df.therunelords-第53章

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　So；　I　have　secretly　written　this　chronicle　and　sent　it　to　you。　I　am　growing　old。　I　will　not　live　long。　When　I　die　and　the　Days　write　the　tale　of　my　life；　I　wish　you　to　pare　the　two　chronicles；　to　see　what　you　can　find。　What　part　of　my　life　story　will　the　Days　omit？　What　part　will　they　embellish？
　Farewell；　My　Brother　in　Righteousness
　Gaborn　read　the　document　several　times。　The　teachings　of　the　Days　did　not　seem　particularly　profound。　Indeed；　they　seemed　rather　obvious　and　straightforward；　though　Gaborn　had　never　encountered　their　like。　Gaborn　could　see　no　reason　why　they　should　be　kept　secret；　particularly　from　the　Runelords。
　Still；　the　Emir　had　guarded　these　writings；　had　feared　some　unnamable　retribution。
　Yet　Gaborn　knew　that；　sometimes；　small　things　could　be　powerful。　As　a　child　of　five；　he'd　often　tried　to　lift　the　huge　halberds　that　his　father's　guards　bore　in　the　portcullis。　At　that　age；　he'd　been　given　his　first　endowment　of　brawn；　and　immediately　had　gone　out　and　discovered　that　he　could　lift　the　halberd　and　swing　it　with　ease。　A　single　endowment　of　strength　had　seemed　a　great　thing。　Now；　as　a　Runelord；　he　knew　that　it　was　nothing。　Yet　he　wondered　at　these　teachings。　They　seemed　simple；　yet　he　knew　that　the　Days　were　anything　but　simple。　An　odd　devotion；　taken　to　an　extreme；　could　have　profound　effects　on　a　personin　just　the　same　way　that　a　simple　love　of　food　led　to　obesity　and　death。
　Gaborn　had　seldom　wondered　if　he　was　good。　In　reading　these　teachings　from　the　Room　of　Dreams；　he　wondered　if　it　was　possible　to　be　a　〃good〃　Runelord　by　the　Days'　standards。　Those　who　gave　endowments　usually　regretted　it；　in　time。　Yet　once　the　gift　was　given；　it　could　not　be　returned。　At　that　point；　any　endowment　that　the　Runelord　held　would　be　considered　a　violation　by　the　Days。
　Gaborn　wondered　if　there　might　be　some　acceptable　circumstance　when　it　was　all　right　for　a　person　to　grant　an　endowment。　Perhaps　if　two　men　desired　to　bine　their　strength　to　fight　a　great　evil。　But　this　could　only　happen　if　he　and　his　Dedicate　were　one　in　heart。
　Yet　at　the　center　of　the　Days'　teachings　lay　a　concept　he　could　barely　apprehend：　Every　man　is　a　lord。　Every　man　is　equal。
　Gaborn　was　descended　from　Erden　Geboren　himself；　who　gave　and　took　life；　whom　Earth　itself　had　ordained　king。　If　the　Powers　favored　one　man　above　another；　then　men　could　not　be　considered　equal。　Gaborn　wondered　where　the　balance　lay；　felt　as　if　he　stood　poised　at　the　edge　of　receiving　a　revelation。
　He　had　always　thought　himself　a　rightful　lord　over　his　people。　Yet；　he　was　also　their　servant。　It　was　the　Runelord's　duty　to　protect　his　vassals；　to　shield　them　with　his　own　life。
　The　Days　thought　all　men　were　lords？　Did　this　mean　that　no　man　was　a　moner？　Did　Gaborn　really　have　no　rights　to　lordship？
　For　the　past　few　days　he'd　wondered　if　he　was　a　good　prince。　He'd　floundered　at　the　question；　but　he'd　had　no　clear　definition　for　good。　So　Gaborn　began　to　test　the　Days'　teachings；　to　consider　their　implications。
　As　Gaborn　lay　on　the　cellar　floor；　the　Days'　teachings　began　to　alter　the　way　he　would　think　forever　after。
　Gaborn　wondered　how　he　could　protect　himself　without　violating　another's　Domains。　He　saw　from　the　diagram　that　the　outer　ring；　the　ring　of　Invisible　Domains；　detailed　realms　that　were　often　fuzzy。　Where　does　my　body　space　end　and　another　man's　begin？
　Perhaps；　Gaborn　wondered；　there　was　an　approved　list　of　reactions。　If　someone　violated　your　Invisible　Domains；　you　should　warn　him　about　it。　Simply　speak　to　him。　But　if　he　violated　your　munal　Domains；　if；　say；　he　sought　to　ruin　your　reputation；　you　would　take　your　case　to　others；　publicly　confront　that　person。
　Yet　if　a　person　sought　to　violate　your　Visible　Domains；　if　they　sought　to　kill　you　or　steal　your　property；　Gaborn　could　see　no　other　recourse　but　to　take　up　arms。
　Perhaps　that　was　the　answer。　Inevitably；　it　seemed　to　him；　each　type　of　Domain　became　more　intimate　as　you　moved　from　the　outer　circle　toward　the　center。　Thus；　protecting　that　more　intimate　Domain　required　a　more　forceful　response。
　But　would　it　be　good　to　do　so？　Where　did　goodness　fit　in　here？　A　measured　response　seemed　appropriate；　just；　but　the　diagram　suggested　to　Gaborn　that　justice　and　virtue　were　not　the　same。　A　good　man　would　enlarge　the　Domain　of　others；　not　merely　protect　his　own　Domains。　Thus；　when　administering　justice；　one　had　to　choose：　Is　it　better　to　be　a　just　man　at　this　moment；　or　a　good　one？
　Do　I　give　to　the　man　who　robs　me？　Praise　the　man　who　belittles　me？
　If　Gaborn　sought　to　be　good；　he　could　do　little　else。　But　if　he　sought　to　be　a　protector　for　his　people；　was　that　not　also　good？　And　if　he　sought　to　protect　his　people；　he　could　not　afford　to　be　virtuous。
　The　Days'　teachings　seemed　muddling。　Perhaps；　he　thought；　the　Days　hide　these　teachings　from　the　Runelords　out　of　passion。　By。　the　Days'　standards；　it　is　a　hard　thing　for　a　man　to　be　virtuous。　Raj　Ahten　seeks　my　realm。　By　their　standards；　if　I　were　good；　perhaps　I　would　give　it　to　him。
　Yet　that　seemed　wrong。　Perhaps　it　is　a　greater　virtue　for　a　Runelord　to　be　just　and　equitable？
　He　began　to　wonder　if　even　the　Days　understood　the　implications　of　their　diagram。　Perhaps　it　was　not　three　circles　of　Domains；　but　more。　Perhaps　if　he　rearranged　the　individual　types　within　the　Domains；　forming　nine　circles；　he　could　better　gauge　how　to　react　to　an　attempt　at　invasion　for　each。
　He　considered　Raj　Ahten。　The　Wolf　Lord　violated　men's　Domains　at　every　level。　He　took　their　wealth　and　their　homes；　destroyed　families；　murdered；　raped；　and　enslaved。
　Gaborn　needed　to　protect　himself；　his　people；　from　this　beast　who　would　ravage　the　world。　But　he　could　not　simply　frighten　Raj　Ahten　away；　could　not　bully　the　man　or　reason　with　him　or　cow　him　by　denouncing　him　to　the　people。
　The　only　thing　Gaborn　could　do　to　save　his　people　would　be　to　find　a　way　to　kill　Raj　Ahten。
　Gaborn　listened　closely；　asking　Earth　if　that　was　its　will；　but　felt　no　responseno　shaking　of　the　earth；　no　burning　in　his　heart。
　At　the　moment；　Gaborn　could　not　touch　the　Wolf　Lord。　Raj　Ahten　was　too　powerful。　Still；　Gaborn　thought　he　might　spy　on　Raj　Ahten；　maybe　discover　how　best　to　wound　him。　Perhaps　Raj　Ahten　had　prized　Dedicates　he　carried　with　him；　or　perhaps　a　certain　counselor　drove　the　Wolf　Lord　relentlessly　in　pursuit　of　conquest。　Slaying　a　counselor　could　acplish　much。
　Gaborn　might　discover　such　things。　But　he'd　have　to　get　close；　first。　He'd　need　to　find　a　way　into　the　inner　circles　of　the　castle。
　Gaborn　wondered　if　Earth　would　approve。　Should　I　fight　Raj　Ahten？　By　doing　this；　would　I　violate　my　oath？
　It　seemed　a　good　plan；　daring；　to　spy　on　the　Wolf　Lord　and　learn　his　weakness。　Gaborn　had　already　established　some　cover　in　the　Dedicates'　Keep；　as　Aleson　the　Devotee。
　Gaborn　judged　that　if　he　and　Rowan　went　to　the　gate　of　the　Dedicates'　Keep　just　after　dawn；　after　Raj　Ahten's　night　guard　changed；　and　took　some　odd　items　of　spice　with　them；　perhaps　they　could　gain　entry。　All　that　night；　he　lay　awake；　considering。。。
　The　sun　rose　pink　in　the　east；　stirring　a　dawn　chill　as　Gaborn　and　Rowan　left　the　spice　house；　carrying　small　bales　of　parsley　and　peppermint。　A　low　mist　was　creeping　up　from　the　river；　over　the　walls；　making　a　blanket　on　the　fields。　The　rising　sun　dyed　the　blanket　gold。
　Gaborn　stopped　outside　the　door；　tasted　the　mist。　It　had　an　odd　scent；　the　tang　of　sea　salt　where　there　should　be　none。　Almost　he　could　imagine　the　cries　of　gulls　in　that　mist；　and　ships　sailing　from　harbor。　It　made　him　long　for　home；　but　Gaborn　thought　he　just　imagined　the　odd　scent。
　The　sounds　of　morning　were　like　any　other　morning。　The　cattle　and　sheep　were　still　wandering　about　the　city；　and　their　bawling　and　baaing　filled　the　air。　Jackdaws　chatted　noisily　from　their　nests　among　the　chimneys　of　houses。　The　blacksmith's　hammer　rang；　and　from　the　cooking　chamber　in　the　Soldiers'　Keep　one　could　smell　fresh　loaves　baking。　But　overwhelming　the　sumptuous　scent　of　food；　even　the　sea　mist；　was　the　acrid　stench　of　burned　grasses。
　Gaborn　did　not　fear　being　spotted。　He　and　Rowan　were　dressed　like　moners；　anonymous　inhabitants　of　the　castle。
　Rowan　led　Gaborn　up　a　fog…shrouded