ggk.thelionsofal-rassan-第69节

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　　When　the　doctor　from　the　forts　was　done；　he　ordered　the　room　cleared　of　all　but　one　of　the　queen's　ladies。　He　spoke　now　with　the　authority　of　a　man　who　had　assumed　mand　of　a　situation。　More　diffidently；　he　then　asked　permission　to　speak　in　private　with　the　king。　Ines　watched　them　withdraw　to　an　adjacent　room。　She　closed　her　eyes　and　slept。
　　
　　〃Will　she　live？〃　King　Ramiro　was　blunt。　He　spoke　as　soon　as　the　door　was　closed　behind　them。
　　The　doctor　was　equally　direct。　〃I　will　not　know　until　later　tonight；　my　lord　king。〃　He　pushed　a　hand　through　his　untidy；　straw…colored　hair。　〃The　poison　ought　to　have　been　countered　immediately。〃
　　〃Why　did　you　suspect　it？〃
　　〃The　degree　of　swelling；　my　lord；　and　the　absence　of　any　feeling　in　her　feet　and　hands。　A　simple　arrow　wound　ought　not　to　have　caused　such　responses。　I　have　seen　enough　of　those；　Jad　knows。　And　then　I　smelled　it　on　the　arrow。〃
　　〃How　did　you　know　to　do　what　you　did？〃
　　There　was　a　hesitation；　for　the　first　time。　〃My　lord；　since　being　assigned　the　great　honor　of　serving　in　the　tagra　forts；　I　have　used　the　。。。　proximity　to　Al…Rassan　to　obtain　the　writings　from　some　of　their　physicians。　I　have　made　a　course　of　study；　my　lord。〃
　　〃The　Asharite　doctors　know　more　than　we？〃
　　〃About　most　things；　my　lord。　And　。。。　the　Kindath　know　even　more；　in　many　matters。　In　this　instance；　I　was　schooled　by　certain　writings　of　a　Kindath　physician；　a　man　of　Fezana；　my　lord。〃
　　〃You　can　read　the　Kindath　script？〃
　　〃I　have　taught　myself；　my　lord。〃
　　〃And　this　text　told　you　how　to　identify　and　deal　with　this　poison？　What　to　administer？〃
　　〃And　how　to　make　it。　Yes；　my　lord。〃　Another　hesitation。　〃There　is　one　thing　more；　my　lord　king。　The　reason　I　wished　to　speak　with　you　alone。　About　the　。。。　source　of　this　evil　thing。〃
　　〃Tell　me。〃
　　The　doctor　from　the　tagra　forts　did　so。　He　was　asked　an　extremely　precise　question　and　answered　it。　He　then　received　his　king's　permission　to　return　to　the　queen。　Ramiro　of　Valledo　remained　alone　in　that　adjoining　room　for　some　time；　however；　dealing　with　a　rising　fury　and　ing；　quite　swiftly　after　long　indecision；　to　a　clear　resolution。
　　In　such　a　fashion；　very　often；　had　the　course　and　destiny　of　nations　both　lesser　and　greater　than　Valledo　been　shaped　and　devised。
　　
　　The　doctor　gave　Ines　his　pound　one　more　time。　He　explained　that　the　body　expelled　it　more　swiftly　than　the　poison　it　fought。　Painful　as　it　was；　the　substance　was　the　only　thing　that　might　save　her。　The　queen　nodded　her　understanding；　and　drank。
　　Again　she　swam　towards　oblivion；　but　it　wasn't　quite　so　bad　this　time。　She　always　knew　where　she　was。
　　In　the　middle　of　the　night　her　fever　broke。　The　king　was　dozing　in　an　armchair　by　the　bed；　the　lady…in…waiting　on　a　pallet　by　the　fire。　The　doctor；　unsleeping；　was　attending　upon　her。　When　she　opened　her　eyes　his　harsh　features　seemed　beautiful　to　her。　He　reached　for　her　good　hand　and　pinched　it。
　　〃Yes；〃　the　queen　said。　The　doctor　smiled。
　　When　King　Ramiro　woke　it　was　to　see　his　wife　gazing　at　him　by　the　light　of　several　candles。　Her　eyes　were　clear。　They　looked　at　each　other　for　a　long　time。
　　〃I　had　a　sun　disk；　at　one　point；〃　she　said　finally；　a　pale　whisper；　〃but　what　I　also　remember；　when　I　remember　anything；　is　you　beside　me。〃
　　Ramiro　moved　to　kneel　beside　the　bed。　He　looked　a　question　across　it　at　the　physician；　whose　fatigue　was　now　evident。
　　〃I　believe　we　have　passed　through　this；〃　the　man　said。　The　long；　unfortunate　face　was　creased　by　a　smile。
　　Ramiro　said；　huskily；　〃Your　career　is　made；　doctor。　I　do　not　even　know　your　name；　but　your　life　is　made　by　this。　I　was　not　ready　to　let　her　go。〃　He　looked　back　at　his　queen；　his　wife；　and　repeated　softly；　〃I　was　not　ready。〃
　　Then　the　king　of　Valledo　wept。　His　queen　lifted　her　good　hand；　hesitated　a　moment；　and　then　lowered　it　to　stroke　his　hair。
　　
　　Earlier　that　same　night；　as　King　Ramiro　lingered　by　the　bedside　of　his　queen；　harsh　words　had　been　exchanged　at　dinner　by　the　men　of　the　Valledan　court　with　those　who　served　King　Sanchez　of　Ruenda。　Accusations；　savage　and　explicit；　were　levelled。　Swords　were　drawn　in　the　castle　hall。
　　Seventeen　men　died　in　the　fighting　there。　Only　the　courageous　intervention　of　the　three　clerics　from　Ferrieres；　striding　unarmed　and　bare…headed　into　the　midst　of　a　bloody　melee；　their　sun　disks　held　high；　prevented　worse。
　　It　was　remembered；　afterwards；　that　the　party　from　Jalona　had　dined　by　themselves　that　evening；　conspicuously　absent　from　the　scene　of　the　affray；　as　if　anticipating　something。　Wholesale　slaughter　among　the　courtiers　of　the　other　two　kings　could　only　be　of　benefit　to　King　Bermudo；　it　was　agreed　sourly。　Some　of　the　Valledans　offered　darker　thoughts；　but　there　was　nothing　to　substantiate　these。
　　In　the　morning　Bermudo　of　Jalona　and　his　queen　sent　a　herald　to　King　Ramiro　with　a　formal　leavetaking　and　their　prayers　for　the　survival　of　the　queen…word　was；　she　had　not　yet　passed　to　the　god。　Then　they　rode　towards　the　rising　sun　with　all　their　pany。
　　The　king　and　queen　and　surviving　courtiers　of　Ruenda　had　already　left…in　the　middle　of　the　night；　after　the　fighting　in　the　hall。　Stealing　guiltily　away　like　horse　thieves；　some　of　Ramiro's　courtiers　said；　though　the　more　pragmatic　noted　that　they　had　been　on　Valledan　ground　here　and　in　real　peril　of　their　lives。　It　was　also　pointed　out；　by　some　of　the　most　level…headed；　that　hunting　accidents　were　a　fact　of　life；　and　that　Queen　Ines　was　far　from　the　first　to　be　wounded　in　this　fashion。
　　A　majority；　however；　among　the　courtiers　of　Valledo　were　ready　to　pursue　the　Ruendan　party　west　along　the　Duric's　banks　as　soon　as　the　word　was　given…but　the　constable　gave　no　such　order；　and　the　king　was　still　closeted　with　his　queen　and　her　new　physician。
　　Those　who　attended　upon　them　reported　that　the　queen　appeared　much　improved…that　she　was　likely　to　survive。　There　was；　however；　a　new　report　that　poison　had　been　used　on　the　arrow。
　　All　things　considered；　King　Ramiro's　ensuing　behavior…it　was　three　days　before　he　showed　his　face　outside　the　queen's　bedchamber　or　the　adjoining　room；　which　he　used　as　a　temporary　counsel　chamber…was　viewed　as　erratic　and　even　unmanly。　It　was　clearly　time　to　order　a　pursuit　of　the　Ruendan　party　before　they　reached　the　nearest　of　their　own　forts。　Notwithstanding　the　presence　of　the　clerics；　there　was　enough；　surely；　to　suggest　that　Ruendan　fingers　had　drawn　that　bow；　and　holy　Jad　knew　that　revenge　needed　little　excuse　in　Esperana。
　　Among　other　things；　it　had　e　to　light　by　then…no　one　was　certain　how…that　King　Sanchez　had　had　the　audacity　to　draft　a　letter　asserting　authority　over　and　demanding　tribute　from　Fezana。　That　letter　had　not；　apparently；　been　sent　yet…winter　had　barely　ended；　after　all…but　rumor　of　the　demand　was　rife　in　Carcasia　in　the　days　following　the　Ruendan　departure。　The　city　of　Fezana　paid　parias　to　Valledo　and　every　person　in　the　castle　knew　the　implications　of　a　counter…demand。
　　It　was　also　pointed　out　by　observant　men　that　King　Sanchez　himself…known　to　be　one　of　the　finest　archers　in　the　three　kingdoms…had　been　conspicuously　errant　with　his　own　arrows　for　the　two　days　before　the　morning　of　falconry。　Could　that　unwonted　inpetence　have　been　a　screen？　A　deliberate　contrivance；　in　the　event　someone　did　trace　a　lethal　arrow　back　to　him？
　　Had　the　arrow　been　meant　for　his　brother？　Had　those　days　of　poor　shooting　produced　a　last　aberrant　flight　when　a　true　one　had　finally　been　intended？　It　would　not；　the　most　cynical　found　themselves　thinking；　necessarily　have　been　the　first　time　one　of　the　sons　of　Sancho　the　Fat　had　slain　another。　No　one　voiced　that　particular　thought；　however。
　　The　untimely　death　of　Raimundo；　the　eldest　son；　was　not　something　that　could　yet　be　forgotten。　It　was　remembered　that　among　a　grimly　silent　gathering　of　courtiers　that　day　long　ago；　the　hard　questions　raised　by　young　Rodrigo　Belmonte；　Raimundo's　constable；　had　been　specific；　shocking。
　　Ser　Rodrigo　was　far　away　now；　exiled　among　the　infidels。　His　well…born　wife　and　young　sons　had；　in　fact；　been　invited　to　be　among　the　Valledan　pany　here；　but　Miranda　Belmonte　d'Alveda　had　declined；　pleading　distance　and　responsibilities　in　the　absence　of　her　lord。　De　Chervalles；　the　cleric　from　Ferrieres；　had　expressed　some　disappointment　at　this　news　when　it　came。　He　was　said　to　be　a　connoisseur　of　women　and　Ser　Rodrigo's　wife　was　a　celebrated　beauty。
　　Jad　alone　knew　what　the　Captain　would　have　said　and　done　today　had　he　been　here。　He　might　have　told　the　king　this　injury　to　the　queen　was　the　god's　punishment　for　Ramiro's　own　evildoing　years　ago。　Or　he　might　as　easily　have　pursued　the　king　of　Ruenda…alone；　if　necessary…and　brought　his　head　back　in　a　sack。　Rodrigo　Belmonte　had　never　been　an　easy　man　to　anticipate。
　　Neither　was　Ramiro　of　Valledo；　mind　you。
　　
　　When　the　king　finally　emerged　from　his　meetings　with　Geraud　de　Chervalles　and　Count　Gonzalez　and　a　number　of　his　military　captains　anticipation　ran　wild　in　Carcasia。　Finally；　they　might　be　going　after　the　Ruendan　scum。　The　provocation　was　there：　even　the　clerics　could　be　made　to　see　that。　It　was　past　time　for　Valledo　to　move　west。
　　No