cacb.thefarkingdoms-第44部分

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eads　in　then…stomachs…or　perhaps　we　had　not　traveled　far　enough　to　meet　them。　There　were　no　traces　of　clothing　or　weaponry；　so　we　could　not　tell　if　we　were　looking　at　the　body　of　a　savage　or　a　savant。　Janos　suggested　we　close　up　the　marching　order　and　move　carefully　past　brushy　areas。　Again；　perhaps　a　great　cat　had　seized　the　man　and　ripped　off　his　head。　No　one　had　a　better　theory。
　We　were　skirting　another　pit　when　suddenly　the　ground　gave　way　beneath　us；　then　we　were　sliding；　scrabbling　frantically　in　the　collapsing　sand；　but　sliding　toward　to　the　bottom　of　the　pit　I　saw　one　of　the　asses　。。。　one　that　carried　one　of　our　treasure　chests　。。。　tumble；　braying　in　panic；　gold　coins　spilling；　cascading　down　。。。　a　soldier　floundering；　trying　to　climb　back　to　solid　land　。。。　Cassini　shouting　in　panic　。。。
　Something　came　out　of　the　bottom　of　that　pit。　A　black　nightmare。　I　never　saw　。。。　or　my　mind　refused　to　admit　it　had　seen　。。。　all　of　the　creature。　There　was　a　huge；　pulsing　abdomen　。。。　a　wedge…shaped　head　on　a　turreted　neck　。。。　jaws　that　were　razor　scimitars　flashing　on　either　side　of　a　pursed　mouth　。。。　claws　scrabbling　at　the　sand；　digging；　digging；　digging　away；　making　the　sand　slide　us　down；　down　toward　death。　Cassini　lost　his　footing；　fell；　and　began　to　roll。　The　ass's　bray　became　a　scream；　became　silent；　and　Cassini　stopped　himself；　legs　splayed　wide　on　the　sand；　then　he　began　sliding　again；　very　slowly。　He　was　shouting　for　help；　screaming。
　Janos；　too；　had　slipped　into　the　creature's　trap　and　was　sprawled　a　few　feet　above　the　Evocator。　He　fought　himself　up；　to　his　knees　。。。　Cassini's　hand　implored　him；　stretched　out。。。　Janos　started　to　move　。。。　and　then　stopped。　We　all　became　part　of　some　horrible　tableau；　frozen　in　this　bit　of　time。　Then　I　was　leaping；　once；　twice；　my　feet　digging　in；　and　I　was　below　Cassini　and　buried　to　the　knees　in　the　sand；　his　slide　broken　against　me；　and　then　both　of　us　were　tottering。　Somehow　I　steadied　myself　。。。　standing　。。。　afraid　to　look　back；　afraid　to　see　how　close　to　the　terrible　thing　we　were；　not　balanced　enough　to　draw　my　sword；　shouting　to　Cassini　to　crawl；　man；　crawl；　and　he　was　scrabbling　upward；　I　wading　after　him；　and　I　thought　I　heard　a　great　hiss　from　behind　me；　like　the　creature　was　being　cheated；　and　from　the　Up　of　the　hole　spears　came　down；　arcing　just　over　my　shoulder；　and　the　hiss　became　a　shrill；　and　I　was　staggering　up；　sliding　back　down　。。。　and　Janos　was　beside　us；　somehow　able　to　walk　in　this　dry　mire；　and　then　we　were　out　of　the　creature's　den；　diving　away　from　its　edge。　Deoce　and　Maeen　ran　up；　stringing　bows；　each　of　them　holding　arrows　in　their　bow　hands。　But　there　was　nothing　to　shoot　at。
　The　sides　of　the　pit　were　still　sliding；　as　the　sand　resought　the　cone's　natural　perfection。　There　was　nothing　at　the　bottom　of　the　pit。　No　creature；　no　ass；　no　treasure　chest。　I　thought　I　could　see　a　gleam　that　might　have　been　a　few　of　the　coins。　Unless　the　creature　had　power　to　make　itself　invisible　or　was　a　demon　from　some　unknown　hell；　it　must　have　reburied　itself。　I　had　time　to　think　of　each　of　the　pits　we　had　passed；　each　housing　such　a　monster；　and　refused　the　abominable　thought　Then　we　realized　one　of　the　soldiers…　Aron…was　missing。　We　never　saw　his　body；　and　I　ordered　our　party　to　march　on　before　the　creature　in　the　pit　had　time　to　drain　his　juices　and　cast　his　body　among　us。　Cassini　was　glowering　at　Janos；　who　avoided　his　gaze；　but　still　we　marched；　on　and　on。
　That　night　I　woke　and　saw　a　bulky　form　that　could　only　be　Janos　sitting　just　beyond　our　party。　I　rose　silently　and　joined　him。　〃By　rights；〃　he　said　softly；　〃you　should　reduce　me　to　the　ranks　and　put　Sergeant　Maeen　in　charge。　I　failed　today。〃
　I　had　just　about　enough　of　what　I　perceived　to　be　Janos'　plete　inability　to　recognize　his　own　humanity　and　flaws。　〃The　mighty　Greycloak；　afraid；〃　I　said　as　sarcastically　as　I　could　manage。　〃The　stars　fall　from　their　courses；　the　earth　shudders；　and　there　is　blood　on　the　moon。　As　if　a　damned　great　monster　like　that　would　not　have　sent　shudders　through　any　of　the　heroes　of　old。〃
　〃It　wasn't　fear；〃　Janos　said；　and　I　knew　he　spoke　the　truth。　〃No　one　who　is　a　soldier　can　allow　his　fear　of　death；　which　we　all　share；　to　paralyze　him　as　I　was。〃
　〃So　you　let　yourself　wish　Cassini　dead。　Dammit；　I　have　no　idea　what　sent　me　after　him；　considering　the　number　of　times　I've　wished　him　to　contract　some　dread　plague。〃
　〃My　feelings　for　Cassini　also　had　nothing　to　do　with　it　And　I　will　add　now　that　no　matter　how　much　we　dislike　him；　we　cannot　do　without　him。　We　will　need　all　of　his　Evocatorial　skills　to　enter　the　Far　Kingdoms；　and　I　feel　we　are　very；　very　close　now。〃
　〃Then　what？〃　I　asked；　impatient。
　〃As　I　said；　the　Far　Kingdoms；〃　Janos　went　on。　〃The　thought　came　on　me；　just　as　I　saw　Cassini　floundering　like　some　beached　carp；　how　imbecilic　it　would　be　for　me　to　die　。。。　here　。。。　now　。。。　within　reach　of　my　life's　dream。　To　achieve　that　dream；　I　would　have　let　Cassini　be　sucked　of　his　juices。〃
　I　should　not　have　asked；　but　I　did。　〃Suppose；　Janos；　that　it　had　been　me；　there？　Slipping　into　those　jaws。　Would　you　have　still　played　statue？〃
　A　long　silence；　and　I　began　to　grow　angry。　Then；　〃I　do　not　think　so；　my　friend。　Or　perhaps；　I　hope　I　would　not　have。　No。　I　would　have　helped。〃　But　the　questioning　note　remained。
　I　returned　to　my　blankets　and　Deoce　and　tossed　and　fretted　over　what　had　happened。　As　my　memory　flees　back　to　that　night　to　coax　words　for　the　lines　required　to　describe　my　youthful　thoughts；　I　realized　now　that　I　felt　hurt…betrayed　by　my　friend。　But　I　can　also　see　from　this　great　distance　what　I　could　not　understand　then。　For　I　can　look　ahead；　whereas　the　young　Amalric　could　not。　In　the　days　that　followed；　Janos'　attitude　toward　me　made　a　subtle　shift。　He　seemed　。。。　easier　in　my　pany；　somehow。　As　if　a　barrier　had　been　lifted　and　a　strong　bond　formed。　And　that　bond　was　this：　until　that　day　I　had　been　Janos'　friend；　there　was　no　questioning　that；　but　he　had　not　really　been　mine。　After　the　pit　Janos　Greycloak　was　truly　my　friend…or；　as　much　a　friend　as　he　could　be　to　any　man　or　woman。
　The　next　morning　Janos　showed　me　the　figurine　of　the　dancing　girl。　I　gasped　at　the　sight　of　it：　she　gleamed　as　if　a　silversmith　had　been　working　long　hours　with　his　polishing　rouge；　and　even　more　startling；　the　figurine　had　partially　re…formed。　Before；　it　had　been　broken　off　at　the　hips；　and　now　it　was　plete　down　to　the　ankles。　The　woman's　hand　now　held　a　silvery　feather；　and　the　scarf　I'd　thought　to　be　part　of　the　original　casting　was　gossamer　and　。。。　alive。　At　that　moment　I　had　no　doubt　we　were　closing　on　the　Far　Kingdoms！
　A　day　later　Deoce　was　first　to　notice　that　the　horizon　was　a　darker　blue。　We　prayed　that　blue　meant　we　were　approaching　mountains。　If　that　was　what　they　were；　they　seemed　to　be　many　leagues　and　days　distant　from　us。　The　question　was　whether　we　had　the　strength　to　reach　them。　I　thought　we　did　not。　The　best　I　could　imagine　was　that　we　might　find　another　oasis；　one　with　game　and　fish。　We　must　rest　and　recover…the　sickness　was　getting　worse。　Perhaps；　if　we　could　stop　moving；　the　curse　that　dogged　us　might　pass　on；　and　Cassini's　powers　would　return。
　Lione　was　walking　at　the　head　of　the　column；　I　was　about　a　spearcast　behind　him。　The　ground　had　bee　low　rolling　hills。　I　came　over　one　crest…just　ahead　of　us；　no　more　than　a　few　minutes'　walk；　opened　a　narrow　valley：　a　great　cleft　in　the　ground　that　looked　as　if　a　giant　had　dug　both　hands　into　the　soil　and　pulled　them　apart。　I　saw；　just　below　the　vertical　rim；　deep　green　that　could　only　mean　well…watered　trees。　I　shouted　to　Lione；　who　was　pacing　on　straight　for　the　cleft；　as　if　he　intended　to　walk　into　it。　He　looked　at　me；　puzzled；　then　came　back。
　I　asked　him；　〃Why　didn't　you　shout　when　you　saw　it？〃
　〃Saw　what？〃
　I　thought　the　soldier　was　being　obstinate；　then　realized　he'd　been　stricken　by　the　sickness。　I　motioned。　He　turned；　and　it　was　as　if　a　veil　was　lifted。　〃It　。。。　it　。。。　wasn't　there。　I　。。。　just　saw　。。。　hills；〃　he　managed。　〃I　was　about　to　e　back　and　say　I　thought　we　should　take　another　heading。〃
　Maybe　someone　intended　him　to　think　that；　I　considered。　Trying　not　to　look　like　a　war　party；　but　with　bows　and　spears　ready　for　use；　we　moved　slowly　toward　the　cliff　edge。　By　the　time　we　reached　it；　two　men　and　a　woman　were　waiting。　Since　the　woman　was　in　front；　I　thought　her　to　be　their　leader。　They　held　out　empty　hands；　palms　up。　All　three　of　them　were　dressed　as　if　for　a　festival；　in　colorful；　loose；　silk…looking　garments。　None　of　them　appeared　to　be　armed。　The　woman　spoke　a　sentence。　I　did　not　understand　it…but　yet　I　did；　much　like　one　half　remembers　a　familiar　face　or　a　dream　on　sudden　wakening。　Deoce　drew　her　breath　in　surprise。　〃They　are　speaking　my　tongue；〃　she　said。　Then；　in　her　own　language；　〃Are　you　of　my　people？〃
　The　woman　smiled　and　chattered；　and　then　I　could　pick　out　a　word　here；　a　word　there。　Deoce　was　frowning；　trying　to　follow。　She　held　up　a　hand；　and　the　woman　stopped。　〃The　language　。。。　is　not　quite　mine；〃　she　said；　carefully　finding　the　exact　phrases。　〃She　speaks　like　old　people　。。。　no；　that　is　not　the　word　。。。　like　wise　men　say　my　people　spoke　once；　long　years　gone。〃
　Deoce　introduced　us：　the　two　men　were　Morning　Fog；　their　shaman；　and　Harvester；　the　woman；　Dawnhope；　and　she　was　their　chieftain。　She　addressed　me；　speaking　slowly；　and　I　could　now　pick　out　the　sense　of　her　remarks；　so　similar　was　her　language　to　Deoce's。　〃We　have　been　seeing　you　for　two　days。　We　hoped　you　would　see　us。〃　I　understood　her　words；　but　not　their　meaning；　and　begged　her　to　explain　further。　With　Deoce's　help；　she　did；　and　I　learned　why　Lione　had　not　seen　the　valley。　I　was　told　there　was　a　mighty；　protective　spell　cast　on　the　valley。　No　one　intending　harm　or　evil　could　see　the　Rift；　but　would　sight　only　more　rolling　hills…hills　they　would　be　impelled　to　turn　away　from　without　knowing　why。
　Cassini　heard　the　translation。　〃There　are　indeed　great　Evocators　in　this　land；〃　he　said；　half　in　fright；　half　mournfully；　and　I　felt　a　flicker　of　sympathy。　Cassini　was　like　a　man　whose　life　and　work　depended　on　keen　vision；　but　who'd　been　suddenly　blinded。　It　was　a　flicker　of　passion；　but　no　more。　I　still　remembered　the　paradise　he'd　lost　for