rz.nineprincesinamber-第23部分

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　on　the　bloody　deck；　with　a　dozen　men　about　me；　and　Caine　moved　to　the　bow　of　his　ship　and　called　upon　me　to　surrender。
　〃Will　you　grant　my　men　their　lives　if　I　do　this　thing？〃　I　asked　him。
　〃Yes；〃　he　said。　〃I'd　lose　a　few　crewmen　myself　if　I　didn't；　and　there's　no　need　for　that。〃
　〃On　your　word　as　a　prince？〃　I　asked。
　He　thought　about　it　a　moment；　then　nodded。
　〃Very　well。〃　he　said。　〃Have　your　men　lay　down　their　arms　and　board　my　vessel　when　I　e　alongside。〃
　I　sheathed　my　blade　and　nodded　about　me。
　〃You　have　fought　the　good　fight；　and　I　love　you　for　it；〃　I　said。　〃But　we　have　lost　in　this　place。〃　I　dried　my　hands　on　my　cloak　as　I　spoke　and　wiped　them　carefully；　as　I'd　hate　to　smudge　a　work　of　art。　〃Lay　down　your　arms　and　know　that　your　exploits　of　this　day　will　never　be　forgotten。　One　day　I　will　praise　you　before　the　court　of　Amber。〃
　The　men；　the　nine　big　red　ones　and　the　three　remaining　hairy　ones；　wept　as　they　put　down　their　arms。
　〃Do　not　fear　that　all　is　lost　in　the　struggle　for　the　city；〃　I　said。　〃We　have　lost　only　one　engagement　and　the　battle　still　continues　elsewhere。　My　brother　Bleys　hacks　his　way　toward　Amber　at　this　moment。　Caine　will　keep　his　word　to　spare　your　lives　when　he　sees　that　I　have　gone　to　join　with　Bleys　upon　the　land；　for　he　would　not　have　knowledge　that　he　was　forsworn　e　into　Amber。　I　am　sorry　that　I　cannot　take　you　with　me。〃
　And　with　this；　I　drew　Bleys'　Trump　from　the　pack　and　held　it　low　and　before　me；　out　of　sight　of　the　other　vessel。
　Just　as　Caine　came　alongside；　there　was　movement　beneath　that　cold；　cold　surface。
　〃Who？〃　Bleys　asked。
　〃Corwin；〃　I　said。　〃How　fare　you？〃
　〃We　won　the　battle；　but　lost　many　troops。　We're　resting　now　before　we　renew　the　march。　How　go　things　with　you？〃
　〃I　think　we've　destroyed　nearly　half　of　Caine's　fleet；　but　he's　won　the　day。　He's　about　to　board　me　now。　Give　me　escape。〃
　He　held　forth　his　hand　and　I　touched　it　and　collapsed　into　his　arms。
　〃This　is　getting　to　be　a　habit；〃　I　muttered；　and　then　I　saw　that　he　was　wounded　too；　about　the　head；　and　there　was　a　bandage　around　his　left　hand。　〃Had　to　grab　the　wrong　end　of　a　saber；〃　he　remarked；　as　he　saw　my　eyes　fall　upon　it。　〃It　smarts。〃
　I　caught　my　breath　and　then　we　walked　to　his　tent；　where　he　opened　a　bottle　of　wine　and　gave　me　bread；　cheese；　and　some　dried　meat。　He　still　had　plenty　of　cigarettes　and　I　smoked　one　as　a　medical　officer　dressed　my　wounds。
　He　still　had　around　a　hundred　and　eighty　thousand　men　behind　him。　As　I　stood　on　a　hilltop　and　the　evening　began　around　me；　it　seemed　as　if　I　looked　out　over　every　camp　I　had　ever　stood　within；　stretching　on　and　on　over　the　miles　and　the　centuries　without　end。　I　suddenly　felt　tears　e　into　my　eyes；　for　the　men　who　are　not　like　the　lords　of　Amber；　living　but　a　brief　span　and　passing　into　dust；　that　so　many　of　them　must　meet　their　ends　upon　the　battlefields　of　the　world。
　I　returned　to　Bleys'　tent　and　we　finished　the　bottle　of　wine。
　
　
　Chapter　7
　
　That　night　there　was　a　bad　storm。　It　hadn't　let　up　when　dawn　struggled　to　cross　the　world's　palm　with　silver；　and　it　continued　on　through　the　day's　march。
　It　is　a　very　demoralizing　thing　to　tramp　along　and　be　rained　on；　a　cold　rain　at　that。　How　I've　always　hated　the　mud；　through　which　it　seems　I've　spent　centuries　marching！
　We　sought　after　a　shadow　way　that　was　free　of　rain；　but　nothing　we　did　seemed　to　matter。
　We　could　march　to　Amber；　but　we　would　do　it　with　our　clothing　sticking　to　us；　to　the　drumbeat　of　the　thunder；　with　the　flashing　of　the　lightning　at　our　backs。
　The　next　night　the　temperature　plummeted；　and　in　the　morning　I　stared　past　the　stiff　flags　and　regarded　a　world　gone　white　beneath　a　gray　sky；　filled　with　flurries。　My　breath　went　back　in　plumes　behind　me。
　The　troops　were　ill…equipped　for　this；　save　for　the　hairy　ones；　and　we　got　them　all　moving　quickly；　to　prevent　frostbite。　The　big　red　guys　suffered。　Theirs　had　been　a　very　warm　world。
　We　were　attacked　by　tiger；　polar　bear；　and　wolf　that　day。　The　tiger　Bleys　killed　measured　ever　fourteen　feet　from　tail　tip　to　nose。
　We　marched　on　well　into　the　night；　and　the　thaw　began。　Bleys　pushed　the　troops　to　get　them　out　of　the　cold　Shadows。　The　Trump　for　Amber　indicated　that　a　warm；　dry　autumn　prevailed　there；　and　we　were　nearing　the　real　Earth。
　By　midnight　on　that　second　night　we'd　marched　through　slush　and　sleet；　cold　rains；　warm　rains；　and　on　into　a　dry　world。
　The　orders　were　given　to　make　camp　then；　with　triple　security　cordons。　Considering　the　tired　condition　of　the　men　we　were　ripe　for　an　attack。　But　the　troops　were　staggering　and　couldn't　be　pushed　much　further。
　The　attack　came　several　hours　later；　and　Julian　led　it；　I　learned　later　from　the　description　given　by　survivors。
　He　headed　mando　raids　against　our　most　vulnerable　campsites　on　the　periphery　of　the　main　body。　Had　I　known　it　to　be　Julian；　I　would　have　used　his　Trump　to　try　to　hold　him；　but　I　only　knew　it　after　the　fact。
　We'd　lost　perhaps　two　thousand　men　in　the　abrupt　winter；　and　I　didn't　yet　know　how　many　Julian　had　accounted　for。
　It　seemed　the　troops　were　beginning　to　get　demoralized；　but　they　followed　when　we　ordered　them　ahead。
　The　next　day　was　one　continuous　ambush。　A　body　of　men　the　size　of　ours　could　not　be　allowed　to　deviate　sufficiently　to　try　to　deal　with　the　harassing　raids　Julian　led　against　our　flanks。　We　got　some　of　his　men；　but　not　enough；　one　for　every　ten　of　ours；　perhaps。
　By　high　noon　we　were　crossing　the　valley　that　paralleled　the　seacoast。　The　Forest　of　Arden　was　to　the　north　and　our　left。　Amber　lay　directly　ahead。　The　breezes　were　cool　and　filled　with　the　odors　of　earth　and　its　sweet　growing　things。　A　few　leaves　fell。　Amber　lay　eighty　miles　distant　and　was　but　a　shimmer　above　the　horizon。
　That　afternoon；　with　a　gathering　of　clouds　and　but　the　lightest　of　rains；　the　blots　began　to　fall　from　the　heavens。　Then　the　storm　ceased　and　the　sun　came　forth　to　dry　things　off。
　After　a　time；　we　smelled　the　smoke。
　After　another　time；　we　saw　it；　flapping　skyward　all　about　us。
　Then　the　sheets　of　flame　began　to　rise　and　fall。　They　moved　toward　us；　with　their　crunching；　constant　footsteps；　and　as　they　came　nearer；　we　began　to　feel　the　heat；　and　somewhere；　way　back　along　the　lines；　a　panic　arose。　There　were　cries；　and　the　columns　swelled　and　welled　forward。
　We　began　to　run。
　Flakes　of　ash　were　falling　about　us　now；　and　the　smoke　grew　thicker。　We　sprinted　ahead　and　the　flames　rushed　even　closer。　The　sheets　of　light　and　heat　flapped　a　steady；　welling　thunder　as　we　ran；　and　the　waves　of　warmth　beat　upon　us；　washed　over　us。　Soon　they　were　right　there　alongside　us；　and　the　trees　blackened　and　the　leaves　flaked　down；　and　some　of　the　smaller　trees　began　to　sway。　For　as　far　ahead　as　we　could　see；　our　way　was　an　alley　of　fires。
　We　ran　faster；　for　soon　things　would　be　worse。
　And　we　were　not　mistaken。
　Big　trees　began　to　topple　across　our　path。　We　leaped　over　them；　we　circled　around　them。　At　least；　we　were　on　a　trail。。。
　The　heat　became　stifling　and　the　breath　came　heavy　in　our　lungs。　Deer　and　wolves　and　foxes　and　rabbits　darted　past　us；　fleeing　with　us；　ignoring　our　presence　and　that　of　their　natural　enemies。　The　air　above　the　smoke　seemed　filled　with　crying　birds。　Their　droppings　fell　among　us；　went　unnoticed。
　To　burn　this　ancient　wood；　as　venerable　as　the　Forest　of　Arden；　seemed　almost　an　act　of　sacrilege　to　me。　But　Eric　was　prince　in　Amber；　and　soon　to　be　king。　I　suppose　I　might　have；　too。。。
　My　eyebrows　and　hair　were　singed。　My　throat　felt　like　a　chimney。　How　many　would　this　assault　cost　us？　I　wondered。
　Seventy　miles　of　wooded　valley　lay　between　us　and　Amber；　and　over　thirty　behind　us；　going　back　to　the　forest's　end。
　〃Bleys！〃　I　gasped。　〃Two　or　three　miles　ahead　of　us　the　trail　forks！　The　right　branch　es　more　quickly　to　the　river　Oisen；　which　goes　down　to　the　sea！　I　think　it's　our　one　chance！　The　whole　Valley　of　Garnath　is　going　to　be　burned！　Our　only　hope　lies　in　reaching　the　water！〃
　He　nodded。
　We　raced　on；　but　the　fires　outpaced　us。
　We　made　it　to　the　fork；　though；　beating　out　flames　on　our　smoldering　clothing；　wiping　ashes　from　our　eyes；　spitting　such　from　our　mouths；　running　hands　through　our　hair　when　the　flamelets　nested　there。
　〃Only　about　a　quarter　mile　more；〃　I　said。
　I　had　been　struck　several　times　by　falling　boughs。　All　the　exposed　areas　of　my　skin　pulsed　with　a　more　than　feverish　pain；　and　many　of　the　covered　areas　as　well。　We　ran　through　burning　grasses；　heading　down　a　long　slope；　and　when　we　reached　the　bottom　we　saw　the　water；　and　our　speed　increased；　though　we　didn't　think　it　possible。　We　plunged　in　and　let　the　cold　wetness　embrace　in。
　Bleys　and　I　contrived　to　float　as　near　together　as　possible　as　the　currents　took　us　and　we　were　swept　along　the　twisting　course　of　the　Oisen。　The　interlocked　branches　of　the　trees　overhead　had　bee　as　the　beams　in　a　cathedral　of　fire。　As　they　broke　apart　and　collapsed　in　places；　we　had　to　turn　onto　our　bellies　and　swim　or　dive　for　the　deepest　places；　depending　on　how　near　we　were。　The　waters　about　us　were　filled　with　hissing　and　blackened　debris；　and　at　our　backs　our　surviving　troops'　heads　in　the　river　seemed　as　a　strip　of　floating　coconuts。
　The　waters　were　dark　and　cold　and　our　wounds　began　to　ache；　and　we　shivered　and　our　teeth　chattered。
　It　was　several　miles　before　we　left　the　burning　wood　and　reached　the　low；　flat；　treeless　place　that　led　on　to　the　sea。　It　would　be　a　perfect　place　for　Julian　to　be　waiting；　with　archers；　I　decided。　I　mentioned　this　to　Bleys　and　he　agreed；　but　he　didn't　reckon　there　was　much　we　could　do　about　it。　I　was　forced　to　agree。
　The　woods　burned　all　around　us；　and　we　swam　and　we　drifted。
　It　seemed　like　hours；　but　must　have　been　less；　before　my　fears　began　to　materialize　and　the　first　volley　of　arrows　descended。
　I　dove；　and　I　swam　underwater　for　a　long　distance。　Since　I　was　going　with　the　current；　I　made　it　quite　a　way　along　the　river　before　I　had　to　surface　once　more。
　As　I　did；　more　arrows　fell　about　me。
　The　gods　knew　how　long　this　gauntlet　of　death　might　be　drawn；　but　I　didn't　want　to　stick　around　and　find　out。
　I　gulped　air　and　dove　once　more。
　I　touched　bottom；　I　felt　my　way　among　rocks