fs.thethirdbookofswords-第51部分

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　〃How　do　you　know　when　to　trust　anyone；　my　dear？　You'll　have　to　make　a　choice。〃
　She　wanted　to　cry　out　that　she　did　not　know　when　to　trust　anyone；　that　was　her　whole　problem。　〃You　madman；　suppose　I　were　to　answer　you　and　tell　you　yes。　Could　you　defeat　the　Mindsword　for　me　then？〃
　〃I'll　do　all　I　can　to　help　you；　if　you　will　be　my　bride。　We'll　see　about　the　Mindsword　when　it　es。〃
　〃It's　here　now。　Oh；　you　bastard。　Impossible　as　always。　Leave　now。　Get　out　of　here；　or　I'm　going　to　draw　Soulcutter。〃　And　she　put　her　hand　on　the　unrelieved　blackness　of　that　hilt；　that　rested　as　always　within　reach。　〃And　I　suppose　you'll　go　on　seducing　brides；　and　fathering　more　bastards；　after　we　are　married？〃
　He　said；　softly　and　soberly；　〃I　will　be　more　faithful　to　you　than　you　can　well　imagine。　I　love　you；　I　always　have。　Why　do　you　think　I　fought　for　you；　beside　you；　when　you　were　a　girl？〃
　〃I　don't　believe　it；　I　tell　you。　I　don't　believe　any　of　it。　Leave　now；　or　I　draw　Soulcutter。〃
　〃It's　your　Sword；　to　do　with　as　you　will。　But　I　will　leave　when　you　decide　to　draw　it。〃
　She　started　to　draw　the　Sword；　and　…　at　the　same　moment　called　out　in　a　clear　voice　for　her　guards。　When　they　came　pushing　into　the　tent　a　moment　later；　they　found　their　Queen　quite　alone；　and　Soulcutter　safely　in　its　sheath；　though　her　hand　on　the　hilt　was　poised　as　if　for　action。
　The　soldiers　found　themselves　staring　half…hypnotized　at　that　hand；　both　of　them　hoping　that　they　would　be　out　of　the　tent　again　before　the　Sword　was　drawn；　and　already　in　the　air　around　it；　around　themselves；　they　thought　they　could　feel　the　backwash　of　a　wave　of　emptiness。
　Queen　Yambu　wasted　no　more　time；　but　gave　the　orders　necessary　to　get　her　troops　into　the　state　of　final　readiness　for　battle。　That　done；　she　ordered　an　advance。
　With　Vilkata's　ranks　still　no　more　than　barely　in　sight；　she　waited　in　the　middle　of　her　own　line；　mounted　on　her　famous　gray　warbeast；　ready　to　draw　the　Sword　of　…　of　what？　As　far　as　she　knew；　this　one　had　only　one　name。
　Now　the　enemy　lines　were　creeping　forward。　There；　in　their　center；　that　would　be　Vilkata　himself；　waiting　for　the　perfect　moment　in　which　to　draw　the　weapon　that　he　was　gambling　would　be　supreme。
　The　hand　of　Queen　Yambu　was　on　her　own　Sword's　hilt。　She　urged　her　mount　forward；　a　little。　Not　yet。
　Now。
　The　Mindsword　and　Soulcutter　were　drawn；　virtually　simultaneously。
　Her　own　first　reaction；　to　the　overwhelming　psychic　impact　of　her　own　Sword；　was　that　she　wanted　to　throw　it　away　…　but　then　she　did　not。　Because　she　could　no　longer　see　how　throwing　it　away　would　make　any　difference；　would　matter　in　the　least。
　Nor　did　anything　else　matter。
　Nothing　else　in　the　whole　universe。
　The　Mindsword　was　a　distant；　irrelevant　twinkle；　far　across　the　field；　beneath　the　gloom　of　thunderclouds。　While　near　at　hand；　around　Queen　Yambu　herself。。。
　Those　of　her　own　troops　who　were　closest　to　her　had　been　looking　at　her　when　she　drew。　After　that　they　were　indifferent　as　to　where　they　looked。　Around　her　a　wave　of　lethargy；　of　supreme　indifference；　was　spreading　out；　a　slow　splash　in　an　inkblack　pool。
　In　the　distance；　but　drawing　rapidly　nearer；　a　charge　was　ing。　Vilkata's　troops；　with　maddened　yells；　the　fresh　inspiration　of　the　Mindsword　driving　them。
　Some　of　the　Queen's　soldiers；　more　and　more　of　them　with　each　passing　second；　were　actually　slumping　to　the　ground　now；　letting　their　weapons　fall　from　indifferent　hands。　It　appeared　that　they　would　be　able　to　put　up　no　resistance；　that　the　Dark　King　might　now　be　going　to　win　easily。　But　of　course　that　did　not　matter　either。
　With　berserker　cries；　the　first　of　the　Dark　King's　newly　energized　fanatics　rushed　upon　them。　The　defense　put　up　by　the　soldiers　in　black　and　silver　was　at　best　half…hearted；　and　it　was　weaker　the　closer　they　were　stationed　to　their　Queen。
　But　the　attackers；　Vilkata's　men　and　women；　were　now　entering　the　region　of　Soulcutter's　dominance。　It　was　their　screams　of　triumph　that　faltered　first；　and　then　the　energy　with　which　they　plied　their　weapons。　Next　their　ranks　came　to　a　jostling；　stumbling　halt。
　The　Queen　of　Yambu　…　not　knowing；　really；　why　she　bothered　…　slowly　raised　her　eyes。　The　Sword　she　held　above　her　head　was　so　dull　that　it　almost　hurt　the　eyes　to　look　at　it。
　The　Sword　of　Despair　…　she　had　thought　of　the　other　name　for　it　now。　Not　that　that　mattered；　either。　Not　that　or　anything　else。
　Why　was　she　bothering　to　hold　the　Sword　so　high？　She　let　her　arms　slump　with　its　weight。　When　her　warbeast；　puzzled　and　suffering；　wanted　to　move；　she　let　it　go；　sliding　from　its　back。　She　stood　almost　leaning　on　the　Sword　now；　its　point　cutting　shallowly　into　the　earth。
　Nor　did　any　of　that　really　mean　anything；　as　far　as　she　could　tell。
　The　fighting　that　had　begun；　sporadically；　was　dying　out。　Soulcutter　was　winning；　all　across　the　field。　If　neither　victory　nor　survival　mattered；　to　anyone；　there　would　be　no　battle。
　Yambu　was　aware；　though　only　dimly　and　indifferently；　that　so　far　the　Dark　King's　weapon　had　been　able　to　shield　him；　and　a　small　group　of　his　followers　around　him；　from　Soulcutter's　dark；　subtle　assault。
　That　group　began　to　charge　toward　her　now；　yelling　warcries。　But　its　numbers　shrank；　and　shrank　more　rapidly　the　closer　it　came　to　Queen　Yambu。　One　by　one　the　people　in　it　turned　aside　from　the　charge；　to　sit　or　kneel　or　slump　to　the　ground；　giving　up　the　effort　in　despiar。
　King　Vilkata's　demons　were　the　last　to　desert　him。　And　even　before　that　had　happened；　he　himself　had　given　up　the　attack　and　was　in　full　flight　from　the　field。
　Rostov；　out　having　a　personal　look　around；　turned　his　scouting　squadron　back　when　they　came　to　the　edge　of　the　field。　Ahead　of　him　the　General　could　see　what　looked　to　him　like　the　worst　slaughter　he　had　ever　beheld；　in　a　lifetime　spent　largely　amid　scenes　of　butchery。　There　were　two　armies　on　the　field；　and　as　nearly　as　he　could　tell　from　this　distance；　both　of　them　had　been　virtually　wiped　out。　But　the　General　turned　back；　and　ordered　his　soldiers　back；　not　because　of　what　he　saw　but　because　of　what　he　felt；　what　they　had　all　felt　when　trespassing　upon　the　fringes　of　that　grim　arena。　Another　few　steps　in　that　direction；　thought　Rostov；　and　he　would　have　been　ready　to　throw　down　his　weapons　and　his　medals　and　abandon　life。
　He　was　wondering　what　orders　to　give　next；　when　he　saw　a　giant　figure　appear　in　the　distance。　With　swift；　powerful；　two…legged　strides　it　drew　closer；　also　approaching　the　field　of　despair。　It　was　Draffut；　called　a　god　by　some；　although　General　Rostov　had　never　seen　the　Lord　of　Beasts　before；　who　else　could　this　be？
　There　was　someone　else；　a　man…shape；　riding　familiarly　on　Draffut's　shoulders。
　Draffut　did　not　approach　Rostov　and　his　scouting　detachment；　but　instead　halted　at　another　point　on　the　rim　of　that　terrible　battlefield。　There　the　giant　stopped；　and　set　down　the　man　who　had　been　riding　on　his　shoulders；　and　from　that　point　the　man　alone；　a　gray…caped　figure　bearing　a　bright　Sword　in　hand；　walked　on　alone　into　the　field　of　doom　and　silence。
　Rostov；　puzzled；　tried　to　make　out　where　the　man　…　was　he　wearing　a　mask？　…　was　headed。　Then　the　General　realized　that　there　was　still　one　other　human　figure　standing　on　the　battlefield　…　way　out　there；　at　its　center。
　It　was　the　Silver　Queen；　leaning　on　the　blade　that　she　was　too　immobilized　to　cast　down。　When　Rostov　and　his　soldiers　saw　the　Emperor　take　it　from　her　hands；　and　sheath　it；　they　could　feel　how　a　change　for　the　better；　came　instantly　over　the　nearby　world。
　The　General　turned　to　his　troops；　shouting：　〃They're　not　all　dead　out　there！　Some　of　the　Dark　King's　hellions　are　starting　to　wake　up　already！　What're　you　waiting　for；　get　out　there　and　disarm　them　while　you　can！〃
　Epilogue
　When　the　party　of　the　surviving　gods　in　their　retreat　had　climbed　above　the　snow　level　of　the　Ludus　Mountains；　the　blind　man　they　carried　with　them　began　to　curse　and　rail　at　them　again。　He　ranted　as　if　they　were　still　under　his　mand；　and　Vulcan；　listening；　began　to　be　sorry　that　he　had　picked　the　man　up　and　brought　him　along。
　The　Smith　still　had　other　pany；　present　intermittently。　Gray…bearded　Zeus；　proud　Apollo；　Aphrodite；　Hades。　They　and　some　others　came　and　went。　Hades　was；　as　always；　never　far　from　his　true　domain；　the　Earth。　Diana　had　walked　with　them　for　a　while；　but　had　dropped　out　of　the　group　early；　saying　only　that　she　heard　another　kind　of　call。
　Vilkata；　the　man　they　had　brought　with　them；　was　shivering　and　in　rags。　The　golden　circlet　had　fallen　from　his　head　days　ago；　and　his　power　to　mand　demons　had　gone　with　it。　He　kept　groaning；　whining　that　he'd　lost　his　Sword。　He　was　raving　now；　demanding　that　food　and　slaves　and　wine　be　brought　to　him。
　Why　did　I　bring　him　with　me？　Vulcan　pondered　once　again。　The　Smith　himself　had　regained　some　of　his　strength　since　the　servants　of　Ardneh；　perceiving　him　as　no　longer　violent　and　dangerous；　had　loosed　his　bonds　and　let　him　go。　But　he　was　still　far　from　what　he　once　had　been；　and　sometimes　he　feared　that　he　was　dying。
　Apollo　had　told　them　all　several　times　in　the　course　of　the　retreat　that　they　were　all　dying　now；　or　would　be　soon；　himself　included。　The　world　had　changed　again