Tigana 精彩片段：
chapter 19
AWARM NIGHT, THE FRAGRANCE OF FLOWERS. MOONLIGHT on the trees, on the pale stones of the garden wall, on the woman standing in the high window.
Devin hears a sound to his left and quickly turns. Rovigo running up, to stop, rigid with shock as his gaze follows Alessans upward. Behind him now comes Sandre with Alais.
"Help me!" the Duke orders harshly, dropping to the cobblestones beside Devin. His expression is wild, distraught, he has a knife in his hand.
"What?" Devin gasps, uncomprehending. "What do you . . . ?”
"My fingers! Now! Cut them! I need the power!" And Sandre dAstibar slaps the hilt of the knife hard into Devins palm and curls his own left hand around a loose slab of stone in the street. Only his third and fourth fingers are extended. The wizards fingers, of binding to the Palm.
"Sandre . . ." Devin begins, stammering.
"No words! Cut me, Devin!”
Devin does as he is told. Wincing, gritting his teeth against pain against grief, he poises the sharp slim blade and brings it down on Sandres exposed fingers, cleaving through. He hears someone cry out.
Alais, not the Duke.
But in the moment the knife cuts clean through flesh to grind against stone there is a swift and dazzling flash. Sandres darkened face is illuminated by a corona of white light that flares like a star about his head and dies away, leaving them blinded for a moment in the after-image of its glow.
Alais is on the Dukes other side, kneeling to quickly wrap a square of cloth about his bleeding hand.
Sandre lifts that hand, with an effort, silent in the face of pain. Without a word spoken, Alais helps him, her fingers supporting his arm.
From high above they hear a sharp, distant crash, the sound of men shouting. Silhouetted in the tall window, Catriana becomes suddenly taut. She screams something. They are too far away to make out the words. Too terribly far. They see her turn though, to the darkness, to the night.
"Oh, my dear, no. Not this!" Alessans voice is a ragged whisper scoured up from his heart.