sheritepper.necromancer nine-第34节
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eter。 Wrong。 That is not the way it was。 I was there。 I was there； I know how it was。〃 Bits of her memory fled across my mind。
A babble erupted inside me； Dora and Trandilar； Wafnor's hearty cheer dimmed in a wild crosstalk which felt like panic； like fury； like fear。 Finally Dora's voice； dark and heavy as velvet； 〃Turn the keys back； Peter。 Turn the keys back and take them away；〃 only to hear Didir once more； 〃No！ It must be done in a certain order； a certain order or it goes。〃
I trembled with vertigo； sick； thrust this way and that by those inside me； without balance or direction。 I screamed silently； 〃Stop！ Stop！〃 and the interior babble ceased。 Then Didir's voice； thrumming like a tight bowstring； held from panic by her ancient will； 〃Did you see the order in which the keys were turned； Peter？ Did you observe？〃 At which I laughed。 She herself had kept me submerged during all that time。 I had only heard what came to my ears。 I felt that tight bowstring thrum； thrum； begin to ravel。 〃Then leave them alone。 Can you lock the door into the corridor？〃 she shrieked at me。
I could do that； and did； before she broke in a shower of fiery sparks which shook every fiber of me； went down every nerve； dropped me to the floor to lie twitching like some maddened or dying thing while I knew what it was that Didir knew。 If the lever in that quiet room behind me were pushed down； something huge and horrible would happen…something final and irretrievable。 And Didir believed it would happen to all the place we were in； to the corridors； the mountains； caverns； to all the black…clad magicians and their servants； to their monsters； their machines； and perhaps…perhaps to the world as well。
11。 Calling Home
I convulsed； there on the floor thrashing like a fresh caught fish。 If anyone had e by； they would have found me there in my own shape； naked as an egg and helpless as any fledgling。 The presence within which had been Didir became a scattered shower of sparkling half…thoughts； fleeting memories； pictures of herself going to this place or that； pictures of someone else I did not know； tall and dark； gold…decked； premonitions of disaster which unmanned me to leave me gasping without ever making connected sense。 Then there was a time； long or short； I never knew； of darkness。 When I came to myself again it was to feel the hard； cold floor beneath my wet cheek where I had lain in my own drool。
After a little time； I was more or less myself again。 I recognized what had happened…panic。 Through all the confusion； I found myself wondering how one of the Gamesmen of Barish could feel panic。 But then。 I told myself； they were more than mere constructs。 They had reality； though they had to use my head to express it…a head which was still splitting with an excruciating pain； pain enough to have panicked me and shut down all the places which the Gamesmen had occupied。 Didir was gone； but so were Dorn and Trandilar； Shattnir and Wafnor。 My head felt empty； vacant and echoing。 The pain diminished almost at once； and I lay against the door of that dreadful room； frightened and quite alone。 I wondered almost hysterically whether they would e back to me again； so felt for Shattnir because she was the one who was hardest； least vulnerable。 Nothing。 Her figure lay in my fingers like a doll； wooden； slightly chill。 Well； there was no time to experiment or wonder。 I had no knowledge of the time which had passed。 I had to find Mavin； quickly； and tell her what I knew。
Furred…Peter grew a pair of wide； fragile ears upon his head； like those of the shadow people； and fled through the halls listening for any movement。 There was no Didir to warn me； and I was vulnerable in those metal corridors。 I fled； promptly losing myself in the maze； unable to fish for thoughts to help me locate myself； following this one and that one at a distance until at last I came to a familiar place from which the mittee room could be found。 I got there； got in…and found it empty。 Mavin was not there。 Whether she had been there。 I could not tell。
I was alone there for a long time； time enough to get hungry； to find my way to a place food was stored for Tallmen； Tallmen who came and went； saying nothing to me in the guise of a Tallman as I also came and went。 The food was tasteless stuff。 but it sustained me。 I slept a time。 I strode back and forth through the mittee room； looking at the portraits of Deans from ancient times to the present。 Perhaps it was my imagination； but they seemed to grow more and more foolish…looking at either end of the time。 Some in the middle looked hard and petent…rather like Himaggery。 I thought about that for a while； without reaching any conclusions。 Then I had a fit of apprehension about Mavin。 Had she been caught？ Perhaps killed？ Was she lying somewhere wounded； waiting for me to rescue her？ I cursed the panic which had driven Didir out of my head and tried to get her back。 Nothing。 The little figure lay in my hand like a stick。 Not a quiver。 No； perhaps a quiver； but remote。 I tried Shattnir once more。 Only a far； faint tingling。 Well； whether it was something in the Gamesmen or something in myself； I could not tell。 My head felt as though it had been struck by lightning。 Perhaps there were fibers there which could be temporarily severed； synapses which could be shocked into quiescence。 I waited。 I walked about。 I chewed my fingernails off； grew others and chewed them off as well。 I was about ready to give up and go on searching alone when she arrived； breathless and weary； desperately glad of the food I had hidden in the balcony of that dusty room。
〃Lords； Peter； but that was a journey；〃 she said； falling into long silence while she chewed the tasteless food； eyes closed； body swaying with fatigue。 〃The techs in that place fiddled about for hours； talking among themselves； mostly about old Quench。 It seems that ancient firebrand has been preaching revolution and rebellion to the techs； along with his other strange activities。 The techs are mere pawns； Peter； brought in here； put in boots； forced to maintain the place。 Some of them are clever。 They have learned a lot though they are not given the chance to learn enough。〃 She swayed； chewed； sighed。 〃At last they put Himaggery and Windlow upon a kind of cart and wheeled it into a corridor where the cart was attached to a train of similar carts； all loaded with bodies and blues and crates of one thing or another。 I hid myself on one of the carts； and a group of pawns rode it as well。 Most of them are older men。 I believe there have been no young techs trained for some time。〃 She stopped to sip some of the bottled water I had found。 〃Lords； what a journey。 We went north and west； I think； though it is hard to say because of the ways the corridors curve and join。 Whatever the direction； we went far and long to the place they keep the bodies； distant and high； lying under some great glacier； I think…some source of endless cold。 They are stacked there； Peter； thousands of them； piled like wood for the war…ovens。 Endless aisles of them。 I saw Throsset of Dornes。 He was on top of a pile； like a carving。 I saw Minery Mindcaster。 I knew her when I was a child and she a marvelous； twinned Talent。 They drove the carts into a side room and left them； then they all got on the one little machine which had hauled the rest and went away。 There was no place on it for me to hide； and they all knew one another。〃 She put her hand on mine； still shaking with cold。 〃So； I followed them on foot； and became lost； and took endless time to return。〃 I let the food and drink restore her before I told her what I had learned。 When I had done； she questioned me。
〃What is Huld up to？ You knew him。 What do you guess？〃
〃I guess he is up to gaining power；〃 I said。 I knew this to be true； though I was not sure what power Huld sought in this strange haunt of magicians who seemingly were not magicians at all but merely bad custodians of ancient skills and knowledge。
〃Huld is not content to be merely Demon； merely Gamesman。 He has no wish； I think； to be willingly followed。 It is power he wants； power over the unwilling。 He wants to be worshipped； yes； but out of fear and trembling； not out of beguilement。 He had that； through Mandor； and it was something； but not enough for him。 Still； that is why he hates me。 Because I conquered Mandor and held Huld against his will； even for that little time。〃
〃And he came to this place…how？〃
〃I think he learned； somehow； how I had been protected in Schooltown； how Mertyn and Nitch had protected me。 He could have Read that from me； easy enough； when I was captive there。 I think Huld sought Nitch； sought him and found him； perhaps killed him for what he knew。 This is only supposition； but I know Huld； and the idea hangs together。〃 Surprisingly； the idea did hang together； though I had not known until that instant that I had figured it out。 〃So Huld came here； seeking power； and found Manacle。〃
〃And Nitch had taken certain books？〃
〃Perhaps。 And perhaps Huld had not thought to Read Nitch concerning books； so perhaps the books are gone forever。〃
〃Or perhaps they were lost half a thousand years ago。〃
〃Perhaps。〃
〃So there may be nothing we can find to tell us about the
