srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第10章

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　〃I　know　what　it　does！〃　Covenant's　voice　was　raw　from　all　the　shouting　he　had　done；　and　it　sounded　spectral　and　empty；　like　the　creaking　of　a　derelict。　〃I've　had　it　before。　You　put　that　stuff　on　my　head；　and　before　you　know　it　the　feeling　es　back　into　my　fingers　and　toes；　and　I　go　around　ra…〃　He　barely　caught　himself。　〃Hurting　people。〃
　He　heard　Elena。　say　softly；　〃I　know；〃　but　he　disregarded　her。
　〃That's　the　real　lie；〃　he　snarled　at　the　bowl；　〃that　stuff　there。　That's　what　makes　me　feel　so　healthy　I　can't　stand　it。〃　He　took　a　long　breath；　then　said　fervidly；　〃I　don't　want　it。〃
　Mhoram　held　Covenant　in　a　gaze　intense　with　questions。　And　when　Covenant　did　not　waver；　the　Lord　asked　in　a　low　voice；　a　tone　of　amazement；　〃My　friend；　do　you　wish　to　die？〃
　〃Use　it　on　that　poor　devil　over　there；〃　Covenant　replied　dully。　〃It's　got　a　right　to　it。〃
　Without　bending　the　straitness　of　his　look；　Mhoram　said；　〃We　have　made　the　attempt。　You　have　known　us；　Unbeliever。　You　know　that　we　could　not　refuse　the　plea　of　such　distress。　But　the　Waynhim　is　beyond　all　our　succor。　Our　Healers　cannot　approach　its　inner　wound。　And　it　nearly　died　at　the　touch　of　hurtloam；〃
　Still　Covenant　did　not　relent。
　Behind　him；　High　Lord　Elena　continued　what　Mhoram　had　been　saying。　〃Even　the　Staff　of　Law　cannot　match　the　power　which　has　warped　this　Waynhim。　Such　is　our　plight；　ur…Lord。　The　Illearth　Stone　surpasses　us。
　〃This　Waynhim　has　told　us　much。　Much　that　was　obscure　is　now　clear。　Its　name　was　dharmakshetra；　which　in　the　Waynhim　tongue　means；　‘to　brave　the　enemy。'　Now　it　calls　itself　dukkha…'victim。'　Because　its　people　desired　knowledge　of　the　Despiser's　plotting；　it　went　to　Foul's　Creche。　There　it　was　captured；　and…and　wronged…and　then　set　free…as　a　warning　to　its　people；　I　think。　It　has　told　us　much。
　〃Unbeliever；　we　know　that　when　you　first　delivered　the　Despiser's　prophecy　to　High　Lord　Prothall　son　of　Dwillian　and　the　Council　of　Lords　forty　years　ago；　many　things　were　not　understood　concerning　the　Gray　Slayer's　intent。　Why　did　he　warn　the　Lords　that　Drool　Rockworm　had　found　the　Staff　of　Law　under…　Mount　Thunder？　Why　did　he　seek　to　prepare　us　for　our　fate？　Why　did　he　aid　Drool's　quest　for　dark　might；　and　then　betray　the　Cavewight？　These　questions　are　now　answered。　Drool　possessed　the　Stag；　and　with　it　unearthed　the　buried　bane；　the　Illearth　Stone。　By　reason　of　these　powers；　the　Despiser　was　at　Drool's　mercy　while　the　Cavewight　lived。
　〃But　with　Lord　Mhoram　and　High　Lord　Prothall；　you　retrieved　the　Staff　and　brought　the　threat　of　Drool　Rockworm　to　an　end。　Thus　the　Stone　fell　into　Lord　Foul's　hands。　He　knew　that　the　Stone；　joined　with　his　own　lore　and　power；　is　a　greater　strength　than　the　Staff　of　Law。　And　he　knew　that　we　are　no　masters　for　even　that　little　might　which　we　possess。
　〃In　forty　years；　we　have　not　rested。　We　have　spoken　to　all　the　people　of　the　Land。　The　Loresraat　has　grown　greatly；　giving　us　warriors　and　Lorewardens　and　Lords　to　meet　our　need。　The　rhadhamaerl　and　lillianrill　have　labored　to　the　utmost。　And　all　have　given　themselves　to　the　study　of　the　Two　Wards；　and　of　the　Staff。　Gains　have　been　made。　Trothgard；　where　the　Lords　swore　their　promise　of　healing　to　the　Land；　has　flowered；　and　we　have　made　there　works　undreamed　by　our　forefathers。　The　Staff　meets　many　needs。　But　the　heart　of　our　failure　remains。
　〃For　all　our　lore；　all　our　knowledge　of　the　Staff　and　the　Earthpower；　es　to　us　from　Kevin；　High　Lord　of　the　Old　Lords。　And　he　was　defeated…yes；　and　worse　than　defeated。　Now　we　face　the　same　foe；　made　greatly　stronger　by　the　Illearth　Stone。　And　we　have　recovered　only　Two　of　the　Seven　Wards　in　which
　Kevin　left　his　Lore。　And　at　their　core　these　Two　are　beyond　us。　Some　weakness　of　wisdom　or　incapacity　of　spirit　prevents　our　grasp　of　their　mystery。　Yet　without　mastery　of　the　Two　we　cannot　gain　the　rest；　for　Kevin；　wise　to　the　hazards　of　unready　knowledge　and　power；　hid　his　Wards　each　in　its　turn；　so　that　the　prehension　of　one　would　lead　to　the　discovery　of　the　next。
　〃For　forty　years；　this　failure　has　clung　to　us。　And　now　we　have　learned　that　Lord　Foul；　too；　has　not　been　idle。　We　have　learned　from　this　Waynhim。　The　Land's　enemy　has　grown　power　and　armies　until　the　region　beyond　the　Shattered　Hills　teems　with　warped　life…myriads　of　poor　bent　creatures　like　dukkha；　held　by　the　power　of　the　Stone　in　soul　chattelry　to　Lord　Foul。　He　has　built　for　himself　a　force　more　ill　than　any　the　Land　has　known；　more　fell　than　any　we　can　hope　to　conquer。　He　has　gathered　his　three　Ravers；　the　servants　of　his　right　hand；　to　mand　his　armies。　It　may　be　that　his　hordes　are　already　afoot　against　us。
　〃So　it　is　that　we　have　called　you；　ur…Lord　Covenant；　Unbeliever　and　white　gold　wielder。　You　are　our　hope　at　the　last。　We　summoned　you；　though　we　knew　it　might　carry　a　cost　hard　for　you　to　bear。　We　have　sworn　our　service　to　the　Land；　and　could　not　do　otherwise。　Thomas　Covenant！　Will　you　not　help　us？〃
　During　her　speech；　her　voice　had　grown　in　power　and　eloquence　until　she　was　almost　singing。　Covenant　could　not　refuse　to　listen。　Her　tone　reached　into　him；　and　made　vivid　all　his　memories　of　the　Land's　beauty。　He　recalled　the　bewitching　Dance　of　the　Celebration　of　Spring；　and　the　lush；　heart…soothing　health　of　the　Andelainian　Hills；　the　uneasy　eldritch　gleaming　of　Morinmoss；　the　stern　swift　Plains　of　Ra　and　the　rampant　Ranyhyn；　the　great　horses。　And　he　remembered　what　it　was　like　to　feel；　to　have　lively　nerves　in　his　fingers；　capable　of　touching　grass　and　stone。　The　poignancy　of　it　made　his　heart　ache。
　〃Your　hope　misleads　you；〃　he　groaned　into　the　stillness　after　Elena's　appeal。　〃I　don't　know　anything　about　power。　It　has　something　to　do　with　life；　and　I'm　as　good　as　dead。　Or　what　do　you　think　life　is？　Life　is　feeling。　I've　lost　that。　I'm　a　leper。〃
　He　might　have　started　to　rage　again；　but　a　new　voice　cut　sharply　through　his　protest。　〃Then　why　don't　you　throw　away　your　ring？〃
　He　turned；　and　found　himself　confronting　the　warrior　who　had　been　sitting　at　the　end　of　the　Lords'　table。　The　man　had　e　down　to　the　bottom　of　the　Close；　where　he　faced　Covenant　with　his　hands　on　his　hips。　To　Covenant's　surprise；　the　man's　eyes　were　covered　with　dark；　wraparound　sunglasses。　Behind　the　glasses；　his　head　moved　alertly；　as　if　he　were　studying　everything。　He　seemed　to　possess　a　secret。　Without　the　support　of　his　eyes；　the　slight　smile　on　his　lips　looked　private　and　unfathomable；　like　an　utterance　in　an　alien　tongue。
　Covenant　grasped　the　inconsistency　of　the　sunglasses…they。　were　oddly　out　of　place　in　the　Close　but　he　was　too　stung　by　the　speaker's　question　to　stop　for　discrepancies。　Stiffly；　he　answered；　〃It's　my　wedding　ring。〃
　The　man　shrugged　away　this　reply。　〃You　talk　about　your　wife　in　the　past　tense。　You're　separated…or　divorced。　You　can't　have　your　life　both　ways　now。　Either　get　rid　of　the　ring　and　stick　to　whatever　it　is　you　seem　to　think　is　real；　or　get　rid　of　her　and　do　your　duty　here。〃
　〃My　duty？〃　The　affront　of　the　man's　judgment　gave　Covenant　the　energy　to　object。　〃How　do　you　know　what　my　duty　is？〃
　〃My　name　is　Hile　Troy。〃　The　man　gave　a　slight　bow。　〃I'm　the　Warmark　of　the　Warward　of　Lord's　Keep。　My　job　is　to　figure　out　how　to　meet　Foul's　army。〃
　〃Rile　Troy；〃　added　Elena　slowly；　almost　hesitantly；　〃es　from　your　world；　Unbeliever。〃
　What？
　The　High　Lord's　assertion　seemed　to　snatch　the　ground　from　under　Covenant。　The　enervation　in　his　bones　suddenly　swamped　him。　Vertigo　came　over　him　as　if　he　were　on　the　edge　of　a　cliff；　and　he　stumbled。
　Mhoram　caught　him　as　he　dropped　heavily　to　his　knees。
　His　movement　distracted　the　Bloodguard　holding　dukkha。　Before　they　could　react；　the　Waynhim　broke　away　from　them　and　sprang　at　Covenant；　screaming　with　fury。
　To　save　Covenant；　Mhoram　spun　and　blocked　dukkha's　charge　with　his　staff。　The　next　instant；　the　Bloodguard　recaptured　the　Waynhim。　But　Covenant　did　not　see　it。　When　Mhoram　turned　away　from　him；　he　fell　on　his　face　beside　the　graveling　pit。　He　felt　weak；　overburdened　with　despair；　as　if　he　were　bleeding　to　death。　For　a　few　moments；　he　lost　consciousness。
　He　awoke　to　the　touch　of　cool　relief　on　his　forehead。　His　head　was　in　Mhoram's　lap；　and　the　Lord　was　gently　spreading　hurtloam　over　hi