ggk.asongforarbonne-第14节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


w　how　to　protect　what　was　theirs。
　　Blaise　had　even　felt　a　carefully　concealed　satisfaction　when　Mallin　de　Baude；　after　a　week　of　watching　their　very　distinguished　and　equally　notorious　guest　charm　his　wife；　had　asked　his　hired　northern　mercenary　to　quietly　arrange　protection　for　Soresina's　rooms　during　En　Bertran's　last　night　in　Castle　Baude。　A　balding；　rumpled　poet　like　Evrard　was　one　thing；　evidently；　but　the　most　celebrated　nobleman　in　Arbonne　was　another。　Soresina's　manner　the　past　few　days　had　offered　proof　enough　of　that。
　　Blaise　had　accepted　the　assignment　and　arranged　to　post　Hirnan　outside　without　so　much　as　a　word　of　ment　or　a　flicker　of　expression　on　his　face。　The　truth　was；　he　liked　Mallin　de　Baude　and　would　have　thought　less　of　him　had　the　baron　been　oblivious　or　indifferent　to　the　nuances　that　had　been　shaped　since　de　Talair's　arrival　in　their　midst；　not　long　after　Evrard　had　departed　again。
　　Remarkably　enough；　amusingly　even；　everyone　in　Castle　Baude　seemed　to　have　been　happy　in　the　aftermath　of　the　raid　on　Rian's　Island。　In　part　because　virtually　no　one　knew　there　had　been　a　raid。　As　far　as　the　folk　of　the　castle　and　the　countryside　around　were　concerned；　all　they　knew…all　they　needed　to　know；　Mallin　had　stressed　repeatedly　to　Blaise　and　the　corans…was　that　Evrard　of　Lussan　had　reconsidered　his　position　and　had　returned　to　the　castle；　escorted；　by　pre…arrangement；　by　a　group　of　Mallin's　best　men　and　the　northern　mercenary　who　was　leading　and　training　them　that　season。
　　Hirnan　and　Maffour；　who　apparently　knew　Luth's　grandmother；　had　been　given　the　task　of　conveying　to　her　what　had　happened　to　the　hapless　coran。　They　returned　with　Maffour　grinning　wryly　and　Hirnan　shaking　his　big　head　in　bemusement：　far　from　being　distressed　at　her　loss；　the　woman　had　been　thrilled　by　their　tidings。　Her　grandson　serving　the　goddess　on　Rian's　Island　had　been　a　prophetic　dream　of　hers　years　ago；　the　two　corans　reported。　Blaise　had　lifted　his　eyebrows　in　disbelief；　he　was　clearly　not　going　to　be　able　to　understand　the　Arbonnais　for　a　long　time　yet；　if　ever。　Still；　the　woman's　attitude　was　useful；　an　outcry　of　loss　from　her　would　have　proven　embarrassing。
　　In　the　meantime；　Soresina's　public　reception　of　the　prodigal　poet　had　been　almost　touching　in　its　emotion。　〃There's　an　actress　in　that　one；〃　Maffour　had　whispered　drily　to　Blaise　as　they　stood　to　one　side　of　the　castle　forecourt　and　watched　the　young　baroness　kneel　and　then　rise　to　salute　the　troubadour　with　a　kiss　on　each　cheek　and　a　third　one　on　the　lips。
　　〃There　is　in　all　of　them；〃　Blaise　had　replied　out　of　the　side　of　his　mouth。　Nonetheless；　he　too　had　been　feeling　rather　pleased　that　morning；　a　sensation　that　continued　when　it　became　clear　that　although　Evrard　was　not　going　to　linger　in　Baude　Castle…no　one　really　wanted　him　to…he　seemed　to　have　accepted　his　abduction　with　a　good　humour　that　matched　Mallin's　own。
　　The　poet　offered　one　quickly…fashioned　verse　with　an　elaborately　strung…together　set　of　images　about　emerging　from　a　dark　cave；　drawn　upwards　by　a　glow　of　light　that　turned　out　to　be　the　radiance　of　Soresina　de　Baude。　He　used　another　name　for　her；　of　course；　but　the　same　one　as　it　had　been　all　along。　Everyone　knew　who　the　woman　was。　Everyone　was　happy。
　　The　troubadour　left　Baude　at　the　end　of　a　week　with　a　jingling　purse；　an　assuaged　self…esteem　and　a　more　than　slightly　enhanced　reputation。　No　one　in　Arbonne　would　know　exactly　what　had　transpired　in　this　remote　castle　in　the　highlands；　but　it　was　evident　that　Evrard　of　Lussan　had　somehow　been　wooed　back　by　the　baron　and　his　wife；　and　had　been　handsomely　rewarded　for　his　indulgence　of　their　earlier　errors。　Among　other　things；　the　power　of　the　troubadours；　both　in　their　person　and　through　their　satires　and　eniums；　had　been　subtly　augmented　by　the　enigmatic　sequence　of　events。　That　part　Blaise　didn't　much　like；　but　there　wasn't　anything　he　could　do　about　it；　and　this　wasn't　his　home　in　any　case。　It　shouldn't　matter；　he　told　himself；　what　follies　Arbonne　strayed　into；　or　continued　with。
　　The　corans　of　Baude　had　been　making　wagers　amongst　each　other　all　week…wagers　never　likely　to　be　settled　one　way　or　another…as　to　just　how　far　Soresina's　contrition　had　gone；　or　rather；　how　far　it　had　allowed　the　poet　to　go。　Blaise；　scrutinizing　the　woman　and　the　man　narrowly　on　the　morning　of　Evrard's　departure；　had　been　quite　certain　that　nothing　untoward　had　happened；　but　this　was　not　the　sort　of　thing　he　wagered　upon　or　talked　about；　and　he　kept　his　peace。　He　did　accept　an　additional　purse　from　Mallin　over　and　above　his　wages　that　month；　the　baron　was　so　caught　up　in　his　new　style　of　noble　largess　that　Blaise　actually　spent　part　of　a　morning　doing　calculations　and　then　musing　on　how　long　Mallin　was　going　to　be　able　to　sustain　this　sort　of　thing。　Rank　and　position　in　the　hierarchy　of　nobility　didn't　e　cheaply；　in　Arbonne　or　anywhere　else。　Blaise　had　wondered　if　the　baron　really　understood　all　the　implications　that　were　likely　to　arise　from　his　pursuit　of　status　in　the　world。
　　And　then；　about　ten　days　after　Evrard's　departure；　one　of　the　more　immediate　implications　had　arrived；　preceded　by　an　envoy　with　a　message　that　had　thrown　Baude　Castle　into　a　chaos　of　preparation。
　　At　the　top　of　the　dark　stairway　Blaise　shifted　his　seat　on　the　stone　bench。　It　would　be　nice；　he　thought　briefly；　to　have　a　beaker　of　wine　up　here；　not　that　he'd　ever　really　have　allowed　himself　such　an　indulgence。　He　knew　at　least　two　men　who　had　died；　drunken　and　asleep；　when　they　should　have　been　on　watch。　He　had；　as　it　happened；　killed　one　of　the　two　himself。
　　It　was　silent　in　the　castle；　he　felt　very　much　alone；　and　a　long　way　from　home。　An　unusual　feeling；　that　one：　home　hadn't　meant　much　to　him　for　a　long　time。　People　still　did；　though；　sometimes；　and　there　was　no　one　here　who　was　really　a　friend　yet；　or　likely　to　bee　one　in　the　time　he　was　allowing　himself　at　Castle　Baude。　He　wondered　where　Rudel　was　tonight；　what　country；　what　part　of　the　world。　Thinking　of　his　friend　led　him　back　to　the　cities　of　Portezza；　and　so；　inevitably　perhaps　in　the　silence　of　night　outside　a　woman's　rooms；　to　memories　of　Lucianna。　Blaise　shook　his　head。　Women；　he　thought。　Was　there　ever　one　born　to　be　trusted　since　the　world　was　made　？
　　And　that　thought；　not　a　new　one　for　him　this　year；　would　take　his　memories　straight　home　if　he　let　them；　to　his　brother　and　his　brother's　wife；　and　the　last　time…as　the　High　Priestess　of　Rian　had　somehow　known…he　had　lain　with　a　woman　in　love。　Or；　not　love。　The　priestess　had　known　that　too；　uncannily。　He　had　felt　shockingly　open　and　exposed　before　her　blindness　in　the　forest　that　night；　and　not　overly　proud；　after；　of　what　she　had　seen　in　him。　He　wondered　if　her　vision　was　deep　enough；　in　whatever　way　she　saw　such　things；　to　reach　back　to　roots　and　sources　and　an　understanding　of　why　men…and　women…did　the　things　they　did。
　　Blaise　wondered　if　he　himself　really　understood　the　events　of　that　short；　hopeless　attempt　to　return　home　four　months　ago。　It　had　been　pure　impulse　that　had　led　him　back；　or　so　he'd　thought　at　the　time；　bidding　farewell　to　Rudel　at　the　Gotzland　Pass　to　go　back　to　Gorhaut　and　his　family　home　for　the　first　time　in　almost　a　year。　What　was　a　country；　what　was　a　home？　He　looked　out　through　the　narrow　archer's　window。　The　blue　moon　was　high；　almost　full。　Escoran　they　named　it　in　Gorhaut…〃daughter　of　the　god〃…but　they　called　the　blue　moon　Riannon　here；　for　their　goddess。　There　was　a　power　to　naming　so；　a　choosing　of　alignments。　But　the　moon　was　the　same；　wasn't　it；　whatever　mortal　man　chose　to　call　it；　lending　her　strange；　elusive　light　to　the　landscape　east　of　the　castle？
　　Pale　Vidonne…which　bore　the　same　name　everywhere…wouldn't　rise　for　some　time　yet。　If　someone　were　actually　making　a　foray　from　outside；　climbing　up　to　the　window；　it　would　be　fairly　soon；　in　the　denser　shadows　while　the　blue　moon　rode　alone。　It　was　a　mild　night；　which　pleased　Blaise　for　Hirnan's　sake　outside。　It　was　unlikely　in　the　extreme　that　any　sane　man　would　actually　attempt　to　scale　the　outer　wall　of　the　castle　in　pursuit　of　a　seduction；　but　as　long　as　they　were　assigned　to　guard　duty　they　might　as　well　do　it　properly。　Blaise　had　had　that　attitude　to　things　as　a　boy；　and　nothing　in　his　adult　years　had　made　him　find　cause　to　change。
　　He　couldn't　see　Hirnan　down　below；　of　course；　but　the　moonlight　showed　the　hills　in　the　distance；　and　the　fields　where　the　lavender　would　soon　flower；　and　the　winding　road　that　climbed　from　them　up　to　the　castle。　Lavender　would　make　him　think　of　Lucianna　again　if　he　wasn't　careful。　Resolutely；　Blaise　turned　his　mind　to　the　task　at　hand；　to　where　he　now　was；　to　this　matter　of　Bertran　de　Talair；　with　all　its　implications。
　　On　a　bright；　windy　morning　seven　days　ago；　with　spring　fully　arrived　and　the　first　wildflowers　gleaming　in　the　sun　like　a　many…coloured　carpet　laid　down　for　royalty；　three　horses　had　been　seen　making　their　way　up　the　slow；　circuitous　path　to　the　castle　gates。　A　trumpet　blew　erratically　from　the　ramparts；　the　portcullis　was　raised　with　a　dangerous　celerity；　almost　maiming　one　of　the　men　handling　the　winches；　and　Blaise　had　assembled　with　the　corans　and　most　of　the　ho