fs.thethirdbookofswords-第43部分

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　Kristin　swore；　softly　and　wearily。　〃There　is　now　a　general　who　insists　on　seeing　me；　if　I　have　learned　to　interpret　these　jabbering　signals　correctly。　I　have　so　much　to　do；　and　all　at　once。〃　She　seized　Mala　by　the　hands。　〃I　want　to　talk　to　you　again；　and　soon。〃　A　minute　later；　Mala　was　gone；　and　Kristin　was　receiving　General　Rostov。
　The　General　began　by　reporting；　in　his　gravelly　voice；　that　the　man　Jord　had　a　good　reputation　in　the　Intelligence　branch。　There　was　no　actual　Tasavaltan　dossier　on　the　son　as　yet　…　rather；　one　had　just　been　started　…　but　he　seemed　to　have　a　good　reputation　with　Sir　Andrew's　people。　And　a　long　and　strange　and　intimate　connection　with　the　Swords；　as　Jord　did　too；　of　course。
　〃Nothing　to　connect　either　of　them；　though；　Highness；　with　the　disappearance　of　Woundhealer。〃
　〃No；　I　should　think　not；　General。。。　now　what　are　your　military　plans？〃
　Rostov　drew　himself　up。　〃It's　like　this；　Highness。　The　best　place　to　defend　your　house　is　not　in　your　front　yard；　but　down　the　road　as　far　as　you　can　manage　it。　If　you　can　manage　it　that　way。〃
　〃If　that　is　a　final。。。　what　is　it；　Karel？〃
　The　wizard　had　reappeared　at　the　ornamental　gate。　〃A　matter　of　state；　Highness。　You　had　better　hear　it　before　pleting　any　other　plans；　military　or　otherwise。〃
　〃One　moment；〃　said　the　Princess；　and　faced　back　to　Rostov。　〃I　believe　you；　General。　And　I　have　decided　to　go　with　you。　If　you　are　saying　that　the　army　must　march　to　Tashigang；　because　that　is　where　the　fate　of　our　people　is　being　decided；　then　that　is　the　place　for　me　to　be　also。〃
　Choking　in　an　effort　to　keep　from　swearing；　General　Rostov　disputed　this　idea　as　firmly　as　he　was　able。
　〃Both　of　you；〃　said　Karel；　〃had　better　hear　me　first。　What　I　have　to　say　is　connected　with　the　woman　who　was　just　here。〃
　Chapter　16
　They　were　kilometers　in　length；　and　tall　as　palaces。　They　wound　uphill　and　down；　in　a　great　tail…swallowing　circle；　in　curves　like　the　back　of　the　legendary　Great　Worm　Yilgarn。　They　were　the　walls　of　Tashigang；　and　at　long　last　they　stood　before　him。
　The　taking　of　the　city；　even　the　planning　of　its　capture；　were　turning　out　to　present　considerably　greater　problems　than　the　Dark　King　had　earlier　envisioned。　He　had　once　pictured　himself　simply　riding　up　to　the　main　gate　on　the　Hermes　Road；　and　brandishing　the　Mindsword　in　the　faces　of　the　garrison；　who　had　been　conveniently　assembled　for　him　on　the　battlements。　Then；　after　a　delay　no　longer　than　the　time　required　for　his　new　slaves　in　the　city　to　open　up　the　gate；　he　would　enter　in　triumph；　to　see　to　the　disposal　of　his　new　treasure　and　the　elimination　of　some　of　his　old　enemies。
　That　last　part　of　the　vision　had　been　the　first　part　to　turn　unreal　and　unconvincing；　which　it　did　almost　as　soon　as　Vilkata　began　to　think　about　it。　The　Mindsword　would　seem　to　rob　revenge　almost　entirely　of　its　satisfaction。　If　one's　old　enemies　had　now　bee　one's　loyal　slaves；　about　as　faithful　as　human　beings　could　be；　then　what　was　the　point　of　destroying　or　damaging　them？
　In　any　case；　Vilkata　could　see　now　that　Tashigang　was　not　going　to　fall　into　his　hands　as　neatly　as　all　that。　On　the　last　night　of　his　march　toward　the　city；　the　night　before　he　first　faced　the　ancient　serpentine　walls　directly；　the　Dark　King　had　received　a　warning　from　his　demonic　counselors。　They　had　determined；　they　said；　that　the　Sword　Doomgiver　had　just　been　carried　inside　the　city's　walls；　where　it　was　now　in　the　possession　of　some　of　the　most　fanatical　defenders。　Therefore　he；　the　Dark　King；　stood　in　danger　of　having　his　most　powerful　magic…aye；　even　the　power　of　the　Mindsword　…　turned　against　him　when　he　tried　to　use　it　in　an　attack。
　After　receiving　this　grim　caution；　Vilkata　sat　in　blind　silence　for　a　time；　dispensing　with　the　demon's　vision　the　better　to　concentrate　on　his　own　thoughts。　Meanwhile　those　of　his　human　counselors　who　were　attending　him　waited　in　their　own　tremulous　silence　around　him；　fearing　his　wrath；　as　they　imagined　that　he　still　listened　to　the　demonic　voices　that　only　he　could　hear。
　The　Dark　King　tried　to　imagine　the　direst　warnings　of　his　inhuman　magical　counselors　ing　true。　It　would　mean　the　devotion　of　all　his　own　troops　would　turn　to　hatred。　And　also；　perhaps；　it　would　mean　all　of　the　evil　that　he　had　ever　worked　on　anyone　now　within　the　walls　of　Tashigang　ing　back　on　himself；　suddenly；　to　strike　him　down。
　And　he　was　warned；　too；　that　the　Sword　Townsaver　might　also　be　within　the　city。　The　Sword　of　Fury　in　itself　ought　not　to　blunt　the　Mindsword's　power：　But　what　Townsaver　might　do；　to　any　portion　of　an　attacking　army　that　came　within　a　blade…length　of　its　wielder；　was　enough　in　itself　to　give　a　field　mander　pause。
　The　Dark　King　shuddered；　the　fear　that　was　never　far　below　the　surface　of　his　thoughts　suddenly　ing　near　the　surface。　As　he　shuddered；　the　humans　watching　him　thought　that　he　was　still　listening　to　the　demons'　speech。
　And　then；　there　was　the　matter　of　Farslayer；　too。　Until　he　had　that　particular　weapon　safely　in　his　hands；　he　had　to　be　concerned　about　it。　Any　monarch；　any　man；　who　dealt　consistently　in　such　great　affairs　as　King　Vilkata　did；　was　bound　to　make　enemies　and　would　have　to　be　concerned。　There　were　always　plenty　of　short…sighted；　vengeful　little　folk　about。。。　and　neither　the　Dark　King's　wizards　nor　his　immaterial　demons　could　give　him　any　idea　of　who　possessed　the　Sword　of　Vengeance　now。
　If　only　he　had　been　able　to　pick　up　Shieldbreaker　from　the　field　of　battle！　But　no；　another　distraction；　another　threat；　had　intervened　to　prevent　that。　And　now　no　one　could　tell　him　where　that　trump　of　weapons　was　located　either。
　Coinspinner　was　another　potential　problem。　It；　too；　was　now　thought　by　the　Dark　King's　magical　advisers　to　be　present　inside　the　walls　of　Tashigang。　And　he　was　sure　that　the　Sword　of　Chance　would　bring　those　damned　impertinent　rascals　good　luck；　good　fortune　of　some　kind；　even　in　the　face　of　the　Mindsword's　influence。　Vilkata　kept　trying　to　imagine　what　kind　of　good　luck　that　would　be。　Whatever　it　was；　it　would　not　be　good　for　him。
　But　despite　all　of　the　obstacles　and　objections；　he　could　be　royally　stubborn；　and　he　was　going　forward。　None　of　his　fears　were　great　enough　to　prevent　that。　In　the　end　he　decided　to　keep　his　own　supernal　weapons　under　wraps　for　the　time　being；　and　to　try　what　he　might　to　induce　the　city　to　surrender　under　threats。
　The　afternoon　he　arrived　before　the　walls；　he　had　his　great　pavilion　erected　within　easy　sight　of　them　…　though　not；　of　course；　within　missile　range。　At　the　same　time　Vilkata　ordered　a　plete　envelopment　of　the　city；　and　entrenchment　by　his　troops；　as　if　for　a　lengthy　siege；　all　along　their　encircling　lines。
　Even　his　great　host　was　thinly　spread　by　such　a　maneuver；　which　necessitated　occupying　a　line　several　kilometers　long；　but　Vilkata　intended　to　concentrate　most　of　his　troops　in　a　few　places　later；　if　and　when　it　actually　became　necessary　to　assault　the　walls。　Meanwhile　he　wanted　to　give　an　impression　not　only　of　overwhelming　force　but　of　unhurried　determination。　And　still　he　was　not　satisfied　that　things　were　going　well；　he　kept　urging　both　his　scouts　and　his　wizards　to　provide　him　with　more　information。
　At　dusk　on　the　second　day　of　the　siege；　the　Dark　King's　vaguely　growing　sense　of　some　impending　doom　was　suddenly　relieved。　The　last　flying　messenger　to　arrive　during　daylight　hours　brought　in　a　report　saying　that　the　troublesome　Beastlord　Draffut　was　finally　dead；　and　the　god　Mars　…　who　was　also　troublesome；　because　he　had　managed　to　remain　free　of　the　Mindsword's　control　…　was　dead　with　him。　And　that　Vulcan；　triumphant　over　both　of　them；　was　headed　toward　the　city　of　Tashigang；　waving　the　Sword　Shieldbreaker　and　crying　his　own　eternal　loyalty　to　the　Dark　King。
　When　the　half…intelligent　courier　was　asked　to　predict　the　time　of　the　god's　arrival；　it　gave　answers　interpreted　to　mean　that　the　progress　of　the　Smith　across　the　countryside　was　slow　and　erratic；　because　he　was　stopping　frequently　to　offer　sacrifice　to　his　god　Vilkata；　and　also　because　he　walked　a　zig…zag　course；　but　Vulcan　continually　cried　out　that　he　was　ing　on　to　Tashigang；　where　his　other　Swords　were　gathering；　and　where　he　meant　to　do　honor　in　person　to　the　King。
　His　other　Swords？　Vilkata　pondered　to　himself。　Of　course　the　Smith　had　forged　them　all；　and　perhaps　that　was　all　that　he　meant　by　the　use　of　such　an　expression。　In　any　case；　there　was　nothing　Vilkata　could　do　about　the　Smith；　or　any　other　god；　until　they　came　within　the　Mindsword's　range。　And　the　Dark　King　did　not　want　to　appear　to　be　worried　by　what　sounded；　on　the　surface；　like　very　good　news　indeed。　Therefore　he　gave　permission　for　a　celebration　of　Vulcan's　triumph　to　begin；　and　sent　out　trumpeters　and　criers　to　make　certain　that　the　death　of　Draffut　and　the　advance　of　the　victorious　Vulcan　were　made　known　within　the　walls　of　Tashigang　as　well。
　Vilkata　even　took　part　in　the　revel　himself；　at　least　as　far　as　its　middle　stages。　He　retired　paratively　early；　thinking　that　in　any　case　he　was　giving　himself　time　to　sleep　and　recover　before　Vulcan　could　possibly　arrive。　He　wearied　himself　with　women；　and　came　near　besotting　himself　with　wine；　and　then　tumbled　into　his　private　b