srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第54部分

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　At　once；　Triock's　attitude　changed。　〃Trell　is　not　with　the　High　Lord？〃　he　demanded　sharply。
　〃No。〃
　〃Why　not？〃
　For　a　moment；　Lord　Mhoram　searched。　Triock's　face。　Then　he　said　as　if　he　were　taking　a　risk；　〃UrLord　Thomas　Covenant；　Unbeliever　and　Ringthane；　rides　with　the　High　Lord。〃
　〃With　her？〃　Triock　cried；　springing　to　his　feet。　〃Trell　permitted　this？〃　He　glared　bitterly　at　Mhoram；　then　spun　away　and　flung　out　of　the　house。
　His　vehemence　left　an　awkward　silence　in　the　room；　and　Terass　spoke　quietly　to　ease　it。　〃Please　do　not　be　offended；　Lord。　His　life　is　full　of　trouble。　It　may　be　that　you　know　part　of　his　tale。〃
　Mhoram　nodded；　assured　Terass　that　he　was　not　offended。　But　Triock's　conduct　disturbed　Warmark　Troy；　it　reminded　him　vividly　of　Trell。　〃I　don't　know；〃　he　said　bluntly。　〃What　business　is　the　High　Lord　of　his？〃
　〃Ah；　Warmark；〃　Terass　said；　sadly；　〃he　would　not　thank　me　for　speaking　of　it。　I…〃
　A　sharp　glance　from　Mhoram　silenced　her。　Troy　turned　toward　Mhoram；　but　the　Lord　did　not　meet　his　gaze。　〃Before　ur…Lord　Covenant's　first　summoning　to　the　Land；〃　Mhoram　said　carefully；　〃Triock　was　in　love　with　the　daughter　of　Trell　and　Atiaran。〃
　Troy　barely　restrained　an　ejaculation。　He　wanted　to　curse　Covenant；　there　seemed　to　be　no　end　to　the　damage　Covenant　had　done。　But　he　held　himself　back　for　the　sake　of　his　hosts。　He　scarcely　heard　Mhoram　ask；　〃Is　Trell's　daughter　well？　Is　there　any　way　in　which　I　may　help　her？〃
　〃No；　Lord；〃　sighed　Terass。　〃The　health　of　her　body　is　strong；　but　her　mind　is　unsteady。　Always　she　has　believed　that　the　Unbeliever　will　e　for　her。　She　has　asked　the　Circle　of　elders…asked　permission　to　marry　him。　We　can　find　no　Healer　able　to　touch　this　illness。　I　fear　you　would　only　turn　her　thoughts　more　toward　him。〃
　Mhoram　accepted　her　judgment　morosely。　〃I　am　sorry。　This　failure　grieves　me。　But　the　Lords　know　only　of　one　Unfettered　Healer　with　power　for　such　needs…and　she　left　her　home；　and　passed　out　of
　knowledge　forty　years　ago；　before　the　battle　of　Soaring　Woodhelven。　It　humbles　us　to　be　of　so　little　use　for　such　needs。〃
　His　words　left　behind　a　pall　of　silence　in　their　wake。　For　a　time　like　a　muffled　sigh；　he　stared　at　his　clasped　hands。　But　then；　rousing　himself　from　his　reverie；　he　said；　〃Elders；　how　will　you　meet　the　chance　of　war？　Have　you　prepared？〃
　〃Yes；　Lord；〃　one　of　the　other　women　replied。　〃We　have　little　cause　to　fear　the　destruction　of　our　homes；　so　we　will　hide　in　the　mountains　if　war　es。　We　have　prepared　food　stores　against　that　need。　From　the　mountains；　we　will　harass　any　who　assail　Mithil　Stonedown。〃
　Mhoram　nodded；　and　after　a　moment　Terass　said；　〃Lord；　Warmark；　will　you　spend　the　night　with　us？　We　will　be　honored　to　provide　beds　for　you。　And　perhaps　you　will　be　able　to　speak　to　the　gathering　of　the　people？〃
　〃No；〃　said　Troy　abruptly。　Then；　hearing　his　discourtesy；　he　softened　his　tone。　〃Thank　you；　but　no。　I　need　to　get　up　to　the　Watch…as　soon　as　possible。〃
　〃What　will　you　see？　The　night　is　dark。　You　may　sleep　in　fort　here；　and　still　climb　to　Kevin's　Watch　before　morning。〃
　But　Troy　was　adamant。　His　anger　at　Covenant　only　increased　his　impatience；　he　had　a　strong　sense　of　pressure；　of　impending　crisis。　Lord　Mhoram's　polite；　firm　support　soon　satisfied　the　Stonedownors　that　this　decision　was　necessary；　and　in　a　short　time　he　and　Troy　were　on　their　way。　They　accepted　a　pot　of　graveling　from　the　elders　to　light　their　path；　left　all　the　Bloodguard　except　Terrel　and　Ruel　to　care　for　the　Ranyhyn　and　watch　over　the　valley；　then　started　walking　briskly　along　the　Mithil　into　the　night。
　Troy　could　see　nothing　outside　the　primary　glow　of　the　graveling；　but　when　he　was　sure　be　was　out　of　earshot　of　the　Stonedown；　he　said　to　Mhoram；　〃You　knew　about　Triock　before　tonight。　Why　didn't　you　〃tell　me？〃
　〃I　did　not　know　the　extent　of　his　distress。　Why　should　I　burden　you？　Yet　now　it　is　in　my　heart　that　I
　have　treated　him　wrongly。　I　should　have　dealt　with　him　openly；　and　trusted　him　to　bear　my　words。　My　caution　has　only　increased　his　pain。〃
　Troy　took　a　different　view。　〃You　wouldn't　need　to　be　cautious　at　all　if　it　weren't　for　that　damned　Covenant。〃
　But　Mhoram　only　walked　on　up　the　valley　in　silence。
　Together　they　worked　their　way　south　into　the　foothills　of　the　surrounding。　mountains；　then　doubled　back　northward；　up　the　eastern　slopes。　On　the　mountainside；　the　trail　was　difficult。　Terrel　led　Lord　Mhoram；　and　Troy　followed　them　with　Ruel　at　his　back。　As　he　ascended　the　path；　he　could　see　nothing　of　his　situation…for　him；　the　glow　of　the　graveling　was　encased　in　dark　fog…but　slowly　he　began　to　feel　a　change　in　the　air。　The　warm　autumn　night　of　the　South　Plains　turned　cooler；　rarer；　it　made　his　heart　pound。　By　the　time　he　had　climbed　a　couple　thousand　feet；　he　knew　that　he　was　moving　into　mountains　which　had　already　received　their　first　winter　snows。
　Soon　after　that；　he　and　his　panions　left　the　open　mountainside　and　began　to　work　upward　through　rifts　and　crevices　and　hidden　valleys。　When　they　reached　open　space　again；　they　were　on　a　ledge　in　a　cliff　face；　moving　eastward　under　the　huge　loom　of　a　peak。　This　ledge　took　them　to　the　base　of　the　long；　leaning；　stone　shaft　of　the　Watch。　Then；　clambering　through　empty　air　like　solitary　；dream　figures；　they　went　up　the　exposed　stair　of　the　shaft。　After　another　five　hundred　feet；　they　found　themselves　on　the　parapeted　platform　of　Kevin's　Watch。
　Troy　moved　cautiously　over　the　floor　of　the　Watch　and　seated　himself　with　his　back　against　the　surrounding　parapet。　He　knew　from　descriptions　that　he　was　on　the　tip　of　the　shaft；　poised　four　thousand　feet　directly　above　the　foothills　of　a　promontory　in　the　Range；　and　he　did　not　want　to　give　his　blindness　a　chance　to　betray　him。　Even　sitting　with　solid　stone　between　his　back　and　the　fall；　he　had　an　intense　impression　of　abysses。　His　sense　of　ambience　felt　poignantly　the　absence　of　any　forting　confines　or
　enclosures　or　limits。　This　was　like　being　cast　adrift　in　the　trackless　heavens；　and　he　reacted　to　it　like　a　blind　man…with　fear；　and　a　conviction　of　irremediable　isolation。　He　placed　the　pot　of　graveling　on　the　stone　before　him；　so　that　he　could　at　least　vaguely　see　his　three　panions。　Then　he　braced　both　arms　against　the　stone　beside　him　as　if　to　keep　himself　from　falling。
　A　slight　breeze　drifted　onto　the　Watch　from　the　towering　mountain　face　south　of　it；　and　the　air　carried　a　foretaste　of　winter　that　made　Troy　shiver。　As　midnight　passed　through　the　darkness；　he　began　to　talk　desultorily；　as　if　to　warm　the　vigil　by　the　sound　of　his　voice。　His　present　sense　of　suspension；　of　voids；　reminded　him　of　his　last　moments　in　that　world　which　Covenant　insisted；　on　calling　〃real〃…moments　during　which　his　apartment　had　been　flame…gutted；　forcing　him　to　hang　by　failing　fingers　from　his　windowsill；　with　the　long　fall　and　smash　on　concrete　hovering　below　him。
　He　talked　erratically　about　that　world　until　the　vividness　of　the　memory　eased。　Then　he　said；　〃Friend　Mhoram；　remind　me…remind　me　to　tell　you　sometime　how　grateful　I　am…for　everything。〃　He　was　embarrassed　to　say　such　things　aloud；　but　these　feelings　were　too　important　to　be　left　unexpressed。　〃You　and　Elena　and　Quaan　and　Amorine…you're　all　incredibly　precious　to　me。　And　the　Warward…　I　think　I'd　be　willing　to　jump　from　here　if　the　Warward　needed　it。〃
　He　fell　silent　again；　and　time　passed。　Although　he　shivered　in　the　chill　breeze；　his　speech　had　steadied　him。　He　tried　to　turn　his　thought　to　the　fighting　ahead；　but　the　unknown　sight　crouched　in　the　ing　day　dominated　his　brain；　confusing　all　his　anticipations　and　plans。　And　around　him　the　blank　night　remained　unchanged；　as　impenetrable　as　chaos。　He　needed　to　know　where　he　stood。　In　the　distance；　he　thought　he　heard　dim　hoofbeats。　But　none　of　his　panions　reacted　to　them；　he　could　not　be　sure　he　had　heard　anything。
　He　needed　to　distract　himself。　Half　to　Mhoram；　he　growled；　〃I　hate　dawns。　I　can　cope　with　nights。　They　keep　me　they're　something　I've　had　experience　with；
　at　least。　But'　dawns！　I　can't　stand　waiting　for　what　I'm　going　to　see。〃　Then；　abruptly；　he　asked；　〃Is　the　sky　clear？〃
　〃It　is　clear；〃　Mhoram　said　softly。
　Troy　sighed　his　relief。　For　a　moment；　he　was　able　to　relax。
　Silence　enpassed　the　Watch　again。　The　waiting　went　on。　Gradually；　Troy's　shivering　became　worse。　The　stone　he　leaned　against　remained　cold；　impervious　to　his　body　warmth。　He　wanted　to　stand　up　and　pace；　but　did　not　dare。　Around　him；　Mhoram；　Ruel；　and　Terrel　stood　as　still　as　statues。　After　a　while；　he　could　no　longer　refrain　from　asking　the　Lord　if　he　had　received　any　messages　from　Elena。　〃Has　she　tried　to　contact　you？　How　is　she　doing？〃
　〃No；　Warmark；〃　Mhoram　answered。　〃The　High　Lord　does　not　bear　with　her　any　of　the　lomillialor　rods。〃
　〃No？〃　The　news　dismayed　Troy。　Until　this　moment；　he　had　not　realized　how　much　trust　he　had　put　in　Mhoram's　power　to　contact　Elena。　He　wanted　to　know　that　she　was　safe。　And　as　a　last　resort；　he　had　counted　on　being　able　to　summon　her。　But　now　she　was　as　pletely　lost　to　him　as　if　she　were　already　dead。　〃No？〃　He　felt　suddenly　so　blind　that　he　could　not　see　Mhoram's　face；　that　he　had　never　really　seen　Mhoram's　face。　〃Why？〃
　〃The　High　Wood　rods　were　only　three。　One　went　to　Lord's　Keep；　and　one　stayed　in　Revelwood；　so　that　the　Loresraat　and　Revelstone　could　act　together　to　defend　themselves。　One　rod　remained。　It　was　given　into　my　hands　for　use　in　this　war。〃
　Troy's　voice　crackled　with　protest。　〃What　good　is　that？〃
　〃At　need　I　will　be　able　to　speak　to　Revelwood　and　Lord's　Keep。〃
　〃Oh；　you　fool。〃　Troy　did　not　know　whether　he　was　referring　to　Mhoram　or　himself。　So　many　things　had　been　kept　from　him。　And　yet　he　had　never　thought　to　ask　who　had　the　rods。　He　had　been　saving　that　whole　subject　until　he　saw　Lord　Foul's　army；　knew　what　help　he　would　need。　〃Why　didn't　you　tell　me？〃
　For　answer；　Mhoram　only　gazed　at　him。　But　through　his　haze；　Troy　could　not　read　the　Lord's　expression。　〃Why　didn't　you　tell　me？〃　he　repeated　more　bitterly。　〃How　much　else　is　there　that　you　haven't　told　me？〃
　Mhoram　sighed。　〃As　to　the　lomillialorI　did　not　speak　because　you　did　not　ask。　The　rods　are　not　a　tool　that　you　could　use。　They　were　made　for　the　Lords；　and　we　used　them　as　we　saw　fit。