srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第10部分

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d　out　of　the　mountain　promontory　by　the　Giants　many　centuries　ago；　in　the　time　of　Old　Lord　Damelon　Giantfriend。　Above　the　Keep　was　a　plateau　which　went　beyond　it　west　and　north；　past　Furl　Falls　for　a　distance　of　a　league　or　two　before　rising　up　into　the　rugged　Westron　Mountains。　The　Falls　were　too　far　away　to　be　seen；　but　in　the　distance
　the　White　River　angled　away　south　and　slightly　east　from　its　head　in　the　pool　of　Furl　Falls。
　Beyond　the　river　to　the　southwest；　Covenant　made　out　the　open　plains　and　hills　that　led　toward　Trothgard。　In　that　direction；　he　saw　no　sign　of　cultivation　or　habitation；　but　eastward　from　him　were　ripe　fields；　stands　of　trees；　streams；　villages…all　glowing　under　the　sun　as　if　they　were　smiling　with　health。　Looking　over　them；　he　sensed　that　the　season　was　early　autumn。　The　sun　stood　in　the　southern　sky；　the　air　was　not　as　warm　as　it　seemed；　and　the　breeze　which　blew　gently　up　the　face　of　Revelstone　was　flavored　with　the　loamy　lushness　of　fall。
　The　Land's　season…so　different　from　the　spring　weather　from　which　he　had　been　wrenched　away　gave　him　a　renewed　sense　of　discrepancy；　of　stark　and　impossible　translation。　It　reminded　him　of　many　things；　but　he　forced　himself　to　begin　with　the　previous　evening。　Stiffly；　he　said；　〃Has　it　occurred　to　you　that　Foul　probably　let　that　poor　Waynhim　go　just　to　get　you　to　call　me　here？〃
　〃Of　course；〃　Mhoram　replied。　〃That　is　the　Despiser's　way。　He　intends　you　to　be　the　means　of　our　destruction。〃
　〃Then　why　did　you　do　it？　Hellfire！　You　know　how　I　feel　about　this…I　told　you　often　enough。　I　don't　want…I'm　not　going　to　be　responsible　for　what　happens　to　you。〃
　Lord　Mhoram　shrugged。　〃That　is　the　paradox　of　white　gold。　Hope　and　despair　run　together　for　us。　How　could　we　refuse　the　risk？　Without　every　aid　which　we　can　find　or　make　for　ourselves；　we　cannot　meet　Lord　Foul's　might。　We　trust　that　at　the　last　you　will　not　turn　your　back　on　the　Land。〃
　〃You've　had　forty　years　to　think　about　it。　You　ought　to　know　by　now　how　little　I　deserve　or　even　want　your　trust。〃
　〃Perhaps。　Warmark　Hile　Troy　argues　much　that　way…though　there　is　much　about　you　that　he　does　not　know。　He　feels　that　faith　in　one　who　is　so　unwilling　is　folly。　And　he　is　not　convinced　that　we　will　lose　this　war。　He　makes　bold　plans。　But　I　have　heard　the
　Despiser　laughing。　For　better　or　worse；　I　am　seer　and　oracle　for　this　Council。　I　hear…I　approve　the　High　Lord's　decision　of　summoning。　For　many　reasons。
　〃Thomas　Covenant；　we　have　not　spent　our　years　in　seclusion　here；　dreaming　sweet　dreams　of　peace　while　Lord　Foul　grows　and　moves　against　us。　From　your　last　moment　in　the　Land　to　this　day；　we　have　striven　to　prepare　our　defense。　Scouts　and　Lords　have　ridden　the　Land　from　end　to　end；　drawing　the　people　together；　warning　them；　building　what　lore　we　have。　I　have　braved　the　Shattered　Hills；　and　fought　on　the　mange　of　Hotash　Slay…but　of　that　I　do　not　speak。　I　brought　back　knowledge　of　the　Ravens。　Dukkha　alone　did　not　move　us　to　summon　you。〃
　Even　in　the　direct　beam　of　the　sun；　the　word　Ravens　gave　Covenant　a　chill　he　could　not　suppress。　Remembering　the　other　Waynhim　he　had　seen；　dead；　with　an　iron　spike　through　its　heart…killed　by　a　Raven…he　asked；　〃What　about　them？　What　did　you　learn？〃
　〃Much　or　little；〃　Mhoram　sighed；　〃according　to　the　uses　of　the　knowledge。　The　importance　of　this　lore　cannot　be　mistaken…and　yet　its　value　eludes　us。
　〃While　you　were　last　in　the　Land；　we　learned　that　the　Ravens　were　still　aboard…that　like　their　master　they　had　not　been　undone　by　the　Ritual　of　Desecration；　which　Kevin　Landwaster　wreaked　in　his　despair。　Some　knowledge　of　these　beings　had　e　to　us　through　the　old　legends；　the　Lore　of　the　First　Ward；　and　the　teachings　of　the　Giants。　We　knew　that　they　were　named　Sheol；　Jehannum；　and　Herem；　and　that　they　lived　without　bodies；　feeding　upon　the　souls　of　others。　When　the　Despiser　was　powerful　enough　to　give　them　strength；　they　enslaved　creatures　or　people　by　entering　into　their　bodies；　subduing　their　wills；　and　using　the　captured　flesh　to　enact　their　master's　purposes。　Disguised　in　forms　not　their　own；　they　were　well　hidden；　and　so　could　gain　trust　among　their　foes。　By　that　means；　many　brave　defenders　of　the　Land　were　lured　to　their　deaths　in　the　age　of　the　Old　Lords。
　〃But　I　have　learned　more。　There　near　Foul's　Creche；　I　was　beaten…badly　overmastered。　I　fled　through　the　Shattered　Hills　with　only　the　staff　of　Variol　my　father　between　me　and　death；　and　could　not　prevent　my　foe　from　laying　hands　upon　me。　I　had　thought　that　I　was　in　battle　with　a　supreme　loremaster　of　the　ur…viles。　But　I　learned…I　learned　otherwise。〃；
　Lord　Mhoram　stared　unseeing　into　the　depths　of　the　sky；　remembering　with　grim；　concentrated　eyes　what　had　happened　to　him。　After　a　moment；　he　continued：　〃It　was　a　Raven　I　fought…a　Raven　in　the　flesh　of　an　ur…vile。　The　touch　of　its　hand　taught　me　much。　In　the　oldest　time…beyond　the　reach　of　our　most　hoary　legends；　even　before　the　dim　time　of　the　ing　of　men　to　the　Land；　and　the　cruel　felling　of　the　One　Forest…the　Colossus　of　the　Fall　had　both　power　and　purpose。　It　stood　on　Landsdrop　like　a　forbidding　fist　over　the　Lower　Land；　and　with　the　might　of　the　…'　Forest　denied　a　dark　evil　from　the　Upper　Land。〃
　Abruptly；　he　broke　into　a　slow　song　like　a　lament；　a　quiet　declining　hymn　which　told　the　story　of　the　Colossus　as　the　Lords　had　formerly　known　it；　before　the　son　of　Variol　had　gained　his　new　knowledge。　In　restrained　sorrow　over　lost　glory；　the　song　described　the　Colossus　of　the　Fallthe　huge　stone　monolith；　upraised　in　the　semblance　of　a　fist；　which　stood　beside　the　waterfall　where　the　River　Landrider　of　the　Plains　of　Ra　became　the　Ruinwash　of　the　Spoiled　Plains。
　Since　a　time　that　was　ancient　before　Berek　Lord
　Fatherer　lost　half　his　hand；　the　Colossus　had　stood　in　…lone　somber　guard　above　the　cliff　of　Landsdrop；　and　the　oldest　hinted　legends　of　the　Old　Lords　told　of　a　‘　time；　during　the　ages　of　the　One　Forest's　dominion　in　the　Land；　when　that　towering　fist　had　held　the　power　to　forbid　the　shadow　of　Despite…held　it；　and　did　not　wane　until　the　felling　of　the　Forest　by　that　unsuspected　enemy；　man；　had　cut　too　deeply　to　be　halted。　But　then；　outraged　and　weakened　by　the　slaughter　of　the　trees；　the　Colossus　had　unclasped　its　interdict；　and　let　the　shadow　free。　From　that　time；　from　the　moment　of　that　offended　capitulation；　the　Earth　had　slowly　lost　the　power　or　the　will　or　the　chance　to　defend　itself。　So　the　burden　of　resisting　the　Despiser　had　fallen　to　a　race　which　had　brought　the　shadow　upon　itself；　and　the　Earth　lay　under　the　oute。
　〃But　it　was　not　Despite　which　the　Colossus　resisted；〃　Mhoram　resumed　when　his　song　was　done。　〃Despite　was　the　bane　of　men。　It　came　with　them　into　the　Land　from　the　cold　anguish　of　the　north；　and　from　the　hungry　kingdom　of　the　south。　No；　the　Colossus　of　the　Fall　forbade　another　foe…three　tree…　and　soil…hating　brothers　who　were　old　in　the　Spoiled　Plains　before　Lord　Foul　first　cast　his　shadow　there。　They　were　triplets；　the　spawn　of　one　birth　from　the　womb　of　their　long　forgotten　mother；　and　their　names　were　samadhi；　moksha；　and　turiya。　They　hated　the　Earth　and　all　its　growing　things；　just　as　Lord　Foul　hates　all　life　and　love。　When　the　Colossus　eased　its　interdict；　they　came　to　the　Upper　Land；　and　in　their　lust　for　ravage　and　dismay　fell　swiftly　under　the　mastery　of　the　Despiser。　From　that　time；　they　have　been　his　highest　servants。　They　have　performed　treachery　for　him　when　he　could　not　show　his　hand；　and　have　fought　for　him　when　he　would　not　lead　his　armies。
　〃It　was　samadhi；　now　named　Sheol；　who　mastered　the　heart　of　Berek's　liege…Sheol　who　slaughtered　the　champions　of　the　Land；　and　drove　Berek；　halfunhanded　and　alone；　to　his　extremity　on　the　slopes　of　Mount　Thunder。　It　was　turiya　and　moksha；　Herem　and　Jehannum；　who　lured　the　powerful　and　austere　Demondim　to　their　breeding　dens；　and　to　the　spawning　of　the　ur…viles。　Now　the　three　are　united　with　Lord　Foul　again…united；　and　clamoring　for　the　decimation　of　the　Land。　But　alas…alas　for　my　ignorance　and　weakness。　I　cannot　foresee　what　they　will　do。　I　can　hear　their　voices；　loud　with　lust　for　the　ripping　of　trees　and　the　scorching　of　soil；　but　their　intent　eludes　me。　The　Land　is　in　such　peril　because　its　servants　are　weak。〃
　The　rough　eloquence　of　Mhoram's　tone　carried　Covenant　along；　and　under　its　spell　the　brilliant　sunlight　seemed　to　darken　in　his　eyes。　Grimly；　unwillingly；　he　caught　a　sense　of　the　looming　and　cruel　ill　which　crept　up　behind　the　Land's　spirit；　defying　its　inadequate　defenders。　And　when　he　looked　at　himself；　he　saw　nothing　but　omens　of　futility。　Other　people　who　s　had　protested　their　weakness　to　him　had　suffered　terribly　at　the　hands　of　his　own　irreducible　and　immedicable　impotence。　Harshly…more　harshly　than　he　intended…he　asked；　〃Why？〃
　Mhoram　turned　away　from　his　private　visions；　and　cocked　an　inquiring　eyebrow　at　Covenant。
　〃Why　are　you　weak？〃
　The　Lord　met　this　with　a　wry　smile。　〃Ah；　my　friend　…I　had　forgotten　that　you　ask　such　questions。　You　lead　me　into　long　speeches。　I　think　that　if　I　could　reply　to　you　briefly；　I　would　not　need　you　so。〃　But　Covenant　did　not　relent；　and　after　a　pause　Mhoram　said；　〃Well；　I　cannot　refuse　to　answer。　But　e…there　is　food　waiting。　Let　us　eat。　Then　I　will　make　what　answer　I　can。〃　'
　Covenant　refused。　Despite　his　hunger；　he　was　unwilling　to　make　any　more　concessions　to　the　Land　until　he　knew　better　where　he　stood。
　Mhoram　considered　him　for　a　moment；　then　replied　in　a　measured　tone；　〃1f　what　you　say　is　true…if　Land　and　Earth　and　all　are　nothing　more　than　a　dream；　a　threat　of　madness　for　you…then　still　you　must　eat。　Hunger　is　hunger；　and　need　is　need。　How　else…7〃
　〃No。〃　Covenant　dismissed　the　idea　heavily。
　At　that；　the　gold　flecks　in　Mhoram's　eyes　flared；　as　'　if　they　reflected　the　passion　of　the　sun；　and　he　said　levelly；　〃Then　answer　that　question　yourself。　Answer　it；　and　save　us。　If　we　are　helpless　and　unfriended；　it　is　your　doing。　Only　you　can　penetrate　the　mysteries　which　surround　us。〃
　〃No；〃　Covenant　repeated。　He　recognized　what　Mhoram　was　saying；　and　refused　to　tolerate　it。　No；　he　responded　to　the　heat　of　Mhoram's　look。　That's　too　much　like　blaming　me　for　being　a　leper。　It's　not　my　fault。　〃You　go　too　far。〃

　〃Ur…Lord；〃　Mhoram　r