osc.am2.redprophet-第56部分

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fter　them。
　　They　slept　that　night　where　they　had　the　night　before；　but　it　was　a　troubled　sleep。　In　the　morning；　Taleswapper　wordlessly　packed　up　his　few　goods；　including　the　book　whose　letters　made　no　sense。　Then　he　kissed　Alvin　on　the　head　and　walked　away。　He　said　nought　to　Ta…Kumsaw；　and　Ta…Kumsaw　said　no　more　to　him。　They　both　knew　what　the　land　had　said；　and　they　both　knew　that　for　the　first　time　in　his　life；　Ta…Kumsaw　was　going　against　what　was　good　for　the　land　and　satisfying　a　different　need。　Taleswapper　didn't　even　try　to　argue　against　him　anymore。　He　knew　that　Ta…Kumsaw　would　follow　his　path　no　matter　what；　no　matter　if　it　left　him　pierced　with　a　thousand　bleeding　wounds。　He　only　hoped　that　Alvin　had　the　strength　to　stay　with　him　all　the　way；　and　keep　him　alive　when　all　hope　was　gone。
　　About　noon；　after　walking　almost　due　west　all　morning；　Taleswapper　stopped　and　pulled　his　book　out　of　his　pack。　To　his　relief；　he　could　read　the　words　again。　He　unsealed　the　back　two…thirds　of　the　book；　the　pages　where　he　did　his　own　writing；　and　spent　the　rest　of　the　afternoon　writing　all　that　had　happened　to　him；　all　that　Alvin　had　told　him；　all　that　he　feared　for　the　future。　He　also　wrote　the　words　of　the　poem　that　had　e　to　him　the　morning　before；　the　verses　that　came　from　his　mouth　but　Alvin's　vision。　The　poem　was　still　right　and　true；　but　even　as　he　read　the　words　in　his　book；　the　power　of　them　faded。　It　was　the　closest　he　had　ever　e　to　being　a　prophet　himself；　but　now　the　gift　had　left　him。　It　was　never　his　gift　at　all；　anyway。　Just　as　he　and　Ta…Kumsaw　had　walked　on　the　meadow　without　seeing　anything　special；　never　guessing　that　for　Alvin　it　had　been　a　map　of　the　whole　continent；　so　now　Taleswapper　had　the　words　written　down　in　his　book　and　had　no　notion　anymore　of　the　power　behind　them。
　　Taleswapper　couldn't　travel　like　a　Red　man；　through　the　night；　sleeping　on　his　feet。　So　it　took　him　more　than　a　few　days　to　get　all　the　way　west　to　the　town　of　Vigor　Church；　where　he　knew　there'd　be　a　lot　of　folks　with　a　long　and　bitter　tale　to　tell　him。　If　ever　a　folk　needed　such　a　man　as　Taleswapper　to　hear　their　tale；　it　was　them。　Yet　if　ever　there　was　a　story　that　Taleswapper　was　loath　to　listen　to；　it　was　theirs。　Still；　he　didn't　shy　from　calling　on　them。　He　could　bear　it。　There'd　be　plenty　more　dark　tales　to　tell　before　Ta…Kumsaw　was　through；　might　as　well　get　started　now；　so　as　not　to　fall　behind。
　　
　　
　　Chapter　16　　La　Fayette
　　
　　Gilbert　de　la　Fayette　sat　at　his　vast　table；　looking　into　the　grain　of　the　wood。　Several　letters　lay　before　him。　One　was　a　letter　from　de　Maurepas　to　King　Charles。　Obviously；　Freddie　had　been　won　over　by　Napoleon。　The　letter　was　full　of　praise　for　the　little　general　and　his　brilliant　strategy。
　　
　　So　soon　we　are　going　to　win　the　decisive　victory；　Your　Majesty；　and　glorify　your　name。　General　Bonaparte　refuses　to　be　bound　by　European　military　tradition。　He　is　training　our　troops　to　fight　like　Reds；　even　as　he　lures　the　so…called　Americans　into　fighting　in　the　open　field；　like　Europeans。　As　Andrew　Jackson　gathers　his　American　army；　we　also　gather　an　army　of　men　who　have　better　claim　to　the　name　American。　Ta…Kumsaw's　ten　thousand　will　stand　with　us　as　we　destroy　the　ten　thousand　of　Old　Hickory。　Ta…Kumsaw　will　thus　avenge　the　blood　of　the　slaughter　at　Tippy…Canoe；　while　we　destroy　the　American　army　and　subjugate　the　land　from　the　Hio　to　Huron　Lake。　In　all　this；　we　loyally　give　the　glory　to　Your　Majesty；　for　it　was　your　insight　in　sending　General　Bonaparte　here　that　has　made　this　great　conquest　possible。　And　if　now　send　us　two　thousand　more　Frenchmen；　to　stiffen　our　line　and　provoke　the　Americans　into　further　rashness；　your　act　will　be　seen　as　the　key　interventioin　our　battle。
　　
　　It　was　an　outrageous　letter　for　a　mere　te　　and　one　out　of　favor　　to　send　to　his　King。　Yet　Gilbert　knew　how　the　letter　would　be　received。　For　King　Charles　was　also　under　Napoleon's　spell；　and　he　would　read　praise　of　the　little　Corsican　with　agreement；　with　joy。
　　If　only　Napoleon　were　only　a　vain　posturer　with　a　gift；　for　seducing　the　loyalty　of　his　betters。　Then　La　Fayette　could　watch　his　inevitable　destruction　without　soiling　his　own　hands。　Napoleon　and　de　Maurepas　would　lead　the　French　army　to　disaster；　such　a　disaster　as　might　well　bring　down　a　government；　and　lead　to　a　curbing　of　the　King's　authority；　even　an　expulsion　of　the　monarchy；　as　the　English　so　wisely　did　a　century　and　a　half　before。
　　But　Napoleon　was　exactly　what　he　seduced　Freddie　and　Charlie　into　thinking　he　was：　a　brilliant　general。　Gilbert　knew　that　Napoleon's　plan　would　succeed。　The　Americans　would　march　northward；　convinced　that　they　faced　only　Reds。　At　the　last　moment；　they　would　find　themselves　in　bat　with　the　French　army；　disciplined；　well…armed；　and　fanatically　loyal　to　Napoleon。　The　Americans　would　be　forced　to　array　themselves　like　a　European　army。　Under　their　attack；　the　French　would　slowly；　carefully　retreat。　When　American　discipline　collapsed　in　the　pursuit；　then　the　Reds　would　attack　in　devastating　numbers；　pletely　surrounding　the　Americans。　Not　one　American　would　escape　alive　　and　almost　no　French　lives　would　be　lost。
　　It　was　audacious。　It　was　dangerous。　It　involved　exposing　French　troops　to　serious　risk　of　destruction；　as　they　would　be　vastly　outnumbered　by　the　Americans。　It　required　implicit　trust　in　the　Reds。　But　Gilbert　knew　that　Napoleon's　trust　in　Ta…Kumsaw　was　justified。
　　Ta…Kumsaw　would　have　his　revenge。　De　Maurepas　would　have　his　escape　from　Detroit。　Even　La　Fayette　could　probably　claim　enough　credit　from　such　a　victory　to　e　home　and　live　in　fort　and　dignity　on　his　ancestral　lands。　Above　all；　Napoleon　would　bee　the　most　loved　and　trusted　figure　in　the　military。　King　Charles　would　surely　grant　him　a　title　and　lands；　and　send　him　out　a…conquering　in　Europe；　making　King　Charles　ever　richer　and　more　powerful　and　the　people　ever　more　willing　to　endure　his　tyranny。
　　So　Gilbert　carefully　tore　de　Maurepas's　letter　into　tiny　fragments。
　　The　second　letter　was　from　Napoleon　himself　to　Gilbert。　It　was　candid；　even　brutal；　in　its　assessment　of　the　situation。　Napoleon　had　e　to　realize　that　while　Gilbert　de　La　Fayette　was　immune　to　his　intoxicating　charm；　he　was　a　sincere　admirer　and；　indeed；　a　friend。　I　am　your　friend；　Napoleon。　Yet　I　am　more　a　friend　of　France　than　of　any　man。　And　the　path　I　have　in　mind　for　you　is　far　greater　than　being　the　mere　toady　of　a　stupid　King。
　　Gilbert　reread　the　key　paragraph　of　Napoleon's　letter。
　　
　　De　Maurepas　merely　echoes　what　I　say；　which　is　fortable　but　tedious。　I　shudder　to　think　what　would　happen　if　he　were　ever　in　cornmand。　His　idea　of　alliance　with　the　Reds　is　to　put　them　in　uniform　and　stand　them　in　rows　like　ninepins。　What　foolishness！　How　can　King　Charles　consider　himself　anything　but　a　halfwit；　forcing　me　to　serve　under　guch　an　idiot　as　Freddie？　But　to　Charles；　Freddie　no　doubt　seems　like　the　soul　of　wit　　after　all；　he　does　know　how　to　appreciate　the　ballet。　In　Spain　I　won　a　victory　for　Charles　that　he　did　not　deserve；　and　yet　he　is　so　spineless　that　he　lets　his　jealous　courtiers　maneuver　me　to　Canada；　where　my　allies　are　savages　and　my　officers　are　fools。　Charlie　doesn't　deserve　the　victory　I'll　bring　him。　But　then；　Gilbert　my　friend；　the　royal　blood　has　grown　thin　and　weak　in　the　years　since　Louis　Fourteen。　I'd　urge　you　to　burn　this　letter；　except　that　Charlie　loves　me　so　well　that　I　think　he　could　read　it　word　for　word　and　not　take　offense！　And　if　he　did　take　offense；　how　would　he　dare　punish　me？　What　would　his　stature　be　in　Europe；　if　I　hadn't　helped　old　Wooden…head　to　a　case　of　dysentery　so　I　could　win　the　war　in　Spain；　instead　of　losing　it；　as　would　surely　have　happened　without　me？
　　
　　Napoleon's　vanity　was　insufferable；　but　primarily　because　it　was　so　fully　justified。　Everyword　in　this　letter　was　true；　if　rash；　but　Gilbert　had　carefully　cultivated　this　candor　in　Napoleon。　Napoleon　had　obviously　longed　for　someone　to　admire　him　sincerely；　without　Napoleon　diddling　with　his　affections。　He　had　found　such　a　one　　truly　he　had　　in　Gilbert；　the　only　real　friend　Napoleon　would　ever　have。　And　yet。　And　yet。
　　Gilbert　carefully　folded　Napoleon's　letter　and　enclosed　it　in　his　own；　a　simple　note　that　said：
　　
　　Your　Majesty；　please　do　not　be　harsh　with　this　gifted　young　man。　He　has　the　arrogance　of　youth；　there　is　no　treason　in　his　heart；　I　know　it。　Nevertheless；　I　will　be　guided　by　you；　as　always；　for　you　will　always　know　the　proper　balance　between　justice　and　mercy。　Your　humble　servant；　Gilbert。
　　
　　King　Charles　would　be　livid；　of　course。　Even　if　Napoleon　was　right；　and　Charlie　was　inclined　to　be　indulgent；　the　courtiers　would　never　let　such　an　opportunity　pass。　There　would　be　such　a　howl　for　Napoleon's　head　that　even　King　Charles　could　not　resist　cashiering　the　boy。　Another　letter；　the　most　painful　one；　was　again　in　Gilbert's　own　hand；　this　time　addressed　to　Frederic；　te　de　Maurepas。　Gilbert　had　written　it　long　ago；　almost　as　soon　as　Napoleon　arrived　in　Canada。　Soon　it　would　be　time　to　send　it。
　　
　　On　the　eve　of　such　momentous　events；　my　dear　Freddie；　I　think　you　should　wear　this　amulet。　It　was　given　me　by　a　holy　man　to　fend　the　lies