fs.thesecondbookofswords-第3部分

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　　　When　he　reached　that　lower　opening；　Radulescu　stopped。　He　leaned　his　torch　against　a　wall；　and　from　some　inner　pocket；　evidently　waterproof；　brought　out　two　stubby　candles。　He　produced　a　flame　…so　quickly　that　Ben　did　not　see　just　how　it　was　done　…　and　in　a　moment　had　placed　a　lighted　candle　on　either　side　of　the　hole　in　the　floor。
　　　And　now　he　looked　up　to　where　the　drivers'　faces　were　crowding　the　small　entrance。　〃Begin　unloading；〃　Radulescu　ordered　briskly。　〃You　are　to　carry　the　sacks　of　cargo　down　here；　carefully…carefully！　And　drop　them　here；　into　this　aperture。〃　With　a　light　stamp　of　his　foot　he　indicated　the　opening　in　the　floor。　He　had　given　the　last　order　with　special　clarity　and　emphasis；　as　if　wishing　to　avoid　having　to　repeat　it　for　those　who　thought　they　had　not　heard　it　properly　the　first　time。　On　either　side　of　Radulescu　the　candles　burned；　blue　wax　and　golden　flames；　and　on　the　flat　rocks　where　they　stood；　Ben　could　see　drippings；　encrustations　of　old　wax。　It　was　evidently　not　the　first　time；　nor　the　second　or　third；　that　a　cargo　had　been　delivered　here。
　　　The　six　drivers；　as　they　drew　back　from　the　upper　entrance；　getting　ready　to　obey　orders；　all　looked　at　one　another　for　a　moment。　But　there　was　really　no　time　for　Ben　to　talk　to　them。　He　could　see　surprise　in　some　of　their　faces；　but　nothing　like　his　own　fear　mirrored。
　　　Will　it　be　here；　he　thought　to　himself；　as　soon　as　the　unloading's　finished？　And　if　so；　how？　Or　do　I　have　a　little　more　time；　until　we　get　back　to　where　the　cavalry's　waiting。。。
　　　〃Move！　Quick！　Unload！〃　Radulescu　was　climbing　the　stair　with　his　bright　torch　in　hand。　He　was　not　going　to　give　them　time　to　think　about　anything　except　getting　the　job　done。
　　　The　men　had　been　trained；　in　a　hard　school；　to　obedience。　They　sprang　into　action。　Ben　moved　with　them；　as　automatically　as　any　of　the　others。　Only　now；　as　he　lifted　his　first　bundle　from　a　pannier　on　a　loadbeast's　back；　did　he　realize　how　effective　the　Blue　Temple　training　had　been。
　　　The　bundle　he　had　taken　was　small　but　very　heavy；　like　all　the　others。　It　was　wrapped　against　weather　in　some　kind　of　waterproof　oilskin　that　had　been　sewn　shut。　Inside　the　outer　covering　Ben　could　feel　thick　padding；　that　made　it　hard　to　tell　what　the　true　shape　of　the　contents　might　be。　To　Ben　the　loading　felt　like　several　metal　objects；　all　of　them　heavy；　hard；　and　paratively　small。
　　　Despite　the　weight；　Ben　could　have　carried　two　of　the　bundles　at　once　easily　enough。　He　did　not　do　so；　wanting　to　prolong　the　unloading。　He　might　have　only　the　time　it　took　to　do　that　job　in　which　to　try　to　think；　to　nerve　himself；　to　act。。。
　　　As　he　passed　through　the　upper　doorway　of　the　cave　for　the　first　time；　bearing　his　first　load　down；　he　looked　carefully　at　the　great　stone　as　it　rested　in　its　raised　position。　Ben　was　struck　by　how　close　it　must　be　to　its　point　of　balance。　What　six　men　had　heaved　to　open；　it　appeared；　could　be　easily　tilted　shut　again　by　one。
　　　Going　down　the　crooked　stairs　for　the　first　time；　watching　carefully　by　candlelight　where　he　put　down　his　feet；　he　noticed　that　the　stairs　were　beginning　to　be　worn。　As　if　many　processions　of　laborers　had　borne　their　burdens　here。。。
　　　Think；　he　ordered　himself。　Think！　But；　to　his　silent；　inward　horror；　his　mind　seemed　paralyzed。
　　　Down　in　the　cave；　putting　his　first　bundle　obediently　down　into　the　dark　hole　in　the　floor；　Ben　noticed　something　else。　The　heavy　bundle　made　no　noise　of　fall　or　landing　when　he　released　it　into　darkness。　Either　it　was　still　falling　…　or　it　had　somehow　been　caught。
　　　Moving　in　slow　procession　with　the　other　drivers；　now　emerging　from　the　cave　to　get　his　second　load；　Ben　saw　that　Radulescu　had　again　set　his　Old　World　torch　leaning　against　a　rock；　this　time　just　outside　the　entrance。　The　officer　had　gone　back　to　his　tethered　riding　beast　and　was　taking　something　from　the　saddle；　untying　a　light；　long　bundle　that　Ben　had　not　really　noticed　until　now。　The　bundle　was　just　about　the　same　size　and　shape　as　the　sword　…　that　Radulescu　wore；　and　heavily　wrapped　like　all　the　other　cargo。
　　　Ben　kept　moving　as　he　watched。　He　shouldered　his　second　load；　lightening　another　animal's　burden。　Again　the　weight　of　the　package　he　picked　up　was　startling　for　its　size。　No；　it　wouldn't　be　lead　that　the　Blue　Temple　was　putting　down　into　the　earth　so　secretly。
　　　The　location　of　their　main　hoard　had　been　a　subject　of　stories　and　speculation　for　generations。　At　least　one　song　had　that　hoard　as　its　subject　…　the　same　tune　that　was　still　running；　very　unhelpfully；　in　Ben's　mind。
　　　The　other　five　men　in　the　line　of　treasure…bearers　gave　no　indication　that　they　had　guessed　what　they　were　about。　The　implications　of　their　situation；　as　far　as　Ben　could　tell；　had　simply　not　dawned　on　them　at　all。　Their　faces　were　dull；　and　set　against　the　rain；　set　against　knowledge；　too；　as　it　now　seemed　to　Ben。　He　saw　no　possibility　that　he　would　be　able　to　talk　to　them　meaningfully　before　he　had　to　act。
　　　Both　the　stairway　and　the　upper　entrance　to　the　cave　were　so　narrow　that　the　process　of　carrying　in　the　cargo　was　necessarily　slow　and　inefficient；　men　moving　down　always　had　to　stop　and　wait　for　men　moving　up　to　pass　them；　and　vice　versa。　Even　so；　with　six　steadily　at　work；　the　unloading　wasn't　really　going　to　take　very　long。
　　　Six　men；　Ben　kept　thinking；　who　now　know　where　Benambra's　Gold　is　really　buried。　Were　there　six　other　workmen　still　living　in　the　world　who　had　managed　to　learn　so　much？
　　　The　unloading　proceeded；　and　it　seemed　to　Ben　that　the　process　was　going　very　fast。　Outside　the　cave　there　was　the　light　of　the　Old　World　torch　to　work　by；　and　inside　the　warm　smoky　flicker　of　the　two　blue　candles。
　　　〃Move　along　there！〃
　　　Ben　had　just　dropped　another　bundle　into　the　dark　hole　in　the　cave　floor。　He　was　in　the　act　of　straightening　up　and　backing　away　when　he　brushed　lightly　against　the　officer　who　came　moving　forward　just　behind　him。　As　the　two　men　grazed　past　each　other；　the　tip　of　the　bundle　that　Radulescu　carried　brushed　Ben's　arm。　Even　through　his　sleeve　and　the　object's　wrappings；　Ben　could　feel　the　passing　presence　of　some　power　of　magic。　It　tugged　at　his　memory　as　some　old　perfume；　might　have　done；　some　fragrance　lost　since　childhood　and　suddenly　known　again。　And　the　incident　made　his　fear　suddenly　more　powerful　than　ever。
　　　Ben　had　climbed　the　stair　and　was　outside　again；　getting　yet　another　bundle　to　carry　down；　when　Radulescu　also　emerged　from　the　cave。　When　the　officer　looked　sharply　at　Ben；　Ben　looked　dully　back。
　　　In　his　twenty…three　years　of　life；　Ben　had　learned　that　there　were　only　two　things　about　his　own　appearance　that　were　at　all　likely　to　impress　others。　One；　that　never　failed；　was　his　squat　bulk；　he　was　really　not　shorter　than　average；　but　so　heavily　built　that　he　appeared　that　way。　The　second　thing　was　his　apparent　dullness。　Something　about　his　round　slab　of　a　face　tended　to　make　people　think　he　was　slow…witted；　at　least　until　they　knew　him。　For　some　reason　this　effect　was　intensified　by　the　fact　that　his　body　was　so　broad　and　strong。　It　was　as　if　no　one　wanted　intelligence　and　unhandsome　strength　to　coexist　in　the　same　man。　Ben　had　convinced　himself　that　he　was　not　particularly　slow　of　mind；　but　he　had　learned　also　that　there　were　times　when　it　was　helpful　to　be　thought　that　way。　He　let　his　jaw　sag　just　a　little　now；　and　returned　the　impatient　officer's　gaze　blankly。
　　　Radulescu　stepped　closer　to　him。　〃Move　along；　I　say。　Are　you　taking　root　there？　Do　you　want　to　stand　out　in　this　storm　all　night？〃
　　　Ben；　who　would　have　been　delighted　to　settle　for　just　that；　shook　his　head　slightly　and　let　himself　be　spurred　again　into　obedient　motion。　Mechanically　he　rejoined　the　slowly　shuffling　line　of　the　other　drivers。
　　　Burdened　again　with　what　he　thought　must　certainly　be　gold；　heading　down　once　more　into　the　cave；　he　observed　again　how　precariously　the　great　sealing　rock　was　poised　near　its　point　of　balance。　One　man　standing　outside　the　cave　ought　to　be　able　to　close　that　doorway　quickly；　with　one　hand。　Whereas　six　men　caught　inside　would　never　be　able　to　crowd　themselves　into　position　to　reach　the　rock　and　lift　it　open。　Of　course；　if　given　time；　they　ought　to　be　able　to　manage　some　way　of　getting　out。　If　given　time。
　　　The　rock　was　not　going　to　e　crashing　shut　behind　him　this　trip。　Not　all　of　the　treasure　had　been　unloaded　yet。
　　　As　he　let　this　weighty　bundle　slide　down　into　the　hole　in　the　cave　floor；　Ben　started　back　reflexively。　Half　a　meter　or　so　below　the　level　of　the　floor；　a　pair　of　hands；　inhumanly　large　and　white；　had　e　momentarily　into　view　to　catch　the　package。　As　quickly　as　they　had　appeared；　the　hands　were　gone　again；　all　in　utter　silence。
　　　Ben　turned　away　again；　saying　nothing。　As　he　moved　past　a　line　of　burdened　men　all　waiting　to　drop　more　cargo　into　the　pit；　he　realized　with　a　pang　of　fear　that　the　unloading　must　now　be　almost　finished。　He　took　quick　strides　toward　the　stair；　wanting　to　make　sure　that　he　got　out　of　the　cave　again　before　the　job　was　done。
　　　At　the　upper　entrance；　the　officer　had　just　delayed　the　last　driver；　who　was　just　about　to　start　down　with　what　must　be　the　last　bundle　on　his　shoulder。　〃Wait　for　me　below；　out　of　the　rain；〃　Radulescu　was　telling　him。　〃I　want　to　speak　to　all　of　you。〃
　　　And　the　last　man；　burdened；　entered　the　cave。　Just　inside　the　entrance　Ben　shouldered　past　him。　Ben　got　out；　leaving　behind　him　a　voice　that　muttered　obscene　protests　at　almost　being　forced　off　the　stairs。
　　　The　officer；　with　his　Old　World　light　once　more　in　hand；　greeted　Ben's　emergence　with　another　look　of　disgust；　this　time　there　was　perhaps　something　more　dangerous　in　the　glance　as　well。　And　Radulescu　cursed　Ben　wearily。　No　real　curse　fortunately；　but　one　of　the　hollow　forms　used　automatically　to　relieve　feelings　and　abuse　subordinates：　something　about　an　Emperor's　child；　lacking　in　both　wit　and　luck。
　　　〃Sir？〃　Ben　responded　numbly。　Now；　he　was　thinking　to　himself；　I　must　move　now；　before　it　is　too　late；　before。。。
　　　〃The　unloading　is　finished；〃　the　officer　informed　him；　speaking　slowly　and　plainly　now；　as　to　the　pany　dullard。　〃I　want　all　of