15.5 歷史 ê 鬥圖: ùi B 到 C ê 覺醒

15.5 Le̍k-sú ê tàu-tô͘: ùi B kàu C ê kak-chhéⁿ

Carradine bô koh khòaⁿ tio̍h ná siū-siong, i he un-sûn ná mô͘-chhàngx iûⁿ-ko ê bīn, hián-chhut kan-chà ê khó-lêng piáu-chêng.

“Góa chiah teh siūⁿ, tang-sî lí chiah boeh mn̄g che,” i kóng, “nā sī lí bē kì-tit mn̄g, chhut-mn̂g chêng, góa tō kā he phiaⁿ hō͘ lí. Tap-àn sī: chha-put-to chek-khek tō hoat-seng ah.”

“Án-ne oh. Chia koh ū chi̍t-lia̍p tàu tī mosaic ê sió chio̍h-thâu-á neh. Góa hòⁿ-kî, hit-ê su-lēng chit-ūi sī tú-hó ū khoeh, a̍h-sī in-ūi Henry siūⁿ boeh kā i kóaⁿ-chhut England, chiah kā phài-khì Franse?”

“Góa tó͘, he sī tian-tò péng, sī Tyrrel siūⁿ boeh lī-khui England. Nā hō͘ Henry thóng-tī, góa khah phian-hiòng hō͘ i hn̄gx khòng-chè. Iû-kî, nā góa tú ūi Henry chò chi̍t-kiāⁿ pì-bi̍t khang-khòe, he hō͘ i jīn-ûi, góa nā mài oa̍h siuⁿ tn̂g hòe-siū, tùi i khah lī-piān.”

“Sī, hoān-sè lí bô m̄-tio̍h. I m̄-nā chhut-hái, i koh lâu tī hái-gōa – tō ná lán í-keng koan-chhat tio̍h ê án-ne. Chiâⁿ chhù-bī.”

“Lâu tī gōa-tē ê m̄-nā sī i, John Dighton mā án-ne. Góa bô hoat-tō͘ chhâ chheng-chhó só͘-ū thiaⁿ-kóng khan-sia̍p bô͘-sat ê lâng sī siáng. Só͘-ū Tudor ê kóng-hoat tùi bē khí-lâi, che lí chai lah. Khak-si̍t, tōa pō͘-hūn kóng-hoat lóng bô-kāng kah hō͘-siong mâu-tún. Henry chhī ê le̍k-sú ha̍k-ka Polydore Virgil kóng, chit-chân tāi-chì hoat-seng tī Richard tī York ê sî-chūn. Kin-kì sîn-sèng More ê kóng-hoat, he oân-choân sī tī koh-khah chá ê hêng-têng, hit-sî Richard tī Warwick. Khan-sia̍p ê lâng, ta̍k pán-pún lóng bô-kāng. Só͘-tì, lán oh-tit kā he pìⁿ kah chheng-chhó. Góa m̄-chai siáng sī Will Slater (its hit-ê thó͘-miâ kiò ‘O͘ Will’ ê, che koh sī chi̍t-ê siaⁿ-ūn sek ê ké-miâ), mā m̄-chai siáng sī Miles Forest. Tān, khak-si̍t ū chi̍t-ê kiò John Dighton ê lâng. Grafton kóng, Dighton tn̂g-kî tòa tī Calais, ‘m̄-nā hông khòaⁿ-bô, koh hông kíx tiámx,’ chòe-āu chhi-chhám lo̍k-phek sí tī hia. In ū-kàu ài kóng jîn-gī tō-tek neh, kám m̄-sī? Victoria sî-tāi ê lâng iáu tòe in bē-tio̍h lah.”

“Nā Dighton chhi-chhám lo̍k-phek, khòaⁿ khí-lâi i bô ūi Henry chò-kòe siáⁿ khang-khòe. I ê pún-hâng sī siáⁿ?”

“Hmh, ká-siat che sī kāng hit-ê John Dighton, i sī bo̍k-su, jî-chhiáⁿ i chi̍t-tiám-á to bē sàn. I khò chi̍t-hūn êng-khoeh niá chîⁿ, kòe kah chiâⁿ sù-sī. Henry tī 1487 nî 5 goe̍h chhe 2, kā Grantham hù-kīn ê Fulbeck kàu-khu (he sī tī Lincoln Kūn) sàng hō͘ chi̍t-ê kiò John Dighton ê lâng.”

“Ai-ah, ai-ah,” Grant kā ōe khan tn̂gx kóng. “1487 nî. I mā, phokx sóngx seng-oa̍h tī gōa-tē neh.”

“Uh-huh. Ū-kàu súi lah, kám m̄-sī?”

“Chin-chiàⁿ chin súi neh. Kám ū-lâng kái-soeh, hit-ê hông kíx tiámx ê Dighton sī án-chóaⁿ bô hông cháng āu-niā thoa tńg-lâi, í sat-kun chōe kā tiàu sí?”

“Oh, bô. Bô hit-khoán tāi-chì. Tudor le̍k-sú ha̍k-ka bô chi̍t-ê ē-hiáu ùi B thui-lūn kàu C.”

Grant chhiò chhut-lâi. “Góa khòaⁿ lí o̍h-liáu chin kín.” 

“Tong-jiân. Góa m̄-nā o̍h le̍k-sú. Góa mā siū-kàu tī Scotland Yard mn̂g-hā, o̍h jîn-lūi sim-tì ê kho-bo̍k. Hó ah, chit-pái chha-put-to sī án-ne. Lí nā kám-kak ū-kàu ióng ah, āu-hôe koh lâi, góa chiah tha̍k hit-pún chheh ê chêng 2 chiuⁿ hō͘ lí thiaⁿ.” I thêng chi̍t-ē, chiah koh kóng: “Lí kám ē kòa-ì, Grant Ss, ká-sú góa kā hit-pún chheh hiàn hō͘ lí?” 

“Góa siūⁿ lí siōng-hó kā hiàn hō͘ Carradine III,” Grant khin-khoài kā ìn.

M̄-koh Carradine hián-jiân bô jīn-ûi che sī khin-khoài koat-tēng ê tāi-chì.

“Góa chiah bô kō͘ phô͘-tháⁿ chò hiàn-sû,” i kóng, gí-khì chiám-jiân-á ngē.

“Oh, m̄-sī phô͘-tháⁿ lah,” Grant kín pó͘-chhiong. “Sûn-chhùi sī chi̍t-chióng chhek-lio̍k.”

“Nā m̄-sī ūi-tio̍h lí, Grant Ss, góa kin-pún bē khai-sí chit-chân tāi-chì.” Carradine kóng, khiā tī pâng-keng tiong-ng, gí-khì chèng-keng, kek-tōng, Bí-kok hong-keh, kui-sin pau tī hit-niá tōa gōa-thò lāi-té, “góa boeh kā tùi lí ê kám-siā chhiong-hun piáu-ta̍t.”

“He tong-jiân sī góa ê êng-hēng,” Grant nauh kóng. Jiân-āu, pâng-keng tiong-ng ê hit-ê ko-kùi sin-khu chiah khin-sang lo̍h-lâi, hôe-ho̍k gín-á-hiaⁿ ê khoán-sè, chū án-ne gāi-gio̍h ê khì-hun siau-khì. Carradine lī-khui ê sî, kap lâi ê sî kāng-khoán, sim-chêng hoaⁿ-hí, kha-pō͘ khin-khoài, m̄-koh, i khòaⁿ tio̍h ná chhiūⁿ  pí 3 lé-pài chêng cheng-ka 30 pōng thé-tāng, heng-ûi ke 12 inch.

Grant kā tit-chhiú ê sin hoat-hiān the̍h chhut-lâi, kòa tī tùi-bīn ê piah, kimx kā siòng.

--

15.5 歷史 ê 鬥圖: ùi B 到 C ê 覺醒

Carradine 無 koh 看著 ná 受傷, 伊 he 溫馴 ná 毛 chhàngx 羊羔 ê 面, 顯出 奸詐 ê 可能 表情.

“我才 teh 想, tang-sî 你 才欲問 che,” 伊講, “若是 你 袂記得 問, 出門前, 我 tō kā he 抨 hō͘ 你. 答案是: 差不多 即刻 tō 發生 ah.”

“Án-ne oh. Chia koh 有一粒 鬥 tī mosaic ê 小石頭仔 neh. 我好奇, 彼个 司令 職位 是 拄好 有缺, 抑是 因為 Henry 想欲 kā 伊 趕出 England, 才 kā 派去 Franse?”

“我賭, he 是 顛倒反, 是 Tyrrel 想欲離開 England. 若 hō͘ Henry 統治, 我較偏向 hō͘ 伊 hn̄gx 控制. 尤其, 若我 拄為 Henry 做一件 祕密工課, he hō͘ 伊認為, 我若 莫活 siuⁿ 長 歲壽, 對伊 較利便.”

“是, 凡勢你 無毋著. 伊毋但 出海, 伊 koh 留 tī 海外 - tō ná 咱已經 觀察著 ê án-ne. 誠趣味.”

“留 tī 外地 ê 毋但 是伊, John Dighton mā án-ne. 我無法度 查清楚 所有 聽講 牽涉謀殺 ê 人 是 siáng. 所有 Tudor ê 講法 對袂起來, che 你知 lah. 確實, 大部份 講法 lóng 無仝 kah 互相矛盾. Henry 飼 ê 歷史學家 Polydore Virgil 講, chit 層代誌 發生 tī Richard tī York ê 時陣. 根據 神聖 More ê 講法, he 完全是 tī 閣較早 ê 行程, 彼時 Richard tī Warwick. 牽涉 ê 人, ta̍k 版本 lóng 無仝. 所致, 咱僫得 kā he pìⁿ kah 清楚. 我毋知 siáng 是 Will Slater (its 彼个 土名叫 ‘烏 Will’ ê, che koh 是一个 聲韻式 ê 假名), mā 毋知 siáng 是 Miles Forest. 但, 確實 有一个 叫 John Dighton ê 人. Grafton 講, Dighton 長期蹛 tī Calais, ‘毋但 hông 看無, koh hông kíx tiámx,’ 最後 悽慘落魄 死 tī hia. In 有夠愛講 仁義道德 neh, 敢毋是? Victoria 時代 ê 人 猶綴 in 袂著 lah.”

“若 Dighton 悽慘落魄, 看起來 伊無 為 Henry 做過 啥工課. 伊 ê 本行 是啥?”

“Hmh, 假設 che 是 仝彼个 John Dighton, 伊是牧師, 而且 伊 一點仔 to 袂 sàn. 伊靠一份 閒缺 領錢, 過 kah 誠四序. Henry tī 1487 年 5 月初 2, kā Grantham 附近 ê Fulbeck 教區 (he 是 tī Lincoln 郡) 送 hō͘ 一个 叫 John Dighton ê 人.” 

“Ai-ah, ai-ah,” Grant kā 話 牽 tn̂gx 講. “1487 年. 伊 mā, phokx sóngx 生活 tī 外地 neh.”

“Uh-huh. 有夠媠 lah, 敢毋是?”

“真正真媠 neh. 敢有人 解說, 彼个 hông kíx tiámx ê Dighton 是按怎 無 hông 摠 āu-niā 拖轉來, 以 殺君罪 kā 吊死?”

“Oh, 無. 無 彼款代誌. Tudor 歷史學家 無一个 會曉 ùi B 推論到 C.”

Grant 笑出來. “我看 你學了 真緊.”

“當然. 我毋但 學歷史. 我 mā 受教 tī Scotland Yard 門下, 學 人類心智 ê 科目. 好 ah, 這擺 差不多 是 án-ne. 你若 感覺 有夠勇 ah, 後回 koh 來, 我才讀 彼本冊 ê 前 2 章 hō͘ 你 聽.” 伊停一下, 才 koh 講: “你 敢會掛意, Grant Ss, 假使我 kā 彼本冊 獻 hō͘ 你?”

“我想 你上好 kā 獻 hō͘ Carradine III,” Grant 輕快 kā 應.

毋過 Carradine 顯然 無認為 che 是 輕快決定 ê 代誌.

“我才無 kō͘ 扶挺 做獻詞,” 伊講, 語氣 嶄然仔 硬.

“Oh, 毋是扶挺 lah,” Grant 緊補充. “純粹是 一種策略.”

“若毋是 為著你, Grant Ss, 我根本 袂開始 這層代誌.” Carradine 講, 徛 tī 房間中央, 語氣正經, 激動, 美國風格, 規身 包 tī 彼領 大外套 內底, “我欲 kā 對你 ê 感謝 充分表達.”

“He 當然 是我 ê 榮幸,” Grant 喃講. 然後, 房間中央 ê 彼个 高貴身軀 才 輕鬆 落來, 回復 囡仔兄 ê 款勢, 自 án-ne 礙虐 ê 氣氛消去. Carradine 離開 ê 時, kap 來 ê 時 仝款, 心情歡喜, 跤步輕快, 毋過, 伊看著 ná 像 比 3 禮拜前 增加 30 磅 體重, 胸圍加 12 inch.

Grant kā 得手 ê 新發現 提出來, 掛 tī 對面 ê 壁, kimx kā 相.

--

15.5

Carradine stopped looking hurt and looked as malicious as it was possible for his kind woolly-lamb face to look.

‘I was wondering when you were going to ask that,’ he said. ‘I was going to throw it at you on my way out if you forgot to ask. The answer is: almost right away.’

‘So. Another appropriate little pebble in the mosaic. I wonder whether the constableship just happened to be vacant, or whether it was a French appointment because Henry wanted him out of England.’

‘I bet it was the other way about, and it was Tyrrel who wanted to get out of England. If I were being ruled by Henry VII, I’d sure prefer to be ruled by remote[Pg 199] control. Especially if I had done a secret job for Henry that might make it convenient for Henry if I didn’t live to too venerable an age.’

‘Yes, perhaps you’re right. He didn’t only go abroad, he stayed abroad—as we have already observed. Interesting.’

‘He wasn’t the only one who stayed abroad. John Dighton did too. I couldn’t find out who all the people who were supposed to be involved in the murder actually were. All the Tudor accounts are different, I suppose you know. Indeed most of them are so different that they contradict each other flat. Henry’s pet historian, Polydore Virgil, says the deed was done when Richard was at York. According to the sainted More it was during an earlier trip altogether, when Richard was at Warwick. And the personnel changes with each account. So that it’s difficult to sort them out. I don’t know who Will Slater was—Black Will to you, and another piece of onomatopoeia—or Miles Forest. But there was a John Dighton. Grafton says he lived for long at Calais “no less disdained than pointed at” and died there in great misery. How they relished a good moral, didn’t they. The Victorians had nothing on them.’

‘If Dighton was destitute it doesn’t look as if he had done any job for Henry. What was he by trade?’

‘Well, if it’s the same John Dighton, he was a priest, and he was anything but destitute. He was living very comfortably on the proceeds of a sinecure. Henry gave a John Dighton the living of Fulbeck, near Grantham—that’s in Lincolnshire—on the 2nd of May, 1487.’

‘Well, well,’ Grant said, drawling. ‘1487. And he, too, lives abroad and in comfort.’

[Pg 200]‘Uh-huh. Lovely, isn’t it?’

‘It’s beautiful. And does anyone explain how the much-pointed-at Dighton wasn’t haled home by the scruff of his neck to hang for regicide?’

‘Oh, no. Nothing like that. Tudor historians didn’t any of them think from B to C.’

Grant laughed. ’I see you’re being educated.’

‘Sure. I’m not only learning history. I’m sitting at the feet of Scotland Yard on the subject of the human mind. Well, that will be about all for now. If you feel strong enough I’ll read you the first two chapters of the book next time I come.’ He paused and said: ‘Would you mind, Mr Grant, if I dedicated it to you?’

‘I think you had better dedicate it to Carradine The Third,’ Grant said lightly.

But Carradine apparently did not feel it to be a light matter.

‘I don’t use soft soap as a dedication,’ he said, with a hint of stiffness.

‘Oh, not soft soap,’ Grant said in haste. ‘A matter of policy merely.’

‘I’d never have started on this thing if it hadn’t been for you, Mr Grant,’ Carradine said, standing in the middle of the floor all formal and emotional and American and surrounded by the sweeping folds of his topcoat, ‘and I should like to make due acknowledgement of my indebtedness.’

‘I should be delighted, of course,’ murmured Grant, and the royal figure in the middle of the floor relaxed to boyhood again and the awkward moment was over. Carradine went away joyous and light-footed as he had come, looking thirty pounds heavier and twelve[Pg 201] inches more round the chest than he had done three weeks ago.

And Grant took out the new knowledge that had been given him, and hung it on the opposite wall, and stared at it.

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[Pg 202]