srdonaldson.thepowerthatpreserves-第61节

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　　　　〃Why　aren't　you　dead？〃
　　　　She　brought　her　face　close　to　his；　and　went　on：　〃Listen　to　me。　I　know　that　the　hand　of　confusion　is　upon　you…but　listen　to　me。　Hear　and　hold　my　words。　You　have　e　in　some　way　into　Morinmoss　Forest。　I　am…a　Healer；　an　Unfettered　One　who　turned　to　the　work　of　healing。　I　will　help　you…because　you　are　in　need；　and　because　the　white　gold　reveals　that　great　matters　are　afoot　in　the　Land…and　because　the　Forest　found　its　voice　to　summon　me　for　you；　though　that　also　I　do　not　prehend。〃
　　　　〃I　saw　him　kill　you。〃　The　raw　croak　of　Covenant's　voice　sounded　like　horror　and　grief；　but　in　his　depths　he　hugged　himself　for　glee　at　his　cunning。
　　　　She　drew　back　her　head　but　showed　no　other　reaction　to　what　he　had　said。　〃I　came　to　this　place　from…from　my　life…because　the　Forest's　unquiet　slumber　met　my　own　long　ache　for　repose。　I　am　a　Healer；　and　Morinmoss　permits　me。　Yet　now　it　speaks…　Great　matters；　indeed。　Ah；　mercy。　It　is　in　my　heart　that　the　Colossus　itself…　Well；　I　wander。　I　have　made　my　home　here　for　many　years。　I　am　accustomed　to　speak　only　for　my　own　pleasure。〃
　　　　〃I　saw。〃
　　　　〃Do　you　not　hear　me？〃
　　　　〃He　stabbed　you　with　a　wooden　spike。　I　saw　the　blood。〃
　　　　〃Mercy！　Is　your　life　so　violent　then？　Well；　let　that　pass　also。　You　do　not　hear　me…you　have　fallen　too　far　into　the　amanibhavam。　But　violent　or　not　I　must　aid　you。　It　is　well　that　my　eyes　have　not　forgotten　their　work。　I　see　that　you　are　too　weak　to　harm　me；　whatever　your　purpose。〃
　　　　Weak；　he　echoed　to　himself。　What　she　said　was　true；　he　was　too　frail　even　to　clench　his　fist　for　the　protection　of　his　wedding　band。　〃Have　you　e　back　to　haunt　me？〃　he　gasped。　〃To　blame　me？〃
　　　　''　Speak　if　you　must；''　she　said　in　a　rustling　tone；　〃but　I　cannot　listen。　I　must　be　about　my　work。〃　With　a　low　groan；　she　climbed　to　her　feet　and　moved　stiffly　away　from　him。
　　　　〃That's　it；〃　he　continued；　impelled　by　his　grotesque　inner　glee。　〃That's　it；　isn't　it？　You've　e　back　to　torture　me。　You're　not　satisfied　that　I　killed　him。　I　put　that　knife　all　the　way　into　his　heart　but　you're　not　satisfied。　You　want　to　hurt　me　some　more。　You　want　me　to　go　crazy　thinking　about　all　the　things　I'm　guilty　of。　I　did　Foul's　work　for　him；　and　you　came　to　torture　me　for　it。　You　and　your　blood！　Where　were　you　when　it　would　have　made　a　difference　what　happens　to　me？　Why　didn't　you　try　to　get　even　with　me　after　I　raped　you？　Why　wait　until　now？　If　you'd　made　me　pay　for　what　I　did　then；　maybe　I　would　have　figured　out　what's　going　on　before　this。　All　that　generosity…！　It　was　cruel。　Oh；　Lena！　I　didn't　even　understand　what　I'd　done　to　you　until　it　was　too　late；　too　late；　I　couldn't　help　myself。　What　are　you　waiting　for？　Torture　me！　I　need　pain！〃
　　　　〃You　need　food；〃　the　Healer　muttered　as　if　he　had　disgusted　her。　With　one　hand　she　fixed　his　jaw　in　an　odd　pelling　grip　while　the　other　placed　two　or　three　treasure…berries　in　his　mouth。　〃Swallow　the　seeds。　They；　too；　will　sustain　you。〃
　　　　He　wanted　to　spit　out　the　aliantha；　but　her　grip　made　him　chew　in　spite　of　himself。　Her　other　hand　stroked　his　throat　until　he　swallowed；　then　fed　him　more　of　the　berries。　Soon　she　had　coerced　him　to　eat　several　mouthfuls。　He　could　feel　sustenance　flowing　into　him；　yet　for　some　reason　it　seemed　to　feed　his　deep　slumber　rather　than　his　cunning。　Before　long　he　could　not　remember　what　he　had　been　saying。　An　involuntary　drowsiness　shone　into　him　from　the　trees。　He　was　unable　to　resist　or　ply　when　the　Healer　lifted　him　from　the　grass。
　　　　Grunting　at　the　strain；　she　raised　his　limp　form　until　he　was　half　erect　in　her　arms。　Then　she　leaned　him　against　her　back　with　his　arms　over　her　shoulders；　and　gripped　his　upper　arms　like　the　handles　of　a　burden。　His　feet　dragged　behind　him；　he　dangled　on　her　squat　shoulders。　But　she　bore　his　weight；　carried　him　like　a　dead　sack　into　the　pale　white　night　of　Morinmoss。
　　　　While　he　drowsed；　she　took　him　laboriously　farther　and　farther　into　the　secret　depths　of　the　Forest。　And　as　they　left　its　borders　behind；　they　passed　into　warmer　air　and　greater　health…a　region　where　spring　had　not　been　quenched　by　Lord　Foul's　winter。　Leaves　multiplied　and　spread　out　around　bird　nests　to　cloak　the　branches；　moss　and　grass　and　small　woodland　animals　increased　among　the　trees。　A　defying　spirit　was　abroad　in　this　place…resisting　cold；　nourishing　growth；　affirming　Morinmoss's　natural　impulse　toward　buds　and　new　sap　and　arousal。　It　was　as　if　the　ancient　Forestals　had　returned；　bringing　with　them　the　wood's　old　knowledge　of　itself。
　　　　Yet　even　in　its　secret　heart　Morinmoss　was　not　impervious　to　the　Despiser's　fell　influence。　Temperatures　rose　above　the　freezing　point；　but　failed　to　climb　any　higher。　The　leaves　had　no　spring　profusion；　they　grew　thinly；　in　dark　bitter　greens　rather　than　in　hale　verdancy。　The　animals　wore　their　winter　coats　over　bones　that　were　too　gaunt　for　true　spring。　If　a　Forestal　had　indeed　returned　to　Morinmoss；　he　lacked　the　potency　of　his　olden　predecessors。
　　　　No；　it　was　more　likely　that　the　monolithic　Colossus　of　the　Fall　had　shrugged　off　its　brooding　slumber　to　take　a　hand　in　the　defenses　of　the　Forest。　And　it　was　more　likely　still　that　Caerroil　Wildwood　was　reaching　out　from　his　fastness　in　Garroting　Deep；　doing　what　he　could　across　the　distance　to　preserve　old　Morinmoss。
　　　　Nevertheless；　this　lessening　of　winter　was　a　great　boon　to　the　trees；　and　to　the　denizens　of　the　Forest。　It　kept　alive　many　things　which　might　have　been　among　the　first　to　die　when　Lord　Foul　interdicted　spring。　For　that　reason　among　others；　the　Unfettered　Healer　trudged　onward　with　Covenant　on　her　back。　The　defying　spirit　had　not　only　tolerated　both　her　and　him；　it　had　summoned　her　to　him。　She　could　not　refuse。　Though　she　was　old；　and　found　Covenant　painfully　heavy；　she　sustained　herself　by　sucking　moisture　from　the　moss；　and　plodded　under　him　toward　her　home　among　the　secrets　of　the　Forest。
　　　　The　tree　shine　had　lapsed　into　dim　gray　dawn　before　her　journey　ended　at　a　low　cave　in　the　bank　of　a　hill。　Thrusting　aside　the　moss　which　curtained　its　small　entrance；　she　stooped　and　dragged　Covenant　behind　her　into　the　modest　single　chamber　of　her　dwelling。
　　　　The　cave　was　not　large。　It　was　barely　deep　enough　for　her　to　stand　erect　in　its　center；　and　its　oval　floor　was　no　more　than　fifteen　feet　wide。　But　it　was　a　cozy　home　for　one　person。　It　had　fort　enough　in　the　soft　loam　of　its　walls　and　its　beds　of　piled　dry　leaves。　It　was　warm；　protected　from　the　winter。　And　when　other　lights　were　withdrawn；　it　was　lit　in　ghostly　filigree　by　the　tree　roots　which　held　its　walls　and　ceiling。　In　its　underground　safety；　her　small　cookfire　was　not　a　threat　to　the　Forest。
　　　　In　addition　to　the　low　embers　which　awaited　her　against　one　wall；　she　possessed　a　pot　of　graveling。　Dropping　Covenant　wearily　on　the　bed；　she　opened　the　graveling　and　used　some　of　its　heat　to　resurrect　her　fire。　Then　she　set　her　stiff　old　bones　on　the　floor　and　rested　for　a　long　time。
　　　　It　was　nearly　midmorning　when　her　fire　threatened　to　die　out。　Sighing　dryly；　she　roused　herself　to　stoke　up　a　blaze　and　cook　a　hot　meal　for　herself。　This　she　ate　without　a　glance　at　Covenant。　He　was　in　no　condition　for　solid　food。　She　cooked　and　ate　to　gather　strength　for　herself；　because　her　peculiar　power　of　healing　required　strength…so　much　strength　that　she　had　exhausted　her　reserves　of　courage　before　reaching　middle　age；　and　had　left　her　work　to　rest　in　Morinmoss　for　the　remainder　of　her　days。　Decades…　four　or　five；　she　no　longer　knew…had　passed　since　she　had　fled；　and　during　that　time　she　had　lived　in　peace　and　reticence　among　the　seasons　of　the　Forest；　believing　that　the　ordeals　of　her　life　were　over。
　　　　Yet　now　even　Morinmoss　had　bestirred　itself　to　bring　her　work　back　to　her。　She　needed　strength。　She　forced　herself　to　eat　a　large　meal；　then　rested　again。
　　　　But　at　last　she　rallied　herself　to　begin　the　task。　She　set　her　pot　of　fire…stones　on　a　shelf　in　the　wall　so　that　its　warm　yellow　light　fell　squarely　over　Covenant。　He　was　still　asleep；　and　this　relieved　her；　she　did　not　want　to　face　either　his　mad　talk　or　his　resistance。　But　she　was　made　afraid　once　again　by　the　extent　of　his　sickness。　Something　bone…deep　had　hold　of　him；　something　she　could　not　recognize　or　understand。　In　its　unfamiliarity；　it　reminded　her　of　old　nightmares　in　which　she　had　terrified　herself　by　attempting　to　heal　the　Despiser。
　　　　The　acute　fracture　of　his　ankle　she　did　understand；　his　cold…bitten　and　battered　hands　and　feet　were　within　her　experience；　and　she　saw　that　they　might　even　heal　themselves；　if　he　were　kept　warm　for　a　long　convalescence；　his　cheeks　and　nose　and　ears；　his　cracked　lips　with　the　odd　scar　on　one　side；　his　uncleanly　healed　forehead；　all　did　not　challenge　her。　But　the　damage　the　amanibhavam　had　done　to　his　mind　was　another　matter。　It　made　his　sleeping　eyes　bulge　so　feverishly　in　their　sockets　that　through　their　lids　she　could　read　every　flick　and　flinch　of　his　wild　dreams；　it　knuckled　his　forehead　in　an　extreme　scowl　of　rage　or　pain；　it　locked　his　hands　into　awkward　fists；　so　that　even　if　she　had　dared　to　touch　his　white　gold　she　could　not　have　taken　it　from　him。　And　his　essential　sickness　was　still　another　matter。　She　caught　glimpses　of　th