df.therunelords-第34部分

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t　that　shone　in　one's　eyes。　It　could　be　seen　in　posture；　in　poise；　in　determination。　The　heart　of　it　often　lay　somewhere　in　a　person's　confidence　in　and　love　of　self。
　So；　depending　on　the　ruthlessness　of　the　facilitator　involved；　all　these　could　be　drawn　away；　leaving　the　new　Dedicate　both　ugly　and　filled　with　self…loathing。
　Iome　shook　her　head。　She　had　to　fight　him；　had　to　fight　Raj　Ahten　any　way　she　could。　Yet　she　could　think　of　nothing；　no　way　to　strike　back。
　〃e；　child；〃　Raj　Ahten　said　smoothly。　〃What　would　you　do　with　all　your　beauty；　if　I　left　it　to　you？　Lure　some　prince　to　your　bed？　What　a　petty　desire。　You　could　do　it。　But　afterward　you　would　only　spend　your　life　in　regret。　You've　seen　how　men　look　at　you　with　lust　in　their　eyes。　You've　seen　how　they　stare；　always　wanting　you。　Certainly　you　must　tire　of　it。〃
　When　he　put　it　that　way；　in　such　a　silky　voice；　Iome　felt　wretched。　It　seemed　vile　and　selfish　to　want　to　be　beautiful。
　〃In　the　desert　near　where　I　was　born；〃　Raj　Ahten　said；　〃a　great　monument；　a　statue；　stands　three　hundred　feet　tall；　half　tilted　in　the　sand。　It　is　the　statue　of　a　king；　long　forgotten；　his　face　scoured　away　by　wind。　A　banner　at　his　feet；　written　in　an　ancient　language；　says；　'All　bow　to　the　Great　Ozyvarius；　who　rules　the　earth；　whose　kingdom　shall　never　fail！'
　〃Yet　all　the　scribes　in　the　world　cannot　tell　me　who　that　king　is；　or　how　long　ago　he　reigned。
　〃We　have　always　been　such　fleeting　creatures；〃　Raj　Ahten　whispered。　〃We　have　always　been　so　temporary。　But　together；　Iome；　we　can　bee　something　more。〃
　The　craving　in　his　voice；　the　hunger；　almost　drove　all　reason　from　Iome's　mind。　Almost　she　felt　willing　to　give　him　her　beauty。　But　a　wiser　voice　in　the　back　of　her　mind　nagged。　〃No；　I　would　die；　I　would　be　nothing。〃
　〃You　would　not　die；〃　Raj　Ahten　said。　〃If　I　bee　the　Sum　of　All　Men；　your　beauty　would　live　on　in　me。　Some　part　of　you　would　always　remain；　to　be　loved；　to　be　admired。〃
　〃No；〃　Iome　said　in　horror。
　Raj　Ahten　glanced　at　the　floor；　where　King　Sylvarresta　still　lay　in　a　foul　heap。　〃Not　even　to　save　his　life？〃
　Then　Iome　knew；　she　knew；　that　her　father　would　tell　her　not　to　make　this　bargain。　〃No；〃　Iome　shuddered。
　〃It　is　a　horrible　thing；　to　put　an　idiot　among　the　torturers。　All　that　pain　your　father　would　have　to　endure；　never　understanding　why；　never　knowing　that　there　is　such　a　thing　as　death　that　could　bring　him　release；　with　the　torturers　repeating　your　name　each　time　they　put　the　hot　irons　to　him；　so　that　in　time；　even　at　the　mention　of　your　name；　he　would　cry　out　in　pain。　It　would　be　truly　horrible。〃
　The　cruelty　inherent　in　such　an　idea　left　Iome　numb。　She　looked　at　Raj　Ahten；　her　heart　breaking。　She　could　not　say　yes。
　The　Wolf　Lord　nodded　to　one　of　his　men。　〃Bring　in　the　girl。〃
　The　guard　left　the　chamber；　returned　quickly　with　Chemoise。　Chemoise；　who　should　have　been　in　the　Dedicates'　Keep；　forting　her　father。　Chemoise；　who　had　already　suffered　so　much　this　week；　lost　so　much　to　Raj　Ahten。
　How　had　Raj　Ahten　known　what　Iome　felt　for　her　dear　friend？　Had　Iome　betrayed　the　girl　with　a　glance？
　Chemoise　had　wide；　frightened　eyes。　She　began　weeping　in　terror　when　she　saw　the　King　lying　on　the　floor。　Shrieked　when　Raj　Ahten's　guard　took　her　to　the　broken　window；　poised　to　throw　her　over　the　edge。
　Iome's　heart　hammered；　as　she　watched　her　childhood　friend　begin　to　gibber　in　fear。　Two　lives。　Raj　Ahten　would　be　killing　twoChemoise　and　her　unborn　child。
　Chemoise；　forgive　me　for　this　betrayal；　Iome　wanted　to　say。　For　she　knew；　she　knew　with　her　whole　soul；　that　surrender　was　wrong。　If　no　one　had　ever　surrendered；　Raj　Ahten　would　be　dead　by　now。　Yet　she　also　knew　that　to　give　her　glamour　to　Raj　Ahten　would　benefit　him　little；　while　it　saved　the　lives　of　Iome's　friends。
　〃I　cannot　give　you　an　endowment；〃　Iome　said；　unable　to　disguise　the　loathing　in　her　words。　She　could　not　give　it　to　him。　Not　to　him　personally。
　〃If　not　me；　a　vector；　then；〃　Raj　Ahten　offered。
　Something　in　Iome's　heart　tripped。　A　balance　was　found。　She　could　give　her　beautygive　it　for　her　father；　for　Chemoise。　So　long　as　she　did　not　have　to　give　it　to　Raj　Ahten。　Her　voice　broke　as　she　said；　〃Bring　your　forcible；　then。〃
　Moments　later　the　forcibles　were　fetched；　along　with　a　wretched　woman　who　had　given　her　glamour。　So　Iome　looked　upon　the　hag　in　dirty　gray　robes　and　saw　what　she　would　bee；　and　struggled　to　see　what　beauty　had　ever　been　hidden　inside　the　woman。
　Then　the　chants　began。　Iome　watched　Chemoise；　still　poised　on　the　ledge；　and　silently　willed　her　beauty　away；　willed　herself　to　buy　something　lovely　and　eternally　precious　with　it。　The　life　of　a　friend；　and　the　baby　she　carried。
　There　was　a　rustling　in　the　darkness；　and　a　tiny　glowing　streamer　of　phosphorous　fire　as　the　facilitator　approached；　put　the　forcible　low　on　her　neck；　almost　against　her　bosom。
　For　half　a　moment；　nothing　happened；　and　someone　whispered；　〃For　your　friend。　Do　it　for　your　friend。〃
　Iome　nodded；　sweat　pouring　down　her　brow。　She　held　the　image　of　Chemoise　in　her　mind；　Chemoise　holding　a　child　in　her　arms；　nuzzling　it。
　Iome　felt　the　unspeakable　pain　of　the　forcible；　opened　her　eyes；　saw　the　skin　of　her　hands　dry　and　crack　as　if　they　burned　in　the　infernal　heat。　The　veins　rose　on　her　wrists　like　roots；　and　her　nails　became　brittle　as　chalk。
　Her　firm　young　breasts　sank；　and　she　grabbed　at　them；　feeling　the　loss　keenly。　She　regretted　the　trade　now；　but　it　was　too　late。　She　felt。。。as　if　she　stood　in　the　river；　and　the　sand　at　her　feet　flowed　out　from　under　her；　undermining　her。　Everything　that　was　hers；　all　her　beauty；　her　allure；　flowed　out　and　away；　into　the　forcible。
　Her　lustrous　hair　withered　and　twisted　on　her　head　like　worms。
　Iome　cried　in　pain　and　horror；　and　more　flowed　out　from　her　still。　For　a　moment；　it　was　as　if　she　gazed　into　oblivion　and　saw　herself；　and　loathed　what　she　saw。　She　understood　for　the　first　time　in　her　life　that　she　was　nothing；　had　always　been　nothing；　a　no　one；　a　cipher。　She　feared　to　cry　out；　lest　others　take　offense　at　the　sound　of　her　wretched　voice。
　That　is　a　lie。　I　am　not　so　ugly　as　that；　she　cried　out　to　Raj　Ahten　in　her　soul。　My　beauty　you　can　have；　but　not　my　soul。
　And　then　she　moved　away　from　the　precipice；　and　felt　only。。。alone。　Utterly　alone；　and　in　unspeakable　pain。
　Somehow；　she　managed　a　rare　feat：　she　did　not　faint　from　the　rigors　of　the　forcible；　though　she　imagined　that　her　whole　body　would　be　consumed　in　the　fires。
　　
　Chapter　11
　MITMENTS
　　
　Cold　black　river　water　swirled　around　Gaborn's　thighs；　like　a　dead　hand　trying　to　pull　him　downstream。　Rowan；　in　the　darkness　on　the　bank　just　above　him；　groaned　fiercely　in　pain；　doubled　over。
　〃What's　wrong？〃　Gaborn　whispered；　hardly　daring　to　part　his　lips。
　〃The　Queenshe's　dead；〃　Rowan　whimpered。
　Then　he　understood。　After　years　of　loss　of　feeling；　years　of　numbness；　now　the　whole　world　of　sensation　rushed　upon　Rowanthe　cold　of　the　water　and　of　the　night；　the　pain　of　her　bruised　feet；　her　fatigue　after　a　hard　day's　work；　and　countless　other　minor　injuries。
　Those　who　gave　an　endowment　of　touch；　once　all　their　senses　returned；　felt　all　the　world　anew；　as　if　for　the　first　time。　The　shock　of　it　could　be　phenomenal；　even　deadly；　for　the　sensations　came　twenty　times　stronger　than　before。　Gaborn　worried　for　the　young　woman；　worried　that　she　might　not　be　able　to　travel。　The　water　here　was　bracing　cold。　Certainly　he　could　not　hope　to　bring　Rowan　through　it。
　Yet；　even　worse；　if　the　Queen　was　dead；　Gaborn　feared　that　Raj　Ahten　was　slaughtering　the　other　members　of　the　royal　familyKing　Sylvarresta　and　Iome。
　mitments。　Gaborn　had　made　too　many　mitments。　He　felt　overwhelmed。　He'd　accepted　responsibility　for　Rowan；　dared　not　move　her；　dared　not　try　to　take　her　through　the　river。　Yet　he'd　also　promised　to　save　Iome；　to　go　to　her。
　Gaborn　wanted　to　kneel　in　the　river；　let　it　cool　the　burning　wound　in　his　ribs。　Overhead；　a　slight　breeze　made　the　branches　of　the　alders　and　birches　sway。　Here　in　the　deep　shadows；　he　could　see　the　water　downstream；　reflecting　the　orange　firelight。
　Binnesman's　garden　was　aflame。　On　the　far　bank　of　the　river；　the　nomen　were　grunting；　shadows　moving　in　a　greater　darkness；　trying　to　spot　Gaborn。　Yet　he　was　well　hidden　here　in　this　thicket；　so　long　as　he　didn't　move。　The　Frowth　giants　hunted　in　the　shallows　downstream。　He　suspected　that　he　could　swim　out　of　here　alone；　flee　Castle　Sylvarresta　and　bear　the　news　of　its　fall　to　his　father。　He　was　a　fast　swimmer。　In　spite　of　the　fact　that　the　water　was　shallow；　he　thought　he　might　make　it。　But　he　couldn't　hope　to　do　so　with　Rowan。
　Gaborn　could　not　possibly　leave　Castle　Sylvarresta。
　I　swore　to　Iome；　he　realized。　I　took　an　oath。　She　is　under　my　protection；　both　as　a　Runelord；　and　now　as　a　part　of　my　vow　to　the　earth。　Both　were　vows　he　could　not　lightly　break。
　A　day　earlier；　in　the　market　at　Bannisferre；　Myrrima　had　chided　Gaborn　for　not　making　mitments　easily。　It　was　true。　He　dared　not　make　them。
　〃What　is　a　Runelord；〃　his　mother　had　taught　him　as　a　child；　〃but　a　man　who　keeps　an　oath？　Your　vassals　give　you　endowments；　and　you　grant　them　protection　in　return。　They　give　you　wit；　and　you　lead　wisely。　They　grant　you　brawn；　and　you　fight　like　a　reaver。　They　bestow　stamina；　and　you　work　long　hours　in　their　behalf。　You　live　for　them。　And　if　you　love　them　as　you　should；　you　die　for　them。　No　vassal　will　waste　an　endowment　on　a　Runelord　who　lives　only　for　himself。〃
　These　were　the　words　Queen　Orden　had　taught　her　son。　She　had　been　a　strong　woman；　one　who　taught　Gaborn　that　beneath　his　father's　callous　exterior；　there　lived　a　man　of　firm　principle。　It　was　true　that　in　years　past；　King　Orden　had　purchased　endowments　from　the　poor；　and　while　some　considered　this　behavior　morally　suspect；　a　way　of　taking　advantage　of　the　poor；　King　Orden　had　seen　it　differently。　He'd　said；　〃Some　people　love　money　more　than　they　love　their　fellow　men。　Why　not　turn　such　people's　weakness　into　your　strength？〃
　Why　not　indeed？　It　was　a　good　argument；　from　a　man　who　sought　only　the　betterment　of　his　kingdom。　Yet　in　the　past　three　years；　his　father　had　given　up　the　practice；　had　quit　taking　endowments　from　the　poor。　He'd　told　Gaborn；