ggk.asongforarbonne-第75节

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　　Galbert　de　Garsenc　had　stipulated　that　his　younger　son　follow　him　into　the　clergy　of　Corannos。　It　was　not　a　matter　for　discussion；　what　the　High　Elder　wanted；　he　was　accustomed　to　receive。　Blaise's　repeated　flights　as　a　boy　from　the　chapel　school　near　Cortil；　his　silent　endurance　of　the　whippings　he　was　given；　both　at　home　by　Galbert's　heavy　hand　and　again　when　he　returned　to　the　Elders；　and　then　his　obdurate；　absolute　refusal　to　speak　the　vows　of　consecration　when　he　turned　sixteen　had　represented　a　colossal　thwarting　of　the　High　Elder's　carefully　laid　plans。
　　They　had　tried　to　starve　him　into　submitting　to　the　vows…on　his　father's　orders。　Blaise　had　never　forgotten　those　weeks。　He　woke　sometimes　in　the　night　remembering　them。　Even　today　pangs　of　hunger　made　him　panic　irrationally；　and　he　could　not　lash　a　man。
　　Would　your　mother　have　made　a　difference？　Signe　de　Barbentain　had　asked　the　first　night　he　met　her。　He　didn't　know。　He　would　never　know。　No　man；　with　only　the　one　life　to　live；　could　answer　such　a　question。　He　remembered　learning；　when　still　a　small　boy；　not　to　cry　because　there　was　no　one　in　the　world　who　would　e　with　fort　if　he　did。　The　brethren　in　the　chapel　school　were　terrified　of　his　father；　none　dared　offer　succour　to　the　unworthy；　ingrate　son。　Not　ever。　Once；　in　Garsenc；　Ranald　had　slipped　into　Blaise's　room　at　night　with　a　salve　for　his　brother's　lacerated　back。　In　the　morning；　when　Galbert　saw　the　healing　ointment　he　had　whipped　Ranald　and　then　Blaise　a　second　time。　Ranald　never　tried　to　intervene　in　his　punishments　after　that。　Blaise　could　have　stopped　running　away。　He　could　have　taken　the　vows　they　demanded　of　him。　Neither　possibility　ever　occurred　to　him；　not　even　as　options　to　be　considered。　When　it　became　clear　that　Blaise　would　die　of　starvation　before　he　broke　in　this；　Galbert　calmly　proposed　to　have　him　publicly　executed　for　his　disobedience。　It　was　King　Duergar　himself；　being　aware　of　this　savage　family　drama　playing　itself　out；　who　had　forbidden　that　execution；　who　had　insisted　on　food　and　drink　being　brought　for　the　starving　boy；　and　it　was　Duergar　who　accepted　the　sworn　fealty　of　a　gaunt；　silent；　hollow…eyed　sixteen…year…old　one　month　later；　and　named　him　a　coran　of　Gorhaut。
　　Duke　Ereibert　de　Garsenc；　doughty　and　hoar；　had　died　childless　when　his　two　nephews　were　twenty…one　and　nineteen；　his　stern　mastery　in　war　allowing　him　to　outface　lifelong　rumours　about　his　lack　of　heirs。　Ranald　inherited。　He　withdrew；　of　necessity；　from　his　position　as　King's　Champion　and　became　duke　of　Garsenc　instead；　lord　of　the　richest；　most　powerful　estates　in　Gorhaut。　Blaise　should　by　then　have　been；　by　his　father's　careful　designs；　firmly　placed　in　the　hierarchy　of　the　god's　brotherhood；　ready　for　a　smooth　ascent　all　the　way　to　the　ultimate　station　Galbert　held；　as　High　Elder　of　Corannos；　with　kings　and　princes　subject　to　his　fiat。　The　Garsenc　family　should　have　been　poised　for　generations　of　power　in　Gorhaut…the　country　held　as　if　between　the　paws　of　the　rampant　bear　that　was　on　their　escutcheon…whomever　might　nominally　have　been　sitting　on　the　throne。
　　Ranald　would　have　sons　to　succeed　him　at　Garsenc　and　to　follow　Blaise　into　the　clergy；　there　would　be　daughters　to　bind　other　families　with　the　hoops　of　marriage　vows。　And　eventually；　perhaps　not　so　far　in　the　future；　there　might　be　even　more　than　all　of　this…there　might　be　the　throne　itself。　A　Garsenc　ruling　in　Cortil；　and　the　borders　of　Gorhaut　itself　stretching　all　the　time；　though　first…first　of　all　things；　of　course…reaching　across　the　mountain　passes　to　the　south；　to　Arbonne；　where　they　were　godless　and　heretical；　ruled　by　women　and　womanish　men　steeped　in　their　blood…soaked　rites。
　　Blaise　had　known　almost　all　of　this　from　very　early　in　his　life。　He　had　been　the　one　Galbert　talked　to　when　the　boys　were　young。　There　had　been　a　brief　time　when　he　hadn't　understood　why　that　was　so；　and　then　a　longer　period　when　he'd　felt　sorry　for　Ranald。　It　had　all　been　long　ago。　
　　
　　〃Boots；〃　said　Rudel。
　　Blaise　lifted　first　his　left　leg　and　then　his　right。　
　　〃All　right；〃　said　Valery。　Blaise　stood　up；　and　Rudel　reached　around　his　waist　and　buckled　on　the　long；　Aulensburg…forged　sword　in　its　plain　soldier's　scabbard。　From　the　table　he　hefted　the　light　helmet。　Blaise　took　it　from　him　and　set　it　on　his　head。　Valery　was　waiting　with　the　round；　unornamented　shield。　Blaise　took　that　too。　
　　〃Where　do　you　want　your　knives？〃　Valery　asked。　
　　〃One　for　the　belt。　I　have　the　other。〃　Valery　asked　no　further　questions；　neither　did　Rudel。　They；　too；　had　both　been　through　this　before。　Rudel；　his　face　and　manner　sober；　lifted　a　sleek　black　knife　from　the　trunk　beside　the　tent　flap　and　handed　it　to　Blaise。
　　Blaise　smiled　briefly　at　him。　〃Do　you　remember？　You　gave　me　this　one？〃
　　Rudel　made　a　quick；　warding　sign。　〃I　did　no　such　thing。　I　found　it　for　you。　You　paid　me　a　copper　piece　for　it。　We　don't　give　knives　as　gifts；　you　ignorant　northerner。〃
　　Blaise　laughed。　〃Forgive　me。　I　forgot　that　you　are　a　superstitious　Portezzan　farmer　at　heart。　However　did　you　get　permission　to　leave　your　hoe　in　the　vineyards　to　travel　among　men　of　rank？〃
　　A　frivolous　gibe；　not　worthy　of　a　response　and　receiving　none；　for　the　trumpets　sounded　then。
　　Valery　and　Rudel　moved　to　stand　on　either　side　of　the　tent　flaps。　The　tradition　was　for　the　squires　to　say　nothing　at　this　time；　farewells　of　any　sort　were　thought　to　be　invitations　to　fate。　Blaise　knew　this。　He　looked　at　each　of　them　and　smiled。　He　was　still　calm；　but　there　was　a　slight　telltale　acceleration　to　his　pulsebeat　now；　as　silence　settled　like　a　bird　to　a　branch　outside。
　　He　nodded；　and　Valery　and　Rudel　each　drew　back　a　flap　of　the　tent。　He　stepped　past　the　two　of　them；　ducking　his　head；　and　he　came　out　into　sunshine　and　the　green　grass　of　the　battleground。
　　Quzman　of　Arimonda　was　the　first　person　he　saw；　standing　at　the　entrance　to　his　own　tent　on　the　far　side　of　the　field。　A　banner　was　flying　behind　him：　three　black　bulls　on　a　crimson　field。　Blaise　registered　the　curved　sword　worn　across　the　Arimondan's　back　in　the　western　fashion；　and　he　saw　the　polished　golden　shield。　He　glanced　east　to　check　and　remember　the　angle　of　the　rising　sun；　that　shield　could　blind　him　if　the　Arimondan　used　it　to　catch　and　throw　back　the　light。　Blaise　was　aware；　but　only　as　background；　of　excited；　rapacious　murmurs　ing　from　all　around　them。　A　death　challenge　was　the　keenest　sport　there　was。
　　The　trumpets　sounded　again；　briefly；　and　Blaise　turned　towards　the　central　pavilion　as　the　herald　of　Arbonne　stepped　forward。　He　was　aware　that　his　heart　was　beating　even　more　rapidly　now；　but　not　from　anticipation　of　the　battle；　not　yet。　There　was　something　still　to　e；　before　the　fighting。
　　The　herald's　rich　voice　rolled　out；　sonorously　naming　the　most　illustrious　of　those　assembled　there。　Blaise　saw　King　Daufridi　of　Valensa　sitting　next　to　the　countess；　his　bearded　features　unreadable；　betraying　nothing　more　than　idle；　polite　interest。
　　〃To　my　left；〃　cried　the　herald　at　last；　his　trained　voice　carrying　effortlessly　over　the　grass　and　the　densely　packed　pavilions；　〃stands　Quzman　di　Perno　of　Arimonda；　prepared　to　lay　his　life　before　Corannos　and　Rian　in　this　matter　of　his　family's　honour。〃　He　paused。　Blaise　drew　a　breath。　It　had　e。　〃All　right；〃　he　said　to　the　two　men　behind　him。　〃Do　it。〃　He　didn't　look　back；　but　as　the　herald　of　Arbonne　turned　towards　him　he　heard　the　rustle　and　flap　of　two　banners　being　run　up　to　fly　above　his　tent；　and　a　moment　later　there　came；　truly　like　the　roaring　of　sea　surf　in　wind；　a　swelling　of　sound　that　nearly　drowned　the　herald's　urgently　rising　voice。
　　〃To　my　other　hand；〃　the　herald　proclaimed；　〃equally　prepared　to　defend　the　honour　of　his　name；　stands　Blaise　de　Garsenc　of　Gorhaut；　who　here　lays　claim　before　this　assembled　gathering　of　the　six　nations　and　upon　this　holy　field　where　the　god　and　goddess　are　judges　of　honour　and　worth；　to　the　crown　of　the　Kingdom　of　Gorhaut；　falsely　now　held　by　traitorous　Ademar！〃
　　People　were　on　their　feet；　the　herald　was　shouting　now。　〃En　Blaise　has　also　declared　that　this　bat；　freely　entered　into　by　him　against　a　felon　so　proclaimed　by　the　countess　of　Arbonne；　shall　serve　as　a　warrant　for　the　worth　of　his　claim；　and　he　willingly　lays　his　life　at　hazard　before　you　all　in　this　moment　of　asserting　his　right　to　that　same　crown。〃
　　The　last　was　scarcely　heard　over　the　thunder　of　noise　from　the　pavilions　and　the　standing　grounds　on　the　other　side。　It　didn't　matter　whether　the　herald　was　audible　or　not。　The　banners　told　the　story。　Blaise　turned　slowly…it　was　all　theatre　now；　all　symbol；　until　the　killing　began…and　he　nodded　his　head；　as　an　equal　to　his　equals；　to　Signe　de　Barbentain　and　then　to　Daufridi　of　Valensa。　And　the　countess　of　Arbonne　rose；　in　the　presence　of　her　people　and　those　gathered　from　the　other　countries　of　the　world；　and　gestured　to　Blaise　with　an　extended　hand　in　wele；　equal　to　equal。　There　was　screaming　now。　Blaise　ignored　it。　He　waited。　One　long　moment；　then　another；　and　finally；　the　hairs　rising　on　the　back　of　his　neck；　he　saw　Daufridi　stand。　Tall　and　proud；　the　king　of　Valensa　turned　to　left　and　right；　not　hurrying；　a　master　of　moments　su