sheritepper.necromancer nine-第17节
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eality than many others there。
So； when I came upon the Castle； lit from a hundred windows； with a soft breath of music stirring from it into the airs of the night； I was needful more than I could say of that refreshment which es from one's own kind。 I was growing unsure of who I was； what I was。 Was I only furred…Peter； running wild in the wilderness； an animal among others； gradually forgetting why I had e and to what end？ I needed to be more than that。
So it called me where it stood upon its hill； brooding there over the silvered meadows； its great ornamental pillars contorted into bulbous asymmetries； casting lakes of shadow onto the grasses before me； making swamps of darkness within its courts。 Its doors were open； weling。 There was no warning。 It was grotesque； misshapen； abnormal； but not fearsome。 I was too lonely to be fearful。 I shifted into a more civilized form； relishing the feel of clothing again； the weight of a cloak upon my shoulders。 I had learned that clothing was no problem。 One simply made it of the same stuff one used to make one's skin。 I walked under the arch； hands empty to show I was no enemy。 Here was no portcullis to grind gratingly into stone pockets； no bridge to fall thunderingly upon the pavement。 No； only an open way。 the floor a mosaic design which swirled and warped； leading away in unexpected directions； returning from unexpected shifts and erratic lines。 Looking at it made my head swim； but I told myself it was hunger for talk； for people； for a fire； for food that was cooked； for the trappings of humanity。 The name of the place was carved over the great door。 〃Castle Lament。〃 Well； A name without cheer； but not for that reason damnable。 I had been in other places with sad names。
The door swung wider before me； and I went through。 Then it shut behind me。
How can I describe that sound？ The door was not huge； no larger than in many great halls。 It shut softly but with the sound of a door twenty times its size； a monstrous slam as of a mighty hammer； slightly clamoring； briefly echoing； fading into a silence which still reverberated with that sound； and all down the monstrous bulk of that place came the sound of other doors shutting with an equal finality； an inevitable shutting which I could not have imagined until that moment。 I was shut in。 I turned to beat my hands against the door； then stopped； afraid of what might e in answer to that knocking； for the sound of closing had been like jaws snapping shut； like hands clapping around fluttering wings； to hold； and hold； and hold until hope went； and life。 It was the sound teeth might make； fastening in a throat。
I was terribly afraid； so afraid that I did nothing for a long moment； scarcely breathed； crouched where I was； peering into the place； seeing it as in a nightmare。 At last I moved。
There were stairs which climbed from the audience hall over bottomless pits of black； arching against pillars to coil； snakelike； about them and climb upward to high pavements littered with a thousand half carved heads of stone which smiled at me and begged me in the voices of children for food； for the light of the sun； for escape。 They rolled after me as I walked among them； pleading。 I slipped through a door and shut it against their clamor； against the insistent knocking of the stone heads against the door。
There were roofless rooms with walls which seemed to go forever upward into darkness and at the top of that darkness the sound of something poised enormously and rocking； rocking； rocking。 There were prodigious arches； windows leading into enclosed gardens in which stone beasts looked at me from wild eyes as though they wanted desperately to move。 There were great halls in which fires burned and tables were set with steaming foods。 I did not eat。 I did not drink。 But Shattnir within me drew the heat of those fires and stored it。
When I could go no further； it was beside one of the incredible hearths that I sat； hunkered upon a carpet woven with patterns of serpents and quadrumanna in intricate chase and capture。 Shattnir drew power； and drew； and drew。 Half sleeping； I let her draw； let her make me one great vessel of power。 Far off through the halls of that place I could hear sounds once more； as of doors softly opening and closing； and I was afraid of what might be ing。 My hand went into the pocket at my side。 〃e； Grandmother；〃 I whispered。 〃Divine Didir； e 。。。〃
What came in answer to that clutching invitation was old； so old that my mouth turned dry and my skin felt crumbled and dusty。 Ages settled on me； a thousand years or more。 It was only a skin； a shriveled shell。 There was nothing there； nothing…and then the skin began to fill； drawing from me； from Shattnir； from the world around us； began to swell； to grow； to push me from within until I thought there would be no place left for me to stand； and I cried in panic。 〃Stay； stay。 Leave me room！〃 Then there came a cessation； a withdrawing； and a voice which whispered out of ancient years； 〃I see； I see； I see。〃
I sensed Dorn within； and Dorn's awe； Trandilar； bowing down； Wafnor； head up； smiling； Shattnir offering her hand to that One I had raised from the ages。 Grandmother Didir； Demon； First of all Gamesmen of the dim past； She who could Read the mind of this。 place； this monstrous place； if She would。 If I had known the awe those others would feel； I would not have had the effrontery to raise Her up。 I am glad； now； that I did not know。 My other inhabitants had not been ignorant of my fear； now She was not ignorant of it。 I heard all their voices。 hers rising above them like a whisper of steel； infinitely fine； infinitely strong。
〃Well； child。 You have found a dangerous place。〃
〃Sorcerer's Power Nine；〃 whispered Shattnir。 〃Necromancer Nine；〃 said Dorn。
〃Nonsense；〃 she said。 〃Dangerous； not deadly。 We old ones do not easily admit to 'deadly；' do we； child？〃
I did not move； for she was reaching out from me； using the power Shattnir had gathered； reaching out through the very fabric of that labyrinthine construction to find its center； its mind。 I felt the search go on and on； felt the blank inprehension of the mighty walls； the stony ignorance of the pillars and stairs while she still searched； outward and outward from me to the very edges of the place。 Nothing。
Down the corridor； a door opened。
〃Below；〃 she whispered； sending that seeking thought out and down； through mosaic floors and damp vaults； down to bottomless dungeons and endless catabs which stretched beyond the walls away into lost silences。 Nothing。
The door shut。 It seemed to me that I could hear Didir grit her teeth； a tiny grinding itch in my brain。 〃Up；〃 and the mind went once more； more slowly； painstakingly； sifting each volume of air； each rising stair； climbing as the structure climbed into the lowering sky； wrapping each rising tower as a vine might wrap it； penetrating it with tiny thoughts like rootlet feet； to the summit of it all； the wide and vacant roofs。 Nothing。
Just outside the room in which we were； not twenty paces down that great corridor； we heard a door open； heard the waiting pause。 then heard it shut once more with that great； muffled sound as of an explosion heard at a distance。 Oh。 Lords of all Creation； we stirred in fear。 Those within me gave shouted warning； but I needed none of them。 I flowed up the wall； calling upon the power Shattnir had stored； flowed like climbing water； until I lay upon that wall no thicker than a fingernail； stretched fine and thin and transparent as glass； seeing through my skin； feeling through my skin； knowing and hearing with every fiber as the door into the room opened and something came through。 The door shut once more。 But within the room something hissed； something ancient and malevolent。 I could feel it； sense it； knew that it was there； but it was not there to any known sense of seeing。 Protogenic and invisible； it filled the room； pressed against the walls； pressed against me in a fury of ownership of that space； that structure。 Then slowly； infinitely slowly； without relinquishing any of the threatening quality； a door at the far side of the room opened and that which had inhabited the room flowed away。 Behind it the door shut with that absolute finality I had heard over and over again。
〃It knew someone was here；'' whispered Didir within。 〃But it did not know where you were。〃 I slid down the wall to lie in a puddle at its base； a puddle in which the little pouch which held the Gamesmen of Barish seemed the only solid thing。
〃Pull yourself together； boy；〃 said Didir sternly。 〃Give me a shape I can think in！〃 She slapped at me； a quiver of electric pain which cared nothing for the shape I was in。 I struggled into the form of furred…Peter； placed the Gamesmen in my pocket and waited。 Far off and receding came the clamor of the great doors。 I eavesdropped then upon a conversation among ghosts。 Dorn and Didir； Wafnor and Shattnir； with Trandilar as an interested observer； all talking at once； or trying to； as I tried to stay out of my own head enough to give them room。 It went on for a long time； too long； for down the echoing corridors the sounds of the doors returned。
〃Enough；〃 I snapped； patience worn
