rh.theassassinsapprentice-第78部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

　　　　　　　Physically；　most　of　them　were　Chyurda；　and　were　as　I　had　expected　them　to　be：　a　tall；　pale　people；　light　of　hair　and　eye；　and　some　with　hair　as　red　as　a　fox。　They　were　a　brawny　people；　the　women　as　well　as　the　men。　All　seemed　to　carry　a　bow　or　a　sling；　and　they　were　obviously　more　fortable　afoot　than　on　horseback。　They　dressed　in　wool　and　leather；　and　even　the　humblest　wore　fine　furs　as　if　they　were　no　more　than　homespun。　They　strode　alongside　us；　mounted　as　we　were；　and　seemed　to　have　no　difficulty　keeping　up　with　the　horses　all　day。　They　sang　as　they　walked；　long　songs　in　an　ancient　tongue　that　sounded　almost　mournful；　but　were　interspersed　with　shouts　of　victory　or　delight。　I　was　later　to　learn　they　were　singing　us　their　history；　that　we　might　know　better　what　kind　of　a　people　our　prince　was　joining　us　to。　I　gathered　that　they　were；　for　the　most　part；　minstrels　and　poets；　the　〃hospitable〃　ones；　as　their　language　translated　it；　traditionally　sent　to　greet　guests　and　to　make　them　glad　they　had　e　even　before　they　arrived。
　　　　　　　As　the　next　two　days　passed；　our　trail　widened；　for　other　paths　and　roads　fed　into　it　the　closer　we　came　to　Jhaampe。　It　became　a　broad　tradeway；　sometimes　paved　with　a　crushed　white　stone。　And　the　closer　we　came　to　Jhaampe；　the　greater　our　procession　became；　for　we　were　joined　by　contingents　from　villages　and　tribes；　pouring　in　from　the　outer　reaches　of　the　Mountain　Kingdom　to　see　their　princess　pledge　herself　to　the　powerful　Prince　from　the　lowlands。　Soon；　with　dogs　and　horses　and　some　sort　of　goat　they　used　as　pack　beasts；　with　wains　of　gifts　and　folk　of　every　walk　and　degree　trailing　in　families　and　knots　behind　us；　we　came　to　Jhaampe。
　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　CHAPTER　TWENTY
　　　　　　　Jhaampe
　　　　　　　〃。。。　AND　SO　LET　THEM　e；　the　people　of　who　I　am；　and　when　they　reach　the　city；　let　them　always　be　able　to　say；　'This　is　our　city　and　our　home；　for　however　long　we　wish　to　stay。'　Let　there　always　be　spaces　left；　let　＇words　obscured＇　of　the　herds　and　flocks。　Then　there　will　be　no　strangers　in　Jhaampe；　but　only　neighbors　and　friends；　ing　and　going　as　they　will。〃　And　the　will　of　the　Sacrifice　was　observed　in　this；　as　in　all　things。
　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　So　I　read　years　later；　in　a　fragment　from　a　Chyurda　holy　tablet；　and　so　finally　came　to　understand　Jhaampe。　But　that　first　time；　as　we　rode　up　the　hills　toward　Jhaampe；　I　was　both　disappointed　and　awed　at　what　I　saw。
　　　　　　　The　temples；　palaces；　and　public　buildings　reminded　me　of　the　immense　closed　blossoms　of　tulips；　both　in　color　and　shape。　The　shape　they　owe　to　the　once　traditional　stretched…hide　shelters　of　the　nomads　who　founded　the　city；　the　colors　purely　to　the　mountain　folk's　love　of　color　in　everything。　Every　building　had　been　recently　restained　in　preparation　for　our　ing　and　the　Princess's　nuptials；　and　thus　they　were　almost　garishly　bright。　Shades　of　purple　seemed　to　dominate；　set　off　by　yellows；　but　every　color　was　represented。　It　is　best　pared；　perhaps；　to　chancing　upon　a　patch　of　crocus；　pushing　up　through　snow　and　black　earth；　for　the　bare　black　rocks　of　the　mountains　and　the　dark　evergreens　made　the　bright　colors　of　the　buildings　even　more　impressive：　Additionally；　the　city　itself　is　built　on　an　area　fully　as　steep　as　Buckkeep　Town；　so　that　when　one　beholds　it　from　below；　the　color　and　lines　of　it　are　presented　in　layers；　like　an　artful　arrangement　of　flowers　in　a　basket。
　　　　　　　But　as　we　drew　closer　we　were　able　to　see　that　between　and　among　the　great　buildings　were　tents　and　temporary　huts　and　tiny　shelters　of　every　kind。　For　at　Jhaampe；　only　the　public　buildings　and　the　royal　houses　are　permanent。　All　else　is　the　ebb　and　flow　of　folk　ing　to　visit　their　capital　city；　to　ask　judgment　of　the　Sacrifice；　as　they　call　the　King　or　Queen　who　rules　there；　or　to　visit　the　repositories　of　their　treasures　and　knowledge；　or　simply　to　trade　and　visit　with　other　nomads。　Tribes　e　and　go；　tents　are　pitched　and　inhabited　for　a　month　or　two；　and　then　one　morning；　all　is　bare…swept　earth　where　they　were；　until　another　group　moves　in　to　claim　the　spot。　Yet　it　is　not　a　disorderly　place；　for　the　streets　are　well　defined；　with　stone　stairs　set　into　the　steeper　places。　Wells　and　bath　houses　and　steams　are　located　at　intervals　throughout　the　city；　and　the　strictest　rules　are　observed　about　garbage　and　offal。　It　is　also　a　green　city；　for　the　outskirts　of　it　are　pastures；　for　those　who　bring　their　herds　and　horses　with　them；　with　tenting　areas　defined　by　the　shade　trees　and　wells　there。　Within　the　city　are　stretches　of　garden；　flowers；　and　sculpted　trees；　more　artfully　tended　than　anything　I　had　ever　seen　in　Buckkeep。　The　visiting　folk　leave　their　creations　among　these　gardens；　and　they　may　take　the　form　of　stone　sculptures　or　carvings　of　wood；　or　brightly　painted　pottery　creatures。　In　a　way；　it　put　me　in　mind　of　the　Fool's　room；　for　in　both　places　were　color　and　shape　set　out　simply　for　the　pleasure　of　the　eye。
　　　　　　　Our　guides　halted　us　at　a　pasture　outside　of　the　city　and　indicated　it　had　been　set　aside　for　us。　After　a　bit　of　time　it　became　obvious　that　they　expected　we　would　leave　our　horses　and　mules　here　and　proceed　on　foot。　August；　who　was　the　nominal　head　of　our　caravan；　did　not　handle　this　very　diplomatically。　I　winced　as　he　almost　angrily　explained　that　we　had　brought　with　us　much　more　than　we　could　be　expected　to　carry　into　the　city；　and　that　many　there　were　too　weary　from　traveling　to　relish　the　idea　of　the　uphill　walk。　I　bit　my　lip　and　forced　myself　to　stand　quietly；　to　witness　the　polite　confusion　of　our　hosts。　Surely　Regal　had　known　of　these　customs；　why　had　he　not　warned　us　of　them　so　we　would　not　begin　our　visit　by　appearing　boorish　and　unacmodating？
　　　　　　　But　the　hospitable　folk　tending　to　us　swiftly　adapted　to　our　strange　ways。　They　bid　us　rest　and　begged　us　to　be　patient　with　them。　For　a　time　we　all　stood　about；　vainly　trying　to　appear　fortable。　Rowd　and　Sevrens　joined　Hands　and　me。　Hands　had　a　slosh　or　two　of　wine　left　in　a　skin；　and　this　he　shared；　while　Rowd　grudgingly　reciprocated　with　some　smoked　meat　in　strips。　We　talked；　but　I　confess　I　paid　little　attention。　I　wished　I　had　the　courage　to　go　to　August　and　entreat　him　to　be　more　adaptable　to　the　ways　of　this　people。　We　were　their　guests；　and　it　was　already　bad　enough　that　the　groom　had　not　e　in　person　to　carry　off　his　bride。　I　watched　from　a　distance　as　August　consulted　with　several　elder　lords　who　had　e　with　us；　but　from　the　motions　of　their　hands　and　heads　I　deduced　that　they　were　only　agreeing　with　him。
　　　　　　　Moments　later　a　stream　of　sturdy　Chyurda　youths　and　maidens　appeared　on　the　road　above　us。　Bearers　had　been　summoned　to　help　carry　our　goods　into　the　city；　and　from　somewhere　bright　tents　were　conjured　for　those　servants　who　would　stay　here　to　tend　the　horses　and　mules。　I　much　regretted　to　find　that　Hands　would　be　one　of　those　left　behind。　I　entrusted　Sooty　to　him。　Then　I　shouldered　the　cedar　herb　chest　and　slung　my　personal　bag　from　my　other　shoulder。　As　I　joined　the　procession　of　those　walking　into　the　city；　I　smelled　meats　sizzling　and　tubers　cooking；　and　saw　our　hosts　setting　up　an　open…sided　pavilion　and　assembling　tables　within　it。　Hands；　I　decided；　would　not　fare　poorly；　and　almost　I　wished　I　had　nothing　more　to　do　than　tend　the　animals　and　explore　this　bright　city。
　　　　　　　We　had　not　gone　far　up　the　winding　street　ascending　into　the　city　before　we　were　met　by　a　flock　of　litters　carried　by　tall　Chyurda　women。　We　were　earnestly　invited　to　mount　into　these　litters　and　be　carried　into　the　city；　and　many　apologies　were　made　that　we　had　been　wearied　by　our　trip。　August；　Sevrens；　the　older　lords；　and　most　of　the　ladies　of　our　party　seemed　only　too　happy　to　take　advantage　of　this　offer；　but　for　me；　it　was　a　humiliation　to　be　carried　into　the　city。　But　it　would　have　been　even　ruder　to　turn　down　their　polite　insistence；　and　so　I　surrendered　my　chest　to　a　boy　obviously　younger　than　myself；　and　mounted　into　a　litter　borne　by　women　old　enough　to　be　my　grandmother。　I　blushed　to　see　how　curiously　the　folk　on　the　streets　regarded　us；　and　how　they　stopped　to　talk　quickly　together　as　we　passed。　I　saw　few　other　litters；　and　they　were　inhabited　by　those　obviously　old　and　infirm。　I　set　my　teeth　and　tried　not　to　think　what　Verity　would　have　felt　about　this　display　of　ignorance。　I　tried　to　look　out　pleasantly　on　those　we　passed；　and　to　let　my　delight　in　their　gardens　and　graceful　buildings　show　on　my　face。
　　　　　　　I　must　have　succeeded　in　this；　for　presently　my　litter　began　to　move　more　slowly；　to　allow　me　more　time　to　see　things；　and　the　women　to　point　to　anything　they　thought　I　might　have　missed　noticing。　They　spoke　to　me　in　Chyurda　and　were　delighted　to　find　I　had　a　crude　understanding　of　their　language。　Chade　had　taught　me　the　little　he　knew；　but　he　had　not　prepared　me　for　how　musical　the　language　was；　and　it　soon　became　apparent　to　me　that　the　pitch　of　the　word　was　as　important　as　the　pronunciation。　Fortunately；　I　had　a　quick　ear　for　languages；　so　I　blundered　manfully　into　conversation　with　my　bearers；　resolved　that　by　the　time　I　spoke　to　my　betters　in　the　palace；　I　would　no　longer　sound　quite　so　much　an　outland　fool。　One　woman　undertook　to　give　me　a　mentary　on　all　she　passed。　Jonqui；　her　name　was；　and