sheritepper.necromancer nine-第6节

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　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　my　face；　giving　me　a　cup　to　drink。　〃How　can　you　ask　it；〃　I　gargled　at　him。　〃And　why？　What　would　you　know　that　his　ghost　can　tell　you？〃
　〃We　have　found　certain　。。。　things　in　Bannerwell。　After　Huld　had　gone；　our　people　found　them　and　summoned　me。　They　are　。。。　things　which　some　of　these　pawns　have　reason　to　remember　with　great　pain。　We　have　studied　them　as　best　we　may。　We　need　to　know　what　they　are；　how　used；　but　more　important；　from　whence　they　came。　Mandor　would　have　known。　We　believe　they　belonged　to　him。〃
　〃Certain　things。　He　showed　them　to　me。　They　were　stored　in　a　back　room　of　the　stone　house；　strange　things；　crystal　linkages；　wires；　boards　on　which　wires　and　crystals　together　made　patterns　full　of　winking　lights　which　told　me　nothing。　They　reminded　me　of　something　。　。　。　something。　Suddenly　I　had　it。　〃Riddle。　Long　ago…ah；　not　long　ago。　About　a　year。　Mertyn　sought　to　protect　me　from　being　eaten　up　in　a　Game。　His　servant；　Nitch；　sewed　a　thing　into　my　tunic；　a　thing　of　wires　and　beads；　a　thing　like　these　things。　If　you　would　know　of　them；　ask　Mertyn。〃
　〃We　have　done。　It　was　Nitch　who　knew　the　doing　of　it；　not　Mertyn。　Nitch　has　gone；　gone　in　the　night　without　a　word。〃
　〃Vanished？　Like　the　others？〃
　〃No。　Simply　gone。　Have　you　heard　of　'magicians'？〃
　Where　had　I　heard　of。　。　。　yes。　〃Gamesmaster　Gervirnse。　He　said　the　little　blue　Gamesmen　were　made　by　magicians；　west　somewhere。　I　had　not　heard　of　magicians　before；　save　as　we　all　have。　At　Festivals；　doing　tricks　with　birds　and　making　flowers　appear　out　of　nothing。〃
　〃I　do　not　think　a　Festival　magician　made　these。〃　He　shut　the　door　upon　them　and　led　me　back　to　the　table　before　the　fire。　I　knew　he　would　ask　me　again。　I　wanted　to　refuse。　How　could　I　refuse？　Oh；　Gamelords；　in　what　guise　might　the　spirit　of　Mandor　rise　to　greet　the　eidolon　of　Dorn？
　〃By　Towering　Tamor；　Riddle；　you　ask　a　hard　thing。〃
　〃I　know。　But　it　is　said　your　Talent　is　great。　I　would　not　ask　it；　save　you　e　so　fortuitously　to　our　need。　I　thought　of　it　when　I　saw　your　mask；　at　first；　and　I　would　not　ask　not　if　I　thought　it　endangered　you。
　How　could　I　tell　him　that　it　did　endanger　me？　It　sickened　me；　yes。　Brought　nightmares　and　horrors；　but　endangerment？　Well；　I　would　lose　no　blood　nor　flesh　over　it。　Perhaps　that　was　the　only　endangerment　which　counted。　Riddle's　daughter；　Tossa；　had　lost　her　life　in　aiding　me。　I　could　not　refuse　him。
　〃In　the　morning；〃　I　begged。　〃Not　at　night。〃
　〃Certainly；　in　the　morning；〃　he　agreed。　I　might　just　as　well　have　done　it　in　the　dark　for　all　the　sleep　I　had。
　We　went　to　the　pit　in　the　gray　dawn。　They　had　not　laid　Mandor　with　his　ancestors　and　predecessors　in　the　catabs　beneath　the　fortress；　and　I　was　thankful　of　that。　There　the　ghosts　were　as　thick　as　fleas　on　a　lazy　dog；　and　I　had　no　wish　to　raise　a　host　on　this　day。　No；　Mandor　lay　beneath　the　sod　in　a　kind　of　declivity　a　little　to　the　north　of　the　walls；　a　place　fragrant　and　grassy；　silent　except　for　the　sigh　of　wind　in　the　dark　firs　which　bounded　it。　Riddle　let　me　go　into　the　place　alone；　staying　well　away　from　me　in　order　that　his　own；　strange　〃Talent〃　not　impede　mine。　。　。　or　Dorn's。　As！　left　him；　he　said；　〃We　need　to　know　whence　these　things　came。　What　their　purpose　is。　By　whom　made。　Can　you　ask　these　things？〃
　I　tried　to　explain。　〃Riddle；　I　have　not　heretofore　questioned　phantoms　to　know　what　knowledge　they　may　have。　Those　discarnate　ones　I　raised　on　this　land　before　were　ancient；　long　past　human　knowledge；　only　creatures　of　dust　and　hunger；　fetches　to　my　need。〃
　〃It　is　said　that　Necromancers　are　full　of　subtlety。〃
　〃I　will　be　as　subtle　as　I　can。〃　Though　it　would　be　Dorn　being　subtle；　rather　than　Peter。　I　took　the　little　Gamesman　into　my　hand；　fingers　finding　it　at　once　in　the　pouch　as　though　it　had　struggled　through　the　crowd　to　e　into　my　grasp。　He　came　into　me　like　heat；　burning　my　skin　at　first；　then　scalding　deeper　and　deeper；　nothing　wraithy　or　indistinct　about　it；　rather　a　man　e　home　into　a　familiar　place。　I　was　not　surprised　when　he　greeted　me；　〃Peter。〃
　〃Dorn；〃　I　whispered。　Before；　I　had　been　fearful。　This　time　I　was　less　so；　and　perhaps　this　accounted　for　my　courtesy　to　him；　as　though　he　were　my　guest。　I　explained　what　we　were　to　do；　and　he　became　my　tutor。
　〃Here　and　here；〃　he　said。　〃Thus　and　thus。〃　My　hand　reached　out；　but　it　was　Dorn　who　pointed　the　finger　at　the　grass；　Dorn　who　called　the　dust　and　bones　within　to　rise。　Mandor　had　not　been　long　dead。　The　ground　cracked　and　horror　came　forth；　little　by　little；　the　worms　dropping　from　it　as　it　rose。　I　heard　Riddle　on　the　hill　behind　me　choking　back　a　gasp；　whether　awe　or　fear　I　could　not　tell。
　〃Thus　and　thus；〃　Dorn　went　on。　〃So　and　so。〃
　The　bones　became　clad　in　flesh；　the　flesh　in　robes　of　state。　The　head　became　more　than　a　skull；　then　was　crowned　once　more；　until　at　last　what　had　been　so　horrible　at　the　end　of　Mandor's。　life　became　the　beauty　I　had　known　in　Schooltown；　bright　and　lovely　as　the　sun；　graceful　as　grass；　and　looking　at　me　from　death's　eyes。　　From　this　uncanny　fetch　came　a　cry　of　such　eerie　gladness　that　my　heart　chilled。　〃Whole；〃　it　cried　in　a　spectral　voice。　〃Oh；　I　am　risen　whole　again〃　　　　　
　I　could　have　wept。　This　wholeness　was　not　an　intended　gift；　and　yet　。。。　it　was　one　I　would　have　made　him　during　life　if　I　had　known　how。　〃So　and　so；〃　said　with　Dorn　within　me。　〃You　could　not　have　made　him　so　or　kept　him　so　in　life　for　any　length　of　time。〃
　Riddle　called　from　the　hillside；　reminding　me　of　our　purpose　there。　So　I　asked　it；　or　Dorn　did；　of　those　strange　crystalline　contrivances　which　Riddle　was　so　concerned　about。　The　phantom　seemed　not　to　understand。
　〃These　are　not　things　which　Mandor　knew。　These　are　things　of　Huld。　Playthings　for　Huld。　Magicians　made　them。　Huld　understood　them；　not　Mandor。　Oh；　Mandor；　whole；　whole　again　。。。〃
　I　heard　Riddle　cursing；　then　he　called　to　me；　〃I'm　sorry；　Peter。　Let　the　pathetic　thing　go　back　to　its　grave。〃
　But　I　was　not　ready　to　do　that。　I　had　remembered　Mertyn's　words　concerning　those　who　had　vanished。
　'Mandor；　do　you　speak　with　others　where　you　are？　Do　the　dead　talk　together？〃
　The　fetch　stared　at　me　with　dead　eyes；　eyes　in　which　a　brief；　horrible　flame　flickered；　a　firefly　awareness；　a　last　kindling。
　〃In　Hell's　Maw；〃　it　screamed　at　me。　〃They　speak；　the　dead　who　linger　speak；　before　they　fall　to　dust；　in　the　pits。　When　all　is　dust；　we　go；　we　go。
　〃Have　you　spoken　to　Himaggery？〃　I　asked。　〃To　Windlow　the　Seer？〃　I　remembered　the　names　of　others　Riddle　had　told　me　of　and　asked　for　them；　but　the　apparition　sighed　no；　no；　none　of　these。
　Then　it　drew　itself　up　and　that　brief　flame　lit　the　empty　eyes　once　more。　〃Words　e　where　Mandor　is　。。。　troubling　all　。。。　seeking　those　you　seek　。。。　not　there　。。。　not　in　the　place　。。。　Peter　。。。　let　me　be　whole；　whole；　whole。〃
　I　sobbed　to　Dorn。　〃Let　him　be　whole；　Dorn；　as　he　goes　to　rest。〃　And　so　it　was　the　phantom　sank　into　the　earth　in　the　guise　he　had　once　worn；　the　kingly　crown　disappearing　at　last；　in　appearance　as　whole　as　he　had　been　in　Schooltown　before　his　own　treachery　maimed　him。
　And　I　was　left　alone；　Dorn　gone；　Mandor　gone；　only　Riddle　standing　high　upon　the　rim　as　the　wind　sighed　through　the　black　firs　and　the　grasses　waved　endless　farewell　on　Mandor's　grave。　Inside　me　a　small　dam　seemed　to　break；　a　place　of　swampy　fear　drained　away；　and　I　could　turn　to　Riddle　with　my　face　almost　calm　to　go　with　him　back　to　the　millhouse。　He　was　no　more　given　to　talk　than　I；　and　we　had　a　silent　breakfast；　both　of　us　thinking　thoughts　of　old　anguish　and；　I　believe；　new　understanding。
　When　we　had　eaten　he　said；　〃Peter；　I　will　go　with　you　a　way　north。　I　have　an　errand　in　that　general　direction；　and　it　is　better　never　to　travel　alone。　That　is；　if　I　am　wele　and　my　own　attributes　will　not　inhibit　your　。。。　business。〃
　I　laughed　a　little。　〃Riddle；　my　business　is　a　simple　one。　I　am　going　in　search　of　my　mother　who　has　。。。　left　word　of　her　whereabouts　in　a　place　known　as　'a　city　which　fears　the　unborn。'　All　I　know　of　the　place　is　that　it　is　north　of　here。〃
　〃But；　my　boy；　I　know　the　place；〃　he　exclaimed。　〃Or；　I　should　say；　I've　heard　of　it。　It　is　the　city　of　Betand；　between　the　upper　reaches　of　the　Banner　and　。。。　what　is　the　name　of　that　river？。。。　well；　another　river　to　the　west。　I　will　go　with　you　almost　that　far。　My　business　will　take　me　east　at　the　wilderness　pass。〃
　〃Why　is　it　called　a　city　which　fears　the　unborn？〃
　〃It　seems　to　me　I　heard　the　story；　but　I've　forgotten　the　details　of　it。　Something　to　do　with　a　haunting；　some　mischance　by　a　wandering　Necromancer。　Your　Talent　is　not　generally　loved；　Peter；　though　I　can　see　that　it　may　be　useful。〃
　He　was　being　kind；　and　I　helped　him　by　changing　the　subject。　I　was　glad　enough　of　his　pany；　gladder　still　when　he　proved　to　be　a　better　cook　than　Chance　and　almost　as　good　a　panion　as　my　friend　Yarrel　had　been　when　we　were　friends。　On　the　road　we　talked　of　a　thousand　things；　most　of　them　things　I　had　wondered　at　for　years。
　One　of　the　things　that　became　apparent　was　that　the　Immutables　cared　little　for　Gamesmen。　Riddle's　toleration