rz.thegunsofavalon-第29章

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　I　advanced　upon　the　rear　of　the　house；　sidled　up　to　a　window；　wiped　it　with　my　elbow。　I　had　been　watching　the　place　for　three　days；　and　it　struck　me　as　very　unlikely　that　anyone　was　inside。　Still。。。
　I　peered　in。
　It　was　a　mess；　of　course；　and　a　lot　of　my　stuff　was　missing。　But　some　of　it　was　still　there。　I　moved　to　my　right　and　tried　the　door。　Locked。　I　chuckled。
　I　walked　around　to　the　patio。　Ninth　brick　in；　fourth　brick　up。　The　key　was　still　beneath　it。　I　wiped　it　on　my　jacket　as　I　walked　back。　I　let　myself　in。
　There　was　dust　on　everything；　but　it　had　been　disturbed　in　some　places。　There　were　coffee　containers；　sandwich　wrappers；　and　the　remains　of　a　petrified　hamburger　in　the　fireplace。　A　lot　of　weather　had　found　its　way　down　that　chimney　in　my　absence。　I　crossed　over　and　closed　the　damper。
　I　saw　that　the　front　door　had　been　broken　about　the　lock。　I　tried　it。　It　seemed　to　be　nailed　shut。　There　was　an　obscenity　scrawled　on　the　wall　in　the　foyer。　I　walked　on　into　the　kitchen。　It　was　a　total　mess。　Anything　that　had　survived　plunder　was　on　the　floor。　The　stove　and　the　refrigerator　were　gone；　the　floor　scarred　where　they　had　been　pushed　along。
　I　backed　away；　went　and　checked　my　workshop。　Yes；　it　had　been　stripped。　pletely。　Passing　on；　I　was　surprised　to　find　my　bed；　still　unmade；　and　two　expensive　chairs　all　intact　in　my　bedroom。
　My　study　was　a　more　pleasant　surprise。　The　big　desk　was　covered　with　the　litter　and　muss；　but　then　it　always　had　been。　Lighting　a　cigarette；　I　went　and　sat　behind　it。　I　guess　it　was　just　too　heavy　and　bulky　for　anyone　to　make　off　with。　My　books　were　all　on　their　shelves。　Nobody　steals　books　but　your　friends。　And　there　…
　I　could　not　believe　it。　I　got　to　my　feet　again　and　crossed　the　room　to　stare　at　close　range。
　Yoshitoshi　Mori's　beautiful　woodcut　hung　right　where　it　had　always　been；　clean；　stark；　elegant；　violent。　To　think　that　no　one　had　made　off　with　one　of　my　most　prized　possessions。。。
　Clean？
　I　scrutinized　it。　I　ran　my　finger　along　the　frame。
　Too　clean。　It　bore　none　of　the　dust　and　grit　which　covered　everything　else　in　the　house。
　I　checked　it　for　trip　wires；　found　none；　removed　it　from　its　hook；　lowered　it。
　No；　the　wall　was　no　lighter　behind　it。　It　matched　the　rest　of　the　wall　perfectly。
　I　put　Mori's　work　on　the　window　seat　and　returned　to　my　desk。　I　was　troubled；　as　someone　doubtless　intended　me　to　be。　Someone　had　obviously　removed　it　and　taken　good　care　of　it　…　a　thing　for　which　I　was　not　ungrateful　…　and　then　only　just　recently　restored　it。　It　was　as　if　my　return　had　been　anticipated。
　Which　should　be　adequate　reason　for　immediate　flight；　I　suppose。　But　that　was　silly。　If　it　was　part　of　some　trap；　it　had　already　been　sprung。　I　jerked　the　automatic　from　my　jacket　pocket　and　tucked　it　behind　my　belt。　I　had　not　even　known　that　I　would　be　ing　back　myself。　It　was　just　something　I　had　decided　to　do　since　I　had　had　some　time　on　my　hands。　I　was　not　even　certain　as　to　why　I　had　wanted　to　see　the　place　again。
　So　this　was　some　sort　of　contingency　arrangement。　If　I　should　e　by　the　old　homestead；　it　might　be　to　obtain　the　only　thing　in　the　place　worth　having。　So　preserve　it　and　display　it　so　that　I　will　have　to　take　notice。　All　right；　I　had。　I　had　not　been　attacked　yet；　so　it　did　not　seem　a　trap。　What　then？　A　message。　Some　sort　of　a　message。　What？　How？　And　who？
　The　safest　place　in　the　house；　had　it　remained　unravaged；　should　still　be　the　safe。　It　was　not　beyond　any　of　my　siblings'　skill。　I　moved　to　the　rear　wall；　pressed　the　panel　loose；　and　swung　it　out。　I　spun　the　dial　through　its　bination；　stepped　back；　opened　the　door　with　my　old　swagger　stick。
　No　explosion。　Good。　Not　that　I　had　expected　any。
　There　had　been　nothing　of　any　great　value　inside　…　a　few　hundred　dollars　in　cash；　some　bonds；　receipts；　correspondence。
　An　envelope。　A　fresh；　white　envelope　lay　in　plain　sight。　I　did　not　remember　it。
　My　name　upon　it；　written　in　an　elegant　hand。　Not　with　ballpoint　either。
　It　contained　a　letter　and　a　card。
　Brother　Corwin；　the　letter　said；　If　you　are　reading　this；　then　we　still　think　enough　alike　for　me　to　be　able　to　anticipate　you　somewhat。　I　thank　you　for　the　loan　of　the　woodcut　…　one　of　two　possible　reasons；　as　I　see　it；　for　your　returning　to　this　squalid　shadow。　I　am　loathe　to　relinquish　it；　as　our　tastes　are　also　somewhat　akin　and　it　has　graced　my　chambers　for　several　years　now。　There　is　something　to　the　subject　that　strikes　a　familiar　chord。　Its　return　is　to　be　taken　as　evidence　of　my　good　will　and　a　bid　for　your　attention。　In　that　I　must　be　honest　with　you　if　I　am　to　stand　a　chance　of　convincing　you　of　anything；　I　will　not　apologize　for　what　has　been　done。　My　only　regret；　actually；　is　that　I　did　not　kill　you　when　I　should　have。　Vanity　it　was；　that　played　me　for　a　fool。　While　time　may　have　healed　your　eyes；　I　doubt　it　will　ever　significantly　alter　our　feelings　for　one　another。　Your　letter　…〃I'll　be　back〃　…　lies　upon　my　writing　table　at　this　moment。　Had　I　written　it；　I　know　that　I　would　be　back。　Some　things　being　equal　between　us；　I　anticipate　your　return；　and　not　without　somewhat　of　apprehension。　Knowing　you　for　no　fool；　I　contemplate　your　arriving　in　force。　And　here　is　where　past　vanity　is　paid　of　present　pride。　I　would　have　peace　between　us；　Corwin；　for　the　sake　of　the　realm；　not　my　own。　Strong　forces　out　of　Shadow　have　e　to　beset　Amber　regularly；　and　I　do　not　fully　understand　their　nature。　Against　these　forces；　the　most　formidable　in　my　memory　ever　to　assail　Amber；　the　family　has　united　behind　me。　I　would　like　to　have　your　support　in　this　struggle。　Failing　that；　I　request　that　you　forbear　invading　me　for　a　time。　If　you　elect　to　assist；　I　will　require　no　homage　of　you；　simply　acknowledgment　of　my　leadership　for　the　duration　of　the　crisis。　You　will　be　accorded　your　normal　honors。　It　is　important　that　you　contact　me　to　see　the　truth　of　what　I　say。　As　I　have　failed　to　reach　you　by　means　of　your　Trump；　I　enclose　my　own　for　your　use。　While　the　possibility　that　I　am　lying　to　you　is　foremost　in　your　mind；　I　give　you　my　word　that　I　am　not。　…　Eric；　Lord　of　Amber。
　I　reread　it　and　chuckled。　What　did　he　think　curses　were　for；　anyway？
　No　good；　my　brother。　It　was　kind　of　you　to　think　of　me　in　your　moment　of　need　…　and　I　believe　you；　never　doubt　it；　for　we　are　all　of　us　honorable　men　…　but　our　meeting　will　e　according　to　my　schedule；　not　yours。　As　for　Amber；　I　am　not　unmindful　of　her　needs；　and　I　will　deal　with　them　in　my　own　time　and　fashion。　You　make　the　mistake；　Eric；　of　considering　yourself　necessary。　The　graveyards　are　filled　with　men　who　thought　they　could　not　be　replaced。　I　will　wait　though；　to　tell　you　this；　face　to　face。
　I　tucked　his　letter　and　the　Trump　in　my　jacket　pocket。　I　killed　my　cigarette　in　the　dirty　ashtray　on　my　desk。　Then　I　fetched　some　linen　from　the　bedroom　to　wrap　my　batants。　They　would　wait　for　me　in　a　safer　place；　this　time。
　As　I　passed　through　the　house　once　again；　I　wondered　why　I　had　e　back；　really。　I　thought　of　some　of　the　people　I　had　known　when　I　had　lived　there；　and　wondered　whether　they　ever　thought　of　me；　whether　they　wondered　what　had　bee　of　me。　I　would　never　know；　of　course。
　Night　had　begun　and　the　sky　was　clear　and　its　first　stars　bright　as　I　stepped　outside　and　locked　the　door　behind　me。　I　went　around　to　the　side　and　returned　the　key　to　its　place　beneath　the　patio。　Then　I　mounted　the　hill。
　When　I　looked　back　from　the　top；　the　house　seemed　to　have　shrunken　there　in　the　darkness；　to　have　bee　a　piece　of　the　desolation；　like　an　empty　beer　can　tossed　beside　the　road。　I　crossed　over　and　down；　heading　across　a　field　toward　the　place　where　I　had　parked；　wishing　I　had　not　looked　back。
　
　
　Chapter　9
　
　Ganelon　and　I　departed　Switzerland　in　a　pair　of　trucks。　We　had　driven　them　there　from　Belgium；　and　I　had　taken　the　rifles　in　mine。　Figuring　ten　pounds　per　piece；　the　three　hundred　had　e　to　around　a　ton　and　a　half；　which　was　not　bad。　After　we　took　on　the　ammo；　we　still　had　plenty　of　room　for　fuel　and　other　supplies。　We　had　taken　a　short　cut　through　Shadow；　of　course；　to　avoid　the　people　who　wait　around　borders　to　delay　traffic。　We　departed　in　the　same　fashion；　with　me　in　the　lead　to　open　the　way；　so　to　speak。
　I　led　us　through　a　land　of　dark　hills　and　narrow　villages；　where　the　only　vehicles　we　passed　were　horse…drawn。　When　the　sky　grew　bright　lemon；　the　beasts　of　burden　were　striped　and　feathered。　We　drove　for　hours；　finally　encountering　the　black　road；　paralleling　it　for　a　time；　then　heading　off　in　another　direction。　The　skies　went　through　a　dozen　shiftings；　and　the　contours　of　the　land　melted　and　merged　from　hill　to　plain　and　back　again。　We　crept　along　poor　roads　and　skidded　on　flats　as　smooth　and　hard　as　glass。　We　edged　our　way　across　a　mountain's　face　and　skirted　a　wine…dark　sea。　We　passed　through　storms　and　fogs。
　It　took　me　half　a　day　to　find　them　once　again；　or　a　shadow　so　close　that　it　made　no　difference。　Yes；　those　whom　I　had　exploited　once　before。　They　were　short　fellows；　very　hairy；　very　dark；　with　long　incisors　and　retractable　claws。　But　they　had　trigger　fingers；　and　they　worshiped　me。　They　were　overjoyed　at　my　return。　It　little　mattered　that　five　years　earlier　I　had　sent　the　cream　of　their　manhood　off　to　die　in　a　strange　land。　The　gods　are　not　to　be　questioned；　but　loved；　honored；　and　obeyed。　They　were　quite　disappointed　that　I　only　wanted　a　few　hundred。　I　had　to　turn　away　thousands　of　volunteers。　The　morality　of　it　did　not　especially　trouble　me　this　time。　One　way　of　looking　at　it　might　be　that　by　employing　this　group　I　was　seeing　to　it　that　the　others　had　not　died　in　vain。　Of　course　I　did　not　look　at　it　that　way；　but　I　enjoy　exercises　in　sophistry。　I　suppose　I　might　also　consider　them　mercenaries　being　paid　in　spiritual　coin。　What　difference　did　it　make　whether　they　fought　for　money　or　for　a　belief？　I　was　capable　of　supplying　either　one　when　I　needed　troops。
　Actually；　though；　these　would　be　pretty　safe；　being　the　only　ones　in　the　place　with　fire　power。　My　ammo　was　still　inert　in　their　homeland；　however；　and　it　took　several　days　of　marching　through　Shadow　to　reach　a　land　sufficiently　like　Amber　for　it　to　bee　functional。　The　only　catch　was　that　shadows　follow　a　law　of　congruency　of　correspondences；　so　that　the　place　actually　was　close　to　Amber。　This　kept　me　somewhat　on　edge　throughout　their　training。　It　was　unlikely　that　a　brother　would　blunder　through　that　shadow。　Still；　worse　coincidences　have　occurred。
　We　drilled　for　close　to　three　weeks　before　I　decided　we　were　ready。　Then；　on　a　bright；　crisp　morning；　we　broke　camp　and　moved　on　into　Shadow；　the　columns　of　troops　following　behind　the　trucks。　The　trucks　would　cease　to　function　when　we　neared　Amber　…　they　were　already　giving　us　some　trouble　…　but　they　might　as　well　be　used　to　haul　the　equipment　as　far　along　as　possible。
　This　time；　I　intended　to　go　over　the　top　of　Kolvir　from　the　north；　rather　than　essay　its　seaward　face　again。　All　of　the　men　had　an　understanding　of　the　layout；　and　the　disposition　of　the　rifle　squads　had　already　been　determined　and　run　through　in　practice。
　We　halted　for　lunch；　ate　well；　and　continued　on；　the　shadows　slowly　slipping　away　about　us。　The　sky　became　a　dark　but　brilliant　blue；　the　sky　of　Amber。　The　earth　was　black　amo