fs.thethirdbookofswords-第48部分

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　〃You；　tell　me…where　is　the　place　you　call　the　House　of　Courtenay？　I　hear　that　they　are　hiding　some　of　my　Swords　in　there。〃
　He　got　his　directions　in　a　piping　voice；　the　man　pointed　with　the　arm　that　had　not　been　broken　by　Vulcan's　grab。
　The　Smith　let　the　creature　fall；　and　limped　away　briskly　through　the　streets。　But　now　Apollo's　head　loomed　over　a　nearby　rooftop。
　〃Beware；　Smith。　We　must　meet　and　think　and　try　to　talk　about　all　this。　I　am　calling　a　council。。。〃
　〃Beware　yourself。　We've　met　and　talked　enough；　for　ages；　and　got　nowhere。　And　think？　Who　among　us　can　do　that？　Maybe　you。　Who　else　wants　to？　I　don't。　I　just　want　what　is　mine。〃
　He　marched　on；　moving　quickly　in　his　uneven　gait。　A　street　or　two　later；　there　was　another　interruption。　Atop　an　indented　curve　of　the　great　city　wall；　which　was　here　only　about　as　high　as　Vulcan's　head；　a　human　in　green　and　gray　was　brandishing　some　unknown　Sword；　as　if　daring　the　gods　to　attack　him。　It　must　be　a　Sword　in　which　the　man　had　confidence。
　Vulcan　detoured　to　confront　this　man。　Shiva；　interested；　was　staying　right　with　him。
　The　tiny　teeth　of　the　man　on　the　wall　were　chattering。　But　he　got　out　the　words　he　was　trying　to　say：　〃This　is　Doomgiver！　Stay　back！〃
　〃Doomgiver；　hey？〃　That　particular　Sword　had　been；　in　the　back　of　Vulcan's　thoughts；　a　lingering　concern。　Wishing　to　take　no　chances；　he　aimed　a　hard　swing　with　the　Sword　of　Force。　Its　thudding　sound　built　in　a　moment　to　explosive　volume。　There　was　a　dazzling　flash；　a　thunderclap　of　sound；　as　the　two　Blades　came　in　contact；　opposing　each　other　directly。
　Vulcan　stood　there；　blinking　at　ruin　and　destruction。　A　chunk　of　stone　as　big　as　his　fist　had　been　blasted　out　of　the　wall　before　his　eyes。　Of　the　human　being　who　had　been　standing　on　the　wall；　holding　the　opposing　Sword；　there　was　almost　nothing　left。　Although　Shieldbreaker　appeared　the　same　as　ever；　there　appeared　to　be　no　trace　of　Doomgiver。
　〃Doomgiver；　gone？　Just　like　that？　No；　there　must　be　some　pieces　here；　I'll　find　them；　and　carry　them　back　to　my　forge；　and　make　it　new！〃
　But　that　proved　to　be　impossible。　Though　Vulcan　diminished　himself　to　half　his　previous　height；　the　better　to　search　for　tiny　scattered　objects；　he　could　not　turn　up　even　the　smallest　fragment　of　the　shattered　blade。　He　found　only　the　black　hilt；　bearing　the　simple　white　circle；　a　line　returning　on　itself。　The　Sword　of　Justice　was　no　more。
　He　told　himself　that　he　might　still　try　to　recast　it；　some　day；　beginning　the　job　from　the　beginning　again；　but　he　was　not　sure　now　that　he　remembered　how　he　had　acplished　it　the　first　time。　And　anyway；　what　need　had　he　of　a　Sword　of　Justice　now？　Just　twenty　years　ago；　things　had　been　simpler；　all　the　gods　knew　what　they　were　doing　then；　and　what　they　were　supposed　to　do；　and　no　human　being　had　yet　thought　of　challenging　their　rule。
　Vulcan　was　angry；　as　he　went　limping　on　toward　the　House　of　Courtenay。
　Over　rooftops　he　saw　the　heads　of　Apollo；　Zeus；　and　Diana；　e　to　chide　and　challenge　him　again。
　Diana　demanded：　〃Why　did　you　strike　down　Mars？〃
　He　snarled　at　them　all：　〃Because　he　insulted　me；　and　bothered　me！　Who　needed　Mars；　anyway？　What　was　he　good　for？　And　as　for　the　Great　Dog；　I'm　not　even　sure　he's　dead。　I　wasted　no　time　on　him；　one　way　or　the　other。〃
　As　soon　as　Vulcan　swelled　himself　back　to　his　usual　height；　and　waved　Shieldbreaker　at　them；　the　protestors　fell　back　out　of　his　way；　as　he　had　known　they　would。
　〃By　my　forge；　I　think　that　this　must　be　the　house。〃
　The　four…story　building；　standing　close　by　one　of　the　branches　of　the　river；　had　already　been　attacked　by　someone　else；　and　was　still　smoking。　On　the　flat　roof　of　the　house；　amid　vines　and　flowers　and　garden　paths；　a　human　stood。　The　little　creature　was　strong　and　bulky　for　a　mere　man；　and　held　another　Sword　in　hand。
　Shiva　pounced　forward；　meaning　to　take　that　weapon　for　his　own。　He　ignored　Vulcan's　rumbled　warning。
　The　Sword　in　the　man's　hand　screamed　with　its　own　power。　By　the　shrill　note　Vulcan　recognized　it；　at　once　and　with　satisfaction。　Townsaver！
　The　god　of　the　four　arms　screamed　too；　in　pain；　not　triumph；　and　pulled　back　a　badly　mangled　hand。　The　injured　god　ran　reeling；　devastating　small　buildings　as　he　crashed　into　them。　His　screams　continued　without　pause；　as　his　bounding；　bouncing　flight　took　him　away　to　the　city　walls　again；　and　over　the　walls　and　out　of　sight。
　〃Hah；　the　fool！〃　Vulcan　grumbled　to　himself　in　satisfaction。　〃Now　I'll　take　that　Sword　too。　Or　else　see　it　destroyed；　like　the　other。〃
　He　stepped　close　to　the　man　on　the　roof；　and　slashed　quickly　with　the　Sword　of　Force；　right　to　left　and　back　again。　With　the　motion　of　his　arm　his　right　fist　struck　a　corner　of　the　building；　close　to　the　part　of　the　roof　where　the　man　was　standing。　As　the　two　Swords　came　in　contact；　and　the　Sword　of　Fury　disappeared　in　another　explosive　flash；　the　building　opened　up　under　the　impact　of　Vulcan's　fist；　and　the　man　who　had　been　holding　Townsaver　dropped　down　inside　the　walls；　disappearing　in　a　cloud　of　dust　and　a　small　landslide　of　debris。
　〃That　must　have　been　Townsaver；　by　its　voice。。。　but；　by　the　Spear　of　Mars；　it's　gone　now　too！　Damnation　to　all　human　vermin　who　destroy　my　property！　But　there　may　be　other　Swords　in　this　nest。　He　who　told　me　said　more　than　one。〃
　Vulcan　considered　the　battered　structure；　its　roof　terrace　gaping　at　the　corner　where　his　fist　had　struck；　its　lower　floors　blackened　on　the　outside　and　still　smoldering　where　someone　had　earlier　tried　an　assault　by　fire。　It　would　be　easy　enough　to　pull　the　house　down；　but　it　would　be　awkward　to　sift　the　whole　pile　of　wreckage　for　his　Swords　afterward。　No。
　After　taking　thought　for　a　few　more　moments；　the　Smith　shrank　himself　once　more；　this　time　to　little　more　than　human　size。　Now　he　ought　to　be　able　to　enter　most　of　their　rooms　and　passages。　The　shrinkage　of　course　left　his　strength　undiminished；　and　had　the　extra　advantage　of　making　it　easier　for　him　to　grip　Shieldbreaker's　merely　man…sized　hilt。
　He　kept　the　Sword　of　Force　in　hand　and　ready；　just　in　case　the　building　when　entered　might　contain　surprises。
　There　was　no　need　to　kick　the　front　door　in；　someone　had　already　taken　care　of　that。　Inside；　he　encountered　first　a　pile　of　ugly　human　dead；　nothing　that　he　wanted　there。　He　could　tell　now　that　there　were　some　live　ones　also　present　in　the　building；　but　so　far　they　were　all　trying　to　hide　from　him。　It　didn't　matter　what　they　did。　He'd　seek　out　what　he　wanted。
　This　was　some　kind　of　human　workshop　here。　It　was　well　stocked　with　weapons；　but　none　of　divine　manufacture。
　The　Smith　shouted：　〃You　might　as　well　bring　them　out　to　me！　I　forged　them；　all　of　them；　and　they　are　mine！〃
　Next　he　kicked　open　a　wall；　behind　which；　his　senses　told　him；　there　was　some　kind　of　a　hidden　door；　but　all　he　uncovered；　all　that　had　been　hidden　here　for　safety；　were　a　plump　human　girl　and　the　small　child　she　was　trying　to　shelter。
　〃Hah！　This　is　their　treasure？〃　The　ways　and　thoughts　of　humankind　were　sometimes　small　beneath　all　Vulcan's　prehension。
　Now　a　light　weight　of　some　kind　fell　from　some　where　to　land　on　Vulcan's　neck；　and　it　took　him　a　moment　to　realize　that　it　was　in　fact　a　living　human　body。　A　man　had　just　jumped　deliberately　upon　him；　from　above　and　behind。　A　lone　man；　whose　weaponless　arms；　looked　around　Vulcan's　mighty　neck；　were　straining　in　an　evident　effort　to　strangle　him。
　The　god　laughed　at　this　puny　assault；　laughed　at　it；　when　he　got　around　to　noticing　it　for　what　it　was。　At　first　it　did　not　even　distract　him　fully　from　his　search。　The　Swords；　the　Swords。。。　there　ought　to　be　at　least　one　more　of　them　around　here　somewhere。。。
　He　would　have　them　all；　or　he　would　destroy　them　all；　to　perfect　and　insure　his　ultimate　power　over　the　other　gods　and　goddesses。　So；　they　thought　the　Game　had　been　abandoned；　did　they？　Well；　it　was　over　now；　or　very　nearly　over。　But　not　abandoned。　No。　He；　the　Smith；　the　cripple；　was　winning　it；　he　had　almost　won。。。　and；　just　to　be　sure　of　course；　he　needed　the　Swords　to　perfect　his　power　over　men　and　women　too。　He　wanted　at　some　time　to　be　able　to　put　Shieldbreaker　down　and　rest；　but　he　thought　that　time　would　not　e　while　even　one　of　the　other　eleven　remained　in　other　hands　than　his；　or　unaccounted　for。
　He　had　turned　away　from　the　girl　and　the　baby；　ignoring　them　even　as　he　forgot　the　rag　of　living　human　flesh　that　was　a　large；　strong　man　still　hanging　on　his　neck。　He　would　brush　that　away　the　next　time　that　he　thought　of　it。
　Now　Vulcan's　progress　was　blocked　by　a　strong；　closed　door；　and　he　grabbed　with　his　free　hand　at　a　projecting　corner　of　the　doorframe；　intending　to　tear　the　whole　framework　loose。
　But　he　met　startling　resistance。　Here　was　mere　wood　and　stone；　and　of　no　heroic　dimensions；　refusing　to　yield　to　him。
　Still；　such　was　the　Smith's　impatience　that　his　first　concern　was　still　getting　through　the　door；　and　not　wondering　why　he　could　not。　Instinctively　he　used　Shieldbreaker　on　the　door；　which　now　gave　way　quite　satisfactorily。
　Irritated　by　the　delay；　and　more　so　by　the　fact　that　the　room　uncovered　this　time　was　empty；　Vulcan　became　more　fully　aware　of　another　irritation；　the　man　who　was　still　hanging　on　his　back。　The　god；