osc.am2.redprophet-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　〃Cool　down；　Mr。　Jackson；　cool　right　down。　Don't　the　King　keep　his　Blacks　there　in　his　palace　in　Virginia？〃
　　〃His　Blacks　are　slaves。　Everybody　knows　you　can't　make　slaves　out　of　Reds。　They　aren't　intelligent　enough　to　be　properly　trained。〃
　　〃Well；　you　just　set　yourself　there　in　that　chair；　Mr。　Jackson；　and　I'll　make　my　point　the　best　way　I　know　how；　by　showing　you　two　prime　Shaw…Nee　specimens。　Just　set　down。〃
　　Jackson　picked　up　the　chair　and　moved　it　to　the　opposite　side　of　the　room　from　Hooch。　It　made　something　gnaw　in　Hooch's　gut；　the　way　Jackson　acted。　Men　like　Jackson　were　so　upright　and　honest…seeming；　but　Hooch　knew　that　there　wasn't　no　such　thing　as　a　good　man；　just　a　man　who　wasn't　bought　yet；　or　wasn't　in　deep　enough　trouble；　or　didri't　have　the　guts　to　reach　out　and　take　what　he　wanted。　That's　all　that　virtue　ever　boiled　down　to；　so　far　as　Hooch　ever　saw　in　his　life。　But　here　was　Jackson；　putting　on　airs　and　calling　for　Bill　Harrison　to　arrest　him！　Think　of　that；　a　stranger　from　Tennizy　country　ing　up　here　and　waving　around　a　warrant　from　an　Appalachee　judge；　of　all　things；　which　didn't　have　no　more　force；　in　Wobbish　country　than　if　it　was　written　by　the　King　of　Ethiopia。　Well；　Mr。　Jackson；　it's　a　long　way　home　from　here；　and　we'll　just　see　if　you　don't　have　some　kind　of　accident　along　the　way。
　　No；　no；　no；　Hooch　told　himself　silently。　Getting　even　don't　amount　to　nothing　in　this　world。　Getting　even　only　gets　you　behind。　The　best　revenge　is　to　get　rich　enough　to　make　them　all　call　you　sir；　that's　how　you　get　even　with　these　boys。　No　bushwhacking。　If　you　ever　get　a　name　for　bushwhacking；　that's　the　end　of　you；　Hooch　Palmer。
　　So　Hooch　sat　there　and　smiled；　as　Harrison　called　for　his　aide。　〃Why　don't　you　invite　Lolla…Wossiky　in　here？　And　while　you're　at　it；　tell　his　brother　he　can　e　in；　too。〃
　　Lolla…Wossiky's　brother　　had　to　be　the　defiant　Red　who　was　standing　up　against　the　wall。　Funny；　how　two　peas　from　the　same　pod　could　grow　up　so　different。
　　Lolla…Wossiky　came　in　fawning；　smiling；　looking　quickly　from　one　White　face　to　the　next；　wondering　what　they　wanted；　how　he　could　make　them　happy　enough　to　reward　him　with　whisky。　It　was　written　all　over　him；　how　thirsty　he　was；　even　though　he　was　already　so　drunk　he　didn't　walk　straight。　Or　had　he　already　drunk　so　much　likker　that　he　couldn't　walk　straight　even　when　he　was　sober？　Hooch　wondered　　but　soon　enough　he　knew　the　answer。　Harrison　reached　into　the　bureau　behind　him　and　took　out　a　jug　and　a　cup。　Lolla…Wossiky　watched　the　brown　liquid　splash　into　the　cup；　his　one　eye　so　intense　it　was　like　he　could　taste　the　likker　by　vision　alone。　But　he　didn't　take　even　a　single　step　toward　the　cup。　Harrison　reached　out　and　set　the　cup　on　the　table　near　the　Red；　but　still　the　man　stood　there；　smiling；　looking　now　at　the　cup；　now　at　Harrison；　waiting；　waiting。
　　Harrison　turned　to　Jackson　and　smiled。　〃Lolla…Wossiky　is　just　about　the　most　civilized　Red　in　the　whole　Wobbish　country；　Mr。　Jackson。　He　never　takes　things　that　don't　belong　to　him。　He　never　speaks　except　when　spoken　to。　He　obeys　and　does　whatever　I　tell　him。　And　all　he　ever　asks　in　return　is　just　a　cup　of　liquid。　Doesn't　even　have　to　be　good　likker。　Corn　whisky　or　bad　Spanish　rum　are　just　fine　with　him；　isn't　that　right；　Lolla…Wossiky？〃
　　〃Very　so　right；　Mr。　Excellency；〃　said　Lolla…Wossiky。　His　speech　was　surprisingly　clear；　for　a　Red。　Especially　a　drunken　Red。
　　Hooch　saw　Jackson　study　the　one…eyed　Red　with　disgust。　Then　the　Tennizy　lawyer's　gaze　shifted　to　the　door；　where　the　tall；　strong；　defiant　Red　was　standing。　Hooch　enjoyed　watching　Jackson's　face。　From　disgust；　his　expression　plainly　changed　to　anger。　Anger　and；　yes；　fear。　Oh；　yes；　you　aren't　fearless；　Mr。　Jackson。　You　know　what　Lolla…Wossiky's　brother　is。　He's　your　enemy；　and　my　enemy；　the　enemy　of　every　White　man　who　ever　wants　to　have　this　land；　because　sometime　this　uppity　Red　is　going　to　put　his　tommy…hawk　in　your　head　and　peel　off　your　scalp　real　slow；　and　he　won't　sell　it　to　no　Frenchman；　neither；　Mr。　Jackson；　he'll　keep　it　and　give　it　to　his　children；　and　say　to　them；　〃This　is　the　only　good　White　man。　This　is　the　only　White　man　who　doesn't　break　his　word。　This　is　what　you　do　to　White　men。〃　Hooch　knew　it；　Harrison　knew　it；　and　Jackson　knew　it。　That　young　buck　by　the　door　was　death。　That　young　buck　was　White　men　forced　to　live　east　of　the　mountains；　all　crammed　into　the　old　towns　with　all　their　lawyers　and　professors　and　hightoned　people　who　never　gave　you　room　to　breathe。　People　like　Jackson　himself；　in　fact。　Hooch　gave　one　snort　of　laughter　at　that　idea。　Jackson　was　exactly　the　sort　of　man　that　folks　moved　west　to　get　away　from。　How　far　west　will　I　have　to　go　before　the　lawyers　lose　the　trail　and　get　left　behind？
　　〃I　see　you've　noticed　Ta…Kumsaw。　Lolla…Wossiky's　older　brother；　and　my　very；　very　dear　friend。　Why；　I've　known　that　lad　since　before　his　father　died。　Look　what　a　strong　buck　he's　grown　into！〃
　　If　Ta…Kumsaw　noticed　how　he　was　being　ridiculed；　he　showed　no　sign　of　it。　He　looked　at　no　person　in　the　room。　Instead　he　looked　out　the　window　on　the　wall　behind　the　governor。　Didn't　fool　Hooch；　though。　Hooch　knew　what　he　was　watching；　and　had　a　pretty　good　idea　what　Ta…Kumsaw　was　feeling；　too。　These　Reds；　they　took　family　real　serious。　Ta…Kumsaw　was　secretly　watching　his　brother；　and　if　Lolla…Wossiky　was　too　likkered　up　to　feel　any　shame；　that　just　meant　Ta…Kumsaw　would　feel　it　all　the　more。
　　〃Ta…Kumsaw；〃　said　Harrison。　〃You　see　I've　poured　a　drink　for　you。　e；　sit　down　and　drink；　and　we　can　talk。〃
　　At　Harrison's　words；　Lolla…Wossiky　went　rigid。　Was　it　possible　that　the　drink　wasn't　for　him；　after　all？　But　Ta…Kumsaw　did　not　twitch；　did　not　show　any　sign　that　he　heard。
　　〃You　see？〃　said　Harrison　to　Jackson。　〃Ta…Kumsaw　isn't　even　civilized　enough　to　sit　down　and　have　a　convivial　drink　with　friends。　But　his　younger　brother　is　civilized；　isn't　he？　Aren't　you；　Lolly？　I'm　sorry　I　don't　have　a　chair　for　you；　my　friend；　but　you　can　sit　on　the　floor　under　my　table　here；　sit　right　at　my　feet；　and　drink　this　rum。〃
　　〃You　are　remarkable　kind；〃　said　Lolla…Wossiky　in　that　clear；　precise　speech　of　his。　To　Hooch's　surprise；　the　one…eyed　Red　did　not　scramble　for　the　cup。　Instead　he　walked　carefully；　each　step　a　labor　of　precision；　and　took　the　cup　between　only　slightly　trembling　hands。　Then　he　knelt　down　before　Harrison's　table　and；　still　balancing　the　cup；　sank　into　a　seated　position；　his　legs　crossed。
　　But　he　was　still　out　in　front　of　the　table；　not　under　it；　and　Harrison　pointed　this　out　to　him。　〃I'd　like　you　to　sit　under　my　table；〃　said　the　governor。　〃I'd　regard　it　as　a　great　courtesy　to　me　if　you　would。〃
　　So　Lolla…Wossiky　bent　his　head　almost　down　into　his　lap　and　waddled　on　his　buttocks　until　he　was　under　the　table。　It　was　very　hard　for　him　to　drink　in　that　position；　since　he　couldn't　lift　his　head　straight　up；　let　alone　tip　it　back　to　drain　the　cup。　But　he　managed　anyway；　drinking　carefully；　rocking　from　one　side　to　the　other。
　　All　this　time；　Ta…Kumsaw　said　nary　a　word。　Didn't　even　show　that　he　saw　how　his　brother　was　being　humiliated。　Oh；　thought　Hooch；　oh；　the　fire　that　burns　in　that　boy's　heart。　Harrison's　taking　a　real　risk　here。　Besides；　if　he's　Lolla…Wossiky's　brother；　he　must　know　Harrison　shot　his　daddy　during　the　Red　uprisings　back　in　the　nineties　sometime；　when　General　Wayne　was　fighting　the　French。　A　man　doesn't　forget　that　kind　of　thing；　especially　a　Red　man；　and　here　Harrison　was　testing　him；　testing　him　right　to　the　limit。
　　〃Now　that　everybody's　fortable；〃　said　Harrison；　〃why　don't　you　set　down　and　tell　us　what　you　came　for；　Ta…Kumsaw。〃
　　Ta…Kumsaw　didn't　sit。　Didn't　close　the　door；　didn't　take　a　step　farther　into　the　room。　〃I　speaking　for　Shaw…Nee；　Caska…Skeeaw；　Pee…Orawa；　Winny…Baygo。〃
　　〃Now；　Ta…Kumsaw；　you　know　that　you　don't　even　speak　for　all　the　Shaw…Nee；　and　you　sure　don't　speak　for　the　others。〃
　　〃All　tribes　who　sip　General　Wayne's　treaty。〃　Ta…Kumsaw　went　on　as　if　Harrison　hadn't　said　a　thing。　〃Treaty　says　Whites　don't　sell　whisky　to　Reds。〃
　　〃That's　right；〃　said　Harrison。　〃And　we're　keeping　that　treaty。〃
　　Ta…Kumsaw　didn't　look　at　Hooch；　but　he　lifted　his　hand　and