osc.am2.redprophet-第10节

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　　〃The　land　is　with　me；　Brother。　I'm　the　face　of　the　land；　the　land　is　my　breath　and　blood。〃
　　〃Then　I　will　hear　your　heartbeat　in　the　pulse　of　the　wind；〃　said　Lolla…Wossiky。
　　〃I　will　drive　the　White　man　back　into　the　sea；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　In　answer；　Lolla…Wossiky　began　to　weep；　not　drunken　weeping；　but　the　dry；　heavy　sobs　of　a　man　burdened　down　with　grief。　Ta…Kumsaw　tried　to　tighten　his　embrace；　but　his　brother　pushed　him　away　and　staggered　off；　still　carrying　the　keg；　into　the　darkness　and　the　trees。
　　Ta…Kumsaw　did　not　follow　him。　He　knew　why　his　brother　was　grieving：　because　the　land　had　filled　Ta…Kumsaw　with　power；　power　enough　to　stand　among　the　drunken　Whites　and　seem　as　invisible　as　a　tree。　And　Lolla…Wossiky　knew　that　by　rights　whatever　power　Ta…Kumsaw　had；　Lolla…Wossiky　should　have　had　ten　times　that　power。
　　But　the　White　man　had　stolen　it　from　Lolla…Wossiky　with　murders　and　likker；　until　Lolla…Wossiky　wasn't　man　enough　to　have　the　redbird　learn　his　song　or　the　land　fill　up　his　heart。
　　Never　mind；　never　mind；　never　mind。
　　The　land　has　chosen　me　to　be　its　voice；　and　so　I　must　begin　to　speak。　I　will　no　longer　stay　here；　trying　to　shame　the　wretched　drunks　who　have　already　been　killed　by　their　thirst　for　the　White　man's　poison。　I　will　give　no　more　warnings　to　White　liars。　I　will　go　to　the　Reds　who　are　still　alive；　still　men；　and　gather　them　together。　As　one　great　people　we　will　drive　the　White　man　back　across　the　sea。
　　
　　
　　Chapter　3　　De　Maureas
　　
　　Frederic；　the　young　te　de　Maurepas；　and　Gilbert；　the　aging　Marquis　de　La　Fayette；　stood　together　at　the　railing　of　the　canal　barge；　looking　out　across　Lake　Irrakwa。　The　sail　of　the　Marie…Philippe　was　plainly　visible　now；　they　had　been　watching　for　hours　as　it　came　closer　across　this　least　and　lowest　of　the　Great　Lakes。
　　Frederic　could　not　remember　when　he　had　last　been　so　humiliated　on　behalf　of　his　nation。　Perhaps　the　time　when　Cardinal　What's…his…name　had　tried　to　bribe　Queen　Marie…Antoinette。　Oh　but　of　course　Frederic　had　only　been　a　boy；　then；　a　mere　twenty…five　years　old；　callow　and　young；　without　experience　of　the　world。　He　had　thought　that　no　greater　humiliation　could　e　to　France　than　to　have　it　known　that　a　cardinal　would　actually　believe　that　the　Queen　could　be　bribed　with　a　diamond　necklace。　Or　bribed　at　all；　for　that　matter。　Now；　of　course；　he　understood　that　the　real　humiliation　was　that　a　French　cardinal　would　be　so　stupid　as　to　suppose　that　bribing　the　Queen　was　worth　doing；　the　most　she　could　do　was　influence　the　King；　and　since　old　King　Louis　never　influenced　anybody；　there　you　were。
　　Personal　humiliation　was　painful。　Humiliation　of　one's　family　was　much　worse。　Humiliation　of　one's　social　standing　was　agony　to　bear。　But　humiliation　of　one's　nation　was　the　most　excruciating　of　human　miseries。
　　Now　here　he　stood　on　a　miserable　canal　barge；　an　American　canal　barge；　tied　at　the　verge　of　an　American　canal；　waiting　to　greet　a　French　general。　Why　wasn't　it　a　French　canal？　Why　hadn't　the　French　been　the　first　to　engineer　those　clever　locks　and　build　a　canal　around　the　Canadian　side　of　the　falls？
　　〃Don't　fume；　my　dear　Frederic；〃　murmured　La　Fayette。
　　〃I'm　not　fuming；　my　dear　Gilbert。〃
　　〃Snorting；　then。　You　keep　snorting。〃
　　〃Sniffing。　I　have　a　cold。〃　Canada　certainly　was　a　repository　for　the　dregs　of　French　society；　Frederic　thought　for　the　thousandth　time。　Even　the　nobility　that　ended　up　here　was　embarrassing。　This　Marquis　de　La　Fayette；　a　member　of　the　no；　a　founder　of　the　Club　of　the　Feuillants；　which　was　almost　the　same　as　saying　he　was　a　declared　traitor　to　King　Charles。　Democratic　twaddle。　Might　as　well　be　a　Jacobin　like　that　terrorist　Robespierre。　Of　course　they　exiled　La　Fayette　to　Canada；　where　he　could　do　little　harm。　Little　harm；　that　is；　except　to　humiliate　France　in　this　unseemly　manner
　　〃Our　new　general　has　brought　several　staff　officers　with　him；〃　said　La　Fayette；　〃and　all　their　luggage。　It　makes　no　sense　to　disembark　and　make　the　miserable　portage　in　wagons　and　carriages；　when　it　can　all　be　carried　by　water。　It　will　give　us　a　chance　to　bee　acquainted。〃
　　Since　La　Fayette；　in　his　normal　crude　way　（disgrace　to　the　aristocracy！）；　insisted　on　being　blunt　about　the　matter　at　hand；　Frederic　would　have　to　stoop　to　his　level　and　speak　just　as　plainly。　〃A　French　general　should　not　have　to　travel　on　foreign　soil　to　reach　his　posting！〃
　　〃But　my　dear　Frederic；　he'll　never　set　foot　on　American　soil；　now；　will　he！　Just　boat　to　boat；　on　water　all　the　way。〃
　　La　Fayette's　simper　was　maddening。　To　make　light　of　this　smudge　on　the　honor　of　France。　Why；　oh；　why　couldn't　Frederic's　father　have　remained　in　favor　with　the　king　just　a　little　longer；　so　Frederic　could　have　stayed　in　France　long　enough　to　win　promotion　to　some　elegant　posting；　like　Lord　of　the　Italian　March　or　something　　did　they　have　such　a　posting？　　anyway；　somewhere　with　decent　food　and　music　and　dancing　and　theatre　　ah；　Moliere！　In　Europe；　where　he　could　face　a　civilized　enemy　like　the　Austrians　or　the　Prussians　or　even　　though　it　stretched　the　meaning　of　the　word　civilized　　the　English。　Instead　here　he　was；　trapped　forever　　unless　Father　wormed　his　way　back　into　the　King's　favor　　facing　a　constant　ragtag　invasion　of　miserable　uneducated　Englishmen；　the　worst；　the　utter　dregs　of　English　society；　not　to　mention　the　Dutch　and　Swedes　and　Germans　　oh；　it　did　not　bear　thinking　about。　And　even　worse　were　the　allies！　Tribes　of　Reds　who　weren't　even　heretics；　let　alone　Christians　　they　were　heathen；　and　half　the　military　operation　in　Detroit　consisted　of　buying　those　hideous　bloody　trophies
　　〃Why；　my　dear　Frederic；　you　really　are　taking　a　chill；〃　said　La　Fayette。
　　〃Not　a　bit。〃
　　〃You　shivered。〃
　　〃I　shuddered。〃
　　〃You　must　stop　pouting　and　make　the　best　of　this。　The　Irrakwa　have　been　very　cooperative。　They　provided　us　with　the　governor's　own　barge；　free　of　charge；　as　a　gesture　of　goodwill。〃
　　〃The　governor！　The　governor？　You　mean　that　fat　hideous　red…skinned　heathen　woman？〃
　　〃She　can't　help　her　red　skin；　and　she　isn't　heathen。　In　fact　she's　a　Baptist；　which　is　almost　like　being　Christian；　only　louder。〃
　　〃Who　can　keep　track　of　these　English　heresies？〃
　　〃I　think　there's　something　quite　elegant　about　it。　A　woman　as　governor　of　the　state　of　Irrakwa；　and　a　Red　at　that；　accepted　as　the　equal　of　the　governors　of　Suskwahenny；　Pennsylvania；　New　Amsterdam；　New　Sweden；　New　Orange；　New　Holland〃
　　〃I　think　sometimes　you　prefer　those　nasty　little　United　States　to　your　own　native　land。〃
　　〃I　am　a　Frenchman　to　the　heart；〃　said　La　Fayette　mildly。　〃But　I　admire　the　American　spirit　of　egalitarianism。〃
　　Egalitarianism　again。　The　Marquis　de　La　Fayette　was　like　a　pianoforte　that　had　but　a　single　key。　〃You　forget　that　our　enemy　in　Detroit　is　American。〃
　　〃You　forget　that　our　enemy　is　the　horde　of　illegal　squatters；　no　matter　what　nation　they　e　from；　who　have　settled　in　the　Red　Reserve。〃
　　〃That's　a　quibble。　They're　all　Americans。　They　all　pass　through　New　Amsterdam　or　Philadelphia　on　their　way　west。　So　you　encourage　them　here　in　the　east　　they　all　know　how　much　you　admire　their　anti…monarchist　philosophy　　and　then　I　have　to　pay　for　their　scalps　when　the　Reds　massacre　them　out　west。〃
　　〃Now；　now；　Frederic。　Even　in　humor；　you　mustn't　accuse　me　of　being　anti…monarchist。　M。　Guillotin's　clever　meat…slicing　machine　awaits　anyone　convicted　of　that。〃
　　〃Oh；　do　be　serious；　Gilbert。　They'd　never　use　it　against　a　marquis。　They　don't　cut　off　the　heads　of　aristocrats　who　propound　these　insane　democratic　ideas。　They　just　send　them　to　Quebec。〃　Frederic　smiled　　he　couldn't　resist　driving　home　the　nail。　〃The　ones　they　really　despise；　they　send　to　Niagara。〃
　　〃Then　what　in　the　world　did　you　do　　to　get　sent　to　Detroit？〃　murmured　La　Fayette。
　　More　humiliation。　Would　it　never　end？
　　The　Marie…Philippe　was　near　enough　for　them　to　see　individual　sailors　and　hear　them　shouting　as　the　ship　made　its　final　tack　into　Port　Irrakwa。　The　lowest　of　the　Great　Lakes；　Irrakwa　was　the　only　one　that　could　be　visited　by　oceangoing　vessels　　the　Niagara　Falls　saw　to　that。　In　the　last　three　years；　since　the　Irrakwa　finished　their　canal；　almost　all　the　shipping　that　needed　to　be　transported　past　the　falls　into　Lake　Canada　came　to　the　American　shore　and　was　taken　up　the　Niagara　Canal。　The　French　portage　towns　were　dying；　an　embarrassing　number　of　Frenchmen　had　moved　across　the　lake　to　live　on　the　American　side；　where　the　Irrakwa　were　only　too　happy　to　put　them　to　work。　And　the　Marquis　de　La　Fayette；　supposedly　the　supreme　governor　of　all　Canada　south　and　west　of　Quebec；　didn't　seem　to　mind　at　all。　If　Frederic's　father　ever　got　back　into　King　Charles's　good　graces；　Frederic　would　see　to　it　that　La　Fayette　was　the　first　aristocrat　to　feel　the　Guillotin　knife。　What　he　had　done　here　in　Canada　was　plain　treason。
　　As　if　he　could　read　Frederic's　mind；　La　Fayette　patted　his　shoulder　and　said；　〃Very　soon；　now；　just　be　patient。〃　For　a　moment　Frederic　thought；　insanely；　that　La　Fayette　was　calmly　prophesying　his　own　execution　for　treason。
　　But　La　Fayette　was　merely　talking　about　the　fact　that　at　last　the　Marie…Philippe　was　near　enough　to　heave　a