srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第106章

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insouciance；　he　waved　his　arms　and　vanished。
　She　stared　after　him　and　clenched　the　Staff　as　if　she　meant　to　strike　the　empty　air　of　his　absence。　Her　back　was　to　Covenant；　he　could　not　see　what　was　happening　in　her　face；　but　the　tension　of　her　shoulders　made　him
　fear　that　her　eyes　were　drawing　into　focus。　At　that　thought；　blood　pounded　in　his　temples。　He　reached　out；　tried　to　interrupt　or　distract　her。
　His　touch　caused　her　to　swing　around　toward　him。　Her　face　looked　emaciated…her　flesh　was　tight　over　the　pale　intensity　of　her　skull…and　she　seemed　astonished；　as　if　she　had　just　discovered　her　capacity　for　panic。　But　she　did　not　move　into　his　arms。　She　halted；　deliberately　closed　her　eyes。　The　bones　of　her　jaw　and　cheeks　and　forehead　concentrated　on　him。
　He　felt　an　abyss　opening　in　his　mind。
　He　did　not　prehend　the　black；　yawning　sensation。　Elena　stood　before　him　in　the　shadow　of　Melenkurion　Skyweir　like　an　icon　of　gleaming　bone　robed　in　blue；　but　behind　her；　behind　the　solid　stone　of　Rivenrock；　darkness　widened　like　a　crack　across　the　cistern　of　his　thoughts。　The　rift　sucked　at　him；　he　was　losing　himself。
　The　sensation　came　from　Elena。
　Suddenly；　he　understood。　She　was　attempting　to　meld　her　mind　with　his。
　A　glare　of　fear　shot　through　the　sable　vertigo　which　drained　him。　It　illuminated　his　peril；　if　he　abandoned　himself　to　the　melding；　she　would　learn　the　truth　about　him。　He　could　not　afford　such　a　plunge；　could　never　have　afforded　it。　Crying；　No！　he　recoiled；　staggered　back　away　from　her　within　himself。
　The　pressure　eased。　He　found　that　his　body　was　also　retreating。　With　an　effort；　he　stopped；　raised　his　head。
　Elena's　eyes　were　wide　with　disappointment　and　grief；　and　she　leaned　painfully　on　the　Staff　of　Law。　〃Pardon　me；　beloved；〃　she　breathed。　〃I　have　asked　for　more　than　you　are　ready　to　give。〃　For　a　moment；　she　remained　still；　gave　him　a　chance　to　respond。　Then　she　groaned；　〃I　must　think；〃　and　turned　away。　Supporting　herself　with　the　Staff；　she　moved　slowly　along　the　cleft　toward　the　outer　edge　of　the　plateau。
　Shaken；　Covenant　sat　straight　down　on　the　rock；　and　caught　his　head　in　his　hands。　Conflicting　emotions　tore　at　him。　He　was　dismayed　by　his　narrow　escape；　and　angry　at　his　weakness。　To　save　himself；　he　had　hurt　Elena。　He　thought　that　he　should　go　to　her；　but　some
　thing　in　the　focused　isolation　of　her　figure　warned　him　not　to　intrude。　For　a　time；　he　gazed　at　her　with　an　ache　in　his　heart。　Then　he　climbed　to　his　feet；　muttering　at　the　needless　air；　〃He　could've　had　the　decency　to　tell　us…at　least　before　she　lost　her　Ranyhyn。〃
　To　his　surprise；　the　First　Mark　answered；　〃Amok　acts　according　to　the　law　of　his　creation。　He　cannot　break　that　law　merely　to　avoid　pain。〃
　Covenant　threw　up　his　hands　in　disgust。　Fulminating　uselessly；　he　stalked　away　across　the　plateau。
　He　spent　the　remainder　of　the　afternoon　roving　restlessly　from　place　to　place　across　Rivenrock；　searching　for　some　clue　to　the　continuation　of　Amok's　trail。　After　a　while；　he　calmed　down　enough　to　understand　Morin's　ment　on　Amok。　Morin　and　Bannor　were　the　prisoners　of　their　Vow；　they　could　speak　with　authority　about　the　exigencies　of　an　implacable　law。　But　if　the　Bloodguard　sympathized　with　Amok；　that　was　just　one　more　coffin　nail　in　the　doom　of　the　High　Lord's　quest。
　Covenant's　effectlessness　was　another　such　nail。　He　could　hear　the　inflated　fatuity　of　his　bargain　mocking　him　now。　How　could　he　help　Elena？　He　did　not　even　know　enough　to　grasp　the　issues　Amok　raised。　Though　his　disconsolate　hiking　covered　a　wide　section　of　the　plateau；　he　learned　nothing　of　any　significance。　The　barren　stone　was　like　his　inefficacy…irreducible　and　binding。　While　the　last　sunlight　turned　to　dust　in　the　sky；　he　bent　his　steps　toward　the　graveling　glow　which　marked　the　High　Lord's　camp。　He　was　brooding　on　the　familiar　idea　that　futility　governed　his　very　existence。
　He　found　Elena　beside　her　pot　of　graveling。　She　looked　both　worn　and　whetted；　as　if　the　pressure　on　her　ground　down　her　individuality；　fitted　her　to　the　pattern　of　her　Lord's　duty。　Resolution　gleamed　in　the　honed　patina　of　her　bones。　She　had　accepted　all　the　implications　of　her　burden。
　Covenant　cleared　his　throat　awkwardly。　〃What　have　you　got？　Have　you　figured　it　out？〃
　In　a　distant　voice；　she　asked；　〃How　great　is　your　knowledge　of　Warmark　Troy's　battle　plan？〃
　〃I　know　generally　what　he's　trying　to　do…nothing　specific：〃
　〃If　his　plan　did　not　fail；　the　battle　began　yesterday。〃
　He　considered　for　a　moment；　then　inquired　carefully；　〃Where　does　that　leave　us？〃
　〃We　must　meet　Amok's　condition。〃
　He　gestured　his　inprehension。　〃How？〃
　〃I　do　not　know。　But　I　believe　that　it　may　be　done。〃
　〃You're　missing　four　Wards。〃
　〃Yes；〃　she　sighed。　〃Kevin　clearly　intended　that　we　should　gain　the　Seventh　Ward　only　after　mastering　the　first　Six。　But　Amok　has　already　violated　that　intent。　Knowing　that　we　have　not　prehended　Loric's　krill；　he　still　returned　to　us。　He　saw　the　Land's　peril；　and　returned。　This　shows　some　freedom…some　discretion。　He　is　not　explicitly　bound　by　his　law　at　all　points。〃
　She　paused；　and　after　a　moment　Covenant　said；　〃Offhand；　I　would　say　that　makes　him　dangerous。　Why　would　he　drag　us　all　the　way　out　here　when　he　knew　we　would　get　stuck…unless　he　was　trying　to　distract　you　from　the　war？〃
　〃Amok　intends　no　betrayal。　I　hear　no　malice　in
　To　penetrate　her　abstraction；　he　snapped；　〃You　can　be　fooled。　Or　are　you　forgetting　that　Kevin　even　accepted　Foul　as　a　Lord？〃
　Steadily；　Elena　replied；　〃Perhaps　the　first　Six　Wards　do　not　contain　the　name　of　this　power。　Perhaps　they　teach　only　the　way　in　which　Amok　may　be　brought　to　speak　its　name　himself。〃
　〃In　that　case〃
　〃Amok　guided　us　here　because　in　some　way　it　is　possible　for　us　to　meet　his　condition。〃
　〃But　can　you　find　the　right　questions？〃
　〃I　must。　What　other　choice　exists　for　me？　I　cannot　rejoin　the　Wayward　now。〃
　Her　voice　had　a　dull　finality；　as　if　she　were　passing　sentence　on　herself。　Early　the　next　morning；　she　called　Amok。
　He　appeared；　grinning　boyishly。　She　gripped　the　Staff　of　Law　in　both　hands　and　braced　it　on　the　rock　before　her。
　In　the　dawn　under　Melenkurion　Skyweir；　they　began　to　duel　for　access　to　the　Seventh　Ward。
　For　two　days；　High　Lord　Elena　strove　to　wrest　the　prerequisite　name　from　Amok。　During　the　second　day；　a　massive　storm　brooded　on　the　southeastern　horizon；　but　it　did　not　approach　Rivenrock；　and　everyone　ignored　it。　While　Covenant　sat　twisting　his　ring　around　his　finger；　or　paced　restlessly　beside　the　batants；　or　wandered　muttering　away　at　intervals　to　escape　the　strain；　she　probed　Amok　with　every　question　she　could　devise。　At　times；　she　worked　methodically；　at　others；　intuitively。　She　elaborated　ideas　for　his　assent　or　denial。　She　forced　him　to　recite　his　answers　at　greater　and　greater　length。　She　led　him　through　painstaking　rehearsals　of　known　ground；　and　launched　him　with　all　her　accuracy　toward　the　unknown。　She　built　traps　of　logic　for　him；　tried　to　fence　him　into　contradictions。　She　sought　to　meld　her　mind　with　his。
　It　was　like　dueling　with　a　pool　of　water。　Every　slash　and　counter　of　her　questions　touched　him　as　if　she　had　slapped　a　pond　with　the　flat　of　her　blade。　His　answers　splashed　at　every　inquiry。　But　when　she　strove　to　catch　him　on　her　need's　point；　she　passed　through　him　and　left　no　mark。　Occasionally　he　allowed　himself　a　laughing　riposte；　but　for　the　most　part　he　parried　her　questions　with　his　accustomed　cheerful　evasiveness。　Her　toil　earned　no　success。　By　sunset；　she　was　trembling　with　frustration　and　suppressed　fury　and　psychic　starvation。　The　very　solidity　of　Rivenrock　seemed　to　jeer　at　her。
　In　the　evenings；　Covenant　forted　her　according　to　the　terms　of　his　bargain。　He　said　nothing　of　his　own　fears　and　doubts；　his　helplessness；　his　growing　conviction　that　Amok　was　impenetrable；　he　said　nothing　about　himself　at　all。　Instead；　he　gave　her　his　best　attention；　concentrated　on　her　with　every　resource　he　possessed。
　But　all　his　efforts　could　not　touch　the　core　of　her　distress。　She　was　learning　that　she　did　not　suffice　to　meet　the　Land's　need；　and　that　was　a　grief　for　which　there　was　no　consolation。　Late　at　night；　she　made　muffled　grating　noises；　as　if　she　grou