souls？　The　reason　we　love　music　more　than　rhetoric？〃
　　This　wasn't　what　she　wanted　to　know。
　　〃Is　she　beautiful；　Aurelian？〃
　　〃I　only　saw　her　once；　at　a　distance。〃
　　〃And？〃
　　〃Remy　could　describe　her　better。〃
　　〃Remy　is　out　bedding　someone　or　getting　drunk。　You　tell　me。〃
　　There　was　a　short　pause。　The　music　of　Anselme's　sweet　song　drifted　up　to　them。
　　〃She　is　as　beautiful　as　obsidian　in　new　snow；〃　said　Aurelian　slowly。　〃She　glitters　like　a　diamond　by　candlelight。　There　is　fire　in　her　like　a　ruby　or　an　emerald。　What　other　jewellery　shall　I　give　her？　She　offers　the　promise　of　danger　and　dark　oblivion；　the　same　challenge　that　war　or　mountains　do；　and　she　is　as　cruel；　I　think；　as　all　of　these　things。〃
　　Lisseut　swallowed　with　some　difficulty。　〃You　sound　like　Remy　when　he's　had　too　much　wine；〃　she　said　finally；　trying　to　manage　a　tone　of　irony。　She　had　never　heard　Aurelian　speak　like　that　before。　〃And　all　this　from　a　distance？〃
　　〃From　the　far　end　of　a　table　in　Faenna；〃　he　agreed　calmly。　〃I　would　never　have　dared　go　nearer；　but　that　was　near　enough。　She　is　not　for　having；　that　one。　Were　it　not　an　impiety　I　would　say　that　the　dark　side　of　the　goddess　is　in　her。　She　destroys　what　she　is　claimed　by。〃
　　〃But　still　she　is　claimed。〃
　　〃There　is　darkness　in　all　of　us；　and　desires　we　might　prefer　to　deny　by　day。〃　He　hesitated。　〃I　dream　of　her　sometimes。〃
　　Lisseut　was　silent；　unsettled　again；　sorry　now　that　she　had　asked。　Her　confusion　of　before　seemed　to　have　e　back　in　all　its　jangling　discord。　They　lay　together；　listening　to　the　music　from　below；　and　eventually　it　was　the　music　that　calmed　her；　as　it　almost　always