fs.thesecondbookofswords-第5部分

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tly。　It　seemed　impossible。　He　tried　without　success　to　visualize　this　boy　as　one　of　the　smaller　children　in　the　village　then。
　　　〃That's　as　may　be；〃　the　boy　said。　〃We　came　here　later。　After　the　mountains　burst　and　the　gods　fought。〃　〃The　mountains　burst；　all　right；〃　Mark　agreed。　〃And　I　don't　doubt　that　the　gods　fought　too。。。　what's　your　name？〃　〃Virgil。。。〃
　　　〃A　good　name。　You　know；　when　I　was　your　size；　I　played　here　along　this　stream。　It　was　a　lot　different　then。〃　Mark　felt　a　sudden　need　to　make　someone　understand　just　how　totally　different　it　had　been。　〃I　swam　here；　I　caught　fish。。。　〃
　　　He　broke　off。。。　Someone　else　was　ing　down　through　the　thicket。
　　　A　woman　emerged；　as　ragged　and　dirty　as　the　boy。　Her　walk　was　the　walk　of　age；　and　much　gray　showed　in　her　disordered　hair。　A　dirty　bandage　covered　both　her　eyes。　Mark　could　see　the　ends　of　scars　showing　past　the　edges　of　the　cloth。
　　　Just　at　the　edge　of　the　thicket　the　blind　woman　halted；　one　hand　touching　a　bush　…　as　if　by　that　means　she　could　assure　herself　of　her　position。　〃Virgil？〃　she　called　out。　It　was　a　surprisingly　young　voice；　and　it　carried　fear。　〃Who's　there？〃
　　　〃One　lone　traveler；　ma'm；〃　Mark　called　in　answer。　At　the　same　time　the　boy　replied　with　something　reassuring；　and　came　out　of　the　water　with　his　filled　pail。
　　　The　woman　turned　her　face　in　Mark's　direction。　There　were　indications　in　that　face　that　she　was　still　young；　even　evidence　that　a　few　years　ago　she　might　have　been　called　pretty。　She　called　toward　Mark　harshly：　〃We　don't　have　much。〃
　　　〃I　don't　want　anything　you　have。　I　was　just　telling　the　young　man　that　I　used　to　live　nearby。〃　Virgil　put　in：　〃He　says　he　was　here　five　years　ago。　Before　the　mountains　burst。〃
　　　Mark　was　on　his　feet　now；　and　approached　a　little　closer　to　the　woman。　〃I'll　be　going　right　along；　ma'm。　But　could　you　tell　me　one　thing　first；　maybe？　Did　you　ever　hear　any　word　of　the　family　of　Jord　the　Miller？　He　was　a　big　man　with　only　one　arm。　Had　a　wife　named　Mala　and　a　daughter；　Marian；　real　blue…eyed　and　fair。　Daughter'd　be　in　her　twenties　now。　They　lived　right　here　on　this　spot；　five　years　ago；　when　Duke　Fraktin　was　alive　and　claimed　this　land。〃
　　　〃Never　heard　of　any　of　'em；〃　the　woman　said　at　once　in　her　hard　young　voice。　〃Five　years　ago　we　weren't　here。〃
　　　〃None　of　the　old　villagers　were　here　when　you　arrived？〃
　　　〃No　one。　There　was　no　village。〃
　　　And　the　boy　Virgil　said；　as　if　repeating　a　lesson　learned：　〃The　Silver　Queen　now　holds　dominion　over　this　land。〃
　　　〃Aye；〃　said　Mark。　〃I　know　she　claims　that。　But　I　suppose　you　don't　see　her　soldiers　way　out　here　very　often？〃
　　　〃I　don't　see　them　at　all。〃　The　woman's　harsh　voice　was　no　harsher　than　before。　〃The　last　time　I　saw　them　was　when　they　blinded　me。　We　ceased　our　wandering；　then。〃
　　　〃I'm　sorry；〃　Mark　said。　In　his　heart　he　cursed　all　soldiers；　at　the　moment　he　did　not　feel　like　one　himself。
　　　〃Are　you　one　of　her　army　too？　Or　a　deserter？〃
　　　〃Neither；　ma'm。　〃
　　　Virgil　asked　Mark　unexpectedly：　〃Were　you　here　when　the　gods　were　fighting　among　themselves？　Did　you　see　them？〃
　　　Mark　didn't　answer。　He　was　trying　to　discern　in　the　bandaged　face　of　the　blind　woman　the　countenance　of　any　of　the　village　girls　he　could　remember。　But　it　was　useless。
　　　Young　Virgil；　evidently　feeling　braver　now；　persisted。　〃Did　you　ever　see　the　gods？〃
　　　Mark　looked　at　him。　〃My　father　did。　But　I　have　only　seen　them　in…visions；　and　that　only　once　or　twice。〃　He　made　himself　smile。　〃In　dreams；　no　more　than　that。〃　Then；　seeing　that　the　woman　had　turned　her　back　on　him　and　was　about　to　retreat　into　the　thicket　again；　he　called　to　her：　〃Let　me　walk　with　you；　back　up　the　hill；　if　that's　the　way　you're　going。　I　won't　be　any　bother　to　you。　A　manor　house　stood　up　there　once；　and　I　want　to　see　if　anything　is　left　of　it。〃
　　　The　woman　made　no　reply；　but　moved　on；　groping　her　way　from　bush　to　bush　along　what　must　be　a　familiar　path。　The　boy　came　after　her；　carrying　the　pail　of　water　in　silence。　Then　Mark。　The　three　of　them　climbed　more　or　less　together　along　the　path　worn　through　the　hillside　thicket。
　　　When　they　reached　the　top　of　the　little　hill　Mark　could　see　how　little　was　left　of　Sir　Sharfa's　manor　house。　The　great　stone　hearth　and　chimney　remained；　and　almost　nothing　else。　Against　the　chimney　a　crude　lean…to　shelter　had　been　built　from　scraps　of　wood。　From　inside　the　shelter　came　a　snoring　sound；　and　a　man's　bony　hand　and　wrist　were　visible　in　the　muddy　doorway；　their　owner　evidently　lying　on　the　floor　inside。　The　snore　sounded　unhealthy；　as　if　the　man　emitting　it　were　drunk　or　dying。　Maybe　he　was　both；　thought　Mark。
　　　The　boy；　who　had　put　his　pail　down　now；　was　not　ready　to　abandon　the　subject　of　the　gods。　〃Mars　and　Draffut　had　their　fight　right　over　on　those　mountains；〃　he　resumed　suddenly；　pointing　to　the　east。　〃And　the　twelve　magic　Swords　were　forged　right　up　there。　Vulcan　kidnapped　a　smith　and　six　men　from　a　village；　to　help　him　make　'em。　Afterwards　he　killed　the　six　men；　and　he　took　off　the　smith's　arm。。。　〃　Virgil　stopped　rather　suddenly。　He　was　looking　at　Mark；　with　the　expression　of　a　boy　who　has　suddenly　remembered　something。
　　　〃How　do　you　know　how　many　Swords　there　were？〃　Mark　asked　him。　It　amazed　Mark　how　knowledge　spread　…　or　how；　sometimes；　it　seemed　determined　on　remaining　secret。　It　was　almost　twenty　years　now；　he　knew；　since　the　twelve　Swords　had　been　forged；　and　half　a　dozen　years　ago　still　only　a　few　people　in　the　whole　world　had　known　about　them。　And　now　it　seemed　that　the　whole　world　knew。
　　　The　boy　looked　at　him；　as　if　Mark　had　asked　how　it　was　known　that　a　woolbeast　had　four　legs。　〃Twelve　Swords；　that's　how　many　there　were。　Everyone　knows　that。〃
　　　〃Oh。〃
　　　Virgil's　eyes　were　intense；　his　voice　hurried。　〃But　Hermes　played　a　joke　on　all　the　other　gods。　He　gave　the　Swords　only　to　mortals；　and　he　scattered　them　all　across　the　world。　Each　Sword　went　to　a　different　man　or　woman　to　start　with；　and　none　of　the　gods　got　any　themselves。　And　each　Sword　gave　whoever　got　it　a　different　kind　of　power。〃
　　　〃Oh。〃　It　was　true；　for　the　most　part　anyway。　He　didn't　want　to　appear　to　possess　superior　knowledge；　and　he　didn't　know　quite　what　to　say。　〃Why　would　Hermes　have　done　a　thing　like　that？〃
　　　〃Part　of　the　game　that　the　gods　play　with　each　other。　Aye；　he　scattered　them　and　gave　them　all　to　people。　I　wish　I　could　have　got　one。〃
　　　Mark　was　looking　at　the　woman；　who　stood　leaning　with　one　hand　on　the　shelter；　blindly　listening。　The　man　inside　snored　on。　Suddenly　Mark　felt　a　great　necessity　to　do　something　for　these　people；　maybe　he　could　at　least　shoot　them　a　rabbit　or　two　before　he　left。　And　then　…　yes；　he　had　decided　now。　There　was　something　much　more　important　that　he　was　going　to　do　for　them；　and　thousands　like　them。
　　　Virgil　asked　him：　〃Did　you　say　that　the　miller　only　had　one　arm？　Was　he　your　father？〃
　　　Mark　studied　him　a　moment；　then　put　another　question　in　return。　〃If　you　had　one　of　those　Swords；　what　would　you　do　with　it？　Hide　it　away　somewhere？〃
　　　The　boy's　expression　showed　he　thought　that　question　was　insane。　〃Whoever　gets　all　those　Swords　into　his　hands　will　rule　the　world。〃
　　　〃Aye；〃　said　Mark。　〃But　if　you　had　one？　Coinspinner；　maybe。　What　then？　What　would　you　do　with　it？　Try　to　rule　a　twelfth　of　the　world；　or　what？〃
　　　Neither　of　his　listeners　answered　him。　Maybe　he　had　scared　them　now。　But　now　that　he'd　started　he　couldn't　stop。　〃What　would　you　say　about　a　man　who　knew　where　one　of　those　Swords　was　hidden？　Maybe　Dragonslicer。。。　a　man　who　could　go　and　get　it；　but　he　just　let　it　stay　hidden。　When　there's　so　many　wrong　things　in　the　world；　like。。。　when　there's　so　much　that　needs　to　be　set　right。〃
　　　The　woman's　scarred　and　blinded　face　turned　slowly　back　and　forth。　She　was　shaking　her　head。　〃You'll　straighten　out　the　wrongs　of　the　world；　young　man？　You　might　as　well　set　out　to　serve　the　Emperor。〃
Chapter　3
　　　In　darkness　Ben　continued　his　methodical　struggle　to　work　his　way　down　the　face　of　the　cliff。　Whenever　he　could　he　made　a　little　headway　south　along　its　face　as　well。　The　plan　he　had　in　mind　required　that　he　go　south。　It　was　a　simple　plan；　basically。　It　was　also　madly　dangerous　…　or　he　would　have　thought　it　so；　had　he　not　found　himself　in　a　situation　where　every　other　course　seemed　suicidal。
　　　Anyway；　he　had　now　acted　on　his　plan。　He　had　rebelled；　assaulted　an　officer；　deserted；　and　there　was　nothing　to　do　now　but　go　on。　From　handhold　to　foothold　he　moved　down；　and　slowly　south。
　　　At　least　he　was　able　to　see　a　little　more　clearly　now；　by　the　light　of　a　horned　moon　that　had　recently　e　up　over　the　eastern　sea。　The　sky　was　gradually　clearing　after　the　storm；　but　low　fog　still　shrouded　the　ocean　and　its　shoreline；　which　were　still　at　a　frightening　and　discouraging　distance　below　him。　The　sound　of　breakers　still　came　drifting　up；　weaker　now；　almost　indistinguishable　from　the　weakening　wind。　And　Ben　had　certain　bad　moments；　in　which　he　thought　he　was　able　to　hear　another　sound　as　well　…　the　voices　of　six　men　trapped　and　howling　in　a　cave。　One　of　the　six　was　armed　with　a　sword。　But　would　that　do　him　any　good；　when　the　great　white　hands　came　reaching　out　for　him？
　　　Ben　fought　down　the　images　springing　from　his　imagination。　Then　another　kind　of　sound　reached　his　ears；　and　was　enough　to　drive　imaginary　terrors　away。　He　heard　the　steps　of　the　dragon。　It　was　ing　back　for　him；　walking　the　flatland　now　some　uncertain　number　of　meters　above　his　head。　Ben　continued　to　descend；　a　few　centimeters　at　a　time。　There　was　nothing　else　for　him　to　do。
　　　The　dragon　must　have　been　able　to　sense　his　presence；　for　it　came　to　the　clifftop　immediately　above　him。　Looking　up；　Ben　caught　one　glimpse　of　its　head；　a　lovely　silver　in　the　moonlight；　and　saw　the　red　glow　of　its　breath。　After　that　he　kept　his　own　head　down。
　　　The　dragon　bellowed　at　Ben。　Or；　for　all　he　knew；　it　might　be　the　horned　moon　that　drew　its　wrath。　Stamping　with　table…sized　feet　along　the　brink；　it　shook　down　stones　and　clods　of　earth。　Ben's　helmet　saved　him　once　from　being　stunned。　The　dragon　projected　fire　out　into　the　night。　Ben　saw　the　glow　on　the　rocks　around　him；　and　he　felt　the