srdonaldson.thepowerthatpreserves-第13节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ant's　friendship　with　the　Giant；　Saltheart　Foamfollower。　He　could　not　bear　to　torment　Covenant　by　telling　him　of　the　Giants'　bloody　fate。　〃Without　them　to　advise　him；　Korik　and　two　rades　captured　a　fragment　of　the　Illearth　Stone。　He　did　not　recognize　his　danger。　The　three　Bloodguard　bore　the　fragment　with　them；　thinking　to　carry　it　to　Lord's　Keep。
　　　　〃But　the　Illearth　Stone　is　a　terrible　wrong　in　the　Land。　The　three　Bloodguard　were　not　forewarned…and　the　Stone　enslaved　them。　Under　its　power；　they　bore　their　fragment　to　Foul's　Creche。　They　believed　that　they　would　fight　the　Despiser。　But　he　made　them　his　own。〃　Again；　Mhoram　forbore　to　tell　the　whole　story。　He　could　not　say　to　Covenant　that　the　Bloodguard　Vow　had　been　subtly　betrayed　by　the　breaking　of　the　Law　of　Death…or　that　the　fine　metal　of　the　Bloodguard　rectitude　had　been　crucially　tarnished　when　Covenant　had　forced　Banner　to　reveal　the　name　of　the　Power　of　mand。　〃Then　he〃…Mhoram　still　winced　whenever　he　remembered　what　had　happened…〃he　sent　the　three　to　attack　Revelstone。　Korik；　Sill；　and　Doar　marched　here　with　green　fire　in　their　eyes　and　Corruption　in　their　hearts。　They　killed　many　farmers　and　warriors　before　we　prehended　what　had　been　done　to　them。
　　　　〃Then　First　Mark　Banner　and　Terrel　and　Runnik　of　the　Bloodguard　went　to　do　battle　with　the　three。　They　slew　Korik　and　Sill　and　Doar　their　rades；　and　brought　their　bodies　to　the　Keep。　In　that　way；　we　found''…　Mhoram　swallowed　thickly…〃we　found　that　Lord　Foul　had　cut　off　the　last　two　fingers　from　the　right　hand　of　each　of　the　three。〃
　　　　Covenant　cried　out　in　pain；　but　Mhoram　drove　his　point　home　hoarsely。　〃He　damaged　each　Bloodguard　to　resemble　you。〃
　　　　〃Stop！〃　Covenant　groaned。　〃Stop。　I　can't　stand　it。〃
　　　　Still　the　High　Lord　continued。　〃When　First　Mark　Banner　saw　how　Korik　and　his　rades　had　been　corrupted　despite　their　Vow；　he　and　all　the　Bloodguard　abandoned　their　service。　They　returned　to　the　mountain　home　of　the　Haruchai。　He　said　that　they　had　been　conquered　by　Corruption；　and　could　no　longer　serve　any　Vow。
　　　　〃My　friend；　without　them…without　the　Staff　of　Law…without　any　immense　army　or　dour…handed　allies…we　will　surely　fall。　Only　the　wild　magic　can　now　e　between　us　and　Lord　Foul's　hunger。〃
　　　　As　Mhoram　finished；　Covenant's　eyes　looked　as　bleak　as　a　wilder…land。　The　heat　of　his　fever　seemed　to　make　any　tears　impossible。　His　resistance　sagged　briefly；　and　for　an　instant　he　almost　allowed　his　translation　into　the　Close　to　be　pleted。　But　then　he　raised　his　head　to　look　at　other　memories。　His　refusal　stiffened；　he　moved　back　until　he　almost　vanished　in　the　bright　graveling　light。　〃Mhoram；　I　can't；〃　he　said　as　distantly　as　if　he　were　choking。　〃I　can't。　The　snake…　That　little　girl　is　all　alone。　I'm　responsible　for　her。　There's　no　one　to　help　the　child　but　me。〃
　　　　From　high　in　the　opposite　gallery；　Mhoram　felt　a　surge　of　anger　as　Quaan's　old　indignation　at　Covenant　flared　into　speech。　〃By　the　Seven！〃　he　barked。　〃He　speaks　of　responsibility。〃　Quaan　had　watched　himself　bee　old　and　helpless　to　save　the　Land；　while　Covenant　neither　aged　nor　acted；　He　spoke　with　a　warrior's　sense　of　death；　a　warrior's　sense　of　the　value　in　sacrificing　a　few　lives　to　save　many。　〃Covenant；　you　are　responsible　for　us！〃
　　　　The　Unbeliever　suffered　under　Quaan's　voice　as　he　did　under　Mhoram's；　but　he　did　not　turn　to　face　the　Warmark。　He　met　Mhoram's　gaze　painfully　and　answered；　〃Yes；　I　know。　I　know。　I　am…responsible。
　　　　But　she　needs　me。　There's　no　one　else。　She's　part　of　my　world；　my　real　world。　You're…not　so　real　now。　I　can't　give　you　anything　now。''　His　face　twisted　frantically；　and　his　resistance　mounted　until　it　poured　from　him　like　agony。　〃Mhoram；　if　I　don't　get　back　to　her　she　is　going　to　die。〃
　　　　The　desolate　passion　of　Covenant's　appeal　wrung　Mhoram。　Unconsciously；　he　gnawed　his　lips；　trying　to　control　with　physical　pain　the　strain　of　his　conflicting　passions。　His　whole　life；　all　his　long　mitments；　seemed　rent　within　him。　His　love　for　the　Land　urged　him　to　deny　the　Unbeliever；　to　struggle　now　as　if　he　were　wrestling　for　possession　of　Covenant's　soul。　But　from　the　same　wellspring　of　his　self　arose　an　opposite　urge；　a　refusal　to　derogate　Covenant's　sovereignty；　Covenant's　right　to　choose　his　own　fate。　For　a　time；　the　High　Lord　hesitated；　trapped　in　the　contradiction。　Then　slowly　he　lifted　his　head　and　spoke　to　the　people　in　the　Close　as　well　as　to　Thomas　Covenant。
　　　　〃No　one　may　be　pelled　to　fight　the　Despiser。　He　is　resisted　willingly；　or　not　at　all。　Unbeliever；　I　release　you。　You　turn　from　us　to　save　life　in　your　own　world。　We　will　not　be　undone　by　such　motives。　And　if　darkness　should　fall　upon　us；　still　the　beauty　of　the　Land　endures。　If　we　are　a　dream…and　you　the　dreamer…then　the　Land　is　imperishable；　for　you　will　not　forget。
　　　　〃Be　not　afraid；　ur…Lord　Thomas　Covenant。　Go　in　Peace。〃
　　　　He　felt　a　pressure　of　protest　from　Lord　Loerya　and　some　of　the　other　spectators；　but　he　overruled　them　with　a　manding　gesture。　One　by　one；　the　Lords　withdrew　the　power　of　their　staffs　while　Tohrm　lowered　the　graveling　fire。　Covenant　began　to　fade　as　if　he　were　dissolving　in　the　abyss　beyond　the　arch　of　Time。
　　　　Then　High　Lord　Mhoram　recollected　his　promise　to　reveal　the　secret　of　the　wild　magic。　He　did　not　know　whether　or　not　Covenant　could　still　hear　him；　but　he　whispered　after　the　fading　form；　〃You　are　the　white　gold。〃
　　　　A　moment　later；　he　knew　that　the　Unbeliever　was　gone。　All　sense　of　resistance　and　power　had　left　the　air；　and　the　light　of　the　graveling　had　declined　to　a　more　normal　level。　For　the　first　time　since　the　summoning　began；　Mhoram　saw　the　shapes　and　faces　of　the　people　around　him。　But　the　sight　did　not　last。　Tears　blinded　him；　and　he　leaned　weakly　on　his　staff　as　if　only　its　stern　wood　could　uphold　him。
　　　　He　was　full　of　grief　over　the　strange　ease　with　which　he　had　summoned　the　Unbeliever。　Without　the　Staff　of　Law；　he　should　not　have　been　able　to　call　Covenant　alone；　yet　he　had　succeeded。　He　knew　why。　Covenant　had　been　so　vulnerable　to　the　summons　because　he　was　dying。
　　　　Through　his　sorrow；　he　heard　Trevor　say；　〃High　Lord…the　krill…the　gem　of　the　krill　came　to　life。　It　burned　as　it　did　when　the　Unbeliever　first　placed　it　within　the　table。〃
　　　　Mhoram　blinked　back　his　tears。　Leaning　heavily　on　his　staff；　he　moved　to　the　table。　In　its　center；　Loric's　krill　stood　like　a　dead　cross…as　opaque　and　fireless　as　if　it　had　lost　all　possibility　of　light。　A　rage　of　grief　came　over　Mhoram。　With　one　hand；　he　grasped　the　hilt　of　the　silver　sword。
　　　　A　fleeting　blue　gleam　flickered　across　its　gem；　then　vanished。
　　　　〃It　has　no　life　now；〃　he　said　dully。
　　　　Then　he　left　the　Close　and　went　to　the　sacred　enclosure　to　sing　for　Covenant　and　Callindrill　and　the　Land。
　
　THREE
　　The　Rescue
　
　　　　A　cold　wind　blew　through　Covenant's　soul　as　he　struggled　up　out　of　the　rock。　It　chilled　him　as　if　the　marrow　of　his　bones　had　been　laid　bare　to　an　exhalation　of　cruel　ice…cruel　and　sardonic；　tinged　with　that　faint　yet　bottomless　green　travail　which　was　the　antithesis　of　green　things　growing。　But　slowly　it　left　him；　slid　away　into　another　dimension。　He　became　more　conscious　of　the　stone。　Its　granite　impenetrability　thickened　around　him；　he　began　to　feel　that　he　was　suffocating。
　　　　He　flailed　his　arms　and　legs；　tried　to　reach　toward　the　surface。　But　for　a　time　he　could　not　even　be　sure　that　his　limbs　were　moving。　Then　a　series　of　jolts　began　to　hurt　his　joints。　He　sensed　through　his　elbows　and　knees　that　he　was　thrashing　against　something　hard。
　　　　He　was　pounding　his　arms　and　legs　at　the　hillside。　Behind　the　muffled　thuds　and　slaps　he　made；　he　could　hear　running　water。　The　sun　shone　objectively　somewhere　beyond　him。　He　jerked　up　his　head。
　　　　At　first；　he　could　not　orient　himself。　A　stream　splashed　vividly　across　his　sight；　he　felt　that　he　was　peering　at　it　from　above；　that　the　slope　down　which　it　ran　was　canted　impossibly　under　him。　But　at　last　he　realized　that　he　was　not　looking　downward。　He　lay　horizontally　across　the　slope。　The　hill　rose　above　him　on　the　right；　dropped　away　on　the　left。
　　　　He　turned　his　head　to　search　for　the　girl　and　the　snake。
　　　　His　eyes　refused　to　focus。　Something　pale　gleamed　in　front　of　his　face；　prevented　him　from　seeing　down　the　hill。
　　　　A　thin；　childish　voice　near　him　said；　〃Mister？　Are　you　okay；　mister？　You　fell　down；〃
　　　　He　was　trying　to　see　too　far　away。　With　an　effort；　he　screwed　his　gaze　closer；　and　at　last　found　himself　staring　from　a　distance　of　a　few　inches　at　a　bare　shin。　In　the　sunlight；　it　gleamed　as　pure　and　pale　as　if　it　had　been　anointed　with　chrism。　But　already　it　showed　a　slight　swelling。　And　in　the　center　of　the　swelling　were　two　small　red　marks　like　paired　pinpricks。
　　　　〃Mister？〃　the　child　said　again。　〃Are　you　okay？　The　snake　bit　me。　My　leg　hurts。〃
　　　　The　frigid　winter　he　had　left　behind　seemed　to　leap　at　him　from　the　depths　of　his　mind。　He　began　to　shiver。　But　he　forced　himself　to　disregard　the　cold；　bent　all　his　attention　toward　those　two　red　fang　marks。　Without　taking　his　eyes　off　them；　he　climbed　into　a　sitting　position。　His　bruises　groaned　at　him；　and　his　forehead　throbbed　sickly；　but　he　ignored　all　the　pain；　discounted　it　as　if　it　had　not