srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第23部分

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　Quickly；　he　turned；　slipped　with　deceptive　speed　between　the　Bloodguard；　and　darted　up　the　stairs。
　When　he　was　halfway　to　the　doors；　everyone　in　the　Close　lost　sight　of　him。　He　vanished　as　if　they　had　all　taken　their　eyes　off　him　for　an　instant；　allowing　him　to　hide。　The　Lords　jumped　to　their　feet　in　amazement。　On　the　stairs；　the　pursuing　Bloodguard　halted；　looked　rapidly　about　them；　and　gave　up　the　chase。
　〃Swiftly！〃　Elena　manded。　〃Search　for　him！　Find　him！〃
　〃What　is　the　need？〃　Crowl　replied　flatly。　〃He　is　gone。〃
　〃That　I　see！　But　where　has　he　gone？　Perhaps　he　is　still　in　Revelstone。〃
　But　Crowl　only　repeated；　〃He　is　gone。〃　Something　in　his　certitude　reminded　Covenant　of　Bannor's　subdued；　unusual　excitement。　Are　they　in　this　together？　he　asked　himself。　My　purpose？　The　words　repeated　dimly　in　his　mind。　My　purpose？
　Through　his　mystification；　he　almost　did　not　hear　Troy　whisper；　〃I　thought…for　a　minute…I　thought　I　saw　him。〃
　High　Lord　Elena　paid　no　attention　to　the　Warmark。　The　attitude　of　the　Bloodguard　seemed　to　baffle　her；　and　she　sat　down　to　consider　the　situation。　Slowly；　she　spread　about　her　the　melding　of　the　Council；　one　by　one　bringing　the　minds　of　the　other　Lords　into　munion　with　her　own。　Callindrill　shut　his　eyes；　letting　a　look　of　peace　spread　over　his　face；　and　Trevor　and　Loerya　held　hands。　Verement　shook　his　head　two　or　three　times；　then　acquiesced　when　Mhoram　touched　him　gently　on　the　shoulder。
　When　they　all　were　woven　together；　the　High　Lord　said；　〃Each　of　us　must　study　this　matter。　War　is　near　at　hand；　and　we　must　not　be　taken　unaware　by　such　mysteries。　But　to　you；　Lord　Amatin；　I　give　the　chief　study　of　Amok　and　his　secret　knowledge。　If　it　can　be　done；　we　must　seek　him　out　and　learn　his　answers。〃
　Lord　Amatin　nodded　with　determination　in　her　small　face。
　Then；　like　an　unclasping　of　mental　hands；　the　melding　ended；　and　an　intensity　which　Covenant　could　sense　but　not　join　faded　from　the　air。　In　silence；　the　Lords　took　up　their　staffs；　and　began　to　leave。
　〃Is　that　it？〃　Covenant　muttered　in　surprise。　〃Is　that　all　you're　going　to　do？〃
　〃Watch　it；　Covenant；〃　Troy　warned　softly。
　Covenant　shot　a　glare　at　the　Warmark；　but　his　black　sunglasses　seemed　to　make　him　impervious。　Covenant　turned　toward　the　High　Lord。　〃Is　that　all？〃　he　insisted。　〃Don't　you　even　want　to　know　what's　going　on　here？〃
　Elena　faced　him　levelly。　〃Do　you　know？〃
　〃No。　Of　course　not。〃　He　wanted　to　add；　to　protest；　But　Bannor　does。　But　that　was　something　else　he　could　not　say。　He　had　no　right　to　make　the　Bloodguard　responsible。　Stiffly；　he　remained　silent。
　〃Then　do　not　be　too　quick　to　judge；〃　Elena　replied。　〃There　is　much　here　that　requires　explanation；　and　we　must　seek　answers　in　our　own　way　if　we　hope　to　be　prepared。〃
　Prepared　for　what？　he　wanted　to　ask。　But　he　lacked　the　resolution　to　challenge　the　High　Lord；　he　was　afraid　of　her　eyes。　To　escape　the　situation；　he　brushed　past　Bannor　and　horned　out　of　the　Close　ahead　of　the　Lords　and　Troy。
　But　back　in　his　rooms　he　found　no　relief　for　his　frustration。　And　in　the　days　that　followed；　nothing　happened　to　give　him　any　relief。　Elena；　Mhoram；　and　Troy　were　as　absent　from　his　life　as　if　they　were　deliberately　avoiding　him。　Bannor　answered　his　aimless　questions　courteously；　curtly；　but　the　answers　shed　no　light。　His　beard　grew　until　it　was　thick　and　full；　and　made　him　look　to　himself　like　an　unraveled　fanatic；　but　it　proved　nothing；　solved　nothing。　The　full　of　the　moon　came　and　went；　but　the　war　did　not　begin；　there　arrived　no　word　from　the　scouts；　no　signs；　no　insights。　Around　him；　Revelstone　palpably　trembled　in　the　clench　of　its　readiness；　everywhere　he　went；　he　heard　whispers　of　tension；　haste；　urgency；　but　no　action　was　taken。　Nothing。　He　roamed　for　leagues　in　Lord's　Keep　as　if　he　were　treading　a　maze。　He　drank　inordinate　quantities　of　springwine；　and　slept　the　sleep　of　the　dead　as　if　he　hoped　that　he　would　never　be　resurrected。　At　times　he　was　even　reduced　to　standing　on　the　northern　battlements　of　the　city　to　watch　Troy　and　Quaan　drill　the　Warward。　But　nothing　happened。
　His　only　oasis　in　this　static　and　frustrated　wilderland　was　given　to　him　by　Lord　Callindrill　and　his　wife；　Faer。　One　day；　Callindrill　took　the　Unbeliever　to　his　private　quarters　beyond　the　floor…lit　courtyard；　and　there　Faer　provided　him　with　a　meal　which　almost　made　him　forget　his　plight。　She　was　a　hale　Stonedownor　woman　with　a　true　gift　for　hospitality。　Perhaps　he　would　have　been　able　to　forget…but　she　studied　the　old　suru…pa…maerl　craft；　as　Lena　had　done；　and　that　evoked　too　many　painful　memories　in　him。　He　did　not　visit　long　with　Faer　and　her　husband。
　Yet　before　he　left；　Callindrill　had　explained　to　him　some　of　the　oddness　of　his　current　position　in　Revelstone。　The　High　Lord　had　summoned　him；　Callindrill　said；　when　the　Council　had　agreed　that　the　war　could　begin　at　any　moment；　when　any　further　postponement　of　the　call　might　prove　fatal。　But　Warmark　Troy's　battle　plans　could　not　be　launched　until　he　knew　which　of　two　possible　assault　routes　Lord　Foul's　army　would　take。　Until　the　Warmark　received　clear　word　from　his　scouts；　he　could　not　afford　to　mit　his　Eowards。　If　he　risked　a　guess；　and　guessed　wrong；　disaster　would　result。　So　Covenant　had　been　urgently　summoned；　and　yet　now　was　left　to　himself；　with　no　demands　upon　him。
　In　addition；　the　Lord　went　on；　there　was　another　reason　why　he　had　been　summoned　at　a　time　which　now　appeared　to　have　been　premature。　Warmark　Troy　had　argued　urgently　for　the　summons。　This　surprised　Covenant　until　Callindrill　explained　Troy's　reasoning。　The　Warmark　had　believed　that　Lord　Foul　would　be　able　to　detect　the　summons。　So　by　means　of　Covenant's　call　Troy　had　hoped　to　put　pressure　on　the　Despiser；　force　him；　because　of　his　fear　of　the　wild　magic；　to　launch　his　attack　before　he　was　ready。　Time　favored　Lord　Foul　because　his　war　resources　far　surpassed　those　of　the　Council；　and　if　he　prepared　long　enough　he　might　well　field　an　army　that　no　Warward　could　defeat。　Troy　hoped　that　the　ploy　of　summoning　Covenant　would　make　the　Despiser　cut　his　preparations　short。
　Lastly；　Callindrill　explained　in　a　gentle　voice；　High　Lord　Elena　and　Lord　Mhoram　were　in　fact　evading　the　Unbeliever。　Covenant　had　not　asked　that　question；　but　Callindrill　seemed　to　divine　some　of　the　causes　of　his　frustration。　Elena　and　Mhoram；　each　in　their　separate　ways；　felt　so　involved　in　Covenant's　dilemma　that　they　stayed　away　from　him　in　order　to　avoid　aggravating　his　distress。　They　sensed；　said　Callindrill；　that　he　found　their　personal　appeals　more　painful　than　any　other。　The　possibility　that　he　might　go　to　Seareach　had　jolted　Elena。　And　Mhoram　was　consumed　by　his　work　on　the　krill。　Until　the　war　bereft　them　of　choice；　they　refrained　as　much　as　possible　from　imposing　upon　him。
　Well；　Troy　warned　me；　Covenant　muttered　to　himself　as　he　left　Callindrill　and　Faer。　He　said　that　they're　scrupulous。　After　a　moment；　he　added　sourly；　I　would　be　better　off　if　all　these　people　would　stop　trying　to　do　me　favors。
　Yet　he　was　grateful　to　Faer　and　her　husband。　Their　panionly　gestures　helped　him　to　get　through　the　next　few　days；　helped　him　to　keep　the　vertiginous　darkness　at　bay。　He　felt　that　he　was　rotting　inside；　but　he　was　not　going　mad。
　But　he　knew　that　he　could　not　stand　it　much　longer。　The　ambience　of　Revelstone　was　as　tight　as　a　string　about　to　snap。　Pressure　was　building　inside　him；　rising　toward　desperation。　When　Bannor　knocked　at　his　door　one　afternoon；　he　was　so　startled　that　he　almost　cried　out。
　However；　Bannor　had　not　e　to　announce　the　start　of　the　war。　In　his　flat　voice；　he　asked　Covenant　if　the　Unbeliever　would　like　to　go　hear　a　song。
　A　song；　he　echoed　numbly。　For　a　moment；　he　was　too　confused　to　respond。　He　had　not　expected　such　a　question；　certainly　not　from　the　Bloodguard。　But　then　he　shrugged　jerkily。　〃Why　not？〃　He　did　not　stop　to　ask　what　had　prompted　Bannor's　unusual　initiative。　With　a　scowl；　he　followed　the　Bloodguard　out　of　his　suite。
　Bannor　took　him　up　through　the　levels　of　the　Keep　until　they　were　higher　in　the　mountain　than　he　had　ever　been　before。　Then　the　wide　passage　they　followed　rounded　a　corner；　and　came　unexpectedly　into　open　sunlight。　They　entered　a　broad；　roofless　amphitheater。　Rows　of　stone　benches　curved　downward　to　form　a　bowl　around　a　flat　center　stage；　and　behind　the　topmost　row　the　stone　wall　rose　straight　for　twenty　or　thirty　feet；　ending　in　the　flat　of　the　plateau；　where　the　mountain　met　the　sky。　The　afternoon　sun　shone　into　the　amphitheater；　drenching　the　dull　white　stone　of　the　stage　and　benches　and　wall　with　warmth　and　light。
　The　seats　were　starting　to　fill　when　Bannor　and　Covenant　arrived。　People　from　all　the　occupations　of　the　Keep；　including　farmers　and　cooks　and　warriors；　and　the　Lords　Trevor　and　Loerya　with　their　daughters；　came　through　several　openings　in　the　wall　to　take　seats　around　the　bowl。　But　the　Bloodguard　formed　the　largest　single　group。　Covenant　estimated　roughly　that　there　were　a　hundred　of　them　on　the　benches。　This　vaguely　surprised　him。　He　had　never　seen　more　than　a　score　of　the　Haruchai　in　one　place　before。　After　looking　around　for　a　while；　he　asked　Bannor；　〃What　song　is　this；　anyway？〃
　〃Lord　Kevin's　Lament；〃　Bannor　replied　dispassionately。
　Then　Covenant　felt　that　he　understood。　Kevin；　he　nodded　to　himself。　Of　course　the　Bloodguard　wanted　to　hear　this　song。　How　could　they　be　less　than　keenly　interested　in　anything　which　might　help　them　to　prehend　Kevin　Landwaster？
　For　it　was　Kevin　who　had　summoned　Lord　Foul　to　Kiril　Threndor　to　utter　the　Ritual　of　Desecration。　The　legends　said　that　when　Kevin　had　seen　that　he　could　not　defeat　the　Despiser；　his　heart　had　turned　black　with　despair。　He　had　loved　the　Land　too　intensely　to　let　it　fall　to　Lord　Foul。　And　yet　he　had　failed；　he　could　not　preserve　it。　Torn　by　his　impossible　dilemma；　he　had　been　driven　to　dare　that　Ritual。　He　had　known　that　the　unleashing　of　that　fell　power　would　destroy　the　Lords　and　all　their　works；　and　ravage　the　Land　from　end　to　end；　make　it　barren　for　generations。　He　had　known　that　he　would　die。　But　he　had　hoped　that　Lord　Foul　would　also　die；　that　when　at　last　life　returned　to　the　Land　it　would　be　life　free　of　Despite。　He　chose　to　take　that　risk　rather　than　permit　Lord　Foul