Chapter 10 Chapter 10 The Sentinel

Where is this music?In the air, or on the ground? "storm" I prick up my ears to listen, Hear that sweet melody that creates a soul under the rib of Death. Komos Quentin had just entered his hut to change his clothes when his venerable uncle came to inquire about the details of his hunting of wild boars. The young man was so sure that his uncle's hands were better than his brains, that he took care in answering that the king should have the victories which he wished to claim for himself.Le Balafrey's answer, by bragging how well he would have behaved in similar circumstances, contained a mild reproach for his nephew's neglect of action, for not coming to the king's aid in time for his peril.The young man carefully avoided further justifications for his behavior in his answer, except that according to the hunting rules, it would be considered indecent to interfere with other hunters unless someone specifically asked for help.Before the discussion was over, Quentin had every reason to be grateful for the reserve and reserve with which he had spoken to his uncle.He heard a soft knock on the door, announcing the arrival of a visitor.As soon as the door opened, I saw Oliver.Dan (or Bad Oliver, Devil Oliver, those are his aliases anyway) walks in.

We have already described the appearance of this able and most unprincipled man.But in its actions and attitudes, perhaps the best analogy is that of a house cat dozing or timidly slinking across a room, watching the mouse hole and rubbing it as if affectionately and joyously. The body of someone it wishes to caress, suddenly jumps at the mouse it wants to catch, or claws at the object it was trying to curry favor with in the blink of an eye. He walked in with slumped shoulders and an air of humility.He addressed Le Balafrey with such civility that anyone who saw him for a moment could not help guessing that he had come specifically to intercede with the Scottish defender.He started by congratulating Leslie, saying that his young nephew had done a fine job hunting today.In his opinion, he had won the king's favor.Having said that, he paused for a while, waiting for the other party's answer.He kept his eyes on the ground, except once or twice to lift his eyelids to peek at Quentin sideways.Le Barafrey said: His Majesty the King is really unlucky. It is a pity that it was not me but my nephew who stayed with him.Had I been with him, I would have poked the boar to death in time.But according to what I know, I think Quentin has left this matter to His Majesty.However, this is also a lesson for His Majesty, he said, please always remember that a man of my stature must be given a good horse to ride in the future.Otherwise, how can a Flemish brown horse like mine keep up with the Normandy horses that your Majesty rides?Dare I say, I drove the horse incessantly with spurs, and wounded the horse on both sides.It is ill-considered, sir Oliver.You must speak to His Majesty about this.

Master Oliver replied to these remarks only by casting a slow, half-credulous glance at the bold and bold warrior, with a little wag of his hand, and a little on one side of his head.This gesture could be interpreted either as tacit agreement with what he had said, or as a careful signal that it was inappropriate for him to continue the subject.His gaze on the young man was shrewder and sharper.He said with an ambiguous smile: Young man, is it your Scottish habit to leave your monarch without assistance and endanger it in today's emergency? It is our custom, replied Quentin, to resolve to say no more about the matter, that we need not trouble people with our help when they are engaged in noble amusements, so long as they can manage themselves.On the hunting grounds, we think, princes have to try their luck as much as anyone else, and that is what they go for.What kind of hunting is hunting without fatigue and danger?

You listen to this silly boy, his uncle preaches, he has such a temper.To everyone he has a ready answer, or a ready reason.I wonder where he got this talent.I can't see a reason to justify anything I've done in my life, other than hungry meals, roll call, and the like. "My lord," said the king, the barber, looking at him from under his eyelids, "on such an occasion, what reason can you have for calling names?" 'Because the captain ordered me to do it,' said Le Barafrey, by St. Giles, and I don't know of any other reason!If he ordered Thierry and Cunningham they would do it.

What a most military and overwhelming reason!But, said Oliver, you will be glad, Monsieur Le Balafrey, to know that the King is not displeased with your nephew's behaviour.He has selected him for a mission this afternoon. Choose him?Le Balafrey said in great amazement, I suppose you mean to choose me? I said exactly what I meant, and the barber replied in a mild but firm tone, The king has a business to entrust to your nephew. for what?Why did he choose this doll instead of me, said Le Balafrey? I also couldn't get further than the overwhelming reasons you've come up with yourself.Monsieur Le Balafrey, this is His Majesty's order.However, he added, if I may speculate, it may be that His Majesty has a job more suited to a young man like your nephew than to a veteran warrior like you.Young gentleman, grab your arms and follow me.Remember to bring an arquebus, as you will be on sentry duty.

Watch out!When the uncle said, Master Oliver, are you sure you are right?You know, only people (like me) who have served twelve years in our honorable guard are eligible to serve in the castle station. I am well aware of your Majesty's wishes, said Oliver, without further delay. However, LeBalafrey said, my nephew was still just a squire of mine, not even a free shooter. I am sorry, replied Oliver, but the king had sent for the rolls less than half an hour ago, and had him duly placed in the guard.Please help pack up your nephew so he can go about his duties. Le Balafrey was kind by nature and not much jealous.He hastened to tidy up his nephew's clothes and told him some things that should be paid attention to on duty; at the same time, he couldn't help but marvel at the young man's good fortune so early.

It was a first of its kind in the Scots Guards, he said, never before.His mission must have been to guard the parrot and the Indian peacock which the Venetian ambassador had recently dedicated to the king could not be otherwise.Since this kind of task is only suitable for beardless children, (he twirled his bushy beard at this moment) I am naturally glad to see it befall my good nephew. Quick-witted and imaginative, Quentin saw the prospect of his own rapid promotion by being called up to the king's service so quickly.Thinking of getting ahead soon, he couldn't help but feel his heart beat faster for joy.He resolved to observe carefully the attitude and speech of the man who led him, because he felt that, at least in some cases, the behavior of the man must be interpreted by the opposite, as fortune-tellers are said to interpret dreams by the opposite.However, he couldn't help but be thankful that he kept the wild boar hunt a secret.He made a resolution, which is quite prudent for a young man, as long as he continues to stay in this mysterious palace, he must not reveal his inner thoughts at all, and strictly seal his tongue.

Soon he was fully equipped, with a musket on his shoulder (although the Scottish Guards still retained the name of shooter, they used muskets to replace the longbow that their nation was never good at using early on), and followed Master Oliver out of the barracks . There was a look of surprise and curiosity on his uncle's face, and he stared at his back for a long time.Although neither envy nor the malice of envy was in his honest thoughts, he nevertheless had a feeling of wounded or humiliated pride, which was similar to that caused by seeing a nephew triumphant. Happy mood mixed together.

He shook his head seriously, opened a private cupboard and took out a large bottle of old wine, shook the bottle to see how much wine was left in it, then filled the glass and drank it down.Now he was sitting half-reclined on a long oak chair, shaking his head slowly again.He took many obvious virtues from this shaking of his head, and continued to shake like the toy of a gentleman, as they call it, until he fell asleep at last until the sound of the dinner bugle awakened him. Quentin.Darwilt left his uncle to think alone, and followed his guide, Mr. Oliver, to the palace.Oliver led him not through the main courtyard, but through a labyrinth of stairs, vaulted cellars, and corridors connected by hidden doors in unexpected places, and finally to a large, spacious long hall with latticed windows. gallery.Judging by its width, this corridor is almost a hall.The tapestry hanging on the wall is antique, but not necessarily very beautiful.There are also a few stark, cold, and terrible portraits from the period of Enlightenment that preceded the glorious era of the Renaissance.These portraits are all the knights of Charlemagne, who was once prominent in the romantic history of France.Since the famous Orlando was the most prominent figure among the knights because of his huge stature, the house was named after him, and it was called Rowland Hall or Rowland Gallery. (Original note: I surmise that Charlemagne remained a saint throughout the dark Middle Ages because of his merciless harshness against Saxons and other pagans. Louis XI honored him with special veneration as one of his successors This ancestor.)

You will stand guard here.Oliver murmured, as if fearing that by raising his voice he might offend the majesty of the kings and warriors around him, or evoke the echoes that lurked between the vaults and Gothic ceiling pendants of the dreadful great room. What password should my guard remember?Quentin also lowered his voice and asked. Is your musket loaded?Oliver asked rhetorically, without answering his inquiry. To be loaded quickly.replied Quentin, and proceeded to charge the gun, and to light the slow fuse (by which the fire should be fired if necessary) on the dying embers of a fire in a great chimney.By the way, the chimney in this room is so extraordinarily large that it could be called a Gothic dark room or a chapel attached to the hall.

When this was done, Oliver told him how ignorant he was of the supremacy of the Scotch Guard.In fact, the guard personnel were only ordered directly by the king himself or by the French governor.Young man, it was His Majesty the King himself who sent you here, added Oliver, and you will soon know why you were called.The scope of your patrol is the two sides of this hall.You may stand if you please, but you are never allowed to sit or leave your arms.You must never sing loudly, or whistle.But if you like, you can hum softly some church prayers or something innocuous.Goodbye, I wish you a good standing on this post. Stand on this post!The young man thought.By this time the guide had slipped past him with his characteristic silent gliding motion, and disappeared into the side door behind the tapestry.Stand on this post!Who is the target of the alert?Besides bats and mice, what else is worth noting?Will these ancient and austere representatives of humanity still come back to disturb my watch?Come on, it's my job, and I have to do my job. He was determined to carry out his duties with the utmost strictness, but also wanted to pass the time humming a few hymns he had learned while hiding in the monastery after his father's death.In his heart he had to admit that, except that the new monk's robes he wore then had been replaced by the gorgeous military uniform he was wearing now, his walking up and down as a sentinel in the corridors of the French palace at this moment had nothing to do with his lonely Arbor. The very wearisome walks to and fro in Brodick Abbey are very similar. As if to prove that he was no longer a monastery monk but an ordinary man, he hummed, in a tone not exceeding the permissible range, the old, coarse ballads which had been taught to him by the old household harper; The defeat of Muno and Forrest, and the legend of the death of King Dufus at Forfar.In addition he hummed several other songs praising the history of his distant country, especially the poetry of his homeland.Humming like this, it has passed for a long time.It was already past two o'clock in the afternoon, and Quentin felt very hungry.Thinking of the past in Aberbrodick Abbey, although the priests strictly required him to attend prayers, they also called him to dinner on time; but no one in this palace thought that after practicing all morning and standing guard all afternoon After that, filling his stomach to satisfy his hunger is naturally a top priority for him. However, there is often a charm in the sweet voice, which can even calm the impatience Quentin feels at the moment.At each end of this corridor there is a door with a thick and heavy door frame, which may lead to two sets of rooms connected by the corridor.As Quentin the sentry walked to and fro between the two doors within range of his sentry, he was taken aback by a sudden musical sound from one of the doors, for it was, at least as far as he imagined, the same as the previous one. The music that fascinated him all day came from the same lyre and the same voice.Although the series of thrilling things that have been experienced have greatly diluted the dream of yesterday morning, but at this moment it wakes up from the deep sleep with stronger vitality.Quentin stood where his ears are most likely to listen to the music as if he had taken root, with a gun on his shoulders, his mouth half-opened, his eyes, ears and heart all focused on the place where the music was played, he looked more like a statue of a sentinel , not like a living sentinel, because his only idea is to catch every note of that beautiful melody as he can! Yet he only partially heard the murmurs and whirls of the melodious music, which ceased altogether, and which, after an indeterminate interval, resumed suddenly.Music, like beauty, is the most moving, or at least more arousing people's imagination, when it reveals its charm faintly, and lets imagination fill in the gap caused by distance.In addition, Quentin, who is intoxicated in the intermission of music, also has enough content to enrich his dreams.Judging from the conversations of his uncle's colleagues and what happened in the audience hall that morning, he can be sure without any doubt that the fairy who is moving him with melodious music at this moment is not, as he surmises with the heart of a layman. Daughter or kinsman of a lowly innkeeper, but the unfortunate countess in disguise over whom kings are about to fight.It is easy for a young man in an age of adventurous Romanticism to have such fantasies that concrete and real situations disappear from his eyes and are replaced by dazzling hallucinations.But at this moment, someone suddenly grabbed his weapon roughly, and ruthlessly drove away these hallucinations.Only a stern voice was heard calling close to his ear: Ha, my God!Mr. Retinue, I think you are taking a nap while standing guard here! This was the dry, dignified, ironic voice of Monsieur Pierre.Quentin woke up suddenly, and he saw with horror that, in his dream, King Louis himself might have entered through some secret door, and then slipped along the wall or hidden behind the tapestry. In front of him, he almost firmly grasped his weapon.The first impulsive response to surprise was to recapture the musket with a forceful movement that sent the king staggering backwards into the hall.But then he was afraid that, by obeying the so-called animal instinct that drove the warriors to resist attempts to disarm him, he had, by this face-to-face encounter with the king, aggravated the king's anger at his neglect of duty.Under the influence of this impression, he almost unconsciously put the retracted musket on his shoulder again, and then stood blankly before the king whom he had reason to believe was seriously offended by him. King Louis' domineering character is not so much based on natural viciousness and cruelty as on calm strategy and suspicion.Yet there was also an element of sarcasm and sternness in his disposition, which made him formidable in private conversation, and gave one the impression that he enjoyed the pleasure of inflicting pain on others in situations such as the present.However, he did not overuse the joy brought to him by the current victory, but just said this: Well, what you did for me this morning outweighed the usual negligence of such a young man.Did you eat? Quentin, who had expected to be sent to stand trial with the Attorney-General, was treated with such civility, and humbly replied that he had not eaten. Poor boy, said King Louis, in a more gentle tone than usual, hunger has made him sleepy.I know you have the appetite of a wolf, he went on, and I will save you from a hungry wolf as you saved me from a wild boar. Thank you. Can you hold on for another hour on an empty stomach? Twenty-four hours, Your Majesty, Dawilt replied, or I would not be a true Scot. Woe to a piece of pie that should touch you after you have been hungry for so long; and if I were given another kingdom, I would not play such a role, said the king, but now the question Not your lunch, but my own lunch.Today I have invited Cardinal Ballou and that Burgundian Count Krevig with the utmost secrecy.Something might have happened because the devil was at his most active when the enemies met under the condition of a truce. He didn't say any more, but stood silently with a gloomy face.Seeing that the king was in no hurry to speak, Quentin asked at length what he should do in such a situation. Standing guard next to the cupboard with a loaded gun, King Louis said that if there is any betrayal, the betrayer will be shot on the spot. Your Majesty, you say there will be treachery!Besides, in such a heavily guarded castle!Davelt said in surprise. You think it impossible, said the king, and his frankness does not seem strange, but our history shows that treachery is all-pervasive.There are guards to rule out betrayal!Ah, what a silly boy you are! quiscustodiatipsocustodes (Note:) Then who will stop the betrayal of the guards themselves? (Note:) Latin: who beware of the guards themselves? With their Scots sense of honor.Davelt replied boldly. Yes, that's right. I like you very much.The king said cheerfully, The honor of the Scots has always been sure, and I trust in it.But betrayal is such a thing!Now he was in his former gloomy mood again, and walked unevenly across the hall. It sat on our banquet table, shining in our wine bowls.It has the beard of a counsellor, the smile of a courtier, the laugh of a jester It hides especially under the friendly expression of reconciled enemies.Orleans.Louis believed in Burgundy.John was killed in the Rue Barbert as a result.Burgundy.John believed that the sect of Orléans had also been killed at the Pont Montero.I don't trust anyone or anyone.Listen, I'll watch out for that impudent earl, and I'll watch out for that bishop, because I don't think he's very loyal.When I say Ecosse, enavant, (Note: French: Scotsman, forward!) you beat Krevig to death on the spot. It is my duty, said Quentin, because His Majesty's life is in danger. Of course I meant just such a case, said the king, or what good would it do me to kill this impudent warrior?If it was the Governor of St. Paul, here he paused, as if he felt that he had confided something he should not have said, but then laughed loudly, and my cousin, James Quentin of Scotland, your James is in his own Killed Douglas on a friendly visit in the Skirlin Palace. If His Majesty is not surprised, it should be said to be Sterling Palace.Quentin said it was a futile move. Is your name Stirling Castle?The king said, not caring much about the content of the second half of Quentin's sentence, well, let it be Stirling Castle, the name doesn't matter.But I don't want to harm these two people. It will do me no good.But they may not have the same kindness for me I trust in your musket. I'll move at the signal, Quentin said, but You hesitate, said the king, and finish your speech.I give you full permission.From the mouth of a man like you, we can get some really precious revelations. I just want to say without presumptuousness, Quentin replied, since your Majesty has reason to suspect the Burgundian, I am surprised that you allow him to be so close to the body, and under very mysterious circumstances. "Ah, I can give you a satisfactory answer, Mr. Squire," said the King, "There are dangers which are saved by you if you stand up for them, but which are certain and inevitable if you show fear clearly."If I ventured up to a ferocious mastiff and petted it, nine times out of ten I would make it submissive.If I appeared frightened, it would jump on me and tear me apart.I want to tell you frankly that it is very important to me that this man should not be allowed to meet his reckless master with anger.That's why I take the risk.I have never avoided risking my life for the good of France.follow me. Louis led the young guard, whom he seemed to be particularly fond of, through the side door through which he had come in, and, pointing out to him, said: "Whoever wants to gain power at court must be acquainted with these secret doors and secret ladders. Yes, and all kinds of traps in the palace, and the main door, the folding door and the portico. After turning several turns and passing through several corridors, the king entered a small vaulted room, where a table had been set and three sets of dishes were placed on it.The whole interior of the room is so simple that it is almost shabby.A sideboard, or portable sideboard, containing several plates of gold and silver, was the only piece of furniture in the room with a touch of royal air.The cupboard, where Louis pointed to Quentin to stand, was completely hidden from view.Louis went to every corner of the house to check again, and after confirming that no one could be seen standing guard from any angle, he gave Quentin the last task: remember the password Ecosse, enavant; Don't regret the big cups and small cups in the cabinet.You gotta make sure you're aiming for Krevig and if the gun fails, you wrap your arms around him and knife Oliver and I've got the Cardinal. After the explanation, the king whistled loudly and called Oliver in.This person is the chief courtier of the imperial palace and the former barber of the imperial court, in fact, he is in charge of all matters directly related to the imperial body.At this moment he appeared accompanied by the only two attendants at the royal table of the two old men.As soon as the king was seated, the guests were immediately invited in.Although Quentin himself hid aside, his position enabled him to see all the details of the king's summons. The king greeted the guests very warmly.Quentin found it extremely difficult to reconcile this display of enthusiasm with his previous orders and intentions to stand behind a cupboard with a deadly weapon on standby.Not only did Louis appear unsuspecting, but one would naturally suppose that, to the two guests invited to dinner with the highest honor, he could trust without reservation and would be willing to give the honor.His demeanor could not have been more dignified or courteous.Everything around him, including his own clothes, was far less luxurious than that of the little princes at the banquet, but the language and attitude showed the superiority of a powerful monarch.Quentin could not help speculating that either his previous conversation with Louis had been all a dream, or that the bishop's obedience and the Burgundian nobleman's frank manner had completely reassured the king's suspicions. However, when the guests were seated as ordered, His Majesty cast a piercing gaze on them, and then moved it to where Quentin stood.Although the time was only for a moment, those eyes expressed great suspicion and hatred towards the guest, and conveyed a decisive and strict order to Quentin: the guards must be vigilant, and the execution must be swift.Undoubtedly, this shows that Louis' intentions have not changed in the slightest, and his wariness has not diminished in the slightest.Quentin was therefore more startled than before by the thick veil with which the king concealed the manifestations of his suspicious character. The king seemed to have completely forgotten the provocative language that Krevig had used against him in the presence of all civil and military officials, and talked to him about the past: recalling some things that happened to him during his exile in Burgundy, asking him Some nobles he was familiar with at that time; it seemed that that period of exile was really the happiest period of his life, and it seemed that he retained the most kind gratitude to those who helped him improve his living conditions. If it was an ambassador from another country, he said, I might add a little solemnity to the reception, but to the chateau of Genape It is the place where he often lives. His life in exile during this period is often mentioned in the novel.) My old friend who often dined with me, I would like to do things in the way I usually like the most, without changing the past Valois.The true nature of Louis is still as simple as that of ordinary Parisians.However, I had some better food than usual prepared for you, Monsieur Count, because I know you Burgundians have the motto that fine food is not as good as fine food, and I ordered them to make it better.You know, our wines are a traditional competition between France and Burgundy.At this point we will reconcile this rivalry.I'll toast you with Burgundy, and you, Monsieur Count, will toast me with champagne Hey, Oliver, give me a glass of Oxel.Then he happily hummed a famous song at that time "Oxel Wine is the Drink of Kings". Monsieur Count, I drink to the health of my dear cousin, the noble Duke of Burgundy.Oliver, fill that golden goblet with rum, and kneel to the earl. On behalf of my dear cousin, my lord bishop, I'll pour you myself. Your Majesty, you have filled me up to the brim.said the bishop with the humble expression of a favored servant. That's because I know that His Excellency drinks a lot, Louis said, but which side do you support in this great competition? Cylery or Auxelles, France or Burgundy? Sire, I will remain neutral, said the cardinal, and fill my glass with Ovina. Neutrals have a dangerous role to play.said the king.But when he saw that the cardinal blushed, he quietly avoided the subject, and added: "However, you would rather drink Auverna, because this wine is too noble to be mixed with water. Your count will drink it up." He hesitated to take a glass of wine, I think you didn't find any bitter national hatred under the glass. Your Majesty, said Lord Krevig, may the disputes of all nations be settled as amicably as the rivalry between our vineyards. As long as there is time, Monsieur Count, replied the king, as long as there is time as leisurely and abundant as you drink champagne, please do me the honor of keeping this glass in your bosom as a token of my gratitude. A little thought from you.Not that I'm willing to give this wine glass to anyone.This is the wine glass used by Henry V of England, the formidable enemy of France. It was captured when Rouen was recovered and the French and Burgundian forces drove the islanders out of Normandy.It could not have been better to present it to a noble and brave Burgundian who knew full well that the continued liberation of the Continent from the English yoke depended on the union of these two nations. The count gave an appropriate answer.King Louis began to let loose an ironic sense of humor which sometimes brightened the dark side of one's character.The conversation naturally follows him.His speech was sharp, sarcastic, and often witty, but seldom honest, and the anecdotes he explained and illustrated were more humorous than elegant.However, every word, every syllable, and every letter he said did not reveal the alertness of soldiers with live ammunition in the room, in case they were assassinated by the other side. Count Krevig was frankly and sincerely pleased with the king's sense of humor.The tactful bishop laughed at every joke the king told, embellished some of the antics, and made even the yokel-like young Scot who hid aside blush. Parts is a cruder collection of stories than similar books of the time. Anyone who has read this volume can guess the nature of the crude humor displayed by Louis XI.).But he himself was not shy.After about an hour and a half, the banquet came to an end.After taking his civil farewell to his guests, the King indicated that he would like to be alone for a while. Once everyone was gone, even Oliver, he called Quentin out of his hiding place.But the voice was too weak, and it was hard for the young man to believe that the owner of the voice was still so eloquent in telling jokes and telling stories with such relish.As he drew nearer, he saw the same change in the expression of the king's face.The piercing gaze from when he forced a smile has disappeared from his eyes, and the smile on his face has also disappeared.He showed the full fatigue that a famous actor feels after playing his favorite part with great vigor and vigor on stage. You haven't finished your post yet, he said to Quentin, eat something and take a rest. There is some food on the table over there, and I will explain the next task to you later.However, it is not fair for a full man to talk to a hungry man. He sank into the chair, covered his forehead with his hands, and remained silent.