ggk.thelionsofal-rassan-第102部分

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！


　from　this。
　　〃Please　tell　me　he　is　only　hurt；〃　his　wife　said　very　quietly。　〃Rodrigo；　please　say　he　is　only　hurt。〃
　　He　opened　his　mouth　and　closed　it。　He　shook　his　head。
　　Miranda　screamed　then。　The　name。　Only　the　name。　The　same　as　he　had　done。　It　went　into　him　the　way　a　spear　enters。
　　He　reached　out　to　take　her　in　his　arms。　She　went　past　him；　running；　to　where　Diego　lay。　There　were　other　people　around　him　now；　Rodrigo　saw；　turning。　Jehane　had　e　up。　She　was　kneeling　beside　his　son。　Another　man　from　the　queen's　party；　someone　he　didn't　recognize；　was　on　the　other　side。　Miranda　stopped　beside　them。
　　〃Oh；　please？〃　she　said；　in　a　small　voice　he　had　never　heard　before。　〃Please？〃
　　She　knelt　beside　Jehane　and　gathered　Diego's　hands　between　her　own。
　　He　saw　Fernan　ing　back　from　the　river　with　ibn　Khairan。　He　would　have　heard　his　mother　scream。　Fernan　was　crying　now；　his　face　distorted。　A　wind；　blowing　right　through　him。
　　Only　this　morning；　riding　towards　Fezana；　Rodrigo　Belmonte　would　have　said；　if　asked；　that　the　world　was　a　hard　place　but　an　interesting　one；　and　he　would　have　named　himself　a　man　blessed　beyond　his　worth　by　the　god；　with　love　and　panionship　and　tasks　worthy　of　a　man。
　　He'd　had　two　sons　this　morning；　though。
　　He　came　back　to　where　Diego　lay。　Someone…the　king；　it　appeared…had　placed　his　own　cloak　over　the　mutilated　body　of　Gonzalez　de　Rada　nearby。　Fernan　was　standing　behind　his　mother。　He　was　not　asking　for　fort；　Rodrigo　saw。　He　was　keeping　very　still；　weeping；　with　a　hand　on　Miranda's　shoulder；　looking　down　at　his　brother。　He　was　thirteen　years　old。
　　Jehane　finished　what　she　was　doing。　She　looked　up　at　Rodrigo。　〃He　isn't　dead　but　I'm　afraid　he's　dying。〃　Her　face　was　white。　Her　clothing　was　still　wet　from　the　river；　he　saw。　It　was　all　so　dreamlike。　〃Rodrigo；　I'm　so　sorry。　The　blow　has　broken　his　head；　here。　There　is　too　much　pressure。　He　will　not　wake　up。　It　will　not　be　long。〃　She　looked　at　the　other　woman　beside　her；　the　child's　hands　in　hers。　〃He　is　。。。　he　is　not　in　pain　now；　my　lady。〃
　　He'd　had　a　dream　once　in　Ragosa；　such　a　strange　one；　of　the　two　of　them…Miranda　and　Jehane…standing　at　sunset　somewhere。　Not　speaking；　no　clear　details；　only　standing　together　at　the　end　of　a　day。
　　It　was　dark　here；　however；　and　they　were　kneeling　on　the　ground。　Miranda　said　nothing　at　all；　made　no　movement；　eyes　on　her　child。　Then　she　did　move；　freeing　one　of　her　hands　and　laying　it；　so　softly；　against　the　broken　place　on　Diego's　head。
　　Jehane　looked　up　at　him　again；　and　Rodrigo　saw　the　sorrow　in　her　eyes；　and　the　rage。　The　physician's　rage　at　what　they　could　not　defeat；　the　things　that　claimed　human　lives　too　soon；　leaving　doctors　helpless。　She　looked　across　Diego's　body　at　the　other　man。
　　〃You　are　a　doctor？〃　she　asked。
　　He　nodded。　〃To　the　queen；　formerly　with　the　army。〃
　　〃I　will　aid　you　here；　then；〃　she　said　quietly。　〃There　may　be　others　who　need　our　services。　Surely　they　are　not　all　dead。　There　may　be　some　we　can　save。〃
　　〃You　would　do　this？〃　the　man　asked。　〃For　a　Jaddite　army？〃
　　A　spasm　of　impatience　crossed　Jehane's　face。　〃As　to　that；〃　she　said；　〃I　am　physician　to　the　pany　of　Rodrigo　Belmonte。　After　tonight；　I　have　no　idea；　but　for　the　moment　I　am　yours　to　mand。〃
　　〃May　I　hold　him？〃　Miranda；　whispering；　to　Jehane。　As　if　no　one　else　had　spoken。
　　Rodrigo　took　another　step　forward；　helplessly。
　　〃You　can　do　no　harm　to　him　at　all；　my　lady。〃　Jehane's　voice　was　as　gentle　as　he　had　ever　heard　it。　〃Of　course　you　may　hold　him。〃　She　hesitated；　then　repeated；　〃He　is　not　in　pain。〃
　　She　made　as　if　to　rise。
　　〃Jehane；　wait。〃　Another　voice；　from　behind　them。　A　woman's　voice。　Rodrigo　turned；　very　slowly。　〃Your　father　wishes　to　examine　the　boy；〃　said　Eliane　bet　Danel。
　　
　　In　Al…Rassan；　in　Esperana；　Ferrieres；　Karch；　Batiara…even；　in　time；　in　the　far…off　eastern　homelands　of　the　Asharites…what　happened　that　night　in　a　burning　hamlet　near　Fezana　became　legend；　told　so　often　among　physicians；　courts；　military　panies；　in　universities；　taverns；　places　of　worship；　that　it　became　imbued　with　the　aura　of　magic　and　the　supernatural。
　　It　was　not；　of　course；　supernatural。　What　Ishak　ben　Yonannon　did…blind　under　the　white　moon　and　stars　and　the　torches　brought　for　those　who　assisted　him…was　as　precise　and　carefully　worked　out　as　what　he　had　done　five　years　before　in　Cartada；　delivering　the　last　child　of　Almalik　I；　and　it　was　as　wondrous　as　that。
　　Indeed；　it　was　more　than　that　had　been。　Sightless；　unable　to　municate　except　through　his　wife　who　understood　every　mangled　syllable　he　spoke；　handling　a　surgeon's　blades　and　implements　for　the　first　time　since　his　blinding；　working　by　touch　and　memory　and　instinct；　ben　Yonannon　did　something　even　Galinus　had　only　hinted　might　possibly　be　done。
　　He　carved　an　opening　in　the　skull　of　Diego　Belmonte；　around　the　place　where　the　Muwardi　blow　had　broken　the　boy's　head；　and　he　drew　forth　the　shattered　bone　that　had　been　driven　down　into　what　was　shockingly　exposed　beneath　the　peeled…back　scalp　and　the　opened　skull。　The　intruded　fragment　of　bone　that　would　have　killed　Rodrigo〃s　son　before　the　blue　moon　joined　the　white　one　in　the　sky。
　　Trepanning；　it　was　called　in　the　text　of　Galinus。　Jehane　knew　that；　and　so；　it　appeared；　did　Bernart　d'Inigo；　the　Jaddite　physician　assisting　them。　And　they　both　knew；　as　well；　that　it　had　never　been　done。
　　She　would　have　never　even　tried；　Jehane　was　aware；　all　through　what　happened。　Never　have　thought　to　try；　or　dreamed　it　was　possible。　With　awe；　fighting　back　the　desire　to　cry　all　the　time；　she　watched　her　father's　sure；　steady　hands　probe　and　define　the　wound；　circumscribe　it；　then　wield　the　small　saw　and　chisel　with　which　he　cut　a　hole　in　Diego　Belmonte's　head。
　　He　gave　them　instructions　when　he　needed　to；　her　mother；　standing　above　them；　under　a　torch　held　by　the　king　of　Valledo　himself；　translated　his　words。　Jehane　or　Bernart　moved；　as　ordered；　to　offer　a　blade；　a　saw；　a　clamp；　to　sponge　away　the　heavily　flowing　blood　where　Ishak　had　peeled　back　the　skin　of　the　boy's　scalp。　Diego　was　being　held　in　a　sitting　position；　that　the　blood　might　drain　away　and　not　into　the　wound。
　　It　was　his　father　who　was　holding　him。
　　Rodrigo's　eyes　were　closed　most　of　the　time；　concentrating　on　keeping　utterly　still；　which　Ishak；　through　Eliane；　had　said　was　imperative。　Perhaps　he　was　praying。　Jehane　didn't　know。　She　did　know；　moved　beyond　words；　that　Diego　never　budged。　Rodrigo　held　his　child　rock…steady；　without　shifting　his　position　once　through　the　whole　of　that　impossible；　blind　surgery　on　the　plain。
　　Jehane　had　a　strange　illusion　at　one　point：　that　Rodrigo　could　have　sat　like　this　with　his　child　in　his　arms　forever　if　need　be。　That　he　might　almost　want　to　do　that。　A　stone；　a　statue；　a　father　doing　the　one　thing　left　for　him　to　do；　and　allowed。
　　The　shattered　bone　of　the　skull　came　out　in　one　ugly；　jagged　piece。　Ishak　had　Jehane　probe　the　open　wound　to　be　sure　he　had　it　all。　She　found　two　small　fragments　and　removed　them　with　pincers　d'Inigo　handed　her。　Then　she　and　the　Valledan　doctor　sutured　the　flaps　of　skin　and　bandaged　the　wound　and　when　that　was　done　they　remained；　on　their　knees；　on　either　side　of　the　boy。
　　They　laid　Diego　down　then；　Rodrigo　moving　to　stand　silently　above　him　beside　Miranda。　The　brother…Fernan…was　behind　his　mother。　To　Jehane's　eyes　he　had　an　obvious　need　for　something　to　make　him　sleep。　She　doubted　he　would　accept　it。
　　The　white　moon　was　directly　overhead　by　then；　the　blue　climbing　in　the　eastern　sky。　The　fires　had　been　put　out。　Other　doctors　had　e；　summoned　from　the　body　of　the　army　north　of　them。　They　were　dealing　with　the　survivors。　There　didn't　appear　to　be　very　many　of　those。
　　A　great　deal　of　time　seemed　to　have　passed；　Jehane　realized。　Ishak；　guided　by　Eliane　and　Ammar；　had　moved　a　little　apart；　to　a　camp　stool　provided　for　him。
　　Jehane　and　the　Jaddite　doctor；　d'Inigo；　looked　at　each　other　across　the　body　of　the　boy。　D'Inigo　had　an　unfortunate　face　but　kind　eyes；　Jehane　thought。　He　had　been　calmly　petent　all　through　what　had　just　been　done。　She　hadn't　expected　that　of　a　Valledan　physician。
　　He　cleared　his　throat；　struggling　with　fatigue　and　emotion。
　　〃Whatever　。。。　〃　he　began；　and　then　stopped。　He　swallowed。　〃Whatever　happens　to　me；　whatever　else　I　do；　this　will　always　be　the　proudest　moment　of　my　life　as　a　doctor。　To　have　been　a　small　part　of　this。　With　your　father；　who　is　my　。。。　who　I　respect　so　much。　In　his　writings；　and　。。。　〃　He　stopped；　overe。
　　Jehane　discovered　that　she　was　overwhelmingly　tired。　Her　father　must　be　exhausted。　It　hadn't　shown。　If　she　wasn't　careful　she　would　begin　remembering　what　had　happened　in　Fezana；　before　all　this；　and　that　wouldn't　do。　Not　yet。　She　had　to　stay　in　control。
　　She　said；　〃He　may　not　survive。　You　know　that。〃
　　D'Inigo　shook　his　head。　〃He　will。　He　will　survive！　That　is　the　wonder　of　it。　You　saw　what　was　done　as　well　as　I。　The　bone　came　out！　It　was　flawless。〃
　　〃And　we　have　no　idea　whether　anyone　can　live　through　an　opening　up　of　their　skull　like　that。〃
　　〃Galinus　said…〃
　　〃Galinus　never　did　it！　It　was　sacrilege　to　him。　To　the　Asharites；　the　Kindath。　To　all　of　us。　You　kno