osc.am2.redprophet-第15章

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　will　manipulate　him　to　serve　the　ends　of　democracy。　Bonaparte　does　not　suspect　it　now；　but　when　he　returns　to　France　he　will　be　ready　to　take　mand　of　a　revolutionary　army；　and　use　his　knack　to　end　the　tyranny　of　the　ruling　class　instead　of　using　it　to　add　meaningless　crowns　to　King　Charles's　most　unworthy　head。
　　For　La　Fayette's　knack　was　not　to　read　other　men's　thoughts；　as　de　Maurepas　suspected；　but　it　was　nearly　that。　La　Fayette　knew　upon　meeting　them　what　other　men　and　women　wanted　most。　And　knowing　that；　everything　else　could　be　guessed　at。　La　Fayette　already　knew　Napoleon　better　than　Napoleon　knew　himself。　He　knew　that　Napoleon　Bonaparte　wanted　to　rule　the　world。　And　maybe　he'd　achieve　it。　But　for　now；　here　in　Canada；　La　Fayette　would　rule　Napoleon　Bonaparte。　He　fell　asleep　clutching　the　amulet　that　kept　him　safe。
　　
　　
　　Chapter　4　　Lolla…Wossiky
　　
　　When　Lolla…Wossiky　left　Ta…Kumsaw　standing　by　the　gate　of　Fort　Carthage；　he　knew　what　his　brother　thought。　Ta…Kumsaw　thought　he　was　going　off　with　his　keg　to　drink　and　drink　and　drink。
　　But　Ta…Kumsaw　didn't　know。　White　Murderer　Harrison　didn't　know。　Nobody　knew　about　Lolla…Wossiky。　This　keg　would　last　him　two　months　maybe。　A　little　bit　now；　a　little　bit　then。　Careful；　careful；　never　spill　a　drop；　drink　just　this　much；　close　it　tight；　make　it　last。　Maybe　even　three　months。
　　Always　before　he　had　to　stay　close　to　White　Murderer　Harrison's　fort；　to　get　the　cups　of　dribbling　likker　from　the　dark　brown　jug。　Now；　though；　he　had　plenty　to　make　his　journey；　his　great　north　journey　to　meet　his　dream　beast。
　　Nobody　knew　that　Lolla…Wossiky　had　a　dream　beast。　White　man　didn't　know　cause　White　man　had　no　dream　beast；　White　man　slept　all　the　time　and　never　woke　up。　Red　man　didn't　know　cause　Red　man　saw　Lolla…Wossiky　and　thought　he　was　a　likker　Red；　going　to　die；　had　no　dream　beast；　never　wake　up。
　　Lolla…Wossiky　knew　though。　Lolla…Wossiky　knew　that　light　up　north；　he　saw　it　e　five　years　back。　He　knew　it　was　his　dream　beast　calling；　but　he　never　could　go。　He　started　five；　six；　twelve　times　north；　but　then　the　likker　would　seep　out　of　his　blood　and　then　the　noise　would　e　back；　terrible　black　noise　that　hurt　him　so　bad　all　the　time。　When　the　black　noise　came　it　was　like　a　hundred　tiny　knives　in　his　head；　twisting；　twisting；　so　he　couldn't　feel　the　land　no　more；　couldn't　even　see　his　dream　beast　light；　had　to　go　back；　find　the　likker；　still　the　noise　so　he　could　think。
　　This　last　was　the　very　worst　time。　No　likker　came　for　a　long；　long　time；　and　for　two　months　at　the　end　even　White　Murderer　Harrison　didn't　have　much　for　him；　maybe　one　cup　in　a　week；　never　enough　to　last　more　than　a　few　hours；　maybe　a　day。　Two　long　months　of　black　noise　all　the　time。
　　Black　noise　made　it　so　Lolla…Wossiky　couldn't　walk　right。　Everything　wiggles；　ground　bumps　up　and　down；　how　can　you　walk　when　the　land　looks　like　water？　So　everybody　thought　Lolla…Wossiky　was　drunk；　stagger　like　a　whisky…Red；　fall　down　all　the　time。　Where　does　he　get　the　likker？　they　all　ask。　Nobody　has　likker　but　Lolla…Wossiky　still　gets　drunk；　how　does　he　do　it？　Not　one　person　has　eyes　to　see　that　Lolla…Wossiky　isn't　drunk　at　all。　Don't　they　hear　how　he　talks；　clear　talking；　not　drunktalk？　Don't　they　smell　he　got　no　likker…stink？　Nobody　guesses；　nobody　reckons；　nobody　calcalates；　nobody　figures。　They　know　Lolla…Wossiky　always　needs　likker。　Never　nobody　thinks　maybe　Lolla…Wossiky　has　pain　so　bad　he　hopes　to　die。
　　And　when　he　closes　his　eye　to　stop　the　world　from　rippling　like　the　river；　they　all　think　he's　asleep　and　they　say　things。　Oh；　they　say　things　they　don't　want　no　Red　to　hear。　Lolla…Wossiky　figured　that　out　very　quick　and　so　when　the　black　noise　got　so　bad　he　wanted　to　go　lie　down　on　the　bottom　of　the　river　to　shut　out　the　noise　forever；　instead　he　staggered　to　White　Murderer　Harrison's　office　and　fell　down　on　the　floor　by　his　door　and　listened。　Black　noise　was　very　loud；　but　it　wasn't　ear　noise；　so　he　could　still　hear　voices　even　with　the　roaring　of　the　black　noise　in　his　head。　He　thought　very　hard　to　hear　every　word　under　the　door。　He　knew　all　that　White　Murderer　Harrison　said　to　everybody。
　　Lolla…Wossiky　never　told　anybody　what　he　heard。
　　Lolla…Wossiky　never　told　anybody　anything　true。　They　never　believed　him　anyway。　You're　drunk；　Lolla…Wossiky。　Shame　on　you；　Lolla…Wossiky。　Even　when　he　wasn't　drunk；　even　when　he　hurt　so　bad　he　wanted　to　kill　everything　alive　to　make　it　go　away；　even　then　they　said；　Too　bad　to　see　even　a　Red　get　so　awful　drunk。　And　Ta…Kumsaw；　standing　there　never　saying　anything　or　when　he　did；　being　so　strong　and　right；　when　Lolla…Wossiky　was　so　weak　and　wrong。
　　North　north　north　went　Lolla…Wossiky；　chanting　to　himself。　North　a　thousand　steps　before　I　take　a　little　drink。　North　with　the　black　noise　so　loud　I　don't　know　where　north　is；　but　still　north　because　I　don't　dare　to　stop。
　　Very　dark　night。　Black　noise　so　bad　the　land　says　nothing　to　Lolla…Wossiky。　Even　the　white　light　of　the　dream　beast　is　far　off　and　seems　to　e　from　everywhere　at　the　same　time。　One　eye　sees　night；　other　eye　sees　black　noise。　Have　to　stop。　Have　to　stop。
　　Very　carefully　Lolla…Wossiky　found　a　tree；　put　down　the　keg；　sat　down　and　leaned　against　the　tree；　keg　between　his　legs。　Very　slowly　because　he　couldn't　see；　he　felt　the　keg　all　over　to　make　sure　of　the　bung。　Tap　tap　tap　with　the　tommy…hawk；　tap；　tap；　tap　till　the　bung　was　loose。　Slowly　he　wiggled　it　out　with　his　fingers。　Then　he　leaned　over　and　put　his　mouth　over　the　bunghole；　tight　as　a　kiss；　tight　as　a　baby　on　the　nipple；　that's　how　tight；　then　up　with　the　keg；　very　slow；　very　slow；　not　very　high；　there's　the　taste；　there's　the　likker；　one　swallow；　two　swallows；　three　swallows；　four。
　　Four　is　all。　Four　is　the　end。　Four　is　the　true　number；　the　whole　number；　the　square　number。　Four　swallows。
　　He　put　the　bung　back　into　the　keg　and　tapped　it　into　place；　tight。　Already　the　likker　is　getting　to　his　head。　Already　the　black　noise　is　fading；　fading。
　　Into　silence。　Into　beautiful　green　silence。
　　But　the　green　also　goes　away；　fading　with　the　black。　Every　time　it　goes　this　way。　The　land　sense；　the　green　vision　that　every　Red　has；　nobody　ever　saw　it　clearer　than　Lolla…Wossiky。　But　now　when　it　es；　right　behind　it　es　the　black　noise　every　time。　And　when　the　black　noise　goes；　when　the　likker　chases　it　off；　right　behind　it　goes　away　the　green　living　silence　every　time。
　　Lolla…Wossiky　is　left　like　a　White　man　then。　Cut　off　from　the　land。　Ground　crunching　underfoot。　Branches　snagging。　Roots　tripping。　Animals　running　away。
　　Lolla…Wossiky　hoped；　hoped　for　years　to　find　just　the　right　amount　of　likker　to　drink；　to　still　the　black　noise　and　still　leave　the　green　vision。　Four　swallows；　that　was　as　close　as　he　ever　came。　It　left　the　black　noise　just　out　of　reach；　just　behind　the　nearest　tree。　But　it　also　left　the　green　where　he　could　just　touch　it。　Just　reach　it。　So　he　could　pretend　to　be　a　true　Red　instead　of　a　whisky…Red；　which　was　really　a　White。
　　Tonight；　though；　he　had　been　without　likker　so　long；　two　months　except　for　a　cup　now　and　then；　that　four　swallows　was　too　strong　for　him。　The　green　was　gone　with　the　black。　But　he　didn't　care；　not　today。　Didn't　care；　had　to　sleep。
　　
　　***
　　
　　When　he　woke　up　in　the　morning；　the　black　noise　was　just　ing　back。　He　wasn't　sure　whether　the　sun　or　the　noise　woke　him；　and　he　didn't　care。　Tap　on　the　bung；　four　swallows；　tap　it　closed。　This　time　the　land　sensed　stayed　close　by；　he　could　feel　it　a　little。　Enough　to　find　the　rabbit　in　the　hole。
　　Thick　old　stick。　Cut　it　here；　slice　it；　slice　it；　so　splintery　burrs　of　wood　stuck　out　in　every　direction。
　　Lolla…Wossiky　knelt　down　in　front　of　the　rabbit　hole。
　　〃I　am　very　hungry；〃　he　whispered。　〃And　I　am　not　very　strong。　Will　you　give　me　meat？〃
　　He　strained　to　hear　the　answer；　strained　to　know　if　it　was　right。　But　it　was　too　far　off；　and　rabbits　were　very　quiet　in　their　land…voice。　Once；　he　remembered；　he　could　hear　all　the　voices；　and　from　miles　and　miles　away。　Maybe　if　the　black　noise　ever　went　away；　he　could　hear　again。　But　for　now；　he　had　no　way　of　knowing　if　the　rabbits　gave　consent　or　not。
　　So　he　didn't　know　i