df.therunelords-第83部分

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。　Nor　did　Raj　Ahten　see　Jureem。
　〃A　king　is　ing；　a　king　who　can　destroy　you！〃　The　words　rang　through
　Raj　Ahten's　memory。　King　Orden　was　all　shimmering　in　green　samite；　with　his　gold　shield。
　The　king　of　one　of　the　world's　most　powerful　nations。　It　gave　him　pause。　The　men　here　on　the　walls　would　fight　like　berserkers　for　such　a　king。　This　was　the　kind　of　battle　songs　were　made　of。　And　if　Raj　Ahten　was　right；　Orden　was　the　Earth　King。
　Raj　Ahten's　Invincibles　would　normally　take　such　a　castle　with　relative　ease。　Yet；　today；　he　felt　uncertain。
　Though　he　did　not　tremble　at　the　sight　of　the　warriors　on　the　wall；　something　about　their　positioning　bothered　hima　wrongness　that　left　him　unbalanced。　He　studied　the　men；　checking　their　spacing；　armaments；　armor；　and　expressions。　He　could　see　worry　in　their　faces；　saw　that　those　who　had　no　armor　were　evenly　spaced　between　those　who　did。　The　men　were　clustered　in　fighting　groupspikemen　and　swordsmen　together；　archers　at　their　backs。
　Nothing　he　saw　explained　the　worry　that　gnawed　him。
　The　moat　around　the　castle　was　brackish　and　foul　this　time　of　year；　a　breeding　ground　for　mosquitoes　and　disease。　A　corpse　floated　in　the　moat。　Despite　the　fact　that　the　water　was　stagnant；　Raj　Ahten　knew　from　his　own　measurements　that　it　was　quite　deepsome　forty　feet。　Too　deep　to　let　sappers　easily　dig　at　the　castle's　founding　stones。
　There　had　been　a　city　here　last　week；　a　small　city　of　five　thousand　souls。　Over　generations；　the　walls　of　the　city　had　crept　within　bowshot　of　the　castle。　One　could　have　moved　siege　engines　up　behind　those　homes；　tossed　rocks　over　the　battlements。　But　Orden's　soldiers　had　wisely　burned　the　city；　cleared　the　ground　of　cover　in　preparation　for　battle。
　No；　this　castle　could　not　easily　be　taken；　not　with　four　or　five　thousand　men　on　the　walls；　others　waiting　in　the　baileys　and　towers。　The　castle's　armaments　were　well　stocked。　He'd　seen　arrows　piled　in　the　armory　not　a　week　ago。
　He　sighed。　If　Raj　Ahten　laid　siege　to　the　castle　through　the　winter；　Orden's　men　might　be　forced　to　burn　some　of　those　arrows　just　to　stay　warm。　But；　of　course；　this　siege　would　not　last　so　long。
　An　hour　before　noon；　General　Vishtimnu　still　had　not　arrived；　and　the　first　six　catapults　were　built。　Raj　Ahten's　men　fashioned　a　hundred　crude　siege　ladders　and　brought　them　to　the　hill；　laid　them　out；　ready　for　battle。
　The　far…seers　in　the　balloon　could　spot　few　men　inside　the　castlemost　held　the　walls；　though　several　hundred　knights　waited　on　their　mounts　in　the　inner　bailey。　None　of　the　inhabitants　from　the　city　were　inside　the　gates。　The　only　exception　was　possibly　the　Dedicates'　Keep；　where　two　hundred　of　Orden's　elite　guard　watched　the　keep。　Perhaps　Orden　had　drained　some　of　the　people　of　this　city　for　endowments；　and　hundreds　of　Dedicates　secreted　in　the　keep。　Yet　the　keep　could　not　hold　many。
　This　was　good　news。　Though　Orden　had　captured　the　forcibles；　he　did　not　have　forty　thousand　or　even　four　thousand　people　here　who　could　have　granted　endowments。
　It　meant　that　the　vast　majority　of　the　forcibles　might　still　be　within　the　castle；　unused。
　Raj　Ahten　had　four　hundred　forcibles　remaining　in　his　possession　from　the　hoard　he'd　taken　to　Castle　Sylvarresta。
　He　called　his　facilitators　and　studied　his　assets。　Most　of　the　forcibles　were　worthless　to　him。　The　irons　bore　only　runes　of　the　senses。　He　had　no　use　for　more　endowments　of　hearing　or　smell　or　touch。
　He'd　used　most　of　the　forcibles　for　taking　major　endowments　in　subduing　Sylvarresta。　None　in　his　hoard　bore　runes　of　strength　or　grace。　He　had　many　of　wit。
　To　his　surprise；　he　found　only　twelve　forcibles　that　bore　the　runes　of　metabolism。
　He　wished　now　that　he'd　brought　more。　A　cold　uncertainty　took　him　as　he　pondered。　His　pyromancer　had　gazed　into　the　future；　warned　him　that　a　king　in　Heredon　could　slay　him。　He'd　already　humbled　Sylvarresta。　So　it　was　Orden。
　And　Orden　had　surely　taken　endowments　of　metabolism。　A　Runelord　of　his　stature　would　not　need　more　grace　or　brawn　in　battle。　He　would　not　need　more　wit。　Stamina　would　be　of　some　help。　But　the　only　attribute　that　would　let　him　defeat　Raj　Ahten　would　be　metabolism。
　But　how　much　had　Orden　taken？　Twenty　endowments？　Orden　was　chronologically　in　his　mid…thirties；　but　if　he　had　taken　the　customary　endowment　of　metabolism　after　rearing　his　family；　he'd　have　a　physiological　age　close　to　forty…five。　Even　a　dozen　endowments　of　stamina　could　not　pletely　ameliorate　the　effects　of　his　advancing　age。　So　he'd　have　endowments　of　brawn；　grace；　stamina；　and　wit　to　counteract　his　aging。
　Raj　Ahten's　spies　had　told　him　that　as　of　a　year　ago；　Orden　had　had　over　a　hundred　endowments　to　his　reckoning。　How　many　over　a　hundred；　Raj　Ahten　could　not　guess。
　At　any　event；　Orden　would　be　a　worthy　adversary。　So　how　many　endowments　of　metabolism　had　he　taken？　Five？　No；　that　would　be　too　few。　Fifty？　If　so；　he'd　have　taken　his　death。　He　would　age　and　wither　within　a　year。　Raj　Ahten　would　not　even　need　to　fight　today。　He　could　simply　withdraw　his　troops　for　the　winter；　and　Orden　would　age。　By　spring　he'd　be　a　dotard。
　It　was　said　that　in　the　days　of　Harridan　the　Great；　the　messenger　Marcoriaus　had　so　needed　speed　to　deliver　news　of　the　impending　battle　at　Polypolus　that　he'd　taken　a　hundred　endowments　of　metabolismenough　so　that　he　ran　barefoot　across　the　Caroll　Sea；　relying　only　on　the　surface　tension　of　the　water　to　keep　him　aloft。　Marcoriaus　had　died　within　three　months；　of　course。
　But　the　idea　of　such　phenomenal　speed　attracted　some　men。　Yet；　such　speed　could　be　a　great　danger。　A　Runelord　who　moved　too　suddenly；　too　sharply；　could　snap　a　leg。　The　force　of　an　object　seeking　to　remain　at　rest　was　too　great。　It　took　a　great　deal　of　wit　and　grace　to　learn　how　to　move　with　control。
　Orden　had　that　wit　and　grace；　and　now　he　might　have　the　metabolism　to　go　with　it。
　So；　King　Orden　would　have　taken　between　ten　and　twenty　endowments　of　metabolism；　Raj　Ahten　decided。
　He　would　need　to　match　him。
　Or；　I　could　take　endowments　of　metabolism；　then　kill　my　own　Dedicates　afterward。
　He　had　used　the　tactic　before。　However；　in　order　to　maintain　the　proper　fighting　spirit　among　his　men；　he'd　made　certain　that　he　left　no　witnesses。
　〃Call　to　me　the　twelve　Invincibles　who　have　great　endowments　of　metabolism；〃　Raj　Ahten　told　Hepolus；　his　chief　facilitator。　〃I　need　them。〃
　The　facilitators　left　the　tent；　hurried　back　a　few　minutes　later；　bringing　the　desired　Invincibleselite　guards　and　assassins　who　each　had　at　least　three　endowments　of　metabolism。　They　were　all　big　men；　strong　of　bone；　so　that　they　could　handle　the　stress　of　great　brawn　and　metabolism。　And　they　were　strong　in　wit　and　grace。　He　would　sorely　miss　any　one　of　them。
　Raj　Ahten　knew　his　men　well。　The　man　he　least　valued　was　Salim　al　Daub；　an　old　household　guard　who　had　been　elevated　in　status　several　times；　despite　the　fact　that　Salim　had　failed　him　as　an　assassin。　Twice　he'd　gone　to　kill　Prince　Orden；　and　twice　he'd　returned　a　failure；　with　only　the　ears　of　women　and　children。
　〃Thank　you　for　ing；　my　friends；〃　Raj　Ahten　said　when　he'd　decided。　〃You　have　all　served　me　valiantly　for　many　years。　I　ask　now　that　you　serve　me　once　again；　for　I　need　your　metabolism。　You；　my　friend　Salim；　will　have　the　honor　to　serve　as　vector。〃
　The　words　slid　from　Raj　Ahten's　tongue　as　sweetly　as　candied　dates。　The　men　could　not　resist　the　power　of　his　Voice。　The　facilitators　drew　out　the　forcibles。
　A　cold　wind　blew　from　the　south；　rippling　the　silk　walls　of　Raj　Ahten's　Pavilion。
　　
　Chapter　42
　A　COLD　WIND
　　
　Faintly；　across　the　battlefield；　from　the　huge　purple　royal　tent　that　Raj　Ahten　had　entered；　Orden　heard　the　chants　of　facilitators　borne　on　the　cold　wind。　The　sound　came　dimly；　so　dimly　that　few　men　on　the　walls　could　have　discerned　it。　Orden　could　hear　it　only　because　he　focused；　detected　it　beneath　the　song　of　the　wind　rushing　through　the　leaves　of　grass　along　the　hills；　a　sound　so　much　like　the　waves　of　the　ocean　back　home。
　〃What's　taking　them　so　long？〃　an　archer　on　the　castle　walls　asked；　a　farm　boy　who　knew　nothing　of　war。　They'd　been　waiting　an　hour。　In　that　time；　Raj　Ahten's　men　had　not　sought　to　parlay。　They　did　not　seem　to　want　to　attack。
　King　Orden　began　to　pace　the　walls；　past　men　who　stood　shoulder　to　shoulder；　four　deep。　He　watched　with　mounting　nervousness　as　Raj　Ahten　set　his　forces；　laid　his　siege。
　〃I　do　not　like　that　chanting；〃　Captain　Holmon　said　softly　in　Orden's　ear。　〃Raj　Ahten　has　endowments　enough　without　it。　We　would　be　better　off　if　we　got　this　battle　under　way；　before　their　reinforcements　arrive。〃
　〃How？〃　Orden　asked。　〃Mount　a　charge？〃
　〃We　can　goad　the　old　dog　into　battle。〃
　Orden　nodded　to　Captain　Holmon。　〃Sound　your　horn；　then。　Call　Raj　Ahten　to　a　parlay。　I　want　him　out　here；　within　bowshot。〃
　　
　Chapter　43
　THE　SPARK
　　
　The　facilitators　had　just　finished　granting　endowments　of　metabolism　from　nine　of　Raj　Ahten's　men　to　Salim　when　the　horns　sounded；　calling　for　a　parlay。
　The　facilitators　looked　at　Raj　Ahten；　curiously。
　〃Finish　it；〃　Raj　Ahten　said　to　his　chief　facilitator。　He'd　stripped　from　his　armor；　and　sat　on　a　cushion；　awaiting　the　endowment。
　He　listened　with　rising　excitement　as　the　facilitator　sang　the　familiar　words　to　the　chants。　Salim　shrieked　in　pain　while　the　forcible　burned　his　flesh；　adding　to　the　scent　of　charred　fat　and　burning　hair　that　filled　the　Pavilion。
　To　take　an　endowment；　to　feel　the　kiss　of　the　forcibles；　gave　profound　delight。　It　was　like　making　love　to　a　beautiful　woman。　But　to　take　an　endowment　from　someone　who　already　had　received　many　endowments；　to　bine　that　euphoria　over　and　over　againthat　gave　unspeakable　ecstasy。　By　the　time　Salim　had　taken　his　endowments　from　eleven　menmen　who　had　all　received　endowments　of　their　ownhe　had　bined　nearly　forty　endowments　of　metabolism；　all　waiting　to　burst　free　into　Raj　Ahten　at　once。
　Seldom　did　Raj　Ahten　receive　such　great　pleasure。
　He　was　sweating　with　anticipation　by　the　time　the　facilitator　drew　the　forcible　away　from　Salim；　held　its　glowing　tip　high；　and　danced　across　the　room；　painting　the　air　inside　the　tent　with　ribbons　of　sulfurous　light。
　When　the　tip　of　the　forcible　touched　the　skin