rz.thegunsofavalon-第28章

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　〃I　do　not　remember　that　night；〃　I　said　slowly。　〃I　must　have　been　very；　very　drunk。〃
　He　chuckled。
　〃We　had　some　good　times　here　in　the　old　days；〃　he　said。　〃And　they　do　remember　us　here。　But　as　people　who　lived　very　long　ago　…　and　they　have　many　of　the　stories　wrong。　But　hell！　How　many　people　get　their　stories　right　from　day　to　day？〃
　I　said　nothing；　smoking；　thinking　back。
　〃。。。　All　of　which　leads　me　to　a　question　or　two；〃　he　said。
　〃Shoot。〃
　〃Will　your　attack　on　Amber　put　you　at　great　odds　with　your　brother　Benedict？〃
　〃I　really　wish　that　I　knew　the　answer　to　that　one；〃　I　said。　〃I　think　that　it　will；　initially。　But　my　move　should　be　pleted　before　he　can　reach　Amber　from　here；　in　response　to　any　distress　call　that　goes　out。　That　is；　reach　Amber　with　reinforcements。　He　could　get　there　in　no　time　at　all；　personally；　if　someone　on　the　other　end　were　helping。　But　that　would　serve　little　purpose。　No。　Rather　than　tear　Amber　apart；　he　will　support　whoever　can　hold　it　together；　I　am　certain。　Once　I　have　ousted　Eric；　he　will　want　the　strife　to　stop　right　there　and　he　will　go　along　with　my　holding　the　throne；　just　to　put　an　end　to　it。　He　will　not　really　approve　of　the　seizure　in　the　first　place；　of　course。〃
　〃That　is　what　I　am　getting　at。　Will　there　be　bad　blood　between　you　afterward　as　a　result　of　that？〃
　〃I　do　not　believe　so。　This　is　purely　a　matter　of　politics；　and　we　have　known　one　another　most　of　our　lives；　he　and　I；　and　have　always　been　on　better　terms　with　each　other　than　either　of　us　with　Eric。〃
　〃I　see。　Since　you　and　I　are　in　this　together　and　Avalon　seems　to　be　Benedict's　now；　I　was　wondering　what　his　feelings　would　be　about　my　returning　here　one　day。　Would　he　hate　me　for　having　helped　you？〃
　〃I　doubt　that　very　much。　He　has　never　been　that　sort　of　person。〃
　〃Then　let　me　carry　things　a　step　further。　God　knows　I　am　an　experienced　military　man；　and　if　we　succeed　in　taking　Amber　he　will　have　ample　evidence　of　the　fact；　with　his　right　arm　injured　the　way　that　it　is　and　all；　do　you　think　he　might　consider　taking　me　on　as　a　field　mander　for　his　militia？　I　know　this　area　so　well。　I　could　take　him　to　the　Field　of　Thorns　and　describe　that　battle。　Hell！　I　would　serve　him　well　…　as　well　as　I　served　you。〃
　He　laughed　then。
　〃Pardon　me。　Better　than　I　served　you。〃
　I　chuckled；　sipped　my　drink。
　〃It　would　be　tricky；〃　I　said。　〃Of　course　I　like　the　idea。　But　I　am　not　too　certain　that　you　could　ever　enjoy　his　trust。　It　would　seem　too　obvious　a　ploy　on　my　part。〃
　〃Damn　politics！　That　is　not　what　I　meant！　Soldiering　is　all　that　I　know；　and　I　love　Avalon！〃
　〃I　believe　you。　But　would　he？〃
　〃With　only　one　arm　he　will　be　needing　a　good　man　about。　He　could　…〃
　I　began　to　laugh　and　restrained　myself　quickly；　for　the　sound　of　laughter　seems　to　carry　for　a　good　distance。　Also；　Ganelon's　feelings　were　involved。
　〃I　am　sorry；〃　I　said。　〃Excuse　me；　please。　You　do　not　understand。　You　do　not　really　understand　who　it　was　we　talked　with　in　the　tent　that　night。　He　may　have　seemed　an　ordinary　man　to　you　…　a　handicapped　one；　at　that。　But　this　is　not　so。　I　fear　Benedict。　He　is　unlike　any　other　being　in　Shadow　or　reality。　He　is　the　Master　of　Arms　for　Amber。　Can　you　conceive　of　a　millennium？　A　thousand　years？　Several　of　them？　Can　you　understand　a　man　who；　for　almost　every　day　of　a　lifetime　like　that；　has　spent　some　time　dwelling　with　weapons；　tactics；　strategies？　Because　you　see　him　in　a　tiny　kingdom；　manding　a　small　militia；　with　a　well…pruned　orchard　in　his　back　yard；　do　not　be　deceived。　All　that　there　is　of　military　science　thunders　in　his　head。　He　has　often　journeyed　from　shadow　to　shadow；　witnessing　variation　after　variation　on　the　same　battle；　with　but　slightly　altered　circumstances；　in　order　to　test　his　theories　of　warfare。　He　has　manded　armies　so　vast　that　you　could　watch　them　march　by　day　after　day　and　see　no　end　to　the　columns。　Although　he　is　inconvenienced　by　the　loss　of　his　arm；　I　would　not　wish　to　fight　with　him　either　with　weapons　or　barehanded。　It　is　fortunate　that　he　has　no　designs　upon　the　throne；　or　he　would　be　occupying　it　right　now。　If　he　were；　I　believe　that　I　would　give　up　at　this　moment　and　pay　him　homage。　I　fear　Benedict。〃
　Ganelon　was　silent　for　a　long　while；　and　I　took　another　drink；　for　my　throat　had　bee　dry。
　〃I　did　not　realize　this；　of　course；〃　he　said　then。　〃I　will　be　happy　if　he　just　lets　me　e　back　to　Avalon。〃
　〃That　much　he　will　do。　I　know。〃
　〃Dara　told　me　she　had　a　message　from　him　today。　He　has　decided　to　cut　short　his　stay　in　the　field。　He　will　probably　be　returning　tomorrow。〃
　〃Damn！〃　I　said；　standing。　〃We　will　have　to　move　soon；　then。　I　hope　Doyle　has　that　stuff　ready。　We　must　go　to　him　in　the　morning　and　expedite　matters。　I　want　to　be　away　from　here　before　Benedict　gets　back！〃
　〃You　have　the　pretties　then？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃May　I　see　them？〃
　I　undid　the　sack　at　my　belt　and　passed　it　to　him。　He　opened　it　and　withdrew　several　stones；　holding　them　in　the　palm　of　his　left　hand　and　turning　them　slowly　with　his　fingertips。
　〃They　do　not　look　like　much；〃　he　said；　〃from　what　I　can　see　of　them　in　this　light。　Wait！　There's　a　glimmer！　No。。。〃
　〃They　are　in　the　rough；　of　course。　You　are　holding　a　fortune　in　your　hands。〃
　〃Amazing；〃　he　said；　dropping　them　back　in　the　sack　and　refastening　it。　〃It　was　so　easy　for　you。〃
　〃It　was　not　all　that　easy。〃
　〃Still；　to　gather　a　fortune　so　quickly　seems　somehow　unfair。〃
　He　passed　it　back。
　〃I　will　see　that　you　are　provided　with　a　fortune　when　our　labors　are　done；〃　I　said。　〃That　should　prove　some　pensation；　should　Benedict　not　offer　you　a　position。〃
　〃Now　that　I　know　who　he　is；　I　am　more　determined　than　ever　to　work　for　him　one　day。〃
　〃We　will　see　what　can　be　done。〃
　〃Yes。　Thank　you；　Corwin。　How　shall　we　work　our　departure？〃
　〃I　want　you　to　go　and　get　some　rest；　for　I　will　roust　you　out　of　bed　early。　Star　and　Firedrake　will　take　unkindly　to　the　notion　of　draft　duty；　I　fear；　but　we　will　then　borrow　one　of　Benedict's　wagons　and　head　into　town。　Before　this；　I　will　try　to　arrange　a　good　smoke　screen　here　for　our　orderly　withdrawal。　We　will　then　hurry　Doyle　the　jeweler　about　his　task；　obtain　our　cargo；　and　depart　into　Shadow　as　quickly　as　possible。　The　greater　our　head　start；　the　more　difficult　it　will　be　for　Benedict　to　track　us。　If　I　can　get　half　a　day's　lead　into　Shadow；　it　will　be　practically　impossible　for　him。〃
　〃Why　should　he　be　so　eager　to　e　after　us　in　the　first　place？〃
　〃He　does　not　trust　me　worth　a　damn　…　and　justly　so。　He　is　waiting　for　me　to　make　my　move。　He　knows　there　is　something　I　need　here；　but　he　does　not　know　what。　He　wants　to　find　out；　so　that　he　can　seal　off　another　threat　to　Amber。　As　soon　as　he　realizes　we　have　gone　for　good；　he　will　know　that　we　have　it　and　he　will　e　looking。〃
　Ganelon　yawned；　stretched；　finished　his　drink。
　〃Yes；〃　he　said　then。　〃We'd　best　rest　now；　to　be　in　condition　for　the　hurrying。　Now　that　you　have　told　me　more　about　Benedict；　I　am　less　surprised　by　the　other　thing　I　meant　to　tell　you　…　though　no　less　disfited。〃
　〃That　being。。。？〃
　He　rose　to　his　feet；　picked　up　the　decanter　carefully；　then　pointed　down　the　path。
　〃If　you　continue　on　in　that　direction；〃　he　said；　〃passing　the　hedge　that　marks　the　end　of　this　bower　and　entering　the　woods　that　lie　below　…　and　then　go　on　for　another　two　hundred　paces　or　so　…　you　will　e　to　a　place　where　there　is　a　little　grove　of　saplings　off　to　the　left；　standing　in　a　sudden　declivity　perhaps　four　feet　lower　than　the　level　of　the　trail　itself。　Down　in　it；　stamped　down　and　strewn　over　with　leaves　and　twigs；　there　is　a　fresh　grave。　I　found　it　while　taking　the　air　earlier；　when　I　paused　to　relieve　myself　down　there。〃
　〃How　do　you　know　it　is　a　grave？〃
　He　chuckled。
　〃When　holes　have　bodies　in　them　that　is　how　they　are　generally　called。　It　was　quite　shallow；　and　I　poked　around　a　bit　with　a　stick。　There　are　four　bodies　in　there　…　three　men　and　a　woman。〃
　〃How　recently　dead？〃
　〃Very。　A　few　days。　I'd　judge。〃
　〃You　left　it　as　you　found　it？〃
　〃I'm　not　a　fool；　Corwin。〃
　〃Sorry。　But　this　troubles　me　considerably；　because　I　don't　understand　it　at　all。〃
　〃Obviously　they　gave　Benedict　some　trouble　and　he　returned　the　favor。〃
　〃Perhaps。　What　were　they　l