osc.am2.redprophet-第49章

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hese　White　trappers　would　learn　how　to　do　it。　They　would　never　learn。　How　could　the　land　accept　the　kind　of　man　who　would　kill　every　beaver　in　a　pond；　just　for　the　pelts；　leaving　the　meat　to　rot；　and　no　beaver　left　to　bear　young？
　　No　wonder　the　bears　killed　these　trappers　whenever　they　could。　The　land　rejected　them。
　　When　I　have　driven　the　Americans　from　the　land　west　of　the　mountains；　thought　Ta…Kumsaw；　then　I　will　drive　out　the　Yankees　from　New　England；　and　the　Cavaliers　from　the　Crown　Colonies。　And　when　they're　all　gone；　I'll　turn　to　the　Spanish　of　Florida　and　the　French　of　Canada。　Today　I'll　make　use　of　you　for　my　own　purpose；　but　tomorrow　I'll　drive　you　out；　too。　Every　White　face　that　stays　in　this　land　will　stay　here　because　it's　dead。　And　in　that　day；　beavers　will　die　only　when　the　land　tells　them　it's　the　time　and　place　to　die。
　　The　French　mander　in　Detroit　was　officially　de　Maurepas；　but　Ta…Kumsaw　avoided　him　whenever　he　could。　It　was　only　the　second　man；　Napoleon　Bonaparte；　who　was　worth　talking　to。
　　〃I　heard　you　were　at　Lake　Mizogan；〃　said　Napoleon。　He　spoke　in　French；　of　course；　but　Ta…Kumsaw　had　learned　French　at　the　same　time　he　was　leaming　English；　and　from　the　same　person。　〃e；　sit　down。〃　Napoleon　looked　with　vague　interest　at　the　White　boy　Alvin；　but　said　nothing　to　him。
　　〃I　was　there；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。　〃So　was　my　brother。〃
　　〃Ah。　But　was　there　an　army？〃
　　〃The　seed　of　one；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。　〃I　gave　up　arguing　with　Tenskwa…Tawa。　I'll　make　an　army　out　of　other　tribes。〃
　　〃When！〃　demanded　Napoleon。　〃You　e　here　two；　three　times　each　year；　you　tell　me　you're　going　to　have　an　army。　Do　you　know　how　long　I've　waited？　Four　years；　four　miserable　years　of　exile。〃
　　〃I　know　how　many　years；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。　〃You'll　have　your　battle。〃
　　〃Before　my　hair　turns　grey？　Tell　me　that！　Do　I　have　to　be　dying　of　old　age　before　you'll　call　out　a　general　rising　of　the　Reds？　You　know　how　helpless　I　am。　La　Fayette　and　de　Maurepas　won't　let　me　go　more　than　fifty　miles　from　here；　won't　give　me　any　troops　at　all。　There　has　to　be　an　army　first；　they　say。　The　Americans　have　to　have　some　main　force　that　you　can　fight　with。　Well；　the　only　thing　that　will　cause　those　miserably　independent　bastards　to　unite　is　you。〃
　　〃I　know；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　〃You　promised　me　an　army　of　ten　thousand　Reds；　Ta…Kumsaw。　Instead　I　keep　hearing　about　a　city　of　ten　thousand　Quakers！〃
　　〃Not　Quakers。〃
　　〃If　they　renounce　war　it　amounts　to　the　same　thing。〃　Suddenly　Napoleon　let　his　voice　bee　soft；　loving；　persuasive。　〃Ta…Kumsaw；　I　need　you；　I　depend　on　you；　don't　fail　me。〃
　　Ta…Kumsaw　laughed。　Napoleon　learned　long　ago　that　his　tricks　worked　on　White　men；　but　not　half　so　well　on　Reds；　and　on　Ta…Kumsaw　not　at　all。　〃You　care　nothing　for　me；　and　I　care　nothing　for　you；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。　〃You　want　one　battle　and　a　victory；　so　you　can　go　home　a　hero　to　Paris。　I　want　one　battle　and　a　victory；　so　I　can　strike　terror　into　White　men's　hearts　and　bring　together　an　even　greater　army　of　Reds　under　my　mand；　to　sweep　the　land　south　of　here　and　drive　the　Englishmen　back　across　the　mountains。　One　battle；　one　victory　　that's　why　we　work　together；　and　when　that's　done　I'll　never　think　of　you　again；　and　you'll　never　think　of　me。〃
　　Napoleon　was　angry；　but　he　laughed。　〃Half　true；〃　he　said。　〃I　won't　care　about　you；　but　I'll　think　of　you。　I've　learned　from　you；　Ta…Kumsaw。　That　love　of　a　mander　makes　men　fight　better　than　love　of　country；　and　love　of　country　better　than　the　hope　of　glory；　and　the　hope　of　glory　better　than　looting；　and　looting　better　than　wages。　But　best　of　all　is　to　fight　for　a　cause。　A　great　and　noble　dream。　I've　always　had　the　love　of　my　men。　They　would　die　for　me。　But　for　a　cause；　they'd　let　their　wives　and　children　die　and　think　it　was　worth　the　price。〃
　　〃How　did　you　learn　that　from　me？〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。　〃That's　my　brother's　talk；　not　mine。〃
　　〃Your　brother？　I　thought　he　didn't　think　anything　was　worth　dying　for。〃
　　〃No；　he's　very　free　with　dying。　It's　killing　he　won't　do。〃
　　Napoleon　laughed；　and　Ta…Kumsaw　laughed　with　him。　〃You're　right；　you　know。　We're　not　friends。　But　I　do　like　you。　What　puzzles　me　is　this　　when　you've　won；　and　all　the　White　men　are　gone；　you　really　mean　to　walk　away　and　let　all　the　tribes　go　back　to　the　way　they　were　before；　separate；　quarreling；　weak。〃
　　〃Happy。　That's　how　we　were　before。　Many　tribes；　many　languages；　but　one　living　land。〃
　　〃Weak；〃　said　Napoleon　again。　〃If　I　ever　brought　all　of　my　land　under　my　flag；　Ta…Kumsaw；　I'd　hold　them　together　so　long　and　so　tightly　that　they'd　bee　one　great　people；　great　and　strong。　And　if　I　ever　do　that；　you　can　count　on　this。　We'll　be　back；　and　take　your　land　away　from　you；　just　like　every　other　land　on　Earth。　Count　on　it。〃
　　〃That's　because　you　are　evil；　General　Bonaparte。　You　want　to　bend　everything　and　everybody　to　your　obedience。〃
　　〃That　isn't　evil；　foolish　savage。　If　everybody　obeyed　me；　then　they'd　be　happy　and　safe；　at　peace；　and；　for　the　first　time　in　all　of　history；　free。〃
　　〃Safe；　unless　they　opposed　you。　Happy；　unless　they　hated　you。　Free；　unless　they　wanted　something　contrary　to　your　will。〃
　　〃Imagine；　a　Red　man　philosophizing。　Do　those　peasant　squatters　south　of　here　know　that　you've　read　Newton；　Voltaire；　Rousseau；　and　Adam　Smith？〃
　　〃I　don't　think　they　know　I　can　read　their　languages。〃
　　Napoleon　leaned　across　his　desk。　〃We'll　destroy　them；　Ta…Kumsaw；　you　and　I　together。　But　you　have　to　bring　me　an　army。〃
　　〃My　brother　prophesies　that　we'll　have　that　army　before　the　year　ends。〃
　　〃A　prophecy？〃
　　〃All　his　prophecies　e　true。〃
　　〃Does　he　say　we'll　win？〃
　　Ta…Kumsaw　laughed。　〃He　says　you'll　be　known　as　the　greatest　European　general　who　ever　lived。　And　I　will　be　known　as　the　greatest　Red。〃
　　Napoleon　ran　his　fingers　through　his　hair　and　smiled；　almost　boyish　now；　he　could　pass　from　menacing　to　friendly　to　adorable　in　moments。　〃That　seems　to　dodge　the　question。　Dead　men　can　be　called　great；　too。〃
　　〃But　men　who　lose　battles　are　never　called　great；　are　they？　Noble；　perhaps；　even　heroic。　But　not　great。〃
　　〃True；　Ta…Kumsaw；　true。　But　your　brother　is　being　coy。　Oracular。　Delphic。〃
　　〃I　don't　know　those　words。〃
　　〃Of　course　you　don't。　You're　a　savage。〃　Napoleon　poured　wine。　〃I　forget　myself。　Wine？〃
　　Ta…Kumsaw　shook　his　head。
　　〃I　suppose　none　for　the　boy；〃　said　Napoleon。
　　〃He's　only　ten；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　〃In　France；　that　means　we　water　the　wine　half　and　half。　What　are　you　doing　with　a　White　boy；　Ta…Kumsaw？　Are　you　capturing　children　now？〃
　　〃This　White　boy；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw；　〃he's　more　than　he　seems。〃
　　〃In　a　loincloth　he　doesn't　look　like　much。　Does　he　understand　French？〃
　　〃Not　a　word；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。　〃I　came　to　ask　you　　can　you　give　us　guns？〃
　　〃No；〃　said　Napoleon。
　　〃'We　can't　fight　bullets　with　arrows；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　〃La　Fayette　refuses　to　authorize　us　to　issue　you　any　guns。　Paris　agrees　with　him。　They　don't　trust　you。　They're　afraid　any　guns　they　give　you　might　someday　be　turned　against　us。〃
　　〃Then　what　good　will　it　do　me　to　raise　an　army？〃
　　Napoleon　smiled；　sipped　his　wine。　〃I've　been　speaking　to　some　Irrakwa　traders。〃
　　〃The　Irrakwa　are　the　urine　of　sick　dogs；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。　〃They　were　cruel；　vicious　animals　before　the　White　man　came；　and　they　are　worse　now。〃
　　〃Odd。　The　English　seemed　to　find　them　to　be　kindred　spirits。　And　La　Fayette　adores　them。　All　that　matters　now；　though；　is　this：　They　manufacture　guns；　in　large　numbers；　cheaply。　Not　the　most　reliable　weapons；　but　they　use　exactly　the　same　size　ammunition。　It　means　they　can　make　balls　that　fit　the　barrel　more　tightly；　with　better　aim。　And　yet　they　sell　them　for　less。〃
　　〃You'll　buy　them　for　us？〃
　　〃No。　You'll　buy　them。〃
　　〃We　don't　have　money。〃
　　〃Pelts；〃　said　Napoleon。　〃Beaver　pelts。　Minks。　Deerhides　and　buffalo　leather。〃
　　Ta…Kumsaw　shook　his　head。　〃We　can't　ask　these　animals　to　die　for　the　sake　of　guns。〃
　　〃Too　bad；〃　said　Napoleon。　〃You　Reds　have　a　knack　for　hunting；　I've　been　told。〃
　　〃True　Reds　do。　The　Irrakwa　don't。　They've　used　White　man's　machines　so　long　now　that　they're　dead　to　the　land；　just　like　White　men。　Or　they'd　go　and　get　the　pelts　they　wan