srdonaldson.thepowerthatpreserves-第96章

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nter　of　the　spinning　would　be　an　eye；　a　core　of　stability。　〃Just　go　ahead…so　you　can　catch　me。''　Only　in　the　eye　of　the　whirl　could　he　find　solid　ground。
　　　　Foamfollower　regarded　him　dubiously；　then　started　down　to　the　edge　of　the　cliff　near　the　Fall。　With　Covenant　limping　in　his　wake；　he　went　to　the　rim；　glanced　down　to　pick　the　best　place　for　a　descent；　then　lowered　himself　out　of　sight　over　the　edge。
　　　　Covenant　stood　for　a　moment　teetering　on　the　lip　of　Landsdrop。　The　Fall　yawed　abysmally　from　side　to　side；　it　beckoned　to　him　like　relief　from　delirium。　It　was　such　an　easy　answer。　As　his　vertigo　mounted；　he　did　not　see　how　he　could　refuse　it。
　　　　But　its　upsurge　made　his　pulse　hammer　in　his　wounded　forehead。　He　spun　around　that　pain　as　if　it　were　a　pivot；　and　found　that　the　seductive　panic　of　the　plunge　was　fading。　The　simple　hope　that　vertigo　had　a　firm　center　seemed　to　make　his　hope　e　true。　The　whirl　did　not　stop；　but　its　hold　on　him　receded；　withdrew　into　the　background。　Slowly；　the　pounding　in　his　forehead　eased。
　　　　He　did　not　fall。
　　　　He　felt　as　weak　as　a　starving　penitent…hardly　able　to　carry　his　own　weight。　But　he　knelt　on　the　edge；　lowered　his　legs　over　the　rim。　Clinging　to　the　top　of　the　cliff　with　his　arms　and　stomach；　he　began　to　hunt　blindly　for　footholds。　Soon　he　was　crawling　backward　down　Landsdrop　as　if　it　were　the　precipice　of　his　personal　future。
　　　　The　descent　took　a　long　time；　but　it　was　not　particularly　difficult。　Foamfollower　protected　him　all　the　way　down　each　stage　of　the　broken　cliff。　And　the　steeper　drops　were　moderated　by　enough　ledges　and　cracks　and　hardy　scrub　brush　to　make　that　whole　stretch　of　the　cliff　passable。　The　Giant　had　no　trouble　finding　a　route　Covenant　could　manage；　and　Covenant　eventually　gained　a　measure　of　confidence；　so　that　he　was　able　to　move　with　less　help　down　the　last　stages　to　the　foothills。
　　　　When　at　last　he　reached　the　lower　ground；　he　took　his　drained　nerves　straight　to　the　pool　at　the　foot　of　the　Fall　and　dropped　into　the　chill　waters　to　wash　away　the　accumulated　sweat　of　his　fear。
　　　　While　Covenant　bathed；　Foamfollower　filled　his　water　jug　and　drank　deeply　at　the　pool。　This　might　be　the　last　safe　water　they　would　find。　Then　the　Giant　set　out　the　graveling　for　Covenant。　As　the　Unbeliever　dried　himself；　he　asked　Foamfollower　how　long　their　food　supplies　would　last。
　　　　The　Giant　grimaced。　〃Two　days。　Three　or　four；　if　we　find　aliantha　a　day　or　two　into　the　Spoiled　Plains。　But　we　are　far　from　Foul'　s　Creche。　Even　if　we　were　to　run　straight　into　Soulcrusher's　arms；　we　would　have　three　or　tour　foodless　days　within　us　before　he　made　sustenance　unnecessary。〃　Then　he　grinned。　〃But　it　is　said　that　hunger　teaches　many　things。　My　friend；　a　wealth　of　wisdom　awaits　us　on　this　journey。〃
　　　　Covenant　shivered。　He　had　had　some　experience　with　hunger。　And　now　the　possibility　of　starvation　lay　ahead　of　him；　his　forehead　had　been　reinjured；　he　would　have　to　walk　a　long　distance　on　bare　feet。　One　by　one　the　conditions　of　his　return　to　his　own　life　were　being　met。　As　he　tightened　the　sash　of　his　robe；　he　muttered　sourly；　〃I　heard　Mhoram　say　once　that　wisdom　is　only　skin…deep。　Or　something　like　that。　Which　means　that　lepers　must　be　the　wisest　people　in　the　world。〃
　　　　〃Are　they？〃　the　Giant　asked。　〃Are　you　wise；　Unbeliever？〃
　　　　〃Who　knows？　If　I　am…wisdom　is　overrated。〃
　　　　At　this；　Foamfollower's　grin　broadened。　〃Perhaps　it　is…perhaps　it　is。　My　friend；　we　are　the　two　wisest　hearts　in　the　Land…we　who　march　thus　weaponless　and　unredeemed　into　the　very　bosom　of　the　Despiser。　Verily；　wisdom　is　like　hunger。　Perhaps　it　is　a　very　fine　thing…but　who　would　willingly　partake　of　it？〃
　　　　Despite　the　absence　of　the　wind；　the　air　was　still　wintry。　Knuckles　of　ice　clenched　the　rocky　borders　of　the　pool　where　the　spray　of　the　Fall　had　frozen；　and　Foamfollower's　breath　plumed　wetly　in　the　humid　air。　Covenant　needed　to　move　to　warm　himself；　keep　up　his　courage。　〃It's　not　fine；〃　he　grated；　half　to　himself。　〃But　it's　useful。　e　on。〃
　　　　Foamfollower　repacked　his　graveling；　then　swung　the　sack　onto　his　broad　shoulder；　and　led　Covenant　away　from　Landsdrop　along　the　river。
　　　　Night　stopped　them　when　they　had　covered　only　three　or　four　leagues。　But　by　that　time　they　had　left　behind　the　foothills　and　the　last　vestiges　of　the　un…Spoiled　flatland　which　had　at　one　time；　ages　ago　in　the　history　of　the　Earth；　stretched　from　the　Southron　Wastes　north　to　the　Sarangrave　and　Lifeswallower；　the　Great　Swamp。　They　were　down　in　the　bosk　of　the　Ruinwash。
　　　　Gray；　brittle；　dead　brush　and　trees…cottonwoods；　junipers；　once…beautiful　tamarisks…stood　up　out　of　the　dried　mud　on　both　sides　of　the　stream；　occupying　ground　which　had　once　been　part　of　the　riverbed。　But　the　Ruinwash　had　shrunk　decades　or　centuries　ago；　leaving　partially　fertile　mud　on　either　side…mud　in　which　a　scattering　of　tough　trees　and　brush　had　eked　out　a　bare　existence　until　Lord　Foul's　preternatural　winter　had　blasted　them。　As　darkness　soaked　into　the　air　as　if　it　were　oozing　out　of　the　ground；　the　trees　became　spectral　shapes　of　forbidding　which　made　the　bosk　almost　impassable。　Covenant　resigned　himself　to　camping　there　for　the　night；　though　the　dried　mud　had　an　old；　occluded　reek；　and　the　river　made　a　slithering　noise　like　an　ambush　in　its　course。　He　knew　that　he　and　Foamfollower　would　be　safer　if　they　traveled　at　night；　but　he　was　weary　and　did　not　believe　the　Giant　could　find　his　way　in　the　cloud…locked　dark。
　　　　Later；　however；　he　found　that　the　river　gave　off　a　light　like　lambent　verdigris；　the　whole　surface　of　the　water　glowed　dimly。　This　light　came；　not　from　the　water；　but　from　the　hot　eels　which　flicked　back　and　forth　across　the　current。　They　had　a　hungry　aspect；　and　their　jaws　were　rife　with　teeth。　Yet　they　made　it　possible　for　him　and　Foamfollower　to　resume　their　journey。
　　　　Even　in　the　cynosural　eel　light；　they　did　not　go　much　farther。　The　destruction　of　the　Staff　had　changed　the　balance　of　Lord　Foul's　winter；　without　the　wind　to　hold　them；　the　massed　energies　of　the　clouds　recoiled。　In　the　deeper　chill　of　darkness；　they　triggered　rain　out　of　the　blind　sky。　Soon　torrents　fell　through　the　damaged　grasp　of　the　clouds；　crashed　straight　down　onto　the　Lower　Land　as　if　the　vaulting　which　held　up　the　heavens　had　broken。　Under　those　conditions；　Foamfollower　could　not　find　his　way。　He　and　Covenant　had　no　choice　but　to　huddle　together　for　warmth　in　the　mud　and　try　to　sleep　while　they　waited。
　　　　With　the　ing　of　dawn；　the　rain　stopped；　and　Covenant　and　Foamfollower　went　on　along　the　Ruinwash　in　the　blurred　light　of　morning。　During　that　day；　they　saw　the　last　of　the　aliantha；　as　they　penetrated　into　the　Spoiled　Plains；　the　mud　became　too　dead　for　treasure…berries。　The　travelers　kept　themselves　going　on　scant　shares　of　their　dwindling　supplies。　At　night；　the　rains　came　again；　soaking　them　until　they　seemed　to　have　its　dankness　in　the　marrow　of　their　bones。
　　　　The　next　day；　an　eagle　spotted　them　through　a　gap　in　the　gray　trees。　It　cycled　twice　close　over　their　heads；　then　soared　away；　screaming　in　mockery　like　a　voice　from　the　dead；　〃Foamfollower！　Kinabandoner！〃
　　　　〃They're　after　us；〃　said　Covenant。
　　　　The　Giant　spat　violently。　''　Yes。　They　will　hunt　us　down。〃　He　found　a　smooth　stone　the　size　of　Covenant's　two　fists　and　carried　it　with　him　to　throw　at　the　eagle　if　it　returned。
　　　　It　did　not　e　back　that　day；　but　the　next…after　another　torrential　downpour　avalanched　the　Plains　as　if　the　cloud　lid　over　the　Land　were　a　shattered　sea…Lord　Foul's　bird　circled　them　twice；　morning　and　afternoon。　The　first　time；　it　taunted　them　until　Foamfollower　had　hurled　all　the　stones　he　could　find　nearby；　then　it　slashed　close　to　bark　scornfully；　〃Kinabandoner！　Groveler！〃
　　　　The　second　time；　Foamfollower　kept　one　stone　hidden。　He　waited　until　the　eagle　had　swooped　lower　to　jeer；　then　threw　at　it　with　deadly　force。　It　survived　by　breaking　the　blow　with　its　wings；　but　it　flew　limping　away；　barely　able　to　stay　aloft。
　　　　〃Make　haste；〃　Foamfollower　growled。　〃That　ill　bird　has　been　guiding　the　pursuit　toward　us。　It　is　not　far　off。〃
　　　　At　the　best　pace　Covenant　could　manage　on　his　numb；　battered　feet；　he　pushed　ahead　through　the　bosk