mck.harpistinthewind-第35章

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　　　　　　　〃What　did　you　do　in　the　wastes？〃
　　　　　　　〃I　harped。　I　could　play　that　low　note　there；　the　one　that　shatters　stone。。。〃　He　heard　his　voice　from　a　distance；　amazed　that　it　was　vaguely　rational。
　　　　　　　〃How　did　you　survive？〃
　　　　　　　〃I　don't　know。　Maybe　I　was　part　wind；　for　a　while　。。。　I　was　afraid　to　e　back。　What　will　I　do　with　such　power？〃
　　　　　　　〃Use　it。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　don't　dare。　I　have　power　over　land…law。　I　want　it；　I　want　to　use　it。　But　I　have　no　right。　Land…law　is　the　heritage　of　kings；　bound　into　them　by　the　High　One。　I　would　destroy　all　law。。。〃
　　　　　　　〃Perhaps。　But　land…law　is　also　the　greatest　source　of　power　in　the　realm。　Who　can　help　the　High　One　but　you？〃
　　　　　　　〃He　hasn't　asked　for　help。　Does　a　mountain　ask　for　help？　Or　a　river？　They　simply　exist。　If　I　touch　his　power；　he　may　pay　enough　attention　to　me　to　destroy　me；　but。。。〃
　　　　　　　〃Morgon；　have　you　no　hope　whatsoever　in　those　stars　I　made　for　you？〃
　　　　　　　〃No。〃　His　eyes　closed；　he　dragged　them　open　again；　wanting　to　weep　with　the　effort。　He　whispered；　〃I　don't　speak　the　language　of　stone。　To　him；　I　simply　exist。　He　sees　nothing　but　three　stars　rising　out　of　countless　centuries　of　darkness；　during　which　powerless　shapes　called　men　touched　the　earth　a　little；　hardly　enough　to　disturb　him。〃
　　　　　　　〃He　gave　them　land…law。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　was　a　shape　possessing　land…law。　Now；　I　am　simply　a　shape　with　no　destiny　but　in　the　past。　I　will　not　touch　the　power　of　another　land…ruler　again。〃
　　　　　　　The　wizard　was　silent；　gazing　down　at　a　fire　that　kept　blurring　under　Morgon's　eyes。　〃Are　you　so　angry　with　the　High　One？〃
　　　　　　　〃How　can　I　be　angry　with　a　stone？〃
　　　　　　　〃The　Earth…Masters　have　taken　all　shapes。　What　makes　you　so　certain　the　High　One　has　shaped　himself　to　everything　but　the　shape　and　language　of　men？〃
　　　　　　　〃Why。。。〃　He　stopped；　staring　down　at　the　flames　until　they　burned　the　shadows　of　sleep　out　of　his　mind　and　he　could　think　again。　〃You　want　me　to　loose　my　own　powers　into　the　realm。〃
　　　　　　　Yrth　did　not　answer。　Morgon　looked　up　at　him；　giving　him　back　the　image　of　his　own　face；　hard；　ancient；　powerful。　The　fire　washed　over　his　thoughts　again。　He　saw　suddenly；　for　the　first　time；　not　the　slab　of　wind　speaking　the　language　of　stone　that　he　thought　was　the　High　One；　but　something　pursued；　vulnerable；　in　danger；　whose　silence　was　the　single　weapon　he　possessed。　The　thought　held　him　still；　wondering。　Slowly　he　became　aware　of　the　silence　that　built　moment　by　moment　between　his　question　and　the　answer　to　it。
　　　　　　　He　stopped　breathing；　listening　to　the　silence　that　haunted　him　oddly；　like　a　memory　of　something　he　had　once　cherished。　The　wizard's　hands　turned　a　little　toward　the　light　and　then　closed；　hiding　their　scars。　He　said；　〃There　are　powers　loosed　all　over　the　realm　to　find　the　High　One。　Yours　will　not　be　the　worst。　You　are；　after　all；　bound　by　a　peculiar　system　of　restraints。　The　best；　and　the　least　prehensible　of　them；　seems　to　be　love。　You　could　ask　permission　from　the　land…rulers。　They　trust　you。　And　they　were　in　great　despair　when　neither　you　nor　the　High　One　seemed　to　be　anywhere　on　the　face　of　the　realm。〃
　　　　　　　Morgon's　head　bowed。　〃I　didn't　think　of　them。〃　He　did　not　hear　Yrth　move　until　the　wizard's　dark　robe　brushed　the　wood　of　his　chair。　The　wizard's　hand　touched　his　shoulder；　very　gently；　as　he　might　have　touched　a　wild　thing　that　had　moved　fearfully；　tentatively；　toward　him　into　his　stillness。
　　　　　　　Something　drained　out　of　Morgon　at　the　touch：　confusion；　anger；　arguments；　even　the　strength　and　will　to　wrestle　with　all　the　wizard's　subtlety。　Only　the　silence　was　left；　and　a　helpless；　inprehensible　longing。
　　　　　　　〃I'll　find　the　High　One；〃　he　said。　He　added；　in　warning　or　in　promise；　〃Nothing　will　destroy　him。　I　swear　it。　Nothing。〃
　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　XIII
　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　HE　SLEPT　FOR　TWO　DAYS　IN　THE　KING'S　　HOUSE；　waking　only　once　to　eat；　and　another　time　to　see　Raederle　sitting　beside　him；　waiting　patiently　for　him　to　wake　up。　He　linked　his　fingers　into　hers；　smiling　a　little；　then　rolled　over　and　went　back　to　sleep。　He　woke　finally；　clear…headed；　at　evening。　He　was　alone。　From　the　faint　chaos　of　voices　and　crockery　that　seeped　into　his　listening；　he　knew　that　the　household　was　at　supper；　and　Raederle　was　probably　with　Danan。　He　washed　and　drank　some　wine；　still　listening。　Beneath　the　noises　of　the　house；　he　heard　the　vast；　dark；　ageless　silence　forming　the　hollows　and　mazes　within　Isig　Mountain。
　　　　　　　He　stood　linked　to　the　silence　until　it　formed　channels　in　his　mind。　Then；　impulsively；　he　left　the　tower；　went　unobtrusively　to　the　hall；　where　only　Raederle　and　Bere　noticed　him；　falling　quiet　amid　the　noise　to　watch　his　passage。　He　followed　the　path　of　a　dream　then；　through　the　empty　upper　shafts。　He　took　a　torch　from　the　wall　at　the　mouth　of　a　dark　tunnel；　as　he　entered　it；　the　walls　blazed　around　him　with　fiery；　uncut　jewels。　He　moved　unhesitantly　through　his　memory；　down　a　honeyb　of　passageways；　along　the　sides　of　shallow　streams　and　deep　crevices；　through　unmined　caves　shimmering　with　gold；　moving　deeper　and　deeper　into　the　immensity　of　darkness　and　stone　until　he　seemed　to　breathe　its　stillness　and　age　into　his　bones。　At　last　he　sensed　something　older；　even；　than　the　great　mountain。　The　path　he　followed　dwindled　into　crumbled　stone。　The　torch　fire　washed　over　a　deep　green　slab　of　a　door　that　had　opened　once　before　to　the　sound　of　his　name。　There　he　stopped　incredulously。
　　　　　　　The　ground　floor　was　littered　with　the　shards　of　broken　rock。　The　door　to　the　Earth…Masters'　dead　was　split　open；　half　of　it　had　fallen　ponderously　back　into　the　cave。　The　tomb　itself　was　choked　with　great　chunks　of　jewelled　ceiling　stone；　the　walls　had　shrugged　themselves　together；　hiding　whatever　was　left　of　the　strange　pale　stones　within。
　　　　　　　He　picked　his　way　to　the　door；　but　he　could　not　enter。　He　crooked　one　arm　on　the　door；　leaned　his　face　against　it。　He　let　his　thoughts　flow　into　the　stone；　seep　through　marble；　amethyst；　and　gold　until　he　touched　something　like　the　remnant　of　a　half…forgotten　dream。　He　explored　farther；　he　found　no　names；　only　a　sense　of　something　that　had　once　lived。
　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　He　stood　for　a　long　time；　leaning　against　the　door　without　moving。　After　a　while；　he　knew　why　he　had　e　down　into　the　mountain；　and　he　felt　the　blood　beat　through　him；　quick；　cold；　as　it　had　the　first　time　he　had　brought　himself　to　that　threshold　of　his　destiny。　He　became　aware；　as　he　had　never　been　before；　of　the　mountain　settled　over　his　head；　and　of　the　king　within　it；　his　ancient　mind　shaped　to　its　mazes；　holding　all　its　peace　and　all　its　power。　His　thoughts　moved　once　again；　slowly；　into　the　door；　until　he　touched　at　the　core　of　the　stone；　the　sense　of　Danan's　mind；　shaped　to　that　tiny　fragment　of　mountain；　bound　to　it。　He　let　his　brain　bee　stone；　rich；　worn；　ponderous。　He　drew　all　knowledge　of　it　into　himself；　of　its　great　strength；　its　inmost　colors；　its　most　fragile　point　where　he　might　have　shattered　it　with　a　thought。　The　knowledge　became　a　binding；　a　part　of　himself；　deep　in　his　own　mind。　Then；　searching　within　the　stone；　he　found　once　more　the　wordless　awareness；　the　law　that　bound　king　to　stone；　land…ruler　to　every　portion　of　his　kingdom。　He　enpassed　that　awareness；　broke　it；　and　the　stone　held　no　name　but　his　own。
　　　　　　　He　let　his　own　awareness　of　the　binding　dwindle　into　some　dark　cave　deep　in　his　mind。　He　straightened　slowly；　sweating　in　the　cool　air。　His　torch　was　out；　he　touched　it；　lit　it　again。　Turning；　he　found　Danan　in　front　of　him；　massive　and　still　as　Isig；　his　face　expressionless　as　a　rock。
　　　　　　　Morgon's　muscles　tensed　involuntarily。　He　wondered　for　a　second　if　there　was　any　language　in　him　to　explain　what　he　was　doing　to　a　rock；　before　the　slow；　ponderous　weight　of　Danan's　anger　roused　stones　from　their　sleep　to　bury　him　beside　the　children's　tomb。　Then　he　saw　the　king's　broad　fist　unclench。
　　　　　　　〃Morgon。〃　His　voice　was　breathless　with　astonishment。　〃It　was　you　who　drew　me　down　here。　What　are　you　doing？〃　He　touched　Morgon　when　he　could　not　answer。　〃You're　frightened。　What　are　you　doing　that　you　need　to　fear　me？〃
　　　　　　　Morgon　moved　after　a　moment。　His　body　felt　drained；　cumbersome　as　stone。　〃Learning　your　land…law。