sheritepper.necromancer nine-第9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！


idwife　nodded；　the　owl　feathers　bobbing　upon　her　head。　A　child　would　be　forthing；　it　seemed；　and　the　purpose　of　my　being　a　nobody　had　been　fulfilled。　We　sat　in　the　window　above　the　Street　as　she　shed　tears　all　down　the　front　of　my　tunic。
　〃There　is　no　reason　to　believe　you　will　not　have　great　pleasure　with　your　husband；〃　I　said。　Privately；　I　thought　it　unlikely　unless　he　had　been　taught　by　Trandilar；　until　I　remembered　that　Trandilar　herself　had　been　taught　by　someone。　〃Don't　cry；　Sylbie。　This　is　foolishness！〃
　〃You　don't　understand；〃　she　cried。　〃They　will　marry　me　off　to　someone　I　don't　even　know。　Someone　old；　or　bald；　or　fat　as　a　stuffed　goose。　Young　men　don't　get　wives　with　settlements　as　good　as　I　have；　or　so　my　mother　says。　They　have　not　the　wherewithal。　Only　old　men　have　enough　of　the　world's　wealth　to　afford　a　wealthy　wife。　Oh；　Peter；　I　shall　die；　die；　die。〃
　She　was　such　a　pretty　thing；　soft　as　a　kitten；　warm　as　a　muffin。　I　was　moved　to　do　something　for　her；　saying　to　myself　as　I　did　so　that　the　occasion　for　doing　helpful　things　should　not　pass　me　by　again　while　I　mumbled　and　mowed　and　made　faces　at　the　moon。　So　much　I　had　done　when　Himaggery　asked　my　help。　I　would　not　be　so　laggard　in　the　future。
　〃Shh；　shh；〃　I　said。　〃Be　still。　If　I　fix　it　so　that　you　may　marry　whom　you　will；　will　you　leave　off　crying？　Sylbie；　tell　me　you　will　stop　crying；　and　I　will　work　a　magic　for　you。
　There　were　kisses；　and　promises；　after　which　I　went　off　to　see　the　master　of　that　place；　a　great　fat　pombi　of　a　merchant　Duke　with　more　Armigers　around　him　than　any　Gamesman　needs　if　he　is　honest。　It　was　not　easy　to　get　to　see　him。　I　needed　all　the　Necromancer's　guise　to　do　it。　He　greeted　me　coldly；　and　I　resolved　therefore　to　make　the　matter　harder　on　him　than　I　had　intended。
　〃I　am　told　that　Necromancers　have　tried　heretofore　to　rid　Betand　of　its　spectre；〃　I　intoned。　〃Without　success。　I　e　to　do　what　others　have　not　done；　if　the　price　be　to　my　liking。〃
　He　shifted　in　the　high　seat；　staring　over　my　shoulder　in　the　way　they　do。　He　would　not　meet　the　eyes　behind　the　death　mask；　as　though　he　were　afraid　I　would　take　out　his　life　and　transmit　it　to　another　realm　before　time。
　〃What　price　would　you　ask？〃　His　voice　was　all　oil　and　musk；　slippery　as　thrilp　skins。
　〃One　request。　Not　gold　nor　treasure。　Merely　that　one　of　the　people　of　Betand　shall　be　governed　according　to　my　will。　For　that　person's　lifetime。〃　I　made　my　voice　sinister。　He　would　assume　I　wanted　torture　and　death　as　my　portion；　being　of　that　kind　which　would　sooner　kill　anyone　than　give　a　woman　joy。　I　know　his　kind…or　Trandilar　knew　them。　Yes。　Perhaps　that　was　the　way　of　it。
　〃One　of　my　people？〃　He　oozed　for　a　moment；　thoughtfully。　〃Will　you　say　which　one？〃
　〃Not　one　close　to　you；　Great　Duke。　I　would　not　be　so　bold。　Merely　an　insignificant　one　who　has　attracted　。。。　my　attention。〃
　He　glanced　at　his　counselors；　seeing　here　a　nod；　there　a　covert　glance。　〃What　makes　you　believe　you　can　do　what　others　have　not？〃
　I　shrugged；　let　a　little　anger　play　in　my　voice。　〃If　I　do　not；　you　will　not　give　me　my　price。　If　I　do；　you　will　pay　me。　Or　I　will　return　worse　thrice　over。　Is　this　reason　enough？〃
　At　which　he　gave　grudging　agreement。　I　insisted　it　be　put　upon　parchment；　signed　before　witnesses　with　the　Gamesmen　oath。　I　trusted　him　as　far　as　I　could　kick　him　up　a　chimney。
　Sylbie　and　I　spent　the　day　together。　When　evening　came　I　went　into　the　center　of　the　city　and　called　up　Dorn；　explaining　the　problem　of　Betand。　There　was　deep；　mocking　laughter　in　my　head；　a　sound　as　though　I　had　my　head　in　a　bell　which　someone　struck　softly。　When　he　had　done　laughing；I　became　his　student　once　again。　〃Inside　out。〃　He　showed　me。　〃What　we　would　have　done；　inverted；　so；　tug；　pull；　twist　so　that　it　bees　this　shape　instead　of　that。　Oh；　this　would　be　good　sport　if　we　were　drunk。　See；　over　there；　under　and　through；　down　and　over；　and　under　once　more…there　is　your　unborn；　Peter。　It　will　be　born　in　nine　months　in　any　case。　Are　you　sure　you　want　to　let　it　rest？　Ah。　Well　then；　down　and　over　and　through　once　more；　dismissing　it　thus：　Away；　away　into　time　unspent。　A　way；　away　into　life　unused。　Be　still。　At　peace。　In　quiet。　And　done。〃　Indeed；　when　I　let　Dorn　go　and　walked　forth　into　the　streets　there　was　only　stillness；　peace；　and　quiet。
　So　I　went　to　the　Duke　and　waited　with　him　while　his　counselors　wandered　about　listening　to　the　stillness。　Even　then　he　would　have　cheated　me　if　he　could；　saying　that　none　knew　whether　my　Talent　would　hold。　I　told　him　we　would　let　my　Talent　summon　up　something　else　as　a　demonstration；　and　he　agreed　to　payment。
　〃There　is　in　this　city　the　daughter　of　a　merchant；　one　Sylbie；　well　dowered。　Last　night　nobody　begot　upon　her　a　child　which　she　will　bear；　e　proper　season。　It　is　my　will　that　she　be　allowed　to　marry　as　she　will；　or　not　as　she　chooses；　no　matter　what　the　cost。〃
　He　bloated　like　a　frog。　I　thought　he　would　burst；　he　was　so　red　and　purple；　and　murmurs　behind　me　told　me　that　the　Duke　had　thought　of　Sylbie　for　himself。　Well　and　good。　If　she　willed　it；　good。　If　she　willed　it　not；　then　devil　take　him。　I　took　her　the　parchment　he　had　signed　and　told　her　the　names　of　the　witnesses　and　took　oath　to　lay　upon　kindred　of　mine　the　obligation　to　see　that　the　Duke's　oath　was　fulfilled。　Then　there　were　more　kisses；　and　more　promises　to　remember；　and　I　left　her。
　Well；　it　was　time　to　make　the　〃periplus　of　a　city；〃　so　I　walked　all　the　way　around　it　on　the　ring…road　inside　the　walls。　The　〃stupration　incorporeal〃　had　been　attended　to；　a　mere　word　play　on　rape　by　nobody。　Now　I　was　in　search　of　a　〃garment　defiled。〃　In　the　entire　journey；　I　found　only　one　place　that　fit；　the　Dirty　Girdle；　that　same　tavern　Sylbie　had　told　me　of。　So；　it　being　almost　time　for　supper；　I　went　in。　The　name　was　far　worse　than　the　place。　It　was　a　drinking　place　near　the　vegetable　markets　and　took　its　name　from　the　farmers'　habit　of　wiping　earthy　hands　upon　the　ends　of　their　knotted　girdles。　The　food　was　good；　not　expensive；　and　the　people　in　an　ebullient　mood；　toasting　the　end　of　the　haunting；　for　which　the　Duke　had　been　careful　to　take　credit。　When　I　asked　whether　〃an　eyeless　Seer〃　frequented　the　place；　they　told　me　Old　Vibelo　would　be　in　at　dusk。　So　I　drank　and　listened　to　the　talk　and　waited　for　whomever　Old　Vibelo　might　be。
　There　was　some　talk　of　disappearances。　A　Wizard　from　a　town　away　east　had　vanished；　as　well　as　a　respected　Armiger　from　among　his　people。　This　talk　reminded　me　of　Himaggery　and　Windlow；　so　my　earlier　feelings　of　acplishment　and　self…　satisfaction　were　much　dwindled　by　the　time　the　blind　Seer　tapped　his　way　through　the　door。　I　greeted　him　kindly　and　offered　him　a　meal　in　exchange　for　his　pany。　This　seemed　to　surprise　him；　but　he　was　nothing　loath　to　take　advantage　of　the　offer。　After　a　few　mugs　I　could　not　have　stopped　the　flow　of　talk　had　I　willed　to。　So；　I　asked　him　the　name　of　the　place　from　which　he　came；　and　how　he　had　first　e　to　Betand。
　〃Ah；　that　is　a　story。〃　He　raised　his　head　and　his　toothless　gums　showed　between　curly　lips。　〃For　a　man　with　time　to　listen；　that　is　a　story　indeed。〃
　I　told　him　I　had　time。　Since　I　had　no　idea　what　the　next　phrases　of　Mavin's　enigmatic　directions　meant；　it　would　be　wisest　to　listen　to　anything　he　might　offer；　hoping　that　sense　would　e　out　of　it。　〃Say　away；〃　I　said。　〃I'll　keep　your　glass　filled。〃
　He　began　talking　at　once；　stopping　only　long　enough　to　gulp　more　beer　or　put　more　food　into　his　mouth。
　〃I　was　reared　in　Levila；〃　he　said；　〃beside　the　shores　of　the　Glistening　Sea　where　Games　are　mostly　in　fun　and　Seers　see　nothing　but　peace。　That　is　east　of　here　some　considerable　way；　Gamesman；　some　considerable　way　indeed。　We　have　not　so　many　of　the　Schools　there；　you　understand；　and　many　of　us　grow　up　in　our　own　homes　with　family；　it　being　a　peaceful　place。
　'Well；　peaceful　is　well　enough；　but　dull；　if　you　take　my　meaning。　For　a　young　fellow　with　molten　iron　in　his　veins　and　a　heart　set　for　adventure；　peaceful　is　duller　than　bearable。　So； when　I　was　some　twenty　years　in　growth；　with　Talent　as　good　as　it　was　likely'　to　get　（not　to　say　it　was　too　great　a　one；　ever；　but　good　enough　for　some　purposes）　I　made　pact　with　an　Explorer　to　go　into　the　northlands　to　the　headwaters　of　the　River　Flish　and　all　the　lands　beyond。　Have　you　seen　an　Explorer；　Gamesman？　　Dressed　all　in　bright　leathers　with　a　spy　glass　on　the　shoulder　and　a　hat　made　of　fur？　Fine。　Oh；　my；　yes　but　I　thought　that　was　fine。　The　moth　wings　on　a　Seer's　mask　are　well　enough；　but　for　adventure　I　would　have　had　an　Explorer's　skins　every　time。〃
　He　spilled　a　little　beer　on　the　table　and　traced　it　with　a　finger　into　a　long；　wavering　line。　〃This　would　be　the　River　Flish　ing　from　the　north　into　the　Glistening　Sea。　The　mountains　start　up　there　a　ways。　There　are　wild　tribes　there；　pawns　who　were　never　tamed　since　day　the　first；　giant　Gifters　full　of　malice；　shadow　men；　oh；　you　think　of　something　wonderful　and　you'll　find　it　there；　Gamesman；　be　sure　you　will。〃　　
　〃So　we　went　along　and　we　went　along；　not　greatly　dismoded　by　the　travel　for　we　were　young　fellows　all。　The　land　got　steep　and　then　steeper　yet；　so　that　there　were　places　we　were　heaving　the　horses　up　the　rocks　with　tackle　and　spending　a　day　to　go　a　league。　But　at　last　we　came　to　the　headwaters　of　the　river；　a　great　swamp　full　of　reeds　and　birds　and　scaly　things　that　came　out　of　the　reeds　at　night　to　leave　horridsome　tracks。　And　there　were　biting　things　there；　flying　things；　big　as　a　finger。　　Twasn't　long　before　I　had　been　bitten　near　the　eye；　and　the　eye　swelled　shut　so　that　I　could　not　see　on　that　side。　Well；　I　was　not　overconcerned。　A　bite　is　a　bite；　and　they　heal；　you　know。　Save　this　one　did　not。〃　　　
　〃So；　the　way　north　was　blocked　by　the　swamp；　so　we　turned　away　toward　the　west；　following　the　sides　of　the　hills；　with　me　getting　blinder　in　the　eye　as　time　went　on　and　feverish　from　it；　too。　We　had　no　Healer　with　us；　more's　the　shame；　and　many　a　night　as　I　lay　there　heaving　and　sweating　I　longed　for　one。　　Was　then　we　were　attacked　by　the　shadow　men。　I　never　saw　one；　only　heard　their　piping　and　fluting　in　the　trees　and　felt　the　darts　whirring　by　my　head。　Some　of　us　they　got；　and　some　of　us　had　and　those　they　got　were　dead　and　those　they　miss