ggk.asongforarbonne-第37节

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　within　your　anger；　hide　away　from　everyone　you　know；　down　here　in　Arbonne；　and　forget　such　painful　things？　Be　honest　with　yourself；　what　is　my　sin；　Blaise？〃
　　Lisseut；　flat　on　the　wall；　screened　by　the　leaves　of　the　plane　tree　with　a　bird　now　silent　in　the　branches　above；　heard　what　she　should　not　have　heard　and　felt　her　hands　beginning　to　tremble。　This　was　too　raw；　too　profoundly　private；　and　she　was　sorry　now　that　she　had　e。　She　was　spying　on　this　garden　exactly　like　one　of　the　evil；　envious　audrades　who　spied　on　the　lovers　in　all　the　dawnsongs；　bent　on　ruin　and　malice。　The　steady；　quiet　splashing　of　the　fountain　was　the　only　sound　for　a　long　time。　There　were　usually　fountains　in　the　songs；　too。
　　When　Blaise　next　spoke　it　was；　surprisingly；　in　Arbonnais。　〃If　I　am　honest　with　myself　and　with　you；　I　will　say　that　there　are　only　two　people　on　earth；　one　man　and　one　woman；　it　seems　I　cannot　deal　with；　and　you　are　linked　with　both　of　them　now；　not　just　the　one。　It　makes　things　。。。　difficult。〃　He　took　a　deep　breath。　〃I'm　not　going　to　leave　Arbonne。　Among　other　things；　it　would　seem　an　admission　of　a　guilt　I　do　not　bear。　I　will　wait　until　morning　before　I　report　to　the　appropriate　people　who　it　was　who　shot　that　arrow。　You　should　have　no　trouble　being　out　to　sea　on　one　of　your　father's　ships　before　that。　I'll　take　my　chances　here。〃
　　The　other　man　took　a　step　forward　into　the　full　light　of　the　candles　on　the　table　and　the　torches。　There　was　no　levity　or　guile　in　his　face　now。　〃We　have　been　friends　a　long　time　and　have　been　through　a　great　deal　together。　If　we　are　enemies　now　I　will　be　sorry　for　it。　You　might　even　make　me　regret　taking　this　contract。〃
　　Blaise　shrugged。　〃It　was　a　great　deal　of　money。　My　father　tends　to　get　what　he　wants。　Did　you　ever　ask　yourself　why；　of　all　possible　assassins　in　the　six　countries；　he　hired　the　one　who　had　been　my　closest　friend？
　　Rudel's　face　slowly　changed　as　he　thought　about　this。　Lisseut　saw　it　happen　in　the　glow　of　the　light。　He　shook　his　head。　〃Truly？　Would　that　have　been　it？　I　never　even　thought　of　that。〃　He　laughed　softly　again；　but　without　any　amusement　now。　〃With　my　pride；　I　simply　assumed　he'd　judged　me　the　best　of　all　of　us。〃
　　〃He　was　buying　a　friend　I　had　made　for　myself　in　the　world　away　from　home；　away　from　him。　Be　flattered…he　decided　your　price　would　be　very　high。〃
　　〃High　enough；　though　I　confess　I'm　less　happy　now　than　I　was　a　moment　ago。　Tell　me　one　thing；　though。　I　think　I　do　know　why　you　left　us　all　and　came　away　by　yourself；　but　why　stay　now？　What　has　Arbonne　done　to　buy　you　and　hold　you？　What　was　Bertran　de　Talair　that　you　will　cast　your　lot　in　this　way？〃
　　Blaise　shrugged　again。　〃It　has　done　nothing；　really。　Certainly　not　to　buy　me。　I　don't　even　like　it　here；　truthfully。　Too　much　goddess　for　me；　as　you　might　have　guessed。〃　He　shifted　a　little；　from　one　foot　to　the　other。　〃But　I　have　a　contract　of　my　own；　just　as　you　did。　I'll　wrap　that　up　as　honestly　as　I　can；　and　then　see　where　I　end　up。　I　don't　think　I'm　casting　any　lots；　really。〃
　　〃Then　think　again；　Blaise。　Think　harder。　If　your　father　was　sending　a　message　to　the　world　by　killing　the　duke　of　Talair　what　shall　we　take　that　message　to　be？　What　is　Gorhaut　telling　us　all？　My　father　says　there　is　a　war　ing；　Blaise。　If　it　es；　I　think　Arbonne　is　doomed。〃
　　〃It　is　possible；〃　said　Blaise　of　Gorhaut；　as　Lisseut　felt　the　colour　leaving　her　face。　〃As　I　say；　I　will　see　where　I　am　in　a　little　while。〃
　　〃There　is　nothing　I　can　do　for　you？〃
　　Lisseut　heard　a　tired　amusement　in　Blaise's　voice。　〃Don't　let　the　wine　make　you　sentimental；　Rudel。　I　am　going　to　report　you　as　an　assassin　at　sunrise。　You　had　best　begin　making　your　own　plans。〃
　　The　other　did　not　move。　〃There　is　one　thing；〃　he　said　slowly；　as　if　to　himself。　He　hesitated。　〃The　factors　in　all　of　the　Correze　branch　houses　will　be　sent　a　letter　from　me　ordering　them　to　receive　and　conceal　you　should　the　need　ever　arise。〃
　　〃I　will　not　go　to　them。〃
　　It　was　Rudel's　turn　to　sound　amused。　〃That　much　is　out　of　my　control。　I　can　take　no　responsibility　for　your　pride。　But　the　letter　will　be　written。　I　take　it　you　are　leaving　your　money　with　us？〃
　　〃But　of　course；〃　said　Blaise。　〃With　whom　else　should　I　trust　it？〃
　　〃Good；〃　said　Rudel　Correze。　〃The　one　thing　my　father　most　hates　is　investors　withdrawing　their　accounts。　He　would　have　been　deeply　unhappy　with　me。〃
　　〃I　would　regret　being　the　cause　of　such　unhappiness。〃
　　Rudel　smiled。　〃If　I　had　not　seen　you；　Blaise；　I　should　be　an　extravagantly　pleased　man　tonight；　flushed　with　my　great　success。　I　might　even　go　out　and　join　the　Carnival。　Instead　I　am　rendered　curiously　sad　and　forced　to　take　a　night　voyage；　which　never　agrees　with　my　digestion。　What　sort　of　a　friend　are　you？〃
　　〃One　who　is　not　an　enemy；　at　any　rate。　Be　careful；　Rudel。〃
　　〃And　you。　That　Arimondan　will　kill　you　if　he　can。〃
　　〃I　know。　If　he　can。〃
　　There　was　a　silence。　〃A　message　for　Lucianna？〃
　　〃None　at　all。　The　god　guard　you；　Rudel。〃
　　Blaise　took　a　step　forward　and　the　two　men　clasped　hands。　For　a　moment　Lisseut　thought　they　would　embrace　but　they　did　not。　She　moved　silently　back　along　the　wall；　felt　below　in　darkness　with　her　feet　for　the　wooden　crate　and　slipped　down　into　the　odours　of　the　alleyway。　She　heard　the　rats　again　as　she　moved　quickly　back　towards　the　street。　As　she　left　the　alley；　she　picked　up　her　mask；　discarded　on　the　street；　and　put　it　on。　She　wanted　some　sort　of　barrier　between　herself　and　the　world　just　then；　and　what　she　still　wanted；　even　more　than　before；　was　a　quiet　time　and　a　clear　head　that　would　let　her　think。
　　She　didn't　think　she　was　going　to　get　either　tonight。　She　went　back　down　the　empty　street　away　from　the　square　at　the　top；　past　the　massive　iron　doors　that　were　the　entrance　to　what　she　now　knew　was　the　Arbonnais　palace　of　the　House　of　Correze。　She　knew　the　name；　of　course。　Everyone　knew　the　name。　She　had　stumbled　into　something　very　large　and　she　didn't　know　what　to　do。
　　A　little　further　down　she　came　to　the　arched　doorway　she'd　watched　from　before；　when　Blaise　went　down　the　alley。　She　slipped　back　into　it；　looking　out　from　behind　the　elongated　eye…slits　of　her　mask。
　　She　didn't　have　long　to　wait。　Blaise　of　Gorhaut　came　striding　out　of　the　alleyway　a　few　moments　later。　He　stopped　in　the　street　and　looked　up　at　the　stern；　square　tower　of　Mignano。　She　knew　why　now；　she　knew　more　than　she　should；　or　even　wanted　to　know：　Mignano　was　controlled　by　the　Delonghi　family；　it　had　been　for　a　great　many　years；　and　the　only　daughter　of　Massena　Delonghi　was　a　woman　named　Lucianna；　twice　married；　twice　widowed　prematurely。
　　Three　times　married；　she　corrected　herself。　To　Count　Borsiard　d'Andoria　now。　She　wondered；　briefly；　why　a　man　of　power　and　means　would　marry　her；　knowing　her　family's　ambition；　knowing　her　own　reputation。　She　was　said　to　be　very　beautiful。　How　much　could　beauty　excuse　or　pel？　Blaise　had　turned　away　from　the　tower　and　was　ing　back　down　the　street；　walking　quickly。　The　lantern　light　burnished　his　hair　again；　and　the　full　beard。
　　She　didn't　know；　until　the　moment　she　actually　called　his　name；　that　she　was　going　to　do　so。　He　stopped；　a　hand　moving　swiftly　to　his　sword；　then　wavering　before　it　dropped　to　his　side。　A　woman's　voice；　he　wouldn't　fear　a　woman。
　　Lisseut　came　out　from　her　archway　into　the　light。　Her　mask　was　on。　She　reached　up　and　removed　it；　the　makeshift　coiling　she'd　done　with　her　hair　came　undone　as　she　did；　and　she　felt　the　tangled　tendrils　ing　down　about　her　face。　She　could　imagine　what　she　looked　like。
　　〃Ah；〃　he　said。　〃The　singer。〃　Some　surprise　in　his　voice；　not　a　great　deal。　Not　a　great　deal　of　interest；　either。　At　least　he　recognized　her。　〃You　are　a　long　way　from　the　Carnival　here。　Do　you　want　an　escort　back　to　where　there　will　be　people？〃
　　His　tone　was　courteous　and　detached；　a　coran　of　the　god　doing　his　sworn　duty　by　someone　in　need。　It　hadn't　even　occurred　to　him　why　she　was　here；　she　realized。　She　was　merely　an　Arbonnais　female；　presumably　in　need　of　assistance。
　　Her　mother　had　always　said　she　did　too　many　things　on　impulse　and　that　it　would　cost　her　one　day。　It　already　had；　more　than　once。　It　was　probably　about　to　do　so　again；　she　thought；　even　as　she　opened　her　mouth。
　　〃I　followed　you；〃　she　said。　〃I　was　on　the　garden　wall　under　the　plane　tree。　I　heard　what　you　both　said；　you　and　Rudel　Correze。　I'm　trying　to　decide　what　to　do　about　it。〃
　　She　was　briefly　gratified　at　the　level　of　astonishment　that　showed　in　his　face；　even　behind　the　beard…as　much　a　screen　in　its　own　way　as　all　the　masks　were　tonight。　The　feeling　didn't　last　long。　It　was　entirely　possible；　she　realized；　that　he　might　kill　her　now。　She　didn't　think　so；　but　it　was　possible。
　　She　braced　herself　for　his　fury。　She　thought；　in　the　uncertain　light；　that　she　saw　it　e；　a　lifted　head；　a　narrowed　gaze　upon　her。　He　had　stabbed　Remy；　she　remembered。　He　had　killed　six　men　by　Lake　Dierne。　His　hands　remained　still；　though。　She　saw　him　working　out　implications；　surprise　and　anger　giving　way　to　a　flatly　professional　appraisal。　He　was　quick　to　control　himself；　had　she　not　watched　him　earlier　in　the　garden　spilling　wine　in　response　to　a　woman's　name　spoken　s