fs.thesecondbookofswords-第7部分

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eryone　who　came　in　reach；　from　rich　and　poor；　devotees　and　scoffers；　friends　and　deadly　foes　alike。　In　the　process　they　also　somehow　financed　and　indirectly　controlled　much　of　the　world's　trade。　Ben's　bunk　in　the　guardhouse　had　been　remote　from　the　inner　chambers　where　financial　matters　were　seriously　discussed；　but　information；　as　always；　had　a　way　of　seeping　through　walls。　In　the　morning　the　Temple　accepted　a　rich　man's　offering；　in　return　insuring　him　against　some　feared　disaster；　in　the　afternoon　it　levied　a　tax　on　a　poor　widow　…　making　sure　to　leave　her　enough　to　sustain　life；　that　next　year　she　would　be　able　to　pay　some　tax　again。
　　　And　incessantly　the　Temple　plained　about　how　inappropriately　poor　it　was；　how　much　help　and　protection　and　shelter　it　needed　against　the　financial　dangers　of　the　world。　Always　the　Guardsmen　were　exhorted　to　be　ready　to　lay　down　their　lives　in　defense　of　the　last　shreds　of　assets　remaining。　It　was　never　actually　stated　that　the　wealth　was　almost　gone　…　any　more　than　the　location　of　the　main　hoard　was　revealed　but　the　general　implication　was　that　it　had　to　be　dwindling　fast。　Always　the　soldiers　were　reminded　how　much　their　meagre　pay；　their　weapons　and　clothes　and　food；　all　cost　their　poor　masters。　And　how　essential　it　was；　therefore；　for　the　soldiers　…　especially　those　who　hoped　someday　to　be　promoted；　and　those　too　who　wanted　to　eventually　draw　a　pension　…　how　essential　it　was　that　they　return　some　generous　fraction　of　their　pay　as　a　Temple　offering。
　　　If　a　man　were　to　serve　in　the　ranks　for　twenty　years；　investing　a　substantial　part　of　his　pay　as　such　an　offering　each　year；　he　would　be　able　to　retire　at　that　point　with　a　pension。　Exactly　how　much　of　a　pension　was　a　little　vague。
　　　The　recruiter　had　mentioned　generous　pensions　to　Ben；　but　had　somehow　neglected　to　explain　just　what　a　soldier　had　to　do　to　qualify　for　one。
　　　So；　there　were　financial　as　well　as　other　reasons　why　the　enlistment　hadn't　been　working　out　for　Ben　as　well　as　he　had　hoped。　Even　before　last　night's　crisis　he　had　been　ready　to　get　out。　Of　course　he　could　have　bought　out　his　enlistment　at　any　time；　if　he'd　had　the　money　to　do　so　…　but　then；　if　he'd　had　that　much　money　he　never　would　have　joined　up　in　the　first　place。　Barbara　would　have　been　willing　to　marry　him；　or　live　with　him　permanently　anyway。　The　two　of　them　could　have　stopped　their　precarious　wandering　about　with　shows　and　carnivals；　a　life　that　kept　them　usually　very　little　better　off　than　beggars。　They　could　have　bought　themselves　a　little　shop　somewhere；　in　some　prosperous　strong　city　with　high　walls。。。
　　　It　was　a　year　now　since　he'd　seen　Barbara；　and　he　had　missed　her　even　more　than　he'd　expected　to。　He　didn't　want　to　go　back；　though；　until　he'd　acplished　something　at　last；　got　a　start　in　some　kind　of　life　that　she'd　want　to　share。　He'd　sent　her　letters　from　his　garrison　station　once　or　twice；　when　the　opportunity　to　do　so　had　arisen；　but　he　hadn't　heard　from　her　at　all。　For　all　Ben　knew；　she'd　taken　up　with　someone　else　by　now。　There　had　been　no　promise　from　her　that　she　would　not。
　　　Ben's　reason　for　enlisting　had；　of　course；　been　to　get　himself　established　in　some　kind　of　secure　Blue　Temple　post；　something　that　would　pay　well　enough　to　let　him　send　for　her。。。　looking　back　at　it　now；　it　seemed　a　very　foolish　hope。　But　then；　at　the　time　he'd　enlisted；　every　other　hope　had　seemed　more　foolish　still。
　　　Now；　in　the　gradually　brightening　daylight；　Ben　continued　his　climb。　This　cliff　was　not　quite　so　steep；　he　thought；　as　the　one　he'd　had　to　e　down　in　the　dark。　Or　it　might　just　be　that　having　some　daylight　made　things　that　much　easier。　Anyway；　he　was　making　good　progress；　and　quite　soon　reached　a　place　from　which　it　was　possible　to　look　up　and　feel　sure　he'd　be　able　to　make　it　all　the　way　to　the　top。　He　had　not　the　slightest　idea　of　what　he　was　going　to　find　up　there；　except　he　expected　and　hoped　that　he'd　no　longer　be　on　Blue　Temple　land。　He　might；　of　course；　be　wrong。。。
　　　When　he　had　climbed　a　little　farther　still；　Ben　paused　to　look　upward　again。　Yes；　from　here　on　the　slope　was　definitely　gentler；　and　he　had　no　doubt　that　he　could　climb　it。　He　could　even　see　a　short　stretch　of　what　looked　like　a　genuine　trail；　up　there　near　the　top。
　　　Ben　climbed　another　hundred　steps　and　stopped　to　scan　the　way　ahead　again。　This　time　he　received　something　of　a　shock。　Right　beside　that　upper　trail；　in　a　spot　where　no　one　had　been　a　few　moments　ago；　a　man　was　now　sitting　on　a　squarish　stone；　gazing　out　to　sea。
　　　The　man　appeared　to　be　taking　no　notice　of　Ben；　and　as　far　as　Ben　could　tell　he　was　not　armed。　His　body　was　wrapped　in　a　plain　gray　cloak　that　effectively　concealed　whatever　else　he　might　be　wearing。　The　cloak　at　least　didn't　look　like　part　of　any　soldier's　or　priest's　uniform　that　Ben　was　familiar　with。　Maybe　the　watcher　was　not　a　sentry；　but　he　was　in　a　place　that　a　sentry　might　well　choose。　And；　should　he　be　minded　for　some　reason　to　dispute　Ben's　passage　up　the　steep　slope；　his　position　would　give　him　a　definite　advantage。
　　　There　was　nothing　for　Ben　to　do　but　climb　on；　meanwhile　thinking　what　he　ought　to　say　to　the　man　when　he　came　near。　It　occured　to　Ben　that　he　might　represent　himself　as　a　shipwrecked　mariner；　just　cast　ashore　at　the　foot　of　these　cliffs　after　clinging　for　days　to　a　bit　of　wreckage。　No　notion　of　where　he　was　…　yes；　that　was　the　idea。　A　story　like　that　might　well　be　accepted；　the　gods　knew　that　Ben　was　wet　and　weary　enough　for　it　to　fit　him。
　　　The　man　who　sat　alone　on　the　rock　did　not　look　down　at　Ben　until　Ben　was　only；　a　few　meters　below　him。　But　when　he　did　look　it　was　without　surprise；　as　if　he'd　known　all　along　that　Ben　was　there。
　　　〃Hello！〃　the　watcher　called　down　then。　He　was　a　nondescript　sort　of　fellow　in　appearance；　smiling　and　openly　cheerful。　At　close　range　his　gray　cloak　looked　old　and　worn。
　　　〃Hello！〃　Ben　called　back。　Something　in　him　had　wanted　to　respond　at　once　to　the　lightheartedness　of　the　other's　greeting；　and　as　his　voice　came　out　he　thought　it　sounded　too　cheerful　for　the　tale　of　woe　he　had　to　tell　…　though　on　second　thought　he　supposed　that　any　shipwrecked　sailor　who　came　to　shore　alive　might　have　good　reason　to　sound　happy。
　　　Ben　climbed　closer。　The　man　continued　to　regard　him　with　a　smile。　Not　quite；　thought　Ben；　like　an　idiot。
　　　Drawing　even　with　the　man　at　last；　and　no　longer　at　the　disadvantage　of　the　steep　slope；　Ben　felt　confident　enough　to　pause　to　regain　his　breath。　Between　slow　gasps　he　asked：　〃Whose　lands　have　I　arrived　at；　sir？〃　He　was　ready　now　with　some　details　of　his　shipwreck；　should　they　be　required。
　　　The　man's　smile　faded　to　friendly　seriousness。　〃The　Emperor's；〃　he　said。
　　　Ben　stood　there　looking　at　him。　If　the　answer　had　been　seriously　meant；　Ben　could　derive　no　sense　from　it　at　all。　The　Emperor　was　a　proverbial　figure　of　fun　and　ridicule；　and　hardly　anything　more。　Of　course；　if　Ben　thought　about　it；　he　supposed　that　a　real　man　afflicted　with　that　title　might　still　exist　somewhere　in　the　world。　But。。。　a　landowner？　The　Emperor　was　a　clown…masked　caperer　through　jests　and　stories；　a　player　of　practical　jokes；　the　proverbial　father　of　the　wretched　and　the　unlucky。　He　was　just　not　someone　that　you　thought　of　as　owning　land。
　　　With　a　small　shake　of　his　head；　Ben　climbed　on　a　few　more　steps；　just　high　enough　to　let　him　see　inland　over　the　final　sharp　brink　of　the　cliff。　He　warily　kept　half　an　eye　on　his　panion　as　he　did　so。
　　　He　didn't　know　quite　what　he　had　expected；　but　the　view　inland　surprised　him。　Beginning　from　the　barren　cliff…face's　very　edge；　a　lush　meadow　sloped　inland；　knee…deep　with　dewy　grass　arid　wildflowers；　to　end　in　an　abrupt　semicircle　where　a　stately　grove　or　forest　began；　about　a　hundred　meters　inland。　Neither　meadow　nor　forest　showed　any　signs　of　human　use。
　　　Ben　said：　〃Well；　the　cliff　here　is　certainly　poor　enough　to　be　the　Emperor's　wall。　But　someone　else　must　lay　claim　to　this　meadow；　and　to　the　wood　yonder。〃
　　　The　fellow　sitting　on　the　rock　looked　quite　grave　when　he　heard　this。　He　gazed　back　at　Ben　but　did　not　answer。　Ben；　deciding　that　he　did　not　need　the　plications　of　a　debate　with　some　stray　madman；　climbed　the　last　three　steps　to　stand　gratefully　in　soft　grass。　He　saw　now　that　the　meadow　formed　a　rough　triangle；　and　he　was　standing　very　near　its　seaward　point。　Not　enjoying　this　exposed　position　on　the　cliff's　edge；　he　at　once　walked　inland；　heading　for　the　baseline　of　the　woods。
　　　After　the　long　struggling　climb；　it　was　a　joy　to　take　swift　steps　through　soft　grass　on　almost　level　land。　Patches　of　mist　were　rolling　up　over　the　edge　of　the　cliff；　as　if　determined　to　acpany　Ben　inland。　Fieldnesting　birds；　clamoring　as　if　they　were　unused　to　disturbance；　flew　up　from　almost　under　his　feet。
　　　He　reached　the　trackless　grove；　and　entered　it。　There　was　little　undergrowth　and　he　moved　swiftly。　And　now；　almost　before　he'd　had　time　to　wonder　how　far　the　wood　extended；　he　was　confronted　by　a　high　wall；　constructed　roughly　of　gray　fieldstone。
　　　The　wall　stretched　left　to　right　as　far　as　Ben　could　see；　losing　itself　among　the　trees。　But　it　was　so　rough…surfaced　that　climbing　it　proved　easy。　Raising　his　eyes　cautiously　above　the　top；　Ben　observed　that　on　the　far　side　of　the　wall　the　woods　soon　petered　out；　and　innocent…looking　countryside　began；　with　a　narrow；　rutted　road　winding　across　it　from　left　to　right。　In　the　distance　Ben　could　just　discern　the　top　of　a　tall　white　pyramid。　That　was　the　only　building　in　sight；　apart　from　a　couple　of　distant　cottages。
　　　Ben　observed　that　pyramid　with　relief；　taking　it　as　proof　that　he'd　put　Blue　Temple　lands　behind　him　…　or；　at　the　worst；　that　he　was　just　about　to　do　so。　In　another　moment　he　was　over　the　wall　and　trotting　toward　that　winding　road。　As　he　passed　through　the　last　of　the　trees；　with　patches　of　mist　still　hanging　about　them　to　lend　an　air　of　mystery；　it　struck　Ben　for　the　first　time　that　the　grove　had　the　look　of　some　kind　of　shrine。　For　what　god　it　was　meant　he　couldn't　guess。　He　didn't　think　it　was　associated　with　the　Temple　of　Ardneh　…　that　looked　too　far　away。
　　　He　should　really　stop　at　Ardneh's　temple；　he　told　himself；　and　make