jr.shapechangers-第15章

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　He　fingered　the　gold　hilt　of　the　long…knife　at　his　belt　absently；　eyes　gone　oddly　detached。　When　he　answered　Alix　heard　the　echos　of　prophecy　in　his　voice。　'
　〃We　will　never　regain　our　former　way　of　life。　We　are　meant　for　another　way。　The　old　gods　have　said。〃
　She　shivered；　shrinking　from　the　implications　of　his　words。　She　picked　up　the　wooden　cup；　intending　to　drink　to　cover　her　confusion；　saw　it　was　empty　and　set　it　down。
　〃You　will　be　Carillon's　light　woman？〃
　The　cup　fell　over　as　her　fingers　spasmed。　〃I　will　be　no　man's　
　light　woman。〃　I
　Duncan's　smile　was　crooked；　disbelieving。　〃I　have　been　led　
　to　believe　most　women　would　slay　for　a　chance　to　be　so　honored。〃　
　〃I　am　not　most　women；〃　she　retorted。　She　sighed；　picking　at　
　the　twigs　caught　in　her　tangled　braid。　〃I　cannot　conceive　of　it　
　ever　happening；　now；　so　there　is　no　need　for　me　to　consider　it。〃
　〃Then　you　give　him　up　so　easily？〃
　Alix　dropped　the　braid　and　stared　at　him　despondently；　forget…ting　he　was　her　enemy　and　thinking　only　of　the　sympathy　in　his　voice。
　〃I　cannot　say　what　I　will　do。　I　cannot　even　say　what　I　want！〃
　He　grunted。　〃Those　are　the　restraints　put　on　you　by　your　Homanan　upbringing。　Among　the　Cheysuli；　a　woman　takes　what　man　she　will。〃　A　fleeting　shadow　passed　across　his　face　as　he　frowned。　A　shrug　banished　me　expression。　〃A　woman　of　me　clan　may　refuse　one　man　and　take　another；　easily。〃
　〃My　father　did　not　bring　me　up　to　be　a　light　woman；〃　she　said　firmly。　〃One　day　I　will　wed　a　crofter；　like　my　father；　or　a　villager。〃　She　shrugged。　〃One　day。〃
　〃You　father　did　not　bring　you　up　at　all；〃　he　said　bluntly。
　Alix　opened　her　mouth　to　protest　yes；　he　most　certainly　did；　men　realized　Duncan　referred　to　Hale。　Once　again　she　recalled　the　astonishing　story　behind　her　own　birth＋if　she　would　accept　mat　story　as　troth。　But　she　could　not　tell　him　what　she　thought；　so　she　settled　for　the　familiar　litany　she　had　repeated　each　evening。
　〃Carillon　will　wed　a　princess。　Of　course。〃
　〃Of　course；〃　he　mocked。　〃If　he　lives　at　all；　he　will　wed　a　princess。〃
　〃Lives！〃
　Duncan　stretched　one　eyelid　and　rubbed　at　it。　〃The　Hilini　will　see　to　it　Carillon　does　not　live　to　wed。〃
　〃The　Ihlini！〃　Alix　stared　at　him；　horrified。　〃The　sorcerers　who　serve　the　dark　gods？　But　why？　What　do　they　care　for　Carillon？　Is　it　not　Bellam　who　dictates　what　Solinde　will　do？〃
　Duncan　picked　up　his　bow　and　studied　it；　then　began　to　oil　it　once　more。　His　voice；　deep　and　quiet；　took　on　an　instructive　tone。　〃Solinde　has　ever　been　a　strong　land；　but　her　kings　are　greedy。　They　arc　not　satisfied　with　Solinde；　they　also　want　Homana　in　vassalage。　Bellam　has　sought　to　achieve　that　all　his　life；　but　these　constant　skirmishes　at　the　borders　and　the　full　battles　that　slay　so　many　have　won　him　nothing。　He　seeks　to　gain　Homana　how　he　can；　now。〃
　〃By　turning　to　the　/A/t'm？〃
　〃Already　Solinde　is　much　stronger　than　before。　Bellam　seeks　the　unnatural　power　of　Tynstar；　who　rules　the　Ihlini　if　a　sor…cerer　can　be　said　to　rule　his　own　race。〃　He　bent　his　head　over　his　work。　〃Tynstar　is　the　might　behind　Solinde；　not　Bellam。〃
　〃Tynstar。。。〃　she　whispered。　For　a　moment　she　allowed　her　mind　to　recall　me　tales　she　had　heard　as　a　child；　when　her　mother＋despairing　of　winning　Alix's　attention　to　chores＋had　threatened　her　with　Dilini　retribution。
　Until　my　father　said　she　should　not；　for　to　speak　of　Tynstar　and　the　Ihlini　was　to　invite　his　power　over　you。　Alix　shuddered　once；　seeking　to　throw　off　the　specter。…but　Duncan　did　not　seem　to　notice。
　〃Tynstar；　called　the　Ihlini；〃　he　said；　〃perhaps　the　most　powerful　of　all　those　who　serve　the　dark　gods　of　the　netherworld。　He　has　arts　at　his　mand　no　man　should　have；　and　he　uses　them　for　Bellam's　gain。　This　time　Homana　cannot　stand　against　her　enemies。〃
　Alix　sat　upright；　flushed　with　affrontedness　and　defiance。　〃Homana　has　never　fallen！　Not　in　all　the　years　the　kings　of　Solinde　have　sought　to　defeat　us。〃　She　thrust　her　chin　up；　〃My　father　said。〃
　Duncan　looked　across　the　fire　at　her；　showing　her　an　expres…
　sion　of　such　amused　tolerance　she　longed　to　throw　the　cup　at
　him。　〃And　in　all　these　years　the　Mujhars　of　Homana　had　the
　Cheysuli　by　their　sides。　We　used　our　own　god…gifts　to　defeat　the
　Solindish　troops。　Not　even　the　Ihlini　could　halt　us。〃　The　toler…
　ance　faded。　〃Twenty…five　years　ago　we　helped　Shaine　hold　his
　borders　against　Bellam；'　putting　down　a　massive　force　that　might
　have　destroyed　Homana。　The　peace　that　resulted　from　our　victory
　would　have　been　solidified　by　a　marriage　between　Lindir　and
　Bellam's　son；　Ellic；　When　that　was　broken；　so　was　the　peace。
　Now　Shaioe　slays　us；　and　Homana　will　fall　to　the　Dilini。〃
　〃Twenty…five　years。。。〃　she　echoed。
　〃Lindir　remained　hidden　with　Hale　for　eight　years　of　the　qu'mahlin；　fleeing　her　jehan's　wrath。　When　he　was　slain　she　returned；　and　bore　you　but　weeks　later。〃
　〃Well。。。　if　the　Ihlini　are　so　powerful；　how　is　it　you　have　withstood　them　before？〃
　〃That　is　a　thing　between　the　races。　I　cannot　say。〃　He　frowned　faintly。　〃The　Ihlini　have　no　real　power　before　us。　Oh；　they　have　recourse　to　some　of　their　illusions　and　simple　arts；　but　not　the　dark　magic。　But　we　also　suffer；　for　though　the　Ihlini　cannot　overe　us　with　their　arts；　neither　can　we　take　fir…shape　before　them；　or　hear　our　/ir。　We　are　as　other　men　before　them。〃
　Alix；　stunned　by　his　words；　said　nothing。　All　her　life　she　had　known　the　Cheysuli　had　awesome　arts　at　their　call；　though　she　could　not　have　named　what　they　did；　to　hear　Duncan　speak　of　the　Ihlini　as　the　demons　she　had　ever　thought　a　Cheysuli　charac…teristic　upset　her　preconceived　notions　of　the　order　of　things。　Already　Finn　had　destroyed　her　innocently　confident　childhood。　Duncan　had　further　shaken　her　foundations　by　speaking　of　a　prophecy　and　the　future　she　faced　with　his　clan。　Now；　to　think　of　the　Ihlini　as　a　real　threat　to　the　land　she　loved；　Alix　felt　a　desperation　building　in　her　soul。
　Too　much　is　being　shattered。。。　she　thought　abstractedly。　They　are　taking　too　much　of　me；　twisting　me；　promising　things　I　have　ever　feared。。。
　〃Here；〃　Duncan　said　gently；　〃you　have　suffered　long　enough。〃
　She　dragged　her　eyes　from　the　fire；　blinking　at　the　residue　of　flames　that　overlay　his　dark　face。　He　held　something　in　his　hand；　offering　it　to　her。　She　saw　it　was　a　silver　b；　gleaming　in　the　firelight。　Slowly　she　put　out　a　hand　and　took　it；　fingering　the　intricate　runic　devices　that　leaped　and　twisted　in　the　flickering　shadows。
　〃You　may　have　it；〃　Duncan　said。　〃I　carried　it　for　a　girl　in
　the　Keep。　But　you　have　more　need　of　it。*'
　Alix　hesitated；　staring　at　him。　She　could　not；　even　as　she　tried；　view　him　as　her　enemy。　Finn's　threat　was　very　real；　substantial；　Duncan's　was　not。
　Or　else　he　hides　it　from　me。。。
　〃Use　it；〃　he　urged　gently。
　After　a　moment　she　set　the　b　down　and　began　to　undo　her　tangled　braid。　Duncan　stirred　the　fire　with　a　stick；　coaxing　life　back　to　me　rosy　coals。
　She　picked　twigs　and　leaves　from　the　heavy　plait；　gritting　her
　teeth　at　the　pain　of　snarls　set　so　deeply　she　would　have　to　rip　most　of　them　out。　To　cover　her　grimaces　she　spoke　to　Duncan。
　〃You　have　a　wife？〃
　〃No；　I　have　no　cheysula。〃
　She　dragged　the　b　through　her　hair。　〃Then　you　have　a
　。。。　mei　jhaT1
　He　glanced　at　her　briefly；　face　closed。　〃No。〃
　She　scowled　at　him　as　she　ripped　at　a　tangle。　〃Why　did　you　go　to　such　effort　to　explain　the　freedom　of　your　race。　if　you　do　not　subscribe　to　it　yourself？〃
　Duncan　continued　to　stir　the　fire；　though　it　did　not　particularly　require　it。　〃I　am　clan…leader。　It　came　on　me　eight　months　ago；　when　Tieman　died。　With　it　es　much　responsibility；　and　I　chose　not　to　divide　myself　between　a　cheysuta　and　the　leadership　this　year。〃　He　waved　the　stick　idly。　〃Perhaps　next　year。〃
　Alix　nodded　absently　as　she　freed　the　last　tangle　from　her　hair。　Her　attention　was　not　really　focused　on　Duncan；　but　she　sensed　an　odd　tension　in　him　as　he　watched　her　silently。　His　eyes　followed　her　hands　as　she　pulled　the　silver　b　through　the　heavy　length　of　her　dark　hair。
　The　exercise　improved　her　disposition　and　her　feelings　toward　the　clan…leader。　No　man；　did　he　want　to　sacrifice　her　to　some　unspeakable　god；　would　allow　her　the　amenities　mon　t