fs.thethirdbookofswords-第2部分

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ut　of　human　hands；　because　some　of　us　were　getting　worried。　But　do　you　think　he　would　really　have　destroyed　the　Swords；　once　he　had　them　all　collected？　I　don't　think　so。〃
　That　suggestion　was　greeted　by　a　thoughtful　pause；　a　general　silence。
　And　that　silence　broken　by　a　slow　and　thoughtful　voice：　〃Besides；　are　we　really　sure　that　Hermes　is　dead？　What　solid　evidence　do　we　have？〃
　Now　even　Apollo　the　reasoner　felt　pelled　to　howl　his　rage　at　such　thickheadedness。　〃One　of　the　Swords　killed　Hermes！　Farslayer；　hurled　from　the　hands　of　a　mere　human！〃
　Apollo　got　a　venomous　retort。　〃How　can　we　be　sure　that　that's　what　really　happened？　Has　anyone　seen　the　Sword　Farslayer　since　then？　Did　any　one　of　us　see　Hermes　fall？〃
　At　this　moment；　Zeus　once　more　stepped　forward。　He　conveyed　the　impression　of　one　who　had　been　waiting　for　the　exactly　proper　instant　to　take　action。　And　it　seemed　that　he　had　at　last　timed　an　attempt　correctly；　because　for　once　he　was　not　howled　down　before　he　could　begin　to　speak。
　〃Wisdom　es　with　experience；〃　Zeus　intoned；　〃and　experience　with　age。　To　learn　from　the　past　is　the　surest　way　to　secure　the　future。　In　peace　and　wisdom　there　is　strength。　In　strength　and　wisdom　there　is　peace。　In　wisdom　and。。。〃
　No　one　howled　him　down　this　time；　but　after　the　first　dozen　words　hardly　any　of　his　fellow　deities　were　still　listening。　Instead　they　resumed　their　separate　conversations　around　the　circle；　taking　time　out　from　the　general　debate　while　they　waited　for　Zeus　to　be　finished。　This　treatment　was　even　deadlier　than　the　other。　Zeus　soon　realized　what　was　happening。　He　retreated　again　to　his　own　place　in　the　ring；　and　there　withdrew　into　a　total；　sulky　silence。
　Now　…　at　another　place　along　the　ring　there　was　a　stirring　and　a　swirling　movement　among　the　snow　and　rocks。　Attention　became　focused　on　this　spot；　just　as　a　new　member　joined　the　pany　there。　Rather　than　ing　out　of　the　sky　as　the　others　had；　this　god　emerged　up　out　of　the　Earth。　The　form　of　Hades　was　indistinct；　all　dimness　and　darkness；　a　difficult　object　even　for　the　faculties　of　another　deity　to　prehend。
　Hades　in　his　formless　voice　said　that　yes；　Hermes　was　certainly　dead。　No；　he；　Hades；　hadn't　actually　seen　the　Messenger　fall；　or　die。　But　he　had　been　with　Hermes　shortly　before　what　must　have　been　the　moment　of　that　death；　when　Hermes　was　engaged　in　taking　some　Swords　away　from　some　humans。　It　was　Hades'　opinion　that　Hermes　had　been　acting　in　good　faith　in　his　attempt　to　collect　the　Blades；　though　unfortunately　they　had　been　lost　again。
　Now　another　side　discussion　was　developing。　What　about　that　offending　human；　the　one　that　had　apparently　thrown　Farslayer　at　Hermes　and　brought　him　down？　The　awful　hubris　that　could　strike　a　god；　any　god；　to　earth　cried　out　to　heaven　for　vengeance。　What　punishment　had　been　dealt　to　the　culprit？　Surely　someone　had　already　seen　to　it　that　some　special　and　eternal　retaliation　had　been　inflicted？
　The　same　thought　had　already　occurred；　long　ago；　to　certain　other　members　of　the　group。　Alas；　they　had　to　report　now　that　when　they　first　heard　of　the　offending　human　he　was　already　beyond　the　reach　of　even　divine　revenge。
　〃Then　we　must　exact　some　sort　of　retribution　from　humanity　in　general。〃
　〃Aha；　now　we　e　to　it！　Just　which　part　of　humanity　do　you　propose　to　strike　at？　Those　who　are　your　pawns　in　the　Game；　or　those　I　claim　as　mine？〃
　Apollo's　disgust　at　this　argument　was　beyond　all　measure。　〃How　can　you　fools　still　talk　of　pawns；　and　games？　Do　you　not　see。。？〃　But　words　failed　him　for　the　moment。
　Hades　spoke　up　again；　this　time　with　his　own　suggestion　for　the　permanent　disposal　of　the　Swords。　If　all　those　god…forged　weapons　could　somehow　be　collected；　and　delivered　to　him；　he　would　see　to　their　burial。　All　the　other　deities　present　could　permanently　cease　to　worry。
　〃We　might　cease　doing　a　lot　of　things　permanently；　once　you　had　all　the　Swords！　Of　course　you'd　be　willing　to　accept　twelve　for　yourself　…　and　incidentally　to　win　the　Game　by　doing　so！　Where　would　that　leave　us？　What　kind　of　fools　do　you　take　us　for？〃
　Hades　was；　or　at　least　pretended　to　be；　affronted　by　this　attitude。　〃What　do　I　care　now　about　a　game？　Now；　when　our　very　existence　is　at　stake。　Haven't　you　been　listening　to　Apollo？〃
　〃Our　very　existence；　bah！　Tell　that　stuff　to　someone　who'll　believe　it。　Gods　are　immortal。　We　all　know　that。　Hermes　is　playing　dead；　hiding　out　somewhere。　It's　part　of　a　ploy　to　win　the　Game。　Well；　I　don't　intend　to　lose；　whatever　happens。　Not　to　Hermes；　and　not　to　Apollo；　and　particularly　not　to　you！〃
　Aphrodite；　murmuring　softly；　announced　to　all　who　would　listen　that　she　could　think　up　her　own　ideas　for　getting　back　the　Swords。　Those　who　had　the　Swords；　or　most　of　them　anyway；　were　only　mere　men；　were　they　not？
　Apollo　spoke　again。　This　time　he　prefaced　his　remarks　by　waving　his　bow；　a　gesture　that　gained　him　notably　greater　attention。　He　said　that　if　the　Swords　could　be　regathered；　they　should　then　be　turned　over　to　him；　as　the　most　logical　and　trustworthy　of　gods。　He　would　then　put　an　end　to　the　threat　the　weapons　posed；　by　the　simple　expedient　of　shooting　them；　like　so　many　arrows；　clean　off　the　Earth。
　Before　Apollo　had　finished　his　short　speech　most　of　his　audience　were　ignoring　him；　bow　and　all；　even　as　they　had　ignored　Zeus。　Meanwhile　in　the　background　Mars　was　rumbling　threats　against　unspecified　enemies。　Others　were　laughing；　secretly　or　openly；　at　Mars。
　Vulcan　was　quietly　passing　the　word　around　the　circle　that　if　others　were　to　gather　up　the　Blades　and　bring　them　back　to　him；　and　if　a　majority　of　his　peers　were　to　assure　him　that　that　was　what　they　really　wanted；　he'd　do　his　best　to　melt　all　of　the　Twelve　back　into　harmless　iron　again。
　No　one　was　paying　the　least　attention　to　Zeus　mighty　sulking；　and　he　reverted　to　speech　in　a　last　effort　to　establish　some　authority。　〃It　seems　to　me　that　the　Smith　here　incorporated　far　too　much　of　humanity　into　the　Swords。　Why　was　it　necessary　to　quench　the　Blades；　when　they　came　from　the　fire　and　anvil；　in　living　human　blood？　And　why　were　so　much　human　sweat　and　human　tears　introduced　into　the　process？〃
　Vulcan　bristled　defensively　at　this。　〃Are　you　trying　to　tell　me　my　trade？　What　do　you　know　about　it；　anyway？〃
　Here　Mars；　gloating　to　see　his　rival　stung；　jumped　into　the　argument。　〃And　then　there　was　that　last　little　trick　you　played　at　the　forging。　Taking　off　the　right　arm　of　the　human　smith　who　helped　you　…　what　was　that　all　about？〃
　The　Smith's　answer　…　if　indeed　he　gave　one　…　was　lost　in　a　new　burst　of　noise。　A　dozen　voices　flared　up；　arguing　on　several　different　subjects。　The　meeting　was　giving　every　sign　of　breaking　up；　despite　Apollo's　best　thundering　efforts　to　hold　it　together　a　little　longer。　As　usual　there　had　been　no　general　agreement　on　what　their　mon　problems　were；　much　less　on　any　course　of　action。　Already　the　circle　of　the　gods　was　thinning　as　the　figures　that　posed　it　began　to　vanish　into　the　air。　The　wind　hummed　with　their　departing　powers。　Hades；　eschewing　aerial　flight　as　usual；　vanished　again　straight　down　into　the　Earth　beneath　his　feet。
　But　one　voice　in　the　council　was　still　roaring　on；　bellowing　with　monotonous　urgency。　Against　all　odds；　its　owner　was　at　last　able　to　achieve　something　like　an　attentive　silence　among　the　handful　of　deities　who　remained。
　〃Look！　Look！〃　was　all　that　voice　was　saying。　And　with　one　mighty　arm　the　roaring　god　was　pointing　steadily　downslope；　indicating　a　single；　simple　line　of　markings　in　the　snow；　tracks　that　the　mundane　wind　was　rapidly　effacing。
　There　could　be　no　doubt　about　those　markings。　They　were　a　line　of　departing　footprints；　heading　straight　down　the　mountainside；　disappearing　behind　snow…buried　rocks　before　they　had　gone　more　than　a　few　meters。　Though　they　marked　strides　too　long　and　impressions　too　broad　and　deep　to　have　been　made　by　any　human　being；　there　was　no　doubt　that　they　had　been　left　by　mortal　feet。
　Chapter　2
　The　one…armed　man　came　stumbling　along　through　midnight　rain；　following　a　twisted　cobblestone　alley　into　the　lightless　heart　of　the　great　city　of　Tashigang。　He　was　suffering　with　fresh　wounds　now　…　one　knife…gash　bleeding　in　his　side　and　another　one　in　his　knee　…　besides　the　old　maiming　loss　of　his　right　arm。　Still　he　was　better　off　than　the　man　who　had　just　attacked　him。　That　blunderer　was　some　meters　back　along　the　twisted　alley；　face　down　in　a　puddle。
　Now；　just　when　the　one…armed　man　was　about　on　the　point　of　going　down　himself；　he　steered　toward　a　wall　and　leaned　against　it。　Standing　with　his　broad　back　in　its　homespun　shirt　pressed　to　the　stone　wall　of　somebody's　house；　he　squeezed　himself　in　as　far　as　possible　under　the　thin　overhang　of　roof；　until　the　eaves　blocked　at　least　some　of　the　steady　rain　from　hitting　him　in　the　face。　The　man　felt　frightened　by　what　had　happened　to　his　knee。　From　the　way　the　injured　leg　felt　now　when　he　tried　to　put　his　weight　on　it；　he　wasn't　going　to　be　able　to　walk　much　farther。
　He　hadn't　had　a　chance　yet　to　start　worrying　about　what　might　have　happened　when　the　knife　went　into　his　side。
　The　one…armed　man　was　tall；　and　strongly　built。　Still；　by　definition；　he　was　a　cripple；　and　therefore　the　robber　…　if　that　was　all　he　h