rh.theassassinsapprentice-第37部分

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n　to　the　fine　phrasings　of　the　poet　or　the　ballads　of　the　minstrels。　Kelvar　sat　to　the　Prince's　right；　while　his　lady　sat　to　the　left；　her　lapdog　sharing　the　chair。
　　　　　　　Grace　sat　basking　in　the　Prince's　presence。　Her　hands　often　strayed　to　touch　first　an　earring；　then　a　bracelet。　She　was　not　accustomed　to　wearing　so　much　jewelry。　My　suspicion　was　that　she　had　e　of　simple　stock　and　was　awed　by　her　own　position。　One　minstrel　sang　〃Fair　Rose　Amidst　the　Clover；〃　his　eyes　on　her　face；　and　was　rewarded　with　her　flushed　cheeks。　But　as　the　evening　wore　on；　and　I　grew　weary；　I　could　tell　that　Lady　Grace　was　fading。　She　yawned　once；　lifting　a　hand　too　late　to　cover　it。　Her　little　dog　had　gone　to　sleep　in　her　lap；　and　twitched　and　yipped　occasionally　in　his　small…brained　dreams。　As　she　grew　sleepier　she　reminded　me　of　a　child；　she　cuddled　her　dog　as　if　it　were　a　doll；　and　leaned　her　head　back　into　the　corner　of　her　chair。　Twice　she　started　to　nod　off。　I　saw　her　surreptitiously　pinching　the　skin　on　her　wrists　in　an　effort　to　wake　herself　up。　She　was　visibly　relieved　when　Kelvar　summoned　the　minstrels　and　poet　forward　to　reward　them　for　their　evening。　She　took　her　lord's　arm　to　follow　him　off　to　their　bedchamber　while　never　relinquishing　the　dog　she　snugged　in　her　arm。
　　　　　　　I　was　relieved　to　make　my　way　up　to　Verity's　antechamber。　Charim　had　found　me　a　feather　bed　and　some　blankets。　My　pallet　was　fully　as　fortable　as　my　own　bed。　I　longed　to　sleep；　but　Charim　gestured　me　into　Verity's　bedchamber。　Verity；　ever　the　soldier；　had　no　use　for　lackeys　to　stand　about　and　tug　his　boots　off　for　him。　Charim　and　I　alone　attended　him。　Charim　clucked　and　muttered　as　he　followed　Verity　about；　picking　up　and　smoothing　the　garments　the　Prince　so　casually　shed。　Verity's　boots　he　immediately　took　off　into　a　corner　and　began　working　more　wax　into　the　leather。　Verity　dragged　a　nightshirt　on　over　his　head　and　then　turned　to　me。
　　　　　　　〃Well？　What　have　you　to　tell　me？〃
　　　　　　　And　so　I　reported　to　him　as　I　did　to　Chade；　recounting　all　I　had　overheard；　in　as　close　to　the　words　as　I　could　manage；　and　noting　who　had　spoken　and　to　whom。　At　the　last　I　added　my　own　suppositions　about　the　significance　of　it　all。　〃Kelvar　is　a　man　who　has　taken　a　young　wife；　one　who　is　easily　impressed　with　wealth　and　gifts；〃　I　summarized。　〃She　has　no　idea　of　the　responsibilities　of　her　own　position；　let　alone　his。　Kelvar　diverts　money；　time；　and　thought　from　his　duties　to　enthralling　her。　Were　it　not　disrespectful　to　say　so；　I　would　imagine　that　his　manhood　is　failing　him；　and　he　seeks　to　satisfy　his　young　bride　with　gifts　as　a　substitute。〃
　　　　　　　Verity　sighed　heavily。　He　had　flung　himself　onto　the　bed　during　the　latter　half　of　my　recitation。　Now　he　prodded　at　a　too　soft　pillow；　folding　it　to　give　more　support　to　his　head。　〃Damn　Chivalry；〃　he　said　absently。　〃This　is　his　kind　of　a　knot；　not　mine。　Fitz；　you　sound　like　your　father。　And　were　he　here；　he'd　find　some　subtle　way　to　handle　this　whole　situation。　Chiv　would　have　had　it　solved　by　now；　with　one　of　his　smiles　and　a　kiss　on　someone's　hand。　But　that's　not　my　way；　and　I　won't　pretend　to　it。〃　He　shifted　about　in　his　bed　unfortably；　as　if　he　expected　me　to　raise　some　argument　to　him　about　his　duty。　〃Kelvar's　a　man　and　a　duke。　And　he　has　a　duty。　He's　to　man　that　tower　properly。　It's　simple　enough；　and　I　intend　to　tell　him　that　bluntly。　Put　decent　soldiers　in　that　tower　and　keep　them　there；　and　keep　them　happy　enough　to　do　a　job。　It　seems　simple　to　me。　And　I'm　not　going　to　make　it　into　a　diplomatic　dance。〃
　　　　　　　He　shifted　heavily　in　the　bed；　then　abruptly　turned　his　back　to　me。　〃Put　out　the　light；　Charim。〃　And　Charim　did；　so　promptly　that　I　was　left　standing　in　the　dark　and　had　to　blunder　my　way　out　of　the　chamber　and　back　to　my　own　pallet。　As　I　lay　down　I　pondered　that　Verity　saw　so　little　of　the　whole。　He　could　force　Kelvar　to　man　the　tower；　yes。　But　he　couldn't　force　him　to　man　it　well；　or　take　pride　in　it。　That　was　a　matter　for　diplomacy。　And　had　he　no　heed　for　the　roadwork　and　maintenance　on　the　fortifications　and　the　highwaymen　problem？　All　that　needed　to　be　remedied　now。　And　in　such　a　way　that　Kelvar's　pride　was　kept　intact；　and　that　his　position　with　Lord　Shemshy　was　both　corrected　and　affirmed。　And　someone　had　to　undertake　to　teach　Lady　Grace　her　responsibilities。　So　many　problems。　But　as　soon　as　my　head　touched　the　pillow；　I　slept。
　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　CHAPTER　NINE
　　　　　　　Fat　Suffices
　　　　　　　THE　FOOL　CAME　to　Buckkeep　in　the　seventeenth　year　of　King　Shrewd's　reign。　This　is　one　of　the　few　facts　that　are　known　about　the　Fool。　Said　to　be　a　gift　from　the　Bingtown　traders；　the　origin　of　the　Fool　can　only　be　surmised。　Various　stories　have　arisen。　One　is　that　the　Fool　was　a　captive　of　the　Red…Ship　Raiders；　and　that　the　Bingtown　traders　seized　the　Fool　from　them。　Another　is　that　the　Fool　was　found　as　a　babe；　adrift　in　a　small　boat；　shielded　from　the　sun　by　a　parasol　of　sharkskin　and　cushioned　from　the　thwarts　by　a　bed　of　heather　and　lavender。　This　can　be　dismissed　as　a　creation　of　fancy。　We　have　no　real　knowledge　of　the　Fool's　life　before　his　arrival　at　King　Shrewd's　court。
　　　　　　　The　Fool　was　almost　certainly　born　of　the　human　race；　though　not　entirely　of　human　parentage。　Stories　that　he　was　born　of　the　Other　Folk　are　almost　certainly　false；　for　his　fingers　and　toes　are　pletely　free　of　webbing　and　he　has　never　shown　the　slightest　fear　of　cats。　The　unusual　physical　characteristics　of　the　Fool　（lack　of　coloring；　for　instance）　seem　to　be　traits　of　his　other　parentage；　rather　than　an　individual　aberration；　though　in　this　I　well　may　be　mistaken。
　　　　　　　In　the　matter　of　the　Fool；　that　which　we　do　not　know　is　almost　more　significant　than　that　which　we　do。　The　age　of　the　Fool　at　the　time　of　his　arrival　at　Buckkeep　has　been　a　matter　for　conjecture。　From　personal　experience；　I　can　vouch　that　the　Fool　appeared　much　younger；　and　in　all　ways　more　juvenile　than　at　present。　But　as　the　Fool　shows　little　sign　of　aging；　it　may　be　that　he　was　not　as　young　as　he　initially　appeared；　but　rather　was　at　the　end　of　an　extended　childhood。
　　　　　　　The　gender　of　the　Fool　has　been　disputed。　When　directly　questioned　on　this　matter　by　a　younger　and　more　forward　person　than　I　am　now；　the　Fool　replied　that　it　was　no　one's　business　but　his　own。　So　I　concede。
　　　　　　　In　the　matter　of　his　prescience　and　the　annoyingly　vague　forms　that　it　takes；　there　is　no　consensus　as　to　whether　it　is　a　racial　or　individual　talent　being　manifested。　Some　believe　he　knows　all　in　advance；　and　even　that　he　will　always　know　if　anyone；　anywhere；　speaks　about　him。　Others　say　it　is　only　his　great　love　of　saying；　〃I　warned　you　so！〃　and　that　he　takes　his　most　obscure　sayings　and　twists　them　to　have　been　prophecies。　Perhaps　sometimes　this　has　been　so；　but　in　many　well…witnessed　cases；　he　has　predicted；　however　obscurely；　events　that　later　came　to　pass。
　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　Hunger　woke　me　shortly　after　midnight。　I　lay　awake；　listening　to　my　belly　growl。　I　closed　my　eyes；　but　my　hunger　was　enough　to　make　me　nauseated。　I　got　up　and　felt　my　way　to　the　table　where　Verity's　tray　of　pastries　had　been；　but　servants　had　cleared　it　away。　I　debated　with　myself；　but　my　stomach　won　out　over　my　head。
　　　　　　　Easing　open　the　chamber　door；　I　stepped　out　into　the　dimly　lit　hall。　The　two　men　Verity　had　posted　there　looked　at　me　questioningly。　〃Starving；〃　I　told　them。　〃Did　you　notice　where　the　kitchens　were？〃
　　　　　　　I　have　never　known　a　soldier　who　didn't　know　where　the　kitchens　were。　I　thanked　them　and　promised　to　bring　back　some　of　whatever　I　found。　I　slipped　off　down　the　shadowy　hall。　As　I　descended　the　steps　it　felt　odd　to　have　wood　underfoot　rather　than　stone。　I　walked　as　Chade　had　taught　me；　placing　my　feet　silently；　moving　within　the　shadowiest　parts　of　the　passageways；　walking　to　the　sides　where　floorboards　were　less　likely　to　creak。　And　it　all　felt　as　natural。
　　　　　　　The　rest　of　the　keep　seemed　well　asleep。　The　few　guards　I　passed　were　mostly　dozing；　none　challenged　me。　At　the　time　I　put　it　down　to　my　stealth；　now　I　wonder　if　they　considered　a　skinny；　tousleheaded　lad　any　threat　worth　bothering　with。
　　　　　　　I　found　the　kitchens　easily。　It　was　a　great　open　room；　flagged　and　walled　with　stone　as　a　defense