rh.conanthewarrior-第10部分

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sh　and　life；　and　the　living　beasts　walked　the　earth　as　they　walked　it　when　time　was　young。　But　the　wizards　wove　a　spell　that　kept　them　in　the　forest　and　they　came　not　into　the　plain。
　　〃So　for　many　centuries　the　people　of　Xuchotl　dwelt　in　their　city；　cultivating　the　fertile　plain；　until　their　wise　men　learned　how　to　grow　fruit　within　the　city…fruit　which　is　not　planted　in　soil；　but　obtains　its　nourishment　out　of　the　air…and　then　they　let　the　irrigation　ditches　run　dry　and　dwelt　more　and　more　in　luxurious　sloth；　until　decay　seized　them。　They　were　a　dying　race　when　our　ancestors　broke　through　the　forest　and　came　into　the　plain。　Their　wizards　had　died；　and　the　people　had　forgot　their　ancient　necromancy。　They　could　fight　neither　by　sorcery　nor　the　sword。
　　〃Well；　our　fathers　slew　the　people　of　Xuchotl；　all　except　a　hundred　which　were　given　living　into　the　hands　of　Tolkemec；　who　had　been　their　slave；　and　for　many　days　and　nights　the　halls　re…echoed　to　their　screams　under　the　agony　of　his　tortures。
　　〃So　the　Tlazitlans　dwelt　here；　for　a　while　in　peace；　ruled　by　the　brothers　Tecuhltli　and　Xotalanc；　and　by　Tolkemec。　Tolkemec　took　a　girl　of　the　tribe　to　wife；　and　because　he　had　opened　the　gates；　and　because　he　knew　many　of　the　arts　of　the　Xuchotlans；　he　shared　the　rule　of　the　tribe　with　the　brothers　who　had　led　the　rebellion　and　the　flight。
　　〃For　a　few　years；　then；　they　dwelt　at　peace　within　the　city；　doing　little　but　eating；　drinking；　and　making　love；　and　raising　children。　There　was　no　necessity　to　till　the　plain；　for　Tolkemec　taught　them　how　to　cultivate　the　air…devouring　fruits。　Besides；　the　slaying　of　the　Xuchotlans　broke　the　spell　that　held　the　dragons　in　the　forest；　and　they　came　nightly　and　bellowed　about　the　gates　of　the　city。　The　plain　ran　red　with　the　blood　of　their　eternal　warfare；　and　it　was　then　that…〃　He　bit　his　tongue　in　the　midst　of　the　sentence；　then　presently　continued；　but　Valeria　and　Conan　felt　that　he　had　checked　an　admission　he　had　considered　unwise。
　　〃Five　years　they　dwelt　in　peace。　Then〃…Olmec's　eyes　rested　briefly　on　the　silent　woman　at　his　side…〃Xotalanc　took　a　woman　to　wife；　a　woman　whom　both　Tecuhltli　and　old　Tolkemec　desired。　In　his　madness；　Tecuhltli　stole　her　from　her　husband。　Aye；　she　went　willingly　enough。　Tolkemec；　to　spite　Xotalanc；　aided　Tecuhltli。　Xotalanc　demanded　that　she　be　given　back　to　him；　and　the　council　of　the　tribe　decided　that　the　matter　should　be　left　to　the　woman。　She　chose　to　remain　with　Tecuhltli。　In　wrath　Xotalanc　sought　to　take　her　back　by　force；　and　the　retainers　of　the　brothers　came　to　blows　in　the　Great　Hall。
　　〃There　was　much　bitterness。　Blood　was　shed　on　both　sides。　The　quarrel　became　a　feud；　the　feud　an　open　war。　From　the　welter　three　factions　emerged…Tecuhltli；　Xotalanc；　and　Tolkemec。　Already；　in　the　days　of　peace；　they　had　divided　the　city　between　them。　Tecuhltli　dwelt　in　the　western　quarter　of　the　city；　Xotalanc　in　the　eastern；　and　Tolkemec　with　his　family　by　the　southern　gate。
　　〃Anger　and　resentment　and　jealousy　blossomed　into　bloodshed　and　rape　and　murder。　Once　the　sword　was　drawn　there　was　no　turning　back；　for　blood　called　for　blood；　and　vengeance　followed　swift　on　the　heels　of　atrocity。　Tecuhltli　fought　with　Xotalanc；　and　Tolkemec　aided　first　one　and　then　the　other；　betraying　each　faction　as　it　fitted　his　purposes。　Tecuhltli　and　his　people　withdrew　into　the　quarter　of　the　western　gate；　where　we　now　sit。　Xuchotl　is　built　in　the　shape　of　an　oval。　Tecuhltli；　which　took　its　name　from　its　prince；　occupies　the　western　end　of　the　oval。　The　people　blocked　up　all　doors　connecting　the　quarter　with　the　rest　of　the　city；　except　one　on　each　floor；　which　could　be　defended　easily。　They　went　into　the　pits　below　the　city　and　built　a　wall　cutting　off　the　western　end　of　the　catabs；　where　lie　the　bodies　of　the　ancient　Xuchotlans；　and　of　those　Tlazitlans　slain　in　the　feud。　They　dwelt　as　in　a　besieged　castle；　making　sorties　and　forrays　on　their　enemies。
　　〃The　people　of　Xotalanc　likewise　fortified　the　eastern　quarter　of　the　city；　and　Tolkemec　did　likewise　with　the　quarter　by　the　southern　gate。　The　central　part　of　the　city　was　left　bare　and　uninhabited。　Those　empty　halls　and　chambers　became　a　battleground；　and　a　region　of　brooding　terror。
　　〃Tolkemec　warred　on　both　clans。　He　was　a　fiend　in　the　form　of　a　human；　worse　than　Xotalanc。　He　knew　many　secrets　of　the　city　he　never　told　the　others。　From　the　crypts　of　the　catabs　he　plundered　the　dead　of　their　grisly　secrets…secrets　of　ancient　kings　and　wizards；　long　forgotten　by　the　degenerate　Xuchotlans　our　ancestors　slew。　But　all　his　magic　did　not　aid　him　the　night　we　of　Tecuhltli　stormed　his　castle　and　butchered　all　his　people。　Tolkemec　we　tortured　for　many　days。〃
　　His　voice　sank　to　a　caressing　slur；　and　a　faraway　look　grew　in　his　eyes；　as　if　he　looked　back　over　the　years　to　a　scene　which　caused　him　intense　pleasure。
　　〃Aye；　we　kept　the　life　in　him　until　he　screamed　for　death　as　for　a　bride。　At　last　we　took　him　living　from　the　torture　chamber　and　cast　him　into　a　dungeon　for　the　rats　to　gnaw　as　he　died。　From　that　dungeon；　somehow；　he　managed　to　escape；　and　dragged　himself　into　the　catabs。　There　without　doubt　he　died；　for　the　only　way　out　of　the　catabs　beneath　Tecuhltli　is　through　Tecuhltli；　and　he　never　emerged　by　that　way。　His　bones　were　never　found　and　the　superstitious　among　our　people　swear　that　his　ghost　haunts　the　crypts　to　this　day；　wailing　among　the　bones　of　the　dead。　Twelve　years　ago　we　butchered　the　people　of　Tolkemec；　but　the　feud　raged　on　between　Tecuhltli　and　Xotalanc；　as　it　will　rage　until　the　last　man；　the　last　woman　is　dead。
　　〃It　was　fifty　years　ago　that　Tecuhltli　stole　the　wife　of　Xotalanc。　Half　a　century　the　feud　has　endured。　I　was　born　in　it。　All　in　this　chamber；　except　Tascela；　were　born　in　it。　We　expect　to　die　in　it。
　　〃We　are　a　dying　race；　even　as　were　those　Xuchotlans　our　ancestors　slew。　When　the　feud　began　there　were　hundreds　in　each　faction。　Now　we　of　Tecuhltli　number　only　these　you　see　before　you；　and　the　men　who　guard　the　four　doors：　forty　in　all。　How　many　Xotalancas　there　are　we　do　not　know；　but　I　doubt　if　they　are　much　more　numerous　than　we。　For　fifteen　years　no　children　have　been　born　to　us；　and　we　have　seen　none　among　the　Xotalancas。
　　〃We　are　dying；　but　before　we　die　we　will　slay　as　many　of　the　men　of　Xotalanc　as　the　gods　permit。〃
　　And　with　his　weird　eyes　blazing；　Olmec　spoke　long　of　that　grisly　feud；　fought　out　in　silent　chambers　and　dim　halls　under　the　blaze　of　the　green　fire…jewels；　on　floors　smoldering　with　the　flames　of　hell　and　splashed　with　deeper　crimson　from　severed　veins。　In　that　long　butchery　a　whole　generation　had　perished。　Xotalanc　was　dead；　long　ago；　slain　in　a　grim　battle　on　an　ivory　stair。　Tecuhltli　was　dead；　flayed　alive　by　the　maddened　Xotalancas　who　had　captured　him。
　　Without　emotion　Olmec　told　of　hideous　battles　fought　in　black　corridors；　of　ambushes　on　twisting　stairs；　and　red　butcheries。　With　a　redder；　more　abysmal　gleam　in　his　deep　dark　eyes　he　told　of　men　and　women　flayed　alive；　mutilated　and　dismembered；　of　captives　howling　under　tortures　so　ghastly　that　even　the　barbarous　Cimmerian　grunted。　No　wonder　Techotl　had　trembled　with　the　terror　of　capture！　Yet　he　had　gone　forth　to　slay　if　he　could；　driven　by　hat　that　was　stronger　than　his　fear。　Olmec　spoke　further；　of　dark　and　mysterious　matters；　of　black　magic　and　wizardry　conjured　out　of　the　black　night　of　the　catabs；　of　weird　creatures　invoked　out　of　darkness　for　horrible　allies。　In　these　things　the　Xotalancas　had　the　advantage；　for　it　was　in　the　eastern　catabs　where　lay　the　bones　of　the　greatest　wizards　of　the　ancient　Xuchotlans；　with　their　immemorial　secrets。
　　Valeria　listened　with　morbid　fascination。　The　feud　had　bee　a　terrible　elemental　power　driving　the　people　of　Xuchotl　inexorably　on　to　doom　and　extinction。　It　filled　their　whole　lives。　They　were　born　in　it；　and　they　expected　to　die　in　it。　They　never　left　their　barricaded　castle　except　to　steal　forth　into　the　Halls　of　Silence　that　lay　between　the　opposing　fortresses；　to　slay　and　be　slain。　Sometimes　the　raiders　returned　with　frantic　captives；　or　with　grim　tokens　of　victory　in　fight。　Sometimes　they　did　not　return　at　all；　or　returned　only　as　severed　limbs　cast　down　before　the　bolted　bronze　doors。　It　was　a　ghastly；　unreal　nightmare　existence　these　people　lived；　shut　off　from　the　rest　of　the　world；　caught　together　like　rabid　rats　in　the　same　trap；　butchering　one　another　through　the　years；　crouching　and　creeping　through　the　sunless　corridors　to　maim　and　torture　and　murder。
　　While　Olmec　talked；　Valeria　felt　the　blazing　eyes　of　Tascela　fixed　upon　her。　The　princess　seemed　not　to　hear　what　Olmec　was　saying。　Her　expression；　as　he　narrated　victories　or　defeats；　did　not　mirror　the　wild　rage　or　fiendish　exultation　that　alternated　on　the　faces　of　the　other　Tecuhltli。　The　feud　that　was　an　obsession　to　her　clansmen　seemed　meaningless　to　her。　Valeria　found　her　indifferent　callousness　more　repugnant　than　Olmec's　naked　ferocity。
　　〃And　we　can　never　leave　the　city；〃　said　Olmec。　〃For　fifty　years　on　one　has　left　it　except　those…〃　Again　he　checked　himself。
　　〃Even　without　the　peril　of　the　dragons；〃　he　continued；　〃we　who　were　born　and　raised　in　the　city　would　not　dare　leave　it。　We　have　never　set　foot　outside　the　walls。　We　are　not　accustomed　to　the　open　sky　and　the　naked　sun。　No；　we　were　born　in　Xuchotl；　and　in　Xuchotl　we　shall　die。〃
　　〃Well；〃　said　Conan；　〃with　your　leave　we'll　take　our　chances　with　the　dragons。　This　feud　is　none　of　our　business。　If　you'll　show　us　to　the　west　gate　we'll　be　on　our　way。〃
　　Tascela's　hands　clenched；　and　she　started　to　speak；　but　Olmec　interrupted　her：　〃It　is　nearly　nightfall。　If　you　wander　forth　into　the　plain　by　night；　you　will　certainly　fall　prey　to　the　dragons。〃
　　〃We　crossed　it　last　night；　and　slept　in　the　open　without　seeing　any；〃　returned　Conan。
　　Tascela　smiled　mirthlessly。　〃You　dare　not　leave　Xuchotl！〃
　　Conan　glared　at　her　with　instinctive　antagonism；　she　was　not　looking　at　him；　but　at　the　woman　opposite　him。
　　〃I　think　they　dare；〃　stated　Olmec。　〃But　look　you；　Conan　and　Valeria；　the　gods　must　have　sent　you　to　us；　to　cast　victory　into　the　laps　of　the　Tecuhltli！　You　are　professional　fighters…why　not　fight　for　us？