fs.thethirdbookofswords-第10部分

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　Mark　was　startled。　〃What？〃
　〃I　say　that　I　have　just　e　from　an　assembly　of　the　gods；〃　Draffut　repeated　patiently。　〃And　I　had　Sightblinder　in　my　own　hand　as　I　stood　among　them　so　each　of　them　saw　me　as　one　of　their　own　number。。。　and　I　saw　that　in　them　which　surprised　me；　as　I　stood　there　and　listened　to　them　argue。〃　〃Argue。。。　about　what？〃
　〃In　part；　about　the　Swords。　As　usual　they　were　able　to　agree　on　nothing；　which　I　count　as　good　news　for　humanity。　But　I　heard　other　news　also；　that　was　not　good　at　all。　The　Dark　King；　Vilkata；　has　the　Mindsword　now。　How　and　when　he　got　it；　I　do　not　know。〃
　For　a　long　moment　Mark　stood　silent。　Then　he　muttered　softly；　〃Ardneh's　bones！　The　gods　were　saying　that？　Do　you　believe　it？〃
　〃I　am　glad；〃　said　Draffut；　〃that　you　understand　that　what　the　gods　tell　us　is　not　always　true。　But　in　this　case　I　fear　it　is　the　truth。　Remember　that　I　held　the　Sword　of　Stealth　in　my　own　hands　then；　and　I　looked　at　the　speakers　carefully　as　they　were　speaking。　They　were　not　telling　deliberate　lies；　nor　do　I　think　they　were　mistaken。〃
　〃Then　the　human　race　is。。。〃　Mark　made　a　gesture　of　futility。　〃。。。　in　trouble。〃　Looking　down　at　the　blade　he　was　still　holding；　he　swung　it　lightly；　testing　how　it　felt　in　his　grip。　〃If　the　question　is　not　too　impertinent；　how　did　you　e　to　have　this？　The　last　time　I　saw　it；　it　was　embedded　in　the　body　of　a　flying　dragon。〃
　〃It　may　have　fallen　from　the　creature　in　flight。　I　found　it　in　the　Great　Swamp。〃
　〃And　…　again　if　you　do　not　mind　my　asking　…　how　did　you　e　to　be　spying　on　the　gods？〃
　Draffut　rested　one　of　his　enormous　hands　on　a　tree…trunk　that　stood　beside　him。　Mark　thought　he　saw　the　bark　change　color　around　that　grip。　It　even　moved　a　little；　he　thought；　achieving　a　different　tempo　in　its　life。　Many　were　the　marvelous　tales　told　of　Draffut。　Now　the　Beastlord　was　speaking。
　〃Once　I　had　this　Sword　in　my　hand；　I　decided　that　I　would　never　have　a　better　chance　to　do　something　that　I　had　long　thought　about　…　to　find　the　Emperor；　and　talk　to　him　face　to　face。〃
　〃You　did　not　go　first　to　find　the　gods？〃
　〃I　had　met　gods　before。〃　Draffut　ruminated。　In　a　moment　he　went　on。　〃The　Emperor　is　not　an　easy　man　to　locate。　But　I　have　some　skill　in　discovering　that　which　is　hidden；　and　I　found　him。　I　had　been　for　a　long　time　curious。〃
　Mark　had　sometimes　been　curious　on　the　same　subject；　but　only　vaguely　so。　He　had　grown　up　accepting　the　monly　held　ideas　about　the　Emperor：　a　legendary　trickster；　perhaps　invented　and　unreal。　A　practical　joker；　a　propounder　of　riddles；　a　wearer　of　masks。　A　sometime　seducer　of　brides　and　maidens；　and　the　proverbial　father　of　the　poor　and　the　unlucky。　Only　in　recent　years；　as　Mark　began　to　meet　people　who　knew　more　about　the　world　than　the　name　of　the　next　village；　had　he　e　to　understand　that　the　Emperor　might　have　a　real　importance。
　Not　that　his　curiosity　on　the　subject　had　ever　occupied　much　of　his　time　or　thought。　Still；　he　now　asked　Draffut；　〃What　is　he　like？〃
　〃He　is　a　man；〃　said　Draffut　firmly；　as　if　there　had　been　some　doubt　of　that。　But；　having　made　that　point；　the　Beastlord　paused；　as　if　he　were　at　a　loss　as　to　what　else　to　say。
　At　last　he　went　on。　〃John　Ominor；　the　enemy　of　Ardneh；　was　called　Emperor　too。〃　At　this　offhand　recollection　of　the　events　of　two　thousand　years　past；　Mark　could　feel　his　scalp　creep　faintly。　Draffut　continued。　〃And　then；　a　little　later；　some　called　Prince　Duncan；　a　good　man；　by　that　title。〃
　Draffut　fell　silent。　Mark　waited　briefly；　then　pursued　the　subject。　〃Has　this　man　now　called　the　Emperor　some　connection　with　the　Swords？　Can　he　be　of　any　help　to　us　against　Vilkata？〃
　Draffut　made　a　curious　two…handed　gesture；　that　in　a　lesser　being　would　have　suggested　helplessness。　When　he　let　go　of　the　tree…trunk　its　surface　at　once　reverted　to　ordinary　bark。　〃I　think　that　the　Emperor　could　be　an　enormous　help　to　us。　But　how　to　obtain　his　help。。。　and　as　for　the　Swords；　I　can　tell　you　this：　I　think　that　Sightblinder　did　not　deceive　him　for　a　moment；　though　I　had　it　in　my　hand　as　I　approached。〃
　〃It　did　not　deceive　him？〃
　〃I　think　he　never　saw　me　as　anything　but　what　I　am。〃　The　Beastlord　thought　for　a　moment；　then　concluded：　〃Of　course　it　was　not　my　intention　to　deceive　him；　unless　he　should　mean　me　harm　…　and　I　do　not　believe　he　did。〃
　The　speaker's　intense；　inhuman　gaze　held　Mark's　eyes。　〃It　was　the　Emperor's　suggestion　that　I　take　this　Sword　and　use　it　to　observe　the　councils　of　the　gods。　And　he　told　me　something　else：　that　after　I　had　heard　the　gods；　I　should　bring　Sightblinder　on　to　you。〃
　Mark　experienced　an　inward　chill；　a　feeling　like　that　of　sudden　fear；　but　with　a　spark　of　exhilaration　at　the　core　of　it。　To　him　both　emotions　were　equally　inexplicable。　〃To　me？〃　he　echoed　stupidly。
　〃To　you。　Even　the　Sword　of　Stealth　cannot　disguise　me　well　enough　to　let　me　pass　for　human；　or　for　any　type　of　creature　of　merely　human　size。　At　a　distance；　perhaps。　But　I　cannot　enter　the　dwellings　of　humans　secretly；　to　listen　to　their　secret　councils。〃
　〃You　say　you're　able　to　spy　on　the　gods；　though。　Isn't　that　even　more　important？〃
　The　Beastlord　was　shaking　his　head。　〃The　war　that　is　ing　is　going　to　jar　the　world；　as　it　has　not　been　jarred　since　the　time　of　Ardneh。　And　the　war　is　going　to　be　won　or　lost　by　human　beings；　though　the　gods　will　have　a　role　to　play。〃
　〃How　do　you　know　these　things？〃
　Draffut　said　nothing。
　〃What　can　we　do？〃　Mark　asked　simply。
　〃I　am　going；　in　my　own　shape；　to　try　to　influence　the　actions　of　the　gods。　As　you　may　know；　I　am　incapable　of　hurting　humans；　whatever　happens。　But　against　them　I　can　fight　when　necessary。　I　have　done　as　much　before；　and　won。〃
　Again　Mark　could　feel　his　scalp　creep。　He　swallowed　and　nodded。　Apparently　there　was　some　basis　of　truth　for　those　legends　that　told　of　Draffut's　successful　bat　against　the　war…god　Mars　himself。
　Draffut　added：　〃I　am　going　to　leave　the　Sword　with　you。〃
　Again　to　hear　that　brought　Mark　a　swift　surge　of　elation；　an　emotion　in　this　case　swiftly　dampened　by　a　few　memories　and　a　little　calculation。
　〃Sir　Andrew；　whom　I　serve；　has　sent　me　on　a　mission　to　Princess　Rimac　…　or　to　her　General　Rostov；　if　he　proves　easier　to　find。　I　am　to　tell　them　certain　things。。。　of　course；　I　can　take　the　Sword　of　Stealth　along　with　me。　And　I　suppose　I　could　give　it　to　them　when　I　get　there。。。　but　what　did　the　Emperor　have　in　mind　for　me　to　do　with　it？　Do　you　trust　him？〃　Questions　were　piling　up　in　his　mind　faster　than　he　could　ask　them。
　〃I　have　known　and　dealt　with　human　beings　for　more　than　fifty　thousand　years；〃　said　Draffut；　〃and　I　trust　him。　Though　he　would　not　explain。　He　said　only　that　he　trusts　you　with　the　Sword。〃
　Mark　frowned。　To　be　told　of　such　mysterious　trust　by　an　apparently　powerful　figure　was　somehow　more　irritating　than　pleasing。　〃But　why　me？　What　does　he　know　about　me？〃
　〃He　knows　of　you；〃　said　Draffut　immediately；　in　a　tone　of　unhelpful　certainty。　〃And　now；　I　must　be　on　my　way。〃　The　giant　turned　away；　then　back　again　to　say；　〃The　Princess's　land　of　Tasavalta　lies　to　the　east　of　here；　along　the　coast；　as　I　suppose　you　know。　As　to　where　Rostov　and　his　army　might　be　at　the　moment；　you　can　probably　guess　as　well　as　I。〃
　〃I'll　take　the　Sword　on　with　me；　then；　to　the　Princess。〃　Mark　raised　his　voice；　calling　after　the　Beastlord；　Draffut；　moving　at　a　giant's　walk　considerably　faster　than　a　human　run；　was　already　growing　distant。　Mark　sighed；　swallowing　more　questions　that　were　obviously　not　going　to　be　answered　now。
　Splashing　through　the　shallow　river；　Draffut　turned　once　more；　for　just　long　enough　to　wave　farewell。　Then　he　began　to　climb　the　far　wall　of　the　great　canyon。　He　climbed　like　a　mountain　goat；　going　right　up　the　steep　rocks。　Mark　thought　he　could　see　the　rock　itself　undergoing　temporary　change；　wherever　Draffut　touched　it；　starting　to　flow　with　the　impulses　of　life。
　Then　Draffut　was　gone；　up　and　over　the　canyon　rim。
　Left　alone；　Mark　was　suddenly　exhausted。　He　stared　for　a　long　moment　at　the　Sword　left　in　his　hands。　Then　he　bent　to　enjoy；　at　last；　the　drink　he　needed　from　the　river　whose　name　he　did　not　know。　He　cooled　himself　with　splashing。　Then　he　stretched　himself　out　on　a　shady　moss；　with　Sightblinder　tucked　under　his　head；　and　slept　securely。　Any　enemy　ing　upon　him　now　would　not　see　him；　but　instead　some　person　or　thing　that　they　loved　or　feared；　or　at　any　rate　would　not　harm。　Of　course　there　might　e　a　sudden　thunderstorm　upstream；　a　canyon　flood；　and　he'd　be　drowned；　but　he　had　lived　much　of　his　life　with　greater　risks　than　that。
　Mark　did　not　awake　until　the　sun　had　dropped　behind　the　high　stone　western　wall　and　it　was　nearly　dark。　Before　the　light　had　faded　entirely；　he　managed　to　get　a　rabbit　with　one　of　his　two　remaining　arrows。　He　even　managed　to　retrieve　the　arrow　undamaged；　which　convinced　him　that　his　luck　was　definitely　improving。　After　cooking　his　rabbit　on　a　small　fire；　he　devoured　most　of　it　and　slept　again。
　It　was　deep　night　when　he　awoke　the　second　time；　and　he　lay　looking　up　at　the　stars　and　wondering　about　Draffut。　The　Beastlord　was　a　magnificent　and　unique　being；　and　it　was　small　wonder　that　most　folk　thought　he　was　a　god。　His　life　had　begun　so　long　ago　that　even　Ardneh's　struggle