srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第114章

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Range。
　For　a　day　and　a　night；　Myrha　galloped；　bearing　Elena　far　south　along　mountain　trails　and　over　passes　unknown　to　the　people　of　the　Land。　At　the　end　of　that　time；　they　gained　a　high　valley；　a　grassy　glen　folded　between　sheer　cliffs；　with　a　rugged；　spring…fed　tam　near　its　center。　This　small　lake　was　mysterious；　for　its　dark　waters　did　not　reflect　the　sunlight。　And　the　valley　itself　was　wondrous　to　behold；　for　it　contained　hundreds　of　Ranyhyn…hundreds　of　proud；　glossy；　starbrowed　stallions　and　mares…gathered　together　for　a　rare　and　secret　ritual　of　horses。
　But　Elena's　wonder　quickly　turned　to　fear。　Amid　a　chorus　of　wild；　whinnied　greetings；　Myrha　carried　the　little　girl　toward　the　lake；　then　shrugged　her　to　the　ground　and　dashed　away　in　a　flurry　of　hooves。　And　the　rest　of　the　Ranyhyn　began　to　run　around　the　valley。　At　first　they　trotted　in　all　directions；　jostling　each　other　and　sweeping　by　the　child　as　if　they　were　barely　able　to　avoid　crushing　her。　But　gradually　their　pace　mounted。　Several　Ranyhyn　left　the　pounding　mob　to　drink　at　the　tare；　then　burst　back　into　the　throng　as　if　the　dark　waters　roiled　furiously　in　their　veins。　While　the　sun　passed　overhead；　the　great　horses　sprinted　and　bucked；　drank　at　the　tam；　rushed　away　to　run　again　in　the　unappeasable　frenzy　of　a　dance　of　madness。　And　Elena　stood　among　them；　imperiled　for　her　life　by　the　savage　flash　and　flare　of　hooves…frozen　with　terror。　In　her　fear；　she　thought　that　if　she　so　much　as　flinched　she　would　be　instantly　trampled　to　death。
　Standing　there…engulfed　in　heat　and　thunder　and　abysmal　fear　as　final　as　the　end　of　life…she　lost　consciousness　for　a　time。　She　was　still　standing　when　her　eyes　began　to　see　again；　she　was　erect　and　petrified　in　the　last　glow　of　evening。　But　the　Ranyhyn　were　no　longer　running。　They　had　surrounded　her；　they　faced　her；　studied　her　with　a　force　of　pulsion　in　their　eyes。　Some　were　so　close　to　her　that　she　inhaled　their　hot；　damp　breath。　They　wanted　her　to　do　something…she　could　feel　the　insistence　of　their　wills　battering　at　her　immobile　fear。　Slowly；　woodenly；　choicelessly；　she　began　to　move。
　She　went　to　the　tare　and　drank。
　Abruptly；　the　High　Lord　dropped　her　narration；　and　began　to　sing…a　vibrant；　angry；　and　anguished　song　which　cast　ripples　of　passion　across　the　air　of　Earthroot。　For　reasons　at　which　Covenant　could　only　guess　instinctively；　she　broke　into　Lord　Kevin's　Lament　as　if　it　were　her　own　private　and　immedicable　threnody。
　Where　is　the　Power　that　protects　beauty　from　the　decay　of　life？　preserves　truth　pure　of　falsehood？
　secures　fealty　from　that　slow　stain　of　chaos　which　corrupts？　How　are　we　so　rendered　small　by　Despite？　Why　will　the　very　rocks　not　erupt　for　their　own　cleansing；　or　crumble　into　dust　for　shame？
　While　echoes　of　the　song's　grief　ran　over　the　lake；　she　met　Covenant's　gaze　for　the　first　time　since　she　had　begun　her　tale。
　〃Beloved；〃　she　said　in　a　low；　thrilling　voice；　〃I　was　transformed…restored　to　life。　At　the　touch　of　those　waters；　the　blindness　or　ignorance　of　my　heart　fell　away。　My　fear　melted；　and　I　was　joined　to　the　munion　of　the　Ranyhyn。　In　an　instant　of　vision；　I　understood…everything。　I　saw　that　in　honor　of　your　promise　I　had　been　brought　to　the　horserite　of　Kelenbhrabanal；　Father　of　Horses…a　Ranyhyn　ritual　enacted　once　each　generation　to　pass　on　and　perpetuate　their　great　legend；　the　tale　of　mighty　Kelenbhrabanal's　death　in　the　jaws　of　Fangthane　the　Render。　I　saw　that　the　turmoiled　running　of　the　Ranyhyn　was　their　shared　grief　and　rage　and　frenzy　at　the　Father's　end。
　〃For　Kelenbhrabanal　was　the　Father　of　Horses；　Stallion　of　the　First　Herd。　The　Plains　of　Ra　were　his　demesne　and　protectorate。　He　led　the　Ranyhyn　in　their　great　war　against　the　wolves　of　Fangthane。
　〃But　the　war　continued　without　issue；　and　the　stench　of　shed　blood　and　rent　flesh　became　a　sickness　in　the　Stallion's　nostrils。　Therefore　he　made　his　way　to　Fangthane。　He　stood　before　the　Render；　and　said；　‘Let　this　war　end。　I　smell　your　hate…I　know　that　you　must　have　victims；　else　in　your　passion　you　will　consume　yourself。　I　will　be　your　victim。　Slaughter　me；　and　let　my　people　live　in　peace。　Appease　your　hate　on　me；　and　end　this　war。'　And　Fangthane　agreed。　So　Kelenbhrabanal　bared　his　throat　to　the　Renders　teeth；　and　soaked　the　earth　with　his　sacrifice。
　〃But　Fangthane　did　not　keep　his　word…the　wolves　attacked　again。　The　Ranyhyn　were　leaderless；　heartstricken。　They　could　not　fight　well。　The　remnant　of
　the　Ranyhyn　was　pelled　to　flee　into　the　mountains。　They　could　not　return　to　their　beloved　Plains　until　they　had　gained　the　service　of　the　Ramen；　and　with　that　aid　had　driven　the　wolves　away。
　〃Thus　each　generation　of　the　Ranyhyn　holds　its　horserite　to　preserve　the　tale　of　the　Stallion…to　hold　pure　in　memory　all　their　pride　at　his　self…sacrifice；　and　all　their　grief　at　his　death；　and　all　their　rage　at　the　Despite　which　betrayed　him。　Thus　they　drink　of　the　mind…uniting　waters；　and　hammer　out　against　the　ground　the　extremity　of　their　passion　for　one　day　and　one　night。　And　thus；　when　I　had　tasted　the　water　of　the　tam；　I　ran　and　wept　and　raged　with　them　throughout　the　long　exaltation　of　that　night。　Heart　and　mind　and　soul　and　all；　I　gave　myself　to　a　dream　of　Fangthane's　death。〃
　Listening　to　her；　clinging　to　her　face　with　his　eyes；　Covenant　felt　himself　knotted　by　the　clench　of　unreleasable　grief。　She　was　the　woman　who　had　offered　herself　to　him。　He　understood　her　passion　now；　understood　the　danger　she　was　in。　And　her　elsewhere　glance　was　drawing　into　focus；　already　he　could　feel　conflagrations　blazing　at　the　corners　of　her　vision。
　His　dread　of　that　focus　gave　him　the　impetus　to　speak。　With　his　voice　rent　between　fear　and　love；　he　wrenched　out　hoarsely；　〃What　I　don't　understand　is　what　Foul　gets　out　of　all　this。〃
　
　
　TWENTY…FIVE：　The　Seventh　Ward
　
　FOR　a　long　moment；　High　Lord　Elena　gripped　the　Staff　of　Law　and　glared　down　at　him。　Focus　crackled　on　the　verge　of　her　gaze；　it　was　about　to　lash　out　and　scourge　him。　But　then　she　seemed　to　recollect　who　he　was。　Slowly；　the　passion　dimmed　in　her　face；
　went　behind　in　inward　veil。　She　lowered　herself　to　her　seat　in　the　boat。　Quietly；　dangerously；　she　asked；　〃All　this？　Do　you　ask　what　Lord　Foul　gains　from　what　I　have　told　you？〃
　He　answered　her　with　quivering　promptitude。　Careless　now　of　the　illimitable　range　of　implications　with　which　the　echoes　multiplied　his　voice；　he　hastened　to　explain　himself；　ameliorate　at　least　in　this　way　the　falseness　of　his　position。
　〃That；　too。　You　said　it　yourself…that　old；　unsufferable　bargain　I　made　with　the　Ranyhyn　put　you　where　you　are。　Never　mind　what　I　did　to　your　mother。　That；　too。　But　it's　really　this　time　I'm　thinking　about。　You　summoned　me；　and　we're　on　our　way　to　the　Seventh　Ward…and　I　want　to　know　what　Foul　gets　out　of　it。　He　wouldn't　waste　a　chance　like　this〃
　〃This　is　no　part　of　his　intent；〃　。she　replied　coldly。　〃The　choice　to　summon　you　was　mine；　not　his。〃
　　〃Right。　That's　the　way　he　works。　But　what　made
　you　decide　to　summon　me？　…I　mean　aside　from　the
　fact　that　you　were　going　to　call　me　anyway　at　some
　time　or　other　because　I　have　the　simple　misfortune　to
　wear　a　white　gold　wedding　ring　and　have　two　fingers
　missing。　What　made　you　decide　then…when　you
　did？〃
　〃Dukkha　Waynhim　gave　us　new　knowledge　of　Fangthane's　power。〃
　〃New　knowledge；　by　hell！〃　Covenant　croaked。　〃Do　you　think　that　was　an　accident？　Foul　released　him。〃　He　shouted　the　word　released；　and　its　echoes　jabbered　about　him　like　dire　significances。　〃He　released　that　poor　suffering　devil　because　he　knew　exactly　what　you　would　do　about　it。　And　he　wanted　me　to　be　in　the　Land　then；　at　that　precise　time；　not　sooner　or　later。〃
　The　importance　of　what　he　was　saying　penetrated　her；　she　began　to　hear　him　seriously。　But　her　voice　remained　nonmittal　as　she　asked；　〃Why？　How　are　his　purposes　served？〃
　For　a　moment；　he　shied　away　from　what　he　was　thinking。　〃How　should　I　know？　If　I　knew；　I　might　be　able　to　fight　it　somehow。　Aside　from　the　idea　that　I'm　supposed　to　destroy　the　Land…〃　But　Elena's　grave
　attention　stopped　him。　For　her　sake；　he　mustered　his　courage。　〃Well；　look　at　what's　happened　because　of　me。　I　did　something　to　Loric's　krill…therefore　A