osc.am2.redprophet-第60部分

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　but　of　course　that　also　set　more　questions　into　Alvin's　mind；　about　how　Ta…Kumsaw　ever　learned　such　talk。　Alvin　never　even　heard　so　much　as　a　rumor　about　Ta…Kumsaw　having　White　friends　in　Appalachee；　and　you'd　think　a　tale　like　that　would　be　known。　Though　it　wasn't　hard　to　guess　why　Ta…Kumsaw　wouldn't　want　it　noised　around　much。　What　would　all　those　het…up　Reds　think　if　they　saw　Ta…Kumsaw　here　and　now？　What　would　it　do　to　Ta…Kumsaw's　war？
　　And　e　to　think　of　it；　how　could　Ta…Kumsaw　wage　such　a　war；　if　he　had　true　White　friends　like　the　folk　of　this　valley？　Surely　the　land　was　dead　here；　at　least　as　the　Reds　knew　it。　How　could　Ta…Kumsaw　bear　it？　It　left　such　a　hunger　in　Alvin　that　even　though　he　packed　bread　and　cheese　down　his　throat　till　his　belly　poked　out；　he　still　felt　a　gnawing　inside　him；　a　need　to　get　back　to　the　woodland　and　feel　the　song　of　the　land　inside　himself。
　　The　meal　was　filled　with　Becca's　pleasant　chatter　about　doings　in　the　valley；　her　saying　names　that　meant　nothing　to　Alvin；　except　any　one　of　them　could　have　been　the　name　of　a　body　back　in　Vigor　Church　　there　was　even　folks　named　Miller；　which　was　natural；　seeing　how　a　valley　this　size　no　doubt　had　more　than　one　miller's　worth　of　grain　to　grind。
　　The　old　man　came　back　to　clear　away。
　　〃Did　you　e　to　see　my　cloth？〃　asked　Becca。
　　Ta…Kumsaw　nodded。　〃That's　half　why　I　came。〃
　　Becca　smiled；　and　led　him　to　the　loom。　She　sat　on　her　weaving　stool　and　gathered　the　newest　cloth　up　into　her　lap。　She　started　about　three　yards　from　the　lip　of　the　loom。
　　〃Here；〃　she　said。　〃The　gathering　of　your　folk　to　Prophetstown。〃
　　Alvin　saw　how　she　passed　her　hand　over　a　whole　bunch　of　threads　that　seemed　to　climb　out　of　their　proper　warp　and　migrate　across　the　cloth　to　gather　up　near　the　edge。
　　〃Reds　from　every　tribe；〃　she　said。　〃The　strongest　of　your　people。〃
　　Even　though　the　fibers　tended　to　be　greenish；　they　were　indeed　heavier　than　most　threads；　strong　and　taut。　Becca　fed　the　cloth　farther　down　her　lap。　The　gathering　grew　stronger　and　clearer；　and　the　threads　turned　brighter　green。　How　could　threads　change　color　that　way？　And　how　with　the　machinery　of　the　loom　could　the　warp　shift　like　that？
　　〃And　now　the　Whites　that　gathered　against　them；〃　she　said。
　　And　sure　enough；　another　group　of　threads；　tighter　to　start　with；　but　gathering；　knotting　up　a　little。　To　Alvin's　eyes　it　looked　like　the　cloth　was　a　ruin；　the　threads　all　tangled　and　bunched　　who'd　wear　a　shirt　made　of　such　stuff　as　that？　　and　the　colors　made　no　sense；　all　jumbled　together　without　no　effort　to　make　a　pattern　or　any　kind　of　regular　order。
　　Ta…Kumsaw　reached　out　his　hand　and　pulled　the　cloth　toward　himself。　Pulled　until　he　exposed　a　place　were　all　those　pure　green　threads　just　went　slack　and　then　stopped；　most　of　them。　The　warp　of　the　cloth　was　spare　and　thin；　then；　maybe　one　thread　for　every　ten　there　used　to　be；　like　a　worn…down　raggedy　patch　in　the　elbow　of　an　old　shirt；　so　when　you　bent　your　elbow　maybe　a　dozen　threads　made　lines　across　your　skin　one　direction；　and　no　threads　at　all　the　other　way。
　　If　the　green　threads　stood　for　Prophetstown；　there　couldn't　be　no　mistake　what　was　going　on　here。　〃Tippy…Canoe；〃　Alvin　murmured。　Now　he　knew　the　order　of　this　cloth。
　　Becca　bent　over　the　cloth　and　tears　dropped　from　her　eyes　straight　down　on　it。
　　Tearless；　Ta…Kumsaw　pulled　the　cloth　again；　steadily。　Alvin　saw　the　rest　of　the　green　threads；　the　few　that　remained　from　the　massacre　at　Tippy…Canoe；　migrate　to　the　edge　of　the　cloth　and　stop。　The　cloth　was　narrower　by　that　many　threads。　Only　now　there　was　another　gathering；　and　the　threads　were　not　green。　They　were　mostly　black。
　　〃Black　with　hate；〃　said　Becca。　〃You　are　gathering　your　people　with　hate。〃
　　〃Can　you　imagine　conducting　a　war　with　love？〃　asked　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　〃That's　a　reason　to　refuse　to　make　war　at　all；〃　she　said　gently。
　　〃Don't　talk　like　a　White　woman；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　〃But　she　is　one；〃　said　Alvin；　who　thought　she　made　perfect　sense。
　　They　both　looked　at　Alvin；　Ta…Kumsaw　impassively；　Becca　with　amusement？　Pity？　Then　they　returned　to　the　cloth。
　　Very　quickly　they　came　to　where　the　cloth　hung　over　the　beam；　then　fed　out　of　the　loom。　Along　the　way；　the　black　threads　of　Ta…Kumsaw's　army　worked　closer　together；　knotted；　intertwined。　And　other　threads；　some　blue；　some　yellow；　some　black；　all　gathered　in　another　place；　the　fabric　bunching　up　something　awful。　It　was　thicker；　but　it　didn't　seem　to　Alvin　that　it　was　a　speck　stronger。　Weaker；　if　anything。　Less　useful。　Less　trustworthy。
　　〃This　cloth　ain't　going　to　be　worth　much；　if　this　goes　on；〃　said　Alvin。
　　Becca　smiled　grimly。　〃Truer　words　were　never　spoken；　lad。〃
　　〃If　this　is　about　a　year's　worth　of　story；〃　said　Alvin；　〃you　must　have　two　hundred　years　all　gathered　up　here。〃
　　Becca　cocked　her　head。　〃More　than　that；〃　she　said。
　　〃How　do　you　find　out　all　that's　going　on；　to　make　it　all　go　into　the　cloth？〃
　　〃Oh；　Alvin；　there's　some　things　folks　just　do；　without　knowing　how；〃　she　said。
　　〃And　if　you　change　the　threads　around；　can't　you　make　things　go　different？〃　Alvin　had　in　mind　a　careful　rearrangement；　spreading　the　threads　out　more　even…like；　and　getting　those　black　threads　farther　apart　from　each　other。
　　〃It　doesn't　work　like　that；〃　she　said。　〃I　don't　make　things　happen；　with　what　I　do　here。　Things　that　happen；　they　change　me。　Don't　fret　about　it；　Alvin。〃
　　〃But　there　wasn't　even　White　folks　in　this　part　of　America　more　than　two　hundred　years　ago。　How　can　this　cloth　go　farther　back？〃
　　She　sighed。　〃Isaac；　why　did　you　bring　him　to　plague　me　with　questions？〃
　　Ta…Kumsaw　smiled　at　her。
　　〃Lad；　will　you　tell　no　one？〃　she　asked。　〃Will　you　keep　it　secret　who　I　am　and　what　I　do？〃
　　〃I　promise。〃
　　〃I　weave；　Alvin。　That's　all。　My　whole　family；　from　before　we　even　remember；　we've　been　weavers。〃
　　〃That　your　name；　then？　Becca　Weaver？　My　brother…in…law；　Armor…of…God；　his　pa's　a　Weaver；　and〃
　　〃Nobody　calls　us　weavers；〃　said　Becca。　〃If　they　had　any　name　for　as　at　all；　they'd　call　us　no。〃
　　She　wouldn't　tell　him。
　　〃No；　Alvin；　I　can't　put　such　a　burden　on　you。　Because　you'd　want　to　e。　You'd　want　to　e　and　see。〃
　　〃See　what？〃　asked　Alvin。
　　〃Like　Isaac　here。　I　should　never　have　told　him；　either。〃
　　〃He　kept　the　secret；　though。　Never　breathed　a　word。〃
　　〃He　didn't　keep　it　secret　from　himself；　though。　He　came　to　see。〃
　　〃See　what？〃　Alvin　asked　again。
　　〃See　how　long　are　the　threads　a…flowing　up　into　my　loom。〃
　　Only　then　did　Alvin　notice　the　back　end　of　the　loom；　where　the　warp　threads　were　gathered　into。　place　by　a　rack　of　fine　steel　wires。　The　threads　weren't　colored　at　all。　They　were　raw　white。　Cotton？　Surely　not　wool。　Linen；　maybe。　With　all　the　colors　in　the　finished　cloth；　he　hadn't　really　noticed　what　it　was　made　of。
　　〃Where　do　the　colors　e　from？〃　asked　Alvin。
　　No　one　answered。
　　〃Some　of　the　threads　go　slack。〃
　　〃Some　of　them　end；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　〃Many　of　them　end；〃　said　Becca。　〃And　many　begin。　It's　the　pattern　of　life。〃
　　〃What　do　you　see；　Alvin？〃　asked　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　〃If　these　black　threads　are　your　folk；〃　said　Alvin；　〃then　I'd　say　there's　a　battle　ing；　and　a　lot　are　going　to　die。　Not　like　Tippy…Canoe；　though。　Not　as　bad。〃
　　〃That's　what　I　see；　too；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　〃And　these　other　colors　all　bunched　up；　what　are　they？　An　army　of　White　folk？〃
　　〃Word　is　that　a　man　named　Andrew　Jackson　of　the　western　Tennizy　country　is　gathering　up　an　army。　They　call　him　Old　Hickory。〃
　　〃I　know　the　man；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。　〃He　doesn't　stay　in　the　saddle　too　well。〃
　　〃He's　been　doing　with　White　folks　what　you've　been　doing　with　Red；　Isaac。　He's　been　going　up　and　down　the　western　country；　rousting　people　out　and　haranguing　them　about　the　Red　Menace。　About　you；　Isaac。　For　every　Red　soldier　you've　gathered；　he's　recruited　two　Whites。　And　he　figures　you'll　go　north；　to　join　with　a　French　army。　He　knows　all　your　plans。〃
　　〃He　knows　nothing；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。　〃Alvin；　tell　me；　how　many　threads　of　this　White　army　end？〃
　　〃A　lot。　More；　maybe。　I　don't　know。　It's　about　even。〃
　　〃Then　it　tells　me　nothing。〃
　　〃It　tells　you　that　you'll　have　your　battle；〃　said　Becca。　〃It　tells　you　that　there'll　be　more　blood　and　suffering　in　the　world；　thanks　to　you。〃
　　〃But　it　says　nothing　of　victory；〃　said　Ta…Kumsaw。
　　〃It　never　does。〃
　　Alvin　wondered　if　you　could　just　tie　another　thread　onto　the　end　of　one　of　the　broken　ones；　and　save　somebody's　life。　He　looked　for　the　spools　of　thread　from　which　the　warp　was　formed；　but　he　couldn't　find　them。　The　threads　hung　down　from　the　back　beam　of　the　loom；　taut　like　there　was　a　heavy　weight　hanging　on　them；　but　Alvin　couldn't　see　where　the　threads　came　from。　They　didn't　touch　the　floor。　They　didn't　exactly　stop；　either。　He　looked　this　far；　and　there　they　were；　hanging　tight　and　long；　and　he　looked　this　much　farther；　and　there　weren't　no　threads；　nothing　there　at　all。　The　threads　were　just　ing　out　of　nowhere；　and　there　was　no　way　the　human　eye　could　see　or　make　sense　of　how　they　started。
　　But　Alvin；　he　could　see　with　other　eyes；　inward　eyes；　the　way　he　studied　into　the　tiny　workings　of　the　human　body；　into　the　cold　in