df.therunelords-第93部分

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　Some　few　hundred　men　were　rushing　from　the　north　side　of　the　castle；　trying　to　reach　the　gates；　to　put　up　some　kind　of　defense。　Yet　Raj　Ahten's　Invincibles　rushed　to　meet　them　by　the　thousands。
　War　dogs　in　grim　leather　masks　raced　through　the　streets；　leaping　over　fallen　knights　and　their　horses；　ripping　apart　any　man　or　beast　that　lived；　feeding　as　they　slaughtered。
　Tempest　hoped　still　that　he　might　find　Shostag；　slay　him　so　that　the　serpent　would　form　a　head。　Yet　he　felt　stunned；　confused。　Blood　dripped　from　his　face。
　He　collapsed　as　Raj　Ahten's　war　dogs　raced　over　him；　leaping　through　the　fray。
　　
　Chapter　49
　THE　EARTH　KING　STRIKES
　　
　Binnesman　rode　over　the　heath　toward　Gaborn　and　Iome；　beneath　the　cloud　of　dirt　and　pollen　raised　by　the　feet　of　hundreds　of　thousands　of　men　and　cattle。
　Gaborn　stared　at　the　wizard。　It　was　the　first　time　he　had　seen　him　in　full　daylight。　His　hair　had　gone　white；　and　the　baggy　robes　he　wore　had　turned　from　a　forest　green　to　shades　of　scarlet　and　orange；　like　leaves　that　had　changed　color。
　Gaborn　rode　so　close　to　Iome　that　at　times　her　knee　touched　his。　He　dared　not　try　to　call　a　halt　as　the　wizard　neared；　his　mount　speeding　over　the　purple　heather。　Too　many　people　and　animals　moved　in　the　great　throng。　Yet　Gaborn　wanted　to　talk　to　Binnesman；　wanted　to　hear　his　report。
　Binnesman　stared　at　Gaborn's　troops　for　a　long　moment；　wheeled　his　horse　to　a　near　halt；　and　at　last　asked　in　surprise；　〃Do　you　plan　to　feed　Raj　Ahten's　army　with　all　these　cattle；　or　trample　him　with　them？〃
　〃Whatever　he　desires；〃　Gaborn　said。
　Binnesman　shook　his　head　in　wonder。　〃I　heard　the　startled　cries　of　birds　here；　felt　the　earth　groan　under　the　weight　of　feet。　I　thought　that　you　had　conjured　an　army。　I　thought　it　fortunate　that　I'd　gone　to　the　trouble　of　destroying　the　old　Harm's　Gorge　Bridge；　blocking　Raj　Ahten's　hopes　for　reinforcements　from　the　west。〃
　〃I　appreciate　the　gesture；〃　Gaborn　said。　〃What　can　you　tell　me？　Have　Raj　Ahten's　reinforcements　been　spotted？〃
　〃No；〃　Binnesman　said；　〃nor　do　I　think　they　are　close。〃
　〃Perhaps　luck　is　with　us；〃　Gaborn　said。
　〃Perhaps　so；〃　Binnesman　said。
　On　the　horizon；　just　along　the　line　of　green　hills　covered　with　trees；　the　blackness　flashed　again；　much　more　fiercely　than　ever　beforea　line　of　blackness　that　split　the　sky　from　horizon　to　horizon。
　Then　a　great　pillar　of　fire　roared　slowly　into　the　air；　an　explosion　so　massive；　Gaborn　had　never　seen　the　like。　Something　terrible　was　happening。
　〃Gaborn；〃　Binnesman　said。　〃Close　your　eyes。　Use　your　Earth　Sight。　Tell　me　what　is　happening。〃
　Gaborn　closed　his　eyes。　For　a　moment；　he　felt　nothing；　and　he　wondered　if　Binnesman　had　erred　in　asking　him　to　use　the　Earth　Sight。
　Then；　faintly；　he　felt　the　connections；　felt　the　invisible　lines　of　power　between　him　and　his　people。　He　had　only　consciously　chosen　his　father。　Now　he　realized　that　he'd　been　choosing　people　for　days。　He'd　chosen　Myrrima　that　morning　in　the　market；　and　he'd　claimed　Borenson。　He'd　chosen　Chemoise　when　he　saw　her　helping　her　father　in　the　wagon；　and　had　chosen　her　father。
　Now；　he　felt　all　those　he　had　claimedBorenson；　his　father；　Myrrima；　Chemoise　and　her　father。　He　felt。。。danger。　Terrible　danger。　He　feared　that　if　they　did　not　fight　now；　they　would　all　die。
　Strike；　Gaborn　silently　willed　them。　Strike　now；　if　you　can！
　Twenty　seconds　later；　the　sound　of　an　explosion　roared　across　the　plain；　shaking　the　earth；　like　distant　thunder。
　　
　Chapter　50
　THE　OPENING
　　
　At　Castle　Sylvarresta；　Chemoise　was　getting　dinner　in　the　buttery　when　she　felt　the　urge　to　strike。　The　desire　came　so　quickly　and　so　profoundly　that　she　struck　her　hand　against　the　table　by　reflex；　smashing　a　round　of　cheese。
　Myrrima　tempered　her　response　with　reason。　The　thunders　of　war　shook　the　manor　house　where　she　hid；　and　outside　the　sky　was　black。　She　couldn't　strike　against　Raj　Ahten's　soldiers；　knew　she　was　no　match。　So　she　raced　upstairs；　hoping　to　hide　beneath　some　lord's　bed。
　Six　years　past；　Eremon　Vottania　Solette　had　chosen　to　live　as　a　Dedicate　to　Salim　al　Daub　because　he　had　two　dreams：　The　first　was　to　see　his　daughter　again。　The　second　was　to　survive　until　his　grace　returned　so　he　would　waken　among　Raj　Ahten's　Dedicates；　able　to　fight。
　Yet　over　the　years；　Eremon's　hopes　faded。　Raj　Ahten's　facilitators　drained　too　much　grace　from　him；　left　him　near　death。　Robbed　of　flexibility；　his　arms　and　legs　became　useless；　so　that　he　lay　as　stiff　as　in　rigor　mortis。
　Life　became　torment。　The　muscles　in　his　chest　contracted　easily　enough　to　let　him　inhale；　but　afterward　for　long　moments　he　had　to　consciously　relax　in　order　to　exhale。　Sometimes；　his　heart　would　clench　and　not　open；　and　he'd　struggle　silently；　fearing　death。
　Unable　to　relax　his　lips；　he　spoke　with　difficulty；　through　clenched　teeth。　He　could　not　chew。　If　he　swallowed　anything　but　the　weak　broth　Raj　Ahten's　servants　fed；　it　sat　like　lead　in　his　stomach；　the　muscles　in　his　gut　could　not　contract　enough　to　digest　it。
　To　empty　his　bladder　or　pass　a　stool　was　an　embarrassment；　a　process　requiring　hours　of　work。
　His　five　endowments　of　stamina　had　bee　a　burden；　for　they　kept　him　alive　long　after　he　wished　for　death。　Often　he'd　wished　that　King　Sylvarresta　would　slay　the　men　who　served　Eremon　as　Dedicates。　But　the　King　had　been　too　soft；　and　so　Eremon　languished。　Until　last　night。　Now；　at　last；　it　seemed　that　death　was　within　reach。
　His　fingers　curled　into　useless　fists。　He　had　lain　for　years　in　a　ball；　bent　at　the　hips。　Though　endowments　of　brawn　kept　him　strong；　some　muscles　in　his　legs　and　arms　had　atrophied。　So　he'd　lain　imprisoned　in　weakening　flesh；　knowing　he'd　never　get　vengeance；　a　helpless　tool　of　Raj　Ahten。
　Thus　it　seemed　miraculous　when　his　first　dream　came　true；　when　Raj　Ahten　decided　to　take　him　to　Heredon　and　throw　his　failing　body　in　front　of　King　Sylvarresta。　The　deed　was　supposed　to　shame　the　good　king。　Raj　Ahten　often　went　to　great　lengths　to　shame　a　man。
　It　had　seemed　miraculous　when　Eremon　saw　his　daughter　Chemoise。　She'd　grown　beautiful；　no　longer　the　freckle…faced　child　of　his　memory。
　Seeing　her　had　been　enough。　Eremon　now　felt　his　life　was　plete；　hereafter　he'd　take　a　long　slide　into　oblivion。
　Yet　one　deed　more　lay　before　him。　As　he　languished　in　the　Dedicates〃　wagon；　it　began　to　shake　as　men　climbed　onto　the　buckboard；　opened　the　door。　Slowly；　Eremon　opened　his　eyes。　In　the　dark　wain；　flies　rose　in　clouds　from　forlorn　Dedicates　around　him。　Men　and　women　were　crammed　together　like　salted　minnows　in　a　keg；　lying　on　beds　of　moldering　hay。
　Facilitators　in　gray　robes　stood　huffing　by　the　open　door。　Shafts　of　sunlight　stabbing　into　the　room　blinded　him；　but　Eremon　could　see　that　they'd　set　a　body　against　the　wall。　A　new　Dedicate。　Another　victim。
　〃What　have　we　here？〃　the　guard　asked。　〃Metabolism？〃
　The　facilitator　nodded。　Eremon　could　see　the　scars　on　the　mana　dozen　endowments　of　metabolism　he'd　taken；　and　now　he　served　as　a　vector。
　Raj　Ahten's　facilitators　looked　for　a　place　to　lay　the　newcorner。　A　blind　Dedicate　who　slept　next　to　Eremon　rolled　in　his　sleep；　huddling　for　warmth　next　to　a　limp　rag　of　a　man。
　Thus　a　slim　spot　opened　beside　Eremon；　and　now　the　facilitators　muttered　in　their　own　tongue；　〃Mazza；　halabdaoabo〃〃Here；　move　this　brick　of　camel　dung。〃
　One　man　nudged　Eremon's　stiff　legs　aside；　as　if　he　were　the　brick　in　question。　They　lay　the　new　Dedicate　beside　him。
　Eremon　stared　into　the　fat　face　of　the　eunuch　Salim　al　Daub；　not　five　inches　from　his　own。　The　fat　man　breathed　oh　so　slowly；　in　the　way　of　one　who　has　given　metabolism。　The　man　who　held　Eremon's　endowment　lay　next　to　him；　defenseless。　A　vector　for　metabolism。　A　vector；　Eremon　suspected；　for　Raj　Ahten。
　Salim　slept　a　deep　slumber　from　which　Eremon　swore　he'd　never　wake。
　A　guard　sat　in　the　wagon；　an　Invincible　on　a　stool　in　the　far　corner；　wearing　a　curved　dagger　and　bored　expression。　Eremon　could　not　risk　moving　quickly；　could　not　attract　attention；　but；　then；　he'd　not　moved　quickly　in　six　years。
　For　long　minutes　Eremon　slowly　tried　to　unclench　his　right　hand。　This　unclenching　came　hard。　He　felt　too　excited；　too　wrathful。　A　thrill　took　him；　for　if　he　could　destroy　this　man；　he　would　win　a　double　boonhis　own　endowments　back；　while　he　robbed　Raj　Ahten　of　metabolism。
　Yet　outside；　a　battle　raged。　Darkness　strobed　the　sky；　glimpsed　as　shadows　and　light　breaking　into　the　wagon。　Men　were　screaming　on　the　castle　walls。
　Eremon　wished　that　he　still　had　his　endowments　of　strength；　wished　he　could　throttle　Salim　with　supernatural　finesse。　But　those　had　been　lost　last　night。
　For　many　long　minutes　he　worked　to　open　his　damned；　useless　hand。
　Suddenly；　as　he　struggled；　Eremon　felt　a　great　burning　desire。　Strike。　Strike　now　if　you　can！
　And　as　the　thought　filled　him；　his　hand　suddenly　unclenched　as　effortlessly　as　a　flower　opening。
　　
　Chapter　51
　ON　A　MOUNTAIN　TRACK
　　
　Borenson　felt　more　than　half…crazed　when　he　rode　from　Bannisferre。　He　was　possessed；　only　partly　conscious。　He　imagined　the　havoc　he'd　wreak　upon　Raj　Ahten's　troops。
　ing　from　the　north；　he　saw　no　signs　of　battle。　Too　many　hills　and　mountains　sheltered　Longmont　from　his　view。　He　could　see　no　darkening　skies；　for　the　low　clouds　sweeping　over　the　mountains　blackened　everything。　Once　he　thought　he　heard　cries；　but　he　heard　them　distantly　and　thought　them　voices　from　some　waking　dream；　a　remnant　of　the　fantasies　of　destruction　that　played　in　his　mind。
　South　of　the　mountain　village　of　Kestrel；　he　turned　aside　on　his　trail；　spurred　his　mount　over　the　forest　track；　hoping　to　make　better　time。　He　had　hunted　these　hills　often　with　his　king。　He　was　a　bit　north　of　Groverman's　hunting　retreat；　a　lodge　both　large　and　fortable。
　He　did　not　fear　wights　or　beasts　of　the　wood。　He　feared　only　that　he'd　reach　Longmont　too　late。
　As　he　climbed　the　mountains；　the　day　turned　cold。　An　icy　drizzle　soaked　him；　made　the　mountain　trail　slippery。　Soon　rain　turned　to　sleet　and　snow；　so　that　he　lost　more　time　by　taking　this　trail　than　if　he'd　stayed　to　the　road。
　High　in　the　hills　where　aspens　bordered　a　glade；　he　saw　sign　of　a　reaver…tracks　crossing　the　wooded　trail。　The　reaver　had　dragged　som