gc.shadowslinger-第11章

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　　The　Captain　shone　with　a　glow　of　acplishment…till　the　military　governor　summoned　him。
　　He　assembled　the　officers　and　senior　nons　when　he　returned。　〃Bad　news；〃　he　told　us。　〃The　Lady　is　sending　the　Limper　to　lead　us　across　the　Plain　of　Fear。　Us　and　the　caravan　we'll　escort。〃
　　Our　response　was　surly。　There　was　bad　blood　between　the　pany　and　the　Limper。　Elmo　asked；　〃How　soon　will　we　leave；　sir？〃　We　needed　rest。　None　had　been　promised；　of　course；　and　the　Lady　and　the　Taken　seem　unconscious　of　human　frailties；　but　still。　。　。　。
　　〃No　time　specified。　Don't　get　lazy。　He's　not　here　now；　but　he　could　turn　up　tomorrow。〃
　　Sure。　With　the　flying　carpets　the　Taken　use；　they　can　turn　up　anywhere　within　days。　I　muttered；　〃Let's　hope　other　business　keeps　him　away　a　while。〃
　　I　did　not　want　to　encounter　him　again。　We　had　done　him　wrong；　frequently；　way　back。　Before　Charm　we　worked　closely　with　a　Taken　called　Soulcatcher。　Catcher　used　us　in　several　schemes　to　discredit　Limper；　both　out　of　old　enmity　and　because　Catcher　was　secretly　working　on　behalf　of　the　Dominator。　The　Lady　was　taken　in。　She　nearly　destroyed　the　Limper；　but　rehabilitated　him　instead；　and　brought　him　back　for　the　final　battle。
　　Way；　way　back；　when　the　Domination　was　aborning；　centuries　before　the　foundation　of　the　Lady's　empire；　the　Dominator　overpowered　his　greatest　rivals　and　pelled　them　into　his　service。　He　accumulated　ten　villains　that　way；　soon　known　as　the　Ten　Who　Were　Taken。　When　the　White　Rose　raised　the　world　against　the　Dominator's　wickedness；　the　Ten　were　buried　with　him。　She　could　destroy　none　of　them　outright。
　　Centuries　of　peace　sapped　the　will　of　the　world　to　guard　itself。　A　curious　wizard　tried　to　contact　the　Lady。　The　Lady　manipulated　him；　effected　her　release。　The　Ten　rose　with　her。　Within　a　generation　she　and　they　forged　a　new　dark　empire。　Within　two　they　were　embattled　with　the　Rebel；　whose　prophets　agreed　the　White　Rose　would　be　reincarnated　to　lead　them　to　a　final　victory。
　　For　a　while　it　looked　like　they　would　win。　Our　armies　collapsed。　Provinces　fell。　Taken　feuded　and　destroyed　one　another。　Nine　of　the　Ten　perished。　The　Lady　managed　to　Take　three　Rebel　chieftains　to　replace　a　portion　of　her　losses：　Feather；　Journey；　and　Whisper…likely　the　best　general　since　the　White　Rose。　She　gave　us　a　terrible　time　before　her　Taking。
　　The　Rebel　prophets　were　correct　in　their　prophecies；　except　about　the　last　battle。　They　expected　a　reincarnated　White　Rose　to　lead　them。　She　did　not。　They　did　not　find　her　in　time。
　　She　was　alive　then。　But　she　was　living　on　our　side　of　the　battleline；　unaware　of　what　she　was。　I　learned　who　she　was。　It　is　that　knowledge　which　makes　my　life　worthless　should　I　be　put　to　the　question。
　　〃Croaker！〃　the　Captain　snapped。　〃Wake　up！〃　Everybody　looked　at　me；　wondering　how　I　could　daydream　through　whatever　he'd　said。
　　〃What？〃
　　〃You　didn't　hear　me？〃
　　〃No；　sir。〃
　　He　glowered　his　best　bear　glower。　〃Listen　up；　then。　Be　ready　to　travel　by　carpet　when　the　Taken　arrive。　Fifty　pounds　of　gear　is　your　limit。〃
　　Carpet？　Taken？　What　the　hell？　I　looked　around。　Some　of　the　men　grinned。　Some　pitied　me。　Carpet　flight？　〃What　for？〃
　　Patiently；　the　Captain　explained；　〃The　Lady　wants　ten　men　sent　to　help　Whisper　and　Feather　in　the　Barrowland。　Doing　what　I　don't　know。　You're　one　of　the　ones　she　picked。〃
　　Flutter　of　fear。　〃Why　me？〃　It　was　rough；　back　when　I　was　her　pet。
　　〃Maybe　she　still　loves　you。　After　all　these　years。〃
　　〃Captain。　。。。〃
　　〃Because　she　said　so；　Croaker。〃
　　〃I　guess　that's　good　enough。　Sure　can't　argue　with　it。　Who　else？〃
　　〃Pay　attention　and　you'd　know　these　things。　Worry　about　it　later。　We　have　other　fish　to　fry　now。〃
　　Whisper　came　to　Frost　before　the　Limper。　I　found　myself　tossing　a　pack　aboard　her　flying　carpet。　Fifty　pounds。　The　rest　I　had　left　with　One…Eye　and　Silent。
　　The　carpet　was　a　carpet　only　by　courtesy；　because　tradition　calls　it　that。　Actually；　it　is　a　piece　of　heavy　fabric　stretched　on　a　wooden　frame　a　foot　high　when　grounded。　My　fellow　passengers　were　Elmo；　who　would　mand　our　team；　and　Kingpin。　Kingpin　is　a　lazy　bastard；　but　he　swings　a　mean　blade。
　　Our　gear；　and　another　hundred　pounds　belonging　to　men　who　would　follow　us　later；　rested　at　the　center　of　the　carpet。　Shaking；　Elmo　and　Kingpin　tied　themselves　in　place　at　the　carpet's　two　rear　corners。　My　spot　was　the　left　front。　Whisper　sat　at　the　right。　We　were　heavily　bundled；　almost　to　immobility。　We　would　be　flying　fast　and　high；　Whisper　said。　The　temperature　upstairs　would　be　low。
　　I　shook　as　much　as　Elmo　and　Kingpin；　though　I　had　been　aboard　carpets　before。　I　loved　the　view　and　dreaded　the　anticipation　of　falling　that　came　with　flight。　I　also　dreaded　the　Plain　of　Fear；　where　strange；　fell　things　cruise　the　upper　air。
　　Whisper　queried；　〃You　all　use　the　latrine？　It's　going　to　be　a　long　flight。〃　She　did　not　mention　us　voiding　ourselves　in　fear；　which　some　men　do　up　there。　Her　voice　was　cool　and　melodious；　like　those　of　the　women　who　populate　your　last　dream　before　waking。　Her　appearance　belied　that　voice。　She　looked　every　bit　the　tough　old　campaigner　she　was。　She　eyed　me；　evidently　recalling　our　previous　encounter　in　the　Forest　of　Cloud。
　　Raven　and　I　had　lain　in　wait　where　she　was　expected　to　meet　the　Limper　and　lead　him　over　to　the　Rebel　side。　The　ambush　was　successful。　Raven　took　the　Limper。　I　captured　Whisper。　Soulcatcher　and　the　Lady　came　and　finished　up。　Whisper　became　the　first　new　Taken　since　the　Domination。
　　She　winked。
　　Taut　fabric　smacked　my　butt。　We　went　up　fast。
　　Crossing　the　Plain　of　Fear　was　faster　by　air；　but　still　harrowing。　Windwhales　quartered　across　our　path。　We　zipped　around　them。　They　were　too　slow　to　keep　pace。　Turquoise　manta　things　rose　from　their　backs；　flapped　clumsily；　caught　updrafts；　rose　above　us；　then　dived　past　like　plunging　eagles；　challenging　our　presence　in　their　airspace。　We　could　not　outrun　them；　but　outclimbed　them　easily。　However；　we　could　not　climb　higher　than　the　windwhales。　So　high；　and　the　air　bees　too　rare　for　human　beings。　The　whales　could　rise　another　mile；　being　diving　platforms　for　the　mantas。
　　There　were　other　flying　things；　smaller　and　less　dangerous；　but　determinedly　obnoxious。　Nevertheless；　we　got　through。　When　a　manta　did　attack；　Whisper　defeated　it　with　her　thaumaturgic　craft。
　　To　do　so；　she　gave　up　control　of　the　carpet。　We　fell；　out　of　control；　till　she　drove　the　manta　away。　I　got　through　without　losing　my　breakfast；　but　just　barely。　I　never　asked　Elmo　and　Kingpin；　figuring　they　might　not　want　their　dignity　betrayed。　　Whisper　would　not　attack　first。　That　is　the　prime　rule　for　surviving　the　Plain　of　Fear。　Don't　hit　first。　If　you　do；　you　buy　more　than　a　duel。　Every　monster　out　there　will　go　after　you。
　　We　crossed　without　harm；　as　carpets　usually　do；　and　raced　on；　all　day　long；　into　the　night。　We　turned　north。　The　air　became　cooler。　Whisper　dropped　to　lower　altitudes　and　slower　speeds。　Morning　found　us　over　Forsberg；　where　the　pany　had　served　when　new　in　the　Lady's　service。　Elmo　and　I　gawked　over　the　side。
　　Once　I　pointed；　shouted；　〃There's　Deal。〃　We　had　held　that　fortress　briefly。　Then　Elmo　pointed　the　other　way。　There　lay　Oar；　where　we　had　pulled　some　fine；　bloody　tricks　on　the　Rebel；　and　earned　the　enmity　of　the　Limper。　Whisper　flew　so　low　we　could　distinguish　faces　in　the　streets。　Oar　looked　no　more　friendly　than　it　had　eight　years　ago。
　　We　passed　on；　rolled　along　above　the　treetops　of　the　Great　Forest；　ancient　and　virgin　wilderness　from　which　the　White　Rose　had　conducted　her　campaigns　against　the　Dominator。　Whisper　slowed　around　noon。　We　drifted　down　into　a　wide　sprawl　that　once　had　been　cleared　land。　A　cluster　of　mounds　in　its　middle　betrayed　the　handiwork　of　man；　though　now　the　barrows　are　scarcely　recognizable。
　　Whisper　landed　in　the　street　of　a　town　that　was　mostly　ruin。　I　presumed　it　to　be　the　town　occupied　by　the　Eternal　Guard；　whose　task　it　is　to　prevent　tampering　with　the　Barrowland。　They　were　effective　till　betrayed　by　apathy　elsewhere。
　　It　took　the　Resurrectionists　three　hundred　seventy　years　to　open　the　Barrowland；　and　then　they　did　not　get　what　they　wanted。　The　Lady　returned；　with