gc.shadowslinger-第43部分

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et　to　them。
　　They　responded　by　trying　to　swamp　the　Limper；　which　they　managed　with　some　success；　fifteen　or　twenty　piling　on　and　keeping　him　pinned　by　sheer　body　weight。　The　Lieutenant　shifted　the　fire　of　the　engines　temporarily；　pounded　that　seething　pile　till　it　broke　up　and　the　Limper　regained　his　feet。
　　That　ploy　having　failed；　a　band　of　the　creatures　clotted　up　and　tried　to　break　out　to　the　west。　I　don't　know　whether　they　planned　to　escape　entirely　or　meant　to　swing　around　and　strike　from　behind。　The　dozen　who　made　it　through　encountered　Whisper；　and　a　heavy　fall　of　the　melting　dust。　The　dust　killed　a　half…dozen　workers　for　every　castle　creature；　but　it　stopped　the　charge。　Only　five　creatures　survived　it。
　　Those　five　immediately　encountered　the　portal　from　elsewhere　that　expelled　the　cold　breath　of　the　infinite。　They　all　perished。
　　Whisper；　meantime；　was　scrambling　for　altitude。　A　drum…roll　procession　of　bangs　pursued　her　up　the　sky。　She　was　a　better　flyer　than　Journey；　but　even　so　could　not　evade　injury。　Down　she　came；　eventually　touching　down　beyond　the　fortress。
　　Within　the　castle　itself　creatures　were　out　with　the　cats…o'…nine…tails；　extinguishing　the　fires　started　by　Whisper　and　the　Limper。　The　structure　had　begun　to　look　pathetic；　so　much　of　its　substance　had　been　consumed。　Gone　was　the　dark；　dreadful　grace　of　weeks　before。　It　was　one　big；　dark；　glassy　lump；　and　it　seemed　impossible　that　creatures　could　survive　inside　it；　yet　they　did；　and　continued　the　fight。　A　handful　came　out　on　the　ramp　and　did　something　which　gnawed　black　chunks　out　of　the　Lieutenant's　conflagration。　All　the　creatures　on　the　slope　ran　for　home；　not　a　one　forgetting　to　scoop　up　at　least　one　body。
　　The　ice　door　opened　again；　its　breath　dumping　on　the　steps。　The　fires　died　instantly。　A　score　of　the　creatures　died　too；　hammered　to　powder　by　the　Lieutenant's　missiles。　The　things　inside　took　a　tack　I　had　anticipated　fearfully　since　I　had　seen　Feather　crash。　They　turned　their　booming　spell　on　the　slope。
　　If　it　wasn't　the　thing　that　had　pursued　the　Lieutenant；　Elmo；　One…Eye　and　me　that　day；　it　was　a　close　cousin。　There　wasn't　much　flash　or　smoke　when　they　used　it　on　the　slope；　but　huge　holes　appeared；　often　with　bloody　pulp　smashed　into　their　bottoms。
　　All　this　happened　so　swiftly；　so　dramatically；　that　nobody　really　had　time　to　think。　I　don't　doubt　that　even　the　pany　would　have　run　had　events　been　stretched　out　enough　to　allow　thinking　time。　As　it　was；　in　their　confusion；　the　men　had　a　chance　only　to　pursue　roles　for　which　they　had　been　preparing　since　reaching　Juniper。　They　stood　their　ground　and；　too　often；　died。
　　The　Limper　scampered　around　the　slope　like　an　insane　chicken；　cackling　and　hunting　creatures　who　hadn't　died　on　the　steps。　There　were　a　score　of　those；　most　surrounded　by　angry　soldiers。　Some　of　the　creatures　were　slain　by　their　own　side；　for　those　knots　made　tempting　targets　for　the　booming　spell。
　　Teams　of　creatures　appeared　on　the　ramparts；　assembling　devices　like　the　one　we'd　seen　them　try　to　use　before。　This　time　there　was　no　Taken　above　to　drop　and　give　them　hell。
　　Not　till　fool　Journey　came　rushing　past　the　hospital；　looking　cruelly　battered；　and　stole　the　Limper's　carpet。
　　It　had　been　my　notion　that　one　Taken　could　not　use　another's　vehicle。　Not　so；　apparently；　for　Journey　got　the　thing　aloft　and　dove　upon　the　castle　again；　dumping　dust　and　another　fire　egg。　The　castle　knocked　him　down　again；　and　despite　the　tumult；　I　heard　the　Limper　howling　and　cursing　him　for　it。
　　Ever　see　how　a　child　draws　a　straight　line？　None　too　straight。　Something　as　shaky　as　a　child's　hand　scribbled　a　wobbly　line　from　Duretile　to　the　black　castle。　It　hung　against　the　night　like　an　improbable　clothesline；　wriggling；　of　indeterminate　color；　irridescent。　Its　tip　threw　sparks　off　the　obsidian　material；　like　the　meeting　of　flint　and　steel　magnified　ten　thousand　times；　generating　an　actinic　glare　too　intense　to　view　directly。　The　entire　slope　was　bathed　in　wild　bluish　light。
　　I　put　aside　my　instruments　and　stepped　out　to　better　observe；　for　down　in　my　gut　I　knew　the　Lady　anchored　the　nether　end　of　that　scrawl；　having　entered　the　lists　for　the　first　time。　She　was　the　big　one；　the　most　powerful；　and　if　the　castle　could　be　reduced　at　all；　hers　was　the　might　that　would　do　it。
　　The　Lieutenant　must　have　been　distracted。　For　a　few　seconds　his　fires　dwindled。　A　half…dozen　castle　creatures　went　up　the　steps；　dragging　two　and　three　corpses　apiece。　A　rush　of　their　patriots　came　out　to　meet　the　Limper；　who　was　in　hot　pursuit。　My　guess　is　they　got　twelve　bodies　inside。　Some　might　not　have　lost　the　spark　of　life　entirely。
　　Chunks　flew　from　the　castle　where　the　Lady's　line　touched；　each　blazing　with　that　brilliant　light。　Thin　cracks；　in　crimson；　appeared　against　the　black；　spreading　slowly。　The　creatures　assembling　the　devices　retreated；　were　replaced　by　others　trying　to　lessen　the　effects　of　the　Lady's　attack。　They　had　no　luck。　Several　were　knocked　down　by　missiles　from　the　Lieutenant's　batteries。
　　The　Limper　reached　the　head　of　the　stairs　and　stood　limned　against　the　glow　of　a　section　of　castle　still　afire；　sword　raised　high。　A　giant　runt；　if　you　will　pardon　the　contradiction。　He　is　a　tiny　thing；　yet　stood　huge　at　that　moment。　He　bellowed；　〃Follow　me！〃　and　charged　down　the　ramp。
　　To　my　everlasting　amazement；　men　followed　him。　Hundreds　of　men。　I　saw　Elmo　and　the　remnants　of　his　pany　go　roaring　up；　across；　and　disappear。　Even　scores　of　gutsy　citizens　decided　to　take　part。
　　Part　of　the　story　of　Marron　Shed　had　e　out　recently；　without　names　or　such；　but　with　heavy　emphasis　on　how　much　wealth　he　and　Raven　had　garnered。　Obviously；　the　story　had　been　planted　against　this　moment；　when　a　storm　of　manpower　would　be　needed　to　subdue　the　castle。　In　ensuing　minutes　the　call　of　wealth　led　many　a　man　from　the　Buskin　up　those　steps。
　　Down　on　the　far　side　of　the　castle　Whisper　reached　One…Eye's　camp。　One…Eye　and　his　men；　of　course；　had　stood　to　arms；　but　had　taken　part　in　nothing　yet。　His　mine　operation　had　stalled　once　he　was　certain　there　was　no　way　to　get　around　or　to　breech　the　substance　of　the　castle。
　　Whisper　brought　one　of　those　eggs　of　fire；　planted　it　against　the　obsidian　exposed　by　One…Eye's　mine。　She　set　it　off　and　let　it　gnaw　at　the　fortress's　underbelly。
　　That；　I　learned　later；　had　been　in　the　plan　for　some　time。　She　had　done　some　fancy　flying　to　bring　her　crippled　carpet　down　near　One…Eye　so　she　could　carry　it　out。
　　Seeing　the　men　pour　into　the　castle；　seeing　the　walls　abandoned　and　being　broken　up　by　the　Lady；　seeing　fires　burning　unchecked；　I　decided　the　battle　was　ours　and　was　all　over　but　the　crying。　I　went　back　into　the　hospital　and　resumed　cutting　and　stitching；　setting　and　just　plain　shaking　my　head　over　men　for　whom　there　was　nothing　I　could　do。　I　wished　One…Eye　weren't　on　the　far　side　of　the　ridge。　He'd　always　been　my　principal　assistant；　and　I　missed　him。　While　I　could　not　denigrate　Pockets'　skill；　he　did　not　have　One…Eye's　talent。　Often　there　was　a　man　beyond　my　help　who　could　be　saved　with　a　little　magic。
　　A　whoop　and　howl　told　me　Journey　was　back；　home　from　his　latest　crash　and　rushing　his　enemies　once　more。　And　not　far　behind　him　came　those　elements　of　the　pany　which　had　been　stationed　in　the　Buskin。　The　Lieutenant　met　Candy　and　prevented　him　from　rushing　over　the　ramp。　Instead；　he　manned　the　perimeter　and　began　rounding　up　those　laborers　who　could　be　found　still　close　to　the　action。　He　started　putting　things　back　together。
　　The　bam！　weapon　had　continued　pounding　away　all　along。　Now　it　began　to　falter。　The　Lieutenant　loudly　cursed　the　fact　that　there　were　no　carpets　to　drop　fire　eggs。
　　There　was　one。　The　Lady's。　And　I　was　sure　she　knew　the　situation。　But　she　did　not　abandon　her　rope　of　irridescent　light。　She　must　have　felt　it　to　be　more　important。
　　Down　in　the　mine　the　fire　gnawed　through　the　bottom　of　the　fortress。　A　hole　slowly　expanded。　One…Eye　says　there　is　very　little　heat　associated　with　those　flames。　The　moment　Whisper　considered　it　opportune；　she　led　his　force　into　the　fortress。
　　One…Eye　says　he　really　considered　going；　but　had　a　bad　feeling　about　it。　He　watched　the　mob　charge　in；　workers　and　all；　then　hiked　around　to　our　side。　He　joined　me　in　the　hospital　and　updated　me　as　he　worked。
　　Moments　after　he　arrived；　the　backside　of　the　castle　collapsed。　The　whole　earth　rumbled。　A　long　roar　rolled　down　the　thousand　feet　of　the　back　slope。　Very　dramatic；　but　to　little　effect。　The　castle　creatures　were　not　inconvenienced　at　all。
　　Parts　of　the　forewall　were　falling　too；　broken　by　the　Lady's　incessant　attack。
　　pany　members　continued　to　arrive；　acpanied　by　frightened　formations　of　the　Duke's　men　and　even　some　Custodians　rigged　out　as　soldiers。　The　Lieutenant　fed　them　into　his　lines。　He　allowed　no　one　else　to　enter　the　castle。
　　Strange　lights　and　fires；　fell　howls　and　noises；　and　terrible；　terrible　odors　came　out　of　that　place。　I　don't　know　what　happened　in　there。　Maybe　I　never　will。　I　gather　that　hardly　anyone　came　back。
　　A　strange；　deep…throated；　almost　inaudible　moaning　began。　It　had　me　shuddering　before　I　noted　it　consciously。　It　climbed　in　pitch