fs.thesecondbookofswords-第8部分

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ld　himself。　If　he'd　gone　meekly　down　into　the　cave　that　last　time　as　he'd　been　ordered；　he'd　be　quite　meekly　dead　by　now。　That　much　he　was　sure　of。　He　was　convinced　that　the　five　other　drivers　were　dead　by　now。。。　unless；　he　thought　suddenly；　they　had　somehow　been　kept　alive　for　questioning　about　the　plot。　The　higher…ups　were　sure　to　think　that　there　had　been　some　kind　of　plot。　Probably　even　Radulescu；　if　he　was　still　alive；　was　being　questioned。
　　　Excuse　me；　sir；　there　wasn't　no　plot；　sir。　Just　Big　Ben；　Slow　Ben；　doing　his　best　to　stay　alive。
　　　He　thought　about　that　as　he　climbed。　Certainly；　last　night　when　he'd　started　running；　there'd　been　nothing　more　on　his　mind　than　keeping　himself　alive。　And　even　now；　climbing　rapidly；　he　was　willing　to　settle　for　that。
　　　But　now。。。
　　　Now；　with　the　possibility　of　escape　looking　more　real　with　each　passing　moment；　other　ideas　were　inviting　themselves　into　Ben's　mind。　True；　he　hadn't　been　trying　to　carry　away　any　important　secrets。　But；　since　they　were　going　to　hunt　him　anyway。。。　well；　he'd　be　a　fool　not　to　try　to　get　some　chance　to　benefit　out　of　this；　as　well　as　the　chance　of　getting　killed。
　　　Twenty…three　years'　experience　had　taught　Ben　that　the　life　of　a　poor　man　was　not　much　of　a　life。　It　was　too　bad　the　world　was　like　that；　but　so　it　was。　He　wanted　money；　enough　at　least　to　promise　some　kind　of　minimal　security。　Once　a　man　had　a　little　gold　in　his　pocket；　he　could　be　somebody；　could　have　some　kind　of　chance　for　a　decent　life。　Ben　had　joined　the　Blue　Temple　service　a　year　ago　only　because　he　saw　in　it　the　possibility　at　least　of　modest　success；　security　…　in　a　word；　of　getting　a　little　money。　A　man　had　to　have　a　certain　minimum　of　that。　At　least　he　did　if　he　was　ever　going　to　attract　and　keep　a　woman　whose　own　yearnings　were　for　prosperous　stability。
　　　Once　Ben　had　enlisted；　given　his　size　and　strength　and　lack　of　other　education；　there　was　little　doubt　about　which　branch　of　the　Temple　service　he'd　be　assigned　to。　Not　for　him　one　of　the　easy　desk　jobs；　tallying　and　re…tallying　the　Temples　wealth　in　all　its　categories；　figuring　up　the　interest　on　all　the　loans　they　had　outstanding。　He'd　seen　the　rows　of　busy　clerks；　scribbling　at　the　long　desks。　That　looked　like　an　easy　life。　But　he　himself　had　been　sent　into　the　Guards。
　　　For　Ben；　already　accustomed　to　a　hard；　poor　existence；　and　not　expecting　much　from　his　new　career　right　at　the　start；　the　life　of　a　military　recruit　had　not　seemed　too　unpleasant。　He　had　already　taken　part　in　more　actual　fighting　than　he　had　ever　wanted　to　see；　but　he　had　managed　to　live　through　it；　in　the　peaceful　Blue　Temple　garrison　where　he　was　first　assigned；　he　really　did　not　expect　to　be　called　upon　for　more。　Adequate　food　and　clothing　were　regularly　provided；　and　a　man　who　did　what　he　was　told　could　usually　keep　himself　out　of　trouble。
　　　It　had　turned　out；　though；　somewhat　to　Ben's　own　surprise；　that　he　was　not　the　kind　of　man　to　always　do　what　he　was　told。
　　　He　might　have　enlisted　in　other　organizations　than　Blue　Temple；　sought　jobs　under　other　conditions　of　service；　in　other　places；　that　would　have　offered　him　just　as　good　a　chance　of　security。　It　was　easy　to　realize　that　now。　Now；　he　saw　that　he　had　picked　Blue　Temple　really　because　the　idea　of　its　great　wealth　had　attracted　him。　He　hadn't　been　quite　naive　enough　to　imagine　that　he　was　going　to　bee　personally　rich　as　soon　as　he　signed　up　…　as　the　recruiter　had　somehow　managed　to　suggest。　No。　But　still　Ben　had　known　that　all　the　money；　the　wealth；　the　gold　of　the　Blue　Temple；　was　going　to　be　around；　and　the　idea　of　it　had　attracted　him。　At　the　time　he'd　told　himself　that　he'd　chosen　to　join　Blue　Temple　because　it　lacked　the　reputation　for　gratuitous　oppression　and　cruelty　that　was　shared　by　so　many　of　the　world's　other　powers。　The　Dark　King；　for　example；　or　the　Silver　Queen　of　Yambu；　or　the　late　Duke　Fraktin。
　　　Blue　Temple　were　the　worshippers　of　wealth；　the　harvesters　and　heapers…up　of　gold。　Somehow　they　usually　contrived　to　extract　the　stuff　from　everyone　who　came　in　reach；　from　rich　and　poor；　devotees　and　scoffers；　friends　and　deadly　foes　alike。　In　the　process　they　also　somehow　financed　and　indirectly　controlled　much　of　the　world's　trade。　Ben's　bunk　in　the　guardhouse　had　been　remote　from　the　inner　chambers　where　financial　matters　were　seriously　discussed；　but　information；　as　always；　had　a　way　of　seeping　through　walls。　In　the　morning　the　Temple　accepted　a　rich　man's　offering；　in　return　insuring　him　against　some　feared　disaster；　in　the　afternoon　it　levied　a　tax　on　a　poor　widow　…　making　sure　to　leave　her　enough　to　sustain　life；　that　next　year　she　would　be　able　to　pay　some　tax　again。
　　　And　incessantly　the　Temple　plained　about　how　inappropriately　poor　it　was；　how　much　help　and　protection　and　shelter　it　needed　against　the　financial　dangers　of　the　world。　Always　the　Guardsmen　were　exhorted　to　be　ready　to　lay　down　their　lives　in　defense　of　the　last　shreds　of　assets　remaining。　It　was　never　actually　stated　that　the　wealth　was　almost　gone　…　any　more　than　the　location　of　the　main　hoard　was　revealed　but　the　general　implication　was　that　it　had　to　be　dwindling　fast。　Always　the　soldiers　were　reminded　how　much　their　meagre　pay；　their　weapons　and　clothes　and　food；　all　cost　their　poor　masters。　And　how　essential　it　was；　therefore；　for　the　soldiers　…　especially　those　who　hoped　someday　to　be　promoted；　and　those　too　who　wanted　to　eventually　draw　a　pension　…　how　essential　it　was　that　they　return　some　generous　fraction　of　their　pay　as　a　Temple　offering。
　　　If　a　man　were　to　serve　in　the　ranks　for　twenty　years；　investing　a　substantial　part　of　his　pay　as　such　an　offering　each　year；　he　would　be　able　to　retire　at　that　point　with　a　pension。　Exactly　how　much　of　a　pension　was　a　little　vague。
　　　The　recruiter　had　mentioned　generous　pensions　to　Ben；　but　had　somehow　neglected　to　explain　just　what　a　soldier　had　to　do　to　qualify　for　one。
　　　So；　there　were　financial　as　well　as　other　reasons　why　the　enlistment　hadn't　been　working　out　for　Ben　as　well　as　he　had　hoped。　Even　before　last　night's　crisis　he　had　been　ready　to　get　out。　Of　course　he　could　have　bought　out　his　enlistment　at　any　time；　if　he'd　had　the　money　to　do　so　…　but　then；　if　he'd　had　that　much　money　he　never　would　have　joined　up　in　the　first　place。　Barbara　would　have　been　willing　to　marry　him；　or　live　with　him　permanently　anyway。　The　two　of　them　could　have　stopped　their　precarious　wandering　about　with　shows　and　carnivals；　a　life　that　kept　them　usually　very　little　better　off　than　beggars。　They　could　have　bought　themselves　a　little　shop　somewhere；　in　some　prosperous　strong　city　with　high　walls。。。
　　　It　was　a　year　now　since　he'd　seen　Barbara；　and　he　had　missed　her　even　more　than　he'd　expected　to。　He　didn't　want　to　go　back；　though；　until　he'd　acplished　something　at　last；　got　a　start　in　some　kind　of　life　that　she'd　want　to　share。　He'd　sent　her　letters　from　his　garrison　station　once　or　twice；　when　the　opportunity　to　do　so　had　arisen；　but　he　hadn't　heard　from　her　at　all。　For　all　Ben　knew；　she'd　taken　up　with　someone　else　by　now。　There　had　been　no　promise　from　her　that　she　would　not。
　　　Ben's　reason　for　enlisting　had；　of　course；　been　to　get　himself　established　in　some　kind　of　secure　Blue　Temple　post；　something　that　would　pay　well　enough　to　let　him　send　for　her。。。　looking　back　at　it　now；　it　seemed　a　very　foolish　hope。　But　then；　at　the　time　he'd　enlisted；　every　other　hope　had　seemed　more　foolish　still。
　　　Now；　in　the　gradually　brightening　daylight；　Ben　continued　his　climb。　This　cliff　was　not　quite　so　steep；　he　thought；　as　the　one　he'd　had　to　e　down　in　the　dark。　Or　it　might　just　be　that　having　some　daylight　made　things　that　much　easier。　Anyway；　he　was　making　good　progress；　and　quite　soon　reached　a　place　from　which　it　was　possible　to　look　up　and　feel　sure　he'd　be　able　to　make　it　all　the　way　to　the　top。　He　had　not　the　slightest　idea　of　what　he　was　going　to　find　up　there；　except　he　expected　and　hoped　that　he'd　no　longer　be　on　Blue　Temple　land。　He　might；　of　course；　be　wrong。。。
　　　When　he　had　climbed　a　little　farther　still；　Ben　paused　to　look　upward　again。　Yes；　from　here　on　the　slope　was　definitely　gentler；　and　he　had　no　doubt