ggk.asongforarbonne-第70章

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　friend　and　a　panion　in　the　tournament　two　days　from　now。　I'm　afraid　you　won't　want　to　work　for　my　current　wages。〃
　　Rudel　reddened　again。　〃I　see。　I　seem　to　be　bound　by　what　I　just　proposed；　however。　I　can　understand　your　amusement。〃
　　Bertran　shook　his　head；　as　another　knock　came　at　the　door。　〃Not　so。　I　will　be　pleased　to　have　you　with　me。〃　He　grinned。　〃And　diverted　as　well；　I　rather　suspect。　I'll　pay　you　what　I　was　paying　Blaise　before　he　changed　his　status　with　us。　We　can　discuss　this　further　at　our　leisure…indeed；　we　will　have　to。　For　now；　I'll　greatly　value　discretion　from　all　of　you。〃　He　turned　to　the　door　and　opened　it　himself。
　　Serlo　was　there；　standing　a　little　behind　an　extremely　tall；　dark…bearded　man　with　a　lean；　fighter's　build。　The　man　was　indeed　masked　and　hooded；　clad　in　unrevealing　black　for　the　night　ride。　On　the　threshold　he　carefully　took　in　the　four　of　them；　smiled　thinly　and　removed　his　mask；　revealing　thick　eyebrows　and　deep…set　grey　eyes。
　　〃You　have　unexpected　panions；　de　Talair；〃　he　said　in　accented　Arbonnais。　〃In　fact；　if　we　count　myself　you　seem　to　have　assembled　a　room　full　of　your　enemies。〃　Notwithstanding　this　remark；　he　stepped　across　the　threshold　with　easy　confidence。　Bertran　closed　the　door　behind　him。
　　〃My　cousin　Valery；〃　said　the　duke　quietly。　〃One　friend　at　least。　It　appears　you　know　both　Blaise　de　Garsenc　and　Rudel　Correze。　And　I　am　certain　they　both　know　you。〃
　　Of　course　they　did。　If　Rudel's　appearance　had　been　a　shock　to　Blaise；　this　man's　arrival　was　something　stupefying。　He　had　last　seen　those　heavy…browed；　calculating　grey　eyes　almost　two　years　ago　on　a　frozen　battlefield　in　the　north。　A　wan　sun　had　been　setting；　dead　men　piled　in　the　crimson　snow　and　three　generations　of　war　lying　like　a　curse　behind　the　savagely　contested　battle　being　waged。
　　Blaise　bowed　with　briefest　formality；　masking　his　thoughts。　Rudel　and　Valery　bowed。　And　then　Duke　Bertran；　turning　back　from　making　the　introductions；　did　the　same。　One　bowed　to　the　monarchs　of　this　world。　〃The　younger　Garsenc　has　prowess　I　have　learned　to　fear；〃　said　King　Daufridi　of　Valensa；　glancing　at　Blaise。　〃As　for　the　Correze　scion；　I　would　rather　have　thought　his　prowess　was　cause　for　your　own　fears；　or　were　last　summer's　tales　idle？〃
　　〃They　were　not；　your　highness；〃　Bertran　said；　straightening。　〃But　it　seems；　happily　for　my　fragile　peace　of　mind；　that　Rudel　Correze　now　regrets　accepting　a　contract　to　end　the　life　of　a　man　so　inoffensive　as　myself　and　has　joined　my　corans　by　way　of　redress。　Is　this　not　so？〃
　　〃It　is；〃　said　Rudel。　〃I　have　seen　the　folly　of　my　summer's　ways；　your　highness。　En　Bertran　has　been　good　enough　to　allow　me　to　display　the　truth　of　that　in　his　employ。〃　His　tone　was　neutral　and　posed；　but　Blaise　knew　that　Rudel；　too；　would　be　struggling　to　absorb　the　shock　of　this　encounter。　It　occurred　to　him；　unexpectedly；　to　wonder　if　the　countess　of　Arbonne　knew　anything　about　this　meeting。
　　〃I　begin　to　fear；〃　said　King　Daufridi　of　Valensa；　〃that　your　celebrated　charms；　de　Talair；　will　prove　too　much　for　me　as　well。　I　shall　have　to　firm　my　resolution　by　remembering　your　own；　ah　。。。　inoffensive　words　about　me；　from　last　spring。〃　He　crossed　the　room　in　three　long　strides；　his　boots　resonating　on　the　floorboards；　and　picked　up　Bertran's　lute　from　the　table。　Striking　three　chords　quite　petently；　he　turned　back　to　the　four　of　them　and　chanted：
　　And　what　king　lost　to　honour　like　craven　Daufridi　
　　Would　retreat　from　that　ice…field　not　to　return？　
　　Where　went　the　manhood　of　Gorhaut　and　Valensa　
　　When　war　was　abandoned　and　pale　peace　brought
　　By　weak　kings　and　sons　long　lost　to　their　lineage？
　　Bertran；　at　the　side　table　pouring　wine；　paused　in　his　movements；　the　decanter　in　one　hand；　a　bemused　expression　on　his　face　as　he　listened。　Daufridi　finished；　struck　a　last　chord　and　gently　laid　down　the　lute。
　　〃Craven　Daufridi；〃　he　repeated　musingly。　〃I　must　admit；　I　was　intrigued　by　what　you　thought　you　could　achieve　by　inviting　me　here。　I　hadn't　even　planned　on　ing　south　to　the　fair　this　year。　I'm　getting　too　old　for　tournaments。〃
　　Bertran　lifted　a　glass　and　walked　over　with　it　to　the　king。　〃I　am　pleased　that　I　intrigued　you　sufficiently　to　have　you　join　us。　At　the　very　least；〃　he　murmured；　〃I　have　now　learned　that　your　highness　performs　my　music　with　skill。　I　have　also　been　reminded　that　in　my　pursuit　of　balanced　and　well…shaped　songs　I　ought　to　pay　greater　attention　to　possibilities　the　future　might　hold。〃
　　Daufridi；　with　a　chuckle；　took　the　glass　and　sank　down　into　a　deep　chair。　He　stretched　out　his　long　legs　towards　the　fire　and　motioned　graciously　for　the　rest　of　them　to　sit。　They　did。　The　king　looked　at　Bertran；　irony　manifest　in　his　clever；　bearded　features。　He　was　of　an　age　with　the　duke；　Blaise　knew；　but　looked　older。　He　too　was　scarred…the　red　weal　of　a　sword　wound　ran　down　the　left　side　of　his　throat　to　disappear　beneath　his　clothing。　Blaise　happened　to　know　how　far　that　sword　stroke　ran。　He　had　seen　the　blow。　It　had　ended　a　battle；　though　the　man　who　dealt　it　had　died　in　the　doing　by　Iersen　Bridge。
　　〃You　will　now　proceed　to　tell　me；〃　said　Daufridi　of　Valensa；　holding　his　wine　up　to　admire　its　ruby　colour　in　the　firelight；　〃that　your　lines　about　my　shameful　cowardice　were　simply　inserted　for　poetic　symmetry。　That　your　real　targets　were　King　Ademar　of　Gorhaut　and　this　man's　father…〃　he　gestured　with　the　glass　towards　Blaise　〃…and　any　insult　to　me　was　deeply　regrettable　and　most　unfortunate　and　you　sincerely　apologize　for　it。　Galbert　de　Garsenc；　incidentally；　invited　me　to　contribute　to　last　summer's　assassination　fee。　I　thought　it　greatly　excessive　and　declined。　Just　so　you　know。〃　He　drank　from　his　glass。　〃The　wine；〃　he　pronounced；　〃is　excellent。〃
　　〃Thank　you。　And　so；　I　must　say；　is　your　reasoning　and　anticipation；　your　highness。　You　have　pletely　preempted　my　own　first　words。〃　Bertran's　expression　and　tone　were　grave。
　　Daufridi　remained　amused。　〃I　am　disappointed　now。　Will　political　expediency　cause　a　poet　to　so　renounce　his　own　creation？〃
　　Blaise　had　heard　tales　about　this　king；　about　the　keen…edged；　fierce　intelligence；　a　hitherto　absent　quality　among　the　ale…sodden；　brawling　kings　of　watery　Valensa。　The　very　terms　of　the　Treaty　of　Iersen　Bridge；　if　nothing　else；　would　speak　to　Daufridi's　petence。　Money　given；　if　a　great　deal　of　it；　in　exchange　for　land　sought　and　not　won　in　fifty　years　of　war。　It　didn't　take　a　brilliant　mind　to　judge　who　had　gained　the　better　of　that　treaty…if　one　left　out　what　Gorhaut　could　now　do　with　peace　assured　on　its　northern　borders。　Blaise　wondered；　for　the　first　time；　if　those　Portezzan　negotiators　Valensa　had　employed　had　really　shaped　the　exchanges　of　letters　and　emissaries　leading　up　to　the　treaty；　or　had　merely　acted　as　trained　mouthpieces　for　the　will　of　this　shrewd；　hard　king。
　　He　had　wanted　so　much　to　kill　this　man　two　years　ago。
　　He　remembered　hammering　his　way　in　grief…stricken　rage　towards　Daufridi　in　the　agonizing　moments　after　his　own　King　Duergar　had　toppled　like　a　great　tree　from　his　saddle　with　that　arrow　in　his　eye；　his　death　cry　towering　like　a　raven　of　the　god　in　the　frigid　northern　air。　Blaise　could　hear　it　now；　if　he　but　closed　his　eyes。　It　had　been　Cadar　de　Savaric；　Rosala's　father；　who　had　battled　through　to　Daufridi　first　and　inflicted　that　savage　red　wound；　before　dying　under　the　maces　and　axes　of　the　king's　guard。　Two　giants　of　Gorhaut　slain　within　moments　of　each　other。
　　Two　men　who　would　have　disembowelled　themselves；　Blaise　thought　bitterly；　before　signing　the　treaty　of　Iersen　Bridge。　The　treaty　his　own　father　had　so　slyly　devised；　surrendering　the　ancient　northlands　of　Gorhaut　for　Valensan　gold；　with　his　own　designs　dark…hidden　in　the　shadows。
　　〃I　had　always　thought；〃　Daufridi　was　saying；　smiling　that　thin；　cool　smile　of　his　beneath　the　full；　greying　beard；　〃that　the　troubadours　valued　nothing　in　this　transitory　world　of　ours　so　much　as　the　sanctity　of　their　art。　Will　you　tell　me　now　I　was　wrong　all　this　time？〃
　　Bertran；　in　the　chair　opposite　the　king；　refused　to　be　baited。　Blaise　sensed　that　the　duke　had　prepared　himself　beforehand　for　something　of　this　sort。
　　〃All　other