sheritepper.necromancer nine-第23部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


d　there　that　it　will　have　gained　a　soul。〃
　〃How　explain　Mandor；　then；　or　Huld？〃
　〃The　great　Houses　want　no　Midwife　at　their　childbeds。　No。　They　care　nothing　for　'souls。'　They　care　only　for　manners；　and　this　they　can　train　into　any　if　they　be　but　strict　enough。　However；　I　do　not　think　the　Dupey　was　the　offshoot　of　any　great　House。　More　likely　he　was　scavenged　from　the　Midwives；　or　born　in　some　House　where　Midwives　did　not　go。〃　This　last　was　said　with　a　hesitating　fall；　as　thought　she　knew　where　that　might　have　been。　The　talk　was　depressing　me；　but　it　had　raised　a　question　I　had　to　ask。　　〃And　did　the　Midwives　deliver　me；　Mother？〃
　She　smiled　such　a　smile；　a　dawning　on　her　face。　〃Oh；　they　did；　Peter。　And　you　have　had　all　the　gifts　we　could　give　you；　Mertyn　and　I。　No　fear。　You　are　no　Mandor。　Nor　any　Dupey。　If　men　all　were　better；　perhaps　even　a　Dupey　could　be　given　a　soul；　but　it　would　take　holy　men　and　women　to　do　it。　No　simple　mother　could　do　it。　The　horror　would　be　too　great；　and　the　pain　of　the　child　too　monstrous　to　bear。　How　did　he　live？　And　why？　While　it　is　true　that　monstrous　things　are　sometimes　born；　it　takes　something　more　monstrous；　evil；　and　prideful　yet　to　keep　them　alive。
　〃And　the　Fatman？〃　I　asked。　〃Legless；　he　was；　with　no　lower　body　at　all。　Had　he　been　born　that　way；　he　would　have　died　unless　someone　intervened。　Why？　How　and　why？　Well；　perhaps　Windlow　can　tell　us；　for　he　is　very　wise。
　〃If　we　can　find　him。　If　we　can　free　him。　If　he　yet　lives。　Well；　we　will　not　do　it　standing　here。　It　is　time　to　go。
　We　stayed　only　long　enough　to　set　a　boulder　before　Mavin's　cave。　There　were　things　inside　which　she　treasured。　We　went　empty…handed；　clad　only　in　our　fur　until　we　reached　the　puddled　shadows　of　the　Blot。　There　clouds　of　flies　rose　from　the　remnants　of　Dupey　and　Fatman。　There　we　took　those　shapes　and　moved　about　in　them；　trying　them。　They　were　hateful。　They　were　wrong。　There　was　no　logic　or　kindness　in　those　shapes；　and　I　began　to　understand　what　Mavin　had　tried　to　say　about　souls。　One　could　not　exist　in　those　shapes　without　being　pressed；　warped；　envenomed。　There　was　pain　intrinsic　to　the　shape；　and　I　began　to　think　what　it　would　be　like　to　live　with　that　pain　forever。　I　began　to　modify　the　shape　to　shut　the　pain　away；　and　I　heard　Mavin　panting。
　〃I　cannot　inhabit　it；〃　she　said。　〃I　must　carry　it　upon　me　like　a　rigging。〃
　〃Perhaps　we　should　try　something　else；〃　I　offered。
　〃No；〃　she　said。　〃My　mistake　was　in　trying　to　take　the　identity　of　the　creature。　We　must　only　appear　to　be　these　creatures。　We　must　not　be　these　things　or　we　will　bee　monstrously　changed。〃
　So；　we　were　warned；　and　I　was　glad　for　the　time　spent　in　moving　and　trying　that　body。　It　took　time；　but　at　last　we　were　able　to　make　an　appearance　not　unlike　what　had　been　before　while　still　maintaining　our　own　identities　untouched。　I　was　as　weary　as　though　I　had　run　twelve　leagues。
　〃Rest；〃　said　Mavin。　〃Here　is　food。　We　will　carry　some　with　us；　for　Gamelords　know　what　will　be　found　within。〃
　Even　in　those　few　moments　rest；　we　found　that　we　shifted　away　from　those　shapes。　Mavin　barked　a　short　laugh。
　〃Mavin　Manyshaped；〃　she　mocked　herself。　〃I　do　not　deserve　the　name。
　I　thought　of　the　shapes　I　had　taken　easily；　almost　without　trying。　〃It　is　not　lack　of　Talent；〃　I　told　her；　sure　that　I　was　right；　feeling　it　through　some　internal　shrinking　as　though　my　spirit　shrank　from　what　I　was。　〃The　shapes　are　evil；　Mavin。　Moreover；　they　were　meant　to　be　evil。〃
　She　did　not　contradict　me；　and　we　went　toward　the　mumble　mouth　in　those　evil　shapes；　building　within　ourselves　certain　barriers　against　being　what　we　appeared　to　be。　I　do　not　know　how　Mavin　managed。　For　myself；　I　built　a　kind　of　shell　between　me　and　the　image　of　Fatman；　and　within　that　shell　dwelt　Peter　and　the　Gamesmen　of　Barish；　within　and　yet　no　part　of　that　thing。　　Mavin　had　evidently　observed　the　Blot　for　some　time；　for　she　knew　how　to　open　the　mouths　by　striking　them　sharply　with　a　stick；　crying　in　the　Dupey's　voice；　〃Open；　open；　old　silly　thing。　Open　and　let　Dupies　e　in。　。
　There　were　shriekings　and　clatterings　from　within；　and　then　the　mouth　opened　to　extrude　its　long　metal　tongue。　Grooved　tracks　divided　it　lengthwise；　tracks　into　which　the　flatcar　had　fit。　The　Fatwagon　did　not　fit　these；　but　I　managed　to　straddle　them　with　my　own　wheels　as　I　followed　the　Dupey　shape　up　the　ramp　and　into　the　place　beyond。　I　had　expected　a　tunnel；　a　place　not　unlike　the　catabs　beneath　Bannerwell。　This　place　was　not　what　I　had　expected。
　The　walls　were　metal；　long　sheets　of　it；　dim　and　slightly　glossy；　polished　at　one　time　but　now　faintly　fogged　with　time。　At　intervals　the　metal　was　interrupted　by　panels　of　glass；　many　of　them　broken；　the　shards　lying　upon　the　floor　of　the　way。　Behind　some　of　the　intact　glasses　were　greenish　lights；　feeble；　sickly　lights。　It　was　enough　to　find　one's　way　by；　not　truly　enough　to　see　by；　so　we　strained　to　see；　pushed　at　the　dimness　with　our　minds；　grew　fractious　and　annoyed　in　the　effort。　Above　us　the　metal　panels　extended　to　a　high；　curved　ceiling；　and　in　this　were　screened　holes　emitting　sighs　and　drips；　moody　winds　and　dampness　smelling　of　rot。　Something　in　the　place　tried　to　help　us　by　lighting　the　way　ahead；　darkening　the　way　behind。　Each　effort　was　acpanied　by　frustrated　clicks　and　whinings；　often　with　no　result　except　to　plunge　us　into　darkness。　Then　there　would　be　running　noises；　hummings；　squeals　as　of　slaughtered　belts　or　gears；　and　light　would　e　again；　only　to　go　off　again　when　it　was　most　inconvenient。
　〃Gamelords；〃　said　Mavin　in　fury。　〃Why　can't　the　place　ignore　us　and　let　us　be。〃　At　the　sound　of　her　voice　the　clickings　and　hummings　redoubled　in　inefficient　clatter。　She　stopped。　forehead　furrowed。　〃It　hears　me。〃
　〃Tell　it　to　turn　the　lights　on　and　leave　them　on。〃　I　grated　between　my　teeth。　At　my　words　the　spotty　lights　went　on　down　the　whole　length　of　the…　corridor　and　all　the　noises　stopped。　We　looked　at　one　another；　expecting　some　other　thing　to　happen；　but　silence　succeeded　silence；　dripping　water　fell　behind　us。　small　breezes　beat　damply　into　our　faces。　We　went　on。　The　lights　stayed　on　and　there　were　no　more　of　the　noises。　〃Someone　heard　us；〃　I　said。
　〃Something　heard　us；〃　she　corrected。　〃This　is　a　place　of　magicians。　A　place　of　mechanisms。　Like　the　machine　which　unloaded　the　cargo；　things　created　to　fulfill　special　functions。〃
　〃They　do　not　do　it　well；〃　I　mented；　half　angrily。　The　wheels　of　the　Fatwagon　had　begun　to　squeal。　Mavin　reached　over　with　the　can　of　oil　she　had　taken　from　Dupey's　body　and　the　squeak　faded　to　a　high　shriek　at　the　very　limits　of　perception。　It　set　my　teeth　on　edge。　Our　journey　was　not　helped　by　the　fact　that　we　had　e　to　side　corridors；　branching　ways；　each　helpfully　lit　into　dim　distances。
　〃The　tracks。〃　Mavin　said；　noting　my　confusion。　I　saw　then　that　the　grooves　in　the　floor　did　not　go　into　the　side　corridors。　I　flushed。　I　should　have　seen　that；　as　she　had。　We　went　on；　as　quietly　as　we　could；　the　endless　corridor　fading　behind　us　into　phosphorescent　distance；　an　equal　tunnel　always　ahead；　no　change；　no　variation　except　in　the　pattern　of　broken　glass　or　the　shape　of　the　puddles　under　the　dripping　vents。　We　had　brought　food　with　us。　Twice　we　stopped　to　fetch　it　forth　and　nibble　as　we　went　on。　My　internal　clock　said　that　half　a　day　had　gone；　or　more。　The　corridor　did　not　seem　to　curve；　and　we　had　walked　far　enough　to　e　under　the　mountains　which　had　been　visible　from　the　pinnacle。
　〃Snowfast　Range；〃　Mavin　said。　〃We　call　them　the　Forbidden　Mountains；　full　of　glaciers　and　crevasses。　We　have　a　long　history　of　explorers　going　into　the　Snowfasts　and　not　returning。　。
　Then　we　stopped；　confused。　The　tracks　divided　into　three　before　us；　one　going　on　down　the　endless　corridor；　another　swerving　right　down　a　long　declivity；　one　going　left　up　a　long　slope　into　the　dark。　I　could　not　kneel；　so　Mavin　did；　peering　at　the　tracks　to　see　which　ones　evidenced　wear；　which　were　dimmed　with　corrosion。　She　gestured　us　off　to　the　left。　When　we　entered　that　way；　the　lights　came　on；　fewer　of　them　than　in　the　way　we　had　left；　but　still　enough　that　we　could　avoid　stumbling　over　the　fragments　of　ceiling　which　littered　the　middle　of　the　way。
　Now　side　corridors　led　off　with　increasing　frequency。　We　begàn　to　hear　sounds；　murmurs；　buzzing　as　of　machinery　or　distant　voices　in　conversation。　Mavin　began　a　little　song；　silly　and　repetitive；　the　kind　of　thing　the　Dupies　would　have　sung　for　themselves；　discordantly　twin…voiced。　She　had　mastered　the　shape　at　last　and　was　able　to　make　both　heads　move　and　speak。　From　deep　within　me　the　voice　of　Didir　came　in　a　faint　sigh；　〃Persons；　nearing；　beware。〃　I　passed　the　warning　on　to　Mavin；　who　needed　it　not。　Neither　of　us　were　surprised　when　we　were　confronted；　though　both　of　us　took　pains　to　simulate　paroxysms　of　hysteria　as　we　knew　our　shapes　would　have　done。
　Black　they　were；　pale　faces　showing　like　moons　against　the　dark；　bodies　and　limbs　hidden　beneath　the　straight　black　dresses　they　wore；　hair　and　ears　hidden　beneath　square　black　caps　which　rode　upon　their　heads　like　balanced　boxes；　held　there　by　tight　cloths　which　came　down　over　the　ears；　under　the　throat；　down　the　back　of　the　neck。　Around　each　wrist　was　a　metal　band；　and　upon　each　hand　a　fingerless　glove。　Against　all　that　black　the　fingers　squirmed　like　worms　in　gravesoil；　and　the　faces　peered　at　us　without　expression。　We　backed　away；　gibbering　in　our　pretended　fright；　and　one　of　them　spoke。
　〃Well；　Shear；　monsters　escaped　from　the　pits？　How　e　here？　And　why？〃
　〃I　have　no　idea；　Dean　Manacle。　None。　But　they　are　not　going　from　the　pits；　you　will　note；　but　toward　them。
　Mavin　chose　this　moment　to　say；　〃Oh；　Dupies　need　to　talk　to　Tallman；　good　Tallman　will　help　Dupies。　Dupies　got　into　the　mumble　mouths；　we　did；　came　to　find　Tallman。　。
　〃Oh；　do　not　be　in　a　temper；　great　sirs；〃　I　managed　to　gulp。　〃The　calling　machine　did　not　function；　and　we　have　word。〃
　〃Dupies　say　'Patience；　patience'；〃　Mavin　went　on；　wickedly。　〃Fatman　says　we　must　find　Tallman；　oh；　good　Tallman；　to　tell　Dupies　what　to　do。
　〃Creatures　from　some　portal；〃　said　the　one　called　Shear。　〃That　is　why　they　go　toward　the　pits。　Creatures　from　some　portal　who　have　e　into　the　base　in　search　of　their　hitch