ggk.thelionsofal-rassan-第68部分

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　handsome　woman；　was　seen　to　grow　misty…eyed　at　the　mention　of　the　slain　young　gallant。
　　King　Sanchez　of　Ruenda　drank　steadily　from　a　flask　at　his　saddle　horn；　or　a　brimming　cup　at　the　afternoon　meetings　or　the　banquet　hall。　The　wine　had　little　evident　effect　on　him；　but　neither　did　he　hunt　with　notable　success。　His　arrows　of　a　morning　were　surprisingly　erratic；　though　his　horsemanship　remained　impeccable。　Say　what　you　liked　about　the　hot…headed　king　of　Ruenda；　but　he　could　ride。
　　The　three　High　Clerics　from　Ferrieres；　schooled　in　dealing　with　royalty；　and　beginning　to　prehend…if　belatedly…the　depths　of　distrust　they　had　to　contend　with　here；　carried　the　discussion　for　the　kings。
　　The　two　brothers　never　even　looked　at　each　other；　and　they　regarded　their　uncle　with　evident　contempt。　All；　however；　appeared　to　have　taken　due　note　of　the　implications　of　the　army　now　assembled　in　Batiara；　ready　to　sail　with　the　first　fair　winds。　They　wouldn't　be　here　had　they　not　given　thought　to　that。
　　There　was　a　movement　abroad　in　the　world；　and　the　men　in　this　room　were　privileged　to　be　reigning　at　such　a　time；　Geraud　of　Ferrieres　declaimed　ringingly　on　the　first　afternoon。　The　carrion　dogs　of　Ashar　in　Al…Rassan；　he　said；　were　ready　to　be　swept　back　across　the　straits。　The　whole　peninsula　was　there　to　be　retaken。　If　only　they　would　act　together　the　great　kings　of　Valledo　and　Ruenda　and　Jalona　might　ride　their　stallions　into　the　southern　sea　by　summer's　end；　in　the　glorious　name　of　Jad。
　　〃How　would　you　divide　it？〃　King　Bermudo　asked　bluntly。　Ramiro　of　Valledo　laughed　aloud　at　that；　his　first　sign　of　animation　all　day。　Sanchez　drank　and　scowled。
　　Geraud　of　Ferrieres；　who　had　been　ready　for　this　question；　and　had　spent　time　with　maps　over　the　winter；　made　a　suggestion。　None　of　the　kings　bothered　to　reply。　They　all　rose　instead；　without　apology…moving　in　unison　for　the　first　time…and　walked　quickly　from　the　room。　Sanchez　carried　his　flask　with　him。　The　clerics；　left　behind；　looked　at　each　other。
　　
　　On　the　third　day　they　flew　falcons　and　hawks　at　small　birds　and　rabbits　in　the　wet　grass　for　the　delight　of　the　ladies　of　each　court。　Queen　Ines　carried　a　small　eagle；　caught　and　trained　in　the　mountains　near　Jalona；　and　loosed　it　to　triumphant　effect。
　　Younger　than　Fruela；　undeniably　more　acplished　than　Bearte　of　Ruenda；　the　queen　of　Valledo；　her　red　hair　bound　up　in　a　golden　net；　her　eyes　flashing　and　her　color　high　in　the　cool　air；　rode　between　her　husband　and　the　High　Cleric　from　her　homeland　and　was　very　much　the　focus　of　all　men's　eyes　that　day。
　　Which　made　it　the　more　disturbing；　afterwards；　that　no　one　was　able　to　identify　with　certainty　the　source　of　the　arrow　that　struck　her　shortly　after　the　dogs　had　flushed　a　boar　at　the　edge　of　the　forest。　It　seemed　obvious；　however；　that　the　arrow　was　either　a　terrible　accident；　having　been　intended　for　the　boar　beyond　her…or　that　it　had　been　aimed　at　one　of　the　two　men　beside　her。　There　was；　it　was　generally　agreed；　no　evident　reason　for　anyone　to　desire　the　death　of　the　queen　of　Valledo。
　　It　did　not　appear　at　first　to　be　a　deadly　wound；　for　she　was　struck　only　on　the　arm；　but…despite　the　standard　treatment　of　a　thick　mud…coating；　followed　by　bleedings；　both　congruent　and　transverse…Ines　of　Valledo；　clutching　a　sun　disk；　took　a　marked　turn　for　the　worse；　feverish　and　in　great　pain；　before　the　sun　went　down　that　day。
　　It　was　at　this　point　that　the　chancellor　of　Valledo　was　seen　entering　the　royal　quarters　of　the　castle；　striding　past　the　grim…faced　guards；　escorting　a　lean　man　of　loutish　appearance。
　　She　had　never　been　injured　in　such　a　fashion　in　her　life。　She　had　no　idea　how　it　was　supposed　to　feel。
　　It　felt　as　if　she　were　dying。　Her　arm　had　swollen　to　twice　its　normal　size…she　could　see　that；　even　through　the　coating　of　mud。　When　they　bled　her…working　through　a　screen　for　decency…that；　too；　had　hurt；　almost　unbearably。　There　had　been　a　quarrel　between　the　two　physicians　from　Esteren　and　her　own　longtime　doctor　from　Ferrieres。　Her　own　had　won：　they　had　given　her　nothing　for　pain。　Peire　d'Alorre　was　of　the　view　that　soporifics　dulled　the　body's　ability　to　fight　injury　caused　by　sharp　edges。　He　had　lectured　on　the　subject　in　all　the　universities。
　　Her　head　was　on　fire。　Even　the　slightest　movement　of　her　arm　was　intolerable。　She　was　dimly　conscious　that　Ramiro　had　hardly　left　her　side；　that　he　was　holding　her　good　hand；　gripping　it　steadily；　and　had　been　doing　so　since　she　had　been　brought　here；　withdrawing　only　when　the　doctors　pelled　him　to；　for　the　bleeding。　The　odd　thing　was；　she　could　see　him　holding　her　hand；　but　she　couldn't　really　feel　his　touch。
　　She　was　dying。　That　seemed　clear　to　her；　if　not　yet　to　them。　She　had　caused　a　sun　disk　to　be　brought　for　her。　She　was　trying　to　pray；　but　it　was　difficult。
　　In　a　haze　of　pain　she　understood　that　someone　new　had　entered　the　room。　Count　Gonzalez；　and　another　man。　Another　doctor。　His　features…a　long；　ugly　face…swam　into　view；　very　close。　He　apologized　to　her　and　the　king；　and　then　laid　a　hand　directly　upon　her　forehead。　He　took　her　good　hand　from　Ramiro　and　pinched　the　back　of　it。　He　asked　her　if　she　felt　that。　Ines　shook　her　head。　The　new　doctor　scowled。
　　Peire　d'Alorre；　behind　him；　said　something　cutting。　He　was　prone　to　sardonic　remarks；　especially　about　the　Esperanans。　A　habit　he　had　never　shaken　in　all　his　years　here。
　　The　new　man；　whose　hands　were　gentle；　if　his　face　was　not；　said；　〃Do　we　have　the　arrow　that　was　removed？　Has　anyone　thought　to　examine　it？〃　His　voice　rasped　like　a　saw。
　　Ines　was　aware　of　a　silence。　Her　vision　was　not　good；　just　then；　but　she　saw　the　three　court　physicians　exchange　glances。
　　〃It　is　over　here；〃　said　Gonzalez　de　Rada。　He　approached　the　bed；　swimming　into　view；　holding　the　arrow　gingerly　near　the　feathers。　The　doctor　took　it。　He　brought　the　head　up　to　his　face　and　sniffed。　He　grimaced。　He　had　an　awful　face；　actually；　and　a　large　boil　on　his　neck。　He　came　back　to　the　queen　and；　again　apologizing；　he　shifted　the　covers　at　the　bottom　of　the　bed　and　took　one　of　her　feet。
　　〃Do　you　feel　my　touch？〃　he　asked。　Again；　she　shook　her　head。
　　He　looked　angry。　〃Forgive　me；　my　lord　king；　if　I　am　blunt。　It　may　be　I　have　spent　too　long　in　the　tagra　lands　for　courtly　pany。　But　these　three　men　have　e　near　to　killing　the　queen。　It　may　be　too　late；　and　I　will　have　to　lay　hands　and；　I　fear；　more　than　hands　upon　her；　but　I　will　try　if　you　allow　me。〃
　　〃There　is　poison？〃　she　heard　Ramiro　ask。
　　〃Yes；　my　lord　king。〃
　　〃What　can　you　do？〃
　　〃With　your　permission；　my　lord；　I　must　clean　this　。。。　disgusting　coating　from　her　arm　to　prevent　more　of　the　substance　from　entering　the　wound。　Then　I　will　have　to　administer　a　pound　I　will　prepare。　It　will　be　。。。　difficult　for　the　queen；　my　lord。　Extremely　unpleasant。　It　is　a　substance　that　may　make　her　very　ill　as　it　bats　the　poison　in　her。　We　must　hope　it　does　so。　I　know　of　no　other　course。　Do　you　wish　me　to　proceed？　Do　you　wish　to　remain　here？〃
　　Ramiro　did；　both　things。　Peire　d'Alorre　ventured　an　acerbic；　unwise　objection。　He　was　unceremoniously　ushered　by　Gonzalez　de　Rada　to　a　far　corner　of　the　room；　along　with　the　other　two　doctors。　Ramiro；　following　part　of　the　way；　said　something　to　them　that　Ines　could　not　hear。　They　were　extremely　quiet　after　that。
　　The　king　came　back　and　sat　once　more　beside　the　bed　holding　her　good　hand　in　both　of　his。　She　still　couldn't　feel　his　touch。　The　new　doctor's　coarse　features　appeared　close　to　hers　again。　He　explained　what　he　was　about　to　do；　and　apologized　beforehand。　When　he　spoke　softly；　his　voice　was　not　actually　unpleasant。　His　breath　was　sweetly　scented　with　some　herb。
　　What　followed　was　worse　than　childbirth　had　been。　She　did　scream；　as　he　carefully　but　thoroughly　cleaned　the　mud　from　her　wounded　arm。　At　some　point　the　god　mercifully　granted　her　oblivion。
　　They　revived　her；　though。　They　had　to。　She　was　made　to　drink　something。　What　ensued　was　even　worse。　The　queen；　racked　with　spasms　in　the　belly　and　sweating　with　fever；　found　that　she　could　not　even　bear　the　muted　light　of　the　candles　in　the　room。　All　sounds　hurt　her　head　amazingly。　She　lost　track　of　time；　where　she　was；　who　was　there。　She　heard　her　own　voice　at　one　point；　speaking　wildly；　begging　for　release。　She　couldn't　even　pray；　or　hold　properly　to　her　disk。
　　When　she　swam　back　towards　awareness；　the　doctor　insisted　that　she　drink　more　of　the　same　substance；　and　she　sank　back　into　fever　and　the　pain。
　　It　went　on　for　an　unimaginably　long　time。
　　Eventually　it　ended。　She　had　no　idea　when。　She　seemed　to　be　still　alive；　however。　She　lay　on　the　sweat…soaked　pillows　of　the　bed。　The　doctor　gently　cooled　her　face　and　forehead　with　damp　towels；　murmuring　encouragement。　He　asked　for　clean　linens；　these　were　brought　and；　while　the　men　turned　away；　Ines's　ladies…in…waiting　changed　her　garments　and　the　bedding。　When　they　had　finished　the　doctor　came　back　and　very　gently　anointed　and　then　bandaged　Ines's　arm。　His　movements　were　steady　and　precise。　The　king　watched　intently。
　　When　the　doctor　from　the　forts　was　done；　he　ordered　the　room　cleared　of　all　but　one　of　the　queen's　ladies。　He　spoke　now　with　the　authorit