the virgin of the sun-第54节

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you。〃

I　bowed；　and　after　a　little　silence　he　went　on：

〃Would　that　this　were　all　that　I　have　to　say。　But　alas！　it　is　not。　You
have　committed　the　great　sacrilege　against　the　Sun；　my　father；　of
which　I　warned　you；　having　robbed　him　of　his　bride；　and；　my　brother；
you　have　lied　to　me；　who　told　me　but　yesterday　that　you　had　put　all
thought　of　her　from　your　mind。〃

〃To　me　that　was　no　sacrilege；　Kari；　but　rather　a　righteous　deed；　to
free　one　from　the　bonds　of　a　faith　in　which　neither　she　nor　I　believe；
and　to　lead　her　from　a　living　tomb　back　to　life　and　love。〃

〃And　was　the　lie　righteous　also；　Brother？〃

〃Aye；〃　I　answered　boldly；　〃if　ever　a　lie　can　be。　Bethink　you。　You
prayed　that　this　lady　might　die　because　she　came　between　you　and　me；
and　those　that　kings　pray　may　die；　do　die；　if　not　with　their　knowledge
or　by　their　express　command。　Therefore　I　said　that　I　had　put　her　from
my　mind　in　order　that　she　might　go　on　living。〃

〃To　cherish　you　in　her　arms；　Brother。　Now　hearken。　Because　of　this
deed　of　yours；　we　who　were　more　than　friends　have　become　more　than
foes。　You　have　declared　war　upon　my　god　and　me；　therefore　I　declare
war　upon　you。　Yet　hearken　again。　I　do　not　wish　that　thousands　of　men
should　perish　because　of　our　quarrel。　Therefore　I　make　an　offer　to
you。　It　is　that　you　should　fight　me　here　and　now；　man　to　man；　and　let
the　Sun；　or　Pachacamac　beyond　the　Sun；　decide　the　matter　as　may　be
decreed。〃

〃Fight　/you！/　Fight　/you/　Kari；　the　Inca；〃　I　gasped。

〃Aye；　fight　me　to　the　death；　since　between　us　all　is　over　and　done。　In
England　you　nurtured　me。　Here　in　the　land　of　Tavantinsuyu；　which　I
rule　to…day；　I　have　nurtured　you；　and　in　my　shadow　you　have　grown
great；　though　it　is　true　that　had　it　not　been　for　your　generalship；
perchance　I　should　no　longer　be　here　to　throw　the　shadow。　Let　us
therefore　set　the　one　thing　against　the　other　and；　forgetting　all
between　us　that　is　past；　stand　face　to　face　as　foes。　Mayhap　you　will
conquer　me；　being　so　mighty　a　man　of　war。　Mayhap；　also；　if　that
chances；　my　people　who　look　upon　you　as　half　a　god　will　raise　you　up
to　be　Inca　after　me；　should　such　be　your　desire。〃

〃It　is　not；〃　I　broke　in。

〃I　believe　you；〃　he　answered；　bowing　his　head；　〃but　will　it　not　be　the
desire　of　that　fair…faced　harlot　who　has　betrayed　our　Lord　the　Sun？〃

At　this　word　I　started　and　bit　my　lip。

〃Ah！　that　stings　you；〃　he　went　on；　〃as　the　truth　always　stings；　and　it
is　well。　Understand；　White　Lord　who　were　once　my　brother；　that　either
you　must　fight　me　to　the　death；　or　I　declare　war　upon　you　and　upon　the
Chanca　people；　which　war　I　will　wage　from　month　to　month　and　from　year
to　year　until　you　are　all　destroyed；　as　destroyed　you　shall　be。　But
should　you　fight　and　should　the　Sun　give　me　the　victory；　then　justice
will　be　accomplished　and　I　will　keep　the　peace　that　I　have　sworn　with
the　Chanca　people。　Further；　should　you　conquer　me；　in　the　name　of　my
people　I　swear　that　there　shall　still　be　peace　between　them　and　the
Chancas；　since　I　shall　have　atoned　your　sacrilege　with　my　blood。　Now
summon　those　lords　of　yours　and　I　will　summon　mine；　and　set　out　the
matter　to　them。〃

So　I　turned　and　beckoned　to　my　captains；　and　Kari　beckoned　to　his。
They　came；　and　in　the　hearing　of　all；　very　clearly　and　quietly　as　was
his　fashion；　he　repeated　every　word　that　he　had　said　to　me；　adding　to
them　others　of　like　meaning。　While　he　spoke　I　thought；　not　listening
over…much。

This　thing　was　hateful　to　me；　yet　I　was　in　a　snare；　since　according　to
the　customs　of　all　these　peoples　I　could　not　refuse　such　a　challenge
and　remain　unshamed。　Moreover；　it　was　to　the　advantage　of　the　Chancas；
aye；　and　of　the　Quichuas　also；　that　I　should　not　refuse　it　seeing　that
whether　I　lived　or　died；　peace　would　then　reign　between　them　who
otherwise　must　both　be　destroyed　by　war。　I　remembered　how　once　Quilla
had　sacrificed　herself　to　prevent　such　a　war；　though　in　the　end　that
war　had　come；　and　what　Quilla　had　done；　should　I　not　do　also？　Weary
though　I　was　I　did　not　fear　Kari；　brave　and　swift　as　he　might　be；
indeed　I　thought　that　I　could　kill　him　and　perhaps　take　his　throne；
since　the　Quichuas　worshipped　me；　who　so　often　had　led　their　armies　to
triumph；　almost　as　much　as　did　the　Chancas。　ButI　could　not　kill
Kari。　As　soon　would　I　kill　one　born　of　my　own　mother。　Was　there　then
no　escape？

The　answer　rose　in　my　mind。　There　was　an　escape。　I　could　suffer　Kari
to　kill　me。　Only　if　I　did　this；　what　of　Quilla！　After　all　that　had
come　and　gone；　must　I　lose　Quilla　thus；　and　must　Quilla　lose　me？
Surely　she　would　break　her　heart　and　die。　My　plight　was　desperate。　I
knew　not　what　to　do。　Then　of　a　sudden；　while　I　wavered；　some　voice
seemed　to　whisper　in　my　ear；　I　thought　it　must　be　that　of　St。　Hubert。
It　seemed　to　say　to　me；　〃Kari　trusts　to　his　god；　cannot　you　trust　to
yours；　Hubert　of　Hastings；　you　who　are　a　Christian　man？　Go　forward；
and　trust　to　yours；　Hubert　of　Hastings。〃

Kari's　gentle　voice　died　away；　he　had　finished　his　speech　and　all　men
looked　at　me。

〃What　word？〃　I　said　roughly　to　my　captains。

〃Only　this；　Lord；〃　answered　their　spokesman；　〃Fight　you　must；　of　that
there　can　be　no　doubt；　but　we　would　fight　with　you；　the　ten　of　the
Chancas　against　the　ten　of　the　Quichuas。〃

〃Aye；　that　is　good；〃　replied　the　first　of　Kari's　nobles。　〃This
business　is　too　great　to　set　upon　one　man's　skill　and　strength。〃

〃Have　done！〃　I　said。　〃It　lies　between　the　Inca　and　myself；〃　while　Kari
nodded；　and　repeated　〃Have　done！〃　after　me。

Then　I　sent　one　of　the　captains　back　to　the　camp　for　my　sword　and　Kari
commanded　that　his　should　be　brought　to　him；　since　according　to　the
custom　of　these　people　when　ambassadors　meet；　neither　of　us　was　armed。
Presently；　the　captain　holding　my　sword　returned；　and　with　him
servants　who　brought　my　armour。　Also　after　them　streamed　all　the　army
of　the　Chancas　among　whom　the　news　had　spread　like　wind…driven　fire；
and　lined　themselves　upon　the　ridge　to　watch。　As　he　came；　too；　I
noticed　that　this　captain　sharpened　Wave…Flame　with　a　certain　kind　of
stone　that　was　used　to　give　a　keen　edge　to　weapons。

He　brought　the　ancient　weapon　and　handed　it　to　me　on　his　knee。　The
Inca's　man　also　brought　his　sword　and　handed　it　to　him；　as　he　did　so；
bowing　his　forehead　to　the　dust。　Well　I　knew　that　weapon；　since　once
before　I　had　faced　it　in　desperate　battle　for　my　life。　It　was　the
ivory…handled　sword　of　the　lord　Deleroy　which　Kari　had　taken　from　his
dead　hand　after　I　slew　him　in　the　Solar　of　my　house　in　the　Cheap　at
London。　Then　the　servant　came　to　me　with　the　armour；　but　I　sent　him
away；　saying　that　as　the　Inca　had　none；　I　would　not　wear　it；　at　which
my　people　murmured。

Kari　saw　and　heard。

〃Noble　as　ever；〃　he　said　aloud。　〃Oh！　that　such　bright　honour　should
have　been　tarnished　by　a　woman's　breath。〃

Our　lords　discussed　the　manner　of　our　fighting；　but　to　them　I　paid
little　heed。

At　length　all　was　ready　and　we　stepped　forward　to　face　each　other　at　a
given　word；　clad　much　alike。　I　had　thrown　off　my　outer　garment　and
stood　bareheaded　in　a　jerkin　of　soft　sheepskin。　Kari；　too；　was
stripped　of　his　splendid　dress　and　clad　in　a　tunic　of　sheepskin。　Also；
that　we　might　be　quite　equal；　he　had　taken　off　his　turban…like
headgear　and　even　the　royal　Fringe；　whereat　his　lords　stared　at　each
other　for　they　thought　this　a　bad　omen。

It　was　just　then　I　heard　a　sound　behind　me；　and　turning　my　head　I　saw
Quilla　stumbling　towards　us　down　the　stony　slope　as　best　her　half…
blind　eyes　would　let　her；　and　crying　as　she　came：

〃Oh！　my　Lord；　fight　not。　Inca；　I　will　return　to　the　House　of　the　Sun！〃

〃Silence；　accursed　woman！〃　said　Kari；　frowning。　〃Does　the　Sun　take
back　such　as　you？　Silence　until　the　woe　that　you　have　wrought　is
finished；　and　then　wail　on　forever。〃

She　shrank　back　at　his　bitter；　unjust　words；　and　guided　by　the　women
who　had　followed　her；　sank　upon　a　stone；　where　she　sat　still　as　a
statue　or　as　dead　Upanqui　in　his　hall。

Now　one　called　aloud　the　pledges　of　the　fight　which　were　as　Kari　had
spoken　them。　He　listened　and　added：

〃Be　it　known；　also；　that　this　battle　is　to　the　death　of　one　or　both　of
us；　since　if　we　live　I　take　back　my　oaths　and　I　will　burn　yonder　witch
as　a　sacrifice　to　the　Sun　whom　she　has　betrayed；　and　destroy　her
people　and　her　city　according　to　the　ancient　law　of　Vengeance　on　the
House　of　those　who　have　deceived　the　Sun。〃

I　heard　but　made　no　answer；　who　did　not　wish　to　waste　my　breath　in
bandying　words　with　a　great　man；　whose　brain　had　been　turned　by
bigotry　and　woman…hatred。

A　moment　later　the　signal　was　given　and　we　were　at　it。　Kari　leapt　at
me　like　the　tree…lion　of　his　own　forests；　but　I　avoided　and　parried。
Thrice　he　leapt　and　thrice　I　did　this；　yes；　even　when　I　saw　an　opening
and　might　have　cut　him　down。　Almost　I　struck；　then　could　not。　The
Chancas　watched　me；　wondering　what　game　I　played　who　was　not　wont　to
fight　in　this　fashion；　and　I　also　wondered；　who　still　knew　not　what　to
do。　Something　I　must　do；　or　presently　I　should　be　slain；　since　soon　my
guard　would　fail　and　Deleroy's　sword　get　home　at　last。

I　think　that　Kari　grew　perplexed　at　this　patient　defence　of　mine；　and
never　a　blow　struck　back。　At　least　he　withdraw　a　little；