mc.eatersofthedead-第14部分

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ns　in　his　trade。　To　give　the　appearance　of　poverty；　he　wears　a　pair　of　particularly　tawdry；　miserable　slippers；　hoping　that　people　will　be　fooled；　but　nobody　is。　Instead；　the　people　around　him　think　he　is　silly　and　preposterous。
　One　day；　Abu　Kassim　strikes　a　particularly　favorable　bargain　in　glassware；　and　decides　to　celebrate；　not　in　the　accepted　manner　of　treating　his　friends　to　a　feast；　but　by　treating　himself　to　the　small　selfish　luxury　of　a　visit　to　the　public　baths。　He　leaves　his　clothes　and　shoes　in　the　anteroom；　and　a　friend　berates　him　for　his　worn　and　inappropriate　shoes。　Abu　Kassim　replies　that　they　are　still　serviceable；　and　he　enters　the　bath　with　his　friend。　Later；　a　powerful　judge　also　es　to　the　baths；　and　disrobes；　leaving　behind　an　elegant　pair　of　slippers。　Meanwhile；　Abu　Kassim　departs　from　the　bath　and　cannot　find　his　old　slippers；　in　their　place　he　finds　a　new　and　beautiful　pair　of　shoes；　and；　presuming　these　to　be　a　present　from　his　friend；　he　puts　them　on　and　leaves。
　When　the　judge　leaves；　his　own　slippers　are　missing；　and　all　he　can　find　are　a　miserable；　tawdry　pair　of　slippers；　which　everyone　knows　belong　to　the　miser　Abu　Kassim。　The　judge　is　angry；　servants　are　dispatched　to　retrieve　the　missing　slippers；　and　they　are　soon　found　upon　the　very　feet　of　the　thief；　who　is　hauled　into　court　before　the　magistrate　and　severely　fined。
　Abu　Kassim　curses　his　bad　luck；　and　once　home　flings　the　unlucky　slippers　out　of　his　window；　where　they　fall　into　the　muddy　Tigris　River。　Some　days　later；　a　group　of　fishermen　haul　in　their　catch；　and　find　along　with　some　fish　the　slippers　of　Abu　Kassim；　the　hobnails　of　these　slippers　have　torn　their　nets。　Enraged；　they　throw　the　soggy　slippers　through　an　open　window。　The　window　happens　to　be　that　of　Abu　Kassim；　the　slippers　fall　upon　the　newly　purchased　glassware　and　smash　it　all。
　Abu　Kassim　is　heartbroken；　and　grieves　as　only　a　stingy　miser　can。　He　vows　the　wretched　slippers　shall　do　him　no　further　harm　and；　to　be　certain；　goes　to　his　garden　with　a　shovel　and　buries　them。　As　it　happens；　his　next…door　neighbor　sees　Abu　Kassim　digging；　a　menial　task　fit　only　for　a　servant。　The　neighbor　assumes　that　if　the　master　of　the　house　is　doing　this　chore　himself；　it　must　be　in　order　to　bury　treasure。　Thus　the　neighbor　goes　to　the　Caliph　and　informs　on　Abu　Kassim；　for　according　to　the　laws　of　the　land；　any　treasure　found　in　the　ground　is　the　property　of　the　Caliph。
　Abu　Kassim　is　called　before　the　Caliph；　and　when　he　reports　that　he　buried　only　a　pair　of　old　slippers；　the　court　laughs　uproariously　at　the　obviousness　of　the　merchant's　attempt　to　conceal　his　true；　and　illegal；　purpose。　The　Caliph　is　angry　to　be　thought　such　a　fool　as　to　be　given　this　silly　lie；　and　increases　the　magnitude　of　his　fine　accordingly。　Abu　Kassim　is　thunderstruck　when　sentence　is　passed；　and　yet　he　is　obliged　to　pay。
　Abu　Kassim　is　now　determined　to　be　rid　of　his　slippers　once　and　for　all。　To　be　certain　of　no　further　trouble；　he　makes　a　pilgrimage　far　from　town　and　drops　the　slippers　into　a　distant　pond；　watching　them　sink　to　the　bottom　with　satisfaction。　But　the　pond　feeds　the　city's　water　supply；　and　eventually　the　slippers　clog　the　pipe　guards　dispatched　to　release　the　stricture　find　the　slippers　and　recognize　them；　for　everyone　knows　the　slippers　of　this　notorious　miser。　Abu　Kassim　is　again　brought　before　the　Caliph；　on　a　charge　of　befouling　the　water　of　the　town；　and　his　fine　is　much　greater　than　before。　The　slippers　are　returned　to　him。
　Now　Abu　Kassim　determines　to　burn　the　slippers；　but　they　are　still　wet；　so　he　sets　them　on　the　balcony　to　dry。　A　dog　sees　them　and　plays　with　them；　one　of　the　slippers　falls　from　his　jaws　and　drops　to　the　street　far　below；　where　it　strikes　a　woman　passing　by。　The　woman　is　pregnant；　and　the　force　of　the　blow　causes　a　miscarriage。　Her　husband　runs　to　the　court　to　seek　damages；　which　are　awarded　plentifully；　and　Abu　Kassim；　now　a　broken　and　impoverished　man；　is　obliged　to　pay。
　The　slyly　literal　Arabic　moral　states　that　this　story　illustrates　what　evils　can　befall　a　man　who　does　not　change　his　slippers　often　enough。　But　undoubtedly　the　undercurrent　to　the　tale；　the　idea　of　a　man　who　cannot　shake　off　some　burden；　was　what　disturbed　the　Northmen。
　
　Now　the　night　passed　with　further　celebrations；　and　all　the　warriors　of　Buliwyf　disported　in　a　carefree　fashion。　I　saw　the　son　Wiglif　glaring　at　Buliwyf　before　leaving　the　hall；　but　Buliwyf　paid　no　attention；　preferring　the　ministrations　of　slave　girls　and　freeborn　women。　After　a　time　I　slept。
　In　the　morning；　I　awoke　to　the　sounds　of　hammering　and；　venturing　from　the　great　hall　of　Hurot；　I　found　all　the　peoples　of　the　kingdom　of　Rothgar　at　work　on　defenses。　These　were　being　laid　out　in　preliminary　fashion：　horses　drew　up　quantities　of　fence　posts；　which　warriors　sharpened　to　points；　Buliwyf　himself　directed　the　placement　of　defense　works；　by　marking　scratches　in　the　ground　with　the　tip　of　his　sword。　For　this　he　did　not　use　his　great　sword　Runding；　but　rather　some　other　sword；　I　do　not　know　if　there　was　a　reason　for　this。
　Upon　the　middle　portion　of　the　day；　the　woman　who　was　called　the　angel　of　death20　came　and　cast　bones　on　the　ground；　and　made　incantations　over　them；　and　announced　that　the　mist　would　e　that　night。　Upon　hearing　this；　Buliwyf　called　for　all　work　to　cease；　and　a　great　banquet　to　be　prepared。　In　this　matter；　all　the　people　concurred；　and　ceased　their　efforts。　I　inquired　of　Herger　why　there　should　be　a　banquet；　but　he　replied　to　me　that　I　had　too　many　questions。　It　is　also　true　that　I　had　timed　my　inquiry　badly；　for　he　was　posturing　before　a　blond　slave　girl　who　smiled　warmly　in　his　direction。
　Now；　in　the　later　part　of　the　day；　Buliwyf　called　together　all　his　warriors　and　said　to　them；　〃Prepare　for　battle；〃　and　they　agreed；　and　wished　luck　one　to　another；　while　all　about　us　the　banquet　was　being　made　ready。
　The　night　banquet　was　much　as　the　previous　one；　although　there　were　fewer　of　Rothgar's　nobles　and　earls。　Indeed；　I　learned　that　many　nobles　would　not　attend　at　all；　for　fear　of　what　would　happen　in　the　Hurot　Hall　that　night；　for　it　seemed　that　this　place　was　the　center　of　the　fiend's　interest　in　the　area；　that　he　coveted　Hurot　Hall；　or　some　similar　thing…I　could　not　be　sure　of　the　meaning。
　This　banquet　was　not　enjoyable　to　me；　for　reason　of　my　apprehension　of　ing　events。　However；　this　event　occurred：　one　of　the　elderly　nobles　spoke　some　Latin；　and　also　some　of　the　Iberian　dialects；　for　he　had　traveled　to　the　region　of　the　caliphate　of　Cordova　as　a　younger　man；　and　I　engaged　him　in　conversation。　In　this　circumstance；　I　feigned　knowledge　that　I　did　not　have；　as　you　shall　see。
　He　spoke　to　me　thus：　〃So　you　are　the　foreigner　who　shall　be　the　number　thirteen？〃　And　I　said　that　I　was　such。　〃You　must　be　exceedingly　brave；〃　the　old　man　said；　〃and　for　your　bravery　I　salute　you。〃　To　this　I　made　some　trifling　polite　response；　of　the　sense　that　I　was　a　coward　pared　to　the　others　of　Buliwyf's　pany；　which　indeed　was　more　than　true。
　〃No　matter；〃　said　the　old　man；　who　was　deep　in　his　cups；　having　drunk　the　liquor　of　the　region…a　vile　substance　they　call　mead；　yet　it　is　potent…〃you　are　still　a　brave　man　to　face　the　wendol。〃
　Now　I　sensed　that　I　might　finally　learn　some　matters　of　substance。　I　repeated　to　this　old　man　a　saying　of　the　Northmen；　which　Herger　had　once　said　to　me。　I　said；　〃Animals　die；　friends　die；　and　I　shall　die；　but　one　thing　never　dies；　and　that　is　the　reputation　we　leave　behind　at　our　death。〃
　The　old　man　cackled　toothlessly　at　this；　he　was　pleased　I　knew　a　Northman　proverb。　He　said；　〃That　is　so；　but　the　wendol　have　a　reputation；　too。〃　And　I　replied；　with　the　utmost　indifference：　〃Truly？　I　am　not　aware　of　it。〃
　At　this　the　old　man　said　that　I　was　a　foreigner；　and　he　would　consent　to　enlighten　me；　and　he　told　me　this：　the　name　of　〃wendol；〃　or　〃windon；〃　is　a　very　ancient　name；　as　old　as　any　of　the　peoples　of　the　North　country；　and　it　means　〃the　black　mist。〃　To　the　Northmen；　this　means　a　mist　that　brings；　under　cover　of　night；　black　fiends　who　murder　and　kill　and　eat　the　flesh　of　human　beings。21　The　fiends　are　hairy　and　loathsome　to　touch　and　smell；　they　are　fierce　and　cunning；　they　speak　no　language　of　any　man　and　yet　converse　among　themselves；　they　e　with　the　night　fog；　and　disappear　by　day…to　where；　no　man　durst　follow。
　The　old　man　said　to　me　thus：　〃You　can　know　the　regions　where　dwell　the　fiends　of　the　black　mist　by　many　ways。　From　time　to　time；　warriors　on　horse　may　hunt　a　stag　with　dogs；　chasing　the　stag　over　hill　and　dale　for　many　miles　of　forest　and　open　land。　And　then　the　stag　es　to　some　marshy　tarn　or　brackish　swamp；　and　here　it　will　halt；　preferring　to　be　torn　to　bits　by　the　hounds　rather　than　enter　that　loathsome　region。　Thus　we　know　of　the　areas　where　the　wendol　live；　and　we　know　that　even　the　animals　will　not　enter　thence。〃
　I　expressed　over…great　wonderment　at　his　tale；　in　order　to　draw　further　words　from　the　old　man。　Herger　saw　me　then；　gave　me　a　menacing　look；　but　I　paid　him　no　heed。
　The　old　man　continued　thus：　〃In　olden　days；　the　black　mist　was　feared　by　all　the　Northmen　of　every　region。　Since　my　father　and　his　father　and　his　father　before；　no　Northman　has　seen