17.3 Richard ê 清白 kap Henry ê 神祕

17.3 Richard ê chheng-pe̍k kap Henry ê sîn-pì

Carradine kā chiap kòe-lâi, chhiong-móa kèng-ì khòaⁿ he.

"Kā liah lo̍h-lâi chah cháu. Góa í-keng bô su-iàu he ah lah."

"Góa siūⁿ koh kòe chi̍t/nn̄g lé-pài, lí tiāⁿ-tio̍h tō bô-êng pān chin-chiàⁿ ê àn-kiāⁿ, tō bô sî-kan koan-sim chit-chióng... ha̍k-su̍t-sèng ê gián-kiù ah," Carradine kóng, gí-khì sió-khóa hi-bî.

"Góa éng-oán bē koh hiáng-siū tio̍h chhiūⁿ chit-ê chiah chhù-bī ê àn-kiāⁿ," Grant kóng si̍t-ōe. I siâx khòaⁿ hiòng hit-tiuⁿ iáu khò tī chheh-tui ê siàu-siōng. Khòaⁿ lí sit-hûn lo̍k-phek kiâⁿ ji̍p-lâi, góa siūⁿ kóng, tāi-chì í-keng hāi liúx ah; góa ê sit-bōng, lí choa̍t-tùi m̄ siong-sìn." I koh tńg-khì khòaⁿ siàu-siōng, kóng: "Marta kám-kak i ū kóa sêng Úi-tāi ê Lorenzo. Yin pêng-iú James kám-kak che sī sèng-jîn ê bīn. Góa ê gōa-kho i-su siūⁿ kóng, che sī pái-kha-á ê bīn. Williams Sûn-chó jīn-ûi chit-ê bīn ná chhin-chhiūⁿ úi-tāi ê hoat-koaⁿ. M̄-koh, góa jīn-ûi, hoān-sè Hō͘-lí Tiúⁿ ê khòaⁿ-hoat siōng chiap-kīn tāi-chì ê tiōng-tiám."

"Yi kóng siáⁿ?" 

"Yi kóng, che sī chi̍t-ê chhiong-móa ke̍k-tō͘ thòng-khó͘ ê bīn."

"Tio̍h, tio̍h. Góa khòaⁿ mā-sī án-ne. Lí kám ē kám-kak kî-koài, kiat-kio̍k tō sī án-ne."

"Bô. Bô siáⁿ-mih khó͘-lān i bô tú-tio̍h. I sèⁿ-miā ê chòe-āu nn̄g-nî, hoat-seng ê tāi-chì hut-jiân koh tîm-tāng, bē-su sī pang-seh. Goân-pún it-chhè lóng sūnx līx. England chóng-sǹg ún-tēng lo̍h-lâi. Lāi-chiàn chiāmx bē hông chhau-sim, chèng-hú kian-kò͘, ûi-chhî hô-pêng, seng-lí ka-ia̍h, keng-chè hoân-êng. Ùi Middleham khòaⁿ hiòng Wensleydale, chiân-kéng hui-siông chhàn-lān. M̄-koh, tī téx 2 nî... in bó͘, in kiáⁿ, kap i ê hô-pêng lóng o͘-iú..khì."

"Góa chai i ū chi̍t-hāng tāi-chì bô tú-tio̍h."

"Sī siáⁿ-hòe?"

"I m̄ chai-iáⁿ, i ê miâ ē hông si koh kàn-kiāu kúi-nā sè-kí."

"Tio̍h. He chiah sī chòe hō͘ lâng tûi sim-koaⁿ ê tāi-chì. Lí kám chai, góa kò-jîn jīn-ûi Richard choa̍t-tùi bô chhoàn-ūi kè-ōe ê koan-kiān chèng-kì sī siáⁿ bô?"

"M̄-chai. Sī siáⁿ-hòe?"

"He tō sī, tī Stillington piak hit-ê sin-bûn ê sî, i chiah kóaⁿ-kín hiòng Pak-pêng thó kiù-peng. Ká-sú i sū-sian chai Stillington boeh kóng he, a̍h-sī nn̄g-lâng chhoàn-thong boeh pian kò͘-sū, i chá tō kā kun-tūi tòa tī sin-piⁿ ah lah. Chún-kóng bô chìn-ji̍p London, mā ē an-tùn tī Chiu-ûi Tē-khu hong-piān tiàu-tōng. I kèng-jiân tio̍h seng hiòng York, jiân-āu koh hiòng Nevill ê chhin-chhek-á thó kiù-peng, che tō chèng-bêng Stillington ê chū-pe̍k hō͘ i oân-choân liāu-sióng bē-kàu."

"Tio̍h. I chhōa chi̍t-tīn sin-sū, hi-bāng boeh taⁿ-khí Liap-chèng ê chit-bū. Kàu Northampton, i chiah thiaⁿ-kóng Woodville ka-cho̍k boeh jiá mâ-hoân, tān he bô hō͘ i khí chheⁿ-kông. I kái-koat tiāu Woodville ê 2,000 peng-le̍k, kè-sio̍k kiâⁿ-hiòng London, bē-su bô hoat-seng siáⁿ tāi-chì. Tán-thāi tī i bīn-chêng ê, chiū i só͘ chai, put-kò sī chi̍t-tiûⁿ chèng-thóng ê Ka-bián Tián-lé. It-ti̍t kàu Stillington hiòng gī-chèng-hōe chū-pe̍k, i chiah khai-sí tiàu-tōng ka-tī ê kun-tūi. Jî-chhiáⁿ tī koan-kiān sî-khek, i tio̍h chi̍t-lō͘ hn̄gx ùi England Pak-pêng kho͘-lâng. Tio̍h, lí kóng ê, tong-jiân tio̍h. I khak-si̍t sī kiaⁿ chi̍t-tiô." Carradine iōng koàn-sì ê tōng-chok, its kō͘ kí-cháiⁿ kā ba̍k-kiàⁿ-kha hû chi̍t-ē, jiân-āu thê-chhut chi̍t-ê tùi-èng ê koan-tiám. "Kám chai góa hoat-hiān ê, chèng-bêng Henry ū-chōe ê koan-kiān chèng-kì sī siáⁿ bô?"

"Sī siáⁿ?"

"Kek sîn-pì."

"Kek sîn-pì?"

"Hit-chióng sîn-pì ê kám-kak. Hit-chióng ngx iapx, kúix sūix ê hêng-ûi."

"Lí ì-sù sī kóng, in-ūi che ha̍h i ê kò-sèng?"

"M̄-sī, m̄-sī; tāi-chì bô hiah ho̍k-cha̍p. Lí kám khòaⁿ bē chhut-lâi: Richard kin-pún m̄-bián ké sîn-pì; tān Henry ê àn-chêng oân-choân kiàn-li̍p tī ông-chú hêng-chong put-bêng chiah ē-tàng tit-tio̍h ông-ūi. Bô-lâng ē-tit kái-soeh, sī án-chóaⁿ Richard boeh iōng hit-chióng kúix sūix ê hong-hoat. Án-ne chò kin-pún sī khí-siáu. I bô khó-lêng môa chi̍t sì-lâng. Chá-bān i lóng tio̍h chhut-lâi kau-tài gín-á ná-ē bô..khì. Chiū i só͘ chai, i bīn-chêng iáu ū chin tn̂g ê thóng-tī sî-kî. Bô-lâng ē-tit kái-soeh, sī án-chóaⁿ i soán chit-ê khùn-lân koh hûi-hiám ê pō͘-sò͘, sui-bóng chhiú-piⁿ tō ū chēx kán-tan ê hoat-tō͘. I chí-iàu kā gín-á hip-sí, hō͘ in tó tī lêng-tn̂g, hō͘ choân London ê lâng pâi-lia̍t ai-tō, khàu chit nn̄g-ê sió sèⁿ-miā in-ūi jia̍t-chèng lâi chá-sí. Che chiah sī i eng-kai iōng ê hoat-tō͘. Thiⁿ ah, Richard thâi gín-á ê tiōng-tiám, sī boeh hông-chí ū-lâng ūi in lâi chō-hoán; boeh tit-tio̍h bô͘-sat ê lī-ek, in sí-bông ê siau-sit tio̍h kong-khai, lú chá lú hó. Peh-sèⁿ nā m̄-chai ông-chú sí ah, kui-ê kè-ōe tō sit-pāi ah. M̄-koh, taⁿ lâi kóng Henry. Henry tio̍h siūⁿ hoat-tō͘ hō͘ gín-á siau-sit tī sī-sòaⁿ í-gōa. Henry tio̍h ké sîn-pì. Henry tio̍h ài am-khàm in sí-bông ê sî-kan kap hong-sek. Henry ê kui-ê àn-chêng chāi-tī, bô-lâng chai-iáⁿ gín-á tàu-té hoat-seng siáⁿ tāi-chì ah."

"Khak-si̍t sī án-ne neh, Brent; khak-si̍t sī án-ne," Grant kóng, ná chhiòx khòaⁿ piān-hō͘-jîn jiat-chhiat ê siàu-liân bīn. "Lí eng-kai tio̍h lâi Yard siōng-pan neh, Carradine Ss!"

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17.3 Richard ê 清白 kap Henry ê 神祕

Carradine kā 接過來, 充滿敬意 看 he. 

"Kā 裂落來 扎走. 我已經 無需要 he ah lah." 

"我想 koh過 一兩 禮拜, 你定著 tō 無閒 辦 真正 ê 案件, tō 無時間 關心 這種... 學術性 ê 研究 ah," Carradine 講, 語氣 小可 稀微. 

"我永遠 袂 koh 享受著 像 這个 chiah 趣味 ê 案件," Grant 講 實話. 伊 siâx 看向 彼張 猶 靠 tī 冊堆 ê 肖像. 看你 失魂落魄 行入來, 我想講, 代誌 已經 害 liúx ah; 我 ê 失望, 你絕對 毋相信." 伊 koh 轉去 看 肖像, 講: "Marta 感覺 伊 有寡成 偉大 ê Lorenzo. 姻朋友 James 感覺 這是 聖人 ê 面. 我 ê 外科醫師 想講, 這是 跛跤仔 ê 面. Williams 巡佐 認為 這个面 ná 親像 偉大 ê 法官. 毋過, 我認為, 凡勢 護理長 ê 看法 上 接近 代誌 ê 重點." 

"她講啥?" 

"她講, 這是 一个 充滿 極度痛苦 ê 面." 

"著, 著. 我看 mā 是 án-ne. 你敢會 感覺 奇怪, 結局 tō 是 án-ne." 

"無. 無啥物 苦難 伊無 拄著. 伊性命 ê 最後 兩年, 發生 ê 代誌 忽然 koh 沉重, 袂輸 是 崩雪. 原本 一切 lóng sūnx līx. England 總算 穩定 落來. 內戰 chiāmx 袂 hông 操心, 政府堅固, 維持和平, 生理 ka-ia̍h, 經濟繁榮. Ùi Middleham 看向 Wensleydale, 前景 非常 燦爛. 毋過, tī téx 2 年... in 某, in 囝, kap 伊 ê 和平 lóng 烏有..去." 

"我知 伊有 一項 代誌 無拄著." 

"是啥貨?" 

"伊 毋知影, 伊 ê 名 會 hông 噓 koh kàn-kiāu 幾若世紀." 

"著. He 才是 最 hō͘ 人 捶心肝 ê 代誌. 你敢知, 我個人 認為 Richard 絕對無 篡位 計畫 ê關鍵 證據 是啥 無?" 

"毋知. 是啥貨?" 

"He tō 是, tī Stillington 煏 彼个新聞 ê 時, 伊 才趕緊 向北爿 討救兵. 假使 伊 事先 知 Stillington 欲 講 he, 抑是 兩人 串通 欲 編故事, 伊 早 tō kā 軍隊 帶 tī 身邊 ah lah. 準講 無進入 London, mā 會 安頓 tī 周圍地區 方便 調動. 伊 竟然著 先 向 York, 然後 koh 向 Nevill ê 親戚仔 討救兵, che tō 證明 Stillington ê 自白 hō͘ 伊 完全 料想袂到." 

"著. 伊 𤆬一陣 紳士, 希望 欲擔起 攝政 ê 職務. 到 Northampton, 伊 才聽講 Woodville 家族 欲 惹麻煩, 但 he 無 hō͘ 伊 起生狂. 伊 解決掉 Woodville ê 2,000 兵力, 繼續 行向 London, 袂輸 無發生 啥代誌. 等待 tī 伊面前 ê, 就 伊 所知, 不過是 一場 正統 ê 加冕典禮. 一直到 Stillington 向 議政會 自白, 伊 才開始 調動 ka-tī ê 軍隊. 而且 tī 關鍵 時刻, 伊著 一路 hn̄gx ùi England 北爿 呼人. 著, 你講 ê, 當然 著. 伊 確實是 驚一趒." Carradine 用 慣勢 ê 動作, its kō͘ kí-cháiⁿ kā 目鏡跤 扶一下, 然後 提出 一个 對應 ê 觀點. "敢知 我發現 ê, 證明 Henry 有罪 ê 關鍵證據 是啥 無?" 

"是啥?" 

"激 神祕." 

"激 神祕?" 

"彼種 神祕 ê 感覺. 彼種 ngx iapx, kúix sūix ê 行為." 

"你意思 是講, 因為 che ha̍h 伊 ê 個性?" 

"毋是, 毋是; 代誌 無 hiah 複雜. 你敢 看袂出來: Richard 根本 毋免 假神祕; 但 Henry ê 案情 完全 建立 tī王子 行蹤不明 才會當 得著 王位. 無人 會得 解說, 是按怎 Richard 欲用 彼種 kúix sūix ê 方法. Án-ne 做 根本 是起痟. 伊 無可能 瞞一世人. 早慢 伊 lóng 著 出來 交代 囡仔 那會 無..去. 就伊所知, 伊 面前 猶有 真長 ê 統治 時期. 無人 會得 解說, 是按怎 伊選 這个 困難 koh 危險 ê 步數, 雖罔 手邊 tō 有 chēx 簡單 ê 法度. 伊 只要 kā 囡仔 翕死, hō͘ in 倒 tī 靈堂, hō͘ 全 London ê 人 排列 哀悼, 哭 chit 兩个 小性命 因為 熱症 來 早死. 這 才是 伊 應該用 ê 法度. 天 ah, Richard 刣 囡仔 ê 重點, 是 欲防止 有人 為 in 來造反; 欲 得著 謀殺 ê 利益, in 死亡 ê 消息 著公開, lú 早 lú 好. 百姓 若 毋知 王子死 ah, 規个 計畫 tō 失敗 ah. 毋過, 今 來講 Henry. Henry 著 想法度 hō͘ 囡仔 消失 tī 視線 以外. Henry 著 假神祕. Henry 著 ài 掩崁 in 死亡 ê 時間 kap 方式. Henry ê 規个 案情 chāi-tī, 無人 知影 囡仔 到底 發生 啥代誌 ah." 

"確實 是 án-ne neh, Brent; 確實 是 án-ne," Grant 講, ná chhiòx 看 辯護人 熱切 ê 少年面. "你應該 著來 Yard 上班 neh, Carradine Ss!" 

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17.3

Carradine took it and looked at it with respect.

‘Tear it off and take it with you. I’ve finished with it.’

‘I suppose in a week or two you’ll be too busy with real investigations to care about a—an academic one,’ Carradine said, a little wistfully.

‘I’ll never enjoy one more than I’ve enjoyed this,’ Grant said, with truth. He glanced sideways at the portrait which was still propped against the books. ‘I was more dashed than you would believe when you came in all despondent, and I thought it had come to pieces.’ He looked back at the portrait and said: ‘Marta thinks he is a little like Lorenzo the Magnificent. Her friend James thinks it is the face of a saint. My surgeon thinks it is the face of a cripple. Sergeant Williams thinks he looks like a great judge. But I think, perhaps, Matron comes nearest the heart of the matter.’

‘What does she say?’

‘She says it is a face full of the most dreadful suffering.’

‘Yes. Yes, I suppose it is. And would you wonder, after all.’

‘No. No, there was little he was spared. Those last two years of his life must have happened with the suddenness and weight of an avalanche. Everything had been going along so nicely. England on an even keel at last. The civil war fading out of mind, a good firm government to keep things peaceful and a good brisk trade to keep things prosperous. It must have seemed a good outlook, looking out from Middleham across Wensleydale. And in two short years—his wife, his son, and his peace.’

[Pg 215]‘I know one thing he was spared.’

‘What?’

‘The knowledge that his name was to be a hissing and a byword down the centuries.’

‘Yes. That would have been the final heart-break. Do you know what I personally find the convincing thing in the case for Richard’s innocence of any design for usurpation?’

‘No. What?’

‘The fact that he had to send for those troops from the North when Stillington broke his news. If he had had any fore-knowledge of what Stillington was going to say, or even any plans to concoct a story with Stillington’s help, he would have brought those troops with him. If not to London then to the Home Counties where they would be handy. That he had to send urgently first to York and then to his Nevill cousins for men is proof that Stillington’s confession took him entirely unawares.’

‘Yes. He came up with his train of gentlemen, expecting to take over the Regency. He met the news of the Woodville trouble when he came to Northampton, but that didn’t rattle him. He mopped up the Woodville two thousand and went on to London as if nothing had happened. There was still nothing but an orthodox Coronation in front of him as far as he knew. It wasn’t until Stillington confessed to the council that he sends for troops of his own. And he has to send all the way to the North of England at a critical moment. Yes, you’re right, of course. He was taken aback.’ He propped the leg of his spectacles with a forefinger in the old tentative gesture, and proffered a companion piece.[Pg 216] ‘Know what I find the convincing thing in the case for Henry’s guilt?’

‘What?’

‘The mystery.’

‘Mystery?’

‘The mysteriousness. The hush-hush. The hole-and-corner stuff.’

‘Because it is in character, you mean?’

‘No, no; nothing as subtle as that. Don’t you see: Richard had no need of any mystery; but Henry’s whole case depended on the boys’ end being mysterious. No one has ever been able to think up a reason for such a hole-and-corner method as Richard was supposed to have used. It was a quite mad way to do it. He couldn’t hope to get away with it. Sooner or later he was going to have to account for the boys not being there. As far as he knew he had a long reign in front of him. No one has ever been able to think why he should have chosen so difficult and dangerous a way when he had so many simpler methods at hand. He had only to have the boys suffocated, and let them lie in state while the whole of London walked by and wept over two young things dead before their time of fever. That is the way he would have done it, too. Goodness, the whole point of Richard’s killing the boys was to prevent any rising in their favour, and to get any benefit from the murder the fact of their deaths would have to be made public, and as soon as possible. It would defeat the whole plan if people didn’t know that they were dead. But Henry, now. Henry had to find a way to push them out of sight. Henry had to be mysterious. Henry had to hide the facts of when and how they died. Henry’s whole case[Pg 217] depended on no one’s knowing what exactly happened to the boys.’

‘It did indeed, Brent; it did indeed,’ Grant said, smiling at counsel’s eager young face. ‘You ought to be at the Yard, Mr Carradine!’

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