8.3 Jī-cha̍p nî ê sî-kan chha: bān-lâi ê jīn-chōe
[Carradine:] "Chit 3 kang, góa it-ti̍t teh tha̍k hit sî-tāi ê bûn-kiāⁿ: chi̍t-kóa phe-sìn tt. Tān, kin-pún bô lâng thê-khí in.”
“Hoān-sè in m̄-káⁿ thê-khí. Hit-ê sî-tāi, kín-sīn siōng iàu-kín.”
"Bô m̄-tio̍h; tān góa boeh kā lí kóng chi̍t-ê koh-khah kî-koài ê tāi-chì. Lí chai, Tī Bosworth chiàn-ia̍h liáu, Henry hiòng Kok-hōe thê-chhut chi̍t-hūn chiam-tùi Richard ê 'Bu̍t-siu Kong-khoân Hoat-àn (Bill of Attender)'. Sī ah, tī hoat-àn lāi-bīn, i chí-chhut Richard chân-khok koh choan-chè, tān-sī oân-choân bô kóng-tio̍h bô͘-sat àn.”
“Siáⁿ-hòe?” Grant tio̍h chi̍t-kiaⁿ.
“Tio̍h, lí ē-sái tōax tio̍h-kiaⁿ.”
“Lí khak-tēng?”
“Hui-siông khak-tēng.”
“M̄-koh, Henry tī Bosworth chiàn-ia̍h liáu, chi̍t-ē kàu London sûi tō chiáng-khòng London Thah ah. Nā hit nn̄g-ê gín-á í-keng sit-chong, á i kèng-jiân bô chek-khek kā chit-ê tāi-chì kong-khai, he hō͘ lâng lân-tit siong-sìn. He sī i chhiú-tiong ê ông-pâi neh.”
I tó tī hia tiāmx tio̍h-kiaⁿ chi̍t-khùn. Thang-á tâi téng ê chhek-chiáu-á chhá kah chin tōa-siaⁿ. “Góa siūⁿ bē-thong,” i kóng. “I kèng-jiân bô hóx lī-iōng gín-á sit-chong chit-ê sū-si̍t, che boeh án-chóaⁿ kái-soeh?”
Brent kā tn̂gx ê kha ōaⁿ chi̍t-ê khah sù-sī ê chu-sè. “Kan-ta ū chi̍t-ê kái-soeh,” i kóng. “He tō sī: gín-á pēng bô sit-chong.”
Chit-pái ê tiām-chēng sî-kan koh-khah kú, nn̄g-lâng lí khòaⁿ góa, góa khòaⁿ lí.
“Oh, thiⁿ ah, che siuⁿ hàm lah,” Grant kóng. “It-tēng ū siáⁿ khah bêng-hián ê kái-soeh, chí-sī lán bô khòaⁿ-tio̍h.”
“Chhin-chhiūⁿ siáⁿ, kí chi̍t-ê lē?”
“Góa m̄-chai. Góa iáu bô sî-kan siūⁿ.”
“Góa í-keng siūⁿ 3 kang ah, mā sī siūⁿ bô ha̍p-lí ê lí-iû. Tî-liáu Henry chiap-koán London Thah ê sî, gín-á iáu oa̍h-leh chit-ê kiat-lūn, kî-thaⁿ ê lóng kap sū-si̍t tùi bē-lâi. He sī chòe bē hiān-sì ê 'Bu̍t-siu Su-khoân Hoat-àn;' he chí-khòng Richard ê pō͘-hā, its chīn-tiong sian-ông, té-khòng chhim-lio̍k-chiá ê lâng, hoān poān-kok chōe. Chí-iàu Henry jīn-ûi kóng ē-tit kòe ê chí-khòng tō kā chiⁿ-ji̍p hit-ê Hoat-àn. Tān, i ē-tàng tùi Richard thê-chhut chòe giâm-lē ê chí-khòng, put-kò sī sù-siông ê chân-khok kap choan-chè. Hit nn̄g-ê gín-á liân thê-khí to bô.”
“Chin-chiàⁿ hàm-kó͘.”
“Lân-tit siong-sìn. M̄-koh sū-si̍t tō sī án-ne.”
“Che tō piáu-sī, tong-sî kin-pún bô chit-ê chí-khòng.”
“Khòaⁿ-khoán tō sī án-ne.”
“Tān... Tān-sī, tán chi̍t-ē. Tyrrel in-ūi bô͘-sat hông chhú-sí. I sí chìn-chêng khak-si̍t ū jīn-chōe. Tán chi̍t-ē.” I chhun-chhiú the̍h Oliphant ê chheh, khoài hian chheh-ia̍h teh chhōe chi̍t-ê só͘-chāi. “Tī bó͘ chi̍t-ūi ū oân-chéng ê kì-chài. Che bô siáⁿ sîn-pì. Liân Chū-iû Lú-sîn Siōng mā chai-iáⁿ.”
“Siáng?”
“Lí tī cháu-lông tú-tio̍h ê hō͘-sū lah. Sī Tyrrel hoān ê bô͘-sat àn, i hông tēng-chōe, tī sí chìn-chêng ū jīn-chōe.”
“He sī tī Henry chiap-koán London ê sî-chūn?”
“Tán chi̍t-ē. Tī chia.” I sàu tha̍k hit-tōaⁿ bûn-jī. “M̄-sī, he sī tī 1502 nî.” Hut-jiân kan, i ì-sek tio̍h ka-tī tú-chiah kóng ê ōe, kō͘ chi̍t-chióng khùn-he̍k ê siaⁿ-tiāu koh kā kóng chi̍t-piàn: “Tī... 1502 nî.”
“Tān... tān... tān he sī...”
“Tio̍h. Chiong-kīn 20 nî í-āu.”
Brent chhun-chhiú khì bong hun a̍p-á, kā the̍h chhut-lâi, jiân-āu koh kín kā siu ji̍p-khì.”
“Lí nā boeh pok-hun tō pok,” Grant kóng. “Taⁿ góa su-iàu ê sī chi̍t-poe kāu-chiú. Góa kám-kak thâu-náu bē tńg-se̍h ah lah, He tō ná gín-á sî sńg am-ko̍k-ke, ba̍k-chiu am-tio̍h hông se̍h-lin-long kúi-nā liàn í-āu ê kám-kak.”
“Sī ah,” Carradine kóng. I thiu chi̍t-ki hun, kā tiám to̍h. “Oân-choân o͘-àm, jî-chhiáⁿ koh put-chí-á thâu-hîn.”
I chē leh, kimx siòng chhek-chiáu-á.
“4,000 bān khò-pún bô khó-lêng m̄-tio̍h,” kòe chi̍t-khùn liáu, Grant án-ne kóng.
“Kám bô khó-lêng?”
“Hmh, kám ū khó-lêng!”
“Kòe-khì góa án-ne siūⁿ, tān, taⁿ góa bô hiah khak-tēng ah lah.”
“Lí ê hoâi-gî lūn kám bē siuⁿ tu̍t-jiân?”
“Oh, hō͘ góa iô-tāng ê, m̄-sī chit-ê tāi-chì.”
“He sī siáⁿ?”
“Chi̍t-kiāⁿ kiò-chò ‘Boston Tōa Tô͘-sat’ ê sió-sū. Bat thiaⁿ-kòe bô?”
“Tong-jiân.”
“Hmh, góa tī tāi-ha̍k chhâ chu-liāu, ì-gōa hoat-hiān, só͘-ūi ‘Boston Tōa Tô͘-sat’ kî-si̍t sī chi̍t-tīn po̍k-bîn hiòng chi̍t-ê sàu-peng tìm chio̍h-thâu, chóng sí-bông jîn-sò͘ 4-ê. Grant Ss, góa chi̍t-lō͘ thiaⁿ he Boston Tōa Tô͘-sat ê kò͘-sū tōa-hàn. Tanx siūⁿ-tio̍h hit-tōaⁿ le̍k-sú, góa 28-inch ê heng-khám tō ē tiùⁿ-tōa. Siūⁿ-tio̍h bû-chō͘ ê pêng-bîn pī Eng-kun sàu-siā, góa he móax poe-lêng-á thih-chit ê jia̍t-hoeh tō ē kún. Lí siūⁿ bē-tio̍h, tán góa hoat-hiān chin-siòng ê sî sī gōa-nī tio̍h-kiaⁿ – he kî-si̍t chí-sī chi̍t-ê sió chhiong-tu̍t, nā sī hoat-seng tī chit-chūn ê Bí-kok kéng-chhat kap pā-kang-chiá ê chhiong-tu̍t, he ke̍k-ke tē-hng sin-bûn chiah ē pò-tō.” Grant tùi che bô chò hoán-èng, i ba̍k-chiu buix chìⁿ-kng khòaⁿ Grant ê piáu-chêng. M̄-koh, Grant kimx siòng thian-pông, ká-ná teh koan-chhat téng-bīn ê tô͘-àn.
“Che mā-sī góa kah-ì chò gián-kiù ê chi̍t pō͘-hūn goân-in,” Carradine chú-tōng kóng, jiân-āu chē hiòng-āu, kimx khòaⁿ chhek-chiáu-á.
Kòe chi̍t-ē-á, Grant chhun-chhiú chhut-lâi, bô kóng-ōe, Carradine kau hō͘ i chi̍t-ki hun, koh kā tiám-to̍h.
Nn̄g-lâng tiāmx pok-hun.
Lo̍h-bóe, sī Grant phah-tn̄g chhek-chiáu-á ê piáu-ián.
“Tonypandy,” i kóng.
“He sī siáⁿ?”
--
8.3 二十年 ê 時間差: 慢來 ê 認罪
[Carradine:] "Chit 3 工, 我一直 teh 讀 hit 時代 ê 文件: 一寡批信 tt. 但, 根本 無人提起 in.”
“凡勢 in 毋敢提起. 彼个時代, 謹慎 上要緊.”
"無毋著; 但 我欲 kā 你講 一个 閣較奇怪 ê 代誌. 你知, Tī Bosworth 戰役了, Henry 向國會 提出 一份 針對 Richard ê '沒收公權法案 (Bill of Attainder)'. 是 ah, tī 法案內面, 伊指出 Richard 殘酷 koh 專制, 但是 完全 無講著 謀殺案.”
“啥貨?” Grant 著一驚.
“著, 你會使 tōax 著驚.”
“你確定?”
“非常確定.”
“毋過, Henry tī Bosworth 戰役了, 一下到 London 隨 tō 掌控 London 塔 ah. 若 hit 兩个囡仔 已經失蹤, á 伊竟然 無即刻 kā 這个代誌 公開, he hō͘ 人 難得相信. 彼是 伊手中 ê 王牌 neh.”
伊倒 tī hia tiāmx 著驚一睏. 窗仔台頂 ê 粟鳥仔 吵 kah 真大聲. “我想袂通,” 伊講. “伊竟然 無 hóx 利用 囡仔失蹤 這个事實, che 欲 按怎解說?”
Brent kā tn̂gx ê 跤 換一个 較四序 ê 姿勢. “干焦有 一个解說,” 伊講. “He tō 是: 囡仔 並無失蹤.”
這擺 ê 恬靜時間 閣較久, 兩人 你看我, 我看你.
“Oh, 天 ah, che siuⁿ 譀 lah,” Grant 講. “一定有 啥 較明顯 ê 解說, 只是 咱無看著.”
“親像啥, 舉一个例?”
“我毋知. 我 猶無 時間想.”
“我已經 想 3 工 ah, mā 是 想無 合理 ê 理由. 除了 Henry 接管 London 塔 ê 時, 囡仔 猶活 leh 這个結論, 其他 ê lóng kap 事實 對袂來. 彼是 最袂現世 ê '沒收公權法案;' he 指控 Richard ê 部下, its 盡忠先王, 抵抗 侵略者 ê 人, 犯叛國罪. 只要 Henry 認為 講會得過 ê 指控 tō kā 櫼入 彼个法案. 但, 伊會當 對 Richard 提出 最嚴厲 ê 指控, 不過是 四常 ê 殘酷 kap 專制. Hit 兩个囡仔 連提起 to 無.”
“真正譀古.”
“難得相信. 毋過 事實 tō 是 án-ne.”
“Che tō 表示, 當時 根本無 這个指控.”
“看款 tō 是 án-ne.”
“但... 但是, 等一下. Tyrrel 因為謀殺 hông 處死. 伊死進前 確實 有認罪. 等一下.” 伊伸手 提 Oliphant ê 冊, 快掀冊頁 teh 揣 一个所在. “Tī 某一位有 完整 ê 記載. Che 無啥神祕. 連 自由女神像 mā 知影.”
“Siáng?”
“你 tī 走廊 拄著 ê 護士 lah. 是 Tyrrel 犯 ê 謀殺案, 伊 hông 定罪, tī 死進前 有認罪.”
“彼是 tī Henry 接管 London ê 時陣?”
“等一下. Tī chia.” 伊掃讀 hit 段文字. “毋是, 彼是 tī 1502 年.” 忽然間, 伊意識著 ka-tī 拄才講 ê 話, kō͘ 一種困惑 ê 聲調 koh kā 講一遍: “Tī... 1502 年.”
“但... 但... 但彼是...”
“著. 將近 20年以後.”
Brent 伸手去摸 薰盒仔, kā 提出來, 然後 koh 緊 kā 收入去.”
“你若 欲噗薰 tō 噗,” Grant 講. “今 我需要 ê 是 一杯厚酒. 我感覺 頭腦 袂轉踅 ah lah, He tō ná 囡仔時 耍掩咯雞, 目睭掩著 hông 踅 lin-long 幾若輾 以後 ê 感覺.”
“是 ah,” Carradine 講. 伊抽 一支薰, kā 點 to̍h. “完全烏暗, 而且 koh 不止仔 頭眩.”
伊坐 leh, kimx 相 粟鳥仔.
“4,000 萬 課本 無可能 毋著,” 過一睏了, Grant án-ne 講.
“敢無可能?”
“Hmh, 敢有可能!”
“過去 我 án-ne 想, 但, 今 我無 hiah 確定 ah lah.”
“你 ê 懷疑論 敢袂 siuⁿ 突然?”
“Oh, hō͘ 我 搖動 ê, 毋是 這个代誌.”
“He 是啥?”
“一件 叫做 ‘Boston 大屠殺’ ê 小事. Bat 聽過 無?”
“當然.”
“Hmh, 我 tī 大學 查資料, 意外發現, 所謂 ‘Boston 大屠殺’ 其實是 一陣暴民 向 一个哨兵 抌石頭, 總 死亡人數 4 个. Grant Ss, 我 一路聽 he Boston 大屠殺 ê 故事 大漢. Tanx 想著 彼段歷史, 我 28-inch ê 胸坎 tō 會脹大. 想著 無助 ê 平民 被英軍 掃射, 我 he móax 菠菱仔 鐵質 ê 熱血 tō 會滾. 你想袂著, 等 我發現 真相 ê時 是 gōa-nī 著驚 - he 其實 只是 一个 小衝突, 若是 發生 tī 這陣 ê 美國警察 kap 罷工者 ê 衝突, he 極加 地方新聞 才會 報導.”
Grant 對 che 無做反應, 伊 目睭 buix 搢光看 Grant ê 表情. 毋過, Grant kimx 相天篷, ká-ná teh 觀察 頂面 ê 圖案.
“Che mā 是 我佮意 做研究 ê 一部份 原因,” Carradine 主動講, 然後 坐向後, kimx 看粟鳥仔.
過一下仔, Grant 伸手出來, 無講話, Carradine 交 hō͘ 伊 一支薰, koh kā 點to̍h.
兩人 tiāmx 噗薰.
落尾, 是 Grant 拍斷 粟鳥仔 ê 表演.
“Tonypandy,” 伊講.
“彼是啥?”
--
8.3
‘These last three days I’ve been going through contemporary papers: letters and what not. And no one mentions them at all.’
‘Perhaps they were afraid to. It was a time when it paid to be discreet.’
[Pg 106]‘Yes; but I’ll tell you something even odder. You know that Henry brought a Bill of Attainder against Richard, after Bosworth. Before Parliament, I mean. Well, he accuses Richard of cruelty and tyranny but doesn’t even mention the murder.’
‘What!’ said Grant, startled.
‘Yes, you may well look startled.’
‘Are you sure!’
‘Quite sure.’
‘But Henry got possession of the Tower immediately on his arrival in London after Bosworth. If the boys were missing it is incredible that he should not publish the fact immediately. It was the trump card in his hand.’ /
He lay in surprised silence for a little. The sparrows on the window-sill quarrelled loudly. ‘I can’t make sense of it,’ he said. ‘What possible explanation can there be for his omission to make capital out of the fact that the boys were missing?’
Brent shifted his long legs to a more comfortable position. ‘There is only one explanation,’ he said. ‘And that is that the boys weren’t missing.’
There was a still longer silence this time, while they stared at each other.
‘Oh, no, it’s nonsense,’ Grant said. ‘There must be some obvious explanation that we are failing to see.’
‘As what, for instance?’
‘I don’t know. I haven’t had time to think.’
‘I’ve had nearly three days to think, and I still haven’t thought up a reason that will fit. Nothing will fit the facts except the conclusion that the boys were alive when Henry took over the Tower. It was a completely unscrupulous Act of Attainder; it accused Richard’s[Pg 107] followers—the loyal followers of an anointed King fighting against an invader—of treason. Every accusation that Henry could possibly make with any hope of getting away with it was put into that Bill. And the very worst he could accuse Richard of was the usual cruelty and tyranny. The boys aren’t even mentioned.’
‘It’s fantastic’.
‘It’s unbelievable. But it is fact.’
‘What it means is that there was no contemporary accusation at all.’
‘That’s about it.’
‘But—but wait a minute. Tyrrel was hanged for the murder. He actually confessed to it before he died. Wait a minute.’ He reached for Oliphant and sped through the pages looking for the place. ‘There’s a full account of it here somewhere. There was no mystery about it. Even the Statue of Liberty knew about it.’
‘Who?‘
‘The nurse you met in the corridor. It was Tyrrel who committed the murder and he was found guilty and confessed before his death.’
‘Was that when Henry took over in London, then?’
‘Wait a moment. Here it is.’ He skimmed down the paragraph. ‘No, it was in 1502.’ He realised all of a sudden what he had just said, and repeated in a new, bewildered tone: ‘In—1502.’
‘But—but—but that was——’
‘Yes. Nearly twenty years afterwards.’
Brent fumbled for his cigarette case, took it out, and then put it hastily away again.
‘Smoke if you like,’ Grant said. ‘It’s a good stiff drink I need. I don’t think my brain can be working very well.[Pg 108] I feel the way I used to feel as a child when I was blind-folded and whirled round before beginning a blindman’s-buff game.’
‘Yes,’ said Carradine. He took out a cigarette and lighted it. ‘Completely in the dark, and more than a little dizzy.’
He sat staring at the sparrows.
‘Forty million school books can’t be wrong,’ Grant said after a little.
‘Can’t they?’
‘Well, can they!’
‘I used to think so, but I’m not so sure nowadays.’
‘Aren’t you being a little sudden in your scepticism?’
‘Oh, it wasn’t this that shook me.’
‘What then?’
‘A little affair called the Boston Massacre. Ever heard of it?’
‘Of course.’
‘Well, I discovered quite by accident, when I was looking up something at college, that the Boston Massacre consisted of a mob throwing stones at a sentry. The total casualties were four. I was brought up on the Boston Massacre, Mr Grant. My twenty-eight inch chest used to swell at the very memory of it. My good red spinach-laden blood used to seethe at the thought of helpless civilians mowed down by the fire of British troops. You can’t imagine what a shock it was to find that all it added up to in actual fact was a brawl that wouldn’t get more than local reporting in a clash between police and strikers in any American lock-out.’
As Grant made no reply to this, he squinted his eyes against the light to see how Grant was taking it. But[Pg 109] Grant was staring at the ceiling as if he were watching patterns forming there.
‘That’s partly why I like to research so much,’ Carradine volunteered, and settled back to staring at the sparrows.
Presently Grant put his hand out, wordlessly, and Carradine gave him a cigarette and lighted it for him.
They smoked in silence.
It was Grant who interrupted the sparrows’ performance.
‘Tonypandy,’ he said.
‘How’s that?’
--
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