srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第55部分

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for　the　Lords；　and　we　used　them　as　we　saw　fit。　It　did　not　occur　to　us　that　your　desires　would　be　otherwise。〃
　He　sounded　withdrawn；　weary。　For　the　first　time；　Troy　noticed　how　unresponsive　the　Lord　had　been　all　day。　A　fit　of　shivering　shook　him。　That　dream　Mhoram　had　had　last　night…what　did　it　mean？　What　did　the　Lord　knew　that　made　him　so　unlike　his　usual　self？　Troy　felt　a　sudden　foretaste　of　dread。　〃Mhoram；〃　he　began；　〃Mhoram…〃
　〃Peace；　Warmark；〃　the　Lord　breathed。　〃Someone　es。〃
　At　once；　Troy　heaved　to　his　feet；　and　caught　at　Ruel's　shoulder　to　anchor　himself。　Though　he　strained　his　ears；　he　could　hear　nothing　but　the　low　breeze。　〃Who　is　it？〃
　For　a　moment；　no　one　answered。　When　Ruel　spoke；　his　voice　sounded　as　distant　and　passionless　as　the　darkness。　〃It　is　Tull；　who　shared　the　mission　of　Korik　to　the　Giants　of　Seareach。〃
　
　
　SEVENTEEN：　Tull's　Tale
　
　TROY'S　heart　lurched；　and　began　to　labor　heavily。　Tulll　He　could　feel　his　pulse　beating　in　his　temples。　Korik's　mission！　After　the　shock　of　Runnik's　news；　he　had　repressed　all　thought　of　the　Giants；　refused　to　let　himself　think　of　them。　He　had　concentrated　on　the　war；　concentrated　on　something　he　could
　do　something　about。　But　now　his　thoughts　reeled。　The　Giants！
　Almost　instantly　he　began　to　calculate。　He　'gad　been　away　from　Revelstone　for　twenty…five　days。　The　mission　to　Seareach　had　left　eighteen　days　before　that。　That　was　almost　enough　time；　almost　enough。　The　Giants　could　not　travel　as　fast　as　Bloodguard　on　Ranyhyn…but　surely　they　would　not　be　far　behind。　Surely
　Troy　could　understand　how　Tull　had　e　here。　It　made　sense。　The　other　Bloodguard　would　be　leading　the　Giants；　and　Tull　had　e　ahead　to　tell　the　Warward　that　help　was　on　the　way。　With　war　on　the　Land　and　Lord　Foul　marching；　the　Giants　would　not　go　to　Revelstone；　would　not　go　north　at　all。　They　would　go　south；　around　Sarangrave　Flat　if　not　through　it。　The　Bloodguard　knew　Troy's　battle　plan；　they　would　know　what　to　do。　They　would　pick　up　the　trail　of　Lord　Foul's　army　above　Landsdrop　south　of　Mount　Thunder；　and　would　follow　it…past　Morinmoss；　through　the　Mithil　valley；　then　southwest　toward　Doom's　Retreat。　They　would　be　hoping　to　attack　Lord　Foul's　rear　during　the　battle　of　the　Retreat。　And　Tull；　seeking　to　circumvent　Lord　Foul's　army　in　search　of　the　Warward；　would　naturally　e　south　to　skirt　the　Southron　Range　toward　Doom's　Retreat。　That　route　would　bring　him　almost　to　the　doorstep　of　Mithil　Stonedown。　Surely…！
　When　Tull　topped　the　stair　and　stepped　onto　the　Watch；　Troy　was　so　eager　that　he　jumped　past　all　preliminary　questions。　〃Where　are　they？〃　The　words　came　so　rapidly　that　he　could　hardly　articulate　them。　〃How　far　behind　are　they？〃

　In　the　dim　light　of　the　graveling；　he　was　unable　to　make　out　Tull's　face。　But　he　could　tell　that　the　Bloodguard　was　not　looking　at　him。　〃Lord；〃　Tull　said；　〃I　was　charged　by　Korik　to　give　my　tidings　to　the　High　Lord。　With　Shull　and　Vale　I　was　charged…〃　For　an　instant；　his　fiat　voice　faltered。　〃But　the　Bloodguard　in　the　Stonedown　have　told　me　that　the　High　Lord　has　gone　into　the　Westron　Mountains　with　Amok。　I　must　give　my　tidings　to　you。　Will　you　hear？〃
　Even　through　his　excitement；　Troy　sensed　something　strange　in　Tull's　tone；　something　that　sounded　like　pain。　But　he　could　not　wait　to　hear　it　explained。　Before　Lord　Mhoram　could　reply；　Troy　repeated；　〃Where　are　they？〃
　〃They？〃　said　the　Bloodguard。
　〃The　Giants！　How　far　behind　are　they？〃
　Tull　turned　deliberately　away　from　him　to　face　Lord　Mhoram。
　〃We　will　hear　you；〃　Mhoram　said。　His　voice　was　tense　with　dread；　but　he　spoke　steadily；　without　hesitation。　〃This　war　is　in　our　hands。　Speak；　Bloodguard。〃
　〃Lord；　they…we　could　not…the　Giants…〃　Suddenly　the　habitual　flatness　of　Tull's　voice　was　gone。　〃Lord！〃　The　word　vibrated　with　a　grief　so　keen　that　the　Bloodguard　could　not　master　it。
　The　sound　of　it　stunned　Troy。　He　was　accustomed　to　the　characteristic　alien　lack　of　inflection　of　all　the　Bloodguard。　He　had　long　since　stopped　expecting　them　to　express　what　they　felt…had　virtually　forgotten　that　they　even　had　emotions。　And　he　was　not　braced　for　grief；　his　anticipation　of　good　news　was　so　great　that　he　could　already　taste　it。
　Instantly；　before　either　he　or　Lord　Mhoram　could　say　anything；　react　at　all；　Terrel　moved　toward　Tull。　Swinging　so　swiftly　that　Troy　hardly　saw　the　blow；　he　struck　Tull　across　the　face。　The　hit　resounded　heavily　in　the　empty　air。
　At　once；　Tull　stiffened；　came　to　attention。　〃Lord；〃　he　began　again；　and　now　his　voice　was　as　expressionless　as　the　night；　〃with　Shull　and　Vale　I　was　charged　to　bear　tidings　to　the　High　Lord。　Before　the　dawn　of　the　twenty…fourth　day　of　the　mission…the　dawn　after　the　dark　of　the　moon…we　left　Coercri　and　came　south；　as　Korik　charged　us；　seeking　to　find　the　High　Lord　in　battle　at　Doom's　Retreat。　But　because　of　the　evil　which　is　awake；　we　were　pelled　to　journey　on　foot　around　the　Sarangrave；　and　so　twelve　days　were　gone。　We　came　too　near　to　the　Shattered　Hills；　and　so　Vale　and　Shull　fell　to　the　scouts　and　defenders　of　Corruption。　But　I　endured。　Borne　by　the　Ranyhyn；　I　fled　to　Landsdrop　and　the　Upper　Land；　following
　Corruption's　army。　Striving　to　pass　around　it；　I　rode　through　the　hills　to　the　Southron　Range；　and　so　came　within　hail　of　Mithil　Stonedowneight　days　in　which　the　Ranyhyn　has　run　without　rest。
　〃Lord…〃　Again　he　faltered；　but　at　once　he　controlled　himself。　〃I　must　tell　you　of　the　mission　to　Seareach；　and　of　the　ill　doom　which　has　befallen　The　Grieve。〃
　〃I　hear　you；〃　Mhoram　said　painfully。　〃But　forgive　me…I　must　sit。〃　Like　an　old　man；　he　lowered　himself　down　his　staff　to　rest　with　his　back　against　the　wall　of　the　parapet。　〃I　lack　the　strength　to　stand　for　such　tidings。〃
　Tull　seated　himself　opposite　the　Lord　across　the　graveling　pot；　and　Troy　sat　down　also；　as　if　Tull's　movement　pelled　him。　The　vestiges　of　his　sight　were　locked　on　the　Bloodguard。
　After　a　moment；　Mhoram　said；　〃Runnik　came　to　us　in　Trothgard。　He　spoke　of　Hoerkin　and　Lord　Shetra；　and　of　the　lurker　of　the　Sarangrave。　There　is　no　need　to　speak　of　such　things　again。〃
　〃Very　well。〃　Tull　faced　the　Lord；　but　his　visage　was　shrouded　in　darkness。　Troy　could　not　see　his　eyes；　he　appeared　to　have　no　eyes；　no　mouth；　no　features。　When　he　began　his　tale；　his　voice　seemed　to　be　the　voice　of　the　blind　night。
　But　he　told　his　tale　clearly　and　coherently；　as　if　he　had　rehearsed　it　many　times　during　his　journey　from　Seareach。　And　as　he　spoke；　Troy　was　reminded　that　he　was　the　youngest　of　the　Bloodguard…a　Haruchai　no　older　than　Troy　himself。　Tull　had　e　to　Revelstone　to　replace　one　of　the　Bloodguard　who　had　been　slain　during　Lord　Mhoram's　attempt　to　scout　the　Shattered　Hills。　So　he　was　still　new　to　the　Vow。　Perhaps　that　explained　his　unexpected　emotion；　and　his　ability　to　tell　a　tale　in　a　way　that　his　hearers　could　understand。
　After　the　deaths　of　Lord　Shetra　and　the　Bloodguard　Cerrin；　there　was　rain　in　Sarangrave　Flat　all　that　day。　It　was　cold　and　merciless；　and　it　harmed　the　mission；　for　Lord　Hyrim　was　sickened　by　the　river　water　he
　had　swallowed；　and　the　rain　made　his　sickness　worse。　And　the　Bloodguard　could　give　him　no　ease…neither　warmth　nor　shelter。　In　the　capsizing　of　the　raft；　all　the　blankets　had　been　lost。　And　the　rank　water　of　the　Defiles　Course　did　other　damage：　it　spoiled　all　the　food　except　that　which　had　been　kept　in　tight　containers；　it　ruined　the　lillianrill　rods；　so　that　they　had　no　more　potency　to　burn　against　the　rain；　it　even　stained　the　clothing；　so　that　Lord　Hyrim's　robe　and　the　raiment　of　the　Bloodguard　became　black。
　Before　the　end　of　the　day；　the　Lord　was　no　longer　strong　enough　to　propel　or　steer　the　raft。　Fever　filled　his　eyes；　and　his　lips　were　blue　and　trembling　with　cold。　Sitting　in　the　center　of　the　raft；　he　hugged　his　staff　as　if　for　warmth。
　During　the　night；　he　began　to　rant。
　In　a　voice　that　bubbled　through　the　water　running　down　his　face；　he　spoke　to　himself　as　to　an　adversary　and　tormentor；　alternately　cursing　and　pleading。　At　times　he　wept　like　a　child。　His　delirium　was　cruel　to　him；　demeaning　him　as　if　he　were　without　use　or　worth。　And　the　Bloodguard　could　do　nothing　to　succor　him。
　But　at　last　before　dawn　the　rain　broke；　and　the　sky　became　clear。　Then　Korik　ordered　the　raft　over　to　one　bank。　Though　it　was　perilous　to　stop　thus　in　darkness；　he　sent　half　the　Bloodguard　foraging　into　the　jungle　for　firewood　and　aliantha。
　After　Sill　fed　him　a　handful　of　treasure…berries；　the　Lord　rallied　enough　to　call　up　a　flame　from　his　staff。　With　this；　Korik　started　a　fire；　built　it　into　a　steady　blaze　near　the　center　of　the　raft。　Then　the　steersmen　pushed　the　raft　out　into　the　night；　and　the　mission　continued　on　its　way。
　In　the　course　of　that　day；　they　slowly　passed　out　of　the　Sarangrave。　Across　the　leagues；　the　Defiles　Course　was　now　growing　constantly　wider　and　shallower；　dividing　into　more　channels　as　islets　and　mudbanks　increased。　These　channels　were　treacherous…shallow；　barred　with　mudbanks；　full　of　rotten　logs　and　stumps　…and　the　effort　of　navigating　them　slowed　the　raft　still　more。　And　around　it；　the　jungle　gradually　changed。
　The　vegetation　of　the　Sarangrave　gave　way　to　different　kinds　of　growths：　tall；　dark　trees　with　limbs　that　spread　out　widely　above　bare　trunks；　hanging　mosses；　ferns　of　all　kinds；　bushes　that　clung　to　naked　rock　with　thin　root…fingers　and　seemed　to　drink　from　the　river　through　leaves　and　branches。　Water　snakes　swam　out　of　the　path　of　the　raft。　And　the　stench　of　the　Course　slowly　faded　into　a　smell　of　accumulated　wet　decay　and　stagnation。
　Thus　the　mission　entered　Lifeswallower；　the　Great　Swamp。
　As　they　moved；　Korik　kept　the　raft　in　the　northern　passages。　In　this　way；　he　was　able　to　begin　traveling　northeastward…toward　Seareach…and　to　avoid　the　heart　of　Lifeswallower。
　When　night　came；　they　were　fortunate　that　the　sky　was　clear；　in　that　tortuous　channel；　starless　darkness　would　have　halted　the　mission　altogether。
　Yet　they　were　still　in　one　of　the　less　difficult　regions　of　Lifeswallower；　water　still　flowed　over　the　deep　mud　and　silt。　Eastward；　in　the　heart　of　the　Great　Swamp；　the　water　slowly　sank　into　the　ground；　creating　one　continuous　quagmire　for　scores　of　leagues　in　all　directions；　where　the　mud　flowed　and　seethe