osc.am2.redprophet-第13部分

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　　Until　Bonaparte　took　his　hand　away　from　Frederic's　wrist。
　　It　was　as　if　Bonaparte's　hand　had　been　his　connection　to　a　great　source　of　life　and　warmth；　with　the　touch　removed；　he　grew　cold；　weary。　But　still　there　was　Bonaparte's　smile；　and　Frederic　looked　at　him　and　remembered　the　feeling　of　promise　he　had　had　a　moment　before。　How　could　he　have　ever　thought　working　with　Bonaparte　would　be　anything　but　rewarding？　The　man　knew　his　place；　that　was　certain。　Frederic　would　merely　use　Bonaparte's　undeniable　military　talents；　and　together　they　would　triumph　and　return　to　France　in　glory
　　Bonaparte's　smile　faded；　and　again　Frederic　felt　a　vague　sense　of　loss。
　　〃Good　evening；〃　said　Bonaparte。　〃I　will　see　you　in　the　morning；　sir。〃
　　The　Corsican　left　the　room。
　　If　Frederic　could　have　seen　his　face；　he　might　have　recognized　his　own　expression：　it　was　identical　to　the　look　of　love　and　devotion　that　all　Bonaparte's　junior　officers　had　worn。　But　he　could　not　see　his　face。　That　night　he　went　to　bed　feeling　more　at　peace；　more　confident；　more　hopeful　and　excited　than　he　had　felt　in　all　his　years　in　Canada。　He　even　felt　　what；　what　is　this　feeling；　he　wondered　　ah　yes。　Intelligent。　He　even　felt　intelligent。
　　
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　　It　was　deep　night；　but　the　canalmen　were　hard　at　work；　using　their　noisy　steam　engine　to　pump　water　into　the　lock。　It　was　an　engineering　marvel；　the　steepest　system　of　locks　on　any　canal　in　the　world。　The　rest　of　the　world　did　not　know　it。　Europe　still　thought　of　America　as　a　land　of　savages。　But　the　enterprising　United　States　of　America；　inspired　by　the　example　of　that　old　wizard　Ben　Franklin；　was　encouraging　invention　and　industry。　Rumor　had　it　that　a　man　named　Fulton　had　a　working　steam…powered　boat　plying　up　and　down　the　Hudson　　a　steamboat　that　King　Charles　had　been　offered；　and　refused　to　fund！　Coal　mines　were　plunging　into　the　earth　in　Suskwahenny　and　Appalachee。　And　here　in　the　state　of　Irrakwa；　the　Reds　were　outdoing　the　Whites　at　their　own　game；　building　canals；　steam…powered　cars　to　run　on　railed　roads；　steam…powered　spinning　wheels　that　spat　out　the　cotton　of　the　Crown　Colonies　and　turned　it　into　fine　yarns　that　rivaled　anything　in　Europe　　at　half　the　cost。　It　was　just　beginning；　just　starting　out；　but　already　more　than　half　the　boats　that　came　up　the　St。　Lawrence　River　were　bound　for　Irrakwa；　and　not　for　Canada　at　all。
　　La　Fayette　stood　at　the　rail　until　the　lock　was　filled　and　the　fires　of　the　steam　engine　were　allowed　to　die。　Then　the　clop；　clop；　clop　of　the　canal　horses　and　the　boat　slid　forward　again　through　the　water。　La　Fayette　left　the　rail　and　walked　quietly　up　the　stairs　to　his　room。　By　dawn；　they　would　be　at　Port　Buffalo。　De　Maurepas　and　Bonaparte　would　go　west　to　Detroit。　La　Fayette　would　return　to　the　Governor's　mansion　in　Niagara。　There　he　would　sit；　issuing　orders　and　watching　Parisian　policies　kill　any　future　for　the　French　in　Canada。　There　was　nothing　La　Fayette　could　do　to　keep　the　Americans；　Red　and　White　together；　from　surpassing　Canada　and　leaving　it　behind。　But　he　could　do　a　few　things　to　help　change　France　into　the　kind　of　nation　that　could　reach　out　to　the　future　as　boldly　as　America　was　doing。
　　In　his　own　quarters；　La　Fayette　lay　on　his　bed；　smiling。　He　could　imagine　what　Bonaparte　had　done　tonight；　alone　in　the　room　with　poor　empty…headed　Freddie。　The　young　te　de　Maurepas　was　doubtless　pletely　charmed。　The　same　thing　might　well　have　happened　to　La　Fayette；　but　he　had　been　warned　about　what　Bonaparte　could　do；　about　his　knack　for　making　people　trust　their　lives　to　him。　It　was　a　good　knack　for　a　general　to　have；　as　long　as　he　only　used　it　on　his　soldiers；　so　they'd　be　willing　to　die　for　him。　But　Bonaparte　used　it　on　everybody；　if　he　thought　he　could　get　away　with　it。　So　La　Fayette's　good　friend　Robespierre　had　sent　him　a　certain　jeweled　amulet。　The　antidote　to　Bonaparte's　charm。　And　a　vial　of　powder；　too　　the　final　antidote　to　Bonaparte；　if　he　could　be　controlled　no　other　way。
　　Don't　worry；　Robespierre；　my　dear　fellow；　thought　La　Fayette。　Bonaparte　will　live。　He　thinks　he　is　manipulating　Canada　to　serve　his　ends；　but　I　will　manipulate　him　to　serve　the　ends　of　democracy。　Bonaparte　does　not　suspect　it　now；　but　when　he　returns　to　France　he　will　be　ready　to　take　mand　of　a　revolutionary　army；　and　use　his　knack　to　end　the　tyranny　of　the　ruling　class　instead　of　using　it　to　add　meaningless　crowns　to　King　Charles's　most　unworthy　head。
　　For　La　Fayette's　knack　was　not　to　read　other　men's　thoughts；　as　de　Maurepas　suspected；　but　it　was　nearly　that。　La　Fayette　knew　upon　meeting　them　what　other　men　and　women　wanted　most。　And　knowing　that；　everything　else　could　be　guessed　at。　La　Fayette　already　knew　Napoleon　better　than　Napoleon　knew　himself。　He　knew　that　Napoleon　Bonaparte　wanted　to　rule　the　world。　And　maybe　he'd　achieve　it。　But　for　now；　here　in　Canada；　La　Fayette　would　rule　Napoleon　Bonaparte。　He　fell　asleep　clutching　the　amulet　that　kept　him　safe。
　　
　　
　　Chapter　4　　Lolla…Wossiky
　　
　　When　Lolla…Wossiky　left　Ta…Kumsaw　standing　by　the　gate　of　Fort　Carthage；　he　knew　what　his　brother　thought。　Ta…Kumsaw　thought　he　was　going　off　with　his　keg　to　drink　and　drink　and　drink。
　　But　Ta…Kumsaw　didn't　know。　White　Murderer　Harrison　didn't　know。　Nobody　knew　about　Lolla…Wossiky。　This　keg　would　last　him　two　months　maybe。　A　little　bit　now；　a　little　bit　then。　Careful；　careful；　never　spill　a　drop；　drink　just　this　much；　close　it　tight；　make　it　last。　Maybe　even　three　months。
　　Always　before　he　had　to　stay　close　to　White　Murderer　Harrison's　fort；　to　get　the　cups　of　dribbling　likker　from　the　dark　brown　jug。　Now；　though；　he　had　plenty　to　make　his　journey；　his　great　north　journey　to　meet　his　dream　beast。
　　Nobody　knew　that　Lolla…Wossiky　had　a　dream　beast。　White　man　didn't　know　cause　White　man　had　no　dream　beast；　White　man　slept　all　the　time　and　never　woke　up。　Red　man　didn't　know　cause　Red　man　saw　Lolla…Wossiky　and　thought　he　was　a　likker　Red；　going　to　die；　had　no　dream　beast；　never　wake　up。
　　Lolla…Wossiky　knew　though。　Lolla…Wossiky　knew　that　light　up　north；　he　saw　it　e　five　years　back。　He　knew　it　was　his　dream　beast　calling；　but　he　never　could　go。　He　started　five；　six；　twelve　times　north；　but　then　the　likker　would　seep　out　of　his　blood　and　then　the　noise　would　e　back；　terrible　black　noise　that　hurt　him　so　bad　all　the　time。　When　the　black　noise　came　it　was　like　a　hundred　tiny　knives　in　his　head；　twisting；　twisting；　so　he　couldn't　feel　the　land　no　more；　couldn't　even　see　his　dream　beast　light；　had　to　go　back；　find　the　likker；　still　the　noise　so　he　could　think。
　　This　last　was　the　very　worst　time。　No　likker　came　for　a　long；　long　time；　and　for　two　months　at　the　end　even　White　Murderer　Harrison　didn't　have　much　for　him；　maybe　one　cup　in　a　week；　never　enough　to　last　more　than　a　few　hours；　maybe　a　day。　Two　long　months　of　black　noise　all　the　time。
　　Black　noise　made　it　so　Lolla…Wossiky　couldn't　walk　right。　Everything　wiggles；　ground　bumps　up　and　down；　how　can　you　walk　when　the　land　looks　like　water？　So　everybody　thought　Lolla…Wossiky　was　drunk；　stagger　like　a　whisky…Red；　fall　down　all　the　time。　Where　does　he　get　the　likker？　they　all　ask。　Nobody　has　likker　but　Lolla…Wossiky　still　gets　drunk；　how　does　he　do　it？　Not　one　person　has　eyes　to　see　that　Lolla…Wossiky　isn't　drunk　at　all。　Don't　they　hear　how　he　talks；　clear　talking；　not　drunktalk？　Don't　they　smell　he　got　no　likker…stink？　Nobody　guesses；　nobody　reckons；　nobody　calcalates；　nobody　figures。　They　know　Lolla…Wossiky　always　needs　likker。　Never　nobody　thinks　maybe　Lolla…Wossiky　has　pain　so　bad　he　hopes　to　die。
　　And　when　he　closes　his　eye　to　stop　the　world　from　rippling　like　the　river；　they　all　think　he's　asleep　and　they　say　things。　Oh；　they　say　things　they　don't　want　no　Red　to　hear。　Lolla…Wossiky　figured　that　out　very　quick　and　so　when　the　black　noise　got　so　bad　he　wanted　to　go　lie　down　on　the　bottom　of　the　river　to　shut　out　the　noise　forever；　instead　he　staggered　to　White　Murderer　Harrison's　office　and　fell　down　on　the　floor　by　his　door　and　listened。　Black　noise　was　very　loud；　but　it　wasn't　ear　noise；　so　he　could　still　hear　voices　even　with　the　roaring　of　the　black　noise　in　his　head。　He　thought　very　hard　to　hear　every　word　under　the　door。　He　knew　all　that　White　Murderer　Harrison　said　to　everybody。
　　Lolla…Wossiky　never　told　anybody　what　he　heard。
　　Lolla…Wossiky　never　told　anybody　anything　true。　They　never　believed　him　anyway。　You're　drunk；　Lolla…Wossiky。　Shame　on　you；　Lolla…Wossiky。　Even　when　he　wasn't　drunk；　even　when　he　hurt　so　bad　he　wanted　to　kill　everything　alive　to　make　it　go　away；　even　then　they　said；　Too　bad　to　see　even　a　Red　get　so　awful　drunk。　And　Ta…Kumsaw；　standing　there　never　saying　anything　or　when　he　did；　being　so　strong　and　right；　when　Lolla…Wossiky　was　so　weak　and　wrong。
　　North　north　north　went　Lolla…Wossiky；　chanting　to　himself。　North　a　thousand　steps　before　I　take　a　little　drink。　North　with　the　black　noise　so　loud　I　don't　know　where　north　is；　but　still　north　because　I　don't　dare　to　stop。
　　Very　dark　night。　Black　noise　so　bad　the　land　says　nothing　to　Lolla…Wossiky。　Even　the　white　light　of　the　dream　beast　is　far　off　and　seems　to　e　from　everywhere　at　the　same　time。　One　eye　sees　night；