13.1 Siáng 會 kap 刣囝兇手 做朋友?

Chiuⁿ 13.

13.1 Siáng ē kap thâi-kiáⁿ hiong-chhiú chò pêng-iú?

Carradine lī-khui bōe 20 hun-cheng, Marta chhut-hiān ah, chah hoe, chheh, thn̂g-á, iáu-ū móax ê hó-ì. Yi hoat-hiān Grant chhimx tîm tī Cuthbert Oliphant Sià só͘ kì-lo̍k ê 15 sè-kí sè-kài. I tùi yi chò chi̍t-ê ló-chhó ê chio-ho͘, hō͘ yi kám-kak bē koàn-sì.

“Ká-sú lí nn̄g-ê hāu-seⁿ khì hō͘ lín sió-chek bô͘-sat, lí kám ē chiap-siū i hoat hō͘ lí ê tōa-pau tin-thiap?”

“Góa ká-siat he sī chi̍t-kù hoán-ōe, bô su-iàu hôe-tap,” Marta kóng, pàng-lo̍h chhiú tiong ê hoe-sok, sì-kè siòng tó chi̍t-ê í-keng ū hoe ê hoe-pân sek-ha̍p he.

“Láu-si̍t kóng, góa kám-kak le̍k-sú ha̍k-ka lóng khí-siáu ah. Lí thiaⁿ khòaⁿ-māi: ‘Thài-hiō ê hêng-ûi chin pháiⁿ kái-soeh; tàu-té yi sī kiaⁿ hông kiông-pek chhōa lī pī-lān-só͘, a̍h sī yi chí-sī ià-siān tī Westminster hit-chióng ko͘-to̍k seng-oa̍h, chiah kō͘ léng-tām bâ-pì sim-thài, koat-tēng kap gín-á ê bô͘-sat-chiá hô-kái, che chāix lóng oh khak-tēng.’”

“Chò hó-sim, Thiⁿ ah!” Marta hoah chhut-siaⁿ, chi̍t-chhiú the̍h delft hûi-koàn, lēng-chhiú the̍h îⁿ-tâng po-lê hoe-pân, tòng-tiām tī hia, kimx khòaⁿ i án-chóaⁿ siūⁿ.

“Lí jīn-ûi le̍k-sú ha̍k-ka chèng-keng ū teh thiaⁿ ka-tī só͘ kóng ê ōe bô?” 

“Hit-ê Thài-hiō sī teh kóng siáng?”

“ Elizabeth Woodville. Edward IV ê bó͘.”

“Oh, sī ah. Góa bat chi̍t-pái ián yi. Chi̍t-ê sió kak-sek. Sī tī koan-hē Chō-ông-chiá Warwick ê chi̍t-chhut hì.”

“Tong-jiân, góa chí-sī chi̍t-ê kéng-chhat,” Grant kóng. “Hoān-sè góa m̄-bat chìn-ji̍p chin-chiàⁿ ê siā-kau kho͘-á. Mā khó-lêng góa tú-tio̍h ê lóng sī hó lâng. Lán tio̍h khì tó-ūi, chiah ē tú-tio̍h chi̍t-ê cha-bó͘, khéng kap thâi-sí yi nn̄g-ê kiáⁿ ê hiong-chhiú hó-lâi hó-khì?”

“Hi-lia̍p, góa siūⁿ,” Marta kóng. “Kó͘ Hi-lia̍p.” 

“Tī hia, góa mā siūⁿ bô chit-chióng àn-lē.” 

“Nā bô, tō sī siáu-lâng-īⁿ. Elizabeth Woodville ū jīm-hô tòng-gōng ê iáⁿ-jiah bô?” 

“M̄-bat ū lâng chù-ì tio̍h. Jî-chhiáⁿ yi chò 20 nî chó-iū ê Ông-hiō.” 

“Tong-jiân che kui-ê tāi-chì sī nāu-kio̍k, góa hi-bāng lí khòaⁿ ē-chhut,” Marta kóng, ná kè-sio̍k chhah hoe. “Che kin-pún m̄-sī pi-kio̍k. ‘Tio̍h, góa chai i tek-khak ū thâi Edward kap sió Richard, tān i chit-ê lâng kî-si̍t kài bê-lâng, jî-chhiáⁿ tòa tī che chhái-kng bái ê pâng-keng, tùi góa ê hong-sip-pēⁿ bô hó.’” Grant chhiò chhut-lâi, sim-chêng piàn khah hó ah.

“Tio̍h, tong-jiân. Che sī chòe-ko ê hàm-kó͘ neh. Che tio̍h kui tī ‘Bô-chêng ê Tàu-kù,’ bô sio̍k tī chèng-keng ê le̍k-sú. Tō sī án-ne, le̍k-sú ha̍k-ka chiah hō͘ góa tio̍h-kiaⁿ. In ká-ná bô siáⁿ châi-tiāu khòaⁿ chheng tāi-chì ê khó-lêng sèng. In khòaⁿ le̍k-sú ká-ná sī teh khòaⁿ se-iûⁿ kiàⁿ; tī hn̄gx ê pōe-kéng khòaⁿ pêⁿ-bīn ê lâng-iáⁿ.”

“Hoān-sè tng lí kui-kang ku tī phòa-nōa ê kì-lo̍k ni̍h óe ê sî, lí tō bô sî-kan khì gián-kiù ‘lâng.’ Góa m̄-sī kóng kì-lo̍k ni̍h ê lâng, sī chin-chiàⁿ ê ‘Lâng.’ Ū hoeh ū bah ê lâng. Í-ki̍p in tùi khoân-kéng ê hoán-èng.”

“Nā sī lí, lí ē án-chóaⁿ ián yi?” Grant mn̄g, ná siūⁿ-khí lí-kái tōng-ki sī Marta ê chit-gia̍p pún-lêng.

“Ián siáng?”

“Ián hit-ê ùi pī-lān-só͘ cháu chhut-lâi, ūi-tio̍h múi-nî 700 merk tin-thiap, í-ki̍p chham-ka Hông-kiong party ê khoân-lī, khì kap thâi kiáⁿ ê hiong-chhiú chò pêng-iú ê cha-bó͘.”

“Góa bē-hiáu ián. Tî-liáu tī Euripides ê pi-kio̍k, a̍h tī siàu-liân kám-hòa-īⁿ í-gōa, kin-pún bô chit-chióng cha-bó͘. Boeh ián yi, kan-ta ē-tàng kā ián chò nāu-kio̍k (rag). Taⁿ góa siūⁿ-tio̍h, yi ē-sái sī chi̍t-ê chin chán ê hàm-kó͘ kio̍k (burlesque) sò͘-châi, the̍h-lâi pìⁿ-kâu-lāng he si-hòa pi-kio̍k, bô ah-ūn ê hit-chióng. Góa tio̍h chhōe sî-kan chhì khòaⁿ-māi. Thang-hó iōng tī chû-siān gī-ián hit-lūi ê tiûⁿ-ha̍p. Hi-bāng lí bē thó-ià kiàn-siàu chháu. Kî-koài, bat lí chiah-nī kú, góa tùi lí kah-ì siáⁿ, bô kah-ì siáⁿ kèng-jiân chai chiah chió. Sī siáng hoat-bêng hit-ê cha-bó͘ kap thâi-kiáⁿ hiong-chhiú sio tàu-tah?”

“Bô lâng hoat-bêng yi lah. Elizabeth Woodville chin-chiàⁿ ū ùi pī-lān-só͘ chhut-lâi, mā khak-si̍t ū chiap-siū Richard ê tin-thiap. He tin-thiap m̄-nā tah-èng niāx, chin-chiàⁿ ū hù-chîⁿ. Yin cha-bó͘ kiáⁿ khì chham-ka Hong-kiong party, jî-chhiáⁿ yi koh siá-phe hō͘ lēng-gōa chi̍t-ê hāu-seⁿ, its yi kap chêng-ang seⁿ ê kiáⁿ, kiò i ùi Franse tńg-lâi kap Richard kóng-hô. Oliphant ûi-it siūⁿ ē-kàu ê lí-iû sī: yi nā m̄-sī kiaⁿ hông ùi pī-lān-só͘ ngē thoa chhut-lâi (lí kám bat thiaⁿ-kòe ū-lâng hông ngē thoa-chhut pī-lān-só͘? Án-ne chò ê lâng ē hông kóaⁿ-chhut kàu-hōe neh – á Richard sī Sèng Kàu-tn̂g ê koai-kiáⁿ neh.) Nā bô, tō sī yi tùi pī-lān-só͘ ê seng-oa̍h kám-kak bô-liâu ah.”

“Nā án-ne, tùi chit-chióng lī-kî ê hêng-ûi, lí ê lí-lūn sī siáⁿ?” 

“Chòe hián-jiân ê kái-soeh tō sī: hit nn̄g-ê cha-po͘ gín-á iáu oa̍h kah hó liux. Hit-sî kin-pún bô lâng bat ū pa̍t-khoán ê kóng-hoat.” Marta ná su-khó án-chóaⁿ chhah kiàn-siàu chháu ê iù-ki, ná kóng: “Tio̍h, he tong-jiân. Lí bat kóng-kòe, tī ‘Bu̍t-siu Kong-khoân Lēng’ lāi-bīn bô jīm-hô chí-khòng. Góa sī kóng, tī Richard sí āu.” Yi ê ba̍k-chiu ùi kiàn-siàu chháu sóa kàu toh-téng ê ōe-siōng, jiân-āu koh khòaⁿ Grant. “Só͘-í, lí siūⁿ kóng, chò chi̍t-ê kéng-chhat, lí sīn-tiōng jīn-ûi, Richard kap hit nn̄g-ê cha-po͘ gín-á ê sí oân-choân bô koan-hē?”

--

章 13.

13.1 Siáng 會 kap 刣囝兇手 做朋友?

Carradine 離開 未 20 分鐘, Marta 出現 ah, 扎 花, 冊, 糖仔, 猶有 móax ê 好意. 她發現 Grant chhimx 沉 tī Cuthbert Oliphant Sià 所記錄 ê 15 世紀世界. 伊對她 做一个 潦草 ê 招呼, hō͘ 她 感覺 袂慣勢.

“假使 你兩个後生 去 hō͘ 恁小叔 謀殺, 你 敢會接受 伊 發 hō͘ 你 ê 大包津貼?”

“我假設 he 是 一句反話, 無需要回答,” Marta 講, 放落手中 ê 花束, 四界相 佗一个 已經有花 ê 花瓶 適合伊 he.

“老實講, 我感覺 歷史學家 lóng 起痟 ah. 你聽看覓: ‘太后 ê 行為 真歹解說; 到底 她是 驚 hông 強迫𤆬離 避難所, 抑是 她 只是厭僐 tī Westminster 彼種 孤獨生活, 才 kō͘ 冷淡麻痺 心態, 決定 kap 囡仔 ê 謀殺者 和解, che chāix lóng 僫確定.’”

“做好心, 天 ah!” Marta 喝出聲, 一手 提 delft 瓷罐, 另手 提 圓筒 玻璃花瓶, 擋恬 tī hia, kimx 看 伊 按怎想.

“你認為 歷史學家 正經 有 teh 聽 ka-tī 所講 ê 話 無?”

“彼个太后 是 teh 講 siáng?”

“ Elizabeth Woodville. Edward IV ê 某.”

“Oh, 是 ah. 我 bat 一擺 演她. 一个 小角色. 是 tī 關係 造王者 Warwick ê 一齣戲.”

“當然, 我只是 一个警察,” Grant 講. “凡勢我 m̄-bat 進入 真正 ê 社交箍仔. Mā 可能 我拄著 ê lóng 是好人. 咱著 去佗位, 才會 拄著 一个查某, 肯 kap 刣死她 兩个囝 ê 兇手 好來好去?”

“希臘, 我想,” Marta 講. “古希臘.” 

“Tī hia, 我 mā 想無 這種案例.”

“若無, tō 是痟人院. Elizabeth Woodville 有任何 侗戇 ê 影跡無?”

“M̄-bat 有人 注意著. 而且 她做 20 年左右 ê 王后.”

“當然 che 規个代誌 是鬧劇, 我希望 你 看會出,” Marta 講, ná 繼續插花. “Che 根本毋是 悲劇. ‘著, 我知 伊的確 有刣 Edward kap 小 Richard, 但 伊 這个人 其實 kài 迷人, 而且 蹛 tī che 採光䆀 ê 房間, 對我 ê 風溼病無好.’”

Grant 笑出來, 心情 變較好 ah.

“著, 當然. Che 是 最高 ê 譀古 neh. Che 著 歸 tī ‘無情 ê 鬥句,’ 無 屬 tī 正經 ê 歷史. Tō 是 án-ne, 歷史學家 才 hō͘ 我 著驚. In ká-ná 無啥才調 看清 代誌 ê 可能性. In 看歷史 ká-ná 是 teh 看 西洋鏡; tī hn̄gx ê 背景 看平面 ê 人影.”

“凡勢 tng 你 規工 ku tī 破爛 ê 記錄 ni̍h 挖 ê 時, 你 tō 無時間 去研究 ‘人.’ 我毋是講 記錄 ni̍h ê 人, 是 真正 ê ‘人.’ 有血有肉 ê 人. 以及 in 對環境 ê 反應.”

“若是你, 你會 按怎演她?” Grant 問, ná 想起 理解動機 是 Marta ê 職業本能.

“演 siáng?”

“演 彼个 ùi 避難所 走出來, 為著 每年 700 merk 津貼, 以及 參加 皇宮 party ê 權利, 去 kap 刣囝 ê 兇手 做朋友 ê 查某.”

“我袂曉演. 除了 tī Euripides ê 悲劇, a̍h tī 少年感化院 以外, 根本 無 這種查某. 欲演她, 干焦會當 kā 演做 鬧劇 (rag). 今 我想著, 她會使 是一个 真讚 ê 譀古劇 (burlesque) 素材, 提來 變猴弄 he 詩化悲劇, 無押韻 ê 彼種. 我著 揣時間 試看覓. Thang-hó 用 tī 慈善義演 hit 類 ê 場合. 希望你 袂討厭 見笑草. 奇怪, bat 你 chiah-nī 久, 我對 你佮意啥, 無佮意啥 竟然 知 chiah 少. 是 siáng 發明 彼个查某 kap 刣囝兇手 sio 鬥搭?”

“無人 發明 她 lah. Elizabeth Woodville 真正有 ùi 避難所 出來, mā 確實 有接受 Richard ê 津貼. He 津貼 毋但答應 niāx, 真正 有付錢. 姻查某囝 去參加 皇宮 party, 而且 她 koh 寫批 hō͘ 另外 一个 後生, its 她 kap 前翁 生 ê 囝, 叫伊 ùi Franse 轉來 kap Richard 講和. Oliphant 唯一 想會到 ê 理由 是: 她 若毋是 驚 hông ùi 避難所 硬拖 出來 (你敢 bat 聽過 有人 hông 硬拖出 避難所? Án-ne 做 ê 人 會 hông 趕出 教會 neh - á Richard 是 聖教堂 ê 乖囝 neh.) 若無, tō 是 她對 避難所 ê 生活 感覺 無聊 ah.”

“若 án-ne, 對 這種 離奇 ê 行為, 你 ê 理論 是啥?”

“最顯然 ê 解說 tō 是: hit 兩个 查埔囡仔 猶 活 kah 好 liux. 彼時 根本 無人 bat 有 別款 ê 講法.”

Marta ná 思考 按怎插 見笑草 ê 幼枝, ná 講: “著, he 當然. 你 bat 講過, tī ‘沒收公權令’ 內面 無任何 指控. 我是講, tī Richard 死後.” 她 ê 目睭 ùi 見笑草徙到 桌頂 ê 畫像, 然後 koh 看 Grant. “所以, 你想講, 做一个警察, 你 慎重認為, Richard kap hit 兩个 查埔囡仔 ê 死 完全 無關係?”

--

13.

13.1

Carradine had not been gone more than twenty minutes when Marta appeared, laden with flowers, books, candy, and goodwill. She found Grant deep in the fifteenth century as reported by Sir Cuthbert Oliphant. He greeted her with an absentmindedness to which she was not accustomed.

‘If your two sons had been murdered by your brother-in-law, would you take a handsome pension from him?’

‘I take it that the question is rhetorical,’ Marta said, putting down her sheaf of flowers and looking round to see which of the already occupied vases would best suit their type.

‘Honestly, I think historians are all mad. Listen to this:

“The conduct of the Queen-Dowager is hard to explain; whether she feared to be taken from sanctuary by force, or whether she was merely tired of her forlorn existence at Westminster, and had resolved to be reconciled to the murderer of her sons out of mere callous apathy, seems uncertain.”

‘Merciful Heaven!’ said Marta, pausing with a delft jar in one hand and a glass cylinder in the other, and looking at him in wild surmise.

‘Do you think historians really listen to what they are saying?’

‘Who was the said Queen-Dowager?’

[Pg 162]‘Elizabeth Woodville. Edward IV’s wife.’

‘Oh, yes. I played her once. It was a “bit”. In a play about Warwick the Kingmaker.’

‘Of course I’m only a policeman,’ Grant said. ‘Perhaps I never moved in the right circles. It may be that I’ve met only nice people. Where would one have to go to meet a woman who became matey with the murderer of her two boys?’

‘Greece, I should think,’ Marta said. ’Ancient Greece.’

‘I can’t remember a sample even there.’

‘Or a lunatic asylum, perhaps. Was there any sign of idiocy about Elizabeth Woodville?’

‘Not that anyone ever noticed. And she was Queen for twenty years or so.’

‘Of course the thing is farce, I hope you see,’ Marta said, going on with her flower arranging. ‘Not tragedy at all. “Yes, I know he did kill Edward and little Richard, but he really is a rather charming creature and it is so bad for my rheumatism living in rooms with a north light”.’

Grant laughed, and his good temper came back.

‘Yes, of course. It’s the height of absurdity. It belongs to Ruthless Rhymes, not to sober history. That is why historians surprise me. They seem to have no talent for the likeliness of any situation. They see history like a peepshow; with two-dimensional figures against a distant background.’

‘Perhaps when you are grubbing about with tattered records you haven’t time to learn about people. I don’t mean about the people in the records, but just about People. Flesh and blood. And how they react to circumstances.’

[Pg 163]‘How would you play her?’ Grant asked, remembering that the understanding of motive was Marta’s trade.

‘Play who?’

‘The woman who came out of sanctuary and made friends with her children’s murderer for seven hundred merks per annum and the right to go to parties at the Palace.’

‘I couldn’t. There is no such woman outside Euripides or a delinquent’s home. One could only play her as a rag. She’d make a very good burlesque, now I think of it. A take-off of poetic tragedy. The blank verse kind. I must try it sometime. For a charity matinée, or something. I hope you don’t hate mimosa. It’s odd, considering how long I’ve known you, how little I know of your likes and dislikes. Who invented the woman who became buddies with her sons’ murderer?’

‘No one invented her. Elizabeth Woodville did come out of sanctuary, and did accept a pension from Richard. The pension was not only granted, it was paid. Her daughters went to parties at the Palace and she wrote to her other son—her first-marriage son—to come home from France and make his peace with Richard. Oliphant’s only suggestion as to the reason for this is that she was either frightened of being dragged out of sanctuary (did you ever know of anyone who was dragged out of sanctuary? The man who did that would be excommunicated—and Richard was a very good son of Holy Church) or that she was bored with sanctuary life.’

‘And what is your theory about so odd a proceeding?’

‘The obvious explanation is that the boys were alive and well. No one at that time ever suggested otherwise.’

Marta considered the sprays of mimosa. ‘Yes, of[Pg 164] course. You said that there was no accusation in that Bill of Attainder. After Richard’s death, I mean.’ Her eyes went from the mimosa to the portrait on the table and then to Grant. ‘You think, then, you really soberly think, as a policeman, that Richard didn’t have anything to do with the boys’ deaths.’

--