sheritepper.necromancer nine-第35节

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　〃Or　perhaps　they　were　lost　half　a　thousand　years　ago。〃
　〃Perhaps。〃
　〃So　there　may　be　nothing　we　can　find　to　tell　us　about　these　defenders；　nothing　we　can　find　to　tell　us　how　to　restore　Himaggery　and　Windlow　and　a　thousand；　thousand　more。
　〃About　the　defenders；　I　know　only　what　I　caught　from　Didir's　mind　before　she　fled　me　in　panic…or　before　I　drove　her　out　in　a　panic　of　my　own。　She　knew　of　the　defenders。　Originally　there　were　five　keys；　kept　by　five　persons；　one　of　whom　was　someone　near　to　Didir。　The　reason　for　this　was　to　prevent　the　defenders　being　accidentally　released。　Now　Manacle　has　unlocked　all　the　bonds。　Any　one　who　gets　into　that　room　needs　only　press　a　lever　down；　and　whatever　it　is　the　defenders　do　will　occur。　The　idea　of　this　drove　Didir　into　panic；　the　others　as　well；　and　it　burst　my　head　with　them。　Now　I　cannot　raise　them。〃
　〃You　locked　the　door？〃
　〃I　locked　the　door。　Manacle　has　a　key。　I　have　no　helpful　thoughts　about　that。　Let　us　think　of　Himaggery　and　Windlow　instead。　So　far　we　have　failed　horribly　at　everything　we　tried　to　do。〃
　She　replied　with　some　asperity。　〃Who　would　have　thought　that　rescuing　them　would　have　entailed　putting　them　back　together？　It　is　difficult　to　go　into　a　place　such　as　this　to　set　someone　free　if　that　person　is　able　to　walk　and　think　and　assist　in　the　process。　I　have　done　that；　in　one　Game　or　another。　It　is　more　difficult　if　the　prisoner　is　unconscious　or　wounded；　and　I　have　played　that　Game　too；　in　my　time。　But　to　have　a　prisoner　who　must　be　reassembled　prior　to　rescue　denies　logic　and　sets　all　sense　awry。　I　did；　however；　try　to　make　our　process　somewhat　simpler。　I　have　half　of　them　with　me。〃　And　she　reached　into　some　interior　pocket　to　bring　forth　the　two　blues；　Himaggery　the　Wizard；　Windlow　the　Seer；　tiny　and　impeccable；　cold　and　hard。　They　were　only　patterns；　as　Manacle　had　said。　Patterns　of　personality。　Mavin　waved　at　me　to　keep　them；　saying。　〃I　have　been　thinking　all　the　way　back　how　we　might　put　them　together　again。　It　may　be　that　the　machine　used　to　separate　them　is　the　same　machine　used　to　reassemble　them。　In　which　case；　we　need　only　bring　the　bodies　to　that　laboratory　place。〃
　I　remembered　something　Manacle　had　said。　〃We　need　not　do　that。　The　bodies　are　to　be　brought　to　a　machine；　Mavin。　Not　to　the　laboratory；　but　to　the　'base'　where　the　ceremony　is　held。　There　will　be　a　machine　there；　too。　They　will　pretend　to　use　it　to　restore　those　who　play　the　part　of　voyagers。　The　ship　thing　is　there。　Manacle　called　it　a　shiptower。　At　any　rate；　the　bodies　will　be　brought　there；　and　there　we　should　be　waiting　for　them。〃
　When　she　asked　me　where　that　might　be；　I　shook　my　head。　I　could　not　use　Didir　to　fish　for　answers。　We　knew　that　Manacle　would　go　there；　however；　and　he　was　easy　enough　to　find…we　knew　where　his　quarters　were。　〃Manacle；〃　mented　Mavin；　as　we　went　toward　his　rooms。　〃The　techs　hate　Manacle。　I　think　some　kind　of　mutiny　brews　there；　my　son；　an　old　mutiny。〃
　I　thought　of　Laggy　Nap　and　his　power　over　the　boots。　〃Perhaps　the　contrivance　which　controls　the　boots　has　fallen　into　disrepair。　Perhaps；　if　techs　are　expected　to　repair　things　and　techs　are　also　controlled　by　the　boots；　they　have　found　a　way　to　disrepair　it。〃
　〃As　I　said；〃　she　murmured；　〃mutiny。　Something　brews。〃　Though　I　had　not　seen　Huld　since　he　had　stormed　away　from　us　outside　the　room　of　the　defenders；　I　felt　his　presence　still　like　a　weight　upon　my　lungs。　Without　Didir　to　protect　me；　I　had　to　be　more　sly　and　secretive　then　heretofore。　Thus；　it　took　a　sneaking　time　to　e　to　Manacle's　place　and　hear　his　rumbling　whine　through　the　open　door。　Shear　came　out；　then　went　in　again；　several　times。　Flogshoulder；　too；　went　in　and　out；　bearing　garments　of　some　ceremonial　type。　They　emerged　together　to　go　to　a　dining　place；　from　which　we　later　stole　food　which　was　of　better　quality　than　that　given　to　Tallmen。
　〃How　long　until　this　ceremony？〃　I　muttered。　〃How　long　must　we　lurk　in　this　way？〃
　〃We　are　so　far　underground　time　is　without　meaning；〃　she　said。　〃Nonetheless；　if　Manacle　said　'two　days'　when　we　came　into　this　place；　then　it　cannot　be　long　now。　We　have　blundered　about　in　here　for　the　better　part　of　two　days　at　least。　Time　grows　short；　and　I　am　glad　of　it。　I　could　not　bear　much　more　of　this。〃
　I　felt　it；　too；　the　being　without　sunlight；　without　passage　of　day　and　night。　I　wondered　if　this　was　how　ghosts　felt　in　the　grave；　separated　not　only　from　life　but　from　time　as　well。　This　led　to　other　thoughts　of　gloom　and　destruction；　from　which　Mavin　had　to　rouse　me　when　Manacle　came　from　his　quarters　for　the　final　time。
　We　had　no　doubt　he　came　out　prepared　for　ceremony。　There　were　stripes　of　gold　upon　his　sleeves　and　his　high　square　cap　was　splattered　with　gold　as　well。　Shear　and　Flogshoulder　came　behind；　also　decorated；　and　we　went　in　procession　down　and　down　corridors　toward　a　distant　gate。　It　was　truly　down；　as　though　toward　a　valley；　and　it　was　into　a　valley　we　came　to　see　the　first　light　of　dawn　rouging　the　heights　before　us；　brightening　the　cliffs　with　morning　while　the　forests　lay　still　in　night　below。　Here　was　a　green　meadow　crisscrossed　with　metal　tracks；　heaped　with　mounds　of　wrack　and　jetsam　（or　so　they　appeared）；　with　a　blackened　tower　standing　at　its　center；　silvered　at　its　tip。　A　tiny　opening　gaped　high　in　the　side　of　the　tower；　like　a　missing　tooth；　and　a　tall　spidery　ladder　stood　beneath　it。　Upon　the　valley　floor　small　groups　of　techs　removed　covers　from　machines　which　had　been　covered　against　the　depredations　of　time　and　weather。　Near　the　tower　was　a　machine　similar　in　every　respect　to　that　one　which　had　so　changed　Himaggery　and　Windlow。
　〃The　blues；〃　whispered　Mavin。　〃See；　they　are　carrying　the　blues　into　the　tower。〃
　She　was　right。　Some　of　the　techs　were　carrying　boxes　of　the　blues　to　the　tower　where　a　lower　section　had　been　opened　into　some　large　cargo　space。　There　were　no　Tallmen　on　the　field。　We　would　have　to　take　the　form　of　techs；　and　I　looked　at　them　closely　with　my　Shifter's　eyes　before　fading　back　into　the　shadows　to　take　their　shape。　Even　as　we　emerged　onto　the　field；　the　wagons　of　bodies　came　out　of　the　tunnels　to　clatter　their　way　toward　the　tower。　We　went　purposefully　after　it；　looking　neither　right　nor　left；　intent　upon　our　pawnish；　techish　duties。
　When　we　arrived　at　the　tower；　we　began　helping　with　the　loading。　Mavin　went　up　into　that　cargo　space；　then　I。　We　lifted　body　after　body　into　it；　stacking　them；　within　moments　ceasing　to　think　of　them　as　bodies　at　all。　They　were　only　things。　When　the　tech　outside　put　Windlow's　feet　into　my　hands　for　a　moment　I　forgot　what　I　was　doing。　Mavin　brought　me　to　myself。
　〃Here；　pass　him　to　me。　I　have　found　a　place　to　hide　them。〃
　So　then　I　did　double　duty　while　she　dragged　Windlow　away　somewhere；　then　Himaggery；　when　he　emerged　from　the　general　pile。
　When　the　tech　outside　thrust　up　the　last　body　to　me　where　I　stood　inside　the　tower；　he　said；　〃Those　who　follow　Quench；　in　the　southeast　portal；　as　soon　as　the　ceremony　starts　。。。〃　then　turned　away　from　me　as　though　he　had　not　spoken；　waiting　for　no　answer。　I　had　sense　enough　to　step　back　out　of　the　light。　When　I　turned；　Mavin　was　there；　nodding。
　〃I　heard　him；〃　she　said。　〃I　told　you；　Peter。　Mutiny。　It　will　happen　during　the　ceremony；　when　all　the　magicians　are　here。　Mark　me；　it　will　happen。　Now　e　see　where　I　have　put　it。　　The　tower　seemed　small　from　outside；　but　from　within　it　was　a　warren　of　twisting　halls　and　tiny　cubbies；　many　no　bigger　than　closets；　with　mattressed　shelves　which　were　obviously　beds。　So　it　was　a　ship。　A　ship。　How　could　it　be？　I　turned　to　Mavin　with　the　question　on　my　lips。
　〃Not　a　water…going　ship；　Peter。　Think！　Put　together　the　pieces。　You　spent　long　enough　with　Himaggery　to　have　learned　to　do　that。〃
　She　showed　me　where　she　had　put　them；　in　one　of　the　little　cubbies；　half　hidden　behind　a　huge　pipe　which　seemed　to　run　the　entire　height　of　the　place；　from　tip　to　base。　At　that　moment　I　wanted　only　to　lie　down　beside　the　cold　bodies　and　sleep；　but　she　dragged　me　around　the　pipe　and　into　it；　where　stairs　wound　up　and　up　to　some　dizzying　termination。
　〃We　need　to　find　a　place　to　watch　from；〃　she　said；　dragging　me　along　behind　her。　So　we　went；　up　and　up；　ing　at　last　to　that　open　place　we　had　seen　from　the　tunnel　mouth。　The　spidery　stairs　were　just　outside。　Far　below　on　the　grass　the　magicians　were　assembling。
　Now；　how　can　I　make　you　see　what　we　saw；　Mavin　and　I？　I　must；　for　in　what　we　saw　was　much　of　old　Windlow's　conjecture　and　Himaggery's　purpose；　much　of　my　confusion　and　Mavin's　effort。　It　was　in　that　ceremony　we　learned　what　we　were；　and　why；　and　I；　all　unwitting　of　what　was　to　e；　was　only　sleepy；　lonely；　and　a　little　afraid　of　what　might　happen　at　any　time。　So　let　me　step　outside　of　that　and　tell　you　what　you　would　have　seen；　had　you　been　there。
　On　a　grassy　hill　were　rows　of　the　young　magicians；　ordered　inexplicably　by　one　who　stood　before　them；　each　holding　a　book　before　him。　Here　and　there　upon　the　grass　groups　of　the　magicians　stood　about；　chatting　with　one　another。　The　sun　came　down；　lighting　all　with　a　kind　of　innocent　glory。　The　young　magicians　began　to　sing。　I　had　never　heard　music　like　that　before。　It　soared　and　pierced；　made　me　want　to　laugh　and　cr