srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第100章

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s　daughter。　Lord　Foul；　the　Warward；　even　this　quest　itself；　were　insubstantial　to　him。　He　watched　Elena；　listened　to　her；　felt　her　presence　at　all　times。　When　she　was　in　the　mood　to　talk；　he　questioned　her　readily；　and　when　she　was　not　he　gave　her　silence。　And　in　every　mood　he　was　grateful　to　her；　poignantly　moved　by　the　offer　she　had　made…the　offer　he　had　refused。
　He　could　not　help　being　conscious　of　the　fact　that　she　was　not　equally　content。　She　had　not　made　her　offer　lightly；　and　seemed　unwilling　to　understand　his　refusal。　But　the　sorrow　of　having　given　her　pain　only　sharpened　his　attentiveness　toward　her。　He　concentrated　on　her　as　only　a　man　deeply　familiar　with　loneliness　could。　And　she　was　not　blind　to　this。　After　the　first　few　days　of　their　mountain　trek；　she　again　relaxed　in　his　pany；　and　her　smiles　expressed　a　frankness　of　affection　which　she　had　not　permitted　herself　before。　Then　he　felt　that　he　was　in　harmony　with　her；　and　he　traveled　with　her　gladly。　At　times　he　chirruped　to　his　horse　as　if　he　enjoyed　riding　it。
　But　in　the　days　that　followed；　a　change　slowly　came　over　her…a　change　that　had　nothing　to　do　with　him。　As　time　passed…as　they　journeyed　nearer　to　the　secret　location　of　the　Seventh　Ward…she　became　increasingly　occupied　by　the　purpose　of　her　quest。　She　questioned　Amok　more　often；　interrogated　him　more　tensely。　At　times；　Covenant　could　see　in　the　elsewhere　stare　of　her　eyes　that　she　was　thinking　of　the　war…a　duty　from　which　she　had　turned　asideand　there　were　occasional　flashes　of　urgency　in　her　voice　as　she　strove　to　ask　the　questions　that　would　unlock　Amok's　mysterious　knowledge。
　This　was　a　burden　that　Covenant　could　not　help　her　bear。　He　knew　none　of　the　crucial　facts　himself。　The　days　passed；　the　moon　expanded　to　its　full；　then　declined　toward　its　last　quarter；　but　she　made　no　progress。　Finally；　his　desire　to　assist　her　in　some　way　led　him　to　speak　to　Bannor。
　In　a　curious　way；　he　felt　unsafe　with　the　Bloodguard…not　physically；　but　emotionally。　There　was　a　tension　of　disparity　between　himself　and　Bannor。　The　Haruchai's　stony　gaze　had　the　magisterial　air　of　a　man　who　did　not　deign　to　utter　his　judgment　of　his　panions。　And　Covenant　had　other　reasons　to　feel　unfortable　with　Bannor。　More　than　once；　he　had　made　Bannor　bear　the　brunt　of　his　own　bootless　outrage。　But　he　had　nowhere　else　to　turn。　He　was　entirely　useless　to　Elena。
　Since　his　days　in　Revelstone；　he　had　been　alert　to　a　fine　shade　of　discrepancy　in　the　Bloodguard's　attitude　toward　Amok…a　discrepancy　which　had　been　verified　but　not　explained　in　Revelwood。　However；　he　did　not　know　how　to　approach　the　subject。　Extracting　information　from　Bannor　was　difficult；　the　Bloodguard's　habitual　reserve　baffled　inquiry。　And　Covenant　was　determined　to　say　nothing　which　might　sound　like　an　offense　to　Bannor's　integrity。　Bannor　had　already　proved　his　fidelity　in　the　Wightwarrens　under　Mount　Thunder。
　Covenant　began　by　trying　to　find　out　why　the　Bloodguard　had　seen　fit　to　send　only　Bannor　and　Morin　to　protect　the　High　Lord　on　her　quest。　He　was　acutely　aware　of　his　infacility　as　he　remarked；　〃I　gather　you　don't　think　we're　in　any　great　danger　on　this　trip。〃
　〃Danger；　ur…Lord？〃　The　repressed　lilt　of　Bannor's　pronunciation　seemed　to　imply　that　anyone　protected　by　the　Bloodguard　did　not　need　to　think　of　danger。
　〃Danger；〃　Covenant　repeated　with　a　touch　of　his　old　asperity。　〃It's　a　mon　word　these　days〃
　Bannor　considered　for　a　moment；　then　said；　〃These　are　mountains。　There　is　always　danger。〃
　〃Such　as？〃
　〃Rocks　may　fall。　Storms　may　e。　Tigers　roam　these　low　heights。　Great　eagles　hunt　here。　Mountains〃　Covenant　seemed　to　hear　a　hint　of　satisfaction　in　　Bannor's　tone…〃are　perilous。〃
　〃Then　why…　Bannor；　I　would　really　like　to　know　why　there　are　only　two　of　your　Bloodguard　here。〃
　〃Is　there　need　for　more？〃
　〃If　we're　attacked　by　tigers；　or　whatever？　Or
　what　if　there's　an　avalanche？　Are　two　of　you　enough？〃
　〃We　know　mountains；〃　Bannor　replied　flatly。　〃We　suffice。〃
　This　assertion　was　not　one　that　Covenant　could　contradict。　He　made　an　effort　to　approach　what　he　wanted　to　know　in　another　way；　though　the　attempt　took　him　onto　sensitive　ground…terrain　he　would　rather　have　avoided。　〃Bannor；　I　feel　as　if　I'm　slowly　getting　to　know　you　Bloodguard。　I　can't　claim　that　I　understand…but　I　can　at　least　recognize　your　devotion。　I　know　what　it　looks　like。　Now　I　get　the　feeling　that　something　is　going　on　here…something…inconsistent。　Something　I　don't　recognize。
　〃Here　we　are　climbing　through　the　mountains；　where　anything　could　happen。　We're　following　Amok　who　knows　where；　even　though　we've　got　next　to　no　idea　what　he's　doing；　never　mind　why　he's　doing　it。　And　you're　satisfied　that　the　High　Lord　is　safe　when　she's　only　got　two　Bloodguard　to　protect　her。　Didn't　you　learn　anything　from　Kevin？〃
　〃We　are　the　Bloodguard；〃　answered　Bannor　stolidly。　〃She　is　safe…as　safe　as　may　be。〃
　〃Safe？〃　Covenant　protested。
　〃A　score　or　a　hundredscore　Bloodguard　would　not　make　her　more　safe。〃
　〃I　admire　your　confidence。〃
　Covenant　winced　at　his　own　sarcasm；　paused　for　a　moment　to　reconsider　his　questions。　Then　he　lowered　his　head　as　if　he　meant　to　batter　Bannor's　resistance　down　with　his　forehead；　and　said　bluntly；　〃Do　you　trust　Amok？〃
　〃Trust　him；　ur…Lord？〃　Bannor's　tone　hinted　that　the　question　was　inane　in　some　way。　〃He　has　not　led　us　into　hazard。　He　has　chosen　a　good　way　through　the　mountains。　The　High　Lord　elects　to　follow　him。　We　do　not　ask　for　more。〃
　Still　Covenant　felt　the　lurking　presence　of　something　unexplained。　〃I　tell　you；　it　doesn't　fit；〃　he　rasped　in　irritation。　〃Listen。　It's　a　little　late　in　the　day　for　these　inconsistencies。　I've　sort　of　given　up…they　don't
　do　me　any　good　anymore。　If　it's　all　the　same　to　you；　I'd　rather　hear　something　that　makes　sense。
　〃Bannor；　you…　Bear　with　me。　I　can't　help　noticing　it。　First　there　was　something　I　don't　understand；　somethingout　of　pitch…about　the　way　you　Bloodguard　reacted　to　Amok　when　he　came　to　Revelstone。　You…　I　don't　know　what　it　was。　Anyway；　at　Revelwood　you　didn't　exactly　jump　to　help　Troy　when　he　caught　Amok。　And　after　that…only　two　Bloodguard！　Bannor；　it　doesn't　make　sense。〃
　Bannor　was　unmoved。　〃She　is　the　High　Lord。　She　holds　the　Staff　of　Law。　She　is　easily　defended。〃
　That　answer　foiled　Covenant。　It　did　not　satisfy　him；　but　he　could　think　of　no　way　around　it。　He　did　not　know　what　he　was　groping　for。　His　intuition　told　him　that　his　questions　were　significant；　but　he　could　not　articulate　or　justify　them　in　any　utile　way。　And　he　reacted　to　Bannor's　trenchant　blankness　as　if　it　were　some　kind　of　touchstone；　a　paradoxically　private　and　unavoidable　criterion　of　rectitude。　Bannor　made　him　aware　that　there　was　something　not　altogether　honest　about　his　own　acpaniment　of　the　High　Lord。
　So　he　withdrew　from　Bannor；　returned　his　attention　to　Elena。　She　had　had　no　better　luck　with　Amok；　and　her　air　of　escape　as　she　turned　toward　Covenant　matched　his。　They　rode　on　together；　hiding　their　various　anxieties　behind　light　talk　of　mutual　miseration。
　Then；　during　the　eleventh　evening　of　their　sojourn　in　the　mountains；　she　expressed　an　opinion　to　him。　As　if　the　guess　were　hazardous；　she　said；　〃Amok　leads　us　to　Melenkurion　Skyweir。　The　Seventh　Ward　is　hidden　there。〃　And　the　next　day…the　eighteenth　since　they　had　left　Revelwood；　and　the　twenty…fifth　since　the　War　Council　of　the　Lords…the　rhythm　of　their　trek　was　broken。
　The　day　dawned　cold　and　dull；　as　if　the　sunlight　were　clogged　with　gray　cerements。　A　troubled　smell　shrouded　the　air。　Torn　fragments　of　wind　flapped　back　and　forth　across　the　camp　as　Elena　and　Covenant　ate　their　breakfast；　and　far　away　they　could　hear　a　flat；　detonating　sound　like　the　retort　of　balked　canvas　on
　unlashed　spars。　Covenant　predicted　a　storm。　But　the　First　Mark　shook　his　head　in　flat　denial；　and　Elena　said；　〃This　is　not　the　weather　of　storms。〃　She　glanced　warily　up　at　the　peaks　as　she　spoke。　〃There　is　pain　in　the　air。　The　Earth　is　afflicted。〃
　〃What's　happening？〃　A　burst　of　wind　scattered　Covenant's　voice；　and　he　had　to　repeat　his　question　at　a　shout　to　make　himself　heard。　〃Is　Foul　going　to　hit　us　here？〃
　The　wind　shifted　and　lapsed；　she　was　able　to　answer　normally。　〃Some　ill　has