uleg.thetombsofatuan-第13节

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　was　she　to　find　him　now　that　he　had　lost　himself？
　　The　tunnels　of　the　Labyrinth；　by　Thar's　account　and　her　own　experience；　extended　in　all　their　windings；　branchings；　spirals；　and　dead　ends；　for　more　than　twenty　miles。　The　blind　alley　that　lay　farthest　from　the　Tombs　was　not　much　more　than　a　mile　away　in　a　straight　line；　probably。　But　down　underground；　nothing　ran　straight。　All　the　tunnels　curved；　split；　rejoined；　branched；　interlaced；　looped；　traced　elaborate　routes　that　ended　where　they　began；　for　there　was　no　beginning；　and　no　end。　One　could　go；　and　go；　and　go；　and　still　get　nowhere；　for　there　was　nowhere　to　get　to。　There　was　no　center；　no　heart　of　the　maze。　And　once　the　door　was　locked；　there　was　no　end　to　it。　No　direction　was　right。
　　Though　the　ways　and　turnings　to　the　various　rooms　and　regions　were　firm　in　Arha's　memory；　even　she　had　taken　with　her　on　her　longer　explorations　a　ball　of　fine　yarn；　and　let　it　unravel　behind　her；　and　rewound　it　as　she　followed　it　returning。　For　if　one　of　the　turns　and　passages　that　must　be　counted　were　missed；　even　she　might　be　lost。　A　light　was　no　help；　for　there　were　no；　landmarks。　All　the　corridors；　all　the　doorways　and　openings；　were　alike。
　　He　might　have　gone　miles　by　now；　and　yet　not　be　forty　feet　from　the　door　where　he　had　entered。
　　She　went　to　the　Hall　of　the　Throne；　and　to　the　Twin　Gods'　temple；　and　to　the　cellar　under　the　kitchens；　and；　choosing　a　moment　when　she　was　alone；　looked　through　each　of　those　spy　holes　down　into　the　cold；　thick　dark。　When　night　came；　freezing　and　blazing　with　stars；　she　went　to　certain　places　on　the　Hill　and　raised　up　certain　stones；　cleared　away　the　earth；　peered　down　again；　and　saw　the　starless　darkness　underground。
　　He　was　there。　He　must　be　there。　Yet　he　had　escaped　her。　He　would　die　of　thirst　before　she　found　him。　She　would　have　to　send　Manan　into　the　maze　to　find　him；　once　she　was　sure　he　was　dead。　That　was　unbearable　to　think　of。　As　she　knelt　in　the　starlight　on　the　bitter　ground　of　the　Hill；　tears　of　rage　rose　in　her　eyes。
　　She　went　to　the　path　that　led　back　down　the　slope　to　the　temple　of　the　Godking。　The　columns　with　their　carved　capitals　shone　white　with　hoarfrost　in　the　starlight；　like　pillars　of　bone。　She　knocked　at　the　rear　door；　and　Kossil　let　her　in。
　　〃What　brings　my　mistress？〃　said　the　stout　woman；　cold　and　watchful。
　　〃Priestess；　there　is　a　man　within　the　Labyrinth。〃
　　Kossil　was　taken　off　guard；　for　once　something　had　occurred　that　she　did　not　expect。　She　stood　and　stared。　Her　eyes　seemed　to　swell　a　little。　It　flitted　across　Arha's　mind　that　Kossil　looked　very　like　Penthe　imitating　Kossil；　and　a　wild　laugh　rose　up　in　her；　was　repressed；　and　died　away。
　　〃A　man？　In　the　Labyrinth？〃
　　〃A　man；　a　stranger。〃　Then　as　Kossil　continued　to　look　at　her　with　disbelief；　she　added；　〃I　know　a　man　by　sight；　though　I　have　seen　few。〃
　　Kossil　disdained　her　irony。　〃How　came　a　man　there？〃
　　〃By　witchcraft；　I　think。　His　skin　is　dark；　perhaps　he　is　from　the　Inner　Lands。　He　came　to　rob　the　Tombs。　I　found　him　first　in　the　Undertomb；　beneath　the　very　Stones。　He　ran　to　the　entrance　of　the　Labyrinth　when　he　became　aware　of　me；　as　if　he　knew　where　he　went。　I　locked　the　iron　door　behind　him。　He　made　spells；　but　that　did　not　open　the　door。　In　the　morning　he　went　on　into　the　maze。　I　cannot　find　him　now。〃
　　〃Has　he　a　light？〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃Water？〃
　　〃A　little　flask；　not　full。〃
　　〃His　candle　will　be　burned　down　already。〃　Kossil　pondered。　〃Four　or　five　days。　Maybe　six。　Then　you　can　send　my　wardens　down　to　drag　the　body　out。　The　blood　should　be　fed　to　the　Throne　and　the　…〃
　　〃No；〃　Arha　said　with　sudden；　shrill　fierceness。　〃I　wish　to　find　him　alive。〃
　　The　priestess　looked　down　at　the　girl　from　her　heavy　height。　〃Why？〃
　　〃To　make…　to　make　his　dying　longer。　He　has　mitted　sacrilege　against　the　Nameless　Ones。　He　has　defiled　the　Undertomb　with　light。　He　came　to　rob　the　Tombs　of　their　treasures。　He　must　be　punished　with　worse　than　lying　down　in　a　tunnel　alone　and　dying。〃
　　〃Yes；〃　Kossil　said；　as　if　deliberating。　〃But　how　will　you　catch　him；　mistress？　That　is　chancy。　There　is　no　chance　about　the　other。　Is　there　not　a　room　full　of　bones；　somewhere　in　the　Labyrinth；　bones　of　men　who　entered　it　and　did　not　leave　it？。。。　Let　the　Dark　Ones　punish　him　in　their　own　way；　in　their　own　ways；　the　black　ways　of　the　Labyrinth。　It　is　a　cruel　death；　thirst。〃
　　〃I　know；〃　the　girl　said。　She　turned　and　went　out　into　the　night；　pulling　her　hood　up　over　her　head　against　the　hissing；　icy　wind。　Did　she　not　know？
　　It　had　been　childish　of　her；　and　stupid；　to　e　to　Kossil。　She　would　get　no　help　there。　Kossil　herself　knew　nothing；　all　she　knew　was　cold　waiting　and　death　at　the　end　of　it。　She　did　not　understand。　She　did　not　see　that　the　man　must　be　found。　It　must　not　be　the　same　as　with　those　others。　She　could　not　bear　that　again。　Since　there　must　be　death　let　it　be　swift；　in　daylight。　Surely　it　would　be　more　fitting　that　this　thief；　the　first　man　in　centuries　brave　enough　to　try　to　rob　the　Tombs；　should　die　by　sword's　edge。　He　did　not　even　have　an　immortal　soul　to　be　reborn。　His　ghost　would　go　whining　through　the　corridors。　He　could　not　be　let　die　of　thirst　there　alone　in　the　dark。
　　Arha　slept　very　little　that　night。　The　next　day　was　filled　with　rites　and　duties。　She　spent　the　night　going；　silent　and　without　lantern；　from　one　spy　hole　to　another　in　all　the　dark　buildings　of　the　Place；　and　on　the　windswept　hill。　She　went　to　the　Small　House　to　bed　at　last；　two　or　three　hours　before　dawn；　but　still　she　could　not　rest。　On　the　third　day；　late　in　the　afternoon；　she　walked　out　alone　onto　the　desert；　towards　the　river　that　now　lay　low　in　the　winter　drought；　with　ice　among　the　reeds。　A　memory　had　e　to　her　that　once；　in　the　autumn；　she　had　gone　very　far　in　the　Labyrinth；　past　the　Six…Cross；　and　all　along　one　long　curving　corridor　she　had　heard　behind　the　stones　the　sound　of　running　water。　Might　not　a　man　athirst；　if　he　came　that　way；　stay　there？　There　were　spy　holes　even　out　here；　she　had　to　search　for　them；　but　Thar　had　shown　her　each　one；　last　year；　and　she　refound　them　without　much　trouble。　Her　recall　of　place　and　shape　was　like　that　of　a　blind　person：　she　seemed　to　feel　her　way　to　each　hidden　spot；　rather　than　to　look　for　it。　At　the　second；　the　farthest　of　all　from　the　Tombs；　when　she　pulled　up　her　hood　to　cut　out　light；　and　put　her　eye　to　the　hole　cut　in　a　flat　pan　of　rock；　she　saw　below　her　the　dim　glimmer　of　the　wizardly　light。
　　He　was　there；　half　out　of　sight。　The　spy　hole　looked　down　at　the　very　end　of　the　blind　alley。　She　could　see　only　his　back；　and　bent　neck；　and　right　arm。　He　sat　near　the　corner　of　the　walls；　and　was　picking　at　the　stones　with　his　knife；　a　short　dagger　of　steel　with　a　jeweled　grip。　The　blade　of　it　was　broken　short。　The　broken　point　lay　directly　under　the　spy　hole。　He　had　snapped　it　trying　to　pry　apart　the　stones；　to　get　at　the　water　he　could　hear　running；　clear　and　murmurous　in　that　dead　stillness　under　earth；　on　the　other　side　of　the　impenetrable　wall。
　　His　movements　were　listless。　He　was　very　different；　after　these　three　nights　and　days；　from　the　figure　that　had　stood　lithe　and　calm　before　the　iron　door　and　laughed　at　his　own　defeat。　He　was　still　obstinate；　but　the　power　was　gone　out　of　him。　He　had　no　spell　to　stir　those　stones　aside；　but　must　use　his　useless　knife。　Even　his　sorcerer's　light　was　wan　and　dim。　As　Arha　watched；　the　light　flickered；　the　man's　head　jerked　and　he　dropped　the　dagger。　Then　doggedly　he　picked　it　up　and　tried　to　force　the　broken　blade　between　the　stones。
　　Lying　among　ice…bound　reeds　on　the　riverbank；　unconscious　of　where　she　was　or　what　she　was　doing；　Arha　put　her　mouth　to　the　cold　mouth　of　rock；　and　cupped　her　hands　around　to　hold　the　sound　in。　〃Wizard！〃　she　said；　and　her　voice　slipping　down　the　stone　throat　whispered　coldly　in　the　tunnel　underground。
　　The　man　started　and　scrambled　to　his　feet；　so　going　out　of　the　circle　of　her　vision　when　she　looked　for　him。　She　put　her　mouth　to　the　spy　hole　again　and　said；　〃Go　back　along　the　river　wall　to　the　second　turn。　The　first　turn　right；　miss　one；　then　right　again。　At　the　Six　Ways；　right　again。　Then　left；　and　right；　and　left；　and　right。　Stay　there　in　the　Painted　Room。〃
　　As　she　moved　to　look　again；　she　must　have　let　a　shaft　of　daylight　shoot　through　the　spy　hole　into　the　tunnel　for　a　moment；　for　when　she　looked　he　was　back　in　the　circle　of　her　vision　and　staring　upwards　at　the　opening。　His　face；　which　she　now　saw　to　be　scarred　in　some　way；　was　strained　and　eager。　The　lips　were　parched　and　black；　the　eyes　bright。　He　raised　his　staff；　bringing　the　light　closer　and　closer　to　her　eyes。　Frightened；　she　drew　back；　stopped　the　spy　hole　with　its　rock　lid　and　litter　of　covering　stones；　rose；　and　went　back　swiftly　to　the　Place。　She　found　her　hands　were　shaky；　and　sometimes　a　giddiness　swept　over　her　as　she　walked。　She　did　not　know　what　to　do。
　　If　he　followed　the　directions　she　had　given　him；　he　would　e　back　in　the　direction　of　the　iron　door；　to　the　room　of　pictures。　There　was　nothing　there；　no　reason　for　him　to　go　there。　There　was　a　spy　hole　in　the　ceiling　of　the　Painted　Room；　a　good　one；　in　the　treasury　of　the　Twin　Gods'　temple；　perhaps　that　was　why　she　had　thought　o