srdonaldson.thepowerthatpreserves-第42章

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he　Land　was　a　dream；　a　delusion。　Yet　the　absence　of　that　health　staggered　him；　dismayed　the　secret；　yearning　recusancy　of　his　immedicable　flesh。　Not　anymore；　he　gaped　dumbly。　Now　he　had　been　bereft　of　that；　too。　The　cruelty　of　it　seemed　to　be　more　than　he　could　bear。
　　　　〃Covenant？〃　Foamfollower　asked　anxiously。　〃My　friend？〃　Covenant　gaped　at　the　Giant　as　well；　and　another　realization　shook　him。　Foamfollower　was　closed　to　him。　Except　for　the　restless　grief　which　crouched　behind　the　Giant's　eyes；　Covenant　could　see　nothing　of　his　inner　condition；　could　not　see　whether　his　panion　was　well　or　ill；　right　or　wrong。　His　Land…born　sight　or　penetration　had　been　truncated；　crippled。　He　might　as　well　have　been　back　in　his　own　blind；　impervious；　superficial　world。
　　　　〃Covenant？〃　Foamfollower　repeated。
　　　　For　a　time；　the　fact　surpassed　Covenant's　prehension。　He　tested…yes；　he　could　see　the　interminable　corruption　eating　its　ill　way　toward　his　wrists；　toward　his　heart。　He　could　smell　the　potential　gangrene　in　his　feet。　He　could　feel　the　vestiges　of　poison　in　his　lip；　the　residual　fever　in　his　forehead。　He　could　see　hints　of　Lena's　age；　Foamfollower's　sorrow。　He　could　taste　the　malevolence　which　hurled　this　winter　across　the　Land…　that　he　could　perceive　without　question。　And　he　had　surely　seen　the　ill　in　the　marauders　at　Mithil　Stonedown。
　　　　But　that　was　no　feat；　their　wrong　was　written　on　them　so　legibly　that　even　a　child　could　read　it。　Everything　else　was　essentially　closed　to　him。　He　could　not　discern　Foamfollower's　spirit；　or　Lena's　confusion；　or　the　snow's　falseness。　The　stubbornness　which　should　have　been　apparent　in　the　rocky　hillsides　above　him　was　invisible。　Even　this　rare　gift　which　the　Land　had　twice　given　him　was　half　denied　him　now。
　　　　〃Foamfollower。〃　He　could　hardly　refrain　from　moaning。　〃It's　not　ing　back。　I　can't…this　winter…it's　not　ing　back。〃
　　　　〃Softly；　my　friend。　I　hear　you。　I〃…a　wry　smile　bent　his　lips…〃I　have　seen　what　effect　this　winter　has　upon　you。　Perhaps　I　should　be　grateful　that　you　cannot　behold　its　effect　upon　me。〃
　　　　〃What　effect？〃　Covenant　croaked。
　　　　Foamfollower　shrugged　as　if　to　deprecate　his　own　plight。　〃At　times…　when　I　have　been　too　long　unsheltered　in　this　wind…I　find　I　cannot　remember　certain　precious　Giantish　tales。　My　friend；　Giants　do　not　forget　stories。〃
　　　　〃Hell　and　blood。〃　Covenant's　voice　shook　convulsively。　But　he　neither　cried　out　nor　moved　from　his　blankets。　〃Get　that　food　ready；〃　he　juddered。　〃I've　got　to　eat。〃　He　needed　food　for　strength。　His　purpose　required　strength。
　　　　There　was　no　question　in　him　about　what　he　meant　to　do。　He　was　shackled　to　it　as　if　his　leprosy　were　an　iron　harness。　And　the　hands　that　held　the　reins　were　in　Foul's　Creche。
　　　　The　stew　which　Foamfollower　handed　to　him　he　ate　severely；　tremorously。　Then　he　lay　back　in　his　blankets　as　if　he　were　stretching　himself　on　a　slab；　and　coerced　himself　to　rest；　to　remain　still　and　conserve　his　energy。　When　the　warm　stew；　and　the　long　debt　of　recuperation　he　owed　to　himself；　sent　him　drifting　toward　slumber；　he　fell　asleep　still　glowering　thunderously　at　the　bleak；　gray；　cloud…locked　sky。
　　　　He　awoke　again　toward　noon　and　found　Lena　yet　asleep。　But　she　was　nestling　against　him　now；　smiling　faintly　at　her　dreams。　Foamfollower　was　no　longer　nearby。
　　　　Covenant　glanced　around　and　located　the　Giant　keeping　watch　up　near　the　head　of　the　ravine。　He　waved　when　Covenant　looked　toward　him。　Covenant　responded　by　carefully　extricating　himself　from　Lena；　climbing　out　of　his　blankets。　He　tied　his　sandals　securely　onto　his　numb　feet；　tightened　his　jacket；　and　went　to　join　the　Giant。
　　　　From　Foamfollower's　position；　he　found　that　he　could　see　over　the　rims　of　the　ravine　into　its　natural　approaches。　After　a　moment；　he　asked　quietly；　〃How　far　did　we　get？〃　His　breath　steamed　as　if　his　mouth　were　full　of　smoke。
　　　　〃We　have　rounded　the　northmost　point　of　this　promontory；〃　Foam…follower　replied。　Nodding　back　over　his　left　shoulder；　he　continued；　〃Kevin's　Watch　is　behind　us。　Through　these　hills　we　can　gain　the　Plains　of　Ra　in　three　more　nights。〃
　　　　〃We　should　get　going；〃　muttered　Covenant。　〃I'm　in　a　hurry。〃
　　　　〃Practice　patience；　my　friend。　We　will　gain　nothing　if　we　hasten　into　the　arms　of　marauders。〃
　　　　Covenant　looked　around；　then　asked；　〃Are　the　Ramen　letting　marauders　get　this　close　to　the　Ranyhyn？　Has　something　happened　to　them？〃
　　　　〃Perhaps。　I　have　had　no　contact　with　them。　But　the　Plains　are　threatened　along　the　whole　length　of　the　Roamsedge　and　Landrider　rivers。　And　the　Ramen　spend　themselves　extravagantly　to　preserve　the　great　horses。　Perhaps　their　numbers　are　too　few　for　them　to　ward　these　hills。〃
　　　　Covenant　accepted　this　as　best　he　could。　〃Foamfollower；〃　he　murmured；　〃whatever　happened　to　all　that　Giantish　talk　you　used　to　be　so　famous　for？　You　haven't　actually　told　me　what　you're　worried　about。　Is　it　those　'eyes'　that　saw　you　and　Triock　summon　me？　Every　time　I　ask　a　question；　you　act　as　if　you've　got　lockjaw。〃
　　　　With　a　dim　smile；　Foamfollower　said；　〃I　have　lived　a　brusque　life。　The　sound　of　my　own　voice　is　no　longer　so　attractive　to　me。〃
　　　　〃Is　that　a　fact？〃　Covenant　drawled。　〃I've　heard　worse。〃
　　　　〃Perhaps；〃　Foamfollower　said　softly。　But　he　did　not　explain。
　　　　The　Giant's　reticence　made　Covenant　want　to　ask　more　questions；　attack　his　own　ignorance　somehow。　He　was　sure　that　the　issues　at　stake　were　large；　that　the　things　he　did　not　yet　know　about　the　Land's　doom　were　immensely　important。　But　he　remembered　the　way　in　which　he　had　extracted　information　from　Banner　on　the　plateau　of　Rivenrock。　He　could　not　forget　the　consequences　of　what　he　had　done。　He　left　Foamfollower's　secrets　alone。
　　　　Down　the　ravine　from　him；　Lena's　slumber　became　more　restless。　He　shivered　to　himself　as　she　began　to　flinch　from　side　to　side；　whimpering　under　her　breath。　An　impulse　urged　him　to　go　to　her；　prevent　her　from　thrashing　about　for　fear　that　she　might　break　her　old；　frail　bones；　but　he　resisted。　He　could　not　afford　all　that　she　wanted　to　mean　to　him。
　　　　Yet　when　she　jerked　up　and　looked　frantically　around　her；　found　that　he　was　gone　from　her　side…when　she　cried　out　piercingly；　as　if　she　had　been　abandoned…he　was　already　halfway　down　the　ravine　toward　her。　Then　she　caught　sight　of　him。　Surging　up　from　her　blankets；　she　rushed　to　meet　him；　threw　herself　into　his　arms。　There　she　clung　to　him　so　that　her　sobs　were　muffled　in　his　shoulder。
　　　　With　his　right　hand…its　remaining　fingers　as　numb　and　awkward　as　if　they　should　have　been　amputated…he　stroked　her　thin　white　hair。　He　tried　to　hold　her　consolingly　to　make　up　for　his　utter　lack　of　fortable　words。　Slowly；　she　regained　control　of　herself。　When　he　eased　the　pressure　of　his　embrace；　she　stepped　back。　〃Pardon　me；　beloved；　〃she　said　contritely。　〃I　feared　that　you　had　left　me。　I　am　weak　and　foolish；　or　I　would　not　have　forgotten　that　you　are　the　Unbeliever。　You　deserve　better　trust。〃
　　　　Covenant　shook　his　head　dumbly；　as　if　he　wished　to　deny　everything　and　did　not　know　where　or　how　to　begin。
　　　　〃But　I　could　not　bear　to　be　without　you；〃　she　went　on。　〃In　deep　nights…when　the　cold　catches　at　my　breast　until　I　cannot　keep　it　out…and　the　mirror　lies　to　me；　saying　that　I　have　not　kept　myself　unchanged　for　you…I　have　held　to　the　promise　of　your　return。　I　have　not　faltered；　no！　But　I　learned　that　I　could　not　bear　to　be　without　you…not　again。　I　have　earned…I　have…　But　I　could　not　bear　it…to　sneak　alone　into　the　night　and　crouch　in　hiding　as　if　I　were　ashamed…not　again。〃
　　　　〃Not　again；〃　Covenant　breathed。　In　her　old　face　he　could　see　Elena　clearly　now；　looking　so　beautiful　and　lost　that　his　love　for　her　wrenched　his　heart。　〃As　long　as　I'm　stuck　in　this　thing…I　won't　go　anywhere　without　you。〃
　　　　But　she　seemed　to　hear　only　his　proviso；　not　his　promise。　With　anguish　in　her　face；　she　asked；　〃Must　you　depart？〃
　
　〃Yes。〃　The　stiffness　of　his　mouth　made　it　difficult　for　him　to　speak　gently；　he　could　not　articulate　without　tearing　at　his　newly　formed　scabs。　〃I　don't　belong　here。〃
　　　　She　gasped　at　his　words　as　if　he　had　stabbed　her　with　them。　Her　gaze　fell　away　from　his　face。　Panting；　she　murmured；　〃Again！　I　cannot_　cannot…　Oh；　Atiaran　my　mo