srdonaldson.thepowerthatpreserves-第31章
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She appeared to be in her mid…sixties…easily old enough to be his mother。 Lines of groundless hope marked her pale skin around the blue veins in her temples； and the hair which plumed her head was no longer thick。 He saw nothing to recognize in the open expectancy of her mouth； or in the bone…leanness of her body； or in her wrinkled hands。 Her eyes had a curious； round； misfocused look； like the confusion of madness。
But for all their inaccuracy； they were spacious eyes； like the eyes of the women she claimed for her mother and daughter。 And woven into the shoulders of her long blue robe was a pattern of white leaves。
〃Do you not know me； Thomas Covenant？〃 she said gently。 〃I have lot changed。 They all wish me to change…Triock and Trell my father and the Circle of elders； all wish me to change。 But I do not。 Do I appear changed？〃
〃No；〃 Covenant panted。 With sour nausea in his mouth； he understood that he was looking at Lena； the woman he had violated with his lust…mother of the woman he had violated with his love…recipient of the Ranyhyn…boon he had instigated when he had violated the great horses with his false bargains。 Despite her earlier fury； she looked too old； too fragile； to be touched。 He forced out the words as if they appalled him。 〃No…change。〃
She smiled with relief。 〃I am glad。 I have striven to hold true。 The Unbeliever deserves no less。〃
〃Deserves；〃 Covenant croaked helplessly。 The battle noises from Mithil Stonedown taunted him again。 〃Hellfire。〃
He coerced himself to meet her gaze； and slowly her smile turned to a look of concern。 She moved forward； reached out to him。 He wanted to back away； but he held still as her fingertips lightly touched his lip； then stroked a cool line around the wound on his forehead。 〃You have been harmed；〃 she said。 〃Does the Despiser dare to assault you in your own world？〃
He felt that he had to warn her away from him； the misfocus of her gaze showed that she was endangered by him。 Rapidly； he whispered； 〃Atiaran's judgment is ing true。 The Land is being destroyed； and it's my fault。〃
Her fingers caressed him as if they were trying to smooth a frown from his brow。 〃You will save the Land。 You are the Unbeliever…the new Berek Half hand of our age。〃
〃I can't save anything…I can't even help those people down there。 Foamfollower is my friend； and I can't help him。 Triock…Triock has earned anything I can do； and I can't…〃
〃Were I a Giant；'' she interrupted with sudden vehemence； 〃I would require no aid in such a battle。 And Triock…〃 She faltered unexpectedly； as if she had stumbled over an unwonted perception of what Triock meant to her。 〃He is a Cattleherd…content。 He wishes… But I am unchanged。 He…〃
Covenant stared at the distress which strained her face。 For an instant； her eyes seemed to be on the verge of seeing clearly； and her forehead tightened under the imminence of cruel facts。 〃Covenant？〃 she whispered painfully。 〃Unbeliever？〃
〃Yes； I know；〃 Covenant mumbled in spite of himself。 〃He would consider himself lucky if he got killed。〃 As tenderly as he could； he reached out and drew her into his arms。
At once she embraced him； clung convulsively to him while a crisis within her crested； receded。 But even as he gave her what fort he could with his arms； he was looking back toward the Stonedown。 The shouts and cries and clatter of the fighting outweighed his own torn emotions； his conflicting sympathy for and horror of Lena。 When she stepped back from him； he had to force himself to meet the happiness which sparkled in her mistaken eyes。
〃I am so glad…my eyes rejoice to behold you。 I have held…I have desired to be worthy。 Ah； you must meet our daughter。 She will make you proud。〃
Elena！ Covenant groaned thickly。 They haven't told her…she doesn't understand… Hellfire。
For a moment； he ached under his helplessness； his inability to speak。 But then a hoarse shout from the Stonedown rescued him。 Looking down； he saw people standing in the center of the village with their swords and spears upraised。 Beyond them； the surviving marauders fled for their lives toward the open plains。 A handful of the defenders gave savage pursuit； harried the creatures to prevent as many as possible from escaping。
Immediately； Covenant started down the rocks。 He heard Lena shout word of the victory to Slen and the other people at the mouth of the cave； but he did not wait for her or them。 He ran down out of the foothills as if he too were fleeing…fleeing from Lena； or from his fear for Foamfollower； he did not know which。 As swiftly as he could without slipping in the snow； he hurried toward Mithil Stonedown。
But when he dashed between the houses and stumbled in among the hacked corpses； he lurched to a halt。 All around him the snow and stone were spattered with blood…livid incarnadine patches； heavy swaths of red…gray serum diseased by streaks of green。 Stonedownors…some of them torn limb from limb…lay confused amid the litter of Lord Foul's creatures。 But the perverse faces and forms of the creatures were what drew Covenant's attention。 Even in death； they stank of the abomination which had been practiced upon them by their maker； and they appalled him more than ur…viles or kresh or discolored moons。 They were so entirely the victims of Foul's contempt。 The sight and smell of them made his guts heave。 He dropped to his knees in the disfigured snow and vomited as if he were desperate to purge himself of his kinship with these creatures。
Lena caught up with him there。 When she saw him； she gave a low cry and flung her arms around him。 〃What is wrong？〃 she moaned。 〃Oh； beloved； you are ill。〃
Her use of the word beloved stung him like acid flung from the far side °f Elena's lost grave。 It drove him reeling to his feet。 Lena tried to help him； but he pushed her hands away。 Into the concern of her face； he cried； 〃Don't touch me。 Don't。〃 Jerking brokenly； his hands gestured at the bodies around him。 〃They're lepers。 Lepers like me。 This is what Foul wants to do to everything。〃 His mouth twisted around the words as if they shared the gall of his nausea。
Several Stonedownors had gathered near him。 Triock was among them。 His hands were red； and blood ran from a cut along the line of his jaw； but when he spoke； he only sounded bitterer； harder。 〃It boots nothing to say that they have been made to be what they are。 Still they shed blood…they ravage…they destroy。 They must be prevented。〃
〃They're like me。〃 Covenant turned panting toward Triock as if he meant to hurl himself at the Stonedownor's throat。 But when he looked up he saw Foamfollower standing behind Triock。 The Giant had survived a fearsome struggle。 The muscles of his arms quivered with exhaustion。 His leather jerkin hung from his shoulders in shreds； and all across his chest were garish red sores…wounds inflicted by the suckers of the rock destroyer。 But a sated look glazed his deep…set eyes； and the vestiges of a fierce grin clung to his lips。
Covenant struggled for breath in the bloody air of the Stonedown。 The sight of Foamfollower triggered a reaction he could not control。 〃Get your people together；〃 he rasped at Triock。 〃I've decided what I'm going to do。〃
The hardness of Triock's mouth did not relent； but his eyes softened as he searched Covenant's gaze。 〃Such choices can wait a little longer；〃 he replied stiffly。 〃We have other duties。 We must cleanse Mithil Stonedown …rid our homes of this stain。〃 Then he turned and walked away。
Soon all the people who were whole or strong enough were at work。 First they buried their fallen friends and kindred in honorable rocky cairns high in the eastern slopes of the valley。 And when that grim task was done； they gathered together all the creature corpses and carted this hacked and broken rubble downriver across the bridge to the west bank of the Mithil。 There they built a pyre like a huge warning blaze to any marauders in the South Plains and burned the dead creatures until even the bones were reduced to white ash。 Then they returned to the Stonedown。 With clean snow； they scrubbed it from rim to center until all the blood and gore had been washed from the houses and
