ggk.asongforarbonne-第49部分

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　not　be　tiresome；　Roban。　I　know　your　concerns　here；　but　I　do　not　see　how　we　can　do　other　than　back　what　Bertran　has　already　done。　I　am　going　to　ban　Borsiard　d'Andoria　from　the　fair。〃　The　count；　her　husband；　had　been　like　that　too；　amazingly　like　that：　hugely　important　decisions　were　made　with　a　speed　that　stunned　Roban。
　　〃We　will　pay　for　it；〃　he　said；　feeling　his　face　attaining　the　unfortunate　pink　hue　that　came　with　agitation。　〃D'Andoria　will　be　funding　Gorhaut　next　year；　I'll　wager　on　it。〃
　　Valery　of　Talair　shrugged　indifferently。　〃They　don't　need　funding；　my　lord　chancellor。　With　the　money　they　received　from　Valensa　by　the　terms　of　Iersen　Bridge　they　have　more　than　enough。　Look　what　they　paid　to　assassinate　Bertran。　Did　that　appear　to　be　the　action　of　someone　short　of　gold？〃
　　〃There　is　always　a　shortage　of　gold　in　wartime；〃　Roban　said　darkly。　He'd　actually　had　some　privy　information　about　the　exact　sums　paid　and　still　owing　from　Valensa　to　Gorhaut　by　the　terms　of　the　treaty。　The　numbers　terrified　him。
　　〃That　reminds　me；〃　the　countess　said　in　a　different　tone；　one　Roban　recognized　apprehensively。　〃Daufridi　of　Valensa　must　be　desperately　short　of　money　these　days　if　he　paid　so　much　to　Gorhaut　for　the　lands　they　ceded　him。〃
　　〃I　daresay　he　may　have　some　problems；〃　Roban　said　cautiously。　He　had　learned　it　was　always　wise　to　be　cautious　when　he　heard　that　tone…it　usually　meant　some　plan　or　other　was　about　to　be　proposed。　Usually　those　plans　made　him　extremely　nervous。　His　headache　was　growing　worse。　He　saw　Valery　grin　just　before　the　man　brought　a　hand　up　quickly　to　cover　his　mouth。　The　men　of　Talair　were　so　clever；　it　was　almost　unfair。
　　〃We'll　have　to　talk　about　that　then；〃　the　countess　murmured。　〃I　do　have　an　idea。〃
　　Roban　had　no　notion　what　she　was　referring　to；　it　rankled　him　that　Valery　appeared　to　know。　His　was　the　endlessly　vexing　position　of　being　the　man　left　behind　to　attend　to　details　and　minutiae；　he　was　surrounded　by　quicksilver　people　whose　minds　leapt　effortlessly　down　channels　he　found　perilously　dark。
　　The　countess　was　gazing　pointedly　at　Valery；　she　had　seen　his　smile　as　well。　〃That　is；　if　Bertran　hasn't　already　had　the　same　thought　long　before　me。〃　Her　tone　was　not　nearly　as　stern　as　Roban　felt　it　ought　to　have　been。　It　was　her　weakness；　he　thought；　not　for　the　first　time：　she　loved　her　gallant；　irresponsible　noblemen　far　too　much　to　rein　them　in　properly。　And　Bertran　de　Talair；　among　all　of　them；　was　a　special　case。
　　〃I　am　sure；〃　Valery　said　gracefully；　〃that　any　thoughts　En　Bertran　might　have　on　the　subject　of　Valensa　will　be　conveyed　to　you　as　soon　as　he　arrives。　I　believe　we　can　expect　him　by　the　end　of　the　day。〃
　　〃I　rather　think；〃　Signe　de　Barbentain　said　drily；　〃he　will　instead　consent　to　inform　me　of　measures　he　has　already　set　in　motion。　Exactly　as　he　did　with　those　verses　that　nearly　had　him　killed　this　summer。　By　the　way；〃　she　turned　to　Roban；　〃this　is　important：　I　want　Barbentain　guards　visible　wherever　the　duke　of　Talair　goes　during　the　fair　this　month。　No　slight　to　Bertran's　own　corans；　but　anyone　with　designs　upon　him　must　be　made　aware　that　we　are　watching　for　them。〃　
　　Roban　nodded。　This　made　sense；　he　liked　it　when　she　gave　him　mands　that　made　sense。
　　〃Rudel　Correze　is　travelling　with　the　Delonghi；〃　Valery　said　casually；　almost　as　an　afterthought。　〃They　were　all　in　a　party　with　the　Andoria。〃
　　〃Wonderful；〃　the　countess　said　tartly。　It　pleased　Roban　to　see　her　angry　with　someone　else；　even　though　Bertran's　cousin　was　hardly　the　appropriate　target。　〃Do　I　ban　him；　too？　Do　we　spend　this　week　antagonizing　every　important　family　in　Portezza？〃　Signe　de　Barbentain　seldom　lost　her　temper；　but　Roban　sensed　it　might　be　happening　now。　It　gratified　him　that　she　understood　and　shared　his　concerns。　He　smoothed　his　doublet　again。
　　Valery　was　shaking　his　head。　〃Blaise　de　Garsenc　says　that　the　man　will　do　nothing　here。　That　the　Correze　are　too　prudent　to　risk　the　economic　hazards　of　violating　a　truce。　He　thinks　Rudel　has　probably　withdrawn　from　his　contract　in　any　case。〃
　　〃Why　would　he　think　that？〃　Roban　asked　testily。　〃No　one　in　that　family　turns　their　back　on　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　in　gold。〃
　　Valery　looked　apologetic。　〃I　thought　the　same　thing；　my　lord　chancellor。　Blaise　tells　me　he　knows　Rudel　Correze　extremely　well；　though。　He　sees　no　danger　from　him　now。〃
　　〃We　are　relying　on　that　coran　from　Gorhaut　rather　a　great　deal；　aren't　we？〃
　　〃Enough；　Roban！〃　He　realized　his　mistake　the　moment　she　spoke…the　anger　building　in　her　had　abruptly　turned　on　him。　It　always　seemed　to　happen　that　way；　as　if　he　was　the　safe　target；　the　one　she　knew　she　could　snap　at　without　risk。　Which　was　true；　he　thought　ruefully。　It　had　been　true　for　decades。　Once；　he'd　wondered　if　his　wife　knew　how　he　felt　about　the　countess；　and　if　she　cared。　He　hadn't　thought　about　such　things　for　a　long　time。
　　〃We　will　not　go　down　that　road　again；〃　Signe　was　saying　sternly。　〃The　man　is　not　simply　a　coran　from　Gorhaut。　He　is　the　son　of　Galbert　de　Garsenc；　and　if　we　have　any　hope　of　dividing　Gorhaut　on　this　issue　he　is　that　hope。　It　he　betrays　us；　I　will　admit　you　were　right　before　we　all　die。　Is　that　enough；　Roban？　Will　that　content　you？〃
　　The　chancellor　swallowed　hard；　feeling　the　way　he　always　felt　when　she　lashed　out　at　him。　When　he　was　younger　he　had　actually　wept　sometimes　behind　the　closed　doors　of　his　own　quarters　after　she'd　spoken　to　him　in　this　way。　He　didn't　do　that　anymore；　but　he　sometimes　felt　like　it。　A　terrible　admission；　the　chancellor　thought；　for　a　man　of　his　age　and　position。　He　wondered　if　she　ever　knew　when　his　headaches　were　ing　on；　if　she　would　have　been　more　sympathetic；　a　little　gentler　perhaps；　had　he　informed　her。
　　
　　Signe　really　didn't　remember　Roban　ever　being　this　obstinately　tiresome　when　Guibor　was　alive。　But　then　she　hadn't　had　as　much　to　do　with　him　then；　he　was　simply　the　efficient　administrator　in　the　background；　and　Guibor　was　not　a　man　with　whom　advisers　pushed　their　disagreements　too　hard。　It　looked　as　if　she　wasn't　like　that　herself。　Perhaps　she　depended　on　Roban　too　much；　perhaps　he　felt　she　was　weak　and　needed　him　to　be　stronger　now。　She　didn't　really　know；　it　wasn't　something　she'd　thought　about　very　much。　He　was　there；　he　had　always　been　there；　and　she　knew　he　could　be　trusted；　that　something　assigned　to　him　would　be　petently　done　if　it　was　at　all　possible。　He　looked　a　little　flushed　today　and　there　were　circles　under　his　eyes。　It　crossed　her　mind　to　wonder；　as　she　watched　him　make　his　habitual　little　smoothing　gesture　down　the　front　of　his　immaculate　doublet；　if　Roban　was　overburdened…the　usual　fate　of　petent　men。
　　She　didn't；　in　fact；　feel　especially　strong　herself　at　the　moment；　but　that　wasn't　for　anyone　to　see　or　guess；　even　Roban；　even　Valery。　〃Send　for　Borsiard　d'Andoria　in　Lussan；〃　she　told　the　chancellor。　〃I　will　give　him　an　audience　here。　I　will　not　ban　him　by　fiat　or　decree。　He　will　hear　it　from　me　in　this　castle。〃
　　
　　Which　is　what　had　happened　later　that　same　afternoon。　Borsiard　had　stormed　into　her　audience　chamber；　raging　in　the　most　unpleasant　manner；　demanding　Bertran　de　Talair's　censure　and　death　in　redress　for　the　slaughter　of　three　noblemen　of　Andoria。　He　had　actually　had　a　belief　that　she　might　agree；　Signe　saw。　He　was　seeing　her　as　a　woman；　a　woman　who　could　be　frightened　by　his　rage；　moved　to　do　what　he　wanted　her　to　do。
　　That　realization　was　what　had　given　her　access　to　the　cold　anger　she　needed　to　quell　the　Portezzan。　And　he　had　been　quelled。　She　had　dealt　with　better　men　than　he　in　the　past。　As　soon　as　she'd　begun　to　speak；　slowly；　letting　her　measured　words　fall　like　stones　into　the　stillness　of　the　room；　Borsiard's　bravado　had　seemed　to　leech　away　from　him。
　　〃Take　your　people　and　your　goods　and　go；〃　she　had　said；　speaking　from　the　ancient　throne　of　the　counts　of　Arbonne。　〃You　will　not　be　allowed　trade　or　profit　at　a　fair　whose　laws　you　have　so　vilely　broken。　The　men　who　were　killed　were　properly　executed　by　the　duke　of　Talair；　who　is　our　agent　in　this；　as　are　all　the　nobility　of　Arbonne。　Whatever　your　quarrel　with　Blaise　de　Garsenc　of　Gorhaut…a　quarrel　in　which　we　have　no　interest　whatever…the　roads　leading　to　the　Lussan　Fair　were　not　the　place　to　pursue　it。　In　that；　we　have　a　great　interest　indeed。　You　will　not　be　troubled　as　you　leave　Arbonne。　Indeed；　we　will　assign　a　pany　of　our　men　to　escort　you　safely　to　the　Portezzan　border　。。。　unless　there　is　somewhere　else　you　might　wish　to　go？〃
　　Guibor　had　taught　her　that；　raise　the　issue　yourself；　take　the　initiative　from　the　other　person。　And　as　if　on　cue；　Borsiard　d'Andoria's　dark；　handsome　face　had　twisted　with　a　spasm　of　malice。　〃Indeed　there　is；〃　he　had　said。　〃There　are　matters　I　should　like　to　pursue　in　Gorhaut。　I　will　travel　north　from　here。〃
　　〃We　have　no　doubt　you　will　be　wele　at　the　court　of　King　Ademar；〃　Signe　had　said　calmly。　This　was　not　a　man　to　unsettle　her；　however　much　he　might　be　worth；　whatever　Roban　might　fear。　He　was　far　too　predictable。　She　wondered　how　long　his　marriage　would　last。　She　allowed　herself　to　smile；　she　knew　how　to　make　her　smile　a　weapon　if　need　be。　〃We　only　hope　your　lady　wife　does　not　find　it　cold　in　Cortil　and　dull　there　as　winter　es　to　the　north；〃　she　murmured。　〃If　she　prefers　to　go　home　we　will　be　happy　to　offer　her　an　escort。　Indeed…〃　a　thought　born　of　the　moment　〃…we　will　be　most　pleased　to　have　her　stay　on　at　our　court　should　you　wish　to　go　north　without　her。　We　imagine　we　could　find　ways　to　keep　her　amused。　It　would　be　unjust　to　deny　a　lady　the　pleasures　of　a　fair　because　of　her　husband's　transgressions。　We　do　not　behave　that　way　in　Arbonne。〃
　　
　　She　wondered；　lying　in　bed　that　same　night；　if　she　might　have　cause　to　regret　the　loss　of　temper　that　had　led　to　that　last　invitation。　It　could　prove　awkward　in　many　ways　to　have　Lucianna　Delonghi…it　was　almost　impossible　to　think　of　her　by　any　other　name；　despite　her　marriages…in　Barbentain　and　Lussan　this　month。　On　the　other　hand；　had　the　woman　wanted　to　stay　for　the　fair；　she　could　simply　have　joined　her　father's　contingent　in　any　case。　The　invitation　lent　a　sanction　of　control　to　what　could　hardly　have　been　prevented。　Signe　hoped　it　might　b