13.3 Morton 主教 ê 流言 跤跡

13.3 Morton chú-kàu ê liû-giân kha-jiah

“Góa m̄-chai án-chóaⁿ chò hó,” Amazon kóng. “Góa bô boeh kiáu-jiáu lí, tān iū-koh m̄-chai che kám bô iàu-kín. Sī tiān-pò neh, lí chai. Chiâⁿ pháiⁿ-kóng, e-àm lí nā bô siu-tio̍h, tio̍h koh tán 12 tiám-cheng tahx. Ingham Hō͘-sū í-keng hā-pan ah, tio̍h tán Briggs Hō͘-sū tī 10 tiám lâi siōng-pan, góa chiah ū-lâng thang chhéng-kàu. Góa hi-bāng góa bô kā lí chhá cheng-sîn. Kî-si̍t lí iáu-bōe khùn-khì, sī bô?”

Grant kā yi pó-chèng, kóng yi án-ne chò chin tio̍h, án-ne yi chiah thò͘ chi̍t-ê tōa-khùi, tōa kah kiông-boeh pûn-tó Richard ê ōe-siōng. Yi khiā hia, khòaⁿ i tha̍k tiān-pò, he khì-sè ká-ná sûi-sî chún-pī chi-chhî i, bān-it lāi-bīn sī siáⁿ pháiⁿ siau-sit. Tùi Amazon lâi kóng, tiān-pò chóng-sī thong-pò pháiⁿ siau-sit.

Tiān-pò lâi-chū Carradine.

Lāi-bīn án-ne siá: “Lí sī kóng lí boeh koh-chi̍t-kái boeh chhōe lēng-ê koh-chi̍t-kái lēng-ê chí-khòng hioh gî-būn-hō – Brent.”

Grant the̍h-khí hôe-iû tiān-pò toaⁿ, án-ne siá: “Sī. Siōng-hó sī tī Franse.” Jiân-āu i kā Amazon kóng: “Góa siūⁿ, lí ē-sái chhiat-hoa tiān-hóe. Góa boeh khùn kàu bîn-á chái-khí 7 tiám.” I khùn-khì chêng iáu teh siūⁿ, m̄-chai tio̍h gōa-kú chiah ē koh khòaⁿ-tio̍h Carradine, í-ki̍p chhōe-tio̍h i kî-bōng ê tē-jī-ê iâu-giân khó-lêng -sèng ū gōa tōa.

Kiat-kó sī bián gōa-kú, Carradine koh chhut-hiān ah, jî-chhiáⁿ i khòaⁿ khí-lâi chi̍t-sut-á to bô boeh chū-sat ê khoán. Khak-si̍t, i lâng koàix, ká-ná kui-ê piàn khah khì-phài ah. I ê gōa-thò khòaⁿ khí-lâi m̄-sī sin-thé ê hù-kiāⁿ, jî sī ha̍h-su ê ho̍k-chong. I chhùi-chhiò ba̍k-chhiò khòaⁿ Grant.

“Grant Ss, lí sī koài-châi neh. Scotland Yard ū khah chē lí chit-khoán lâng bô? A̍h-sī kan-ta lí chiah-nī te̍k-pia̍t?”

Grant m̄-káⁿ siong-sìn khòaⁿ i. “Mài kă kóng, lí chin-chiàⁿ óe-tio̍h chi̍t-ê Franse àn-lē!”

“Lí m̄-sī kiò góa khì chhōe?”

“Tio̍h. M̄-koh góa kin-pún m̄-káⁿ phō hi-bāng. He ki-lu̍t sè kah bô-tè kóng. He liû-giân tī Franse sī kō͘ siáⁿ hêng-sek? Pian-liân-sú? A̍h-sī phe-sìn?”

“Lóng m̄-sī. Sī pí he koh-khah hông tio̍h-kiaⁿ, mā hông sit-chì ê mi̍h-kiāⁿ. Khòaⁿ khí-lâi sī, Franse Chái-siòng Chancellor) tī Tours tùi Saⁿ-kip Hōe-gī (States-General) hoat-piáu ián-káng ê sî, ū thê-khí chit-ê liû-giân. Tek-khak, i kóng kah chhùi-kak chiâu pho. Ōaⁿ chi̍t-ê kak-tō͘ lâi khòaⁿ, i ê chhùi-kak chiâu pho sī góa tī chit-chióng chōng-hóng hā ûi-it ê an-ùi.”

“Án-chóaⁿ kóng?”

“Hmh, chāi góa khòaⁿ, he ká-ná sī Chham-gī-oân tùi bó͘ chi̍t-ê thê-àn teh tio̍h-kip, in-ūi i ê hiong-chhin bē kah-ì he. Che khah sêng chèng-tī àn-sǹg, bô sêng Chèng-chhek lī-ek, lí chai góa ì-sù lah hoⁿh.”

“Lí tio̍h lâi Yard neh, Brent. Chái-siòng kóng siáⁿ?” 

“Hmh, he sī Franse gí, góa ê Franse gí bô-kàu hó, siōng-hó sī lí ka-tī tha̍k.” I kau-chhut chi̍t-tiuⁿ kō͘ i he gín-á pit-chek siá ê chóa-tiâu, Grant tō khai-sí tha̍k: 

// Lín khòaⁿ, góa pài-thok kok-ūi khòaⁿ-māi leh, tī Edward Ông sí-liáu, hit-ê kok-ka só͘ hoat-seng ê tāi-chì. Khòaⁿ i ê gín-á, í-keng tōa-hàn koh ióng-kám, hông sûi-ì tô͘-sat, koh kā ông-koan keng-iû peh-sèⁿ ê ióng-hō͘ î-choán kàu chhì-khek ê chhiú-tiong. //

 “I kóng ‘hit-ê kok-ka’ neh,” Grant kóng. “Nā án-ne, i chīn choân-la̍t teh phe-phêng England neh. I sīm-chì àm-sī, kóng gín-á hông ‘tô͘-sat’ sī Engkok lâng ê ì-goān. Goán hō͘ i kóng-chò sī iá-bân ê bîn-cho̍k neh.” 

“Tio̍h. He tō sī góa ê ì-sù. Tō ná chhiūⁿ Kok-hōe Gī-oân teh chhiúⁿ siaⁿ-liōng. Si̍t-chè-siōng, Franse Liap-chèng Chèng-hú tī kāng hit-nî (tāi-khài 6 kò-goe̍h āu) ū phài chi̍t-ê sú-chiat thoân lâi chhōe Richard, khó-lêng āu-lâi in hoat-hiān he liû-giân m̄-sī chin ê. Richard mā ūi in ê hóng-būn chhiam thong-hêng chèng. Ká-sú in iáu-sī kā i tòng-chò thâi-lâng ê chiān-bîn, i sī bē án-ne chò lah.” 

“Bô m̄-tio̍h. Lí ē-sái hō͘ góa chit nn̄g-ê húi-pòng chhut-hiān ê ji̍t-chí bô?” 

“Tong-jiân. Góa chia ū. Croyland tō-sū siá ê sī 1483 nî joa̍h-thiⁿ bóe. I kóng hit-sî ū liû-giân kóng gín-á í-keng hông chhòng-sí ah, tān bô-lâng chai sī án-chóaⁿ sí ê. Á hit-ê tī Saⁿ-kip Hōe-gī ê ok-to̍k kong-kek sī tī 1484 nî 1 goe̍h.” 

“Oân-bí lah.” Grant kóng.

“Sī án-chóaⁿ lí ài-boeh ū lēng-gōa chi̍t-ê liû-giân ê àn-lē?” 

“Hó-thang kau-chhe pí-tùi. Lí chai Croyland tī tó-ūi bô?” 

“Góa chai. Tī Fen pêⁿ-iûⁿ khu.”

“Tī Fen pêⁿ-iûⁿ khu. Óa-kīn Ely. Morton ùi Buckingham ê koán-kò͘ thau-cháu liáu-āu, i tō sī bih tī Fen ê pêⁿ-iûⁿ khu.”

“Morton! Sī ah, tong-jiân lah.”

“Ká-sú Morton sī pēⁿ-to̍k tài-goân-chiá, tán i sóa khì Europa Tāi-lio̍k, hia tiāⁿ-tio̍h ē ū e̍k-chêng. Morton tī 1483 nî chhiu-thiⁿ tô-lī England, liû-giân sûi tī 1484 nî 1 goe̍h chhut-hiān. Croyland sī chi̍t-ê hui-siông phian-phiah ê só͘-chāi; tùi tng-teh tán chûn chhut-kok ê liû-bông chú-kàu lâi kóng, hia sī lí-sióng ê chhàng-sin hó só͘-chāi.”

“Morton!” Carradine koh kóng, kō͘ chi̍h kā chit-ê miâ liū kúi-nā piàn. “Chit-chióng tāi-chì, m̄-koán kúi-koài chhàng tó-ūi, lí chhìn-chhái to ē that tio̍h Morton neh.”

“Só͘-í, lí mā ū chù-ì tio̍h che neh.”

--

13.3 Morton 主教 ê 流言 跤跡

“我毋知 按怎做 好,” Amazon 講. “我無欲 攪擾你, 但 又閣毋知 che 敢無要緊. 是電報 neh, 你知. 誠歹講, 下暗 你若無 收著, 著 koh 等 12 點鐘 tahx. Ingham 護士 已經下班 ah, 著等 Briggs 護士 tī 10 點 來上班, 我才 有人 thang 請教. 我希望 我無 kā 你 吵精神. 其實 你猶未 睏去, 是無?”

Grant kā 她 保證, 講 她 án-ne 做 真著, án-ne 她 才吐 一个大氣, 大 kah 強欲 歕倒 Richard ê 畫像. 她徛 hia, 看伊 讀電報, he 氣勢 ká-ná 隨時 準備 支持伊, 萬一 內面 是啥 歹消息. 對 Amazon 來講, 電報 總是 通報 歹消息.

電報 來自 Carradine.

內面 án-ne 寫: “你 是講 你欲 閣一改 欲揣 另个 閣一改 另个指控 hioh 疑問號 - Brent.”

Grant 提起 回郵 電報單, án-ne 寫: “是. 上好 是 tī Franse.”

然後 伊 kā Amazon 講: “我想, 你會使 切hoa 電火. 我欲 睏到 明仔早起 7 點.”

伊睏去 前 猶 teh 想, 毋知 著偌久 才會 koh 看著 Carradine, 以及 揣著 伊期望 ê 第二个 謠言 可能性 有偌大.

結果 是 免偌久, Carradine koh 出現 ah, 而且 伊看起來 一屑仔 to 無欲 自殺 ê款 . 確實, 伊 人 koàix, ká-ná 規个 變較氣派 ah. 伊 ê 外套 看起來 毋是 身體 ê 附件, 而是 合軀 ê 服裝. 伊 喙笑目笑 看 Grant.

“Grant Ss, 你是 怪才 neh. Scotland Yard 有較濟 你 這款人 無? 抑是 干焦 你 chiah-nī 特別?”

Grant 毋敢相信 看伊. “莫 kă 講, 你真正 挖著 一个 Franse 案例!”

“你毋是 叫我 去揣?”

“著. 毋過 我根本 毋敢 抱希望. He 機率 細 kah 無地講. He 流言 tī Franse 是 kō͘ 啥形式? 編年史? 抑是批信?”

“Lóng 毋是. 是 比 he 閣較 hông 著驚, mā hông 失志 ê 物件. 看起來 是, Franse 宰相 (Chancellor) tī Tours 對 三級會議 (States-General) 發表 演講 ê 時, 有提起 這个流言. 的確, 伊講 kah 喙角 chiâu pho. 換一个 角度 來看, 伊 ê 喙角 chiâu pho 是 我 tī 這種 狀況下 唯一 ê 安慰.”

“按怎講?”

“Hmh, 在我看, he ká-ná是 參議員 對 某一个 提案 teh 著急, 因為 伊 ê 鄉親 袂佮意 he. Che 較成 政治按算, 無成 政策利益, 你知 我意思 lah hoⁿh.”

“你著來 Yard neh, Brent. 宰相 講啥?”

“Hmh, he 是 Franse 語, 我 ê Franse 語 無夠 好, 上好 是 你 ka-tī 讀.”

伊交出 一張 kō͘ 伊 he 囡仔 筆跡 寫 ê 紙條, Grant tō 開始讀:

// 恁看, 我拜託 各位 看覓 leh, tī Edward 王 死了, 彼个國家 所發生 ê 代誌. 看 伊 ê 囡仔, 已經 大漢 koh 勇敢, hông 隨意屠殺, koh kā 王冠 經由 百姓 ê 擁護 移轉到 刺客 ê 手中. //

“伊講 ‘彼个國家’ neh,” Grant 講. “若 án-ne, 伊盡全力 teh 批評 England neh. 伊甚至 暗示, 講 囡仔 hông ‘屠殺’ 是 英國人 ê 意願. 阮 hō͘ 伊 講做 是 野蠻 ê 民族 neh.”

“著. He tō 是 我 ê 意思. Tō ná 像 國會議員 teh 搶聲量. 實際上, Franse 攝政政府 tī 仝彼年 (大概 6 個月 後) 有 派一个 使節團 來揣 Richard, 可能 後來 in 發現 he 流言 毋是真 ê. Richard mā 為 in ê 訪問 簽通行證. 假使 in 猶是 kā 伊 當做 刣人 ê 賤民, 伊是 袂 án-ne 做 lah.”

“無毋著. 你會使 hō͘ 我 chit 兩个 誹謗 出現 ê 日子 無?”

“當然. 我 chia 有. Croyland 道士寫 ê 是 1483 年 熱天尾. 伊講 彼時 有流言 講 囡仔 已經 hông 創死 ah, 但 無人知 是按怎 死 ê. Á彼个 tī 三級會議 ê 惡毒攻擊 是 tī 1484 年 1 月.”

“完美 lah.” Grant 講.

“是按怎 你愛欲 有另外 一个流言 ê 案例?”

“Hó-thang 交叉比對. 你知 Croyland tī 佗位 無?” 

“我知. Tī Fen 平陽區.”

“Tī Fen 平陽區. 倚近 Ely. Morton ùi Buckingham ê 管顧 偷走 了後, 伊 tō 是 覕 tī Fen ê 平陽區.”

“Morton! 是 ah, 當然 lah.”

“假使 Morton 是 病毒 帶原者, 等伊 徙去 Europa 大陸, hia定著 會有疫情. Morton tī 1483 年 秋天 逃離 England, 流言 隨 tī 1484 年 1 月 出現. Croyland 是 一个 非常偏僻 ê 所在; 對 tng-teh 等船 出國 ê 流亡主教 來講, hia 是 理想 ê 藏身 好所在.”

“Morton!” Carradine koh 講, kō͘ 舌 kā 這个名 餾 幾若遍. “這種代誌, 毋管鬼怪 藏佗位, 你 凊彩 to 會 踢著 Morton neh.”

“所以, 你 mā 有 注意著 che neh.”

--

13.3

‘I didn’t quite know what to do,’ she said. ‘I didn’t want to disturb you and yet I didn’t know whether it mightn’t be important. A telegram, you know. You never can tell. And if you didn’t have it tonight it would mean a whole twelve hours’ delay. Nurse Ingham has gone off duty, so there was no one to ask till Nurse Briggs comes on at ten. I hope I haven’t wakened you up. But you weren’t really asleep, were you?’

Grant assured her that she had done the right thing and she let out a sigh that nearly blew the portrait of Richard over. She stood by while he read the telegram, with an air of being ready to support him in any evil news that it might contain. To The Amazon all telegrams conveyed evil tidings.

The telegram was from Carradine.

It said: ‘You mean you want repeat want that there should be another repeat another accusation questionmark—Brent.’

Grant took the reply-paid form and wrote: ‘Yes. Preferably in France.’

Then he said to The Amazon: ‘You can turn out the light, I think. I’m going to sleep until seven tomorrow morning.’

[Pg 168]He fell asleep wondering how long it would be before he saw Carradine again, and what the odds were against that much desired instance of a second rumour.

But it was not so long after all until Carradine turned up again, and he turned up looking anything but suicidal. Indeed he seemed in some queer way to have broadened out. His coat seemed less of an appendage and more of a garment. He beamed at Grant.

‘Mr Grant, you’re a wonder. Do they have more like you at Scotland Yard? Or do you rate special?’

Grant looked at him almost unbelieving. ‘Don’t tell me you’ve turned up a French instance!’

‘Didn’t you want me to?’

‘Yes. But I hardly dared hope for it. The odds against seemed tremendous. What form did the rumour take in France? A chronicle? A letter?’

‘No. Something much more surprising. Something much more dismaying, actually. It seems that the Chancellor of France, in a speech to the States-General at Tours, spoke of the rumour. Indeed he was quite eloquent about it. In a way, his eloquence was the one scrap of comfort I could find in the situation.’

‘Why?’

‘Well, it sounded more to my mind like a Senator being hasty about someone who had brought in a measure his own people back home wouldn’t like. More like politics than State, if you know what I mean.’

‘You should be at the Yard, Brent. What did the Chancellor say?’

‘Well, it’s in French and my French isn’t very good so perhaps you’d better read it for yourself.’

[Pg 169]He handed over a sheet of his childish writing and Grant read:

Regardez, je vous prie, les événements qui après la mort du roi Edouard sont arrivés dans ce pays. Contemplez ses enfants, déjà grands et braves, massacrés impunément, et la couronne transportée a l’assassin par la faveur des peuples.

‘“Ce pays”,’ said Grant. ‘Then he was in full flood against England. He even suggests that it was with the will of the English people that the boys were “massacred”. We are being held up as a barbarous race.’

‘Yes. That’s what I meant. It’s a Congressman scoring a point. Actually, the French Regency sent an embassy to Richard that same year—about six months later—so they had probably found that the rumour wasn’t true. Richard signed a safe-conduct for their visit. He wouldn’t have done that if they had been still slanging him as a murdering untouchable.’

‘No. Can you give me the dates of the two libels?’

‘Sure. I have them here. The monk at Croyland wrote about events in the late summer of 1483. He says that there was a rumour that the boys had been put to death but no one knew how. The nasty slap in the meeting of the States-General was in January 1484.’

‘Perfect,’ said Grant.

‘Why did you want there to have been another instance of rumour?’

‘As a cross-check. Do you know where Croyland is?’

‘Yes. In the Fen country.’

‘In the Fen country. Near Ely. And it was in the Fen country that Morton was hiding out after his escape from Buckingham’s charge.’

[Pg 170]‘Morton! Yes, of course.’

‘If Morton was the carrier, then there had to be another outbreak on the Continent, when he moved on there. Morton escaped from England in the autumn of 1483, and the rumour appears promptly in January 1484. Croyland is a very isolated place, incidentally; it would be an ideal place for a fugitive bishop to hide-out till he could arrange transport abroad.’

‘Morton!’ said Carradine again, rolling the name over on his tongue. ‘Wherever there’s hanky-panky in this business you stub your toe against Morton.’

‘So you’ve noticed that too.’

--