ggk.asongforarbonne-第59章

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ry　young。　Should　I　be　grateful　for　that　limited　exposure？　Is　she　as　deadly　as　word　has　it？〃
　　Blaise　shrugged。　〃I　have　survived。　So　far。〃
　　〃Damaged？〃
　　〃Scars。　I'm　dealing　with　them。〃
　　Bertran's　mouth　crooked。　〃That　is　the　most　that　can　be　said　of　any　of　us　in　such　affairs。〃
　　〃You　were　in　love；〃　said　Blaise；　surprising　himself　again。　〃That　goes　deeper。〃
　　〃So　does　death。〃　After　a　moment　Bertran　shrugged；　and　then　shook　his　head　as　if　to　break　free　of　such　thoughts。　〃Are　we　friends？　Are　you　visiting　Talair　and　sparing　me　the　cost　of　a　trained　coran？〃
　　Blaise　nodded。　〃I　suppose　I　am。　This　has　bee　a　strange　path；　though。　Where　do　you　think　it　will　bring　us　out？〃
　　Bertran　looked　amused。　〃That；　at　least；　is　easy　enough：　Barbentain　Castle　and　Lussan　town　below　it。　Hadn't　you　heard？　There's　a　fair　about　to　start。〃　He　turned　his　horse　and　they　began　to　ride。
　　Endlessly　witty；　Blaise　thought；　and　at　the　price　of　almost　everything　else　it　sometimes　seemed。　He　realized　that　he　hadn't　said　anything　to　Bertran　about　saving　his　life。
　　On　impulse　he　wheeled　his　horse　and　rode　back　a　short　way。　Dismounting　again；　he　found　the　dagger。　The　hilt　was　richly　studded　with　gems　in　typically　Portezzan　fashion。　He　swung　up　into　his　saddle　again　and　cantered　to　catch　up　with　Bertran。　The　duke　looked　over；　eyebrows　raised；　as　he　came　up。
　　Blaise　extended　the　blade；　hilt　foremost。　〃A　shame　to　leave　it；〃　he　said。　〃Thank　you。　That　was　quick　moving；　for　a　man　past　his　best。〃
　　Bertran　grinned。　〃My　knee　certainly　is；　at　any　rate。〃　He　took　the　dagger；　examined　it。　〃Pretty　work；〃　he　said；　〃if　a　trifle　gaudy。〃　He　put　it　in　his　belt。
　　Nothing　more　was　said；　nothing　more　would　be　said；　Blaise　knew。　Men　familiar　with　war　had　their　codes　in　matters　such　as　this。　He　had　once　thought　that　the　Arbonnais　corans　would　fall　short　in　this；　that　they　would　be　prone　to　missioning　rapturous　troubadour　verses　to　celebrate　each　minor　deed　of　theirs　in　battle　or　tournament。　It　didn't　happen　that　way；　he　had　discovered。　He　seemed　to　have　discovered　a　number　of　things　in　half　a　year；　without　really　trying　to　do　so。
　　The　Portezzans　ahead　of　them　had　begun　to　move；　more　quickly　now。　Borsiard　d'Andoria　would　want　to　reach　Barbentain　ahead　of　Bertran。　First　plaint　sometimes　mattered　in　affairs　such　as　this。　They　were　two　days'　ride　from　the　fair；　though。
　　Valery；　as　if　reading　Blaise's　mind；　cantered　up　to　them。　Bertran　looked　at　his　cousin。　〃I'm　not　going　to　try　to　pass　them　myself。　We'll　take　our　time。　Pick　five　men　and　go　ahead；〃　the　duke　said。　〃Find　the　countess　or　Roban　the　chancellor；　either　one；　both　together　if　you　can。　It　is　my　counsel　that　all　the　Portezzans　may　freely　be　allowed　to　enter　Lussan　or　the　castle　save　the　Andoria。　Tell　them　why。〃　The　big；　greying　coran　turned　to　go。　〃Valery；〃　said　Bertran。　His　cousin　reined　his　horse　and　looked　back　over　his　shoulder。　〃Blaise　de　Garsenc　is　no　longer　in　my　service。　He　honours　us　at　Talair　with　his　pany　and　his　friendship。　Perhaps　he　will　even　fight　with　our　men　in　the　tournament　melee。　Tell　the　countess。〃
　　Valery　nodded；　looked　briefly　at　Blaise　and　galloped　away　in　a　swirl　of　dust　up　the　line　of　their　column。
　　And　so　the　decision　was　made。　Given　what　had　happened；　it　might　have　even　seemed　forced；　obvious。　With　the　speed　of　recent　events；　they　had　forgotten　something　though；　all　three　of　them。　Under　the　circumstances　that　was；　perhaps；　not　altogether　surprising。　Which　did　not　make　it　less　of　an　oversight。
　　On　their　right；　as　Bertran　and　Blaise　went　by；　the　dead　man；　almost　naked；　swayed　from　the　oak　tree；　blood　still　dripping　from　his　forehead　where　the　oathbreaker's　brand　had　been　carved。
　　
　　CHAPTER　10
　　Roban；　the　chancellor　of　Arbonne；　had　had　an　intensely　trying　few　days；　for　all　the　usual　reasons　associated　with　the　Autumn　Fair。　For　more　years　than　he　could　remember；　his　had　been　the　responsibility　of　supervising　the　many…faceted　preparations　for　the　annual　arrival　of　what　sometimes　seemed　to　be　half　the　known　world。　In　the　early　days　of　the　Lussan　Fair；　the　burghers　of　the　town　had　proudly　taken　charge　of　preparations　themselves；　but　as　the　fair　grew　in　importance　and　the　tournament　associated　with　it　began　to　attract　more　and　more　of　the　celebrated　figures　of　the　six　countries；　including　kings　and　queens　on　more　than　one　occasion；　the　townsfolk　were　ultimately　happy　to　swallow　their　pride　and　ask　for　help　from　the　count　in　Barbentain。　Faced　with　a　matter　as　important；　detail…oriented　and　essentially　tedious　as　the　logistics　of　preparing　a　month…long　fair；　the　count　had　assigned　the　task　to　Roban。　Naturally。　As　if　he　didn't　have　enough　to　do。
　　Of　course　the　townsmen　helped…as　well　they　should；　given　how　much　wealth　the　Autumn　Fair　generated　for　Lussan…and　the　count　had　allocated　monies　adequate　to　let　Roban　appoint　two　Keepers　of　the　Fair　and　two　Keepers　of　the　Seals　to　assist　them。　Having　control　of　appointments　was　always　vital；　Roban　had　found；　it　let　one　choose　men　of　petence　instead　of　having　to　work　with　those　who　simply　had　favours　owed　to　them。　He　was　familiar　with　both　scenarios　after　almost　forty　years　in　Barbentain。
　　In　his　first　year　of　organizing　the　fair　he　had　also　picked　a　captain　from　among　the　Barbentain　corans　and　empowered　him　to　select　and　oversee　one　hundred　serjans　to　police　the　fairgrounds　from　sunrise　to　sunset。　At　night　there　was　little　point　in　policing　anything。　The　count's　guarantee…now　the　countess's…of　safety　in　Lussan　and　on　the　roads　approaching　the　fair　was　only　good　until　sundown。　No　ruler　in　any　of　the　six　countries　was　really　able　to　enforce　security　after　dark；　though　Roban　had　had　the　idea　years　ago　of　spending　the　money　to　light　the　three　main　streets　of　Lussan　for　the　duration　of　the　fair。
　　Small　touches　like　that　were　what　had　made　Lussan's　fair　by　far　the　most　celebrated　and　best　attended　in　the　six　countries。　For　all　his　frustrations　and　his　chronic　sense　of　being　overburdened；　Roban　was　proud　of　that；　he'd　always　felt　that　it　was　worth　doing　a　task　properly　if　it　was　worth　doing　at　all。　That　was　part　of　his　problem；　of　course；　that　was　why　he　ended　up　with　so　much　to　do。　It　was　also　the　source　of　his　own　particular　pride：　he　knew…and　he　was　certain　the　count；　and　more　recently；　the　countess；　knew…that　there　was　simply　no　one　else　in　Barbentain；　in　all　of　Arbonne；　who　could　handle　details　such　as　these　as　well　as　he。
　　The　tax　officers　of　the　fair　were　under　his　direct　authority…the　tariffs　levied　on　all　goods　leaving　Lussan　went　straight　to　the　countess's　coffers…but　the　burghers　of　the　town　were　responsible　for　appointing　and　paying　the　inspectors；　notaries；　scribes；　clerks　and　couriers。　They　sent　out　their　own　heralds；　too；　into　hamlets　throughout　the　countryside　in　the　harvest　season；　to　remind　the　farmers　and　villagers　of　Arbonne…as　if　anyone　was　likely　to　need　reminding…that　the　Autumn　Fair　was　ing；　with　its　puppet　shows　and　performing　animals；　its　dancers　and　singers；　men　who　swallowed　burning　coals　and　others　who　made　pigeons　disappear；　and　pedlars　who　sold　trinkets　and　toys　and　pottery　and　cures　for　everything　from　infertility　to　indigestion。　And　there　were　also；　of　course；　the　women　who　gathered　in　Lussan　for　that　month　from　all　parts　of　the　known　world；　and　who　could　be　bought　in　a　tavern　room　for　an　hour　or　a　night。
　　Roban　was　happy　to　leave　the　supervision　of　such　things　to　the　burghers；　his　own　concern　was　for　those　ing　with　more　tangible　goods　to　trade；　over　the　mountains　or　by　water　to　Tavernel　and　then　up　the　high　road　along　the　river。　The　merchants　came　from　everywhere；　in　fact；　travelling　with　silk　and　wool　and　wood；　with　medicines　and　perfumes　and　staggeringly　costly　spices　from　the　east；　with　daggers　from　Arimonda；　swords　and　armour　from　the　forges　of　Aulensburg；　longbows　from　Valensa；　carved　icons　of　Corannos　from　Gorhaut；　gold　and　silver　jewellery　from　Portezza；　Valensan　cloth　and　cheese；　wine　and　olives　and　olive　oil　from　the　south　of　Arbonne　itself。　You　could　buy　virtually　anything　at　the　Lussan　Fair；　see　people　from　almost　anywhere　in　the　known　world　and；　for　the　price　of　a　beaker　of　ale　bought　in　a　tavern；　hear　tales　told　by　sea　captains　of　the　fabled　countries　to