第11部分(第4/7 頁)

’ll　take　my　punishment。”

“Listen　。　。　。　listen　closely；”　Lamjav　said。　“To　follow　our　custom；　you　。　。　。　you　must　drink　as　many　cups　as　I　say。　I　misspoke　myself　once　and　was　outdrunk　by　a　journalist　who　knew　both　Mongol　and　Han　customs。　This　time　I’m　going　to　make　sure　you　taste　defeat。”　He　poured　a　cup　and；　in　halfway　decent　Chinese；　intoned；　“Meadowlarks　fl　y　in　pairs；　two　cups　from　a　single　wing。”

Yang　Ke　blanched。　“Four　wings　times　two　cups；　ah！　That’s　eight　cups！　How　about　one　cup　from　each　wing？”

“If　you　don’t　play　by　the　rules；”　Lamjav　replied；　“I’ll　make　it　three；　I　mean　。　。　。　three　cups　from　a　single　wing。”

The　crowd　of　hunters；　Chen　Zhen　included；　shouted　in　unison；　“Drink！　You　must　drink！”

Seeing　no　way　out；　Yang　belted　down　eight　cups；　one　after　the　other。　The　old　man　laughed。　“Trying　to　trick　a　friend　out　here　gets　you　into　trouble　every　time；”　he　said。

Chen　and　Yang　took　skewers　of　cooked　meat　from　the　old　man　and；　with　bloody　grease　dripping　down　their　chins；　ate　with　gusto。

“Papa；”　Chen　said；　“this　is　the　first　time　I’ve　eaten　wolf　food；　and　it’s　the　best　thing　I’ve　eaten　in　my　life；　the　best　meat　I’ve　ever　tasted。　Now　I　know　why　so　many　emperors　and　their　sons　were　avid　hunters。　Taizong　of　the　Tang；　China’s　greatest　emperor；　loved　to　hunt。　His　son；　his　heir；　used　to　e　to　the　grassland　with　his　Turkish　bodyguards　to　ride　and　hunt。　He　even　set　up　a grassland…style　tent　in　the　palace　courtyard；　where；　like　you；　he　slaughtered　sheep　and　ate；　slicing　the　meat　off　the　bones　with　his　own　knife。　For　him；　life　on　the　grassland　was　better　than　being　emperor。　All　he　wanted　was　to　hunt　with　his　Turkish　bodyguards　under　his　own　Turkish　wolf　flag；　to　live　like　a　Turk　on　the　grassland。

Eventually；　he　lost　his　claim