gc.shadowslinger-第11节

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ng　so；　but　that　much　was　obvious。　The　Lady　definitely　anticipated　a　breakout　attempt。
　　I　spent　my　free　time　reviewing　the　Guard's　records；　especially　for　the　period　when　Bomanz　lived　here。　He　spent　forty　years　in　the　garrison　town；　disguised　as　an　antique　digger；　before　he　tried　to　contact　the　Lady　and　unintentionally　freed　her。　He　interested　me。　But　there　was　little　to　dig　out；　and　that　little　was　colored。
　　Once　I'd　had　his　personal　papers；　having　stumbled　onto　them　shortly　before　Whisper's　Taking。　But　I　passed　them　on　to　our　then　mentor　Soulcatcher　for　transportation　to　the　Tower。　Soulcatcher　kept　them　for　her　own　reasons；　and　they　fell　into　my　hands　again；　during　the　battle　at　Charm；　as　the　Lady　and　I　pursued　the　renegade　Taken。　I　didn't　mention　the　papers　to　anyone　but　a　friend；　Raven。　The　Raven；　who　deserted　to　protect　a　child　he　believed　to　be　the　reincarnation　of　the　White　Rose。　When　I　got　a　chance　to　pick　up　the　papers　from　where　I　hid　them；　they　were　gone。　I　guess　Raven　took　them　with　him。
　　I　often　wonder　what　became　of　him。　His　declared　intent　was　to　flee　so　far　no　one　could　find　him　again。　He　did　not　care　about　politics。　He　just　wanted　to　protect　a　child　he　loved。　He　was　capable　of　doing　anything　to　protect　Darling。　I　guess　he　thought　the　papers　might　turn　into　insurance　someday。
　　In　the　Guard　headquarters　there　are　a　dozen　landscapes　painted　by　past　members　of　the　garrison。　Most　portray　the　Barrowland。　It　was　magnificent　in　its　day。　It　had　consisted　of　a　central　Great　Barrow　on　a　north…south　axis；　containing　the　Dominator　and　his　Lady。　Surrounding　the　Great　Barrow　was　a　star　of　earth　raised　above　the　plain；　outlined　by　a　deep；　water…filled　moat。　At　the　points　of　that　star　stood　lesser　barrows　containing　five　of　The　Ten　Who　Were　Taken。　A　circle　rising　above　the　star　connected　its　inward　points；　and　there；　at　each；　stood　another　barrow　containing　another　Taken。　Every　barrow　was　surrounded　by　spells　and　fetishes。　Within　the　inner　ring；　around　the　Great　Barrow；　were　rank　on　rank　of　additional　defenses。　The　last　was　a　dragon　curled　around　the　Great　Barrow；　its　tail　in　its　mouth。　A　later　painting　by　an　eyewitness　shows　the　dragon　belching　fire　on　the　countryside　the　night　of　the　Lady's　resurrection。　Bomanz　is　walking　into　the　fire。
　　He　was　caught　between　Resurrectionists　and　the　Lady；　all　of　whom　were　manipulating　him。　His　accident　was　their　premeditated　event。　The　records　say　his　wife　survived。　She　said　he　went　into　the　Barrowland　to　stop　what　was　happening。　No　one　believed　her　at　the　time。　She　claimed　he　carried　the　Lady's　true　name　and　wanted　to　reach　her　with　it　before　she　could　wriggle　free。
　　Silent；　One…Eye　and　Goblin　will　tell　you　the　direst　fear　of　any　sorcerer　is　that　knowledge　of　his　true　name　will　fall　to　some　outsider。　Bomanz's　wife　claimed　the　Lady's　was　encoded　in　papers　her　husband　possessed。　Papers　that　vanished　that　night。　Papers　that　I　recovered　decades　later。　What　Raven　snatched　may　contain　the　only　lever　capable　of　dumping　the　empire。
　　Back　to　the　Barrowland　in　its　youth。　Impressive　construction。　Its　weather　faces　were　sheathed　in　limestone。　The　moat　was　broad　and　blue。　The　surrounding　countryside　was　park…like。　。　。　。　But　fear　of　the　Dominator　faded；　and　so　did　appropriations。　A　later　painting；　contemporary　with　Bomanz；　shows　the　countryside　gone　to　seed；　the　limestone　facings　in　disrepair；　and　the　moat　being　a　swamp。　Today　you　can't　tell　where　the　moat　was。　The　limestone　has　disappeared　beneath　brush。　The　elevations　and　barrows　are　nothing　but　humps。　That　part　of　the　Great　Barrow　where　the　Dominator　lies　remains　in　fair　shape；　though　it；　too；　is　heavily　overgrown。　Some　of　the　fetishes　anchoring　the　spells　keeping　his　friends　away　still　stand；　but　weather　has　devoured　their　features。
　　The　edge　of　the　Barrowland　is　now　marked　by　stakes　trailing　red　flags；　put　there　when　the　Lady　announced　she　was　sending　outsiders　to　investigate。　The　Guards　themselves；　having　lived　there　always；　need　no　markers　to　warn　them　off。　　I　enjoyed　my　month　and　a　half　there。　I　indulged　my　curiosities；　and　found　Feather　and　Whisper　remarkably　accessible。　
　　That　hadn't　been　true　of　the　old　Taken。　Too；　the　mander　of　the　Guard；　called　the　Monitor；　bragged　up　his　mand's　past；　which　stretches　back　as　far　as　the　pany's。　We　swapped　lies　and　tales　over　many　a　gallon
of　beer。
　　During　the　fifth　week　someone　discovered　something。　We　peons　were　not　told　what。　But　the　Taken　got　excited。　Whisper　started　lifting　in　more　of　the　pany。　The　reinforcements　told　harrowing　fables　about　the　Plain　of　Fear　and　the　Empty　Hills。　The　pany　was　at　Lords　now；　only　five　hundred　miles　distant。
　　At　the　end　of　the　sixth　week　Whisper　assembled　us　and　announced　another　move。　〃The　Lady　wants　me　to　take　some　of　you　out　west。　A　force　of　twenty…five。　Elmo；　you'll　be　in　mand。　Feather　and　I；　some　experts；　and　several　language　specialists　will　join　you。　Yes；　Croaker。　You're　on　the　list。　She　wouldn't　deny　her　favorite　amateur　historian；　would　she？〃
　　A　thrill　of　fear。　I　didn't　want　her　getting　interested　again。
　　〃Where're　we　headed？〃　Elmo　asked。　Professional　to　the　core；　the　son…of…a…bitch。　Not　a　single　plaint。
　　〃A　city　called　Juniper。　Way　beyond　the　western　bounds　of　the　empire。　It's　connected　with　the　Barrowland　somehow。　It's　a　ways　north；　too。　Expect　it　to　be　cold　and　prepare　accordingly。〃
　　Juniper？　Never　heard　of　it。　Neither　had　anyone　else。　Not　even　the　Monitor。　I　scrounged　through　his　maps　till　I　found　one　showing　the　western　coast。　Juniper　was　way　up　north；　near　where　the　ice　persists　all　year　long。　It　was　a　big　city。　I　wondered　how　it　could　exist　there；　where　it　should　be　frozen　all　the　time。　I　asked　Whisper。　She　seemed　to　know　something　about　the　place。　She　said　Juniper　benefits　from　an　ocean　current　that　brings　warm　water　north。　She　said　the　city　is　very　strange…according　to　Feather；　who'd　actually　been　there。
　　I　approached　Feather　next；　only　hours　before　our　departure。　She　couldn't　tell　me　much　more；　except　that　Juniper　is　the　demense　of　a　Duke　Zimerlan；　and　he　appealed　to　the　Lady　a　year　ago　（just　a　while　before　the　Captain's　courier　letter　would　have　left　Charm）　for　help　solving　a　local　problem。　That　someone　had　approached　the　Lady；　when　the　world's　desire　is　to　keep　her　far　away；　argued　that　we　faced　interesting　times。　I　wondered　about　the　connection　with　the　Barrowland。
　　The　negative　was　that　Juniper　was　so　far　away。　I　was　pleased　that　I　would　be　there　when　the　Captain　learned　he　was　expected　to　head　there　after　resting　in　Oar；　though。
　　Could　be　I'd　hear　his　howl　of　outrage　even　from　that　far。　I　knew　he　wouldn't　be　happy。
　　　
　　　Chapter　Thirteen：　JUNIPER：　THE　ENCLOSURE
　　
　　Shed　slept　badly　for　weeks。　He　dreamt　of　black　glass　walls　and　a　man　who　hadn't　been　dead。　Twice　Raven　asked　him　to　join　a　night　hunt。　Twice　he　refused。　Raven　did　not　press；　though　they　both　knew　Shed　would　jump　if　he　insisted。　Shed　prayed　that　Raven　would　get　rich　and　disappear。　He　remained　a　constant　irritant　to　the　conscience。
　　Damnit；　why　didn't　Krage　go　after　him？
　　Shed　couldn't　figure　why　Raven　remained　unperturbed　by　Krage。　The　man　was　neither　a　fool　nor　stupid。　The　alternative；　that　he　wasn't　scared；　made　no　sense。　Not　to　a　Matron　Shed。　Asa　remained　on　Krage's　payroll；　but　visited　regularly；　bringing　firewood。　By　the　wagonload；　sometimes。　〃What're　you　up　to？〃　Shed　demanded　one　day。　　〃Trying　to　build　credit；〃　Asa　admitted。　Krage's　guys　don't　like　me　much。〃
　　〃Hardly　anybody　does；　Asa。〃
　　〃They　might　try　something　nasty。　。。。〃
　　〃Want　a　place　to　hide　when　they　turn　on　you；　eh？　What're　you　doing　for　Krage？　Why　is　he　bothering　with　you？〃
　　Asa　hemmed　and　hawed。　Shed　pushed。　Here　was　a　man　he　could　bully。　〃I　watch　Raven；　Shed。　I　report　what　he　does。〃
　　Shed　snorted。　Krage　was　using　Asa　because　he　was　expendable。　He'd　had　two　men　disappear　early　on。　Shed　thought　he　knew　where　they　were。　　Sudden　fear。　Suppose　Asa　reported　Raven's　night　adventures？　Suppose　he'd　seen　Shed。　。　。　。
　　Impossible。　Asa　couldn't　have　kept　quiet。　Asa　spent　his　life　looking　for　leverage。
　　〃You've　been　spending　a　lot　lately；　Asa。　Where　are　you　getting　the　money？〃
　　Asa　turned　pale。　He　looked　around；　gobbled　a　few　times。　〃The　wood；　Shed。　Selling　the　wood。〃
　　〃You're　a　liar；　Asa。　Where're　you　getting　it？〃
　　〃Shed；　you　don't　ask　questions　like　that。〃
　　〃Maybe　not。　But　I　need　money　bad。　I　owe　Krage。　I　almost　had　him　paid　off。　Then　he　started　buying　my　little　debts　from　everybody　else。　That　damned　Gilbert！　。。。　I　need　to　get　ahead　enough　so　I　don't　have　to　borrow　again。〃
　　The　black　castle。　Two　hundred　twenty　pieces　of　silver。　How　he　had　been　tempted　to　attack　Raven。　And　Raven　just　smiled　into　the　wind；　knowing　exactly　what　he　was　thinking。　〃Where're　you　getting　that　money；　Asa？〃
　　〃Where　did　you　get　the　money　you　paid　Krage？　Huh？　People　are　wondering；　Shed。　You　don't　e　up　with　that　kind　of　money　overnight。　Not　you。　You　tell　me　and　I'll　tell　you。〃　Shed　backed　down。　Asa　beamed　in　triumph。
　　〃You　little　snake。　Get　out　before　I　lose　my　temper。〃　　Asa　fled。　He　looked　back　once；　face　knotted　thoughtfully。　Damnit；　Shed　thought。　Made　him　suspicious。　He　ground　his　rag　into　a　tacky　mug。
　　〃What　was　that？〃
　　Sh