rz.signoftheunicorn-第15章

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o　my　own　time…scale　whenever　possible；　just　in　case　any　peculiar　correspondences　turned　up。　So　Brand　had　gone　to　Rebma　sometime　in　what　was；　to　me；　the　nineteenth　century。
　〃Whatever　the　date；〃　she　said；　〃he　came　and　visited　me。　Stayed　for　several　weeks。〃　She　glanced　at　Random　then。　〃He　was　asking　about　Martin。〃
　Random　narrowed　his　eyes　and　cocked　his　head。　〃Did　he　say　why？〃　he　asked　her。
　〃Not　exactly；〃　she　said。　〃He　implied　that　he　had　met　Martin　somewhere　in　his　travels；　and　he　gave　the　impression　that　he　would　like　to　get　in　touch　with　him　again。　I　did　not　realize　until　some　time　after　his　departure　that　finding　out　everything　he　could　concerning　Martin　was　probably　the　entire　reason　for　his　visit。　You　know　how　subtle　Brand　can　be；　finding　out　things　without　seeming　to　be　after　them。　It　was　only　after　I　had　spoken　with　a　number　of　others　whom　he　had　visited　that　I　began　to　see　what　had　occurred。　I　never　did　find　out　why；　though。〃
　〃That　is　…　most　peculiar；〃　Random　observed。　〃For　it　brings　to　mind　something　to　which　I　had　never　attached　any　significance。　He　once　questioned　me　at　great　length　concerning　my　son　…　and　it　may　well　have　been　at　about　the　same　time。　He　never　indicated　that　he　had　met　him；　however　…　or　that　he　had　any　desire　to　do　so。　It　started　out　as　a　bit　of　banter　on　the　subject　of　bastards。　When　I　took　offense　he　apologized　and　asked　a　number　of　more　proper　questions　about　the　boy；　which　I　assumed　he　then　put　for　the　sake　of　politeness　…　to　leave　me　with　a　softer　remembrance。　As　you　say；　though；　he　had　a　way　of　drawing　admissions　from　people。　Why　is　it　you　never　told　me　of　this　before？〃
　She　smiled　prettily。
　〃Why　should　I　have？〃　she　said。
　Random　nodded　slowly；　his　face　expressionless。
　〃Well；　what　did　you　tell　him？〃　he　said。　〃What　did　he　learn？　What　do　you　know　about　Martin　that　I　don't？〃
　She　shook　her　head；　her　smile　fading。
　〃Nothing　…　actually；〃　she　said。　〃To　my　knowledge；　no　one　in　Rebma　ever　heard　from　Martin　after　he　took　the　Pattern　and　vanished。　I　do　not　believe　that　Brand　departed　knowing　any　more　than　he　did　when　he　arrived。〃
　〃Strange。。。〃　I　said。　〃Did　he　approach　anyone　else　on　the　subject？〃
　〃I　don't　remember；〃　Julian　said。
　〃Nor　I；〃　said　Benedict。
　The　others　shook　their　heads。
　〃Then　let　us　note　it　and　leave　it　for　now；〃　I　said。　〃There　are　other　things　I　also　need　to　know。　Julian；　I　understand　that　you　and　Gerard　attempted　to　follow　the　black　road　a　while　back；　and　that　Gerard　was　injured　along　the　way。　I　believe　you　both　stayed　with　Benedict　for　a　time　after　that；　while　Gerard　recuperated。　I　would　like　to　know　about　that　expedition。〃
　〃It　seems　as　if　you　already　do；〃　Julian　replied。　〃You　have　just　stated　everything　that　occurred。〃
　〃Where　did　you　learn　of　this；　Corwin；〃　Benedict　inquired。
　〃Back　in　Avalon；〃　I　said。
　〃From　whom？〃
　〃Dara；〃　I　said。
　He　rose　to　his　feet；　came　over；　stood　before　me；　glared　down。
　〃You　still　persist　in　that　absurd　story　about　the　girl！〃
　I　sighed。
　〃We　have　been　round　and　round　on　this　too　many　times；〃　I　said。　〃By　now　I　have　told　you　everything　that　I　know　on　the　subject。　Either　you　accept　it　or　you　do　not。　She　is　the　one　who　told　me；　though。〃
　〃Apparently；　then；　there　were　some　things　you　did　not　tell　me。　You　never　mentioned　that　part　before。〃
　〃Is　it　true　or　isn't　it？　About　Julian　and　Gerard。〃
　〃It　is　true；〃　he　said。
　〃Then　forget　the　source　for　now　and　let　us　get　on　with　what　happened。〃
　〃Agreed；〃　Benedict　said。　〃I　may　speak　candidly；　now　that　the　reason　for　secrecy　is　no　longer　with　us。　Eric；　of　course。　He　was　unaware　of　my　whereabouts；　as　were　most　of　the　others。　Gerard　was　my　main　source　of　news　in　Amber。　Eric　grew　more　and　more　apprehensive　concerning　the　black　road　and　finally　decided　to　send　scouts　to　trace　it　through　Shadow　to　its　source。　Julian　and　Gerard　were　selected。　They　were　attacked　by　a　very　strong　party　of　its　creatures　at　a　point　near　Avalon。　Gerard　called　to　me；　via　my　Trump；　for　assistance　and　I　went　to　their　aid。　The　enemy　was　dispatched。　As　Gerard　had　sustained　a　broken　leg　in　the　fighting　and　Julian　was　a　bit　battered　himself；　I　took　them　both　home　with　me。　I　broke　my　silence　with　Eric　at　that　time；　to　tell　him　where　they　were　and　what　had　bee　of　them。　He　ordered　them　not　to　continue　their　journey；　but　to　return　to　Amber　after　they　had　recovered。　They　remained　with　me　until　they　did。　Then　they　went　back。〃
　〃That　is　all？〃
　〃That　is　all。〃
　But　it　wasn't。　Dara　had　also　told　me　something　else。　She　had　mentioned　another　visitor。　I　remembered　it　quite　distinctly。　That　day；　beside　the　stream；　a　tiny　rainbow　in　the　mist　above　the　waterfall；　the　mill　wheel　turning　round　and　round；　delivering　dreams　and　grinding　them；　that　day　we　had　fenced　and　talked　and　walked　in　Shadow；　had　passed　through　a　primordial　wood；　ing　to　a　Spot　beside　a　mighty　torrent　where　turned　a　wheel　fit　for　the　granary　of　the　gods；　that　day　we　had　picnicked；　flirted；　gossiped；　she　had　told　me　many　things；　some　of　them　doubtless　false。　But　she　had　not　lied　concerning　the　journey　of　Julian　and　Gerard；　and　I　believed　it　possible　that　she　had　also　spoken　truly　when　she　said　that　Brand　had　visited　Benedict　in　Avalon。　〃Frequently〃　was　the　word　she　had　used。
　Now；　Benedict　made　no　secret　of　the　fact　that　he　distrusted　me。　I　could　see　this　alone　as　sufficient　reason　for　his　withholding　information　on　anything　he　judged　too　sensitive　to　bee　my　business。　Hell；　buying　his　story；　I　would　not　have　trusted　me　either　if　our　situations　were　reversed。　Only　a　fool　would　have　called　him　on　it　at　that　moment；　though。　Because　of　the　other　possibilities。
　It　could　be　that　he　planned　to　tell　me　later；　in　private；　of　the　circumstances　surrounding　Brand's　visits。　They　could　well　have　involved　something　he　did　not　wish　to　discuss　before　the　group；　and　especially　before　Brand's　would…be　killer。
　Or　…　There　was；　of　course；　the　possibility　that　Benedict　himself　was　behind　it　all。　I　did　not　even　like　to　think　about　the　consequences。　Having　served　under　Napoleon；　Lee；　and　MacArthur；　I　appreciated　the　tactician　as　well　as　the　strategist。　Benedict　was　both；　and　he　was　the　best　I　had　ever　known。　The　recent　loss　of　his　right　arm　had　in　no　way　diminished　him　in　this；　or　for　that　matter　impaired　his　personal　fighting　skills。　Had　I　not　been　very　lucky　recently　he　could　easily　have　turned　me　into　a　pile　of　scallops　over　our　misunderstanding。　No；　I　did　not　want　it　to　be　Benedict；　and　I　was　not　about　to　grope　after　whatever　he　had　at　that　moment　seen　fit　to　conceal。　I　only　hoped　that　he　was　just　saving　it　for　later。
　So　I　settled　for　his；　〃That　is　all；〃　and　decided　to　move　on　to　other　matters。
　〃Flora；〃　I　said；　〃back　when　I　first　visited　you；　after　my　accident；　you　said　something　which　I　still　do　not　quite　understand。　In　that　I　had　ample　time　relatively　soon　thereafter　in　which　to　review　many　things；　I　came　across　it　in　my　memories　and　occasionally　puzzled　over　it。　I　still　do　not　understand　it。　So　would　you　please　tell　me　what　you　meant　when　you　said　that　the　shadows　contained　more　horrors　than　any　had　thought？〃
　〃Why；　I　do　not　properly　recall　saying　it；〃　Flora　said。　〃But　I　suppose　that　I　must　have；　if　it　made　such　an　impression。　You　know　the　effect　that　I　was　referring　to：　that　Amber　seems　to　act　as　something　of　a　magnet　on　adjacent　shadows；　drawing　things　across　from　them；　the　nearer　you　get　to　Amber　the　easier　the　road　bees；　even　for　shadow…things。　While　there　always　seems　to　be　some　exchange　of　materials　among　adjacent　shadows　themselves；　the　effect　is　more　forceful　and　also　more　of　a　one…way　process　when　it　es　to　Amber。　We　have　always　been　alert　for　peculiar　things　slipping　through。　Well；　for　several　years　prior　to　your　recovery；　more　such　things　than　usual　seemed　to　be　showing　up　in　the　vicinity　of　Amber。　Dangerous　things；　almost　invariably。　Many　were　recognizable　creatures　from　nearby　realms。　After　a　time；　though；　things　kept　ing　in　from　farther　and　farther　afield。　Eventually；　some　which　were　totally　unknown　made　it　through。　No　reason　could　be　found　for　this　sudden　transportation　of　menaces；　although　we　sought　fairly　far　for　disturbances　which　might　be　driving　them　this　way。　In　other　words；　highly　improbable　penetrations　of　Shadow　were　occurring。〃
　〃This　actually　began　while　Dad　was　still　around？〃
　〃Oh　yes。　It　started　several　years　before　your　recovery　…　as　I　said。〃
　〃I　see。　Did　anyone　consider　the　possibility　of　there　being　a　connection　between　this　state　of　affairs　and　Dad's　departure？〃
　〃Certainly；〃　Benedict　replied。　〃I　still　feel　that　that　was　the　reason　for　it。　He　went　off　to　investigate；　or　to　seek　a　remedy。〃
　〃But　that　is　purely　conjecture；〃　Julian　said。　〃You　know　how　he　was。　He　gave　no　reasons。〃
　Benedict　shrugged。
　〃It　is　a　reasonable　inference；　though；〃　he　said。　〃I　understand　that　he　had　spoken　of　his　concern　over　the　…　monster　migrations；　if　you　like　…　on　numerous　occasions。〃
　I　withdrew　my　cards　from　their　case；　having　recently　gotten　into　the　habit　of　carrying　a　set　of　Trumps　with　me　at　all　times。　I　raised　Gerard's　Trump　and　regarded　it。　The　others　were　silent；　watching　me　as　I　did　this。　Moments　later；　there　was　contact。
　Gerard　was　still　seated　in　his　chair；　his　blade　across　his　knees。　He　was　still　eating。　He　swallowed　when　he　felt　my　presence　and　said；　〃Yes；　Corwin？　What　do　you　want？〃
　〃How　is　Brand？〃
　〃Sleeping；〃　he　said。　〃His　pulse　is　a　little　stronger。　His　breathing　is　the　same　…　regular。　It's　still　too　early　…〃
　〃I　know；〃　I　said。　〃I　mainly　wanted　to　check　your　recollection　of　something：　Near　the　end　there；　did　you　get　the　impression　from　anything　he　might　have　said　or　done　that　Dad's　going　away　might　have　been　connected　with　the　increased　number　of　Shadow　beings　that　were　slipping　through　into　Amber？〃
　〃That；〃　said　Julian；　〃is　what　is　known　as　a　leading　question。〃
　Gerard　wiped　his　mouth。
　〃There　could　have　been　a　connection；　yes；〃　he　said。　〃He　seemed　disturbed；　preoccupied　with　something。　And　he　did　talk　about　the　creatures。　But　he　never　really　said　that　that　was　his　main　concern　…　or　whether　it　was　something　entirely　different。〃
　〃Like　what？〃
　He　shook　his　head。
　〃Anything。　I　…　yes。。。　yes；　there　is　something　you　probably　ought　to　know；　for　whatever　it　is　worth。　Some　time　after　his　disappearance；　I　did　make　an　effort　to　find　out　one　thing。　That　was；　whether　I　was　indeed　the　last　person　to　see　him　before　his　departure。　I　am　fairly　certain　that　I　was。　I　had　been　here　in　the　palace　all　evening；　and　I　was　preparing　to　return　to　the　flagship。　Dad　had　retired　about　an　hour　earlier；　but　I　had　stayed　on　in　the　guard　room；　playing　draughts　with　Captain　Thoben。　As　we　were　sailing　the　following　morning；　I　decided　to　take　a　book　with　me。　So　I　came　up　here　to　the　library。　Dad　was　seated　at　the　desk。〃　He　gestured　with　his　head。　〃He　was　going　through　some　old　books；　and　he　had　not　yet　changed　his　garments。　He　nodded　to　me　when　I　entered；　and　I　told　him　I　had　just　e　up　for　a　book。　He　said；　'You've　e　to　the　right　place；'　and　he　kept　on　reading。　While　I　was　looking　over　the　shelves；　he　said　something　to　the　effect　that　he　could　not　sleep。　I　found　a　book；　told　him　good　night；　he　said；　'Good　sailing；'　and　I　left。〃　He　lowered　his　eyes　again。　〃Now　I　am　positive　he　was　wearing　the　Jewel　of　Judgment　that　night；　that　I　saw　it　o