cacb.thefarkingdoms-第69部分

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ample　now；　so　that　in　days　to　e　no　one　will　dare　trouble　travelers　from　Orissa。〃
　I　hesitated；　thinking　surely　there　must　be　a　way　to　avoid　such　slaughter：　we　might　lose　them　or　find　some　other　means　to　trick　them。　Then　I　bitterly　recalled　how　kindly　we　had　been　treated　on　the　Finding；　and　how　even　more　charitable　the　slavers　would　have　been　if　we　had　surrendered　rather　than　attacked。　Then　I　thought　of　Deoce：　rage　rose　red；　not　entirely　directed　at　these　nomads。　〃Do　what　you　will；〃　I　snapped；　and　to　this　day　I　am　sometimes　troubled　by　that　decision。
　〃Good。　We　shall　annihilate　these　hyenas；〃　he　said。　〃But　not　solely　by　force　of　arms。　We　shall　use　other；　more　convincing　tools。〃　We　changed　course；　now　traveling　toward　the　slavers'　outriders；　but　indirectly；　not　wishing　to　give　even　a　hint　of　our　intent。　Before　dusk　they　galloped　off　into　the　distance。　But　we　could　see　where　they　were　headed…toward　another　oasis　where　the　remainder　of　their　party　would　be　encamped；　waiting。
　〃We　will　take　them　as　they　sleep；〃　Janos　said。　He　ordered　us　to　give　him　our　daggers。　In　the　sand　he　drew　a　V　that　was　pointed　toward　the　oasis。　A　second；　shallower　V　closed　the　open　end　of　his　figure；　so　that　it　now　looked　like　a　spear…　or　arrowhead。　There　was　no　pretense　that　Janos　was　not　spell　casting；　or　that　he　was　not　serving　as　an　Evocator；　even　though　such　acts　were　still　forbidden　to　all　Orissans　who　were　not　Evocators。　He　drew　a　large　circle　below　the　spearhead　and　placed　all　of　our　daggers　in　it…　points　toward　the　center。　Next；　he　took　practice　arrowheads　from　our　quivers　and　laid　them　in　the　circle　in　the　same　manner；　their　small　heads　touching　the　dagger　tips。　He　took　a　pack　from　one　of　the　asses；　a　pack　that　contained　some　of　the　supplies　he'd　acquired　in　his　travels。　At　the　three　tips　of　the　spearheads　in　the　sand；　he　imbedded　tiny　wooden　wedges。　He　spoke　words；　and　the　three　wedges　smoked　and　flamed；　without　ever　being　consumed。　Then　he　carefully　lifted　a　vial　from　the　pack　and　unsnapped　the　two　catches　holding　its　lid　in　place。　Ten　feet　away；　the　smell　from　that　vial　hit　us；　and　I　almost　retched。　The　stink　was　long…rotten　meat；　from　what　creature　I　did　not　care　to　guess。　Janos　laid　a　bit　of　this　corruption　at　the　center　of　the　dagger　ring；　then　quickly　covered　the　vial　and　walked　back　to　us。　The　reek　seemed　not　to　bother　him。
　He　considered　his　work　thoughtfully。　
　〃A　bit　of　blood　would　help；〃　he　mused。　〃But　not　from　one　of　us。　That　would　give　a　wrong　indicator。　Perhaps　。　。　。　yes。　You。　Lione。　Take　this　measure〃…and　he　handed　the　swordsman　a　minuscule　gold　cup　from　the　pack　of　sorcerous　implements…〃and　bleed　one　of　the　asses。　Take　no　more　than　is　required　to　fill　it。〃　I　saw　Lione's　hand　shake　as　he　took　the　cup。　But　he　obeyed　orders　without　question　and　soon　the　ass's　blood　was　sprinkled　across　the　dagger　blades。　Janos　stood　behind　the　circle　and　began　his　incantation。　As　usual；　it　consisted　of　unknown　words…names　of　gods；　perhaps；　or　just　a　foreign；　wizardly　tongue？…　interspersed　with　phrases　I　could　make　out。　〃This　is　。。。　gift　。。。　beyond　life　。。。　death　。。。　worm　corrupts　。。。　And　dies　itself　。。。　gift。。。　The　White　Peace　。。。　beyond　。。。　Until　the　jackals　e。〃　The　small　tapers　flared　。。。　then　went　out。
　Janos　turned　back　to　us。　〃The　spell　is　plete。　Each　of　you　take　your　blades；　and　the　men　who　carry　bows　divide　these　arrows　among　you。　Under　no　circumstances；　until　I　cast　a　counterspell；　use　either　arrows　or　blades　for　any　purpose；　and　make　very　sure…as　you　value　your　life…not　to　cut　yourself。　We　will　watch　until　their　camp　fires　burn　down。　Then　we　shall　close　on　them。　If　they　have　sentries；　I　promise　you　they　will　not　see　us　as　we　approach。　We　will　take　position　on　this　side　of　their　camp。　Each　archer　is　to　select　a　target；　and　then；　on　my　signal；　hit　the　man　with　your　dart。　Then　we　attack。　Do　not　use　any　weapon　other　than　your　daggers　unless　you　must。　You　will　need　but　to　touch　an　enemy　for　him　to　be　destroyed。　I　will　indicate　one　person　in　their　camp。　I　will　be　responsible　for　him。　Do　not　harm　that　man；　or　you　shall　face　my　wrath　later。　Now。　We　shall　eat　and　rest。〃
　Late　that　night　we　crept　out　from　our　camp　toward　the　oasis。　Again；　I　thought　of　Deoce；　and　my　eyes　blurred。　The　boil　of　anger　caught　me；　and　I　became　nothing　but　a　long　knife　and　a　silent　shadow。　Whether　by　caution　or　by　a　spell；　the　two　sentries　indeed　did　not　see　us。　Janos　indicated　one　to　Lione；　and　he　took　the　other。　Both　sentinels　went　down　without　a　sound。　We　moved　on　to　the　camp。　There　were　no　tents　pitched；　and　the　fifteen　or　so　nomads　slept　peacefully；　using　their　saddles　for　pillows。　One　man　snored　some　distance　from　the　others；　and　this　man　Janos　indicated　for　himself。　The　bowmen　readied　themselves　。。。　and　Janos'　hand　flashed　down。　The　arrows；　little　more　than　toys；　arced　out。　We　shouted　once　and　charged。　A　half…fuddled　man　arose　in　front　of　me；　trying　to　fight　free　of　his　blankets；　and　my　blade　sank　home…body　forgetting　Janos'　orders　to　but　touch　an　enemy。　Another　nomad　stumbled　across　my　path；　shouting…　pain　from　a　gashed　arm。　I　prepared　to　finish　him　。。。　and　before　my　eyes　he　collapsed。　Dead　。。。　and　I　saw　him　putrefy。　In　an　eye　blink；　what　should　have　taken　days　or　weeks　to　occur　happened…the　body　swelled；　bloated；　burst；　blackened；　and　then　the　flesh　withered；　until　there　was　nothing　but　a　skeleton　lying　on　the　sand。　This；　then；　was　what　Janos'　spell　had　called　the　White　Peace。
　I　recovered；　looked　for　another　enemy；　and　saw　a　slaver　bounding　toward　the　darkness　beyond。　An　arrow　whispered　past　and　touched　but　his　arm　before　ricocheting　away。　That　man；　too；　shrieked；　died；　and　rotted。　Then　there　was　only　one　man　left　alive　among　all　those　foul　corpses：　their　chief；　on　his　knees　and　writhing　in　terror　in　front　of　Janos。
　Janos　ordered　him　tied　to　a　nearby　palm。　〃You　speak　the　trader's　language？〃　he　asked。　The　man　nodded。　〃Look　well；　then。　This　is　the　fate　of　those　who　are　my　enemies。　This　。。。　or　worse。　You　are　permitted　a　chance　to　live。　Not　because　I　would　not　love　to　see　your　bones　gleaming　like　the　rest　of　your　pack；　but　because　I　wish　the　tale　to　be　told　to　all　your　people　of　what　happens　to　those　who　stand　against　Orissa。　I　am　the　first。。。　but　there　will　be　others　traveling　this　same　route。　Remember　what　happened　tonight；　and　stand　well　clear　of　my　people。　Do　you　understand？〃
　The　man　gabbled　understanding。　Janos　took　a　small　eating　knife　from　his　pouch　and　imbedded　it　in　the　sand　about　three　feet　in　front　of　the　tied　man。　〃I　shall　leave　one　horse　tethered；　and　one　water　bag。　If　you　can　stretch　far　enough；　you　can　reach　this　knife　and　cut　yourself　free。　Then　ride　off　。。。　and　carry　the　word。〃
　He　motioned　and　we　left　the　camp；　after　ensuring　one　mount　was　securely　tied；　the　others　driven　into　the　night；　and　all　the　food　and　water；　except　for　one　skin；　taken　for　our　own　use。　No　one　spoke…less　from　a　desire　to　impress　the　slaver　than　horror　at　what　we　had　done。　No　doubt　Janos　would　have　some　rationale　for　what　had　happened；　but　this；　to　me；　was　sorcery　of　the　blackest　sort；　and　there　would　be　a　stain　on　all　our　souls　for　this　night。
　By　the　time　the　counterspell　was　cast　that　returned　our　knives　and　the　remaining　arrows　to　normal；　it　was　close　to　dawn。　We　forced　food　down；　packed　the　asses；　and　started　off。　We　had　gone　but　a　sixth　of　a　league　when　we　heard　the　screams。　Screams　of　　a　horse；　and　then　a　man。　We　saw　great　scavengers　dropping　into　the　oasis　out　of　nowhere。　They　were　huge；　but　from　this　distance　　one　could　not　tell　if　they　were　vultures；　eagles；　or　kites。　The　screams　of　the　horse　and　slaver　rose；　then　were　cut　off。　This　desert　was　nothing　but　death；　I　thought；　never　having　heard　of　any　carrion　eater　attacking　a　healthy　man　or　horse。　Janos　swore…his　example　would　not　be　as　effective　as　he　wished…and　he　muttered　that　the　final　words　of　his　spell　might　have　even　brought　these　creatures　on。　This　was　the　first　time　he　had　tried　that　casting。
　A　bit　later　we　saw　a　black　cloud　rise　out　of　the　oasis　as　the　scavengers　finished　their　meal。　They　flew　toward　us；　then　veered　away。　I　squinted；　trying　to　see　what　these　monstrous　birds　were；　and　gasped　as　if　I'd　once　more　been　plunged　into　that　winter　mill…pond　in　Orissa。　Others　shouted　or　swore　in　horror　as　well。　The　carrion　eaters　were　a　distance　away；　but　we　could　see　they　were　not　birds　or　even　some　kind　of　bat　who　flew　in　the　daytime。　They　were　human；　or　at　any　rate；　of　human　form：　each　had　a　manlike　torso；　legs；　and　I　thought　I　could　discern　arms　and　a　head。　Their　wings　were　not　as　large　as　they　should　have　been；　and　I　wondered　if　sorcery　helped　them　keep　aloft。　Maeen　strung　his　bow　and　sent　a　war　arrow　lofting　at　them。　It　was　a　fair　shot；　into　the　center　of　the　flock；　and　they　broke　formation　as　doves　do　when　hit　by　the　shafts　of　hunters。　But　Maeen's　arrow　did　not　appear　to　have　struck　their　mark。　A　soldier　with　eyes　keener　than　mine　saw　something　fall；　which　I　thought　to　be　Maeen's　arrow；　as　the　nightmare　fliers　disappeared　into　the　distance。　Some　minutes　later　we　came　to　where　the　object　had　e　to　rest；　and　one　of　the　men　ran　over　and　brought　it　back；　face　pale。　It　was　a　human　hand。　I　picked　up　a　bit　of　sand　and　sprinkled　it　as　we　marched　away。　Not　even　a　slaver　deserved　to　wander　as　a　ghost　in　this　desolate　region。
　Days　later　we　saw　the　rise　of　the　butte　that　had　been　our　brief　paradise　on　my　Finding。　We　did　not　approach；　holding　to　our　plan　of　never　repeating　our　track；　but　kept　it　in　sight　as　an　aid　to　navigation。　Janos　was　trying　to　use　magic　as　little　as　possible　in　this　area　to　avoid　detection。　All　of　us　still　felt　those　watchful　presences　。。。　but　no　one　felt　directly　threatened　as　yet。　We　found　the　creek　that　ran　from　the　magical　crater　and　refilled　our　waterskins。
　Janos　cast　another　spell　over　the　party。　He　used　two　boughs　from　the　creekside　willows　to　make　an　arch。　He　made　his　Evocation；　and　a　small　whirlwind　spun　up　in　the　center　of　that　arch　just　to　its　peak。　He　ordered　each　of　us　to　pass　through　the　whirlwind。　He　chortled　as　the　sand　got　in　our　eyes；　ears；　and　hair。　He　also　had　our　animals　led　through　in　the　same　fashion。　They　hated　it；　as　much　for　the　sorcery　they　felt　around　them　as　for　the　dust。　When　we　were　done；　he　explained：　the　wasteland　we　were　entering　was　magic…blasted。　This　wa