fs.thesecondbookofswords-第2部分

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forward。　Ben　thought　it　might　not　be　all　gold　that　they　were　carrying。　He　could　imagine；　inside　the　heavily　padded；　shapeless　bundles　that　filled　the　wicker　baskets；　a　certain　proportion　of　jewelry；　for　example。　Precious　stones；　and　maybe　some　things　of　art。。。
　　　With　every　minute　the　worry　that　had　fastened　upon　him　grew　and　grew。　And　the　wind　continued　to　blast　the　little　procession；　as　did　the　rain；　until　even　the　four…footed　creatures　were　slipping　and　sliding　on　the　wet　and　rounded　rocks　that　made　up　so　much　of　this　poor　excuse　for　a　path。
　　　Again　Ben　shoved　against　the　beast　whose　hindquarters　were　under　his　right　arm。　He　shifted　the　animal　bodily　a　small　distance　to　the　right；　farther　away　from　that　dreadful　brink　that　now　again　came　curving　in　from　the　left　to　run　close　beside　the　path。
　　　And　now；　to　Ben's　mild　surprise；　the　officer　came　cantering　forward　on　the　right　side　of　the　small　train。　Radulescu　was　urging　his　mount　to　a　greater　fraction　of　its　speed；　so　that　it　quickly　got　ahead　of　the　slow　loadbeasts。　Lights　and　shadows　shifted　with　the　change　in　position　of　the　cold　torch　still　held　in　the　officer's　hand。　That　torch　was　a　thick　rod　whose　rounded；　glassy　tip　glowed　steadily　and　brightly　white；　impervious　to　wind　and　rain。　Ben　had　seen　similar　lights　in　use　a　time　or　two　before；　though　certainly　they　were　not　mon。　In　that　steady　light；　Radulescu's　officer's　cloak　shone；　glistened　as　if　it　might　be　waterproof；　and　this　head　was　neatly　dry　under　a　hood　instead　of　wet　in　a　damned　dripping　helmet。　From　under　his　cloak　on　the　left　side　a　sheathed　sword　protruded　like　some　kind　of　stiffened　tail。
　　　As　soon　as　Radulescu　had　gotten　ahead　of　the　train；　he　turned　back　into　its　path　and　reined　in　his　swifter　mount。　And　now；　with　a　motion　of　his　light；　he　signaled　to　the　drivers　that　here　they　were　going　to　leave　the　precarious　path。　He　was　waving　them　inland；　across　utterly　trackless　country。
　　　The　driver　just　ahead　of　Ben　cursed　again。
　　　With　the　officer　now　riding　slowly　on　ahead　of　the　train；　his　cold　light　held　high　for　guidance；　the　first　driver　got　the　first　animal　turned　off　the　trail　and　headed　inland；　to　the　west。　Ben　followed；　leaning　on　the　first　animal's　hindquarters　as　before。　The　animal
　behind　had　to　agree；　with　Ben's　grip　still　on　its　reins。
　The　others　followed。
　　　Now；　moving　across　country　on　footing　even　worse　than　before；　they　were　traveling　even　more　slowly。　From　what　Ben　could　see　of　the　surrounding　land；　it　was　absolutely　trackless　and　abandoned。　All　six　of　the　drivers　were　cursing　now；　Ben　was　sure　of　it；　though　he　could　hear　no　maledictions　other　than　his　own。
　　　The　edge　of　the　cliff　was　now　safely　distant。　But　now　men　and　animals　had　to　pick　their　way　over　uneven　slopes　of　sand；　push　through　prickly　growth；　negotiate　more　rocks　whose　surfaces　were　slicked　by　rain。　This　land；　thought　Ben；　was　in　fact　good　for　nothing　but　raising　demons；　as　the　old　folksaying　had　it　of　the　deserts。　If　indeed　a　large　dragon　was　nearby　and　he　did　not　doubt　that　it　was　…　then　it　was　hard　to　imagine　what　it　found　to　eat。
　　　He　thought　that　the　dragon　was　making　its　presence　known。　The　farther　west　and　south　the　loadbeasts　were　made　to　struggle；　the　more　restive　they　became。　And　now　Ben；　who　had　more　experience　than　most　in　locating　dragons；　thought　that　he　could　detect　the　unique　tang　directly　in　the　wet　air；　ing　and　going　with　variations　in　the　wind。　In　that　scent　there　was　something　swinish；　and　something　metallic　too；　and　something　else　that　Ben　could　not　relate　to　anything　outside　itself。
　　　And　now；　unexpectedly；　the　packtrain　was　jouncing　and　stumbling　to　a　halt。　A　few　meters　ahead；　the　priest…officer　Radulescu　had　already　reined　in　his　animal　and　was　dismounting。　Reins　held　firmly　in　one　hand；　Radulescu　lifted　his　torch　high　in　the　other；　and　began　to　chant　a　spell。　Ben　could　not　hear　him　chanting；　but　could　see　in　profile　a　regular　movement　of　the　officer's　short　beard；　chewing　words　boldly　out　into　the　wind。
　　　And　now　something　else　came　into　view；　above　and　beyond　the　cowled　head　of　Radulescu；　who　now　turned　fully　away　from　Ben　to　face　the　apparition。　First　the　two　eyes　of　the　dragon　were　born　in　the　midst　of　darkness；　greenly　reflecting　the　Old　World　light。　The　height　of　those　eyes　above　the　ground；　and　the　distance　between　them；　were　enough　to　impress　even　an　experienced　dragon　hunter。　In　the　next　moment；　as　the　monster　drew　in　a　slow　breath；　there　appeared　below　and　between　the　eyes　a　red　suggestion；　glowing　through　flesh　and　scale；　of　the　inner　fires　of　nose　and　mouth；　an　almost　subliminal　red　that　would　have　been　invisible　by　day。　The　purring　snort　that　followed　was　a　nearly　musical　sound；　the　rolling　of　hollow　metal　spheres　in　some　vast　brazen　bowl。
　　　Ben's　sense　of　magic　in　operation　was　not　particularly　strong；　but　now　even　he　could　feel　the　flow；　the　working　of　the　chant。　The　spell　had　already　held　the　dragon　back；　and　now　was　turning　it　away。　With　blinking　eyes　the　great　landwalker　snorted　again；　and　then　melted　back　out　of　the　train's　path；　disappearing　into　storm　and　darkness。
　　　With　the　going　of　the　dragon；　Ben's　real　worry　only　sharpened。　He　had　no　trouble　now　in　concentrating　on　it。　In　fact；　as　he　waited　for　Radulescu　to　conclude　his　spell；　demonstrating　how　firmly　the　powers　of　the　Blue　Temple　were　in　control；　it　was　impossible　for　him　to　think　of　anything　else。
　　　The　worry　that　deviled　Ben　was　not　rooted　in　any　single　warning；　any　one　thing　that　he　had　seen　or　heard。　Rather　it　had　sprung　into　existence　like　some　kind　of　elemental　power；　out　of　a　great　number　of　details。
　　　One　detail　was　that　all　six　of　the　drivers　here　tonight；　including　Ben　himself；　were　newers　to　this　particular　Temple　garrison。　That　meant；　Ben　supposed；　that　none　of　them　were　likely　to　have　friends　around。　All　six　had　been　transferred　in　from　local　Temples　elsewhere；　within　the　past　few　days。　Ben　had　managed　to　discover　that　much　from　a　few　words　casually　exchanged　while　they　were　waiting　for　the　train　to　start。　He　had　not　been　given　any　particular　reason　for　his　own　transfer；　and　he　wondered　if　the　others　had；　for　theirs。　So　far　he　had　had　no　chance　to　ask　them。
　　　At　the　time；　the　transfer　orders　had　seemed　to　Ben　only　one　more　inprehensible　military　quirk；　in　a　year's　service　with　Blue　Temple　he　had　gotten　used　to　such　unexplained　twitches　of　the　organism。　But　now。。。
　　　In　Ben's　memory；　repository　of　a　thousand　old　songs；　one　in　particular　had　now　e　alive　and　was　dancing　an　acpaniment　to　his　thoughts。　He　couldn't　remember　where　or　when　he　had　heard　it　first。　He　probably　hadn't　heard　it　at　all　for　years。　But　it　had　popped　up　now；　as　an　ironic　background　for　his　fear。
　　　If　only；　he　thought；　he　was　able　to　talk　to　the　other　drivers。　They　might　be　able　to　shout　a　few　words　back　and　forth　now　through　the　wind；　but　Ben　needed　more　than　that；　he　needed　time　to　ask　them　things　and　make　them　think。。。　he　suspected　he　wasn't　going　to　get　the　chance。
　　　He　had　only　a　very　little　time　in　which　to　decide　whether　to　act；　or　not　to　act；　alone。　And　if　he　decided　wrong；　either　way；　then　very　soon　he　would　be　dead。。。　The　priest…officer；　in　the　act　of　concluding　his　spell；　used　his　wand　of　light　to　make　one　long；　slow　gesture　after　the　departing　dragon。　Then　Radulescu　held　the　wand　upright　again；　looking　after　the　retreating　beast　and　perhaps　trying　to　listen　after　it　through　the　storm。　Then　he　remounted；　turned　to　the　waiting　drivers；　and　once　more　motioned　the　train　forward。
　　　The　drivers　moved　reluctantly。　The　loadbeasts　were　more　easily　convinced　than　their　masters　that　the　dragon　had　in　fact　departed。　With　dragon…scent　now　vanishing　quickly　in　the　wind；　the　animals　moved　forward　again　with　more　willingness　than　they　had　shown　for　several　hours。　And　now；　as　if　to　suit　the　improvement　in　the　atmosphere；　the　rain　began　to　lessen　too。
　　　There　followed　a　hundred　meters　more　of　stumbling　along　their　trackless　way；　now　and　then　tearing　clothes　and　skin　on　thorns。　Then　the　officer　reined　in　again；　and　again　motioned　the　packtrain　to　a　halt。　Another　dragon？　Ben　wondered。　He　could　perceive　no　other　reason　for　stopping　at　this　point。　Radulescu　was　indicating　with　his　light　the　exact　place　where　he　wanted　them　to　halt　the　animals；　close　beside　a　rocky　hillock　that　looked　no　different　than　a　hundred　other　rocky　hillocks　that　surrounded　it。　There's　nothing　here；　thought　Ben。。。　and　then　he　understood　that　that　was　just　what　he　was　supposed　to　think。
　　　Radulescu　had　dismounted　again。　With　torch　still　in　hand　he　moved　to　stand　beside　the　lower　end　of　a　great　slab　of　stone　that　in　itself　made　up　a　large　portion　of　the　hillock's　flank。　Putting　one　hand　on　this　huge　stone；　he　raised　his　voice　above　the　wind：　〃You　　men；　secure　the　animals。　Then　gather　here　and　lift　this　rock。　Yes；　here；　lift；　I　say。〃
　　　The　boulder　he　was　indicating　looked　too　heavy　for　a　score　of　men　to　budge。　But　orders　were　orders。　The　drivers　hobbled　their　beasts；　and　crowded　round。　Some　of　them　were　brawny　men　and　some　were　not　…　but　anyway；　the　priest　was　proven　not　to　be　mad。　As　soon　as　they　lifted；　the　enormous　stone　went　tilting　and　tipping　up　with　surprising　ease；　to　e　to　rest　balanced　in　a　new　position。　Now　where　its　lower　end　had　been；　the　dark　triangle　of　a　cave　opening　was　revealed。　The　black　hole　in　the　hillside　looked　to　Ben　a　little　too　regular　in　shape　to　be　entirely　natural；　and　was　about　big　enough　for　a　single　man　to　be　able　to　pass　through　it　readily。
　　　First　in　was　the　officer；　moving　confidently；　holding　his　cold　torch　before　him　to　light　the　way。　The　utter　interior　darkness　melted　before　that　light；　to　reveal　a　single…chambered　cave；　with　its　flat　floor　sunken　three　or　four　meters　below　the　land　outside。　There　was　room　on　that　floor　for　perhaps　a　dozen　people　to　stand　without　crowding。　From　where　Ben　stood　at　the　triangular　entrance；　a　narrow　stairway　crudely　carved　from　rock　twisted　down　to　the　floor；　and　now　in　the　center　of　that　floor　Ben　noticed；　between　two　lips　of　stone；　another　man…sized　aperture；　this　one　leading　into　deeper　blackness。
　　　When　he　reached　that　lower　opening；　Radulescu　stopped。　He　leaned　his　torch　against　a　wall；　and　from　some　inner　pocket；