fs.thesecondbookofswords-第6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！
。。 〃 Virgil stopped rather suddenly。 He was looking at Mark； with the expression of a boy who has suddenly remembered something。
〃How do you know how many Swords there were？〃 Mark asked him。 It amazed Mark how knowledge spread … or how； sometimes； it seemed determined on remaining secret。 It was almost twenty years now； he knew； since the twelve Swords had been forged； and half a dozen years ago still only a few people in the whole world had known about them。 And now it seemed that the whole world knew。
The boy looked at him； as if Mark had asked how it was known that a woolbeast had four legs。 〃Twelve Swords； that's how many there were。 Everyone knows that。〃
〃Oh。〃
Virgil's eyes were intense； his voice hurried。 〃But Hermes played a joke on all the other gods。 He gave the Swords only to mortals； and he scattered them all across the world。 Each Sword went to a different man or woman to start with； and none of the gods got any themselves。 And each Sword gave whoever got it a different kind of power。〃
〃Oh。〃 It was true； for the most part anyway。 He didn't want to appear to possess superior knowledge； and he didn't know quite what to say。 〃Why would Hermes have done a thing like that？〃
〃Part of the game that the gods play with each other。 Aye； he scattered them and gave them all to people。 I wish I could have got one。〃
Mark was looking at the woman； who stood leaning with one hand on the shelter； blindly listening。 The man inside snored on。 Suddenly Mark felt a great necessity to do something for these people； maybe he could at least shoot them a rabbit or two before he left。 And then … yes； he had decided now。 There was something much more important that he was going to do for them； and thousands like them。
Virgil asked him： 〃Did you say that the miller only had one arm？ Was he your father？〃
Mark studied him a moment； then put another question in return。 〃If you had one of those Swords； what would you do with it？ Hide it away somewhere？〃
The boy's expression showed he thought that question was insane。 〃Whoever gets all those Swords into his hands will rule the world。〃
〃Aye；〃 said Mark。 〃But if you had one？ Coinspinner； maybe。 What then？ What would you do with it？ Try to rule a twelfth of the world； or what？〃
Neither of his listeners answered him。 Maybe he had scared them now。 But now that he'd started he couldn't stop。 〃What would you say about a man who knew where one of those Swords was hidden？ Maybe Dragonslicer。。。 a man who could go and get it； but he just let it stay hidden。 When there's so many wrong things in the world； like。。。 when there's so much that needs to be set right。〃
The woman's scarred and blinded face turned slowly back and forth。 She was shaking her head。 〃You'll straighten out the wrongs of the world； young man？ You might as well set out to serve the Emperor。〃
Chapter 3
In darkness Ben continued his methodical struggle to work his way down the face of the cliff。 Whenever he could he made a little headway south along its face as well。 The plan he had in mind required that he go south。 It was a simple plan； basically。 It was also madly dangerous … or he would have thought it so； had he not found himself in a situation where every other course seemed suicidal。
Anyway； he had now acted on his plan。 He had rebelled； assaulted an officer； deserted； and there was nothing to do now but go on。 From handhold to foothold he moved down； and slowly south。
At least he was able to see a little more clearly now； by the light of a horned moon that had recently e up over the eastern sea。 The sky was gradually clearing after the storm； but low fog still shrouded the ocean and its shoreline； which were still at a frightening and discouraging distance below him。 The sound of breakers still came drifting up； weaker now； almost indistinguishable from the weakening wind。 And Ben had certain bad moments； in which he thought he was able to hear another sound as well … the voices of six men trapped and howling in a cave。 One of the six was armed with a sword。 But would that do him any good； when the great white hands came reaching out for him？
Ben fought down the images springing from his imagination。 Then another kind of sound reached his ears； and was enough to drive imaginary terrors away。 He heard the steps of the dragon。 It was ing back for him； walking the flatland now some uncertain number of meters above his head。 Ben continued to descend； a few centimeters at a time。 There was nothing else for him to do。
The dragon must have been able to sense his presence； for it came to the clifftop immediately above him。 Looking up； Ben caught one glimpse of its head； a lovely silver in the moonlight； and saw the red glow of its breath。 After that he kept his own head down。
The dragon bellowed at Ben。 Or； for all he knew； it might be the horned moon that drew its wrath。 Stamping with table…sized feet along the brink； it shook down stones and clods of earth。 Ben's helmet saved him once from being stunned。 The dragon projected fire out into the night。 Ben saw the glow on the rocks around him； and he felt the backwash of the heat； as if a door had opened briefly to some tremendous oven。 But either the creature could not bend over the cliff far enough to breathe at him directly； or it did not care to try。 Ben was confident that it lacked the intelligence to try to trickle fire on him along the rocks。
Presently； as he continued moving down； the hail of dirt and stones abated。 Then the stamping moved away； until he could no longer feel it in the earth。 Ben heard the chiming snort again； this time from some considerable distance； and almost drowned in wind。
As if he had never had any other goal in life； and could imagine none； he kept on moving。 Mechanically he went down； and south。 And presently he found to his relief that the slope was no longer quite so steep。 He began to make real progress。
His way now took him round a large convexity of cliff； and out of most of the remaining wind。 Looking to seaward now； from a level only a little above the tendrils of the fog； he saw that he was confronting a long but possibly narrow inlet of the sea； a fjord that stretched inland to the west for some indeterminable distance。 Ben could just discern high land across the water； but in fog and intermittent moonlight he could only guess at that land's distance and its nature。
According to the mental map that he relied on for guidance； he had to continue south if he was to have any hope of leaving Blue Temple land behind him before daylight。 But now continuing south meant somehow crossing this arm of the sea。 There was no choice。 Unless he stumbled on a boat when he got down to the shore … and he had no reason to think he would … he was going to have to trust his fate to the powers of the deep； and swim across。
As he worked his way lower and lower； getting into patchy fog； he kept trying to estimate the height and distance of those opposing cliffs。 But under the conditions he could not。 He was not even certain he was not looking at an island。 All he could really be sure of was that if he stayed where he was until morning； he would be discovered by Blue Temple searchers who would be out in force。 He had to assume that they would have flying creatures out looking for him at sunrise。 And if they found him on this cliff he would do well then to hurl himself to speedy death。。。
The land flattened briefly at the cliff's foot。 Ben moved among fallen boulders； able to feel the spray now from invisible waves。 He moved onto a shingle of coarse rounded stones； and was granted a dim vision of the sea at last。 There was no boat； of course； nor any sign of one。 Not even a scrap of log。
Uttering silent prayers to Neptune； he crept forward onto a jutting rock； with sea…foam bubbling at his feet。 He stripped off a few more garments； and threw his helmet out as offering to the sea。 Then； not giving himself time to think； he entered the water in a bold leap。
He surfaced gasping with the salt chill； and struck out boldly。 How the tides and currents might run here he had no idea。 His fate was in the hands of the sea gods； but drowning was hardly the worst fate that might overtake him in the next few hours。
Ben was a strong swimmer； and all but impervious to cold。 The water was not warm； but he doubted that it was cold enough to kill him。 Glimpsing the horned moon through ragged clouds as he swam； he tried to keep it on his left。 The waves were strong and regular。 Once he got out a little from the shore； it was hard to tell if they were helping or hindering his progress。 Patches of fog closed in at times； obscuring the moon and making him doubt whether he was swimming in the right direction。 But always the moon came back； and he was never very far off his chosen course。
Eventually he thought that the moon was higher。 Had he been swimming for an hour now？ For two？ It couldn't have been for very long； he told himself； or there'd be signs in the sky of the ing daylight。。。
He tried to hold his thought on how difficult it was going to be for the Blue Temple searchers when they came looking for h
