ggk.asongforarbonne-第5章

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　neither　surprised　nor　tempted。　He　was　being　paid　by　Mallin　and　had　shaped　his　own　code　in　such　matters。
　　What　Evrard　of　Lussan　shaped；　later　that　spring；　was　something　else。　In　brief；　the　little　troubadour；　having　downed　a　considerable　quantity　of　unmixed　Miraval　red　wine　with　the　corans　one　night；　finally　elected　to　translate　his　fiercely　impassioned　verses　into　modestly　passionate　action。
　　Inflamed　by　a　joglar's　fervid　rendition　of　one　of　his　own　ballads　earlier　that　evening；　the　troubadour　had　left　his　sleeping　place　late　at　night　and　stumbled　along　dark　and　silent　corridors　and　stairways　to　Soresina's　door；　which　happened；　unfortunately　for　all　concerned；　to　be　unlocked：　Mallin；　young；　healthy；　tall　enough；　and　rather　urgently　seeking　heirs；　had　but　lately　left　his　wife　for　his　own　chamber　nearby。
　　The　intoxicated；　verse…enraptured　poet　had　entered　the　pitch…black　chamber；　felt　his　way　over　to　the　canopied　bed　and　planted　a　lover's　kiss　upon　the　lips　of　the　satiated；　sleeping　woman　he　was　busily　making　famous　throughout　Arbonne　that　spring。
　　There　were　a　good　many　schools　of　thought　evolving；　in　the　aftermath　of　the　event；　as　to　what　Soresina　should　have　done。　Ariane　de　Carenzu；　queen　of　the　Court　of　Love　since　the　countess；　her　aunt；　had　passed　the　title　to　her；　had　proclaimed　a　session　to　rule　on　the　matter　later　in　the　year。　In　the　meantime；　every　man　and　woman　Blaise　encountered　in　the　castle　or　outside　it　seemed　to　have　an　opinion　on　what　he　himself　regarded　as　an　entirely　predictable；　utterly　trivial　event。
　　What　Soresina　had　done…quite　naturally；　or　very　unfortunately；　depending　on　one's　perspective…was　scream。　Roused　from　post…coital　dreaming；　then　realizing　who　was　in　her　chamber；　she　cursed　her　stunned；　besotted　admirer；　in　a　voice　heard　by　half　the　castle；　as　a　rude；　ill…bred　peasant　who　deserved　a　public　whipping。
　　What　Evrard　of　Lussan；　wounded　to　the　core　of　his　all…too…sensitive　soul；　had　done　in　turn　was　leave　Baude　Castle　before　sunrise；　proceed　directly　to　the　nearest　sanctuary　of　the　goddess；　receive　benediction　and　consecration　and；　making　his　way　to　the　coast；　cross　by　boat　to　Rian's　Island　in　a　retreat　from　the　harsh；　ungrateful　society　of　women　and　castles　that　could　so　abuse　the　unstinting　generosity　of　his　art。
　　Safely　on　the　island；　away　from　the　terrible　storm　and　strife　of　the　world　beyond；　he　had　begun　soothing　and　diverting　himself　by　posing　hymns　to　the　goddess；　along　with　some　undeniably　witty　satires　on　Soresina　de　Baude。　Not　by　name；　of　course…rules　were　rules…but　since　the　name　he　used　now　was　the　same　one　he'd　coined　to　exalt　the　long…limbed　elegance　of　her　form　and　the　dark　fire　of　her　eyes；　no　one　in　Arbonne　was　left　even　slightly　in　ignorance　of　this　particular　point。　The　students　in　Tavernel；　Blaise　had　been　given　to　understand　by　a　seriously　distressed　Mallin；　had　taken　up　the　songs　and　were　amplifying　them；　adding　verses　of　their　own。
　　After　a　number　of　weeks　of　this；　En　Mallin　de　Baude…his　wife　an　increasing　object　of　amusement；　his　castle　on　the　verge　of　being　a　byword　for　rustic　bad　manners；　his　conciliatory　letters　to　Evrard　on　the　island　pointedly　unanswered…elected　to　do　something　drastic。
　　For　his　own　part；　Blaise　would　probably　have　arranged　to　kill　the　poet。　Mallin　de　Baude　was　a　lord；　if　a　minor　one；　Evrard　of　Lussan　was　no　more　than　a　travelling　parasite　in　Blaise's　view。　A　feud；　even　a　dispute　between　two　such　men；　would　have　been　unthinkable　in　Gorhaut。　But　this；　of　course；　was　woman…ruled　Arbonne；　where　the　troubadours　had　a　power　in　society　they　could　never　have　dreamt　of　anywhere　else。
　　In　the　event；　what　Mallin　did　was　order　Blaise　and　his　corans　to　cross　to　the　goddess's　Island　secretly　by　night　and　bring　Evrard　back。　The　baron；　of　course；　couldn't　lead　the　expedition　himself；　though　Blaise　had　enough　respect　for　the　man　to　believe　he　would　have　preferred　to。　Mallin　would　need　some　distance　from　the　escapade；　though；　in　the　event　that　they　failed。　He　had　to　be　able　to　say　his　corans　had　conceived　the　scheme　without　his　knowledge　or　consent；　and　then　hasten　to　a　temple　of　Rian　and　make　appropriate　gestures　of　contrition。　It　was　all　made　particularly　neat；　Blaise　had　thought；　by　the　fact　that　the　leader　of　the　corans　of　Baude　that　season　just　happened　to　be　a　hired　mercenary　from　Gorhaut　who　didn't；　of　course；　worship　Rian　at　all　and　might　be　expected　to　perpetrate　such　a　sacrilege。　Blaise　didn't　mention　this　thought　to　anyone。　It　didn't　even　really　bother　him；　this　was　simply　the　way　of　things　at　a　certain　level　of　the　world's　affairs；　and　he　had　more　than　a　little　familiarity　with　it。
　　Soresina；　languishing　and　aghast　at　what　an　instinctive　scream　and　outburst　had　wrought；　had　been　energetically　primed　by　a　succession　of　visiting　neighbouring　ladies；　rather　more　experienced　in　the　ways　of　poets；　as　to　how　to　deal　with　Evrard　on　his　return。
　　If　Blaise　and　the　corans　got　to　the　island。　If　they　found　him。　If　he　chose　to　return。　If　the　sea　monsters　of　Luth's　dark　dreams　chose　not　to　rise　up　above　their　skiff；　towering　and　dreadful　in　the　pale　moonlight；　and　drag　them　all　down　to　death　in　the　watery　blackness。
　　
　　〃Towards　those　pines；〃　Hirnan；　who　was　navigating；　muttered　from　the　front　of　the　skiff。　He　glanced　back　over　his　broad　shoulder　at　the　looming　shadow　of　the　island。　〃And　for　the　love　of　Corannos；　keep　silent　now！〃
　　〃Luth；〃　Blaise　added　softly；　〃if　I　hear　a　sound　from　you；　any　kind　of　sound　from　now　until　we're　back　on　the　mainland；　I　will　slit　your　throat　and　slide　you　overboard。〃
　　Luth　gulped；　quite　noisily。　Blaise　elected　not　to　kill　him　for　that。　How　such　a　man　had　ever　been　consecrated　a　warrior　in　the　Order　of　Corannos　he　could　not　understand。　The　man　could　handle　a　bow　well　enough；　and　a　sword　and　a　horse；　but　surely；　even　here　in　Arbonne；　they　had　to　know　that　there　was　more　to　being　a　coran　of　the　god　than　those　skills。　Were　there　no　standards　any　more？　No　pride　left　in　a　corrupt　and　degenerate　world？
　　He　looked　back　over　his　shoulder　again。　They　had　rowed　very　close　now。　The　pines　were　around　towards　the　western　side　of　the　island；　away　from　the　sandy　northern　beaches　and　the　glowing　lights　beyond　that　marked　the　three　temples　and　the　residences。　Hirnan；　who　had　been　here　before…he　hadn't　said　why　and　Blaise　hadn't　pushed　him…had　said　there　was　no　chance　of　landing　undetected　on　any　of　those　northern　beaches。　The　servants　of　Rian　guarded　their　island；　in　the　past　they　had　had　cause　to　fear　more　than　a　single　skiff　of　corans　searching　for　a　poet。
　　They　were　going　to　have　to　try　to　get　ashore　in　a　harder　place；　where　the　forest　pines　gave　way；　not　to　sand；　but　to　rocky　cliffs　and　boulders　in　the　sea。　They　had　rope　with　them；　and　each　of　the　corans；　even　Luth；　knew　how　to　handle　himself　on　a　rock　face。　Castle　Baude　was　perched　high　in　the　wild　country　of　the　south…west。　Men　who　served　there　would　not　be　unfamiliar　with　cliffs　or　crags。
　　The　sea　was　another　matter。　Hirnan　and　Blaise　himself　were　the　only　ones　entirely　at　ease　on　the　water；　and　on　Hirnan's　shoulders　now　rested　the　burden　of　getting　them　close　enough；　amid　sharp　and　shadowed　rocks；　to　make　it　possible　to　e　ashore。　Privately；　Blaise　had　told　him　that　if　the　best　they　could　find　was　a　sheer　cliff　face；　they　didn't　really　have　a　chance。　Not　at　night　and　with　the　need　for　absolute　silence　and　with　a　poet　to　bring　back　down。　In　addition　to　which…
　　〃Couch　oars！〃　he　hissed。　In　the　same　instant　Maffour；　beside　him；　snarled　the　same　words。　Eight　rowers　swiftly　lifted　their　oars　from　the　water　and　sat　rigidly　still；　the　skiff　gliding　silently　towards　the　island。　The　sound　came　again；　nearer　now。　Motionless；　bent　low　for　concealment；　Blaise　strained　his　eyes　into　the　night；　searching　by　moonlight　for　the　boat　he'd　heard。
　　Then　it　was　there；　a　single　dark　sail　against　the　starry　sky；　skimming　through　the　waves　around　the　island。　In　the　skiff　eight　men　held　their　breath。　They　were　inside　the　circling　path　of　the　sailboat；　though；　very　near…dangerously　near；　in　fact…to　the　rocky　coast。　Someone　looking　towards　them　in　this　faint　light　would　almost　certainly　see　nothing　against　the　dark　bulk　of　the　island；　and　the　guards；　Blaise　knew；　would　probably　be　looking　outward　in　any　case。　He　relaxed　his　fingers　on　his　oar　as　the　small　boat　continued　past　them；　cutting　across　the　wind；　a　beautiful　thing　in　the　moonlight。
　　〃The　goddess　be　praised！〃　Luth　murmured　with　reflexive　piety　from　up　front　beside　Hirnan。
　　Cursing　himself　for　not　having　sat　the　man　next　to　him；　Blaise　flung　a　furious　look　over　his　shoulder　in　time　to　see　Hirnan's　hand　shoot　out　and　grip　his　benchmate　fiercely　on　the　arm　in　a　belated　effort　to　silence　him。
　　〃Ouch！〃　Luth　said。　Not　quietly。　At　sea。　In　a　very　calm　night。
　　Blaise　closed　his　eyes。　There　was　a　moment　of　straining　silence；　then：
　　〃Who　is　there！　In　Rian's　name；　declare　yourselves！〃　A　grim　male　voice　rang　out　from　the　sailboat。
　　His　brain　racing　furiously；　Blaise　looked　over　and　saw　the　other　boat　already　beginning　to　swing　about。　They　had　two　choices　now。　They　could　retreat；　rowing　frantically；　and　hope　to　lose　the　guards　in　the　darkness　of　the　sea。　No　one　knew　who　they　were；　they　might　not　be　seen　or　identified。　But　the　mainland　was　a　long　way　off；　and　eight　men　rowing　had　little　chance　of　outracing　sails　if　they　were　pursued。　And　this　one　sailboat　could　have　others　with　it　very　soon；　Blaise　knew。
　　He　hated　retreating　anyhow。
　　〃Only　fisherfolk；　your　grace；〃　he　called　out　in　a　wavering；　high…pitched　voice。　〃Only　my　brothers　and　myself　trawling　for　lampfish。　We're　terrible　sorry　to　have　wandered　out　so　far。〃
　　He　lowered　his　voice　to　a　snarled　whisper。　〃Get　three　of　the　ropes　over　the　side；　quickly！　Hold　them　as　if　you　were　fishing。　Hirnan；　you　and　I　are　going　into　the　water。〃　Even　as　he　spoke　he　was　removing　his　boots　and　sword。　Hirnan；　without　a　question　asked；　began　doing　the　same。
　　〃It　is　interdicted　to　e　so　near　the　goddess's　Island　without　leave。　You　are　subject　to　Rian's　curse　for　what　you　have　done。〃　The　deep　voice　across　the　water　was　hostile　and　assured。　The　boat　was　still　turning；　it　would　begin　bearing　down　upon　them　in　a　moment。
　　〃We　are　not　to　kill；〃　Maffour　whispered　anxiously　from　beside　Blaise。
　　〃I　know　that；〃　Blaise　hissed　back。　〃Do　what　I　told　you。　Offer　them　a　tithe。　Hirnan；　let's　go。〃
　　With　the　last　words　he　swung　his　feet　across　the　low　railing　and　slipped　silently　over　the　side　of　the　skiff。　On　the　other　side；　balancing　his　motion　exactly；　Hirnan　did　the　same。　The　water　was　shockingly　cold。　It　was　night；　and　early　yet　in　the　spring。
　　〃Truly；　your　graces；　as　my　brother　says；　we　had　no　intention　to　transgress。〃　Maffour's　apologetic　voice　carried　across　the　darkness。　〃We　will　gladly　offer　a　tithe　of　our　catch　for　the　holy　servants　of　blessed　Rian。〃
　　There　was　a　silence　from　the　other　boat；　very　much　as　if　someone　were　weighing　a　sudden　temptation。　That；　Blaise　had　not　expected。　To　his　right　he　spotted　Hirnan's　dark　head　bobbing　towards　him。　He　motioned；　and　the　two　of　them　began　swimming　quietly　towards　the　other　boat。
　　〃Are　you　fools？〃　The　second　voice　from　the　sailboat　was　a　woman's；　and　cold　as　the　ocean　waters。　〃Do　you　think　you　can　mak