fs.thesecondbookofswords-第16节

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　needs　help。〃　Raw　urgency　was　in　Mark's　voice　as　he　repeated：　〃I　wish　you'd　e　with　me。　Both　of　you。〃
　　　Barbara　laughed　again。　It　was　not　a　mocking　sound；　but　quick　and　unhesitating。　〃I'm　fed　up　with　armies　and　with　fighting。　I'd　like　to　try　the　opposite　side　of　life　for　a　while。　Live　in　some　peaceful　town；　and　be　a　stodgy　citizen　with　my　own　house　and　my　own　bed。　A　solid　bed　with　four　legs；　one　that　doesn't　roll。　Let　the　world　do　its　fighting　outside　the　city　walls。〃　Again　she　looked　quickly　to　her　panions　on　left　and　right。　〃The　last　time　that　the　three　of　us　were　in　a　fight；　you　two　had　to　carry　me　out　of　it　…　that　should　have　been　warning　enough　for　all　of　us。〃
　　　〃And　I；〃　said　Ben；　〃have　had　enough　of　armies　too。　March　back　and　forth　to　no　purpose；　take　stupid　orders　and　sweat　and　freeze　and　starve。　That's　what　you　do　on　the　good　days。　And　once　in　a　while　bad　days　e　along。　As　both　of　you　know。〃　He　faced　Mark。　〃I　admire　Sir　Andrew；　but　I　have　to　say　that　I　think　his　brains　are　addled。　He's　never　going　to　win　his　lands　and　people　back。〃
　　　〃So　instead；〃　said　Mark；　〃you　are　going　back　to　something　safe　and　pleasant；　like　hunting　dragons　…　all　right；　just　one　dragon。　And　that's　going　to　make　you　fabulously　rich。　Is　that　what　you　said？〃
　　　〃I　didn't　say　that。　But　it　will。〃
　　　Barbara　made　a　derisive　sound。　〃The　dragon　guards　a　treasure？〃　That　was　a　situation　arising　only　in　old　fantastic　tales。
　　　〃In　a　manner　of　speaking；　yes；　it　does。〃　Her　mockery　had　stung　Ben。　〃And　I'll　tell　you　something　of　the　treasure。　It　has　at　least　one　more　of　the　Swords　in　it。　I　know。　I　saw　it　put　there　myself；　down　into　the　earth。〃
　　　Mark　blinked；　and　suddenly　found　himself　listening　to　Ben　seriously。　〃One　more　Sword？　Which　one？〃
　　　〃That　I　don't　know；〃　said　Ben　calmly；　〃The　Sword　was　well　wrapped　when　I　saw　it　put　away；　along　with　six　loadbeasts'　burden　of　some　other　treasure。　But　I　brushed　against　the　Sword　once；　and　even　through　the　wrappings　I　could　feel　the　power。　After　living　with　two　of　'em　here　in　the　wagon　for　a　couple　of　years；　I　know　what　I　felt。〃
　　　Barbara's　face　had　altered。　And　her　voice；　too；　when　she　spoke　again。　Now　it　came　out　in　a　whisper；　almost　awed。　〃You　were　in　Blue　Temple　service。〃
　　　〃Of　course。　That's　what　I've　been　telling　you。〃
　　　But　plainly　the　implications；　the　possibilities；　hadn't　really　dawned　on　her　till　now。
　　　At　sunset　they　made　camp。　As　so　often　in　the　old　days；　Ben　and　Mark　slept　under　the　wagon；　with　Barbara　inside。　In　the　morning　they　moved　on；　steadily　and　without　hurry。
　　　Several　days　passed　in　a　southward　journey。　Spring　would　have　shaded　into　summer　around　them；　except　that　the　country　was　growing　higher。　Modest　mountains　rose　up　ahead；　apparently　barring　their　progress。　Mark　had　never　learned　the　right　name　for　this　range；　though　he　had　passed　this　way　at　least　once　before。
　　　Next　day　the　road　started　to　wind　upward。　It　remained　a　paratively　easy　way；　for　a　route　that　traversed　a　mountain　pass。　Here　at　higher　altitude　the　end　of　winter　lingered　still；　in　wasted　fragments　of　snowbanks　that　survived　among　the　bold　spring　flowers。　The　scenery　began　to　tend　toward　the　tremendous。
　　　〃I　remember　this　place　now。　This　was　where　we　turned。〃
　　　There　was　a　small　side　canyon；　that　went　curving　up　from　the　main　road　that　traversed　the　pass。　The　wagon　could　get　up　the　side　canyon　for　a　couple　of　hundred　meters；　and　that　was　far　enough。　Suddenly　the　three　who　rode　in　it　came　in　sight　of　a　ruined　shrine　or　temple；　built　on　a　small　rise。　It　was　a　beautiful　setting；　prettiness　nearby　in　the　grass　and　wildflowers；　and　grandeur　in　the　distant　vistas。　What　god　or　goddess　the　temple　might　have　been　raised　to　honor　seemed　impossible　to　determine　now。　Certainly　it　was　very　old。
　　　It　was　midday　when　they　stood　before　the　ruin。　They　had　left　the　wagon　standing　just　a　few　meters　downslope；　where　the　drivable　surface　petered　out　pletely。
　　　〃You　hid　them　in　here？　In　the　ruins？〃
　　　Barbara　nodded。
　　　〃Why　in　here？〃
　　　〃Coinspinner　itself　directed　me　to　the　place。　I　thought　I　told　you　that　it　had　guided　me。〃
　　　The　wind　sighed　through　the　walls　of　the　canyon；　rocks　splintered　with　some　ancient　heaving　of　the　earth。　In　the　distance；　far　down　the　pass；　the　gentler　slopes　were　beautiful　with　spring。　Mark　could　see　a　group　of　white…robed　pilgrims　there　in　the　distance；　approaching　slowly　through　the　pass。　If　they　were　chanting　a　song　to　Ardneh；　as　seemed　likely；　he　couldn't　hear　it　at　this　range。　〃Is　this　one　of　Ardneh's　shrines；　I　wonder？〃
　　　〃I　suppose　the　local　people　would　know；〃　said　Barbara。　〃If　there　were　any　local　people。〃
　　　But　when　they　went　inside　the　roofless　walls　and　looked　about；　they　found　strong　evidence　that　there　were。　Dried　flowers；　and　freeze…dried　fruit；　were　arranged　on　a　low；　flat　stone；　that　might　or　might　not　originally　have　been　part　of　an　altar。
　　　Two　years　ago；　Barbara　had　climbed　up　to　this　place　alone　one　night；　from　their　camp　a　couple　of　hundred　meters　down　the　hill。　She　had　climbed　by　night；　with　moonlight　to　show　her　the　way　picked　out　by　the　Sword　that　quivered　in　her　hands。
　　　Once　the　three　had　decided　among　themselves　to　hide　the　Swords；　Coinspinner　itself；　in　their　troubled　juggling　with　it；　had　shown　them　how　to　proceed。
　　　Every　time　Mark　or　Ben　had　taken　that　weapon　in　hand；　and　tried　to　think　of　where　it　and　its　fellow　should　be　hidden；　the　point　had　indicated　Barbara。
　　　And　then；　when　they　gave　her　Coinspinner　to　hold；　she　could　feel　no　power　in　it　at　all。　Then　she　had　picked　up　Dragonslicer　too　…　Mark　had　been　apprehensive　lest　the　two　Swords　e　into　contact；　and　something　awkward；　or　worse　than　awkward；　happen　as　a　result。　Then　Coinspinner　had　vibrated　almost　angrily　in　Barbara's　grasp；　pointing　out　for　her　a　path　to　follow。　But　it　had　ceased　its　indications　whenever　the　men　had　tried　to　follow　her。
　　　So　they　had　let　her　proceed　alone。　The　moon　had　been　the　only　witness　of　her　climb　up　to　this　temple。　The　ruined　structure　was　not　visible　from　the　main　road　through　the　pass；　and　she　had　not　suspected　its　existence　until　the　Sword　of　Chance　had　led　her　to　it。
　　　When　the　final　place　was　indicated　to　her；　she　had　hidden　Coinspinner　and　Dragonslicer　with　a　feeling　of　great　relief。　After　years　of　hiding　them　and　carrying　them　about；　the　nerves　of　all　three　people　were　worn　with　the　strain。　At　that　time　their　friend　Sir　Andrew　had　been　a　hunted　fugitive；　hiding　they　knew　not　where；　and　none　of　them　had　yet　heard　of　Princess　Rimac　or　her　General　Rostov；　Sir　Andrew's　potential　allies。
　　　Swordless；　Barbara　had　returned　to　camp。　Mark　and　Ben；　both　obviously　relieved　to　see　her；　had　started　to　ask　questions。
　　　She　had　declined　to　answer。　〃It's　done；〃　she　told　them　shortly。　〃We　can　stop　worrying。　And　now　I'm　going　to　get　some　sleep。〃
　　　And　now；　almost　two　years　later；　they　were　back。
　　　It　was　hard　to　tell；　by　looking　at　the　temple；　what　style　of　building　it　had　been　originally。　Time　and　ruin　moved　all　things　toward　simplicity。　If　any　of　the　stones　had　ever　been　painted；　they　were　now　all　white　again；　matching　the　surface　of　some　nearby　cliffs。　If　there　had　been　carving；　it　was　crumbled　now。　Architecture　had　all　but　vanished；　leaving　rubbly　walls　that　in　places　were　little　more　than　outlines。
　　　As　soon　as　Ben　saw　the　modern　offerings　on　the　flat　altar　stone；　he　dug　into　his　pockets　until　he　found　a　few　fragments　of　bread。　These　he　tossed　beside　the　dessicated　fruit　and　flowers。　When　he　saw　the　others　looking　at　him；　he　explained。　〃Some　gods　may　not　amount　to　much；　but　it　pays　to　keep　on　the　good　side　of　Ardneh。　I've　found　that　out。〃
　　　Mark　was　shaking　his　head。　〃We　don't　know　it's　his　temple　anyway。〃
　　　〃It　might　be。〃
　　　〃All　right。　But　Sir　Andrew　says　that　Ardneh's　dead。　And　out　of　all　the　gods　we　know　are　living；　there's　none　whose　attention　I'd　like　to　attract。〃
　　　Ben　stared　at　him　for　a　moment；　then　shrugged　and　tossed　a　few　more　crumbs。　〃If　Ardneh's　dead　…　then　this　is　for　the　unknown　god　who　means　us　well；　whoever　he　may　be。　Or　she；　if　it's　a　goddess。　Can't　do　any　harm；　certainly。〃
　　　〃I　suppose　not；〃　Mark　admitted。　And；　because　he　could　tell　that　Ben　would　feel　better　if　he　did；　Mark　dug　into　his　own　pockets　for　some　scraps　of　food；　and　tossed　them　on　the　stone。
　　　Barbara　was　ignoring　them；　and　had　already　moved　on　to　more　practical　matters。　〃It　was　dark；　before；〃　she　was　murmuring；　more　to　herself　than　to　the　men。　〃Moonlight；　but。。。　〃　And　she　moved　from　one　angle　of　wall　to　another；　pausing　to　look　at　the　ancient　stonework　thoughtfully。　Most　of　the　blocks　that　were　still　in　place　were　finely　fitted　together；　without　mortar。　Few　of　them　were　large。
　　　At　last　she　bent；　and；　with　wiry　strength；　moved　aside　what　looked　like　a　portion　of　a　windowsill。　〃e　help　me。　This　is　the　place。〃
　　　In　the　men's　hands　the　stones　moved　rapidly。　Presently　the　old　sill　had　disappeared。　The　low　wall　here　proved　to　be　hollow。　Between　the　larger　stones　that　made　its　base；　a　sizable　cavity　appeared。
　　　Barbara　stepped　back；　making　room　for　them　to　reclaim　their　property。　〃Reach　in；〃　she　directed。
　　　Ben　pulled　up　his　right　sleeve；　revea