sheritepper.necromancer nine-第24部分

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　〃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。〃
　〃An　inescapable　hypothesis；　Shear。　Also；　an　interesting　occurrence。　One　worthy　of　note。　Perhaps　a　small　monograph？　However；　practicality　dictates　that　they　not　be　allowed　to　remain　here。　Will　you　call　for　removers？〃
　〃Certainly；　Dean　Manacle。　As　you　wish。〃
　It　was　as　though　they　heard　nothing　we　said；　as　though　we　had　chirped　like　birds　or　howled　like　fustigars　to　make　some　general　noise　without　content。　Mavin　realized　it　as　soon　as　I　did；　and　we　both　subsided　into　meaningless　babble。　They　took　no　notice　of　this；　either。　The　one　called　Shear　fiddled　with　a　wrist　band；　poking　at　tiny　knobs　upon　it　with　a　fierce　display　of　concentration　which　even　I　could　recognize　as　mannered。　Who　were　these　strange　ones？　Mavin　made　a　face　at　me　from　Dupey's　left　head　and　went　on　with　the　nonsense　sound　she　was　making。　The　two　before　us　continued　to　converse　as　though　we　were　not　there。
　We　had　not　long　to　play　this　game。　A　shrill　shrieking　set　Fatman's　ears　on　edge。　I　damped　the　sound；　a　sound　which　seemed　to　acpany　every　machine　which　moved　in　this　place。　A　little　cart　came　gravely　around　a　corner；　ridden　by　two　replicas　of　Tallman；　or　perhaps　by　one　replica　and　Tallman　himself。　It　did　not　matter；　for　the　one　called　Manacle　made　it　clear　there　was　no　difference；　no　distinction。
　〃Tallmen！　There　are　two　monsters　here；　probably　from　a　portal。　See　they　are　removed　and　that　the　Tallman　responsible　is　sent　to　the　pits。　　The　Tallmen　did　not　reply。　I　began　to　understand　that　the　black…dressed　ones；　who　must　be　those　magicians　we　had　heard　so　much　of；　did　not　hear　words　unless　spoken　by　one　of　their　own　kind。　The　treelike　figures　merely　unfolded　themselves　from　the　cart　and　reached　toward　us　with　their　hands。　A　bolt　of　force；　small　and　controlled；　but　nonetheless　painful；　struck　us　both。　We　cried　out；　both　Dupey　heads　in　unison　and　Fatman　in　shock　and　surprise；　a　long　harmonic　of　anguish。　We　moved　in　the　direction　indicated。
　〃Tallman；〃　I　cried；　〃Fatman　has　news；　news；　listen　Tallman　to　what　Fatman　has　to　say。〃
　One　of　them　spoke；　not　quite　the　voice　I　had　heard　before。　〃Hold　your　noise；　monsters。　We　are　not　your　hitch。　He　will　be　found；　you　may　be　sure；　and　disciplined　beside　you　in　the　pits。　Were　you　not　told　never　to　enter　the　labyrinth！　You　were　told。　All　the　hitches　are　told。　Now　you　have　made　them　angry。〃　Another；　totally　gratuitous；　bolt　struck　us　from　behind　though　we　were　moving　as　rapidly　as　possible。　I　conceived　a　hatred　for　the　Tallmen　in　that　moment。　Vengeance　would　have　to　e　later；　however；　for　now　it　was　enough　that　we　were　being　escorted　into　the　maze。　I　forted　myself　with　this　while　Shifting　my　burned　flesh　about。　The　bolts　had　been　painful　enough；　but　they　had　not　done　any　real　damage。　　The　Tallmen　did　not　speak　between　themselves。　All　was　quiet　except　for　the　shrieking　wheels　of　the　cart；　the　drip　of　water　from　the　ceiling；　the　moody　sighing　of　the　ducts。　Soon　the　ceilings　began　to　rise；　we　came　to　larger　spaces；　we　encountered　other　carts　and　other　black…clad　magicians　striding　along　the　corridors　without　seeming　to　notice　what　went　on　around　them。　Then；　almost　without　warning；　we　were　at　the　pits。　They　opened　before　us；　broad　and　deep　as　quarries；　sheer　walls　dropping　into　a　swarm　of　ceaseless　movement　as　of　a　hive　of　insects　overturned。　A　cage　of　metal　stood　at　the　pit　wall；　tall　metal　beams　which　reached　from　the　pit　floor　to　the　ceiling　far　above；　and　within　this　square　of　beams　a　smaller　cage　was　suspended。　We　were　forced　inside；　the　door　was　shut　behind　us；　the　endless　machine　shriek　began　as　were　lowered　into　the　swarm　where　a　thousand　creatures　like　ourselves　flurried　in　ceaseless　agitation。　The　door　opened　to　let　us　out；　and　we　moved　hesitantly　into　nightmare。　Beside　me　I　heard　Mavin's　voice　from　Dupey's　throat。　〃Gamelords！　What　madness　is　this？〃
　They　crawled　about　us；　oozed；　flopped；　hopped　or　stumbled；　by　every　means　of　lootion　and　by　none。　Some　had　one　leg　and　some　had　none；　or　three；　or　six。　Some　were　one…headed；　some　had　two；　or　none；　or　four。　There　were　blobs　which　lay　while　features　chased　themselves　across　their　surfaces；　some　attached　to　mechanisms　which　made　the　Fatwagon　seem　a　model　of　simplicity。　There　were　howlers；　moaners；　silent　ones　whose　thoughts　beat　at　me　in　a　tide　of　agony。　The　place　stank　of　refuse；　and　excrement；　and　blood。　Some　things；　dead　and　half　eaten；　lay　against　the　walls　of　the　place。　Instinctively　Mavin　and　I　moved　to　the　wall　and　put　our　backs　against　it。　I　looked　up　to　see　the　hooded　heads　of　the　Tallmen　peering　down　at　us。　I　had　never　seen　a　Tallman's　face；　and　I　wondered　in　that　instant　if　they　had　faces。　Some　of　the　creatures　around　us　did　not。　Something　crawled　across　my　feet　and　lay　there；　rippling　at　me。　Deep　within；　I　heard　Didir　recoil。　〃Wrongness；　Peter。　Wrongness。　Beware；　beware。〃
　The　walls　of　the　pit　were　pierced　with　black　arches；　screens　behind　which　we　could　discern　faint　shadows；　black　on　black。　A　bell　rang　somewhere；　and　the　creatures　began　to　edge　toward　these　arches。　There　were　troughs　beneath　them　which　began　to　flow　with　half　liquid　soup。　The　creatures　fed。　I　watched；　feeling　the　place　with　my　skin。　It　was　like　being　in　a　waking　dream；　a　dream　from　which　one　knows　one　should　be　able　to　waken。　The　cage　rattled　upward；　then　down　once　more。　Inside　it　was　a　Tallman　and　great　bundles　of　solid　food；　stinking　sides　of　meat；　sacks　of　beaten　grain。　The　Tallman　came　from　the　cage　before　it　tipped　to　spill　the　food　upon　the　floor。　When　the　cage　rattled　upward　again；　the　monsters　broke　from　the　arches；　howling；　to　descend　upon　the　scattered　food。　The　Tallman　kept　away　from　them；　turning；　turning　until　glittering　eyes　from　beneath　the　concealing　hood　met　mine。
　〃Fatman；〃　he　breathed。　〃I　will　kill　you He　moved　toward　me。　I　let　him　e　close；　close　enough　that　he　could　not　be　seen　from　above。　Then　Wafnor　reached　out　and　held　him；　bound　him　about　with　aims　of　steel；　held　him　fast　while　I　looked　under　that　hood　at　his　eyes。　Tallmen　had　faces；　of　a　sort。　At　least；　this　one　did。　The　face　burned　hatred　at　me　and　at　Dupey　behind　me。　〃Who　are　you？〃　it　asked　at　last。　〃You　are　not　Fatman。〃
　〃No；〃　I　admitted。　〃I　am　not　Fatman。　I　am　one　who　will　hear　you　talk；　Tallman。　Tell　me　of　this　place；　of　these　magicians；　of　these　pits。　　He　was　not　willing　to　do　so；　but　it　did　not　matter。　Didir　Read　him；　Wafnor　shook　words　out　of　him；　Trandilar　entranced　him。　The　bell　rang　again。　The　creatures　assembled　before　the　arches　once　again；　and　I　looked　with　a　Shifter's　eyes　through　that　dark　glass　to　the　shadows　beyond。　Pale；　moon　faces　were　there　under　their　square　hats；　younglings　were　there；　dressed　in　black　but　with　soft　caps　covering　their　heads；　eyes　wide　and　fingers　busy　as　they　wrote　on　little　pads　of　paper；　wrote　and　peered；　wrote　and　peered。
　〃What　are　they　doing？〃　I　demanded。
　〃Monster　watching；〃　Tallman　gasped。　〃It　is　what　they　do。　It　is　why　they　say　they　are　here。〃
　I　thought　this　a　lie；　and　yet　Didir　said　Tallman　believed　it　to　be　true。　Since　they　were　watching　us；　we　behaved　as　monsters　should；　howled；　bubbled；　rocked　and　capered；　all　the　while　holding　Tallman　fast　so　that　he　could　not　move。　Those　watching　would　have　only　seen　him　stand；　head　down；　face　obscured。　After　a　time　the　bell　rang　once　more；　the　monsters　left　the　arches　to　resume　their　endless　movement　in　the　pit。
　We　questioned。　At　last；　we　knew　all　the　Tallman　knew　and　let　him　go。　He　backed　away　from　us　to　the　center　of　the　pit；　staring　about　him　with　wild；　glittering　eyes；　maddened　by　shadows。　They　were　not　shadows　who　came　after　him；　however；　but　things　of　the　pit　which　seemed　to　bear　Tallmen　some　malice。　He　had　a　weapon　of　some　kind；　and　he　did　some　damage　to　them　before　he　was　buried　beneath　their　bodies。　Mavin　and　I　did　not　watch。　We　were　intent　upon　those　other　Tallmen　who　hovered　at　the　edge　of　the　pit；　far　above。
　〃He　did　not　harm　his　hitch；〃　said　one。　〃I　would　have　killed　mine　had　they　disobeyed　me。　Why　did　he　not　kill　his　hitch？〃
　〃Mad；〃　said　the　other。　〃He　was　mad。　Sometimes　we　go　mad；　you　know。　They　say　so。〃
　〃I　would　have　killed　them；〃　replied　the　first。　〃Mad　or　not。〃　They　moved　away　from　the　pit　and　were　gone。　I　caught　a　Dupey　eye　upon　me　with　Mavin's　keen　intelligence　behind　it。
　〃We　have　spent　time　enough　here；〃　she　hissed。
　There　was　the　matter　of　the　Fatwagon；　which　should　be　left　in　a　place　it　would　not　attract　attention。　There　was　the　matter　of　the　arches　behind　which　the　watchers　lurked。　She　knew　this　as　well　as　I；　and　we　sought　a　solution　to　the　dilemma。　We　found　it　at　the　base　of　the　metal　cage；　a　slight　declivity　in　the　pit　wall；　a　space　large　enough　to　hide　us　as　we　Shifted。　When　next　the　moveable　cage　fell　and　rose；　we　rose　with　it；　hidden　beneath　it　like　a　false　bottom　to　the　thing。　Once　the　space　around　the　pit　was　empty；　two　Tallmen　came　into　being　and　moved　away　to　the　fringing　corridors。　　When　we　had　found　a　secluded　place；　we　stopped　to　set　some　plan　of　action。　Tallman　had　believed　what　he　had　told　us。　He　had　not　known　the　name　〃Himaggery〃　or　〃Windlow。〃　He　knew　only　that　a　certain　cargo　was　ordered　for　them；　that　it　would　go　behind　the　inner　doors　to　them；　to　be　used　in　certain　ceremonies　which　were　to　happen　soon。　He　knew　only　that　the　monsters　were　created　by　them；　in　order　that　the　monsters　could　be　watched　by　them。
　They　made　things；　things　which　were　sent　out　into　the　world　to　be　sold　or　given　away　by　the　Gifters。　They　needed　pawns　to　serve　them；　so　pawns　were　brought　in　through　the　mumble　mouths。　Tallmen　were　created　by　them　to　maintain　the　corridors；　to　maintain　the　portals；　to　repair　things　which　broke。　〃But　we　cannot；〃　he　had　said　pitiably。　〃No　one　knows　how　to　fix　them。　　They　did　not　talk　to　Tallmen；　except　to　give　instructions。　This　Tallman　had　not　been　through　the　inner　doors；　he　did　not　know　what　happened　there。　We　asked　what　friends　he　had？　None。　What　acquaintances？　None。　Surely　he　slept　somewhere；　in　some　pany？　No。　At　most；　they　could　gather　in　pairs。　Why　sleep　in　pany？　Why　eat　in　pany？　One　slept　wherever　one　was。　。
　We　had　asked　him　how　he　had　learned　to　speak？　Surely　he　remembered　a　child