amc.masterharperofpern-第78节

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　　　〃I'll　take　him　myself。〃　He　stepped　forward　to　grab　the　captain　by　the　arm。
　　　〃Release　my　captain！〃　cried　Fax；　shoving　a　rough　path　through　the　crowd。　He　caught　the　captain　by　the　arm　and　started　to　pull　him　away　from　C'gan；　glaring　menacingly　at　the　shorter　blue　rider。
　　　C'gan　had　his　knife　drawn　and；　though　he　was　much　lighter　than　his　would…be　captive；　his　outrage　provided　him　with　greater　strength：　he　did　not　relinquish　his　grip　on　the　murderer。
　　　〃Your　captain　has　just　killed　the　Weyrleader；〃　Tarathel　said；　every　bit　as　resolute　as　C'gan。
　　　〃Who　no　doubt　deserved　what　he　got；〃　Fax　said；　grinning　and　showing　his　teeth；　and　glancing　about　the　crowd　to　gauge　reactions。
　　　〃You　know　the　law　regarding　murder；　Fax；〃　Tarathel　replied。
　　　〃There　is　no　recourse　if　a　dragonrider　has　been　slain。　C'gan；　since　you　have。。。〃
　　　〃There's　been　no　trial；〃　Fax　said。
　　　〃Since　when　did　you　reinstate　trials？〃　Tarathel　said　ominously；　his　hand　going　to　his　knife　hilt。　〃I　am　Lord　Holder　here。　The　death　occurred　on　my　lands　and　at　my　Gather。　I　judge　your　man　guilty　of　unprovoked　attack：　first　against　my　son；　second　against　the　MasterHarper；　and　finally　and　most　outrageously　against　the　Benden　Weyrleader　…　an　attack　that　ended　in　murder。　For　either　of　the　two　second　counts；　he　merits　banishment。〃
　　　〃I　think　not；〃　Fax　said。　〃Release　him！〃
　　　Suddenly　there　were　other　men　ruthlessly　penetrating　the　crowd　and　stepping　up　to　Fax；　their　aggression　obvious　in　their　eyes　and　manner。　They　all　wore　Fax's　colours。　Tarathel's　eyes　widened　with　fury。
　　　〃No！〃　Robinton　cried；　gesturing　to　the　crowd。　Fax's　crew　might　be　armed　and　dangerous；　but　there　were　only　eight　of　them；　while　the　crowd　must　number　close　to　a　hundred。　〃Telgar。　Defend　your　Holder！〃
　　　With　a　roar　of　protest；　Fax　and　his　men　were　overwhelmed　by　those　around　him；　grabbing　at　their　arms　and　bodies　and　preventing　them　from　drawing　their　weapons。　Even　R'gul　and　S'lel　assisted　while　C'gan　somehow　tried　to　keep　a　firm　grip　on　the　murderer。　Suddenly　the　blue　rider　cried　for　assistance　as　the　man　sagged　and　collapsed；　a　dagger　through　one　eye。
　　　And　the　dragons　bellowed　with　triumph。
　　　One　look　at　the　hilt　of　that　slender　throwing　knife　and　Robinton　knew　who　had　cast　it。　He　marvelled　that　Nip　had　been　able　to　fling　it　so　accurately　through　the　milling　crowd。
　　　Fax　and　his　men　were　hurried　away　to　their　camp；　where　they　were　forced　to　pack　up。　A　force　of　fifty　willing　holders　and　crafters　assembled　to　escort　the　unwele　guests　all　the　way　back　to　their　borders。　Lord　Tarathel　supplied　food　and　runner…beasts　to　those　who　had　none。
　　　R'gul；　S'lel　and　the　other　dragonriders　took　the　body　of　their　dead　Weyrleader　back　to　Benden。　With　a　fresh　wound；　Robinton　was　prevented　by　the　Hold's　healer　from　acpanying　his　friend；　but　he　drummed　the　awful　message　to　every　Hold　and　Hall。　Only　when　he　had　pleted　that　task　could　he　rest。　Nip　slipped　into　Robinton's　guest　room　late　that　night；　rousing　the　MasterHarper　from　a　restless　sleep。
　　　〃Bad　wound？〃　Nip　asked　solicitously。
　　　〃Annoying；〃　Robinton　replied；　pulling　himself　carefully　up　in　the　bed　as　Nip　kindly　stuck　pillows　behind　him。　He　grimaced　at　the　pain　of　resettling　the　arm。　The　Hold's　healer　had　given　him　quite　a　lecture　on　the　stupidity　of　drumming　messages　with　an　arm　in　that　condition。　It　shouldn't　have　required　stitching　if　it　had　been　attended　to　immediately；　he　was　told　in　a　sour　voice。　So　he　had　endured　the　process；　well　fortified　by　a　hefty　fellis　draught。　〃Good　throw。〃
　　　〃You　saved　my　knife？　I'm　fond　of　that　blade。　Superb　balance；〃　said　Nip。
　　　〃Over　there　in　the　first　drawer；〃　Robinton　said；　nodding　to　the　chest　opposite　the　bed。　〃You'd　no　idea　what　Fax　had　planned？〃
　　　〃None。〃　Nip　shook　his　head　sadly　as　he　retrieved　his　knife。　〃You　may　be　sure　I　would　have　warned　you　had　I　had　any　idea。　It　must　have　been　planned　before　they　got　here。　I've　been　lurking〃　…　he　grinned　…　〃where　I　might　overhear　something　of　value。　My　personal　opinion　is　that　they　were　just　waiting　for　an　opportunity。　And　they　were　taking　no　chances。　I　saw　several　other　unlikely　pairs　…　a　lad　and　a　bruising　fighter　…　circulating　the　Gather。　Wondered　at　such　a　pairing　for　Fax's　men。　They　were　after　F'lon；　no　doubt　about　it。〃
　　　〃My　feeling；　too。　Shards；　they　may　have　been　planning　such　an　assault　since　the　last　Telgar　Gather　was　cancelled　when　Grogellan　died。〃　Robinton　sighed　heavily　and　reached　for　the　numbweed　salve。
　　　As　he　fumbled　with　the　sling　around　his　arm；　Nip　took　over　and；　with　unusually　gentle　fingers；　daubed　the　sewn　wound　with　the　salve。　The　relief　was　intense。
　　　〃Didn't　realize　Gifflen　got　you。〃
　　　〃Gifflen？
　　　〃That　was　the　man's　name。　I'd　marked　him　as　a　troublemaker。　He's　been　thrown　out　of　several　holds　and　his　apprentice　hall　for　provoking　fights　and　bullying。　He's　killed　often。　I　preferred　that　he　didn't　walk　away　from　this　one。〃
　　　Robinton　nodded　in　agreement。　〃More　would　thank　you　if　they　knew。　I　thank　you。〃
　　　〃Clever　of　you　to　shout　like　that。　Stirred　them　all　to　their　senses。〃
　　　Robinton　exhaled；　remembering。　〃We've　all　bee　soft；　you　know。　Letting　someone　else　take　the　blame　or　do　the　disagreeable。〃
　　　〃That's　why　Fax　controls　as　many　holds　as　he　does。〃　Nip's　tone　was　harsh。　〃Rob；　you've　got　to　shake　the　Lord　holders　awake　before　he　takes　another　one。〃
　　　〃I've　done　what　I　can。　Groghe's　training　men；　so　is　Oterel　and；　after　this；　Tarathel　will　be　wary。〃
　　　〃What　about　Kale　at　Ruatha？〃
　　　〃I　plan　to　see　him　on　my　way　back。〃
　　　〃How　soon　before　you　could　travel　a…dragonback？〃
　　　〃I　think　I've　lost　that　privilege。〃
　　　〃No。〃　Nip　shook　his　head。　〃Drum　C'gan。　He'll　e　any　time。　Too　bad　F'lon's　sons　aren't　a　little　older。〃
　　　Robinton　frowned。　〃I　haven't　had　a　chance　to　get　to　know　them；　not　as　I　did　their　father。　R'gul　keeps　the　Weyr　so　much　to　itself。　I　should　go。。。〃
　　　〃You　should　not。　You　should　get　to　Ruatha　Hold　as　fast　as　you　can。〃　Then　Nip　was　on　his　feet　and　at　the　door。　〃See　you。　I'll　be　in　touch。〃
　　　〃Nip；　where。。。〃　But　the　door　was　already　closing　silently　behind　the　man。
　　　Despite　the　fellis　and　the　numbweed；　it　took　Robinton　a　long　while　to　sleep　again。
　　　Tarathel　reluctantly　let　him　start　the　journey　back　to　the　Harper　Hall　two　days　later　when　an　equally　reluctant　Hold　Healer　permitted　it。　The　Lord　Holder　sent　six　men　as　escort。
　　　〃Don't　be　a　fool；　Master　Robinton；〃　Tarathel　said；　scowling。
　　　〃The　Hall　may　have　played　down　the　attacks　made　on　harpers　over　the　last　few　Turns；　but　that　doesn't　mean　they　aren't　known。　And　Gifflen's　attack　on　you　was　inexcusable。　I've　even　heard　that　Evenek　was　lured　to　Crom　at　Fax's　instigation；　so　he　could　make　him　an　example。〃　He　paused；　his　voice　being　more　gentle。　〃Did　Evenek　ever　play　again？〃
　　　〃He　can　play。　He'll　never　sing　again。〃
　　　〃Well；　then；〃　Tarathel　said；　stern　again；　〃you'll　travel　back　from　here　without　incident　and　as　I　deem　you　should　go　…　with　an　escort。〃　So　Robinton　accepted；　though　he　would　rather　have　travelled　on　his　own；　because　he　was　certain　that　the　men　would　have　orders　to　keep　to　a　reasonable　pace　in　deference　to　his　injury。
　　　There　was　nothing　reasonable　about　his　urgent　need　to　talk　sense　into　Kale。　He　wished　that　the　Ruathan　Holder　had　been　at　the　Gather；　but　his　spouse　had　recently　given　birth　to　a　son；　so　he　had　remained　at　his　Hold。　The　other　Lord　Holders　who　had　been　present　had　received　salutary　shocks：　the　murder　of　a　dragonrider；　an　attack　on　a　MasterHarper；　and　then　Fax's　rejection　of　Tarathel's　valid　judgment　on　the　assassin。　Robinton　was　sure　he　wasn't　the　only　one　who　had　trouble　remembering　that　such　a　word　…　assassin　…　existed　in　the　vocabulary。
　　　〃An　escort　is　necessary；　MasterHarper　Robinton；〃　Tarathel　said；　scowling。　〃It　is　bad　enough　that　you　were　attacked　at　all。　I　fear　a　man　so　lost　to　honour　as　Fax　has　proved　himself　would　not　hesitate　to　make　an　attempt　on　your　life　again　if　you　were　not　close…guarded。〃
　　　〃He　has　scarcely　had　time　to　return　to。。。〃　Robinton　paused。
　　　〃I　will　believe　anything　of　that　man　now；〃　said　Tarathel。　〃You'd　do　well　to　limit　your　wanderings；　MasterHarper；　or　ride　with　an　escort。〃
　　　〃Limit　my　wanderings？　That　I　cannot　in　conscience　do　…　not　now。〃
　　　〃Be　careful　then；　Robinton。〃　Tarathel　pressed　his　hand　warningly　against　Robinton's　uninjured　shoulder。　〃I've　put　one　of　my　best　runner…beasts　at　your　disposal。〃
　　　Robinton　thanked　the　Lord　Holder。。。　though　he　wasn't　so　sure　how　thankful　he　should　be　when　he　tried　to　mount　it。　Three　men　had　to　hold　the　black's　head。　Once　he　was　in　the　saddle；　the　animal　became　obedient。。。　at　least　to　Robinton。　No　one　on　foot　could　get　near　enough　to　hand　the　harper　his　saddlebags。　After　that；　his　gear　was　attached　to　the　saddle　when　the　runner　was　tacked　…　and　even　that　took　several　men。
　　　The　runner…beast　was；　however；　a　very　smooth…gaited；　powerful　creature　with　a　habit　of　charging　on　ahead；　so　that　Robinton's　escort　were　hard　put　to　keep　up　with　him。　Gradually；　he　got　the　trick　of　dealing　with　Big　Black　and　they　came　to　an　understanding　…　largely　encouraged　by　the　sweetener　which　Robinton　would