rz.signoftheunicorn-第20部分

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ariably；　why　each　of　us　was　in　a　position　to　have　done　it；　except　for　the　speaker。　I　smoked；　I　said　nothing　on　the　subject。　Deirdre　did　spot　an　interesting　possibility；　however。　Namely；　that　Gerard　could　have　done　the　stabbing　himself　while　we　were　all　crowded　around；　and　that　his　heroic　efforts　were　not　prompted　by　any　desire　to　save　Brand's　neck；　but　rather　to　achieve　a　position　where　he　could　stop　his　tongue　…　in　which　case　Brand　would　never　make　it　through　the　night。　Ingenious；　but　I　just　couldn't　believe　it。　No　one　else　bought　it　either。　At　least；　no　one　volunteered　to　go　upstairs　and　throw　Gerard　out。　After　a　time　Fiona　drifted　over　and　sat　beside　me。
　〃Well；　I've　tried　the　only　thing　I　could　think　of；〃　she　said。　〃I　hope　some　good　es　of　it。〃
　〃It　may；〃　I　said。
　〃I　see　that　you　have　added　a　peculiar　piece　of　ornamentation　to　your　wardrobe；〃　she　said；　raising　the　Jewel　of　Judgment　between　her　thumb　and　forefinger　and　studying　it。
　Then　she　raised　her　eyes。
　〃Can　you　make　it　do　tricks　for　you？〃　she　asked。
　〃Some；〃　I　said。
　〃Then　you　knew　how　to　attune　it。　It　involves　the　Pattern；　doesn't　it？〃
　〃Yes。　Eric　told　me　how　to　go　about　it；　right　before　he　died。〃
　〃I　see。〃
　She　released　it；　settled　back　into　her　seat；　regarded　the　flames。
　〃Did　he　give　you　any　cautions　to　go　along　with　it？〃　she　asked。
　〃No；〃　I　said。
　〃I　wonder　whether　that　was　a　matter　of　design　or　circumstance？〃
　〃Well；　he　was　pretty　busy　dying　at　the　time。　That　limited　our　conversation　considerably。〃
　〃I　know。　I　was　wondering　whether　his　hatred　for　you　outweighed　his　hopes　for　the　realm；　or　whether　he　was　simply　ignorant　of　some　of　the　principles　involved。〃
　〃What　do　you　know　about　it？〃
　〃Think　again　of　Eric's　death；　Corwin。　I　was　not　there　when　it　occurred；　but　I　came　in　early　for　the　funeral。　I　was　present　when　his　body　was　bathed；　shaved；　dressed　…　and　I　examined　his　wounds。　I　do　not　believe　that　any　of　them　were　fatal；　in　themselves。　There　were　three　chest　wounds；　but　only　one　looked　as　if　it　might　have　run　into　the　mediastinal　area　…　〃
　〃One's　enough；　if　…　〃
　〃Wait；〃　she　said。　〃It　was　difficult；　but　I　tried　judging　the　angle　of　the　puncture　with　a　thin　glass　rod。　I　wanted　to　make　an　incision；　but　Caine　would　not　permit　it。　Still；　I　do　not　believe　that　his　heart　or　arteries　were　damaged。　It　is　still　not　too　late　to　order　an　autopsy；　if　you　would　like　me　to　check　further　on　this。　I　am　certain　that　his　injuries　and　the　general　stress　contributed　to　his　death；　but　I　believe　it　was　the　jewel　that　made　the　difference。〃
　〃Why　do　you　think　this？〃
　〃Because　of　some　things　that　Dworkin　said　when　I　studied　with　him　…　and　things　that　I　noticed　afterward；　because　of　this。　He　indicated　that　while　it　conferred　unusual　abilities；　it　also　represented　a　drain　on　the　vitality　of　its　master。　The　longer　you　wear　it；　the　more　it　somehow　takes　out　of　you。　I　paid　attention　after　that；　and　I　noticed　that　Dad　wore　it　only　seldom　and　never　kept　it　on　for　long　periods　of　time。〃
　My　thoughts　returned　to　Eric；　the　day　he　lay　dying　on　the　slopes　of　Kolvir；　the　battle　raging　about　him。　I　remembered　my　first　look　at　him；　his　face　pale；　his　breath　labored；　blood　on　his　chest。。。　And　the　Jewel　of　Judgment；　there　on　its　chain；　was　pulsing；　heartlike；　among　the　moist　folds　of　his　garments。　I　had　never　seen　it　do　that　before；　or　since。　I　recalled　that　the　effect　had　grown　fainter；　weaker。　And　when　he　died　and　I　folded　his　hands　atop　it；　the　phenomenon　had　ceased。
　〃What　do　you　know　of　its　function？〃　I　asked　her。
　She　shook　her　head。
　〃Dworkin　considered　that　a　state　secret。　I　know　the　obvious　…　weather　control　…　and　I　inferred　from　some　of　Dad's　remarks　that　it　has　something　to　do　with　a　heightened　perception；　or　a　higher　perception。　Dworkin　had　mentioned　it　primarily　as　an　example　of　the　pervasiveness　of　the　Pattern　in　everything　that　gives　us　power　…　even　the　Trumps　contain　the　Pattern；　if　you　look　closely；　look　long　enough　…　and　he　cited　it　as　an　instance　of　a　conservation　principle：　all　of　our　special　powers　have　their　price。　The　greater　the　power；　the　larger　the　investment。　The　Trumps　are　a　small　matter；　but　there　is　still　an　element　of　fatigue　involved　in　their　employment。　Walking　through　Shadow；　which　is　an　exercise　of　the　image　of　the　Pattern　which　exists　within　us；　is　an　even　greater　expenditure。　To　essay　the　Pattern　itself；　physically；　is　a　massive　drain　on　one's　energies。　But　the　jewel；　he　said；　represents　an　even　higher　octave　of　the　same　thing；　and　its　cost　to　its　employer　is　exponentially　greater。〃
　Thus；　if　correct；　another　ambiguous　insight　into　the　character　of　my　late　and　least　favored　brother。　If　he　were　aware　of　this　phenomenon　and　had　donned　the　jewel　and　worn　it　overlong　anyhow；　in　the　defense　of　Amber；　it　made　him　something　of　a　hero。　But　then；　seen　in　this　light；　his　passing　it　along　to　me；　without　warnings；　became　a　deathbed　effort　at　a　final　piece　of　vengeance。　But　he　had　exempted　me　from　his　curse；　he'd　said；　so　as　to　spend　it　properly　on　our　enemies　in　the　field。　This；　of　course；　only　meant　that　he　hated　them　a　little　more　than　he　hated　me　and　was　deploying　his　final　energies　as　strategically　as　possible；　for　Amber。　I　thought　then　of　the　partial　character　of　Dworkin's　notes；　as　I　had　recovered　them　from　the　hiding　place　Eric　had　indicated。　Could　it　be　that　Eric　had　acquired　them　intact　and　had　purposely　destroyed　that　portion　containing　the　cautions　so　as　to　damn　his　successor？　That　notion　did　not　strike　me　as　quite　adequate；　for　he　had　had　no　way　of　knowing　that　I　would　return　when　I　did；　as　I　did；　that　the　course　of　battle　would　run　as　it　had；　and　that　I　would　indeed　be　his　successor。　It　could　just　as　easily　have　been　one　of　his　favorites　that　followed　him　to　power；　in　which　case　he　would　certainly　not　have　wanted　him　to　inherit　any　booby　traps。　No。　As　I　saw　it；　either　Eric　was　not　really　aware　of　this　property　of　the　stone；　having　acquired　only　partial　instructions　for　its　use；　or　someone　had　gotten　to　those　papers　before　I　had　and　removed　sufficient　material　to　leave　me　with　a　mortal　liability。　It　may　well　have　been　the　hand　of　the　real　enemy；　once　again。
　〃Do　you　know　the　safety　factor？〃　I　asked。
　〃No；〃　she　said。　〃I　can　give　you　only　two　pointers；　for　whatever　they　may　be　worth。　The　first　is　that　I　do　not　recall　Dad's　ever　wearing　it　for　long　periods　of　time。　The　second；　I　pieced　together　from　a　number　of　things　that　he　said；　beginning　with　a　ment　to　the　effect　that　'when　people　turn　into　statues　you　are　either　in　the　wrong　place　or　in　trouble。'　I　pressed　him　quite　a　bit　on　that；　over　a　long　period　of　time；　and　I　eventually　got　the　impression　that　the　first　sign　of　having　worn　it　too　long　is　some　sort　of　distortion　of　your　time　sense。　Apparently　it　begins　speeding　up　the　metabolism　…　everything　…　with　a　net　effect　that　the　world　seems　to　be　slowing　down　around　you。　This　must　take　quite　a　toll　on　a　person。　That　is　everything　that　I　know　about　it；　and　I　admit　that　a　large　part　of　the　last　is　guesswork。　How　long　have　you　been　wearing　it？〃
　〃A　while　now；〃　I　said；　taking　my　mental　pulse　and　glancing　about　to　see　whether　things　seemed　to　be　slowing　down　any。
　I　could　not　really　tell；　though　of　course　I　did　not　feel　in　the　best　of　shape。　I　had　assumed　it　was　totally　Gerard's　doing；　though。　I　was　not　about　to　yank　it　off；　however；　just　because　another　family　member　had　suggested　it；　even　if　it　was　clever　Fiona　in　one　of　her　friendlier　moods。　Perversity；　cussedness。。。　No；　independence。　That　was　it。　That　and　purely　formal　distrust。　I　had　only　put　it　on　for　the　evening　a　few　hours　before；　anyway。　I'd　wait。
　〃Well；　you　have　made　your　point　in　wearing　it；〃　she　was　saying。　〃I　simply　wanted　to　advise　you　against　prolonged　exposure　until　you　know　more　about　it。〃
　〃Thanks；　Fi。　I'll　have　it　off　soon；　and　I　appreciate　your　telling　me。　By　the　way；　whatever　became　of　Dworkin？〃
　She　tapped　her　temple。
　〃His　mind　finally　went；　poor　man。　I　like　to　think　that　Dad　had　him　put　away　in　some　restful　retreat　in　Shadow。〃
　〃I　see　what　you　mean；〃　I　said。　〃Yes；　let　us　think　that。　Poor　fellow。〃
　Julian　rose　to　his　feet；　concluding　a　conversation　with　Llewella。　He　stretched；　nodded　to　her；　and　strolled　over。
　〃Corwin；　have　you　thought　of　any　more　questions　for　us？〃　he　said。
　〃None　that　I'd　care　to　ask　just　now。〃
　He　smiled。
　〃Anything　more　that　you　want　to　tell　us？〃
　〃Not　at　the　moment。〃
　〃Any　more　experiments；　demonstrations；　charades？〃
　〃No。
　〃Good。　Then　I'm　going　to　bed。　Good　night。〃
　〃Night。〃
　He　bowed　to　Fiona；　waved　to　Benedict　and　Random；　nodded　to　Flora　and　Deirdre　as　he　passed　them　on　the　way　to　the　door。　He　paused　on　the　threshold；　turned　back　and　said；　〃Now　you　can　all　talk　about　me；〃　and　went　on　out。
　〃All　right；〃　Fiona　said。　〃Let's。　I　think　he's　the　one。〃
　〃Why？〃　I　asked。
　〃I'll　go　down　the　list；　subjective；　intuitive；　and　biased　as　it　is。　Benedict；　in　my　opinion；　is　above　suspicion。　If　he　wanted　the　throne；　he'd　have　it　by　now；　by　direct；　military　methods。　With　all　the　time　he　has　had；　he　could　have　managed　an　attack　that　would　have　succeeded；　even　against　Dad。　He　is　that　good；　and　we　all　know　it。　You；　on　the　other　hand；　have　made　a　number　of　blunders　which　you　would　not　have　made　had　you　been　in　full