srdonaldson.thepowerthatpreserves-第61章

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　　　　But　then　the　first　shape　set　its　hands　on　the　gates；　and　High　Lord　Mhoram　sprang　forward。　Whirling　his　staff；　he　sent　a　blast　down　the　side　of　the　tower；　struck　the　dead　form　where　it　stood。　At　the　impact　of　his　Lords…fire；　it　shattered　like　sandstone　and　fell　into　dirt。
　　　　At　once；　he　and　Lord　Amatin　set　to　work　with　all　their　might。　Their　staffs　rang　and　fired；　rained　blue　strength　like　hammer　blows　down　on　the　marching　shapes。　And　every　blow　broke　the　dead　into　sand。　But　every　one　that　fell　was　replaced　by　a　score　of　others。　Across　all　the　terrain　between　the　watchtower　and　Satansfist's　arc；　the　ground　heaved　and　buckled；　pitching　new　forms　into　motion　like　beings　dredged　up　from　the　bottommost　muck　of　a　lifeless　sea。　First　one　by　one；　then　by　tens；　scores；　fifties；　they　reached　the　gates　and　piled　against　them。
　　　　Through　the　stone；　Mhoram　could　feel　the　strain　on　the　gates　mounting。　He　could　feel　Trevor's　fire　and　Trell's　mighty　subterranean　song　supporting　the　interlocked　gates；　while　hundreds；　thousands；　of　the　blind；　mute　forms　pressed　against　them；　crushed　forward　in　lifeless　savagery　like　an　avalanche　leaping　impossibly　up　out　of　the　ground。　He　could　feel　the　groaning　retorts　of　pressure　as　if　the　bones　of　the　tower　were　grinding　together。　And　still　the　dead　came；　shambling　out　of　the　earth　until　they　seemed　as　vast　as　the　Raver's　army　and　as　irresistible　as　a　cataclysm。　Mhoram　and　Amatin　broke　hundreds　of　them　and　had　no　effect。
　　　　Behind　the　High　Lord；　Tohrm　was　on　his　knees；　sharing　the　tower's　pain　with　his　hands　and　sobbing　openly；　〃Revelstone！　Oh；　Revelstone；　alas！　Oh；　Revelstone；　Revelstone！〃
　　　　Mhoram　tore　himself　away　from　the　fighting；　caught　hold　of　Tohrm's　tunic；　hauled　the　Hearthrall　to　his　feet。　Into　Tohrm's　broken　face；　he　shouted；　〃Gravelingas！　Remember　who　you　are！　You　are　the　Hearthrall　of　Lord's　Keep。〃
　　　　〃I　am　nothing！〃　Tohrm　wept。　〃Ah！　the　Earth…！〃
　　　　〃You　are　Hearthrall　and　Gravelingas！　Hear　me…I；　High　Lord　Mhoram；　mand　you。　Study　this　attack…learn　to　know　it。　The　inner　gates　must　not　fall。　The　rhadhamaerl　must　preserve　Revelstone's　inner　gates！〃
　　　　He　felt　the　change　in　the　attack。　Satansfist's　Stone　now　threw　bolts　against　the　gates。　Amatin　tried　to　resist；　but　the　Raver　brushed　her　efforts　aside　as　if　they　were　nothing。　Yet　Mhoram　stayed　with　Tohrm；　focused　his　strength　on　the　Hearthrall　until　Tohrm　met　the　demand　of　his　eyes　and　hands。
　　　　〃Who　will　mourn　the　stone　if　I　do　not？〃　Tohrm　moaned。
　　　　Mhoram　controlled　his　desire　to　yell。　〃No　harm　will　receive　its　due　grief　if　we　do　not　survive。〃
　　　　The　next　instant；　he　forgot　Tohrm；　forgot　everything　except　the　silent　screams　that　detonated　through　him　from　the　base　of　the　tower。　Over　Trell's　shrill　rage　and　the　vehemence　of　Trevor's　fire；　the　gates　shrieked　in　agony。
　　　　A　shattering　concussion　convulsed　the　stone。　The　people　atop　the　tower　fell；　tumbled　across　the　floor。　Huge　thunder　like　a　howl　of　victory　crashed　somewhere　between　earth　and　sky；　as　if　the　very　firmament　of　existence　had　been　rent　asunder。
　　　　The　gates　split　inward。
　　　　Torrents　of　dead　stone　flooded　into　the　tunnel　under　the　tower。
　　　　Mhoram　was　shouting　at　Quaan　and　Amatin；　〃Defend　the　tower！〃　The　shaking　subsided；　and　he　staggered　erect。　Pulling　Tohrm　with　him；　he　yelled；　〃e！　Rally　the　Gravelingases！　The　inner　gates　must　not　fall。〃　Though　the　tower　was　still　trembling；　he　started　toward　the　stairs。
　　　　But　before　he　could　descend；　he　heard　a　rush　of　cries；　human　cries。　An　anguish　like　rage　lashed　through　the　roiling　throng　of　his　emotions。　〃Quaan！〃　he　roared；　though　the　old　Warmark　had　almost　caught　up　with　him。　〃The　warriors　attack！〃　Quaan　nodded　bitterly　as　he　reached　Mhoram's　side。　〃Stop　them！　They　cannot　fight　these　dead。　Swords　will　not　avail。〃
　　　　With　Tohrm　and　Quaan；　the　High　Lord　raced　down　the　stairs；　leaving　Amatin　to　wield　her　fire　from　the　edge　of　the　parapet。
　　　　Quaan　went　straight　down　through　the　tower；　but　Mhoram　took　Tohrm　out　over　the　courtyard　between　the　tower　and　the　Keep　on　the　highest　crosswalk。　From　there；　he　saw　that　Trell　and　Lord　Trevor　had　already　been　driven　back　out　of　the　tunnel。　They　were　fighting　for　their　lives　against　the　slow；　blind　march　of　the　dead。　Trevor　exerted　an　extreme　force　like　nothing　Mhoram　had　ever　seen　in　him　before；　battering　the　foremost　attackers；　breaking　them　rapidly；　continuously；　into　sand。　And　Trell　wielded　in　both　hands　a　massive　fragment　of　one　gate。　He　used　the　fragment　like　a　club　with　such　ferocious　strength　that　even　shapes　vaguely　resembling　horses　and　Giants　went　down　under　his　blows。
　　　　But　the　two　men　had　no　chance。　Swords　and　spears　and　arrows　had　no　effect　on　the　marching　shapes；　scores　of　warriors　who　leaped　into　the　tunnel　and　the　courtyard　were　simply　crushed　underfoot；　and　the　cries　of　the　crushed　were　fearful　to　hear。　While　Mhoram　watched；　the　dead　pushed　Trell　and　Trevor　back　past　the　old　Gilden　tree　toward　the　closed　inner　gates。
　　　　Mhoram　shouted　to　the　warriors　on　the　battlements　below　him；　manding　them　to　stay　out　of　the　courtyard。　Then　he　ran　across　to　the　Keep　and　dashed　down　the　stairways　toward　the　lower　levels。　With　Tohrm　behind　him；　he　reached　the　first　abutment　over　the　inner　gates　in　time　to　see　Cavewights　spill　through　the　tunnel；　squirming　their　way　among　the　dead　to　attack　the　side　doors　which　provided　the　only　access　to　the　tower。
　　　　Some　of　them　fell　at　once　with　arrows　in　their　throats　and　bellies；　and　others　were　cut　down　by　the　few　warriors　in　the　court　who　had　avoided　being　crushed。　But　their　thick；　heavy　jerkins　protected　them　from　most　of　the　shafts　and　swords。　With　their　great　strength　and　their　knowledge　of　stone；　they　threw　themselves　at　the　doors。　And　soon　the　gangrel　creatures　were　swarming　through　the　tunnel　in　large　numbers。　The　High　Lord　saw　that　the　warriors　alone　could　not　keep　samadhi's　creatures　out　of　the　tower。
　　　　For　a　harsh　moment；　he　pushed　Trevor　and　Trell；　Cavewights；　warriors；　animated　dead　earth　from　his　mind；　and　faced　the　decision　he　had　to　make。　If　Revelstone　were　to　retain　any　viable　defense；　either　the　tower　or　the　inner　gates　must　be　preserved。　Without　the　gates；　the　tower　might　still　restrict　Satansfist's　approach　enough　to　keep　Revelstone　alive；　without　the　tower；　the　gates　could　still　seal　out　Satansfist。　Without　one　or　the　other；　Revelstone　was　defeated。　But　Mhoram　could　not　fight　for　both；　could　not　be　in　both　places　at　once。　He　had　to　choose　where　to　concentrate　the　Keep's　defense。
　　　　He　chose　the　gates。
　　　　At　once；　he　sent　Tohrm　to　gather　the　Gravelingases。　Then　he　turned　to　the　battle　of　the　courtyard。　He　ignored　the　Cavewights；　focused　instead　on　the　shambling　dead　as　they　trampled　the　Gilden　tree　and　pushed　Trell　and　Trevor　back　against　the　walls。　Shouting　to　the　warriors　around　him　for　dingor；　he　hurled　his　Lords…fire　down　at　the　faceless　shapes；　battered　them　into　sand。　Together；　he　and　Trevor　cleared　a　space　in　which　the　trapped　men　could　make　their　escape。
　　　　Almost　immediately；　the　sentries　brought　two　tough　dingor　lines；　anchored　them；　tossed　them　down　to　Trevor　and　Trell。　But　in　the　brief　delay；　a　new　wave　of　Cavewights　rode　into　the　courtyard　on　the　shoulders　of　the　dead　and　joined　the　assault　on　the　doors。　With　a　nauseating　sound　like　the　breaking　of　bones；　they　tore　the　doors　off　the　hinges；　tossed　the　stone　slabs　aside；　and　charged　roaring　into　the　tower。　They　were　met　instantly　by　staunch；　dour…handed　warriors；　but　the　momentum　and　strength　of　the　Cavewights　carried　them　inward。
　　　　When　he　saw　the　doors　broken；　Trell　gave　a　cry　of　outrage；　and　tried　to　attack　the　Cavewights。　Slapping　aside　the　clingor　line；　he　rushed　the　dead　as　if　he　believed　he　could　fight　his　way　through　them　to　join　the　defense　of　the　tower。　For　a　moment；　his　granite　club　and　his　rhadhamaerl　lore　broke　passage　for　him；　and　he　advanced　a　few　steps　across　the　court。　But　then　even　his　club　snapped。　He　went　down　under　the　prodigious　weight　of　the　dead。
　　　　Trevor　sprang　after　him。　Aided　by　Mhoram's　fire；　the　Lord　reached　Trell。　One　of　the　dead　stamped　a　glancing　blow　along　his　ankle；　but　he　ignored　the　pain；　took　hold　of　Trell's　shoulders；　dragged　him　back。
　　　　As　soon　as　he　was　able　to　regai