srdonaldson.thepowerthatpreserves-第18章

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n　the　first。　The　tower　itself　could　not　be　entered　except　by　suspended　crosswalks　from　the　main　Keep；　or　through　two　small　doors　from　the　courtyard。　Lord's　Keep　had　been　well　made。　The　Giant…Raver　did　not　accept　the　dare　of　the　open　gates。
　　　　Instead；　he　placed　himself　just　close　enough　to　the　tower　to　taunt　skilled　archers；　and　shouted　up　at　the　stone　walls　in　a　voice　that　vibrated　with　malice　and　glee。　〃Hail；　Lords！　Worthy　Lords！　Show　yourselves；　Lordlings！　Leave　off　cowering　in　your　useless　warrens；　and　speak　with　me。　Behold！　I　e　courteously　to　accept　your　surrender！〃
　　　　There　was　no　answer。　The　tower；　only　half　as　high　as　the　main　Keep　behind　it；　stood　with　its　windows　and　battlements　as　silent　as　if　it　were　uninhabited。　A　whimpering　growl　passed　among　the　army　as　the　creatures　begged　for　a　chance　to　charge　through　the　open　gates。
　　　　〃Hear　me；　little　Lords！〃　he　shouted。　〃See　the　toils　of　my　strength　wrapped　around　you。　I　hold　your　last　lives　in　the　palm　of　my　hand。　There　is　no　hope　for　you　unless　you　surrender　yourselves　and　all　to　the　mercy　of　the　Despiser。〃　Jeering　barks　from　the　ur…viles　greeted　this；　and　Satansfist　grinned。　〃Speak；　Lordlings！　Speak　or　die！〃
　　　　A　moment　later　two　figures　appeared　atop　the　tower…one　a　warrior　and　the　other　a　blue…robed　Lord　whom　Satansfist　recognized。　At　first　they　ignored　the　Giant。　They　went　to　the　flagpole；　and　together　raised　High　Lord's　Furl；　the　azure　oriflamme　of　the　Council。　Only　after　it　was　fluttering　defiantly　in　the　gelid　wind　did　they　step　to　the　parapet　and　face　Satansfist。
　　　　〃I　hear　you！〃　the　Lord　snapped。　〃I　hear　you；　samadhi　Raver。　I　know　you；　Sheol　Satansfist。　And　you　know　me。　I　am　Mhoram　son　of　Variol；　High　Lord　by　the　choice　of　the　Council。　Depart；　Raver！　Take　your　ill　hordes　with　you。　You　have　touched　me。　You　know　that　I　will　not　be　daunted。〃
　　　　Fury　glinted　in　the　Giant's　eyes　at　the　memory　Mhoram　invoked；　but　he　placed　his　hand　over　the　livid　fragment　of　the　Stone　hidden　under　his　jerkin；　and　gave　Mhoram　a　sarcastic　bow。　〃I　know　you；　Mhoram；〃　he　replied。　〃When　I　placed　my　hand　upon　you　in　the　labyrinth　of　Kurash　Qwellinir；　I　knew　you。　You　were　too　blind　with　folly　and　ignorance　to　feel　a　wise　despair。　Therefore　I　permitted　your　life…so　that　you　would　live　to　better　knowledge。　Are　you　yet　blind？　Have　you　no　eyes　to　see　that　your　effectless　end　at　my　hand　is　as　sure　as　the　arch　of　Time？　Have　you　forgotten　the　Giants？　Have　you　forgotten　the　Bloodguard？　In　the　name　of　the　Despiser；　I　will　certainly　crush　you　where　you　cower！〃
　　　　〃Empty　words；〃　Mhoram　retorted。　〃Bravado　is　easily　uttered…but　you　will　find　it　difficult　of　proof。　Melenkurion　abatha！　Raver；　begone！　return　to　your　forsaken　master　before　the　Creator　forgets　restraint；　and　wreaks　a　timeless　vengeance　upon　you。〃
　　　　The　Giant　laughed　harshly。　〃Do　not　fort　yourself　with　lies；　lordling。　The　arch　of　Time　will　be　broken　if　the　Creator　seeks　to　strike　through　it…and　then　Lord　Foul　the　Despiser；　Satansheart　and　Soulcrusher；　Corruption　and　Render；　will　be　unloosed　upon　the　universe！　If　the　Creator　tries　to　lift　his　hand；　my　brothers　and　I　will　feast　upon　his　very　soul！　Surrender；　fool！　Learn　to　be　daunted　while　groveling　may　still　preserve　your　life。　Perhaps　you　will　be　permitted　to　serve　me　as　my　hand　slave。〃
　　　　〃Never！〃　High　Lord　Mhoram　cried　boldly。　〃We　will　never　bow　to　you　while　one　pulse　of　faith　still　beats　in　the　Land。　The　Earthpower　is　yet　strong　to　resist　you。　We　will　seek　it　until　we　have　found　the　means　to　cast　down　you　and　your　master　and　all　his　works。　Your　victories　are　hollow　while　one　soul　remains　with　breath　enough　to　cry　out　against　you！''　Raising　his　staff；　he　whirled　it　so　that　blue　fire　danced　in　the　air　about　his　head。　Begone；　samadhi　Raver！　Melenkurion　abatha！　Duroc　minas　mill　kha…wl！　We　will　never　surrender！〃
　　　　Below　him；　Satansfist　flinched　under　the　power　of　the　words。　But　an　instant　later；　he　sprang　forward；　snatching　at　his　jerkin。　With　his　piece　of　　Illearth　Stone　clenched　and　steaming　in　his　fist；　he　hurled　a　gout　of　emerald　force　up　at　the　High　Lord。　At　the　same　time；　hundreds　of　creatures　broke　from　their　ranks　and　charged　toward　the　open　gates。
　　　　But　Mhoram　deflected　the　blast　with　his　staff；　sent　it　into　the　air　over　his　head；　where　his　own　fiery　power　attacked　it　and　consumed　it。　Then　he　ducked　behind　the　concealment　of　the　parapet。　Over　his　shoulder；　he　called　Warmark　Quaan；　〃Seal　the　gates！　Order　the　archers　to　slay　any　creatures　which　gain　the　courtyard。　We　cannot　deal　gently　with　this　foe。〃
　　　　Quaan　was　already　on　his　way　down　the　stairs　into　the　plex　passages　of　the　tower；　shouting　orders　as　he　ran　to　oversee　the　fray；　Mhoram　looked　downward　to　assure　himself　that　Satansfist　had　not　passed　through　the　gates。　Then　he　hastened　after　Quaan。
　　　　From　the　highest　of　the　crosswalks　above　the　courtyard；　he　surveyed　the　skirmish。　Strong　Woodhelvennin　archers　drove　their　shafts　into　the　milling　creatures　from　the　battlements　on　both　sides　of　the　court；　and　the　sound　of　weapons　echoed　out　of　the　tunnel。　In　moments；　the　fighting　would　be　done。　Gritting　his　teeth　over　the　shed　blood；　Mhoram　left　the　conclusion　the　skirmish　in　Quaan's　petent　hands；　and　crossed　the　wooden　span　to　the　main　Keep；　where　his　fellow　Lords　awaited　him。
　　　　As　he　met　the　somber　eyes　of　Trevor；　Loerya；　and　Amatin；　a　sudden　weariness　came　over　him。　Satansfist's　threats　came　so　close　to　the　truth。　He　held　his　panions　were　inadequate　for　the　task　of　using　even　those　few　powers　and　mysteries　which　they　possessed。　And　he　was　no　nearer　to　a　resolution　of　his　secret　knowledge　than　he　had　been　when　he　had　summoned　and　lost　Thomas　Covenant。　He　sighed；　allowed　his　shoulders　to　sag。　To　explain　himself；　he　said；　〃I　had　not　thought　there　were　so　many　ur…viles　in　all　the　world。〃　But　the　words　were　only　tangential　to　what　he　　felt。
　　　　Yet　he　could　not　afford　such　weariness。　He　was　the　High　Lord。　Trevor；　Loerya；　and　Amatin　had　their　own　uncertainties；　their　own　needs；　which　he　could　not　refuse；　he　had　already　done　them　enough　damage　in　the　private　dilemma　of　his　heart。　Drawing　himself　erect；　he　told　them　what　he　had　seen　and　heard　of　the　Raver　and　Lord　Foul's　army。
　　　　When　he　was　done；　Amatin　smiled　wryly。　〃You　affronted　samadhi　Raver。　That　was　boldly　done；　High　Lord。〃
　　　　〃I　did　not　wish　to　fort　him　with　the　thought　that　we　believe　him　safe。〃
　　　　At　this；　Loerya's　gaze　winced。　〃Is　he　so　safe？〃　she　asked　painfully。
　　　　Mhoram　hardened。　〃He　is　not　safe　while　there　is　heart　or　bone　or　Earthpower　to　oppose　him。　I　only　say　that　I　know　not　how　he　may　be　fought。　Let　him　discover　my　ignorance　for　himself。〃
　　　　As　she　had　so　often　in　the　past；　Loerya　once　again　attempted　to　probe　his　secret。　〃Yet　you　have　touched　Loric's　krill　and　given　it　life。　Your　hand　drew　a　gleam　of　blue　from　the　gem。　Is　there　no　hope　in　this？　The　legends　say　that　the　krill　of　Loric　Vilesilencer　was　potent　against　the　peril　of　the　Demondim。〃
　　　　〃A　gleam；〃　Mhoram　replied。　Even　in　the　privacy　of　his　own　knowledge；　he　feared　the　strange　power　which　had　enabled　him　to　spark　the　krill's　opaque　jewel。　He　lacked　the　courage　to　explain　the　source　of　his　strength。　〃What　will　that　avail？〃
　　　　In　response；　Loerya's　face　thronged　with　demands　and　protests；　but　before　she　could　voice　them；　a　shout　from　the　courtyard　drew　the　Lords'　attention　downward。　Warmark　Quaan　stood　on　the　flagstones　amid　the　corpses。　When　Mhoram　answered　him；　he　saluted　mutely　with　his　sword。
　　　　Mhoram　returned　the　salute；　acknowledging　Quaan's　victory。　But　he　could　not　keep　the　hue　of　sadness　from　his　voice　as　he　said；　〃We　have　shed　the　first　blood　in　this　siege。　Thus　even　those　who　oppose　ill　must　wreak　harm　upon　the　victims　of　ill。　Bear　their　bodies　to　the　upland　hills　and　burn　them　with　purging　fires；　so　that　their　flesh　may　recover　its　innocence　in　ashes。　Then　scatter　their　ashes　over　Furl　Falls；　as　a　sign　to　all　the　Land　that　we　abhor　the　Despiser's　wrong；　not　the　slaves　which　he　has　made　to　serve　his　wrong。〃
　　　　The　Warmark　scowled；　loath　to　honor　his　enemies　with　such　courtesy。　But　he　promptly　gave　the　orders　to　carry　out　Mhoram's　instructions；　Sagging　again；　Mhoram　turned　back　to　his　fellow　Lords。　To　forestall　any　further　probing；　he　said；　〃