fs.thesecondbookofswords-第6部分

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　dragon　projected　fire　out　into　the　night。　Ben　saw　the　glow　on　the　rocks　around　him；　and　he　felt　the　backwash　of　the　heat；　as　if　a　door　had　opened　briefly　to　some　tremendous　oven。　But　either　the　creature　could　not　bend　over　the　cliff　far　enough　to　breathe　at　him　directly；　or　it　did　not　care　to　try。　Ben　was　confident　that　it　lacked　the　intelligence　to　try　to　trickle　fire　on　him　along　the　rocks。
　　　Presently；　as　he　continued　moving　down；　the　hail　of　dirt　and　stones　abated。　Then　the　stamping　moved　away；　until　he　could　no　longer　feel　it　in　the　earth。　Ben　heard　the　chiming　snort　again；　this　time　from　some　considerable　distance；　and　almost　drowned　in　wind。
　　　As　if　he　had　never　had　any　other　goal　in　life；　and　could　imagine　none；　he　kept　on　moving。　Mechanically　he　went　down；　and　south。　And　presently　he　found　to　his　relief　that　the　slope　was　no　longer　quite　so　steep。　He　began　to　make　real　progress。
　　　His　way　now　took　him　round　a　large　convexity　of　cliff；　and　out　of　most　of　the　remaining　wind。　Looking　to　seaward　now；　from　a　level　only　a　little　above　the　tendrils　of　the　fog；　he　saw　that　he　was　confronting　a　long　but　possibly　narrow　inlet　of　the　sea；　a　fjord　that　stretched　inland　to　the　west　for　some　indeterminable　distance。　Ben　could　just　discern　high　land　across　the　water；　but　in　fog　and　intermittent　moonlight　he　could　only　guess　at　that　land's　distance　and　its　nature。
　　　According　to　the　mental　map　that　he　relied　on　for　guidance；　he　had　to　continue　south　if　he　was　to　have　any　hope　of　leaving　Blue　Temple　land　behind　him　before　daylight。　But　now　continuing　south　meant　somehow　crossing　this　arm　of　the　sea。　There　was　no　choice。　Unless　he　stumbled　on　a　boat　when　he　got　down　to　the　shore　…　and　he　had　no　reason　to　think　he　would　…　he　was　going　to　have　to　trust　his　fate　to　the　powers　of　the　deep；　and　swim　across。
　　　As　he　worked　his　way　lower　and　lower；　getting　into　patchy　fog；　he　kept　trying　to　estimate　the　height　and　distance　of　those　opposing　cliffs。　But　under　the　conditions　he　could　not。　He　was　not　even　certain　he　was　not　looking　at　an　island。　All　he　could　really　be　sure　of　was　that　if　he　stayed　where　he　was　until　morning；　he　would　be　discovered　by　Blue　Temple　searchers　who　would　be　out　in　force。　He　had　to　assume　that　they　would　have　flying　creatures　out　looking　for　him　at　sunrise。　And　if　they　found　him　on　this　cliff　he　would　do　well　then　to　hurl　himself　to　speedy　death。。。
　　　The　land　flattened　briefly　at　the　cliff's　foot。　Ben　moved　among　fallen　boulders；　able　to　feel　the　spray　now　from　invisible　waves。　He　moved　onto　a　shingle　of　coarse　rounded　stones；　and　was　granted　a　dim　vision　of　the　sea　at　last。　There　was　no　boat；　of　course；　nor　any　sign　of　one。　Not　even　a　scrap　of　log。
　　　Uttering　silent　prayers　to　Neptune；　he　crept　forward　onto　a　jutting　rock；　with　sea…foam　bubbling　at　his　feet。　He　stripped　off　a　few　more　garments；　and　threw　his　helmet　out　as　offering　to　the　sea。　Then；　not　giving　himself　time　to　think；　he　entered　the　water　in　a　bold　leap。
　　　He　surfaced　gasping　with　the　salt　chill；　and　struck　out　boldly。　How　the　tides　and　currents　might　run　here　he　had　no　idea。　His　fate　was　in　the　hands　of　the　sea　gods；　but　drowning　was　hardly　the　worst　fate　that　might　overtake　him　in　the　next　few　hours。
　　　Ben　was　a　strong　swimmer；　and　all　but　impervious　to　cold。　The　water　was　not　warm；　but　he　doubted　that　it　was　cold　enough　to　kill　him。　Glimpsing　the　horned　moon　through　ragged　clouds　as　he　swam；　he　tried　to　keep　it　on　his　left。　The　waves　were　strong　and　regular。　Once　he　got　out　a　little　from　the　shore；　it　was　hard　to　tell　if　they　were　helping　or　hindering　his　progress。　Patches　of　fog　closed　in　at　times；　obscuring　the　moon　and　making　him　doubt　whether　he　was　swimming　in　the　right　direction。　But　always　the　moon　came　back；　and　he　was　never　very　far　off　his　chosen　course。
　　　Eventually　he　thought　that　the　moon　was　higher。　Had　he　been　swimming　for　an　hour　now？　For　two？　It　couldn't　have　been　for　very　long；　he　told　himself；　or　there'd　be　signs　in　the　sky　of　the　ing　daylight。。。
　　　He　tried　to　hold　his　thought　on　how　difficult　it　was　going　to　be　for　the　Blue　Temple　searchers　when　they　came　looking　for　him。　They'd　find　his　cloak　right　away；　up　on　the　cliff；　if　the　dragon　hadn't　swallowed　it　whole。　They'd　think　that　it　had　swallowed　him。。。　they'd　never　find　him　in　this　kind　of　fog。
　　　He　was　wondering　seriously　whether　he　was　going　to　make　it；　when　a　mass　of　land　loomed　vaguely　ahead；　and　from　the　same　direction　he　heard　the　sound　of　waves　on　rocks　again。
　　　The　dawn　rising　grayly　out　of　the　sea　seemed　to　carry　Ben　up　with　it；　lifting　him　onto　land。
　　　On　a　small　strip　of　sandy　beach　he　lay　quietly　for　a　few　minutes；　breathing　heavily；　having　a　little　difficulty　realizing　that　he　was　still　alive。　He　was　nearer　exhaustion　than　he　had　realized。　But　he　did　not　forget　a　prayer　of　thanks　to　Neptune。
　　　A　few　meters　inland；　the　foot　of　an　unfamiliar　cliff　confronted　him。　As　soon　as　he　felt　able；　he　got　to　his　feet　and　began　to　climb　it。　The　mist　from　the　sea　seemed　to　rise　with　him　as　he　climbed；　like　some　demonic　substance　seeking　to　escape　the　depths。　Even　though　he　still　moved　through　fog；　the　movement　dried　and　warmed　him。
　　　When　he'd　gained　what　he　thought　was　a　considerable　height　he　paused　to　catch　his　breath　and　look　back。　Across　the　fjord；　the　headland　that　he'd　fled　was　hard　to　make　out。　Clouds　shrouded　it　from　the　first　direct　rays　of　the　morning　sun。　The　search　for　him　had　probably　already　started　over　there；　but　he　couldn't　see　it。　He　trusted　that　so　far　they　hadn't　been　able　to　see　him；　either。
　　　What　he　had　to　do　now　was　get　himself　off　this　exposed　cliff；　get　inland　as　rapidly　as　possible。　Climbing　now　at　the　fastest　pace　he　could　sustain；　Ben　saw　with　alarm　that　his　tough　hands　were　starting　to　bleed　from　their　prolonged　struggle　with　sharp　rock。　If　the　Blue　Temples　flying　scouts　should　e　to　visit　this　cliff　as　well；　would　they　be　able　to　trail　him　by　those　tiny　flecks　of　blood？
　　　If　so；　there　was　no　point　in　worrying　about　it。　He　was　doing　all　he　could　do　to　survive；　he　told　himself。　If　he'd　gone　meekly　down　into　the　cave　that　last　time　as　he'd　been　ordered；　he'd　be　quite　meekly　dead　by　now。　That　much　he　was　sure　of。　He　was　convinced　that　the　five　other　drivers　were　dead　by　now。。。　unless；　he　thought　suddenly；　they　had　somehow　been　kept　alive　for　questioning　about　the　plot。　The　higher…ups　were　sure　to　think　that　there　had　been　some　kind　of　plot。　Probably　even　Radulescu；　if　he　was　still　alive；　was　being　questioned。
　　　Excuse　me；　sir；　there　wasn't　no　plot；　sir。　Just　Big　Ben；　Slow　Ben；　doing　his　best　to　stay　alive。
　　　He　thought　about　that　as　he　climbed。　Certainly；　last　night　when　he'd　started　running；　there'd　been　nothing　more　on　his　mind　than　keeping　himself　alive。　And　even　now；　climbing　rapidly；　he　was　willing　to　settle　for　that。
　　　But　now。。。
　　　Now；　with　the　possibility　of　escape　looking　more　real　with　each　passing　moment；　other　ideas　were　inviting　themselves　into　Ben's　mind。　True；　he　hadn't　been　trying　to　carry　away　any　important　secrets。　But；　since　they　were　going　to　hunt　him　anyway。。。　well；　he'd　be　a　fool　not　to　try　to　get　some　chance　to　benefit　out　of　this；　as　well　as　the　chance　of　getting　killed。
　　　Twenty…three　years'　experience　had　taught　Ben　that　the　life　of　a　poor　man　was　not　much　of　a　life。　It　was　too　bad　the　world　was　like　that；　but　so　it　was。　He　wanted　money；　enough　at　least　to　promise　some　kind　of　minimal　security。　Once　a　man　had　a　little　gold　in　his　pocket；　he　could　be　somebody；　could　have　some　kind　of　chance　for　a　decent　life。　Ben　had　joined　the　Blue　Temple　service　a　year　ago　only　because　he　saw　in　it　the　possibility　at　least　of　modest　success；　security　…　in　a　word；　of　getting　a　little　money。　A　man　had　to　have　a　certain　minimum　of　that。　At　least　he　did　if　he　was　ever　going　to　attract　and　keep　a　woman　whose　own　yearnings　were　for　prosperous　stability。
　　　Once　Ben　had　enlisted；　given　his　size　and　strength　and　lack　of　other　education；　there　was　little　doubt　about　which　branch　of　the　Temple　service　he'd　be　assigned　to。　Not　for　him　one　of　the　easy　desk　jobs；　tallying　and　re…tallying　the　Temples　wealth　in　all　its　categories；　figuring　up　the　interest　on　all　the　loans　they　had　outstanding。　He'd　seen　the　rows　of　busy　clerks；　scribbling　at　the　long　desks。　That　looked　like　an　easy　life。　But　he　himself　had　been　sent　into　the　Guards。
　　　For　Ben；　already　accustomed　to　a　hard；　poor　existence；　and　not　expecting　much　from　his　new　career　right　at　the　start；　the　life　of　a　military　recruit　had　not　seemed　too　unpleasant。　He　had　already　taken　part　in　more　actual　fighting　than　he　had　ever　wanted　to　see；　but　he　had　managed　to　live　through　it；　in　the　peaceful　Blue　Temple　garrison　where　he　was　first　assigned；　he　really　did　not　expect　to　be　called　upon　for　more。　Adequate　food　and　clothing　were　regularly　provided；　and　a　man　who　did　what　he　was　told　could　usually　keep　himself　out　of　trouble。
　　　It　had　turned　out；　though；　somewhat　to　Ben's　own　surprise；　that　he　was　not　the　kind　of　man　to　always　do　what　he　was　told。
　　　He　might　have　enlisted　in　other　organizations　than　Blue　Temple；　sought　jobs　under　other　conditions　of　service；　in　other　places；　that　would　have　offered　him　just　as　good　a　chance　of　security。　It　was　easy　to　realize　that　now。　Now；　he　saw　that　he　had　picked　Blue　Temple　really　because　the　idea　of　its　great　wealth　had　attracted　him。　He　hadn't　been　quite　naive　enough　to　imagine　that　he　was　going　to　bee　personally　rich　as　soon　as　he　signed　up　…　as　the　recruiter　had　somehow　managed　to　suggest。　No。　But　still　Ben　had　known　that　all　the　money；　the　wealth；　the　gold　of　the　Blue　Temple；　was　going　to　be　around；　and　the　idea　of　it　had　attracted　him。　At　the　time　he'd　told　himself　that　he'd　chosen　to　join　Blue　Temple　because　it　lacked　the　reputation　for　gratuitous　oppression　and　cruelty　that　was　shared　by　so　many　of　the　world's　other　powers。　The　Dark　King；　for　example；　or　the　Silver　Queen　of　Yambu；　or　the　late　Duke　Fraktin。
　　　Blue　Temple　were　the　worshippers　of　wealth；　the　harvesters　and　heapers…up　of　gold。　Somehow　they　usually　contrived　to　extract　the　stuff　from　everyone　who　came　in　reach；　from　rich　and　poor；　devotees　and　scoffers；　friends　and　deadly　foes　alike。