tw.thestoneoffarewell-第7部分

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　　Old　Gealsgiath　walked　slowly　along　the　wet；　pitching　deck　of　his　ship　toward　the　two　hooded　and　cloaked　figures　huddling　at　the　starboard　rail。
　　They　turned　as　he　approached；　but　did　not　remove　their　hands　from　the　railing。
　　〃Be…damned…to…Hell　stinking　weather！〃　the　captain　shouted　above　the　moaning　of　the　wind。　The　hooded　figures　said　nothing。　〃Men　are　going　down　to　sleep　in　kilpa…beds　on　the　Great　Green　tonight；〃　Old　Gealsgiath　added　in　a　conversational　roar。　His　thick　Hernystiri　burr　carried　even　above　the　flapping　and　creaking　of　the　sails。　〃This　be　drowning　weather；　sure　enough。〃
　　The　heavier　of　the　two　figures　pushed　back　his　hood；　eyes　squinting　in　his　pink　face　as　the　rain　lashed　at　him。
　　〃Are　we　in　danger？〃　Brother　Cadrach　shouted。
　　Gealsgiath　laughed；　his　brown　face　wrinkling。　The　sound　of　his　mirth　was　sucked　away　by　the　wind。　〃Only　if　you　plan　to　go　in　for　swimming。　We're　already　near　the　shelter　of　Ansis　Pelippe　and　harbor…mouth。〃
　　Cadrach　turned　to　stare　out　into　the　swirling　twilight；　which　was　dense　with　rain　and　fog。　〃We're　almost　there？〃　he　shouted；　turning　back。
　　The　captain　lifted　a　hooked　finger　to　gesture　at　a　deeper　smear　of　darkness　off　the　starboard　bow。　〃The　big　black　spot　there；　that's　Perdruin's　mountain…'Streawe's　Steeple；'　as　some　do　call　it。　We'll　be　slipping　past　the　harbor…gate　before　full　dark。　Unless　the　winds　play　tricksy。　Brynioch　cursed　strange　weather　for　Yuven…month。〃
　　Cadrach's　small　panion　snuck　a　look　at　the　shadow　of　Perdruin　in　the　gray　mist；　then　lowered　his　head　again。
　　〃Anyhap；　Father；〃　Gealsgiath　shouted　above　the　elements；　〃we　dock　tonight；　and　remain　two　days。　I　take　it　you'll　be　leaving　us；　since　y'paid　fare　only　this　far。　P'raps　you'd　like　to　e　down　dockside　and　join　me　for　a　drink　of　something…unless　your　faith　forbids　it。〃　The　captain　smirked。　Anyone　who　spent　time　in　taverns　knew　that　Aedonite　monks　were　no　strangers　to　the　pleasures　of　strong　drink。
　　Brother　Cadrach　stared　for　a　moment　at　the　heaving　sails；　then　turned　his　odd；　somewhat　cold　gaze　onto　the　seafarer。　A　smile　creased　his　round　face。　〃Thank　you；　captain；　but　no。　The　boy　and　I　will　remain　on　board　for　a　bit　after　we　dock。　He's　not　feeling　well　and　I'm　in　no　hurry　to　rush　him　out。　We'll　have　far　to　walk　before　we　reach　the　abbey；　much　of　it　uphill。〃
　　The　small　figure　reached　up　and　tugged　meaningfully　at　Cadrach's　elbow；　but　the　monk　paid　him　no　attention。　
　　Gealsgiath　shrugged　and　pulled　his　shapeless　cloth　hat　farther　down　on　his　head。　〃You　know　best；　Father。　You　paid　your　way　and　did　your　work　aboard…although　I　would　say　your　lad　did　the　heartiest　share　of　it。　You　can　leave　anytime　afore　we　hoist　sail　for　Crannhyr。〃　He　turned　with　a　wave　of　his　knob…knuckled　hand　and　started　back　along　the　slippery　boards；　calling：　〃…but　if　the　lad　ain't　feeling　well；　I'd　get　him　below　soon！〃
　　〃We　were　just　taking　some　air！〃　Cadrach　bellowed　after　him。　〃We'll　go　ashore　tomorrow　morning；　most　likely！　Thanks　to　you；　good　captain！〃
　　As　Old　Gealsgiath　stumped　away；　fading　into　the　rain　and　mist；　Cadrach's　panion　turned　and　confronted　the　monk。
　　〃Why　are　we　going　to　stay　on　board？〃　Miriamele　demanded；　anger　plainly　displayed　on　her　pretty；　sharp…featured　face。　〃I　want　to　get　off　this　ship！　Every　hour　is　important！〃　The　rain　had　soaked　even　through　her　thick　hood；　plastering　her　black…dyed　hair　across　her　forehead　in　sodden　spikes。
　　〃Hush；　milady；　hush。〃　This　time　Brother　Cadrach's　smile　seemed　a　touch　more　genuine。　〃Of　course　we're　going　off…nearly　as　soon　as　we've　touched　the　dock；　don't　you　worry。〃
　　Miriamele　was　angry。　〃Then　why　did　you　tell　him。　。　。　？〃
　　〃Because　sailors　talk；　and　I'll　wager　none　of　them　talk　louder　or　longer　than　our　captain。　There　was　no　way　for　keeping　him　quiet；　Saint　Muirfath　knows。　If　we'd　given　him　money　to　keep　silent；　he'd　just　get　drunk　faster　and　be　talking　sooner。　This　way；　if　anyone's　listening　for　news　of　us；　they'll　at　least　think　we're　aboard　the　ship　still。　Maybe　they'll　sit　and　watch　for　us　to　e　off　until　it　sets　out　again；　back　to　Hernystir。　Meanwhile；　we'll　be　quietly　ashore　in　Ansis　Pelippe。〃　Cadrach　clucked　his　tongue　in　satisfaction。
　　〃Oh。〃　Miriamele　considered　silently　for　a　moment。　She　had　underestimated　the　monk　again。　Cadrach　had　been　sober　since　they　had　boarded　Gealsgiath's　ship　in　Abaingeat。　Small　wonder；　since　the　voyage　had　made　him　violently　ill　several　times。　But　there　was　a　shrewd　brain　behind　that　plump　face。　She　wondered　again…and　not　for　the　last　time；　she　felt　sure…what　Cadrach　was　really　thinking。
　　〃I'm　sorry；〃　she　said　at　last。　〃That　was　a　good　idea。　Do　you　really　think　somebody　is　looking　for　us？〃
　　〃We　would　be　fools　to　suppose　otherwise；　my　lady。〃　The　monk　took　her　elbow　and　headed　back　toward　the　limited　shelter　of　the　lower　deck。
　　
　　When　at　last　she　saw　Perdruin；　it　was　as　if　a　great　ship　had　risen　out　of　the　unquiet　ocean；　ing　suddenly　upon　their　small；　frail　craft。　One　moment　it　was　a　deeper　blackness　off　the　bow；　in　the　next；　as　though　a　final　curtain　of　obscuring　mist　had　been　drawn　away；　it　loomed　overhead　like　the　prow　of　a　mighty　vessel。
　　A　thousand　lights　gleamed　through　the　fog；　small　as　fireflies；　making　the　great　rock　sparkle　in　the　night。　As　Gealsgiath's　cargo…hauler　glided　in　through　the　harbor　passages；　the　island　continued　to　rise　above　them；　its　mountainous　back　a　wedge　of　darkness　pushing　ever　upward；　blocking　out　even　the　mist…cloaked　sky。
　　Cadrach　had　chosen　to　remain　below　decks。　Miriamele　was　quite　satisfied　with　the　arrangement。　She　stood　at　the　railing；　listening　to　the　sailors　shouting　and　laughing　in　the　lantem…pricked　darkness　as　they　furled　the　sails。　Voices　rose　in　ragged　song；　only　to　end　abruptly　in　curses　and　more　laughter。
　　The　wind　was　gentler　here；　in　the　lee　of　the　harborside　buildings。　Miriamele　felt　a　strange　warmth　climb　up　her　back　and　into　her　neck；　and　knew　without　thinking　what　it　signified：　she　was　happy。　She　was　free　and　going　where　she　chose　to　go；　that　had　not　been　true　for　as　long　as　she　could　remember。
　　She　had　not　set　foot　on　Perdruin　since　she　had　been　a　small　girl；　but　she　still　felt；　in　a　way；　as　if　she　were　returning　home。　Her　mother　Hylissa　had　brought　her　here　when　Miriamele　had　been　very　young；　as　part　of　a　visit　to　Hylissa's　sister；　the　Duchess　Nessalanta　in　Nabban。　They　had　stopped　in　Ansis　Pelippe　to　pay　a　courtesy　call　on　Count　Streawe。　Miriamele　remembered　little　of　the　visit…she　had　been　very　young…except　a　kind　old　man　who　had　given　her　a　tangerine；　and　a　high…walled　garden　with　a　tiled　walkway。　Miriamele　had　chased　a　long…tailed；　beautiful　bird　while　her　mother　drank　wine　and　laughed　and　talked　with　other　grown　people。
　　The　kind　old　man　must　have　been　the　count；　she　decided。　It　was　certainly　a　wealthy　man's　garden　they　had　visited；　a　carefully…tended　paradise　hidden　in　a　castle　courtyard。　There　had　been　flowering　trees　and　beautiful　silver　and　golden　fish　floating　in　a　pond　set　right　into　the　path。。。　
　　The　harbor　wind　gained　strength；　tugging　at　her　cloak。　The　railing　was　cold　beneath　her　fingers；　so　she　tucked　her　hands　under　her　arms。
　　It　had　been　not　long　after　the　visit　to　Ansis　Pelippe　that　her　mother　had　gone　on　another　journey；　this　time　without　Miriamele。　Uncle　Josua　had　taken　Hylissa　to　join　Miriamele's　father　Elias；　who　was　in　the　field　with　his　army。　That　had　been　the　journey　which　had　crippled　Josua；　and　from　which　Hylissa　had　never　returned。　Elias；　almost　mute　with　grief；　too　full　of　anger　to　speak　of　death；　would　only　tell　his　little　daughter　chat　her　mother　could　never　e　back。　In　her　child's　mind；　Miriamele　had　pictured　her　mother　captive　in　a　walled　garden　somewhere；　a　lovely　garden　like　the　one　they　had　visited　on　Perdruin；　a　beautiful　place　that　Hylissa　could　never　leave；　even　to　visit　the　daughter　who　missed　her　so。。。　That　daughter　lay　awake　many　nights；　long　after　her　handmaidens　had　tucked　her　into　bed；　staring　up　into　the　darkness　and　plotting　to　rescue　her　lost　mother　from　a　flowering　prison　threaded　by　endless；　tiled　paths。。。　
　　Nothing　had　been　right　since　then。　It　was　as　though　her　father　had
　　drunk　of　some　slow　poison　when　her　mother　had　died；　some　terrible　venom　that　had　festered　within；　turning　him　into　stone。
　　Where　was　he？　What　was　High　King　Elias　doing　at　this　moment？
　　Miriamele　looked　up　at　the　shadowy；　mountainous　island　and　felt　her　moment　of　joy　swept　away　as　the　wind　might　snatch　a　kerchief　from　her　hand。　Even　now；　her　father　was　laying　siege　to　Naglimund；　venting　his　terrible　rage　on　the　walls　of　Josua's　keep。　Isgrimnur；　old　Towser；　all　of
　　them　were　fighting　for　their　lives　even　as　she　floated　in　past　the　harbor　lights；　riding　the　ocean's　dark；　smooth　back。
　　And　the　kitchen　boy　Simon；　with　his　red　hair　and　his　awkward；　well…meaning　ways；　his　unconcealed　concerns　and　confusions…she　felt　a　pang　of　sorrow　as　she　thought　of　him。　He　and　the　little　troll　had　gone　into　the　trackless　north；　perhaps　gone　forever。
　　She　straightened　up。　Thinking　other　former　panions　had　reminded　her　of　her　duty。　She　was　posing　as　a　monk's　acolyte…and　a　sick　one　at　that。　She　should　be　below　decks。　The　ship　would　be　docking　soon。
　　Miriamele　smiled　bitterly。　So　many　impostures。　She　was　free　now　of　her　father's　court；　but　she　was　still　posing。　As　a　sad　child　in　Nabban　and　Meremund；　she　had　often　pretended　happiness。　The　lie　had　been　better　than　answering　the　well…meaning　but　unanswerable　questions。　As　her　father　had　retreated　from　her　she　had　pretended　not　to　care；　even　though　she　had　felt　that　she　was　being　eaten　away　from　within。
　　Where　was　God；　the　younger　Miriamele　had　wondered；　where　was　He　when　love　was　slowly　hardening　into　indifference　and　care　being　duty？　Where　was　God　when　her　father　Elias　begged　Heaven　for　answers；　his　daughter　listening　breathlessly　in　the　shadows　outside　his　chamber？
　　Perhaps　He　believed　my　lies；　she　thought　bitterly　as　she　walked　down　the　rain…slicked　wooden　steps　onto　the　lower　deck。　Perhaps　He　wanted　to　believe　them；　so　He　could　get　on　with　more　important　things。
　　
　　The　city　on　the　hillside　was　bright…lit　and　the　rainy　night　was　full　of　masked　revelers。　It　was　Midsummer　Festival　in　Ansis　Pelippe：　despite　the　un