ggk.thelionsofal-rassan-第53部分

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　　〃And　my　soldiers　will　want　it。〃
　　〃You　don't　want　to　go　south。〃　It　was　not　a　question。
　　There　was　a　discreet　knock。　The　king　spoke　and　Gonzalez　de　Rada　entered。　He　was　very　pale；　his　expression　somber。　Ramiro　went　back　to　the　table　and　poured　another　glass　for　himself。　This　one　he　watered。　It　was　not　a　time　for　indulgence。
　　〃Do　I　want　to　wage　a　holy　war　in　Al…Rassan？〃　He　framed　Ines's　question　again　for　the　constable。　〃Truthful　answer？〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃I　do　not。　I　want　to　go　south　on　my　own　terms　in　my　own　time。　I　want　to　take　Ruenda　from　my　feckless　brother；　Jalona　from　Uncle　Bermudo…may　his　fingers　and　toes　rot…take　Fezana　from　those　butchering　Cartadans；　and　then　look　further　afield；　or　let　my　sons　look　further　afield　when　I　am　dead　and　troubling　you　no　longer。〃　He　smiled　briefly　at　Ines。　She　did　not　smile　back。
　　〃If　an　army　of　kings　is　sailing　to　Ammuz　and　Soriyya；〃　Gonzalez　said；　〃it　will　be　hard　for　us　not　to　go　south　in　the　spring。　Every　cleric　in　the　three　kingdoms　of　Esperana　will　be　threatening　from　his　chapel　that　we　endanger　our　souls　if　we　do　not。〃
　　〃I　know　that；〃　Ramiro　murmured。　〃Pour　yourself　some　wine。　It　will　ease　your　endangered　soul。〃
　　〃This　is　my　fault；〃　said　Ines。　〃I　brought　him　here。〃
　　The　king　put　down　his　wine。　He　went　to　her　and　claimed　her　glass　and　set　it　down。　He　took　her　hands。　She　did　not　pull　away。　All　of　this　was　very　new。
　　〃He　would　have　e；　my　dear。　He　and　others。　If　all　the　lords　east　of　the　mountains　are　dancing　for　them　now；　why　should　we　be　allowed　to　live　free　of　the　yoke？　You　may　be　sure　there　are　men　like　this　one　in　Jalona　already；　and　on　the　way　to　Ruenda　if　not　there　by　now。　They　will　demand　a　winter　meeting　between　the　three　of　us。　Wait　for　it。　They　will　order　us　to　meet；　on　pain　of　banning　in　the　chapels；　of　losing　our　immortal　places　in　the　god's　light。　And　we　will　have　to　listen　to　them。　We　will　meet；　Uncle　Bermudo　and　brother　Sanchez　and　I　will　sit　together；　and　hunt。　They　will　watch　every　move　I　make；　and　I　will　do　the　same　with　them。　We　will　swear　a　holy　truce　amongst　ourselves。　The　clerics　will　sing　our　praises　in　rapture。　And　we　will　almost　certainly　be　riding　to　war　in　Al…Rassan　by　spring。〃
　　〃And？〃
　　She　was　direct；　his　queen。　Clever　and　surprising　and　direct。
　　Ramiro　shrugged。　〃No　sober　man　ever　speaks　with　certainty　about　war。　Especially　not　this　kind　of　war；　with　three　armies　that　hate　each　other　on　one　side；　and　twenty　that　fear　each　other　opposing　them。〃
　　〃And　the　Muwardis　across　the　straits；〃　said　Count　Gonzalez　softly。　〃Do　not　forget　them。〃
　　Ramiro　closed　his　eyes。　He　could　still　hear　the　rain。　Ferrieres；　Waleska；　Karch；　the　cities　of　Batiara　。。。　all　gathered　together　in　holy　war。　Despite　himself；　despite　all　his　sober　instincts；　there　was　something　undeniably　stirring　in　the　image。　He　could　almost　see　the　assembled　banners；　all　those　mighty　lords　of　war　brought　together。　How　could　any　man　of　spirit　not　want　to　be　there；　not　want　to　share　in　such　an　enterprise？
　　〃The　world　is　a　different　place　than　it　was　this　morning；〃　Ramiro　of　Valledo　said　gravely。　He　became　aware　that　he　was　still　holding　his　wife's　hands；　that　she　was　allowing　him　to　do　so。　〃Do　you　know　what　I　would　like　to　do？〃　he　added　suddenly；　surprising　himself。
　　She　looked　up　at　him；　waiting。　He　knew　what　she　was　thinking。　He　always　wanted　the　same　thing　when　he　spoke　to　her　like　that。　Well；　she　wasn't　the　only　person　here　who　could　offer　the　unexpected。　And　this　new　feeling　was　strong。
　　〃I　would　like　to　pray；〃　said　the　king　of　Valledo。　〃After　what　we　have　just　learned；　I　think　I　would　like　to　pray。　Will　you　both　e　with　me？〃
　　They　went　to　the　royal　chapel　together；　the　king　and　his　queen　and　their　constable。　The　palace　cleric　was　there；　having　just　arrived　from　the　audience　chamber　in　great　dismay。　He　was　as　astonished　as　might　have　been　expected　at　the　sight　of　the　king；　which　was　extremely　so。　He　took　his　place　hastily　at　the　altar　before　the　disk。
　　Each　of　them　signified　the　symbol　of　the　god's　sun　with　their　right　hand　over　their　heart　and　then　sank　down　upon　their　knees　on　the　stone　of　the　floor。　The　light　in　the　royal　chapel　was　muted。　There　were　windows　but　they　were　old；　and　smaller；　and　rain　was　falling　upon　them。
　　They　prayed　in　that　simple；　unadorned　space　to　the　one　god　and　the　life…giving　light　of　his　sun；　their　faces　turned　to　where　an　emblem　of　that　sun　was　set　upon　the　wall　behind　the　altar　stone。　They　prayed　for　strength　and　mercy；　for　purity　of　heart　and　mortal　body；　for　the　fulfillment　of　Jad's　bright　visions；　and　for　access；　at　the　end　of　their　own　days　among　the　fields　of　earth；　to　Paradise。
　　
Part　IV
Ten
　　Nino　di　Carrera；　young；　handsome　and　adept；　the　most　favored　courtier　of　King　Bermudo　of　Jalona　and　concurrently　the　latest　of　the　furtive　lovers　of　Bermudo's　demanding　queen；　Fruela；　was　in　a　condition　of　anxious　perplexity。
　　In　fact；　he　hadn't　the　least　idea　what　to　do。
　　Confusion　made　him　angry。　Anger　was　pounded　by　the　increasing　embarrassment　of　what　was　presently　taking　place。　Nino　swept　off　his　iron　helmet　and　shook　out　his　yellow　mane　of　hair；　the　envy　and　desire　of　most　of　the　women　at　Bermudo's　court　in　Eschalou。　His　breath　and　that　of　the　two　scouts　and　all　of　their　horses　made　white　puffs　in　the　frigid　early…morning　air。
　　Behind　him　his　pany　had　e　to　a　halt　in　this　high　valley　ringed　with　hills。　They　were　well　trained；　his　own　men。　The　horses　had　been　turned　outward　and　the　mules　with　their　chests　of　gold　from　Fibaz　were　in　the　center　of　the　formation。　Six　chests。　A　year's　parias　from　an　infidel　city　in　Al…Rassan。　The　first…ever　such　tribute　payment　to　Jalona。　A　promise　of　wealth；　of　power；　and　of　much　more　to　e。　The　horse　thieves　of　Valledo　were　not　the　only　ones　who　could　whip　Asharites　to　heel　like　the　mongrels　they　were。　And　he；　Nino　di　Carrera；　had　been　entrusted　with　claiming　this　first　treasure　and　bringing　it　back　to　Eschalou　before　the　winter　snows。　The　king　had　promised　him　much　upon　his　return；　the　queen　。。。　the　queen　had　already　given　him　a　reward；　the　night　before　he　left。
　　My　golden　one；　she'd　called　him；　lying　in　her　bed　after　their　frenzy。　A　phrase　more　apt　than　ever　now。　He　was　bringing　back　gold；　six　chests　of　it；　to　the　greater　glory　of　Jad　and　Jalofta…and　of　Count　Nino　di　Carrera；　who　was　soaring　like　a　golden　falcon　now。　And　who　knew　how　high　that　might　be　before　all　was　done　and　spoken　before　the　god？
　　But　all　that…that　shining；　lofty　future…was　dependent　on　whether　he　could　get　these　six　chests　safely　home　and；　more　to　the　immediate　point；　whether　he　could　silence　the　woman's　voice　that　kept　echoing　down　upon　them　in　this　supernaturally　resonant　highland　valley　he　wished　they　had　never　entered。
　　〃Nino；　Nino；　Nino！　Oh；　my　darling！　It　is　I；　Fruela；　your　queen！　e　to　me；　my　love！〃
　　The　plangent　summons；　high　and　clear；　rang　like　a　bell；　filling　the　valley　with　sound　over　and　over　again。　Nino　di　Carrera　was；　among　other　things；　aware　that　his　color　had　risen：　a　lifelong　affliction　that　came　with　fair　skin。　It　wasn't…of　course　it　wasn't！…Queen　Fruela's　voice　they　were　hearing；　but　it　was　a　woman；　fluent　in　Esperanan；　and　her　tone　was　urgent　with　desire。
　　〃e；　Nino！　Take　me。　Take　me　here　on　the　hills！　Make　me　yours！〃
　　It　was　not；　in　any　conceivable　way；　useful　for　a　rising　figure　at　King　Bermudo's　court　to　have　this　sort　of　request　publicly　uttered。　By　anyone。　Anywhere。　And　the　words　were　very　public　here。　They　were　soaring　all　about　them；　echoing　endlessly。　Someone　was　amusing　themselves　at　Nino　di　Carrera's　expense。　Someone　was　going　to　pay　for　that。
　　He　was　careful　not　to　glance　back　at　his　pany；　but　as　the　woman's　voice；　ripe　with　longing；　continued　to　offer　explicit　variations　on　the　same　theme；　Nino　heard…unmistakably…ripples　of　suppressed　laughter　behind　him。
　　〃Oh；　my　rampant　stallion；　I　must　have　you！　Make　me　yield　to　your　mastery；　my　love！〃
　　Sound　carried　absurdly　well　in　this　place。　It　was　unnatural；　that　was　what　it　was！　And　not　only　did　the　words　carry；　they　echoed；　so　that　each　yearning　proclamation　of　his　name；　each　vividly　proposed　activity；　resonated　as　if　sung　by　a　choir　in　chapel。
　　The　two　outriders　were　ashen…faced；　refusing　to　meet　his　eyes。　No　trace　of　amusement　there。　They　wouldn't　have　dared；　in　any　event；　but　the　tidings　they　had　brought　precluded　levity。　The　woman　wailing　with　desire　was　an　offense；　even　a　mortal　one；　armed　men　waiting　in　ambush　ahead　were　something　else。
　　Reckless　as　his　appearance　and　youth　might　suggest　him　to　be；　Nino　di　Carrera　was　a　careful　mander　of　a　good　pany；　and　his　outriders；　in　particular；　were　excellent。　The　odds　were；　in　fact；　that　few　panies　would　have　received　this　advance　warning。　Most　leaders　would　have　felt　blithely　secure　in　the　presence　of　almost　a　hundred　mounted　men。　Nino　had　been　too　conscious　of　how　important　this　parias　mission　was；　however：　to　Jalona；　to　himself。　He'd　had　outriders　ahead　and　behind；　and　on　both　flanks　until　the　hills　forced　those　men　back　in。　The　pair　up　front　had　spotted　the　carefully　laid　ambush　at　the　northern　exit　from　this　valley。
　　〃Nino！　I　burn　for　you！　Oh；　my　love；　I　am　a　woman　before　I　am　a　queen！〃
　　It　was　almost　impossibl