按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
nk you now？〃 he asked。 Again there was that note in his voice； the one Thaune could not quite identify。
Blaise looked up。 He shook his head。 〃I thought you might ask about your son though。〃 A cruel question； though perhaps not cruelly meant。 Thaune wasn't sure； he didn't understand the younger son either。 He saw Ranald's jaw tighten。 Blaise added； in a flat voice； 〃I am proposing to name him my heir in Gorhaut； with Fulk as regent； should I die in this war。 Does that interest you at all？〃
He had to be quick； Thaune thought； he had to be very fast to have thought of this already。 He turned to look at Fulk de Savaric； but there was nothing to be read there at all； nor in the features of Bertran de Talair beside Fulk。 These were men used to the play of power； and to hiding their responses to it。
Ranald de Garsenc was less able to mask his feelings。 〃How touching；〃 he shot back； as if firing a crossbow bolt。 〃How wonderful to see that everyone in my family has plans for my son。 It does free me of a father's anxiety； I must say。〃
Blaise said； still gravely； 〃Given that you haven't even cared to ask of his condition or even his name； it ill behooves you to take such a tone； brother。〃
There was a silence。 The very calmness of the words made the lash of them bite harder。 Thaune felt that he and the others on the bridge had bee extraneous； mere hangers…on at the edges of this long； bitter struggle within the de Garsenc family。
〃Well？〃 said Ranald finally； as if that one word cost him a great effort。 〃Tell me。〃
From behind； Thaune saw Blaise lower his head again for a long moment； and then lift it once more。 〃He is well。 A handsome； healthy child。 He looks like a Garsenc。 His name is Cadar； for his grandfather of Savaric。〃
Ranald laughed then； the same quick； bitter； corrosive sound as before； when his father had escaped。 〃Of course it is；〃 he said。 〃She would do that。〃
〃Can you blame her？〃
Surprisingly； Ranald de Garsenc's laughter ended。 He shook his head。 He said； 〃You will not believe me； but I told father and the king both that I was prepared to let her go if she sent back the child。 Neither would agree； not that she would have done so in any case。〃 He paused。 〃I faced summary execution if I did not ride with Ademar to Aubry last autumn。 Ask the duke of Savaric； your brave new ally。 He was at that burning too； for the same reason。〃
It was Blaise's turn to be silent。 〃I know he was；〃 he said at length。 〃I know why you were there； Ranald。 But Fulk de Savaric has made his response to that tonight。 He is with us now。 You are about to ride back to Cortil。 To the ugliness there。 I don't understand。 I can't understand。 Ranald； will you not tell me why？〃 There was pain in the question。 Every man on the bridge heard it。
Slowly Ranald de Garsenc shook his head again。 〃No；〃 he said finally。 〃I do not owe you that much。〃 He paused； seeming more posed than his younger brother on the ground now。 〃Nor will I thank you for not torturing me to find the location of the tunnel。 I will say this much…〃 he turned to the duke of Talair； 〃…I am not going back to Cortil。 Forget not； in your urge to mock and diminish your foes； who and what it is you are dealing with。 I never forget it； not ever； during any day or night of my life。〃
He turned back to his brother。 〃Farewell； little Blaise； who would be king of all of us。 I can recall teaching you to use that sword you carry。 I wonder if you remember？〃
He turned then； and was gone into night and fog； only the drumming of his horse's hooves in the mist telling them he was riding east。
〃Of course I remember；〃 said Blaise； to no one in particular。
He turned then and began walking up the bridge towards the castle； past the two dukes and all the corans； who quickly made way for him。 He stood motionless before the portcullis bars until they had been rolled up again； allowing him to pass within； into his ancestral home。
Feeling buffeted by the speed of events； Thaune of Garsenc was more than a little eased to note heightened colour and hints of bemusement in the expressions of others when they gathered in the great hall。
There had been no resistance in the end。 The announced arrival of Blaise de Garsenc； coupled with the even more tangible presence of nearly a thousand armed men with the duke of Savaric； induced any corans of Garsenc who might have been otherwise inclined to make their peace with the current situation。
That wasn't the problem。 The problem emerged when the explanations began； while the castle servants scurried to provide wine and food and sleeping arrangements； not only for those in the hall but for the northern soldiers； and for the farmers who had also e with Fulk； carrying a variety of arms。
It was the presence of the farmers Fulk had been ordered to bring that raised the issue。 It was winter； after all。 Corans often followed their lord wherever he went； and it was not unusual for a duke to bring part of his household with him if he travelled to Cortil to spend the cold months drinking and brawling among the retinue of the king。 It was a custom of long standing。 That； they had assumed； was why Garsenc Castle was unlikely be heavily defended。 But if the ordinary men of the land were being ordered by Ademar to take up arms in the dead of winter something else was afoot。
Fulk de Savaric knew that。 He didn't know what was unfolding； though； because he hadn't yet reached Cortil when his instructions had been changed。 His tale was simple。 He had been instructed to bring as many men south as he could。 Given the mood of the king since autumn； Fulk had not regarded these orders as being the sort he could fortably ignore。 They were mobilizing early for an attack in the spring； he had concluded； it had always been the most likely course of events。
Halfway to Cortil he had been met by a messenger from the High Elder； changing his orders； instructing him to turn west to Garsenc Castle； and meet Galbert there。 There was a threat from the south； the messenger reported； treachery abroad in the wintry heartland of Gorhaut。 Fulk knew； as most of Gorhaut had known by then； that Blaise de Garsenc had claimed the throne last autumn。
Duke Fulk was his own man； if he lacked his father's flamboyance or the confidence of the monarch that Cadar de Savaric had had。 He'd turned his thousand men as ordered； riding along a valley path laced with snow； but he had stopped them by a frozen river bed two days later； a half day's ride still from Garsenc Castle。 And there； under grey skies； he had made a speech。
He was not a man for speeches； nor were the men of the north greatly inclined to listen to orations； especially in the cold。 What he said was as terse and clear as he could make it； and the words marked a changing of his life。 He would have denied that Aubry had led him to that moment； but he wouldn't have said it had nothing to do with it； either。
He had never liked the Treaty of Iersen Bridge； he told his assembled men； shouting the words into the rising wind。 He had never liked the authority the High Elder of Corannos had over an increasingly self…indulgent king。 He felt contempt and real anger fo