sheritepper.necromancer nine-第31部分

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nst　the　door　of　that　dreadful　room；　frightened　and　quite　alone。　I　wondered　almost　hysterically　whether　they　would　e　back　to　me　again；　so　felt　for　Shattnir　because　she　was　the　one　who　was　hardest；　least　vulnerable。　Nothing。　Her　figure　lay　in　my　fingers　like　a　doll；　wooden；　slightly　chill。　Well；　there　was　no　time　to　experiment　or　wonder。　I　had　no　knowledge　of　the　time　which　had　passed。　I　had　to　find　Mavin；　quickly；　and　tell　her　what　I　knew。
　Furred…Peter　grew　a　pair　of　wide；　fragile　ears　upon　his　head；　like　those　of　the　shadow　people；　and　fled　through　the　halls　listening　for　any　movement。　There　was　no　Didir　to　warn　me；　and　I　was　vulnerable　in　those　metal　corridors。　I　fled；　promptly　losing　myself　in　the　maze；　unable　to　fish　for　thoughts　to　help　me　locate　myself；　following　this　one　and　that　one　at　a　distance　until　at　last　I　came　to　a　familiar　place　from　which　the　mittee　room　could　be　found。　I　got　there；　got　in…and　found　it　empty。　Mavin　was　not　there。　Whether　she　had　been　there。　I　could　not　tell。
　I　was　alone　there　for　a　long　time；　time　enough　to　get　hungry；　to　find　my　way　to　a　place　food　was　stored　for　Tallmen；　Tallmen　who　came　and　went；　saying　nothing　to　me　in　the　guise　of　a　Tallman　as　I　also　came　and　went。　The　food　was　tasteless　stuff。　but　it　sustained　me。　I　slept　a　time。　I　strode　back　and　forth　through　the　mittee　room；　looking　at　the　portraits　of　Deans　from　ancient　times　to　the　present。　Perhaps　it　was　my　imagination；　but　they　seemed　to　grow　more　and　more　foolish…looking　at　either　end　of　the　time。　Some　in　the　middle　looked　hard　and　petent…rather　like　Himaggery。　I　thought　about　that　for　a　while；　without　reaching　any　conclusions。　Then　I　had　a　fit　of　apprehension　about　Mavin。　Had　she　been　caught？　Perhaps　killed？　Was　she　lying　somewhere　wounded；　waiting　for　me　to　rescue　her？　I　cursed　the　panic　which　had　driven　Didir　out　of　my　head　and　tried　to　get　her　back。　Nothing。　The　little　figure　lay　in　my　hand　like　a　stick。　Not　a　quiver。　No；　perhaps　a　quiver；　but　remote。　I　tried　Shattnir　once　more。　Only　a　far；　faint　tingling。　Well；　whether　it　was　something　in　the　Gamesmen　or　something　in　myself；　I　could　not　tell。　My　head　felt　as　though　it　had　been　struck　by　lightning。　Perhaps　there　were　fibers　there　which　could　be　temporarily　severed；　synapses　which　could　be　shocked　into　quiescence。　I　waited。　I　walked　about。　I　chewed　my　fingernails　off；　grew　others　and　chewed　them　off　as　well。　　I　was　about　ready　to　give　up　and　go　on　searching　alone　when　she　arrived；　breathless　and　weary；　desperately　glad　of　the　food　I　had　hidden　in　the　balcony　of　that　dusty　room。
　〃Lords；　Peter；　but　that　was　a　journey；〃　she　said；　falling　into　long　silence　while　she　chewed　the　tasteless　food；　eyes　closed；　body　swaying　with　fatigue。　〃The　techs　in　that　place　fiddled　about　for　hours；　talking　among　themselves；　mostly　about　old　Quench。　It　seems　that　ancient　firebrand　has　been　preaching　revolution　and　rebellion　to　the　techs；　along　with　his　other　strange　activities。　The　techs　are　mere　pawns；　Peter；　brought　in　here；　put　in　boots；　forced　to　maintain　the　place。　Some　of　them　are　clever。　They　have　learned　a　lot　though　they　are　not　given　the　chance　to　learn　enough。〃　She　swayed；　chewed；　sighed。　　〃At　last　they　put　Himaggery　and　Windlow　upon　a　kind　of　cart　and　wheeled　it　into　a　corridor　where　the　cart　was　attached　to　a　train　of　similar　carts；　all　loaded　with　bodies　and　blues　and　crates　of　one　thing　or　another。　I　hid　myself　on　one　of　the　carts；　and　a　group　of　pawns　rode　it　as　well。　Most　of　them　are　older　men。　I　believe　there　have　been　no　young　techs　trained　for　some　time。〃　She　stopped　to　sip　some　of　the　bottled　water　I　had　found。　〃Lords；　what　a　journey。　We　went　north　and　west；　I　think；　though　it　is　hard　to　say　because　of　the　ways　the　corridors　curve　and　join。　Whatever　the　direction；　we　went　far　and　long　to　the　place　they　keep　the　bodies；　distant　and　high；　lying　under　some　great　glacier；　I　think…some　source　of　endless　cold。　They　are　stacked　there；　Peter；　thousands　of　them；　piled　like　wood　for　the　war…ovens。　Endless　aisles　of　them。　I　saw　Throsset　of　Dornes。　He　was　on　top　of　a　pile；　like　a　carving。　I　saw　Minery　Mindcaster。　I　knew　her　when　I　was　a　child　and　she　a　marvelous；　twinned　Talent。　They　drove　the　carts　into　a　side　room　and　left　them；　then　they　all　got　on　the　one　little　machine　which　had　hauled　the　rest　and　went　away。　There　was　no　place　on　it　for　me　to　hide；　and　they　all　knew　one　another。〃　She　put　her　hand　on　mine；　still　shaking　with　cold。　〃So；　I　followed　them　on　foot；　and　became　lost；　and　took　endless　time　to　return。〃　I　let　the　food　and　drink　restore　her　before　I　told　her　what　I　had　learned。　When　I　had　done；　she　questioned　me。
　〃What　is　Huld　up　to？　You　knew　him。　What　do　you　guess？〃
　〃I　guess　he　is　up　to　gaining　power；〃　I　said。　I　knew　this　to　be　true；　though　I　was　not　sure　what　power　Huld　sought　in　this　strange　haunt　of　magicians　who　seemingly　were　not　magicians　at　all　but　merely　bad　custodians　of　ancient　skills　and　knowledge。
　〃Huld　is　not　content　to　be　merely　Demon；　merely　Gamesman。　He　has　no　wish；　I　think；　to　be　willingly　followed。　It　is　power　he　wants；　power　over　the　unwilling。　He　wants　to　be　worshipped；　yes；　but　out　of　fear　and　trembling；　not　out　of　beguilement。　He　had　that；　through　Mandor；　and　it　was　something；　but　not　enough　for　him。　Still；　that　is　why　he　hates　me。　Because　I　conquered　Mandor　and　held　Huld　against　his　will；　even　for　that　little　time。〃
　〃And　he　came　to　this　place…how？〃
　〃I　think　he　learned；　somehow；　how　I　had　been　protected　in　Schooltown；　how　Mertyn　and　Nitch　had　protected　me。　He　could　have　Read　that　from　me；　easy　enough；　when　I　was　captive　there。　I　think　Huld　sought　Nitch；　sought　him　and　found　him；　perhaps　killed　him　for　what　he　knew。　This　is　only　supposition；　but　I　know　Huld；　and　the　idea　hangs　together。〃　Surprisingly；　the　idea　did　hang　together；　though　I　had　not　known　until　that　instant　that　I　had　figured　it　out。　〃So　Huld　came　here；　seeking　power；　and　found　Manacle。〃
　〃And　Nitch　had　taken　certain　books？〃
　〃Perhaps。　And　perhaps　Huld　had　not　thought　to　Read　Nitch　concerning　books；　so　perhaps　the　books　are　gone　forever。〃
　〃Or　perhaps　they　were　lost　half　a　thousand　years　ago。〃
　〃Perhaps。〃
　〃So　there　may　be　nothing　we　can　find　to　tell　us　about　these　defenders；　nothing　we　can　find　to　tell　us　how　to　restore　Himaggery　and　Windlow　and　a　thousand；　thousand　more。
　〃About　the　defenders；　I　know　only　what　I　caught　from　Didir's　mind　before　she　fled　me　in　panic…or　before　I　drove　her　out　in　a　panic　of　my　own。　She　knew　of　the　defenders。　Originally　there　were　five　keys；　kept　by　five　persons；　one　of　whom　was　someone　near　to　Didir。　The　reason　for　this　was　to　prevent　the　defenders　being　accidentally　released。　Now　Manacle　has　unlocked　all　the　bonds。　Any　one　who　gets　into　that　room　needs　only　press　a　lever　down；　and　whatever　it　is　the　defenders　do　will　occur。　The　idea　of　this　drove　Didir　into　panic；　the　others　as　well；　and　it　burst　my　head　with　them。　Now　I　cannot　raise　them。〃
　〃You　locked　the　door？〃
　〃I　locked　the　door。　Manacle　has　a　key。　I　have　no　helpful　thoughts　about　that。　Let　us　think　of　Himaggery　and　Windlow　instead。　So　far　we　have　failed　horribly　at　everything　we　tried　to　do。〃
　She　replied　with　some　asperity。　〃Who　would　have　thought　that　rescuing　them　would　have　entailed　putting　them　back　together？　It　is　difficult　to　go　into　a　place　such　as　this　to　set　someone　free　if　that　person　is　able　to　walk　and　think　and　assist　in　the　process。　I　have　done　that；　in　one　Game　or　another。　It　is　more　difficult　if　the　prisoner　is　unconscious　or　wounded；　and　I　have　played　that　Game　too；　in　my　time。　But　to　have　a　prisoner　who　must　be　reassembled　prior　to　rescue　denies　logic　and　sets　all　sense　awry。　I　did；　however；　try　to　make　our　process　somewhat　simpler。　I　have　half　of　them　with　me。〃　And　she　reached　into　some　interior　pocket　to　bring　forth　the　two　blues；　Himaggery　the　Wizard；　Windlow　the　Seer；　tiny　and　impeccable；　cold　and　hard。　They　were　only　patterns；　as　Manacle　had　said。　Patterns　of　personality。　Mavin　waved　at　me　to　keep　them；　saying。　〃I　have　been　thinking　all　the　way　back　how　we　might　put　them　together　again。　It　may　be　that　the　machine　used　to　separate　them　is　the　same　machine　used　to　reassemble　them。　In　which　case；　we　need　only　bring　the　bodies　to　that　laboratory　place。〃
　I　remembered　something　Manacle　had　said。　〃We　need　not　do　that。　The　bodies　are　to　be　brought　to　a　machine；　Mavin。　Not　to　the　laboratory；　but　to　the　'base'　where　the　ceremony　is　held。　There　will　be　a　machine　there；　too。　They　will　pretend　to　use　it　to　restore　those　who　play　the　part　of　voyagers。　The　ship　thing　is　there。　Manacle　called　it　a　shiptower。　At　any　rate；　the　bodies　will　be　brought　there；　and　there　we　should　be　waiting　for　them。〃
　When　she　asked　me　where　that　might　be；　I　shook　my　head。　I　could　not　use　Didir　to　fish　for　answers。　We　knew　that　Manacle　would　go　there；　however；　and　he　was　easy　enough　to　find…we　knew　where　his　quarters　were。　〃Manacle；〃　mented　Mavin；　as　we　went　toward　his　rooms。　〃The　techs　hate　Manacle。　I　think　some　kind　of　mutiny　brews　there；　my　son；　an　old　mutiny。〃
　I　thought　of　Laggy　Nap　and　his　power　over　the　boots。　〃Perhaps　the　contrivance　which　controls　the　boots　has　fallen　into　disrepair。　Perhaps；　if　techs　are　expected　to　repair　things　and　techs　are　also　controlled　by　the　boots；　they　have　found　a　way　to　disrepair　it。〃
　〃As　I　said；〃　she　murmured；　〃mutiny。　Something　brews。〃　Though　I　had　not　seen　Huld　since　he　had　stormed　away　from　us　outside　the　room　of　the　defenders；　I　felt　his　presence　still　like　a　weight　upon　my　lungs。　Without　Didir　to　protect　me；　I　had　to　be　more　sly　and　secretive　then　heretofore。　Thus；　it　took　a　sneaking　time　to　e　to　Manacle's　place　and　hear　his　rumbling　whine　through　the　open　door。　Shear　came　out；　then　went　in　again；　several　times。　Flogshoulder；　too；　went　in　and　out；　bearing　garments　of　some　ceremonial　type。　They　emerged　together　to　go　to　a　dining　place；　from　which　we　later　stole　food　which　was　of　better　quality　than　that　given　to　Tallmen。
　〃How　long　until　this　ceremony？〃　I　muttered。　〃How　long　must　we　lurk　in　this　way？〃
　〃We　are　so　far　underground　time　is　without　meaning；〃　she　said。　〃Nonetheless；　if　Manacle　said　'two　days'　when　we　came　into　this　place；　then　it　cannot　be　long　now。　We　have　blundered　about　in　here　for　the　better　part　of　two　days　at　least。　Time　g