17.2 Koat-tēng boeh chhut-cheng Tonypandy
Carradine chē tī í-á téng, kimx khòaⁿ thang-á.
“Chiah-ê sí chhek-chiáu-á, kám bē hō͘ lí hoân?” i mn̄g, hián-tit put-an.
“Sī siáⁿ tāi-chì? Lí sī m̄-sī chiong-kî-bóe hoat-hiān, tī Richard sí chìn-chêng chá tō ū iú-koan gín-á ê liû-giân ah?”
“Oh, pí he koh-khah hāi.”
“Oh? Sī bûn-jī ê kì-chài? Chi̍t-tiuⁿ phe?”
“M̄-sī, kin-pún m̄-sī hit-khoán ê tāi-chì, sī koh-khah hāi ê tāi-chì. Hui-siông... hui-siông kin-pún-tek ê būn-tê. Góa m̄-chai boeh án-chóaⁿ kā lí kóng.” I khì phutx khòaⁿ hiah-ê teh oan-ke ê chhek-chiáu-á. “Chiah-ê kai-sí ê chiáu-á. Grant Ss, góa taⁿ choa̍t-tùi m̄ siá hit-pún chheh ah.”
“Sī án-chóaⁿ m̄, Brent?”
“In-ūi che tùi jīm-hô lâng lóng m̄-sī sin-bûn. Ta̍k-ê chū-lâi tō lóng chai chiah-ê tāi-chì ah.”
“Chai? Chai siáⁿ-hòe?”
“Koan-hē Richard kin-pún bô thâi hiah-ê gín-á ê tāi-chì, í-ki̍p it-chhè.”
“In chá tō chai ah? Chū tang-sî khai-sí!”
“Oh, kúi pah koh kúi-nā pah nî ah.”
“Khah ū goân-khì leh, hiaⁿ-tī. Chit-chân tāi-chì hoat-seng kàu taⁿ, chong-kiōng mā chiah 400 nî.”
“Góa chai. Tān he bô chha. Chèng-lâng chá tō chai, Richard bô chò hit-kiāⁿ tāi-chì, í-keng kúi pah koh kúi-nā pah...”
“Lí mài koh án-ne aix cha̍px, kóng kóa lí-tì ê ōe, hó bô? Chit-ê... chit-chióng pêng-hoán siōng-chá sī tang-sî khai-sí ê?”
“Khai-sí? Oh, tī ē-sái ê sî tō khai-sí ah lah.”
“He sī siáⁿ-mih sî-chūn?”
“Tudor ông-tiâu chi̍t-ē kiat-sok, ta̍k-ê ē-tàng an-choân khui-chhùi kóng-ōe ê sî.”
“Lí sī kóng, Stuart ông-tiâu sî-tāi?”
“Tio̍h, góa siūⁿ... sī lah. Chi̍t-ê kiò Buck ê lâng tī 17 sè-kí siá-chheh ūi i piān-hō͘. Lēng-gōa ū Horace Walpole tī 18 sè-kí. Koh-ū chi̍t-ê kiò Markham ê lâng tī 19 sè-kí.
“Siáng tī 20 sè-kí?”
“Chiū góa chai, bô lâng.”
“Nā án-ne, lí lâi siá ū siáⁿ m̄-hó?”
“Tān, he tō bô kāng-khoán loh, lí kám khòaⁿ bē-chhut? He tō m̄-sī siáⁿ tiōng-tāi hoat-hiān ah lah.” I te̍k-pia̍t kā Tiōng-Tāi Hoat-Hiān kóng tōa siaⁿ.
Grant tùi i bî-chhiò. “Oh, pài-thok! Lí bô khó-lêng kî-thāi tī lō͘-piⁿ é-châng-chhiū tō bán ē-tio̍h Tiōng-tāi Hoat-hiān. Nā bē-tàng chò khui-lō͘ sian-hong, kám bē-sái chhōa-thâu hoat-khí chi̍t-tiûⁿ chhut-cheng (crusade)?
“Chhut-cheng?”
“Tong-jiân.”
“Boeh tùi-khòng siáⁿ-hòe?”
“Tonypandy.”
Siàu-liân-ke ê bīn bô koh sit-sîn, sit-sîn. i hut-jiân lō͘-chhut hó-sńg ê piáu-chêng, ká-ná hiôngx thiaⁿ-chhut chhiò-ōe ê lâng án-ne.
“Che sī siōng-kài kai-sí ê hàu-tai miâ, kám m̄-sī ah?” i án-ne phêng-lūn.
“Jû-kó chit 350 nî lâi, it-ti̍t ū-lâng teh chí-chhut kóng, Richard bô bô͘-sat i ê ti̍t-á, tān hak-hāu khò-pún chiàu-siông kō͘ chòe kán-tan ê ōe-gí, bô jīm-hô pó-liû, kóng i ū chò, nā án-ne, chāi góa khòaⁿ, Tonypandy léng-sian chēx neh. Lí tio̍h kóaⁿ-kín tāng khí-lâi."
"Tān, liân Walpole hit-chióng lâng to sit-pāi ah, góa ē-tàng chò siáⁿ?"
"Ū chi̍t-kù lāu-ōe kóng, tih-chúi chhng chio̍h."
"Grant Ss, taⁿ góa kám-kak ka-tī hi-jio̍k kah ná si hiah iù ê chúi-chhiu neh."
"Góa kóng si̍t-ōe, lí khak-si̍t khòaⁿ khí-lâi sī án-ne. Góa m̄-bat khòaⁿ kòe chit-khoán ê chū-ngó ai-oàn. Kō͘ chit-chióng sim-thài sī bô hoat-tō͘ kap Eng-kok tāi-chiòng tùi-khòng. Án-ne lí ē tōax sit-khì ka-tī ê hūn-liōng."
"In-ūi góa m̄-bat siá kòe chheh, lí sī chit-ê ì-sù bô?"
"M̄-sī, he kin-pún bô koan-hē. Tōa pō͘-hūn lâng ê tī-it pún chok-phín chóng sī siōng-hó ê; sī in siōng-kài siūⁿ boeh siá ê. Bô lah, góa ê ì-sù sī, pit-gia̍p liáu tō bô-koh tha̍k le̍k-sú chheh ê lâng, lóng ē siūⁿ-kóng i ū chu-keh tùi lí siá ê mi̍h-kiāⁿ kíx tiámx. In ē chí-khòng lí ūi Richard ‘sé-pe̍h;’ ‘sé-pe̍h’ thiaⁿ khí-lâi ū pián-kē ê ì-sù, nā kóng ‘pêng-hoán’ tō bô, só͘-í in kóng he sī sé-pe̍h. Chió-sò͘ lâng ē khì chhâ Britanica (Tāi-Eng Pek-kho Choân-su), jiân-āu kám-kak ka-tī koh-khah ū lêng-lek chò chìn chi̍t-pō͘ gián-kiù. Chiah-ê lâng ē hō͘ lí bô sèⁿ-miā, m̄-nā kā lí pak-phôe niâ. Nā sī chèng-keng ê le̍k-sú ha̍k-ka, in chiah bē gián chhap lí neh."
"Thiⁿ ah, góa ē hō͘ in chù-ì góa lah!" Carradine kóng.
"Chán lah! Án-ne m̄-chiah ū tong-chho͘ hit-chióng kiàn-li̍p Tè-kok ê khì-khài."
"Goán chiah bô Tè-kok leh," Carradine thê-chhéⁿ kóng.
"Oh, ū, lín ū," Grant pêng-chēng kóng. "Goán kap lín ê chhe-pia̍t kan-taⁿ chāi tī, lín tī kāng chi̍t-ê hūi-tō͘ tit-tio̍h keng-chè-tek ê tè-kok, á goán sī tī sè-kài kok-tē lan-san tit-tio̍h. Tī tit-tio̍h he m̄-sī goân-chhòng ê khó-phà tì-sek chìn-chêng, lí í-keng khai-sí siá hit-pún chheh bōe?"
"Ū, góa í-keng siá 2 chiuⁿ ah."
"Lí án-chóaⁿ kā chhú-lí ah? Lí bô kā in tàn hìⁿ-sak lah hoⁿh, kám ū?"
"Bô. Góa hiám-á tō án-ne chò. Góa hiám-á kā he tàn hō͘ hóe sio."
"Sī siáⁿ hō͘ lí bô án-ne chò?"
"In-ūi he sī tiān-lô͘." Carradine kā nn̄g-ki tn̂g kha chhun-ti̍t pàng khin-sang chi̍t-ē, tōa-siaⁿ chhiò chhut-lâi. "Hiaⁿ-tī, góa kám-kak hó chē loh. Góa tán bē-tiâu, boeh kō͘ chi̍t-kóa sū-si̍t chin-siòng tōa-la̍t siàn Eng-kok lâng ê chhùi-phé. Carradine i ê jia̍t-hoeh tng-teh góa ê thé-lāi kún neh."
"Thiaⁿ khí-lâi ná chhiūⁿ sī ok-sèng hoat-sio neh."
"I sī chhò-chhâ siōng bô-chêng ê ok-kùn. i chò chhò-chhâ-kang khí-ke, chòe-āu kiàn-li̍p chi̍t-chō Renaissance /re.ne.sans/ (Bûn-gē Ho̍k-heng) sek ê siâⁿ-pó, 2 chiah iû-théng, koh chi̍t-chat su-jîn chhia-siuⁿ. Hóe-chhia chhia-siuⁿ, lí chai lah. Chhia-siuⁿ ni̍h, kòa chng-thāⁿ sè-lia̍p chu-á ê si-tiû thang-a-lî, lāi-té ê ba̍k-kang chong-hông súi kah khòaⁿ-tio̍h lí chiah káⁿ siong-sìn. Phó͘-phiàn jīn-ûi, iû-kî sī Carradine III, kóng, Carradine ka-cho̍k ê hoeh piàn khah po̍h ah. Tān, chit sî-chūn, góa choân-sin lóng sī Carradine I. Góa oân-choân ē-tit lí-kái, goán lāu-sian siuⁿ boeh bé bó͘ chi̍t-phiàn chhiū-nâ, á pa̍t-lâng kóng i chò bē-kàu ê hit-chiong sim-chêng. Hiaⁿ-tī, góa boeh chhut-chhiú ah loh."
"Án-ne chiâⁿ hó," Grant jiûx-á kóng. "Góa ū teh kî-thāi lí hit-phiⁿ hiàn-sû neh." i ùi toh-á téng the̍h-khí pit-kì chóa, kā kau chhut-khì. "Che sī góa chò ê, kéng-chhat sek ê àn-chêng chóng chéng-lí. Hoān-sè tī lí chò kiat-bóe ê sî ū pang-chān."
--
17.2 決定 欲 出征 Tonypandy
Carradine 坐 tī 椅仔頂, kimx 看 窗仔.
“Chiah-ê 死 粟鳥仔, 敢袂 hō͘ 你 煩?” 伊問, 顯得不安.
“是 啥 代誌? 你 是毋是 終其尾 發現, tī Richard 死 進前 早 tō 有 有關 囡仔 ê 流言 ah?”
“Oh, 比 he 閣較 害.”
“Oh? 是 文字 ê 記載? 一張 批?”
“毋是, 根本 毋是 彼款 ê 代誌, 是 閣較 害 ê 代誌. 非常... 非常 根本 tek ê 問題. 我毋知 欲按怎 kā 你 講.” 伊 氣 phutx 看 hiah-ê teh 冤家 ê 粟鳥仔. “Chiah-ê 該死 ê 鳥仔. Grant Ss, 我今 絕對 毋寫 彼本 冊 ah.”
“是按怎 毋, Brent?”
“因為 che 對 任何人 lóng 毋是新聞. 逐个 自來 tō lóng 知 chiah-ê 代誌 ah.”
“知? 知啥貨?”
“關係 Richard 根本 無刣 hiah-ê 囡仔 ê 代誌, 以及一切.”
“In 早 tō 知 ah? 自 tang-sî 開始!”
“Oh, 幾百 koh 幾若百年 ah.”
“Khah有 元氣 leh, 兄弟. 這層代誌 發生 到今, 總共 mā 才 400 年.”
“我知. 但 he 無差. 眾人 早 tō 知, Richard 無做 彼件 代誌, 已經 幾百 koh 幾若百...”
“你 莫 koh án-ne aix cha̍px, 講寡 理智 ê 話, 好無? Chit-ê... 這種平反 上早 是 tang-sî 開始 ê?”
“開始? Oh, tī 會使 ê 時 tō 開始 ah lah.”
“He 是 啥物 時陣?”
“Tudor 王朝 一下結束, 逐个 會當 安全 開喙 講話 ê 時.”
“你 是講, Stuart 王朝 時代?”
“著, 我想... 是 lah. 一个 叫 Buck ê 人 tī 17 世紀 寫冊 為伊 辯護. 另外 有 Horace Walpole tī 18 世紀. Koh 有 一个 叫 Markham ê 人 tī 19 世紀."
“Siáng tī 20 世紀?”
“就 我知, 無人.”
“若 án-ne, 你來寫 有啥 毋好?”
“但, he tō 無仝款 loh, 你敢 看袂出? He tō 毋是 啥 重大發現 ah lah.” 伊 特別 kā 重大發現 講 大聲.
Grant 對伊 微笑. “Oh, 拜託! 你 無可能 期待 tī 路邊 矮叢樹 tō 挽會著 重大發現. 若 袂當做 開路 先鋒, 敢袂使 𤆬頭 發起 一場 出征 (crusade)?
“出征?”
“當然.”
“欲 對抗 啥貨?”
“Tonypandy.”
少年家 ê 面 無 koh 失神, 失神. 伊 忽然 露出 好耍 ê 表情, ká-ná hiôngx 聽出 笑話 ê 人 án-ne.
“這是 上蓋 該死 ê 孝呆 名, 敢毋是 ah?” 伊 án-ne 評論.
“如果 chit 350 年來, 一直 有人 teh 指出 講, Richard 無謀殺 伊 ê 侄仔, 但 學校 課本 照常 kō͘ 最簡單 ê 話語, 無任何保留, 講 伊有做, 若 án-ne, 在我看, Tonypandy 領先 chēx neh. 你著 趕緊 動起來."
"但, 連 Walpole 彼種人 to 失敗 ah, 我會當 做啥?"
"有一句 俗語 講, 滴水穿石."
"Grant Ss, 今 我感覺 ka-tī 虛弱 kah ná 絲 hiah 幼 ê 水鬚 neh."
"我講 實話, 你 確實 看起來 是 án-ne. 我 m̄-bat 看過 這款 ê 自我哀怨. Kō͘ 這種 心態 是 無法度 kap 英國 大眾 對抗. Án-ne 你會 tōax 失去 ka-tī ê 份量."
"因為 我 m̄-bat 寫過 冊, 你是 這个意思 無?"
"毋是, he 根本 無關係. 大部份人 ê 第一本 作品 總是 上好 ê; 是 in 上蓋 想欲寫 ê. 無 lah, 我 ê 意思是, 畢業了 tō 無閣讀 歷史冊 ê 人, lóng 會 想講 伊有資格 對 你寫 ê 物件 kíx tiámx. In 會指控 你為 Richard ‘洗白;’ ‘洗白' 聽起來 有 貶低 ê 意思, 若講 ‘平反’ tō 無, 所以 in 講 he 是 洗白. 少數人 會 去查 Britanica (大英 百科全書), 然後 感覺 ka-tī 閣較 有能力 做 進一步 研究. Chiah-ê 人 會 hō͘ 你 無性命, 毋但 kā 你 剝皮 niâ. 若是 正經 ê 歷史學家, in 才 袂癮 chhap 你 neh."
"天 ah, 我會 hō͘ in 注意我 lah!" Carradine 講.
"讚 lah! Án-ne 毋才有 當初 彼種 建立帝國 ê 氣概."
"阮 chiah 無 帝國 leh," Carradine 提醒講.
"Oh, 有, 恁有," Grant 平靜講. "阮 kap 恁 ê 差別, 干焦 在 tī, 恁 tī 仝一个 緯度 得著 經濟 tek ê 帝國, á 阮是 tī 世界各地 lan-san 得著. Tī 得著 he 毋是 原創 ê 可怕 智識 進前, 你已經 開始寫 彼本冊 未?"
"有, 我已經 寫 2 章 ah."
"你按怎 kā 處理 ah? 你無 kā in 擲挕捒 lah hoⁿh, 敢有?"
"無. 我 險仔 tō án-ne 做. 我 險仔 kā he 擲 hō͘ 火 燒."
"是啥 hō͘ 你無 án-ne 做?"
"因為 he 是 電爐." Carradine kā 兩支 長跤 伸直 放輕鬆 一下, 大聲 笑出來. "兄弟, 我感覺 好濟 loh. 我等袂牢, 欲 kō͘ 一寡 事實 真相 大力 搧 英國人 ê 喙䫌. Carradine I ê 熱血 tng-teh 我 ê 體內 滾 neh."
"聽起來 ná 像是 惡性發燒 neh."
"伊是 剉柴 上無情 ê 惡棍. 伊做 剉柴工 起家, 最後 建立 一座 Renaissance /re.ne.sans/ (文藝復興) 式 ê 城堡, 2 隻 遊艇, koh 一節 私人車箱. 火車車箱, 你知 lah. 車箱 ni̍h, 掛 妝 thāⁿ 細粒珠仔 ê 絲綢 窗仔簾, 內底 ê 木工裝潢 媠 kah 看著 你 chiah káⁿ 相信. 普遍 認為, 尤其是 Carradine III, 講, Carradine 家族 ê 血 變 khah 薄 ah. 但, 這時陣, 我 全身 lóng 是 Carradine I. 我完全 會得 理解, 阮老先 想欲買 某一遍 樹林, á 別人 講 伊 做袂到 ê 彼種心情. 兄弟, 我欲出手 ah loh."
"Án-ne 誠好," Grant jiûx-á 講. "我 有 teh期待 你 hit 篇 獻詞 neh." 伊 ùi 桌仔頂 提起 筆記紙, kā 交出去. "這是 我做 ê, 警察式 ê 案情 總整理. 凡勢 tī 你 做結尾 ê 時 有幫贊."
--
17.2
Carradine sat down on the chair and stared at the window.
‘Don’t these damned sparrows get you down?’ he asked, fretfully.
‘What is it? Have you discovered that there was a general rumour about the boys before Richard’s death, after all?’
‘Oh, much worse than that.’
‘Oh. Something in print? A letter?’
‘No, it isn’t that sort of thing at all. It’s something much worse. Something quite—quite fundamental. I don’t know how to tell you.’ He glowered at the quarrelling sparrows. ‘These damned birds. I’ll never write that book now, Mr Grant.’
‘Why not, Brent?’
‘Because it isn’t news to anyone. Everyone has known all about those things all along.’
‘Known? About what?’
‘About Richard not having killed the boys at all, and all that.’
‘They’ve known? Since when!’
[Pg 211]‘Oh, hundreds and hundreds of years.’
‘Pull yourself together, chum. It’s only four hundred years altogether since the thing happened.’
‘I know. But it doesn’t make any difference. People have known about Richard’s not doing it for hundreds and hundreds——’
‘Will you stop that keening and talk sense. When did this—this rehabilitation first begin?’
‘Begin? Oh, at the first available moment.’
‘When was that?’
‘As soon as the Tudors were gone and it was safe to talk.’
‘In Stuart times, you mean?’
‘Yes, I suppose—yes. A man Buck wrote a vindication in the seventeenth century. And Horace Walpole in the eighteenth. And someone called Markham in the nineteenth.’
‘And who in the twentieth?’
‘No one that I know of.’
‘Then what’s wrong with your doing it?’
‘But it won’t be the same, don’t you see. It won’t be a great discovery!’ He said it in capitals. A Great Discovery.
Grant smiled at him. ‘Oh, come! You can’t expect to pick Great Discoveries off bushes. If you can’t be a pioneer what’s wrong with leading a crusade?’
‘A crusade?’
‘Certainly.’
‘Against what?’
‘Tonypandy.’
The boy’s face lost its blankness. It looked suddenly amused, like someone who has just seen a joke.
[Pg 212]‘It’s the damnedest silliest name, isn’t it!’ he remarked.
‘If people have been pointing out for three hundred and fifty years that Richard didn’t murder his nephews and a schoolbook can still say, in words of one syllable and without qualification, that he did, then it seems to me that Tonypandy has a long lead on you. It’s time you got busy.’
‘But what can I do when people like Walpole and those have failed?’
‘There’s that old saying about constant water and its effect on stone.’
‘Mr Grant, right now I feel an awfully feeble little trickle.’
‘You look it, I must say. I’ve never seen such self-pity. That’s no mood to start bucking the British public in. You’ll be giving enough weight away as it is.’
‘Because I’ve not written a book before, you mean?’
‘No, that doesn’t matter at all. Most people’s first books are their best anyway; it’s the one they wanted most to write. No, I meant that all the people who’ve never read a history book since they left school will feel themselves qualified to pontificate about what you’ve written. They’ll accuse you of whitewashing Richard; “whitewashing” has a derogatory sound that “rehabilitation” hasn’t, so they’ll call it whitewashing. A few will look up the Britannica, and feel themselves competent to go a little further in the matter. These will slay you instead of flaying you. And the serious historians won’t even bother to notice you.’
‘By God, I’ll make them notice me!’ Carradine said.
‘Come! That sounds a little more like the spirit that won the Empire.’
[Pg 213]‘We haven’t got an Empire,’ Carradine reminded him.
‘Oh, yes, you have,’ Grant said equably. ‘The only difference between ours and yours is that you acquired yours, economically, in the one latitude, while we got ours in bits all over the world. Had you written any of the book before the awful knowledge of its unoriginality hit you?’
‘Yes, I’d done two chapters.’
‘What have you done with them? You haven’t thrown them away, have you?’
‘No. I nearly did. I nearly threw them in the fire.’
‘What stopped you?’
‘It was an electric fire.’ Carradine stretched out his long legs in a relaxing movement and began to laugh. ‘Brother, I feel better already. I can’t wait to land the British public one in the kisser with a few home truths. Carradine the First is just raging in my blood.’
‘A very virulent fever, it sounds.’
‘He was the most ruthless old blaggard that ever felled timber. He started as a logger and ended up with a Renaissance castle, two yachts, and a private car. Railroad car, you know. It had green silk curtains with bobbles on them and inlay woodwork that had to be seen to be believed. It has been popularly supposed, not least by Carradine the Third, that the Carradine blood was growing thin. But right now I’m all Carradine the First. I know just how the old boy felt when he wanted to buy a particular forest and someone said that he couldn’t have it. Brother, I’m going to town.’
‘That’s nice,’ Grant said, mildly. ‘I was looking forward to that dedication.’ He took his writing-pad from the table and held it out. ‘I’ve been doing a[Pg 214] policeman’s summing-up. Perhaps it may help you when you come to your peroration.’
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