美铁之战系列 第三卷 铁领主 第11部分

queasiness.Itwasaverydifferentfeelingthatgrippedhernow;a

feelingthatsomethingawfulwasgoingtohappen.Sheselectedayoung

manandwomanatrandom,thenreturnedtoherplaceonthematasthe

couplewerebroughtoutandmadetokneelbeforetheraiseddecking.

Theywerebothstrangers:theirclothes,whichwouldhaveidentified

theirclangroup-She-Kargo,D'Troit,San'Paul,M'Waukee-hadbeen

replacedbyacottonloincloth.Neitherlookedasiftheygavemuch

fortheirchancesofsurvivingbeyondthenextfewminutes,butthey

facedtheprospectwiththestoicismthatwasthehallmarkofthe

Plainfolk.

Throughhisinterpreter,Yama-Shitaasked,'Areyousatisfiedyouhave

pickedthestrongest."?"

Clearwaterbowedhumbly.'Ibelieveso,sire."

'LordYama-Shitawishestomakecertain,'saidthesamurai

interpreter.

'Apersonofyourimportancedeservesonlythebest."Hebarkedouta

brief,unintelligiblecommand.

Withterrifyingsuddenness,thered-stripesfacingClearwaterburst

intoaction,hurlingthechosencouplebackintoline.Theredandthe

lower-rankingwhitesthenwadedintotheshackledMutes,flailingaway

withtheirwhips,brandishingtheirswords,andscreamingIronMaster

gobbledygook.Theywerelikeafrenziedpackofcoyotesyappingand

snarlingatagroupofcorneredfast-foot.Thepointingswordsand

canesmadeitclearwhattheywanted,butseveralofthemaskedguards

speltitoutinfracturedBasic.

'up!Up!"-'Onwheel!"-'Now!Now'-'Monkeygoforrideon

merrygo-roun'!"

TheeightMuteswereforcedupontothepaddlewheelandweremadeto

standinalinealongthebladethathadstoppedinahorizontal

position:womenontheleft,menontheright,withanarm'slength

betweenthem,facestothewheel.Thepaddlebladewasbroad,but

theirfootholdwasprecarious.Thewoodwasdrippingwetandtheir

movementswerehamperedby

thechainsaroundtheirwristsandtheheavymetalcollar

aroundtheirrightankles.Thosewhoglancednervouslyovertheir

shouldertoseewhatwasgoingtohappennextreceivedseveralwhip

lashesonthebacksoftheirthighs.

Clearwater'sfeelingofdreaddeepenedassherealisedwhatYama-Shita

wasproposingtodo.Thedomain-lordwavedbrusquelytoasubordinate,

whoshoutedtoanotherminionstandingbyanopenhatch.Theorderwas

promptlyrelayedbelow.Therewasaloudhissofescapingsteam,then

thedecktrembledasthetwohugewoodenbeamswhichdrovethepaddle

wheeltookupthestrain,onepushingastheotherpulledthewheel

overanddowntowardsthewatchingIronMasters.

Guh-CHOONG-going,guh-CHOONG-going,guhCHOONGgoing...

Thepaddlewheelhadturnedintoagianttreadmill,forcingtheeight

Mutestoclimbupthedescendingbladesinordertoescapethewhips

andjabbingswordpointsoftheIronMastersbelow.Butanevenworse

fateawaitedthem.If,througherrororexhaustion,theymissedtheir

footing,theywouldbecarrieddownbythebladesandcrushedinthe

narrowspacebetweenwheelandthesurroundingdeck.

Guhchoongah-join,guhchoongah-join,guhchoongah-join...

Thelabouredascentofthewheelturnedintoamadscrambleasitbegan

tomovefaster.Whenithadachievedarelentlessbutnotimpossible

rate,anotherorderwasrelayedtotheengineersinthebowelsofthe

boat-presumablyaninstructiontokeeptheboatatthesamespeed.

Yama-Shitawasrunningasadisticendurancerace;aracewhichonlythe

fittestandmostagilecouldhopetosurvive.

Clearwateragonisedoverwhattodo.TheSkyVoiceshadtoldherthat

shemustnotrevealhergifttotheIronMasters,buthadtheyforeseen

asituationlikethis?

Shouldsheignoretheirwarningandtrytosummonuptheearth

forces?

Wouldtheyrespond?Thewheelboatswerenowoutofsightofland,and

afathomlessoceanlaybeneaththem.IfTalismandidgiveherthe

strengthtowreckhavoconhertormentorsandteartheirshipasunder,

whatthen?ItwouldnotsavetheMutesonthewheelandwouldalso

bringcertaindeathtoanyotherPlainfolkheldinchainsbelow.Her

heartsank.Shecoulddonothing.HerfirstdutywastoMrSnow,to

honourhervowtodoallinherpowertoprotectCadillacandbringhim

safelybacktotheclan.

Thefirsttofallwasaman.

Thewhite-stripesshoutedexcitedlyastheMutelosthisfootingand

madethefatalmistakeofthrowinghimselflengthwaysalongthe

descendingpaddlebladeinadesperateefforttoclimbbackup,instead

ofthrowinghimselfclear.Hisscreamofterrorandpainwascutshort

asthemassivebladescytheddownwards,severinghisrightarmandleg

asitdrovehismangledbodyintotheseabelow.Amidroarsof

laughter,twowhite-stripespickedupthelimbs,wavedthemmockingly

attheMutesonthewheel,thenthrewthemovertheside.

Ratherthansharethesamehorrificfate,twoofthethreeremaining

mendecidedtothrowthemselvesoverboard.Thefirst-thenearestto

theright-handrimofthewheel-scrambledoverthetop,ranwith

amazingsure-footednessovertherisingbladesandleaptintothe

sea.

Hebobbedtothesurface,flounderedbriefly,thensankbeneaththe

weightofhischains.Thesecond,followinghardontheheelsofthe

first,reachedthetopofthewheel,thenslippedandfellbetweenthe

bladesintothemazeofsupportingtimbersinside.Trappedhelplessly

inthenarrowVformedbythejunctionoftwobeamsandthehugeaxle,

hewasplungedintotheseethingcauldronbelow.Whenthesamebeams

roseoutofthewater,hewasseenclingingtooneofthepaddleslike

awaterloggedhamster.Unabletogetthroughtotheseabeyondand

fearfulofbeingcarriedhigher,hefellbackintotheswirling

water.

Atsomepointdeathovertookhim,butthewheelcontinuedtodredgeup

hislimpbody.Eachtime,ittumbledbackdowntherisingbladesor

sliddownthedrippingspokebeamstowardstheaxle-whichtippedhim

forwardsintothewaterandthewholegrislycyclebeganagain.

Thewomenwerenotslowtofollow.Asthemenmadetheirleapforthe

sea,thewomanplacednearesttheleft-handrimofthewheeltriedthe

sameescaperoute.

Justasshewasabouttojumpoff,shealsolostherbalance.Arms

flailing,shetoppledsidewaysontothedeck,landingback-first

acrossthehugeiron-strappedandboltedbeamthatdrovetheleft-hand

sideofthepaddlewheel.Herspinesnappedwithanaudiblecrackthat

sentanelectrifyingquiverthroughClearwater'sbody.Thewomanshe

hadchosenbegantoloseground.

Shecriedoutdespairingly,beggingforsomeonetohelpher.Shewas

closetothemiddleofthewheelbutthesolesurvivingmanonher

rightwastoofaraway.Obliviousofthedanger,hernearestcompanion

reachedouttowardsher.Theirhandsclosedroundeachother's

wrists.

Clearwaterwilledthemtosucceed.Tofindthestrengthtoclimbover

thetopandmakethatfinalleapintotheseabeyond.Itwasnotto

be.Withinseconds,thewomanwasclingingwithbothhandstothearm

ofherhelperasshemadeonelastfranticattempttogetherfeetback

intostepwiththemovingblades.Itwashopelessbutsherefusedto

letgoand,aninstantlater,theybothtumbledtotheirdeathbeneath

thewheel.

AnewcommandfromYama-Shitawasrelayedtotheengineroom.The

wheelslowedrapidlyand,whenitcametorest,thewhite-stripes

orderedthetwowearysurvivorstoclimbdown,laughingandpatting

themontheback.TheyoungmanwastheoneClearwaterhadchosen.

Thesuddenswitchfromsadisticbrutalitytoapparentsympathyat

havingsurvivedtheterribleordealhadlefthimandtheremaining

womanconfusedandclosetotears.Thesixarmedred-stripesmovedin

andhustledthemtowardsYamaShita.

Ontheorderofthesamurai-interpretertheyturnedthepairtowards

Clearwaterandforcedthemtotheirknees.

'LordYama-Shitawishestoknowifyouarehappytoacceptthegiftof

thesetwoindividualsnowthattheyhavegivenproofoftheir

fitness."

Clearwaterbowedinthedirectionofthedomain-lord.

'Iamdeeplyhonouredtoreceiveanytoken-beitgreatorsmall-from

thehandsofthemosthighlord,andwilldoallwithinmypowerto

makemyundeservingselfworthyofhisunparalleledgenerosity."

ThesamuraiinterpreterturnedbacktoYamaShitaexpectantly.The

domain-lordnodded.Thesamuraibowed,thenspunonhisheel.'They

willbebroughtbeforeyoushortly."Hebarkedoutanother

unintelligibleordertothered-stripesandwavedClearwatertoher

feet.

ShepaidtheusualcourtesiestoYamaoShitaandwasescortedbackto

hercrampedquarters.

Thatevening,atthetimethetwohouse-womenusuallybroughther

somethingtoeat,thedoorwasunlockedbytheusualred-stripebut

insteadofthetwosmalldark-eyedwomen,Su-ShanandNan-Khe,the

samuraiinterpreterenteredfollowedbytwowhite-stripescarryingtwo

circulardishescoveredwithdomedlids.Clearwaterkneltasshewas

requiredtodowheninthepresenceofasamurai.

Thewhitesplacedthedishesonthelowtableinfrontofherand

withdrew.

Thesamuraimotionedtohertoliftthelidsfromthedishes.

Clearwaterdidsoandfoundherselfconfrontedbytheseveredheadsof

thetwoMuteswhohadsurvivedtheordealonthepaddlewheel.That,

initself,wasbadenough,buttheyhadnotsimplybeenbeheaded,they

hadbeensavagelymutilatedaswell.

Clearwaterwasnostrangertoeitherdeathorviolence,butthecruelty

thathadbeeninflictedonthislucklesspairmadehersensesreel.

Thesamuraibowed.'LordYama-Shitawishesyoutoreflectonthefate

ofyourMutefriends."Heplacedasubtleemphasisontheword

'friends'.'Ifsuchthingscanhappentothosewhodidnothingto

incurmylord'sdispleasure,thenthefateofthosewhobetrayhimwill

beterribleindeed."Sosaying,hepickedupthedomedlidsand

broughtthemtogethersharply,smashingthemtopieces.

Clearwaterflinchedasthefragmentsofporcelainshoweredoverher.

'Youwillneverspeakofthisjourneytoanyone.Norwillyouever

revealwhatyouhaveseenorwhoyouhavespokentosinceyouleftthe

presenceofConsul-GeneralNakaneToh-Shiba.Inparticularyouwill

neverconfesstohavingbeeninthepresenceofLordYama-Shita.Is

thatunderstood?"

Clearwaternoddedmeekly,andtriedtoavoidlookingatthecharred

socketsthathadonceframedtheeyesofthetwoyoungMutes.'Yes,

sire..."

Thesamuraigesturedtotheseveredheads.'Neitheryouoryour

house-womenaretotouchthese.Theywillremainhere,uncovered,on

thistable,untilyouareorderedtoleavethisvessel.Isthatalso

understood,long-dogbitch?"

'Yes,sire."Clearwaterremainedwithherheadboweduntilthesamurai

lefttheroom.

AndIalsoswearbyMo-Town,thegreatSkyMother,andbythemightof

Talisman,theThrice-GiftedOne,thatthedeathsofmybrothersand

sisterswillbeavengedathousandtimesover...

CHAPTERFOUR

AtthebeginningofJune,ToshiroHase-Gawareturnedfromyetanother

fact-findingmission.TheShogunreceivedhim,asbefore,inthe

pebblegarden.Toshirobeganwithaprogressreportontheworkatthe

HeronPool,andtheproblemsencounteredintryingtofindasuitable

propulsionunitfortheflying-horsesnowunderconstruction.

TheShogunlistenedwithhisusualattentiveness,butitwasobvioushe

wasmoreinterestedingettinganupdateontheaffairbetweenhis

brother-in-lawandthelatestresidentofhisnotoriouslake-housethe

femalelong-dog.

'Sheisnolongerthere,sire."

'Nolongerthere...?"

ToshirobowedundertheShogun'simpassivestare.

'AccordingtotheinformationIhave,shedisappearedfromthe

Consul-General'sestatetowardstheendofApril''Soinotherwords,

you'vecausedmeconsiderableanguishovertheplightofmysister

withoutprovidingonetangiblepieceofevidence,andyouarenow

tellingmeit'soveranddonewith,'saidYoritomobrusquely.

'Uhh...notquite."

Yoritomo'smouthtightened.'WhatdoIhavetodotogettherestof