4.2 Richad 對大兄 有無比 ê 忠誠

4.2 Richad tùi tōa-hiaⁿ ū bû-pí ê tiong-sêng

Grant chhun-chhiú khì the̍h Amazon ê le̍k-sú chheh, boeh khòaⁿ tī hit sî-chūn Edward tī London chhòng-siáⁿ, he kóng i tī hia bō͘-chi̍p kun-tūi. “London ê bîn-chêng chóng sī phian hiòng York phài, jia̍t-chêng ê lângx chū-chi̍p tī siàu-liân Edward ê kî-á ē-bīn,” le̍k-sú chheh án-ne kóng.

Put-jî-kò, siàu-liân Edward, 18 hòe, siú-to͘ ê ngó͘-siōng, tit-boeh gêng-chiap i ê tē-it tiûⁿ sèng-lī, soah iáu sī chhōe sî-kan ta̍k-kang lâi khòaⁿ hit nn̄g-ê sè-hàn sió-tī.

Sī m̄-sī tī chit-ê sî-chūn, Grant hòⁿ-kî, Richard tùi tōa-hiaⁿ sán-seng chhut bû-pí ê tiong-sêng? Chit-chióng tiong-sêng kui sì-lâng kian-tēng, le̍k-sú chheh m̄-nā bô hóⁿ-jīn, koh kā che the̍h-lâi kà-sī tō-tek. “Kàu tōa-hiaⁿ sí chìn-chêng, Richard it-ti̍t sī pôe i tō͘ kòe kok-chióng khí-lo̍h ê tiong-sêng tông-phōaⁿ, m̄-koh ông-koan ê ki-hōe tùi i lâi-kóng, siuⁿ-kòe siâⁿ lâng.” A̍h-sī kō͘ “Le̍k-sú Khò-pún” ê khah kán-tan ê ōe lâi kóng: “I it-ti̍t lóng sī Edward ê hó sió-tī, tān tī i khòaⁿ-tio̍h ka-tī ū khó-lêng chiâⁿ-chò Kok-ông ê sî, tham-sim hō͘ i ê sim-koaⁿ khí ngē.”

Grant ùi thán-piⁿ lia̍h he ōe-siōng khòaⁿ, toàn-tēng he “Le̍k-sú Khò-pún” hut m̄-tio̍h khì ah. M̄-koán sī siáⁿ hō͘ Richard sim-koaⁿ khí ngē kah boeh thâi-lâng, he bē sī tham-sim. Hoān-sè “Le̍k-sú Khò-pún” boeh kóng ê sī tham he khoân-le̍k? Ū khó-lêng. Hui-siông khó-lêng.

M̄-koh, chin khak-tēng Richard í-keng ū sè-sio̍k lâng kî-bōng ē-kàu ê só͘-ū khoân-le̍k. I sī Kok-ông ê sió-tī, chîⁿ chēx. He sióx ê chi̍t-pō͘ kám ū tiōng-iàu kah hō͘ i khì bô͘-sat chhin tōa-hiaⁿ ê kiáⁿ-jî?

Che si̍t-chāi sī kài kî-koài ê kio̍k.

I iáu tī sim-lāi su-khó chit-ê būn-tê sî, Tinker Tt kiâⁿ ji̍p-lâi, chah lâi i ê sin pajama kap yi múi-ji̍t ê thâu-tiâu sin-bûn tiah-iàu. Tinker Tt chiông-lâi m̄-bat tha̍k chhiau-kòe tē-3 tiâu sin-bûn í-āu ê lāi-iông, tî-hui he sī chi̍t-kiāⁿ bô͘-sat àn, nā sī, yi tō ē ta̍k-jī tha̍k, jiân-āu koh tī tńg-chhù ūi Tinker chú àm-tǹg ê lō͘ ni̍h bé chi̍t-hūn àm-pò.

Kin-á-ji̍t, yi phêng-lūn chi̍t-ê York Kūn phi-sng tiòng-to̍k koh khai-koan giām-si ê àn-kiāⁿ, ōe siaⁿ un-jiû, kix kūx kóng bô thêng, it-ti̍t kàu yi iáⁿ-tio̍h chá-pò khǹg tī toh-téng chheh-tui goân-hong bô-tāng. Che hō͘ yi hut-leh thêng lo̍h-lâi.

“Lí kin-á kám-kak bô sóng-khoài hioh?” yi koan-sim án-ne mn̄g.

“Góa chin hó, Tink, chin hó. Án-chóaⁿ sioh?” 

“Lí ’iân pò-chóa to bô hian-khui neh. Oán sió-bē in chă-káⁿ tō sī án-ne khai-sí hi loeh. Bô iàu-ì sin-bûn téng ê tāi-chì.” 

“Bián hoân-ló. Góa teh ho̍k-goân ah. Liân góa ê phî-khì mā piàn khah hó ah. Góa bē kì-tit tha̍k pò-chóa, in-ūi góa it-ti̍t teh tha̍k le̍k-sú kò͘-sū. Bat thiaⁿ-kòe ‘Thah-ni̍h ê Ông-chú’ bô?” 

“Ta̍k-ê lóng mā thiaⁿ-kòe ‘Thah-ni̍h ê Ông-chú’ neh.” 

“Lí chai in sī án-chóaⁿ sí ê?”

“Tong-jiân góa chai. Thàn in teh khùn ê sî, i kō͘ chím-thâu kā in hip-sí.” 

“Siáng chò ê?”

“In hit-ê siâ-ok a-chek. Richard III. Lí phòa-pēⁿ ê sî, m̄-thang siūⁿ chit-khoán tāi-chì. Lí tio̍h tha̍k kóa hō͘ lâng khai-sim, hoaⁿ-hí ê tāi-chì.”

“Lí ū kip boeh tńg-chhù bô, Tink? A̍h sī ē-sái thè góa oat chi̍t-chōa lō͘, khì St Martin Hāng?”

“Bô kip, góa sî-kan chēx leh. Sī boeh chhōe Hallard Sc? Yi tāi-khài 6 tiám chiah ē kàu kio̍k-tiûⁿ.”

“Boăi-kín, he góa chai. M̄-koh lí ē-sái lâu jī-tiâu hō͘ yi, yi kàu-ūi tō ē the̍h-tio̍h.” I chhun-chhiú khì the̍h pit-kì chóa kap iân-pit, án-ne siá: “Khòaⁿ Thiⁿ ê bīn-chú, pang góa chhōe chi̍t-pún Thomas More ê Richard III ê le̍k-sú.” I kā hit-ia̍h liah khui, áu hó, koh siá Marta ê miâ tī téng-bīn.

“Lí kā che kau hō͘ kò͘ bú-tâi mn̂g ê lāu Saxton. I ē khak-pó kau hō͘ yi.” 

“Góa nā ē-tit kheh kòe hit-kóa pâi-tūi ê í-thâu-á khì kàu bú-tâi mn̂g,” Tinker Tt kóng; ná sī teh phêng-lūn, m̄-sī kóng sū-si̍t. “Hit-chhut hì, khòaⁿ sī éng-oán ián bē soah ah lah.”

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4.2 Richad 對大兄 有無比 ê 忠誠

Grant 伸手去提 Amazon ê 歷史冊, 欲看 tī 彼時陣 Edward tī London 創啥, he 講 伊 tī hia 募集軍隊. “London ê 民情 總是 偏向 York 派, 熱情 ê lângx 聚集 tī 少年 Edward ê 旗仔下面,” 歷史冊 án-ne 講.

不而過, 少年 Edward, 18 歲, 首都 ê 偶像, 得欲迎接 伊 ê 第一場 勝利, 煞猶是 揣時間 逐工來看 hit 兩个 細漢小弟.

是毋是 tī 這个時陣, Grant 好奇, Richard 對大兄 產生出 無比 ê 忠誠? 這種忠誠 規世人 堅定, 歷史冊 毋但 無否認, koh kā che 提來 教示 道德. “到 大兄死 進前, Richard 一直是 陪伊 度過 各種起落 ê 忠誠同伴, 毋過 王冠 ê 機會 對伊 來講, siuⁿ 過 唌人.” 抑是 kō͘ “歷史課本” ê 較簡單 ê 話 來講: “伊一直 lóng 是 Edward ê 好小弟, 但 tī 伊看著 ka-tī 有可能 成做國王 ê 時, 貪心 hō͘ 伊 ê 心肝起硬.”

Grant ùi 坦邊 掠 he 畫像 看, 斷定 he “歷史課本” 拂毋著去 ah. 毋管 是啥 hō͘ Richard 心肝起硬 kah 欲刣人, he 袂是 貪心. 凡勢 “歷史課本” 欲講 ê 是 貪 he 權力? 有可能. 非常可能.

毋過, 真確定 Richard 已經有 世俗人 期望會到 ê 所有權力. 伊是 國王 ê 小弟, 錢 chēx. He sióx ê 一步 敢有 重要 kah hō͘ 伊 去謀殺 親大兄 ê 囝兒?

Che 實在是 kài 奇怪 ê 局.

伊猶 tī 心內 思考 這个問題 時, Tinker Tt 行入來, 扎來 伊 ê 新 pajama kap 她 每日 ê 頭條新聞 摘要. Tinker Tt 從來 m̄-bat 讀 超過 第3 條 新聞 以後 ê 內容, 除非 he 是一件 謀殺案, 若是, 她 tō 會 逐字讀, 然後 koh tī 轉厝 為 Tinker 煮暗頓 ê 路 ni̍h 買 一份暗報.

今仔日, 她評論一个 York 郡 砒霜中毒 koh 開棺驗屍 ê 案件, 話聲溫柔, kix kūx 講無停, 一直到 她影著 早報 囥 tī 桌頂冊堆 原封無動. Che hō͘ 她 hut-leh 停落來.

“你 今仔 感覺 無爽快 hioh?” 她關心 án-ne 問.

“我真好, Tink, 真好. 按怎 sioh?”

“你 ’iân 報紙 to 無掀開 neh. Oán 小妹 in chă-káⁿ tō 是 án-ne 開始 虛 loeh. 無要意 新聞頂 ê 代誌.”

“免煩惱. 我 teh 復原 ah. 連我 ê 脾氣 mā 變較好 ah. 我袂記得 讀報紙, 因為 我一直 teh 讀 歷史故事. Bat 聽過 ‘塔 ni̍h ê 王子’ 無?”

“逐个 lóng mā 聽過 ‘塔 ni̍h ê 王子’ neh.”

“你知 in 是 按怎死 ê?”

“當然 我知. 趁 in teh 睏 ê 時, 伊 kō͘ 枕頭 kā in 翕死.”

“Siáng 做 ê?”

“In 彼个 邪惡阿叔. Richard III. 你破病 ê 時, 毋通想 這款代誌. 你著 讀寡 hō͘ 人 開心, 歡喜 ê 代誌.”

“你有 急欲 轉厝 無, Tink? 抑是 會使 替我 斡一逝路, 去 St Martin 巷?”

“無急, 我時間 chēx leh. 是欲揣 Hallard Sc? 她大概 6 點 才會 到劇場.”

“Boăi-kín, he 我知. 毋過 你會使 留字條 hō͘ 她, 她到位 tō 會提著.”

伊伸手 去提 筆記紙 kap 鉛筆, án-ne 寫:

“看天 ê 面子, 幫我 揣一本 Thomas More ê Richard III ê 歷史.”

伊 kā hit 頁 裂開, 拗好, koh 寫 Marta ê 名 tī 頂面.

“你 kā che 交 hō͘ 顧 舞台門 ê 老 Saxton. 伊會 確保 交 hō͘ 她.”

“我若 會得 kheh 過 hit-kóa 排隊 ê 椅頭仔 去到 舞台門,” Tinker Tt 講; ná 是 teh 評論, 毋是 講事實. “Hit 齣戲, 看是 永遠 演袂煞 ah lah.”

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4.2

Grant reached for The Amazon’s history book to find out what Edward was about in London at that date, and learned that he was collecting an army. ‘London was always Yorkist in temper, and men flocked with enthusiasm to the banner of the youthful Edward,’ said the history book.

And yet young Edward, aged eighteen, idol of a capital[Pg 54] city and on the way to the first of his victories, found time to come every day to see his small brothers.

Was it now, Grant wondered, that the remarkable devotion of Richard to his elder brother was born. An unwavering life-long devotion that the history books not only did not deny but actually used in order to point the moral. ‘Up to the moment of his brother’s death Richard had been in all vicissitudes his loyal and faithful helpmeet, but the opportunity of a crown proved too much for him.’ Or in the simpler words of the Historical Reader: ‘He had been a good brother to Edward but when he saw that he might become King greed hardened his heart.’

Grant took a sideways look at the portrait and decided that the Historical Reader was off the beam. Whatever had hardened Richard’s heart to the point of murder had not been greed. Or did the Historical Reader mean greed for power? Probably. Probably.

But surely Richard must have had all the power that mortal man could wish. He was the King’s brother, and rich. Was that short step further so important that he could murder his brother’s children to achieve it?

It was an odd set-up altogether.

He was still mulling it over in his mind when Mrs Tinker came in with fresh pyjamas for him and her daily précis of the newspaper headlines. Mrs Tinker never read past the third headline of a report unless it happened to be a murder, in which case she read every word and bought an evening paper for herself on the way home to cook Tinker’s supper.

Today the gentle burble of her comment on a Yorkshire arsenic-and-exhumation case flowed over him unbroken[Pg 55] until she caught sight of the morning paper lying in its virgin condition alongside the books on the table. This brought her to a sudden halt.

‘You not feelin’ so good today?’ she asked in a concerned way.

‘I’m fine, Tink, fine. Why?’

‘You ’aven’t as much as opened your paper. That’s ’ow my sister’s gel started her decline. Not takin’ no notice of what was in the paper.’

‘Don’t you worry. I’m on the up-grade. Even my temper has improved. I forgot about the paper because I’ve been reading history stories. Ever heard of the Princes in the Tower?’

‘Everyone’s ’eard of the Princes in the Tower.’

‘And do you know how they met their end?’

‘Course I do. He put a pillow on their faces when they was asleep.’

‘Who did?’

‘Their wicked uncle. Richard the Third. You didn’t ought to think of things like that when you’re poorly. You ought to be reading something nice and cheerful.’

‘Are you in a hurry to get home, Tink, or could you go round by St Martin’s Lane for me?’

‘No, I’ve plenty of time. Is it Miss Hallard? She won’t be at the theatre till six-about.’

‘No, I know. But you might leave a note for her and she’ll get it when she comes in.’

He reached for his scribbling pad and pencil and wrote:

‘For the love of Mike find me a copy of Thomas More’s history of Richard III.’

He tore off the page, folded it and scribbled Marta’s name on it.

[Pg 56]‘You can give it to old Saxton at the stage-door. He’ll see that she gets it.’

‘If I can get near the stage-door what with the stools for the queue,’ Mrs Tinker said; in comment rather than in truth. ‘That thing’s going to run for ever.’

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