sheritepper.necromancer nine-第5节

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　help。　You　can。　Hear　me；　and　pay　utmost　attention。
　〃For　some　time　there　have　been　disappearances。　Gamesmen　of　high　rank。　Wizards。　Almost　always　from　among　those　we　would　call　'progressive。'　Many　have　been　Windlow's　students　over　the　years。　It　can't　be　mere　happenstance；　coincidence。　We　suspect　the　cause　but　have　no　proof。
　〃Are　those　who　have　vanished　dead？　If　they　are；　then　some　among　the　powerful　Necromancers　should　be　able　to　raise　them；　query　them；　find　out　what　has　happened。　So；　Necromancer　after　Necromancer　has　called　into　the　dust　of　time；　but　none　of　the　vanished　rise。　Instead；　for　some　few　of　the　searchers；　it　has　been　Necromancer　Nine；　highest　risk；　and　they　have　vanished　as　well。　Gone。　Not　dead；　Or；　if　dead；　dead　in　a　way　no　others　have　ever　died。〃　He　shivered　as　though　cold。　〃If　not　dead；　then　where？　Demon　after　Demon　has　sought　them；　and　for　some　of　them　it　has　been　Demon's　Eyes　Nine；　they　have　disappeared　as　well。　Are　they　imprisoned？　Pursuivant　after　Pursuivant　has　searched；　Rancelmen　have　delved。　We　find　nothing。　Those　who　vanish　are　simply　gone。
　〃Yet　still　we　pursue　our　goal；　our　studies。　Himaggery。　His　allies。　Windlow's　old　students。　Though　our　allies　vanish；　our　numbers　continue　to　grow…slowly；　too　slowly。　I　warned　Himaggery　to　draw　no　attention　to　himself。　Bannerwell　was　a　mistake；　though　we　had　to　do　it。　As　Windlow　would　say；　it　was　morally　correct　but　tactically　wrong。　So　it　has　happened。　Old　Windlow　evidently　had　some　foreknowledge　of　it；　he　told　you　I　would　be　needed。　Well；　I　will　go　and　try　to　hold　things　together　while　you　seek　out　Mavin　because　we　need　her。　We　need　her　clever　mind；　her　hidden　ways；　her　sense　of　strategy。　You　can　help　most　by　finding　her；　which　you　would　have　done　in　any　case。〃
　I　could　not　be　so　discourteous　as　to　argue　against　that。　He　meant　what　he　said。　It　was　no　mere　sop　for　my　fort。　I　swallowed　my　pride　and　assented；　sorrowing　that　I　had　refused　help　earlier　and　that　it　was　now　too　late。　He　pulled　me　close；　whispering。
　〃Thalan；　mark　me。　You　have　the　eidolon　of　Dorn。　I　know　you　dislike　using　it；　but　if　you　have　chance　to　do　so；　query　among　the　dead　for　Himaggery　and　Windlow。　If　you…by　any　chance…use　others　of　those　Talents…no；　don't　say　anything；　boy…seek　for　Himaggery　and　Windlow。　Even　half　answers　are　better　than　no　answers　at　all。〃
　He　kissed　me　and　went。　I　was　left　in　his　place　alone；　among　the　tumble　of　packing；　things　half　out　of　boxes；　paper　scattered　upon　his　table；　maps　curling　out　of　their　cases；　a　disorder　which　spoke　more　harshly　than　words　of　his　state　of　mind。　I　spent　an　hour　setting　it　right；　then　went　to　make　my　own　preparations　and　to　take　farewell　of　Chance。
　It　was　not　easy。　He　did　not　accept　that　I　would　have　to　go　alone。　He　could　accept　only　that　Mertyn　had　so　ordered；　and　he　was　as　bound　by　that　order　as　I。　At　the　end　he　told　me　he　would　go　back　to　the　Bright　Demesne　to　await　my　return。　He　said　that　two　or　three　times；　to　await　my　return；　as　though　by　saying　it　he　could　assure　it　would　be　so。　It　forted　me　more　than　it　did　him；　I'm　sure。　Perhaps　he　intended　it　so。　I　was　very　uncertain　of　what　was　to　happen　next；　so　preoccupied　I　paid　no　attention　at　all　to　Karl　Pig…face　and　by　my　contemptuous　silence　（for　so　he　and　his　followers　interpreted　it）　did　his　unpleasant　reputation　grave　and　permanent　harm。　At　the　time；　I　didn't　think　of　him　at　all。
　I　rode　out　of　Schooltown　at　first　light。　It　was　a　three…day　trip　to　Bannerwell　from　the　town。　I　made　it　in　two；　riding　late　and　rising　early；　paying　no　attention　to　the　scenery　and　eating　in　the　saddle。
　Havajor　Dike　lay　just　east　of　the　fortress　of　Bannerwell。　I　came　upon　it　at　evening；　late；　with　only　an　afterglow　in　the　sky　where　the　high　clouds　still　shed　a　little　reflected　light。　A　star　shone　above　the　clouds；　only　one；　trembling　like　a　tear　in　the　sadness　of　dusk　with　its　blue…brown　scent　of　dark；　bat…twittered　and　hesitant。　I　saw　one　lonely　figure　upon　the　Dike；　black　against　the　glow；　and　rode　up　to　ask　what　housing　might　be　available　for　the　night。　As　I　came　closer；　I　saw　that　it　was　Riddle；　Tossa's　father；　that　lean　Immutable　who　had　e　to　Bannerwell　with　Chance　and　Yarrel　at　the　very　end　of　the　battle；　making　battle　unnecessary。
　It　struck　me　when　he　turned　to　face　me　that　he　showed　no　fear　at　all。　No　stranger　had　confronted　me　since　I　had　left　the　Bright　Demesne　without　showing　some　shrinking　from　me。　perhaps　a　curious；　awed　stare　followed；　more　times　than　not；　by　the　〃ward…of…evil；〃　by　an　over…the…shoulder　stare　as　he　hurried　away。　Riddle　had　no　fear；　but　it　was　a　few　moments　before　I　realized　that　he　did　not　know　who　I　was　and　that　it　did　not　matter。　He　was　an　Immutable。　They　did　not　fear　the　Talents　of　Gamesmen；　not　even　of　Necromancers。
　〃Do　I　know　you？〃　he　asked；　leaning　on　the　wall；　gaze　burrowing　at　my　gauze…wrapped　face。　〃Have　we　met？〃
　〃It's　Peter；　Riddle；〃　I　said；　pulling　the　hood　from　my　head　and　running　dirty　fingers　through　my　dirtier　hair。　〃I　should　have　spoken。〃
　〃Peter。〃　He　gave　me　his　oddly　kind　smile；　reached　out　to　touch　my　face　as　though　I　had　been　his　child　or　close　friend。　〃To　see　you　dressed　so。　I　had　forgotten　you　had　this　Talent。　I　thought　it　was　something　to　do　with　。　。　。　changing　shape。〃
　I　started　to　say　something　about　the　Gamesmen　of　Barish；　caught　myself　and　said　nothing。　No　one　knew　of　the　Gamesmen　but　Windlow　and　Himaggery；　Silkhands；　Chance…one　or　two　others　who　would　say　nothing　about　them。　Instead　of　explaining；　I　shrugged　the　question　away。　〃Small　reason　for　you　to　remember。　I　did　not　stay　long　here　at　Havajor　Dike　once　Bannerwell　was　overthrown。　Have　you　played　jailor　here　alone　since　then？〃　I　knew　the　Immutables　had　intended　to　stay　at　Bannerwell　long　enough　to　assure　there　would　be　no　more　of　Mandor's　particular　kind　of　threat；　but　I　had　not　expected　Riddle　himself　to　stay　among　them。　He　was　said　to　be　their　leader；　though　I　had　never　heard　him　claim　any　such　title。
　〃No；〃　he　replied。　〃They　sent　for　me　after　Mandor　died。〃
　〃Dead？　Mandor？〃　I　could　not　imagine　it；　even　though　I　had　foretold　it　myself。　I　had　known　he　could　not　long　withstand　the　pain　of　a　disfigurement　visible　to　everyone；　of　loss　of　power；　of　the　absence　of　adoration；　not　he　who　had　lived　for　power　and　adoration　and　had　adored　himself　not　least　among　them。　And　yet　。。。　it　was　strange　to　think　of　him　dead。　〃How　did　he　die？〃
　〃From　the　tower。〃　Riddle　indicated　the　finger　of　stone　which　gestured　rudely　from　the　western　edge　of　the　keep。　〃He　stood　there　often。　We　saw　him　in　the　dusk；　or　at　dawn；　a　black　blot　against　the　sky。　Then　one　morning　he　was　not　there；　and　his　body　was　found　among　the　stones　at　the　river's　side。　They　sent　for　me　then；　and　I　arrived　in　time　to　learn　that　Huld　had　gone　as　well。〃
　〃Dead？〃
　〃I　fear　not。〃　He　looked　angry；　biting　off　the　words　as　though　they　tasted　bad。　〃Himaggery　had　left　Demons　here；　around　the　edges　of　the　place；　to　Read　if　any　tried　to　escape。　They　did　not　Read　Huld。　I　theorize　that　he　drugged　himself　into　unconsciousness　after　hiding　in　a　wood　wagon　or　some　such。　Certainly　he　went　past　us　all　without　betraying　his　presence。
　I　said　nothing。　I　did　not　like　the　idea　of　Huld　loose　in　the　world。　I　shivered；　and　Riddle　reached　out　to　me　again。
　〃So；　my　boy。　What　brings　you　to　the　Dike？　Was　it　to　meet　with　Mandor　again？〃
　I　shivered　once　more。　〃Never。　I　have　an　errand　away　north　of　here；　and　the　Dike　is　a　convenient　place　to　begin　the　northern　journey。　。
　〃Ah。　Well；　you　will　not　begin　that　road　tonight；　will　you？　There　is　time　for　hot　food；　and　for　a　bath？　Some　talk；　perhaps。　I　have　not　had　news　of　the　south　for　some　time。　。
　So　I　went　with　him　to　his　camp；　a　sturdy　stone　house　near　the　mill；　once　almost　in　ruins　but　reroofed　and　made　solid　by　the　Immutables　and　those　pawns　released　from　Bannerwell。　We　were　waited　on　by　quiet　people　with　faces　I　thought　I　recognized　from　the　time　of　my　captivity。　At　my　unspoken　question；　Riddle　explained。
　〃These　were　Mandor's　people；　yes。　Once　his　powers　were　nullified　by　our　being　here；　he　could　not　beguile　them　any　longer。　None　would　stay。　They　saw　him；　feared　him；　gradually　learned　what　he　had　done　to　them　and　so　began　to　hate　him；　I　think。　He　could　not　bear　it。〃
　〃What　had　he　done　to　them？〃　I　asked　cynically。　〃More　than　any　Gamesman　does？〃
　〃More；〃　he　said。　〃Though　perhaps　it　was　not　he　who　conceived　it。　。　。　。　No。　I　will　say　no　more　about　it。〃
　I　wanted　to　hear　no　more　about　it；　though　later　I　was　to　wish　I　had　insisted。　I　told　him　of　the　disappearance　of　Windlow　and　of　Himaggery。　He　withdrew　into　startled　silence；　but　then　told　me　of　other　vanishments　he　knew　of。　He　speculated；　almost　in　a　whisper。　I　drank　wine　and　tried　not　to　fall　asleep。　Others　of　the　Immutables　came　in　and　greeted　me　kindly　enough。　They　murmured　among　themselves　while　I　yawned。　Then　we　were　alone　and　Riddle　was　leaning　across　the　table　to　put　his　face　close　to　mine。
　〃I　have　no　right　to　ask　it；　Peter；　but　I　beg　a　service　of　you。　One　you　may　be　loath　to　give。〃
　〃I　will　do　what　I　can；〃　I　murmured；　half　asleep。
　〃We　need　to　speak　with　Mandor's　spirit。〃
　The　sickness　rose　in　me　so　that　I　choked　on　it；　retching；　tears　pouring　from　my　eyes　as　I　tried　not　to　vomit　upon　the　table。　In　a　moment　he　was　putting　cool　water　on