8.5 Ká-sú Ông-chú tī Richard III sí-āu iáu oa̍h-tio̍h
“Kan-ta le̍k-sú ha̍k-ka ē kā lí kóng in án-chóaⁿ siūⁿ. Gián-kiù jîn-oân kan-ta kā lí kóng in chò ê sī siáⁿ.”
“It-chhè góa boeh chai ê, tō sī in chò ê sī siáⁿ. Góa it-hiòng siong-sìn hit-kù lāu-ōe: hêng-tōng pí ōe-gí khah ū-la̍t.”
“Sūn-sòa mn̄g chi̍t-ē, hit-ê sîn-sèng Thomas Sià kám ū kóng-khí, Richard thiaⁿ-tio̍h hiaⁿ-ko sí-bông ê hoán-èng?”
“Sîn-sèng Thomas Sià (its John Morton) kóng, Richard bô-êng teh phô͘-tháⁿ Ông-hiō, khǹg yi mài phài tōa-tūi hō͘-ōe khì Ludlow chiap sió ông-chú; koh tông-sî bi̍t-bô͘, boeh tī ông-chú lâi London ê pòaⁿ-lō͘ kā lia̍h khí-lâi.”
“Kin-kì sîn-sèng More, nā án-ne, Richard chi̍t khai-sí tō phah-sǹg boeh chhú-tāi hit-ê gín-á neh.”
“Oh, sī ah.”
“Hmh, siōng-bô lán tio̍h chhâ chheng-chhó, hit-sî siáng tī siáⁿ só͘-chāi chò siáⁿ tāi-chì, m̄-koán lán sī m̄-sī ū hoat-tō͘ thui-lūn in ê ì-tô͘.”
“He chiàⁿx tō sī góa só͘ boeh-ài ê.”
“Kéng-chhat tāi-jîn!” siàu-liân-ke kā khoe chi̍t-ē. “‘Pún-goe̍h 15 hit-kang àm-thâu-á 5 tiám, lí lâng tī tó-ūi?’”
“Án-ne ū-hāu,” Grant kā i pó-chèng. “Án-ne ū-hāu.”
“Hó lah. Góa mā boeh khì khai-kang ah. chi̍t-ē the̍h-tio̍h lí boeh ê chu-liāu, góa tō ē koh lâi. Góa chin kám-siā lí, Grant Ss. Che pí gián-kiù Lông-bîn ke hó chiâⁿ chē.” I siau-sit tī kôaⁿ-thiⁿ ē-tàu chiāmx àm lo̍h-lâi ê hông-hun, hit-niá thoa tī āu-bīn ê gōa-thò hō͘ i he sán-thiu ê sin-iáⁿ ke chi̍t-têng ha̍k-su̍t ê khì-sè kap chong-giâm.
Grant chūn to̍h tiān-hóe, koan-chhat teng-kng tī thian-pông hêng-sêng ê tô͘-iūⁿ, bē-su i chiông-lâi m̄-bat khòaⁿ-kòe.
Siàu-liân-ke sûi-ì tàn hō͘ i ê, sī chi̍t-ê to̍k-it koh tîⁿ-lâng ê lân-tê. M̄-nā ì-gōa, mā oh lí-kái.
Hit-sî oân-choân bô chí-khòng, che ū khó-lêng sī siáⁿ lí-iû? Henry sīm-chì bô su-iàu chèng-bêng sī Richard chhin-chhiú chò ê. Nn̄g-ê gín-á sī iû i kàm-hō͘. Nā tī chiap-koán London Thah ê sî chhōe bô gín-á, che sī khah iù, khah liâm ê lo̍k-kô͘ môe, kā che tàn hō͘ hit-ê í-keng sí-bông ê tùi-te̍k, khah iâⁿ kóng i chân-khok, choan-chè hit-chióng khang-khak ōe.
Grant chia̍h àm-tǹg, kin-pún bô kám-kak tio̍h he chu-bī a̍h he sī siáⁿ.
It-ti̍t kàu Amazon siu chhan-pôaⁿ sî, chhin-chhiat án-ne kóng: “Lí khòaⁿ, che sī chin hó ê chhái-thâu. Nn̄g-tè chìⁿ-bah chia̍h liáux, liân sap-á to bô chhun neh!” i chiah ì-sek tio̍h ka-tī í-keng chia̍h-pá ah.
Koh lâi chi̍t tiám-cheng, i ná khòaⁿ thian-pông téng ê teng-iáⁿ, ná su-khó chit-chân sū; chi̍t-piàn koh chi̍t-piàn, chhōe khòaⁿ ū siáⁿ khang-phāng, hó-thang chìn-ji̍p tāi-chì ê he̍k-sim.
Chòe-āu, i kā chù-ì-le̍k kui-ê ùi chit-ê būn-tê sóa-khui. Che sī i ê si̍p-koàn, kìⁿ-nā būn-tê siuⁿ îⁿ, siuⁿ ku̍t, koh siuⁿ tēng, i tō án-ne. Nā phō tê-bo̍k khì khùn, hoān-sè kàu thiⁿ-kng ē phû-chhut i làu-kau ê bó͘ chi̍t hong-bīn.
I boeh chhōe mi̍h-kiāⁿ hó-thang chó͘-chí i ê sim-su koh siūⁿ-khí hit-hūn phòaⁿ-koat Richard ê “Bu̍t-siu Kong-khoân Lēng,” choăn hoat-hiān hit-tha̍h tán i hôe-phe ê sìn-kiāⁿ. He sī kok-sek lâng kià-lâi ê iú-siān ùi-būn, pau-koat chi̍t-kóa lāu koàn-hoān. Chin-chiàⁿ hō͘-lâng kah-ì ê lāu koàn-hoān sio̍k tī í-keng kòe-sî hit-phài, lâng-sò͘ lú lâi lú chió. Chhú-tāi in ê, sī chho͘-chhân ê siàu-liân lô͘-môa, in he chū-ngó͘ tiong-sim ê lêng-hûn bô chi̍t-sut-á jîn-sèng, ná káu-á kiáⁿ m̄-bat jī, ná tiān-tōng kì-á léng-khok bô-chêng. Lāu-phài ê chit-gia̍p chha̍t-thau chóng-sī kap kî-thaⁿ chit-gia̍p ê sêng-oân kāng-khoán, ū kò-sèng, bē án-chóaⁿ siâ-ok. Sī tiām-chēng kò͘-ke ê cha-po͘ lâng, chù-tiōng ka-têng kà-kî kap gín-á ê píⁿ-thô-sòaⁿ; nā-bô, tō sī ku-koài ê lô-hàn-kha, jia̍t-sim tī lông-á chiáu, a̍h kū-chheh tiàm, a̍h tîm-bê tī ho̍k-cha̍p koh khó-khò ê poa̍h-kiáu hē-thóng. Chiâu sī lāu-phài jîn-bu̍t.
Hiān-tāi lô͘-môa chiah bē siá-phe lâi, kóng i chin ûi-hām ū chi̍t-ê “chha̍t-thâu” teh phòa-pēⁿ. Chit-chióng liām-thâu choa̍t-tùi bē siám-kòe hiān-tāi lô͘-môa ê thâu-náu.
Tó-leh siá-phe sī sin-khó͘ ê tāi-chì, Grant goân-pún siūⁿ boeh kā tô-kòe. M̄-koh hit-tha̍h siōng téng-bīn ê phe-lông sī piáu-ché Laura ê pit-chek, nā bô chiap-tio̍h i ê hôe-phe, Laura tiāⁿ-tio̍h ē tam-sim. Gín-á sî Laura bat kap i chò-hóe tō͘-kòe sú-ká, siang-lâng tī Scotland Koân-tē ê joa̍h-thiⁿ sán-seng sióx ê ì-ài, hō͘ in tiong-kan kiàn-li̍p chi̍t-chióng phah bē-tn̄g ê liân-kiat. Siōng-hó i sī siá chi̍t-tiuⁿ jī-tiâu kā Laura kóng i iáu oa̍h-tio̍h.
I koh tha̍k yi ê phe, chhùi chhiòx; Turlie Hô ê chúi-siaⁿ ká-ná tī hīⁿ-piⁿ hiáng-khí, tī ba̍k-chiu chêng lâu-kòe, i mā ká-ná phīⁿ-tio̍h Koân-tē hong-iá ê tiⁿ-bi̍t hân-léng khì-bī, choăn i sió-khóa bē-kì-tit ka-tī sī tòa-īⁿ pēⁿ-lâng, teh kòe he ak-chak, bô-liâu, koh koaiⁿ-tio̍h ê seng-oa̍h.
// Pat sàng-lâi i ê ài hō͘ lí, ká-sú i khah tōa-hàn a̍h khah siàu-liân chi̍t-ē i ē án-ne kóng. Tān-sī 9 hòe ê i, kan-ta kóng: “Kā Alan kóng, góa kap i sio chioh-mn̄g,” kóng i ū ka-tī hoat-bêng ê ké hô͘-sîn [chò hî-jī iōng], tán lí pàng pēⁿ-ká tńg-lâi boeh sàng hō͘ lí. i chòe-kīn tī ha̍k-hāu kám-kak sió-khóa kiàn-siàu, in-ūi tē-it pái i chai-iáⁿ, Scotland lâng kā Charles I bē hō͘ England lâng, tō koat-tēng i bô-ài koh sio̍k tī chit-khoán bîn-cho̍k. Chū án-ne, chiū góa só͘ chai, i khai-sí ko͘-sin té-khòng it-chhè Scotland ê mi̍h-kiāⁿ: m̄ o̍h chit-ê khó-pi kok-ka ê le̍k-sú, m̄ chhìuⁿ i ê koa, m̄ kì i ê tē-lí. Cha-àm khùn-chêng i soan-pò͘, i í-keng koat-tēng boeh sin-chhéng Norway kok-che̍k. //
Grant ùi toh-á téng the̍h i ê phe-chóa, kō͘ iân-pit án-ne siá:
// Chhin-ài ê Laura, Nā chai-iáⁿ London Thah ni̍h ê ông-chú tī Richard III sí-āu iáu oa̍h-tio̍h, he tio̍h-kiaⁿ kám ē hō͘ lí tòng bē-tiâu? Éng-oán ê,
Alan
Hù-kì: Góa tit-boeh khong-ho̍k ah. //
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8.5 假使王子 tī Richard III 死後猶活著
“干焦 歷史學家 會 kā 你 講 in 按怎想. 研究人員 干焦 kā 你 講 in 做 ê 是啥.”
“一切 我欲知 ê, tō 是 in 做 ê 是啥. 我一向 相信 彼句老話: 行動 比話語 較有力.”
“順紲 問一下, 彼个 神聖 Thomas Sià 敢有講起, Richard 聽著 兄哥死亡 ê 反應?”
“神聖 Thomas Sià (its John Morton) 講, Richard 無閒 teh 扶挺王后, 勸她 莫派 大隊護衛 去 Ludlow 接小王子; koh 同時密謀, 欲 tī 王子 來 London ê 半路 kā 掠起來.”
“根據 神聖 More, 若 án-ne, Richard 一開始 tō 拍算欲 取代 彼个囡仔 neh.”
“Oh, 是 ah.”
“Hmh, 上無 咱著 查清楚, 彼時 siáng tī 啥所在 做 啥代誌, 毋管 咱是毋是 有法度 推論 in ê 意圖.”
“He chiàⁿx tō 是 我所 欲愛 ê.”
“警察大人!” 少年家 kā 詼一下. “‘本月 15 彼工 暗頭仔 5 點, 你人 tī 佗位?’”
“Án-ne 有效,” Grant kā 伊保證. “Án-ne 有效.”
“好 lah. 我 mā 欲去 開工 ah. 一下提著 你欲 ê 資料, 我 tō 會 koh 來. 我真感謝 你, Grant Ss. Che 比 研究農民 加好誠濟.”
伊消失 tī 寒天下晝 chiāmx 暗落來 ê 黃昏, hit 領 拖 tī 後面 ê 外套 hō͘ 伊 he 瘦抽 ê 身影 加一重 學術 ê 氣勢 kap 莊嚴.
Grant 捘 to̍h 電火, 觀察 燈光 tī 天篷 形成 ê 圖樣, 袂輸 伊從來 m̄-bat 看過.
少年家隨意 擲 hō͘ 伊 ê, 是 一个 獨一 koh 纏人 ê 難題. 毋但意外, mā 僫理解.
彼時 完全無 指控, che 有可能 是啥理由?
Henry 甚至 無需要 證明 是 Richard 親手做 ê. 兩个囡仔 是 由伊 監護. 若 tī 接管 London 塔 ê 時 揣無囡仔, 這是 較幼, 較黏 ê 漉糊糜, kā che 擲 hō͘ 彼个 已經死亡 ê 對敵, 較贏 講伊 殘酷, 專制 彼種 空殼話.
Grant 食暗頓, 根本 無感覺著 he 滋味 a̍h he 是啥.
一直到 Amazon 收餐盤時, 親切 án-ne 講: “你看, 這是 真好 ê 彩頭. 兩塊糋肉 食 liáux, 連 sap-á to 無賰 neh!” 伊才意識著 ka-tī 已經食飽 ah.
閣來 一點鐘, 伊 ná 看 天篷頂 ê 燈影, ná 思考 chit 層事; 一遍 koh 一遍, 揣看 有啥空縫, 好通 進入代誌 ê 核心.
最後, 伊 kā 注意力 規个 ùi 這个問題 徙開. 這是伊 ê 習慣, 見若 問題 siuⁿ 圓, siuⁿ 滑, koh siuⁿ 𠕇, 伊 tō án-ne. 若 抱題目 去睏, 凡勢 到天光 會浮出 伊 làu-kau ê 某一方面.
伊欲 揣物件 好通阻止 伊 ê 心思 koh 想起 hit 份 判決 Richard ê “沒收公權令,” choăn 發現 hit 疊 等伊 回批 ê 信件. 彼是 各色人 寄來 ê 友善慰問, 包括一寡 老慣犯. 真正 hō͘ 人佮意 ê 老慣犯 屬 tī 已經過時 hit 派, 人數 lú 來 lú 少. 取代 in ê, 是粗殘 ê 少年鱸鰻, in he 自我中心 ê 靈魂 無一屑仔 人性, ná 狗仔囝 m̄-bat 字, ná 電動鋸仔 冷酷無情. 老派 ê 職業賊偷 總是 kap 其他職業 ê 成員仝款, 有個性, 袂按怎 邪惡. 是 恬靜顧家 ê 查埔人, 注重 家庭假期 kap 囡仔 ê 扁桃線; 若無, tō是 龜怪 ê 羅漢跤, 熱心 tī 櫳仔鳥, a̍h 舊冊店, a̍h 沉迷 tī 複雜 koh 可靠 ê 跋筊系統. Chiâu 是 老派人物.
現代鱸鰻 才袂 寫批來, 講 伊真遺憾 有一个 “賊頭” teh 破病. 這種念頭 絕對 袂閃過 現代鱸鰻 ê 頭腦.
倒 leh 寫批 是辛苦 ê 代誌, Grant 原本想欲 kā 逃過. 毋過 hit 疊 上頂面 ê 批囊 是表姊 Laura ê 筆跡, 若無接著 伊 ê 回批, Laura 定著 會擔心. 囡仔時 Laura bat kap 伊做伙 度過暑假, 雙人 tī Scotland 懸地 ê 熱天 產生 sióx ê 意愛, hō͘ in 中間 建立一種 拍袂斷 ê 連結. 上好 伊是寫 一張字條 kā Laura 講 伊猶活著.
伊 koh 讀 她 ê 批, 喙 chhiòx; Turlie 河 ê 水聲 ká-ná tī 耳邊響起, tī 目睭前 流過, 伊 mā ká-ná 鼻著 懸地荒野 ê 甜蜜 寒冷氣味, choăn 伊小可 袂記得 ka-tī 是 蹛院病人, teh 過 he ak-chak, 無聊, koh 關著 ê 生活.
// Pat 送來 伊 ê 愛 hō͘ 你, 假使 伊 較大漢 a̍h 較少年 一下 伊會 án-ne 講. 但是 9 歲 ê 伊, 干焦講: “Kā Alan 講, 我 kap 伊相借問,” 講 伊有 ka-tī 發明 ê 假胡蠅 [做魚餌用], 等你 放病假 轉來 欲送 hō͘ 你. 伊最近 tī 學校感覺 小可見笑, 因為 第一擺 伊知影, Scotland 人 kā Charles I 賣 hō͘ England 人, tō 決定 伊無愛 koh 屬 tī 這款民族. 自 án-ne, 就我所知, 伊開始 孤身 抵抗 一切 Scotland ê 物件: 毋學這个 可悲國家 ê 歷史, 毋唱 伊 ê 歌, 毋記 伊 ê 地理. 昨暗睏前 伊宣布, 伊 已經決定 欲申請 Norway 國籍. //
Grant ùi 桌仔頂 提伊 ê 批紙, kō͘ 鉛筆 án-ne 寫:
// 親愛 ê Laura,
若知影 London 塔 ni̍h ê 王子 tī Richard III 死後 猶活著, he 著驚 敢會 hō͘ 你擋袂牢?
永遠 ê,
Alan
附記: 我得欲 康復 ah. //
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8.5
‘Only historians tell you what they thought. Research workers stick to what they did.’
‘What they did is all I want to know. I’ve always been a believer in the old saw that actions speak louder than words.’
‘Incidentally, what does the sainted Sir Thomas say that Richard did when he heard that his brother was dead?’ Brent wanted to know.
[Pg 113]‘The sainted Sir Thomas (alias John Morton) says that Richard got busy being charming to the Queen and persuading her not to send a large bodyguard to escort the boy prince from Ludlow; meanwhile cooking up a plot to kidnap the boy on his way to London.’
‘According to the sainted More, then, Richard meant from the very first to supplant the boy.’
‘Oh, yes.’
‘Well, we shall find out, at least, who was where and doing what, whether we can deduce their intentions or not.’
‘That’s what I want. Exactly.’
‘Policeman!’ jibed the boy. ‘"Where were you at five p.m. on the night of the fifteenth inst?"’
‘It works,’ Grant assured him. ‘It works.’
‘Well, I’ll go away and work too. I’ll be in again as soon as I have got the information you want. I’m very grateful to you, Mr Grant. This is a lot better than the Peasants.’
He floated away into the gathering dusk of the winter afternoon, his train-like coat giving an academic sweep and dignity to his thin young figure.
Grant switched on his lamp, and examined the pattern it made on the ceiling as if he had never seen it before.
It was a unique and engaging problem that the boy had dropped so casually into his lap. As unexpected as it was baffling.
What possible reason could there be for that lack of contemporary accusation?
Henry had not even needed proof that Richard was himself responsible. The boys were in Richard’s care. If they were not to be found when the Tower was taken over, then that was far finer, thicker mud to throw at his[Pg 114] dead rival than the routine accusations of cruelty and tyranny.
Grant ate his supper without for one moment being conscious either of its taste or its nature.
It was only when The Amazon, taking away his tray, said kindly: ‘Come now, that’s a very good sign. Both rissoles all eaten up to the last crumb!’ that he became aware that he had partaken of a meal.
For another hour he watched the lamp-pattern on the ceiling, going over the thing in his mind; going round and round it looking for some small crack that might indicate a way into the heart of the matter.
In the end he withdrew his attention altogether from the problem. Which was his habit when a conundrum proved too round and smooth and solid for immediate solution. If he slept on the proposition it might, tomorrow, show a facet that he had missed.
He looked for something that might stop his mind from harking back to that Act of Attainder, and saw the pile of letters waiting to be acknowledged. Kind, well-wishing letters from all sorts of people; including a few old lags. The really likable old lags were an outmoded type, growing fewer and fewer daily. Their place had been taken by brash young thugs with not a spark of humanity in their egocentric souls, as illiterate as puppies and as pitiless as a circular saw. The old professional burglar was apt to be as individual as the member of any other profession, and as little vicious. Quiet little domestic men, interested in family holidays and the children’s tonsils; or odd bachelors devoted to cage-birds, or second-hand bookshops, or complicated and infallible betting systems. Old-fashioned types.
[Pg 115]No modern thug would write to say that he was sorry that a ‘busy’ was laid aside. No such idea would ever cross a modern thug’s mind.
Writing a letter when lying on one’s back is a laborious business, and Grant shied away from it. But the top envelope on the pile bore the writing of his cousin Laura, and Laura would become anxious if she had no answer at all from him. Laura and he had shared summer holidays as children, and had been a little in love with each other all through one Highland summer, and that made a bond between them that had never been broken. He had better send Laura a note to say that he was alive.
He read her letter again, smiling a little; and the waters of the Turlie sounded in his ears and slid under his eyes, and he could smell the sweet cold smell of a Highland moor in winter, and he forgot for a little that he was a hospital patient and that life was sordid and boring and claustrophobic.
Pat sends what would be his love if he were a little older or just a little younger. Being nine, he says: ‘Tell Alan I was asking for him’, and has a fly of his own invention waiting to be presented to you when you come on sick-leave. He is a little in disgrace at the moment in school, having learned for the first time that the Scots sold Charles the First to the English and having decided that he can no longer belong to such a nation. He is therefore, I understand, conducting a one-man protest strike against all things Scottish, and will learn no history, sing no song, nor memorise any geography pertaining to so deplorable a country. He [Pg 116]announced going to bed last night and that he has decided to apply for Norwegian citizenship.
Grant took his letter pad from the table and wrote in pencil:
Dearest Laura,
Would you be unbearably surprised to learn that the Princes in the Tower survived Richard III?
As ever,
Alan
P.S. I am nearly well again.
[Pg 117]
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