fs.thesecondbookofswords-第42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！


ocks。　Hermes　had　e　here　seeking　something；　and　in　the　face　of　that　seeking　any　kind　of　human　concealment　seemed　to　have　bee　impossible。
　　　None　of　the　humans　moved　or　spoke。　All　of　them　remained　sitting；　crouching；　kneeling；　just　as　they　had　been。　Casually　Hermes　looked　around。　Then；　with　the　matter…of…fact　movements　of　a　strong　man　who　had　to　interrupt　some　toddlers'　squabble　in　the　course　of　business　of　his　own；　Hermes　approached　Ben。
　　　Ben　was　down　on　his　backside；　the　Sword　still　in　his　right　hand；　quaking　as　the　god　approached　him。　At　the　last　moment　he　was　unable　to　keep　his　eyes　open；　and　had　to　raise　one　hand　to　hide　his　face。　When　Hermes　reached　out　and　took　Dragonslicer　away　from　him；　Ben's　huge　frame　quaked　in　a　spasm　that　might　have　been　meant　as　resistance　…　but　it　came　too　late；　and　in　any　case　would　have　been　hopeless。
　　　The　god　dropped　something　small　into　the　sand　in　front　of　Ben　…　Mark　caught　the　flash　of　gold。　Then　Hermes　turned　away；　already　seating　Dragonslicer　in　one　of　the　empty　scabbards　at　his　belt。　Only　now　did　Mark　notice　that　Hermes　was　wearing　perhaps　a　dozen　empty　sheaths　in　all；　hanging　like　a　fringe　around　his　waist。
　　　And　now　Mark　found　himself　getting　to　his　feet；　he　was　not　sure　why。　He　was　standing　straight　up；　even　though　his　knees　were　shaking　with　the　fear　of　it。
　　　Hermes　observed　this　movement。　The　god　paused　in　mid…stride；　on　his　way　back　across　the　cave。　He　turned　his　head　and　looked　at　Mark。　It　was　a　brief　look　but　expressive　…　even　though　Mark　was　not　quite　sure　what　it　expressed。　Recognition　…　what；　you　here？　…　seemed　to　be　at　the　start　of　it；　with　unreadable　plexities　trailing　off　from　there。
　　　But　the　pause　and　the　look　were　only　momentary。　Hermes　had　e　here　on　his　own　business；　in　pursuit　of　which　he　now　approached　the　Baron。
　　　Doon；　finding　himself　in　the　path　of　this　advance；　made　a　great　effort　and　struggled　to　his　feet。　With　both　hands　he　raised　Wayfinder　to　guard　position。
　　　Hermes　halted　in　front　of　him；　and　spoke　for　the　first　time。　His　voice　was　huge；　remote；　aloof。　〃Give　it　me。　That　Sword　that　you　are　holding。〃
　　　〃Never。　It　is　mine　by　right。〃　The　words　were　barely　understandable；　but　Doon　managed　to　get　them　out。　He　was　shaking　almost　as　badly　as　Ben　had　been；　as　Mark's　knees　still　were。　Shaking　with　what　must　have　been　fear；　pounded　by　anger　and　helplessness。
　　　The　deity　deigned　to　speak　to　him　once　more。　〃I　suppose　you're　going　to　argue　that　you've　been　using　it　properly；　unlike　some　of　the　others。　In　accordance　with　the　game。　Well；　perhaps　you　have。　But　that　no　longer　matters。〃　〃I　am。　I　have。　It's　mine；　it's　mine。〃
　　　The　god　reached　out　impatiently。　Doon　struck　at　him。　The　stroke　would　have　been　a　killing　blow　against　a　human；　but　appeared　now　as　no　more　than　some　child's　petulant　protest　against　authority。　Then　the　Sword　was　in　the　hand　of　Hermes　Messenger；　who　with　a　flick　of　his　staff；　more　a　gesture　than　anything　else；　stretched　Doon　out　on　the　floor　of　the　cave。　The　man　lay　there　in　agony；　crying　with　pain　and　frustrated　rage。
　　　〃Unseemly　pride；〃　the　god　remarked；　sliding　Wayfinder　into　a　sheath。　〃In　one　as　mortal　as　yourself。〃
　　　The　only　human　being　standing　now　was　Mark　and　why　he　should　be　standing　was　something　that　he　hardly　knew　himself；　though　it　was　costing　him　a　tremendous　effort。　He　could　see　that　the　great　wizard　Mitspieler　was　down　on　his　face　in　the　sand。　Doon　sprawled；　groaning。　Ariane　was　somewhere　out　of　sight。　Ben　was　sitting　up；　but　with　his　face　still　buried　in　his　hands。　And　Mark　was　thinking：　This　is　what　my　father　had　to　face；　some　small　part　of　what　he　endured；　when　Vulcan　took　him　to　help　create　the　Swords。　Always　until　now　Mark　had　felt　for　his　father　some　faint　buried　touch　of　shame；　for　the　implied　weakness；　for　Jord's　letting　himself　be　used；　letting　his　right　arm　be　taken。　But　no　more。　Now　Mark　had　some　idea；　some　appreciation　of　what　Jord　must　have　felt。
　　　Only　a　moment　had　passed　since　Hermes　had　last　spoken。　But　something　else　was　happening　now；　a　new　presence　was　announcing　itself。　Just　as　light　had　spread　throughout　the　cave　upon　Hermes'　entrance；　so　now　it　was　with　shade。　The　wizard　Mitspieler；　sensing　the　new　presence；　raised　his　head；　and　the　beam　from　his　headlamp　was　engulfed　and　blotted　out　by　the　intensity　of　shadow　gathering　inside　the　unguarded　door。
　　　Mark；　still　on　his　feet；　could　see　the　dim　form　of　the　newer；　roughly　human；　standing　within　the　pall　of　blackness。　The　voice　issuing　from　the　shadowed　manlike　face　was　strangely　reverberant；　it　seemed　to　swell　up　out　of　the　rocks；　out　of　the　earth　itself。
　　　〃The　underworld　is　my　domain。　What　are　you　doing　here；　Hermes　Messenger？　What　is　there　in　my　world　that　you　seek　to　change？〃
　　　Hermes　Messenger　did　not　appear　to　be　disturbed。　〃I　am　collecting　Swords　…　as　you　ought　to　realize；　Hades。　I　am　going　about　the　business　of　the　gods。〃
　　　〃What　gods？〃
　　　〃Why；　all　of　us。　You　too。　All　of　us　who　know　what's　going　on；　at　least。　I　only　carry　out　the　gods'　collective　will。〃
　　　〃Hah！〃　The　sound　was　more　like　a　stony　impact　than　a　syllable　of　speech。　〃Since　when　have　all　of　us　agreed　to　that　extent　on　anything？　Say　rather　that　you　are　determined　to　cheat　in　the　game。　That's　how　I　interpret　your　behavior。〃
　　　Hermes　stood　up　very　tall。　It　seemed　to　Mark　that　the　ceiling　of　the　cave　must　be　bending　a　little　to　make　room　for　his　head。　〃The　game　has　been　suspended。　At　least　for　the　time　being。　There　are　certain　dangers　in　it　that　at　first　were　not　fully　appreciated：〃
　　　〃Oh；　has　it；　indeed？　By　whose　decision？〃
　　　Now　both　gods；　as　if　by　mon　agreement；　were　starting　to　move　toward　the　low　cave　exit；　as　if　their　argument　would　be　better　carried　out　elsewhere。　Hades　was　already　stooping　his　tall　figure　to　go　out。
　　　But　Hermes　paused；　arrested　by　the　sight　of　Doon　still　moaning　at　his　feet。　He　prodded　the　helpless　form　with　the　end　of　his　great　staff。
　　　〃Well；　man；　what　treatment　shall　I　give　your　pride　before　I　go？　Perhaps　I'll　give　you　a　loadbeast's　head　to　wear　from　now　on。　What　say　you　to　that　idea？　Hey？　Answer　me！〃
　　　Hades　at　the　doorway　was　bored　by　this　distraction；　and　stood　waiting　for　it　to　be　over。
　　　〃No…no；　don't。　Spare　me。。。　please。〃　Doon's　voice　was　almost　inaudible；　and　almost　unrecognizable；　too。
　　　Hades　in　his　impatience　grumbled　something；　in　a　bass　voice　pitched　too　low　for　Mark　to　understand。　Hermes　on　hearing　it　forgot　his　human　toy；　and　both　gods　went　on　out　of　the　cave。　Just　as　they　emerged　into　the　corridor　outside；　Mark　heard　the　sound　of　the　demon　out　there　again。　Hades　spoke　again；　and　then　did　something；　and　Dactylartha　fled；　yapping　and　bounding　like　a　kicked　cur。
　　　And　with　that　the　gods　were　gone。　Inside　the　cave　the　humans　were　stirring；　shakily；　as　if　each　and　all　of　them　were　trying　to　recover　from　an　illness。
　　　Even　as　others　were　getting　to　their　feet；　Mark　sat　down；　his　knees　suddenly　shakier　than　before。　Why；　he　realized；　I　have　just　looked　upon　the　face　of　Pluto　himself。。。　and　here　I　am。　Mitspieler；　or　Indosuaros；　one　of　them；　told　us　once　that　no　man　can　do　that　and　live。　And　here　I　am。。。　Mechanically　he　picked　up　his　quiver　and　slung　it　on　his　back。　He　picked　up　his　bow　What　was　he　going　to　do　with　it　now？
　　　When　Doon　sat　up；　the　first　thing　he　did　was　to　look　around　him　suspiciously；　to　see　who　might　have　been　a　witness　to　his　weakness。　Mark　noticed　this　vaguely　but　his　own　thoughts　were　elsewhere。　Dmitry　had　emerged　from　hiding；　and　was　calling　out　all　demons　and　gods　to　witness　that　Daghur　was　dead。
　　　〃Look　at　that；　a　rock　got　him；　it　looks　like。　Who　uses　a　sling？〃　All　Mark　could　see　of　Daghur　was　a　limp　arm　as　Dmitry　raised　it。
　　　Ben　was　calling　out　too；　calling　for　help；　from　where　he　stood　bending　over　Ariane。　Mark　rushed　to　them。　The　girl　was　sitting　up；　but　blood　from　a　head　injury　was　streaking　down　one　side　of　her；　face。　Either　a　stone　from　the　other　side　had　hit　her；　or　she　had　fallen　during　the　scrambling　in　the　dark。
　　　And　now　Mitspieler　was　on　his　feet。　He　pointed；　with　a　shaking　arm；　to　where　the　doorway　of　the　cave　yawned　unprotected。　〃The　demon！〃　he　choked　out　the　words。　〃。。。　is　stunned。　Run！　Run　for　it　now！〃
　　　Ben　scooped　up　Ariane；　disdaining　any　help　from　Mark。　With　Mark　running　as　a　rear　guard；　the　big　man　hurried　out　of　the　cave。　He　moved　quickly　but　the　others　were　already　gone　ahead　of　him。　Outside；　they　could　see　headlamps　bobbing　on　the　downward　path。　Doon's　Sword　might　have　been　taken　from　him；　but　his　determination　was　not　yet　dead。　And　if　he　had　had　any　thought　of　running　back　instead　toward　the　upper　levels　of　the　cave；　it　had　probably　been　squelched　by　the　sound　of　human　yells　that　now　came　drifting　down　from　that　direction。　The　alarms　were　louder　and　closer　than　before。
　　　The　demon　had　retreated　or　fallen　into　the　chasm　of　the　ravine。　Mark　could　see　multicolored　lights　flash　up　from　those　dark　depths；　and　could　feel　the　waves　of　hatred；　as　distinct　as　spoken　curses。
　　　Doon　was　running　in　the　lead；　gaining　with　every　stride。　After　him　came　Mitspieler；　who　looked　back　to　find　his　son；　then　increased　his　pace　again　as　both　Dmitry　and　Willem　rushed　past　him　at　top　speed。　Radulescu；　who　supposedly　knew　better　than　anyone　else　the　best　place　to　seek　safety；　was　running　in　the　same　direction。　Ben　with　Ariane　in　his　arms　pounded　in　the　same　direction　with　surprising　fleetness；　Mark　keeping　right　behind　them。
　　　They　passed　the　curve　of　the　path　where　the　demon　had　first　sent　them　dashing　back。　Mark　had　a　quick　look　at　the　body　of　the　first　warbeast　to　die。　It　was　draped　limply　over　the　low　wall　beside　the　path；　dropped　there　like　a　chewed　fruit…rind；　shrunken；　still　steaming　or　smoking。
　　　Just　as　animals　that　were　natural　enemies　might　flee　together　from　some　disaster；　so　did　the　humans　overtake　and　pass　each　other　on　the　path；　taking　no　more　notice　than　did　strangers　in　a　crowded　city。
　　　Ariane　had　partially　regained　consciousness；　and　was　struggling　to　get　Ben　to　put　her　down。
　　　And　now　the　demon　had　recovered；　from　whatever　the　gods　had　done　to　it　in　passing。　The　lights　of　it　again　spun　and　flickered　in　the　air；　the　noise　and　sickness　of　it　came　tr