sheritepper.necromancer nine-第27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！


ome　were　one…headed；　some　had　two；　or　none；　or　four。　There　were　blobs　which　lay　while　features　chased　themselves　across　their　surfaces；　some　attached　to　mechanisms　which　made　the　Fatwagon　seem　a　model　of　simplicity。　There　were　howlers；　moaners；　silent　ones　whose　thoughts　beat　at　me　in　a　tide　of　agony。　The　place　stank　of　refuse；　and　excrement；　and　blood。　Some　things；　dead　and　half　eaten；　lay　against　the　walls　of　the　place。　Instinctively　Mavin　and　I　moved　to　the　wall　and　put　our　backs　against　it。　I　looked　up　to　see　the　hooded　heads　of　the　Tallmen　peering　down　at　us。　I　had　never　seen　a　Tallman's　face；　and　I　wondered　in　that　instant　if　they　had　faces。　Some　of　the　creatures　around　us　did　not。　Something　crawled　across　my　feet　and　lay　there；　rippling　at　me。　Deep　within；　I　heard　Didir　recoil。　〃Wrongness；　Peter。　Wrongness。　Beware；　beware。〃
　The　walls　of　the　pit　were　pierced　with　black　arches；　screens　behind　which　we　could　discern　faint　shadows；　black　on　black。　A　bell　rang　somewhere；　and　the　creatures　began　to　edge　toward　these　arches。　There　were　troughs　beneath　them　which　began　to　flow　with　half　liquid　soup。　The　creatures　fed。　I　watched；　feeling　the　place　with　my　skin。　It　was　like　being　in　a　waking　dream；　a　dream　from　which　one　knows　one　should　be　able　to　waken。　The　cage　rattled　upward；　then　down　once　more。　Inside　it　was　a　Tallman　and　great　bundles　of　solid　food；　stinking　sides　of　meat；　sacks　of　beaten　grain。　The　Tallman　came　from　the　cage　before　it　tipped　to　spill　the　food　upon　the　floor。　When　the　cage　rattled　upward　again；　the　monsters　broke　from　the　arches；　howling；　to　descend　upon　the　scattered　food。　The　Tallman　kept　away　from　them；　turning；　turning　until　glittering　eyes　from　beneath　the　concealing　hood　met　mine。
　〃Fatman；〃　he　breathed。　〃I　will　kill　you He　moved　toward　me。　I　let　him　e　close；　close　enough　that　he　could　not　be　seen　from　above。　Then　Wafnor　reached　out　and　held　him；　bound　him　about　with　aims　of　steel；　held　him　fast　while　I　looked　under　that　hood　at　his　eyes。　Tallmen　had　faces；　of　a　sort。　At　least；　this　one　did。　The　face　burned　hatred　at　me　and　at　Dupey　behind　me。　〃Who　are　you？〃　it　asked　at　last。　〃You　are　not　Fatman。〃
　〃No；〃　I　admitted。　〃I　am　not　Fatman。　I　am　one　who　will　hear　you　talk；　Tallman。　Tell　me　of　this　place；　of　these　magicians；　of　these　pits。　　He　was　not　willing　to　do　so；　but　it　did　not　matter。　Didir　Read　him；　Wafnor　shook　words　out　of　him；　Trandilar　entranced　him。　The　bell　rang　again。　The　creatures　assembled　before　the　arches　once　again；　and　I　looked　with　a　Shifter's　eyes　through　that　dark　glass　to　the　shadows　beyond。　Pale；　moon　faces　were　there　under　their　square　hats；　younglings　were　there；　dressed　in　black　but　with　soft　caps　covering　their　heads；　eyes　wide　and　fingers　busy　as　they　wrote　on　little　pads　of　paper；　wrote　and　peered；　wrote　and　peered。
　〃What　are　they　doing？〃　I　demanded。
　〃Monster　watching；〃　Tallman　gasped。　〃It　is　what　they　do。　It　is　why　they　say　they　are　here。〃
　I　thought　this　a　lie；　and　yet　Didir　said　Tallman　believed　it　to　be　true。　Since　they　were　watching　us；　we　behaved　as　monsters　should；　howled；　bubbled；　rocked　and　capered；　all　the　while　holding　Tallman　fast　so　that　he　could　not　move。　Those　watching　would　have　only　seen　him　stand；　head　down；　face　obscured。　After　a　time　the　bell　rang　once　more；　the　monsters　left　the　arches　to　resume　their　endless　movement　in　the　pit。
　We　questioned。　At　last；　we　knew　all　the　Tallman　knew　and　let　him　go。　He　backed　away　from　us　to　the　center　of　the　pit；　staring　about　him　with　wild；　glittering　eyes；　maddened　by　shadows。　They　were　not　shadows　who　came　after　him；　however；　but　things　of　the　pit　which　seemed　to　bear　Tallmen　some　malice。　He　had　a　weapon　of　some　kind；　and　he　did　some　damage　to　them　before　he　was　buried　beneath　their　bodies。　Mavin　and　I　did　not　watch。　We　were　intent　upon　those　other　Tallmen　who　hovered　at　the　edge　of　the　pit；　far　above。
　〃He　did　not　harm　his　hitch；〃　said　one。　〃I　would　have　killed　mine　had　they　disobeyed　me。　Why　did　he　not　kill　his　hitch？〃
　〃Mad；〃　said　the　other。　〃He　was　mad。　Sometimes　we　go　mad；　you　know。　They　say　so。〃
　〃I　would　have　killed　them；〃　replied　the　first。　〃Mad　or　not。〃　They　moved　away　from　the　pit　and　were　gone。　I　caught　a　Dupey　eye　upon　me　with　Mavin's　keen　intelligence　behind　it。
　〃We　have　spent　time　enough　here；〃　she　hissed。
　There　was　the　matter　of　the　Fatwagon；　which　should　be　left　in　a　place　it　would　not　attract　attention。　There　was　the　matter　of　the　arches　behind　which　the　watchers　lurked。　She　knew　this　as　well　as　I；　and　we　sought　a　solution　to　the　dilemma。　We　found　it　at　the　base　of　the　metal　cage；　a　slight　declivity　in　the　pit　wall；　a　space　large　enough　to　hide　us　as　we　Shifted。　When　next　the　moveable　cage　fell　and　rose；　we　rose　with　it；　hidden　beneath　it　like　a　false　bottom　to　the　thing。　Once　the　space　around　the　pit　was　empty；　two　Tallmen　came　into　being　and　moved　away　to　the　fringing　corridors。　　When　we　had　found　a　secluded　place；　we　stopped　to　set　some　plan　of　action。　Tallman　had　believed　what　he　had　told　us。　He　had　not　known　the　name　〃Himaggery〃　or　〃Windlow。〃　He　knew　only　that　a　certain　cargo　was　ordered　for　them；　that　it　would　go　behind　the　inner　doors　to　them；　to　be　used　in　certain　ceremonies　which　were　to　happen　soon。　He　knew　only　that　the　monsters　were　created　by　them；　in　order　that　the　monsters　could　be　watched　by　them。
　They　made　things；　things　which　were　sent　out　into　the　world　to　be　sold　or　given　away　by　the　Gifters。　They　needed　pawns　to　serve　them；　so　pawns　were　brought　in　through　the　mumble　mouths。　Tallmen　were　created　by　them　to　maintain　the　corridors；　to　maintain　the　portals；　to　repair　things　which　broke。　〃But　we　cannot；〃　he　had　said　pitiably。　〃No　one　knows　how　to　fix　them。　　They　did　not　talk　to　Tallmen；　except　to　give　instructions。　This　Tallman　had　not　been　through　the　inner　doors；　he　did　not　know　what　happened　there。　We　asked　what　friends　he　had？　None。　What　acquaintances？　None。　Surely　he　slept　somewhere；　in　some　pany？　No。　At　most；　they　could　gather　in　pairs。　Why　sleep　in　pany？　Why　eat　in　pany？　One　slept　wherever　one　was。　。
　We　had　asked　him　how　he　had　learned　to　speak？　Surely　he　remembered　a　childhood？
　At　that　his　eyes　had　rolled　back　in　his　head　and　he　had　trembled　like　a　drumhead。　Mavin　had　said　sadly；　〃Let　it　go；　Peter。　I　do　not　know　whether　it　was　born　of　human　kind；　but　it　has　been　changed　beyond　recognition。　This　is　only　an　empty　vessel；　drained　of　all　but　limited　speech　and　directed　action　and　fear　of　pain。　Let　it　go。〃
　That　was　when　we　had　let　him　go。
　Now　we　leaned　against　a　wall　and　considered。　Somewhere　in　this　tangled；　underground　labyrinth　were　the　inner　doors　the　Tallman　had　spoken　of。　Somewhere　in　this　web　of　a　place　we　would　find　some　answers；　but　we　would　not　find　them　standing　against　a　wall。　We　would　have　to　follow　some　of　them。　〃I　will　not　do　this；〃　Mavin　said　with　asperity；　〃mock　that　unfortunate　creature　by　saying　them。　They　are　magicians；　and　so　I　will　say。
　〃Say　away；〃　I　mented。　〃Particularly　if　it　will　help　some。〃
　Easier　conceived　of　than　acplished。　There　were　none　of　the　magicians　about。　Perhaps　it　was　not　a　time　they　moved　about。　Perhaps　the　earlier　occurrence　had　been　a　random　happening　with　little　chance　of　repetition。　We　wandered；　baffled　and　frustrated。　Bells　rang。　Machines　wheezed　and　gulped。　Tallmen　moved　quietly　past。　Silence　came。
　〃Perhaps　it　is　night　outside；〃　said　Mavin。　〃These　beings　must　once　have　lived　beneath　the　sun。　Perhaps　they　keep　its　time　still。〃
　〃If　that　is　so；　they　maybe　sleeping　rather　than　watching　what　goes　on　around　them。　And　if　that　is　so；　then　we　might　risk　other　bodies　than　these。〃　We　hesitated；　wondering　whether　it　was　wise　to　take　the　risk。
　At　last　she　said；　〃If　it　finds　us　anything；　it　is　worth　it。　I　will　go　left；　you　right；　as　fast　and　as　far　as　possible。　Meet　here　when　they　begin　to　move　about　again。〃
　So　we　agreed；　and　I　set　out　as　furred…Peter　once　more；　on　legs　as　swift　as　I　could　Shift　them。　I　had　no　luck；　none；　and　returned　to　the　place　heavy　with　anger　and　disappointment。　Mavin　was　there　already；　curled　against　the　wall　half　asleep；　and　I　knew　at　once　she　had　been　luckier　than　I。
　〃I　found　them；〃　she　said。　〃Found　the　inner　doors。　Sleep　now；　and　when　we　have　rested；　we　will　find　a　way　through　them。〃　　We　were　well　hidden。　I　gave　up　anger　in　favor　of　sleep　and　dreamed　long；　too　well；　of　Izia。
　
　9。　The　Inner　Doors
　The　place　of　the　magicians　was　full　of　niches　and　corners；　almost　as　though　they　provided　space　for　invisible　beings；　Tallmen　and　servants　whom　they　did　not　see。　We　found　such　a　niche；　a　place　from　which　we　could　see　the　doors　Mavin　had　found　without　being　seen　ourselves。　The　doors　were　quite　ordinary；　a　wide　pair　of　time…blotched　panels　without　handles　or　knobs；　and　beside　them　a　little　booth　of　glass；　though　I　suspected　it　wits　of　a　material　more　durable　than　that。　We　had　not　long　to　wait　before　one　of　the　magicians　came　into　the　booth；　an　old　one；　jowls　jiggling　and　pouches　beneath　his　eyes；　a　nose　which；　had　I　seen　it　in　a　tavern　in　Betand；　I　would　have　considered　evidence　of　much　wine　toping。　He　hawked　and　mumbled　to　himself　for　a　time；　his　voice　carried　out　to　us　through　some　contrivance　or　other　which　made　it　echo　and　boom。
　〃Huskpaw　here；〃　he　mumbled。　〃On　duty；　Huskp