uleg.thetombsofatuan-第2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！


　　She　said　nothing。
　　〃It　was　a　hard　day　for　a　little　one；〃　the　man　said；　shuffling；　the　tiny　light　flickering　in　his　big　yellow　hand。
　　〃You　should　not　be　in　this　House；　Manan。〃
　　〃No。　No。　I　know。　I　shouldn't　be　in　this　House。　Well；　good　night；　little　one。。。　Good　night。〃
　　The　child　said　nothing。　Manan　slowly　turned　around　and　went　away。　The　glimmer　died　from　the　high　cell　walls。　The　little　girl；　who　had　no　name　any　more　but　Arha；　the　Eaten　One；　lay　on　her　back　looking　steadily　at　the　dark。
　
　The　Wall　Around　the　Place
　　
　　As　she　grew　older　she　lost　all　remembrance　of　her　mother；　without　knowing　she　had　lost　it。　She　belonged　here；　at　the　Place　of　the　Tombs；　she　had　always　belonged　here。　Only　sometimes　in　the　long　evenings　of　July　as　she　watched　the　western　mountains；　dry　and　lion…colored　in　the　afterglow　of　sunset；　she　would　think　of　a　fire　that　had　burned　on　a　hearth；　long　ago；　with　the　same　clear　yellow　light。　And　with　this　came　a　memory　of　being　held；　which　was　strange；　for　here　she　was　seldom　even　touched；　and　the　memory　of　a　pleasant　smell；　the　fragrance　of　hair　freshly　washed　and　rinsed　in　sage…scented　water；　fair　long　hair；　the　color　of　sunset　and　firelight。　That　was　all　she　had　left。
　　She　knew　more　than　she　remembered；　of　course；　for　she　had　been　told　the　whole　story。　When　she　was　seven　or　eight　years　old；　and　first　beginning　to　wonder　who　indeed　this　person　called　〃Arha〃　was；　she　had　gone　to　her　guardian；　the　Warden　Manan；　and　said；　〃Tell　me　how　I　was　chosen；　Manan。〃
　　〃Oh；　you　know　all　that；　little　one。〃
　　And　indeed　she　did；　the　tall；　dry…voiced　priestess　Thar　had　told　her　till　she　knew　the　words　by　heart；　and　she　recited　them：　〃Yes；　I　know。　At　the　death　of　the　One　Priestess　of　the　Tombs　of　Atuan；　the　ceremonies　of　burial　and　purification　are　pleted　within　one　month　by　the　moon's　calendar。　After　this　certain　of　the　Priestesses　and　Wardens　of　the　Place　of　the　Tombs　go　forth　across　the　desert；　among　the　towns　and　villages　of　Atuan；　seeking　and　asking。　They　seek　the　girl…child　who　was　born　on　the　night　of　the　Priestess'　death。　When　they　find　such　a　child；　they　wait　and　they　watch。　The　child　must　be　sound　of　body　and　of　mind；　and　as　it　grows　it　must　not　suffer　from　rickets　nor　the　smallpox　nor　any　deformity；　nor　bee　blind。　If　it　reaches　the　age　of　five　years　unblemished；　then　it　is　known　that　the　body　of　the　child　is　indeed　the　new　body　of　the　Priestess　who　died。　And　the　child　is　made　known　to　the　Godking　in　Awabath；　and　brought　here　to　her　Temple　and　instructed　for　a　year。　And　at　the　year's　end　she　is　taken　to　the　Hall　of　the　Throne　and　her　name　is　given　back　to　those　who　are　her　Masters；　the　Nameless　Ones：　for　she　is　the　nameless　one；　the　Priestess　Ever　Reborn。〃
　　This　was　all　word　for　word　as　Thar　had　told　her；　and　she　had　never　dared　ask　for　a　word　more。　The　thin　priestess　was　not　cruel；　but　she　was　very　cold　and　lived　by　an　iron　law；　and　Arha　was　in　awe　of　her。　But　she　was　not　in　awe　of　Manan；　far　from　it；　and　she　would　mand　him；　〃Now　tell　me　how　I　was　chosen！〃　And　he　would　tell　her　again。
　　〃We　left　here；　going　north　and　west；　in　the　third　day　of　the　moon's　waxing；　for　Arha…that…was　had　died　in　the　third　day　of　the　last　moon。　And　first　we　went　to　Tenacbah；　which　is　a　great　city；　though　those　who've　seen　both　say　it's　no　more　to　Awabath　than　a　flea　to　a　cow。　But　it's　big　enough　for　me；　there　must　be　ten　hundred　houses　in　Tenacbahl　And　we　went　on　to　Gar。　But　nobody　in　those　cities　had　a　baby　girl　born　to　them　on　the　third　day　of　the　moon　a　month　before；　there　were　some　had　boys；　but　boys　won't　do。。。　So　we　went　into　the　hill　country　north　of　Gar；　to　the　towns　and　villages。　That's　my　own　land。　I　was　born　in　the　hills　there；　where　the　rivers　run；　and　the　land　is　green。　Not　in　this　desert。〃　Manan's　husky　voice　would　get　a　strange　sound　when　he　said　that；　and　his　small　eyes　would　be　quite　hidden　in　their　folds；　he　would　pause　a　little；　and　at　last　go　on。　〃And　so　we　found　and　spoke　to　all　those　who　were　parents　of　babies　born　in　the　last　months。　And　some　would　lie　to　us。　‘Oh　yes；　surely　our　baby　girl　was　born　on　the　moon's　third　day！'　For　poor　folk；　you　know；　are　often　glad　to　get　rid　of　girl…babies。　And　there　were　others　who　were　so　poor；　living　in　lonely　huts　in　the　valleys　of　the　hills；　that　they　kept　no　count　of　days　and　scarce　knew　how　to　tell　the　turn　of　time；　so　they　could　not　say　for　certain　how　old　their　baby　was。　But　we　could　always　e　at　the　truth；　by　asking　long　enough。　But　it　was　slow　work。　At　last　we　found　a　girlchild；　in　a　village　of　ten　houses；　in　the　orchard…vales　westward　of　Entat。　Eight　months　old　she　was；　so　long　had　we　been　looking。　But　she　had　been　born　on　the　night　that　the　Priestess　of　the　Tombs　had　died；　and　within　the　very　hour　of　her　death。　And　she　was　a　fine　baby；　sitting　up　on　her　mother's　knee　and　looking　with　bright　eyes　at　all　of　us；　crowding　into　the　one　room　of　the　house　like　bats　into　a　cave！　The　father　was　a　poor　man。　He　tended　the　apple　trees　of　the　rich　man's　orchard；　and　had　nothing　of　his　own　but　five　children　and　a　goat。　Not　even　the　house　was　his。　So　there　we　all　crowded　in；　and　you　could　tell　by　the　way　the　priestesses　looked　at　the　baby　and　spoke　among　themselves　that　they　thought　they　had　found　the　Reborn　One　at　last。　And　the　mother　could　tell　this　too。　She　held　the　baby　and　never　said　a　word。　Well；　so；　the　next　day　we　came　back。　And　look　here！　The　little　bright…eyed　baby　lying　in　a　cot　of　rushes　weeping　and　screaming；　and　all　over　its　body　weals　and　red　rashes　of　fever；　and　the　mother　wailing　louder　than　the　baby；　‘Oh！　Oh！　My　babe　hath　the　Witch…Fingers　on　her！'　That's　how　she　said　it；　the　smallpox　she　meant。　In　my　village；　too；　they　called　it　the　Witch…Fingers。　But　Kossil；　she　who　is　now　the　High　Priestess　of　the　Godking；　she　went　to　the　cot　and　picked　up　the　baby。　The　others　had　all　drawn　back；　and　I　with　them；　I　don't　value　my　life　very　high；　but　who　enters　a　house　where　smallpox　is？　But　she　had　no　fear；　not　that　one。　She　picked　up　the　baby　and　said；　‘It　has　no　fever。'　And　she　spat　on　her　finger　and　rubbed　at　the　red　marks；　and　they　came　off。　They　were　only　berry　juice。　The　poor　silly　mother　had　thought　to　fool　us　and　keep　her　child！〃　Manan　laughed　heartily　at　this；　his　yellow　face　hardly　changed；　but　his　sides　heaved。　〃So；　her　husband　beat　her；　for　he　was　afraid　of　the　wrath　of　the　priestesses。　And　soon　we　came　back　to　the　desert；　but　each　year　one　of　the　people　of　the　Place　would　return　to　the　village　among　the　apple　orchards；　and　see　how　the　child　got　on。　So　five　years　passed；　and　then　Thar　and　Kossil　made　the　journey；　with　the　Temple　guards；　and　soldiers　of　the　red　helmet　sent　by　the　Godking　to　escort　them　safely。　They　brought　the　child　back　here；　for　it　was　indeed　the　Priestess　of　the　Tombs　reborn；　and　here　it　belonged。　And　who　was　the　child；　eh；　little　one？〃
　　〃Me；〃　said　Arha；　looking　off　into　the　distance　as　if　to　see　something　she　could　not　see；　something　gone　out　of　sight。
　　Once　she　asked；　〃What　did　the。。。　the　mother　do；　when　they　came　to　take　the　child　away？〃
　　But　Manan　didn't　know；　he　had　not　gone　with　the　priestesses　on　that　final　journey。
　　And　she　could　not　remember。　What　was　the　good　in　remembering？　It　was　gone；　all　gone。　She　had　e　where　she　must　e。　In　all　the　world　she　knew　only　one　place：　the　Place　of　the　Tombs　of　Atuan。
　　In　her　first　year　there　she　had　slept　in　the　big　dormitory　with　the　other　novices；　girls　between　four　and　fourteen。　Even　then　Manan　had　been　set　apart　among　the　Ten　Wardens　as　her　particular　guardian；　and　her　cot　had　been　in　a　little　alcove；　partly　separated　from　the　long；　low…beamed　main　room　of　the　dormitory　in　the　Big　House　where　the　girls　giggled　and　whispered　before　they　slept；　and　yawned　and　plaited　one　another's　hair　in　the　gray　light　of　morning。　When　her　name　was　taken　from　her　and　she　became　Arha；　she　slept　alone　in　the　Small　House；　in　the　bed　and　in　the　room　that　would　be　her　bed　and　her　room　for　the　rest　of　her　life。　That　house　was　hers；　the　House　of　the　One　Priestess；　and　no　one　might　enter　it　without　her　permission。　When　she　was　quite　little　still；　she　enjoyed　hearing　people　knock　submissively　on　her　door；　and　saying；　〃You　may　e　in；〃　and　it　annoyed　her　that　the　two　High　Priestesses；　Kossil　and　Thar；　took　their　permission　for　granted　and　entered　her　house　without　knocking。
　　The　days　went　by；　the　years　went　by；　all　alike。　The　girls　of　the　Place　of　the　Tombs　spent　their　time　at　classes　and　disciplines。　They　did　not　play　any　games。　There　was　no　time　for　games。　They　learned　the　sacred　songs　and　the　sacred　dances；　the　histories　of　the　Kargad　Lands；　and　the　mysteries　of　whichever　of　the　gods　they　were　dedicated　to：　the　Godking　who　ruled　in　Awabath；　or　the　Twin　Brothers；　Atwah　and　Wuluah。　Of　them　all；　only　Arha　learned　the　rites　of　the　Nameless　Ones；　and　these　were　taught　her　by　one　person；　Thar；　the　High　Priestess　of　the　Twin　Gods。　This　took　her　away　from　the　others　for　an　hour　or　more　daily；　but　most　of　her　day；　like　theirs；　was　spent　simply　working。　They　learned　how　to　spin　and　weave　the　wool　of　their　flocks；　and　how　to　plant　and　harvest　and　prepare　the　food　they　always　ate：　lentils；　buckwheat　ground　to　a　coarse　meal　for　porridge　or　a　fine　flour　for　unleavened　bread；　onions；　cabbages；　goat…cheese；　apples；　and　honey。
　　The　best　thing　that　could　happen　was　to　be　allowed　to　go　fishing　in　the　murky　green　river　that　flowed　through　the　desert　a　half　mile　northeast　of　the　Place；　to　take　along　an　apple　or　a　cold　buckwheat　bannock　for　lunch　and　sit　all　day　in　the　dry　sunlight　among　the　reeds；　watching　the　slow　green　water　run　and　the　cloudshadows　change　slowly　on　the　mountains。　But　if　you　squealed　with　excitement　when　the　line　tensed　and　you　swung　in　a　flat；　glittering　fish　to　flop　on　the　riverbank　and　drown　in　air；　then　Mebbeth　would　hiss　like　an　adder；　〃Be　still；　you　screeching　fool！〃　Mebbeth；　who　served　in　the　Godking's　temple；　was　a　dark　woman；　still　young；　but　hard　and　sharp　as　obsidian。　Fishing　was　her　passion。　You　had　to　keep　on　her　good　side；　and　never　make　a　sound；　or　she　would　not　take　you　out　to　fish　again；　and　then　you'd　never　get　to　the　river　except　to　fetch　water　in　summer　when　the　wells　ran　low。　That　was　a　dreary　business；　to　trudge　through　the　searing　white　heat　a　half　mile　down　to　the　river；　f