gc.thewhiterose-第4章
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Corbie the renovator found a treasure in a wall of the wizard's kitchen。 He took it upstairs； where Corbie the driven came up from the deeps。
The scrap of paper bore a dozen words scribbled in a shaky hand。 A cipher key。
That lean； dusky； long…unsmiling face shed its ice。 Dark eyes sparkled； fingers turned up a lamp。 Corbie sat； and for an hour stared at nothing。 Then； still smiling； he went downstairs and out into the night。 He raised a hand in gentle greeting whenever he encountered the night patrol。
He was known now。 No one challenged his right to limp about and watch the constellations wheel。
He went home when his nerves settled。 There would be no sleep for him。 He scattered papers； began to study； to decipher； to translate； to write a story…letter that would not reach its destination for years。
Chapter Five：THE PLAIN OF FEAR
One…Eye stopped by to tell me Darling was about to interview Corder and the messenger。 〃She's looking peaked； Croaker。 You been watching her？〃
〃I watch。 I advise。 She ignores。 What can I do？〃
〃We got twenty…some years till the et shows。 No point her working herself to death； is there？〃
〃Tell her that。 She just tells me this mess will be settled long before the et es around again。 That it's a race against time。〃
She believes that。 But the rest of us cannot catch her fire。 Isolated in the Plain of Fear； cut off from the world； the struggle with the Lady sometimes slips in importance。 The Plain itself too often preoccupies us。
I caught myself outdistancing One…Eye。 This premature burial has not been good for him。 Without his skills he has weakened physically。 He is beginning to show his age。 I let him catch up。
〃You and Goblin enjoy your adventure？〃
He could not choose between a smirk or scowl。
〃Got you again； eh？〃 Their battle has been on since the dawn。 One…Eye starts each skirmish。 Goblin usually finishes。
He grumbled something。
〃What？〃
〃Yo！〃 someone shouted。 〃Everybody up top！ Alert！ Alert！〃
One…Eye spat。 〃Twice in one day？ What the hell？〃
I knew what he meant。 We have not had twenty alerts our whole two years out here。 Now two in one day？ Improbable。
I dashed back for my bow。
This time we went out with less clatter。 Elmo had made his displeasure painfully apparent in a few private conversations。
Sunlight again。 Like a blow。 The entrance to the Hole faces westward。 The sun was in our eyes when we emerged。
〃You damned fool！〃 Elmo was yelling。 〃What the hell you doing？〃 A young soldier stood in the open； pointing。 I let my gaze follow。
〃Oh； damn；〃 I whispered。 〃Oh； double bloody damn。〃
One…Eye saw it too。 〃Taken。〃
The airborne dot drifted higher； circling our hideout； spiraling inward。 It wobbled suddenly。
〃Yeah。 Taken。 Whisper or Journey？〃
〃Good to see old friends；〃 Goblin said as he joined us。
We had not seen the Taken since reaching the Plain。 Before that they had been in our hair constantly； having pursued us all the four years it had taken us to get here from Juniper。
They are the Lady's satraps； her understudies in terror。 Once there were ten。 In the time of the Domination； the Lady and her husband enslaved the greatest of their contemporaries； making them their instruments： the Ten Who Were Taken。 The Taken went into the ground with their masters when the White Rose defeated the Dominator four centuries ago。 And they arose with the Lady； two turns of the et back。 And in fighting among themselves…for some remained loyal to the Dominator…most perished。
But the Lady obtained new slaves。 Feather。 Whisper。 Journey。 Feather and the last of the old ones； the Limper； went down at Juniper； when we overcame the Dominator's bid for his own resurrection and afterwards。 Two are left。 Whisper。 Journey。
The flying carpet wobbled because it had reached the boundary where Darling's null was enough to overpower its buoyancy。 The Taken turned away； falling outward； got far enough to recover plete control。 〃Pity it didn't e straight in；〃 I said。 〃And e down like a rock。〃
〃They're not stupid；〃 Goblin said。 〃They're just scouting us now。〃 He shook his head； shuddered。 He knew something I did not。 Probably something learned during his venture outside the Plain。
〃Campaign heating up？〃 I asked。
〃Yep。 What're you doing； bat…breath？〃 he snapped at One…Eye。 〃Pay attention。〃
The little black man was ignoring the Taken。 He stared at the wild wind…carved bluffs south of us。
〃Our job is to stay alive；〃 One…Eye said； so smug you knew he had something to get Goblin's goat。 〃That means don't get distracted by the first flashy show you see。〃
〃What the hell does that mean？〃
〃Means while the rest of you are eyeballing that clown up there another one sneaked up behind the bluffs and put somebody down。〃
Goblin and I glared at the red cliffs。 We saw nothing。
〃Too late；〃 One…Eye said。 〃It's gone。 But I reckon somebody should go collect the spy。〃
I believed One…Eye。 〃Elmo！ Get over here。〃 I explained。
〃Beginning to move；〃 he murmured。 〃Just when I was hoping they'd forgotten us。〃
〃Oh； they haven't；〃 Goblin said。 〃They most certainly haven't。〃 Again I felt he had something on his mind。
Elmo scanned the ground between us and the bluffs。 He knew it well。 We all do。 One day our lives may depend on our knowing it better than someone hunting us。 〃Okay；〃 he told himself。 〃I see it。 I'll take four men。 After I see the Lieutenant。〃
The Lieutenant does not e up for alerts。 He and two other men camp in the doorway to Darling's quarters。 If ever the enemy reaches Darling； it will be over their bodies。
The flying carpet went away westward。 I wondered why it had gone unchallenged by the creatures of the Plain。 I went to the menhir that had spoken to me earlier。 I asked。 Instead of answering； it said； 〃It begins； Croaker。 Mark this day。〃
〃Yeah。 Right。〃 And I do call that day the beginning； though parts of it started years before。 That was the day of the first letter； the day of the Taken； and the day of Tracker and Toadkiller Dog。
The menhir had a final remark。 〃There are strangers on the Plain。〃 It would not defend the various flyers for not resisting the Taken。
Elmo returned。 I said； 〃The menhir says we might have more visitors。〃
Elmo raised an eyebrow。 〃You and Silent have the next two watches？〃
〃Yep。〃
〃Be careful。 Goblin。 One…Eye。 e here。〃 They put their heads together。 Then Elmo picked four youngsters and went hunting。
Chapter Six：THE PLAIN OF FEAR
I went up top for my watch。 There was no sign of Elmo and his men。 The sun was low。 The menhir was gone。 There was no sound but the voice of the wind。
Silent sat in shadow inside a reef of thousand…coral； dappled by sunlight e through twisted branches。 Coral makes good cover。 Few of the Plain's denizens dare its poisons。 The watch is always in more danger from native exotica than from our enemies。
I twisted and ducked between deadly spines； joined Silent。 He is a long； lean； aging man。 His dark eyes seemed focused on dreams that had died。 I deposited my weapons。 〃Anything？〃
He shook his head； a single miniscule negative。 I arranged the pads I had brought。 The coral twisted around us； branches and fans climbing twenty feet high。 We could see little but the creek crossing and a few dead menhirs； and the walking trees on the far slope。 One tree stood beside the brook； taproot in the water。 As though sensing my attention； it began a slow retreat。
The visible Plain is barren。 The usual desert life…lichens and scrub brush； snakes and lizards； scorpions and spiders； wild dogs and ground squirrels…is present but scarce。 You encounter it mainly when that is inconvenient。 Which sums up Plain life generally。 You encounter the real strangeness only when that is most inopportune。 The Lieutenant claims a man trying to mit suicide here could spend years without being unfortable。
The predominant colors are reds and browns； rust； ochre； blood… and wine…shaded sandstones like the bluffs； with here and there the random stratum of orange。 The corals lay down scattered white and pink reefs。 True verdance is absent。 Both walking trees and scrub plants have leaves a dusty gre
