srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第12章

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uld　not　afford　the　luxury　of　grieving　over　lost　hopes。　He　was　a　leper；　all　his　hopes　were　false。　They　were　his　enemies。　They　could　kill　him　by　blinding　him　to　the　lethal　power　of　facts。
　It　was　a　fact　that　the　Land　was　a　delusion。　It　was　a　fact　that　he　was　trapped；　caught　in　the　web　of　his　own　weakness。　His　leprosy　was　a　fact。　He　insisted　on　these　things　while　he　protested　weakly　to　himself；　Not　I　can't　stand　it！　But　the　cold　water　dried　from　his　skin；　and　was　replaced　by　the　kind；　earthy　warmth　of　the　graveling。　Sensations　ran　excitedly　up　his　limbs　from　his　fingers　and　toes。　With　a　wild；　stubborn　look　as　if　he　were　battering　his　head　against　a　wall；　he　gave　himself　a　VSE。
　Then　he　located　a　mirror　of　polished　stone；　and　used　it　to　inspect　his　forehead。　No　mark　was　there　the　hurtloam　had　erased　his　injury　pletely。
　He　called　out；　〃Mhoram！〃　But　his　voice　had　an　unwanted　beseeching　tone。　To　counter　it；　he　began　shoving　himself　into　his　clothes。　When　the　Lord　appeared　in　the　doorway；　Covenant　did　not　meet　his　eyes。　He　pulled　on　his　T…shirt　and　jeans；　laced　up　his　boots；　then　moved　away　to　the　third　room　of　his　suite。
　There　he　found　a　door　opening　onto　a　balcony。　With　Mhoram　behind　him；　he　stepped　out　into　the　open　air。　At　once；　perspectives　opened；　and　a　spasm　of　vertigo　clutched　at　him。　The　balcony　hung　halfway　up　the　southern　face　of　Revelstone…more　than　a　thousand　feet　straight　above　the　foothills　which　rested　against　the　base　of　the　mountain。　The　depth　of　the　fall　seemed　to　gape　unexpectedly　under　his　feet。　His　fear　of　heights　whirred　in　his　ears；　he　flung　his　arms　around　the　stone　railing；　clung　to　it；　clutched　it　to　his　chest。
　In　a　moment；　the　worst　of　the　spasm　passed。　Mhoram　asked　him　what　was　wrong；　but　he　did　not　explain。　Breathing　deeply；　he　pushed　himself　erect；　and　stood　with　his　back　pressed　against　the　reassuring　stone　of　the　Keep。　From　there；　he　took　in　the　view。
　As　he　remembered　it；　Revelstone　filled　a　long　wedge　of　the　mountains　which　stood　immediately　to　the　west。　It　had　been　carved　out　of　the　mountain　promontory　by　the　Giants　many　centuries　ago；　in　the　time　of　Old　Lord　Damelon　Giantfriend。　Above　the　Keep　was　a　plateau　which　went　beyond　it　west　and　north；　past　Furl　Falls　for　a　distance　of　a　league　or　two　before　rising　up　into　the　rugged　Westron　Mountains。　The　Falls　were　too　far　away　to　be　seen；　but　in　the　distance
　the　White　River　angled　away　south　and　slightly　east　from　its　head　in　the　pool　of　Furl　Falls。
　Beyond　the　river　to　the　southwest；　Covenant　made　out　the　open　plains　and　hills　that　led　toward　Trothgard。　In　that　direction；　he　saw　no　sign　of　cultivation　or　habitation；　but　eastward　from　him　were　ripe　fields；　stands　of　trees；　streams；　villages…all　glowing　under　the　sun　as　if　they　were　smiling　with　health。　Looking　over　them；　he　sensed　that　the　season　was　early　autumn。　The　sun　stood　in　the　southern　sky；　the　air　was　not　as　warm　as　it　seemed；　and　the　breeze　which　blew　gently　up　the　face　of　Revelstone　was　flavored　with　the　loamy　lushness　of　fall。
　The　Land's　season…so　different　from　the　spring　weather　from　which　he　had　been　wrenched　away　gave　him　a　renewed　sense　of　discrepancy；　of　stark　and　impossible　translation。　It　reminded　him　of　many　things；　but　he　forced　himself　to　begin　with　the　previous　evening。　Stiffly；　he　said；　〃Has　it　occurred　to　you　that　Foul　probably　let　that　poor　Waynhim　go　just　to　get　you　to　call　me　here？〃
　〃Of　course；〃　Mhoram　replied。　〃That　is　the　Despiser's　way。　He　intends　you　to　be　the　means　of　our　destruction。〃
　〃Then　why　did　you　do　it？　Hellfire！　You　know　how　I　feel　about　this…I　told　you　often　enough。　I　don't　want…I'm　not　going　to　be　responsible　for　what　happens　to　you。〃
　Lord　Mhoram　shrugged。　〃That　is　the　paradox　of　white　gold。　Hope　and　despair　run　together　for　us。　How　could　we　refuse　the　risk？　Without　every　aid　which　we　can　find　or　make　for　ourselves；　we　cannot　meet　Lord　Foul's　might。　We　trust　that　at　the　last　you　will　not　turn　your　back　on　the　Land。〃
　〃You've　had　forty　years　to　think　about　it。　You　ought　to　know　by　now　how　little　I　deserve　or　even　want　your　trust。〃
　〃Perhaps。　Warmark　Hile　Troy　argues　much　that　way…though　there　is　much　about　you　that　he　does　not　know。　He　feels　that　faith　in　one　who　is　so　unwilling　is　folly。　And　he　is　not　convinced　that　we　will　lose　this　war。　He　makes　bold　plans。　But　I　have　heard　the
　Despiser　laughing。　For　better　or　worse；　I　am　seer　and　oracle　for　this　Council。　I　hear…I　approve　the　High　Lord's　decision　of　summoning。　For　many　reasons。
　〃Thomas　Covenant；　we　have　not　spent　our　years　in　seclusion　here；　dreaming　sweet　dreams　of　peace　while　Lord　Foul　grows　and　moves　against　us。　From　your　last　moment　in　the　Land　to　this　day；　we　have　striven　to　prepare　our　defense。　Scouts　and　Lords　have　ridden　the　Land　from　end　to　end；　drawing　the　people　together；　warning　them；　building　what　lore　we　have。　I　have　braved　the　Shattered　Hills；　and　fought　on　the　mange　of　Hotash　Slay…but　of　that　I　do　not　speak。　I　brought　back　knowledge　of　the　Ravens。　Dukkha　alone　did　not　move　us　to　summon　you。〃
　Even　in　the　direct　beam　of　the　sun；　the　word　Ravens　gave　Covenant　a　chill　he　could　not　suppress。　Remembering　the　other　Waynhim　he　had　seen；　dead；　with　an　iron　spike　through　its　heart…killed　by　a　Raven…he　asked；　〃What　about　them？　What　did　you　learn？〃
　〃Much　or　little；〃　Mhoram　sighed；　〃according　to　the　uses　of　the　knowledge。　The　importance　of　this　lore　cannot　be　mistaken…and　yet　its　value　eludes　us。
　〃While　you　were　last　in　the　Land；　we　learned　that　the　Ravens　were　still　aboard…that　like　their　master　they　had　not　been　undone　by　the　Ritual　of　Desecration；　which　Kevin　Landwaster　wreaked　in　his　despair。　Some　knowledge　of　these　beings　had　e　to　us　through　the　old　legends；　the　Lore　of　the　First　Ward；　and　the　teachings　of　the　Giants。　We　knew　that　they　were　named　Sheol；　Jehannum；　and　Herem；　and　that　they　lived　without　bodies；　feeding　upon　the　souls　of　others。　When　the　Despiser　was　powerful　enough　to　give　them　strength；　they　enslaved　creatures　or　people　by　entering　into　their　bodies；　subduing　their　wills；　and　using　the　captured　flesh　to　enact　their　master's　purposes。　Disguised　in　forms　not　their　own；　they　were　well　hidden；　and　so　could　gain　trust　among　their　foes。　By　that　means；　many　brave　defenders　of　the　Land　were　lured　to　their　deaths　in　the　age　of　the　Old　Lords。
　〃But　I　have　learned　more。　There　near　Foul's　Creche；　I　was　beaten…badly　overmastered。　I　fled　through　the　Shattered　Hills　with　only　the　staff　of　Variol　my　father　between　me　and　death；　and　could　not　prevent　my　foe　from　laying　hands　upon　me。　I　had　thought　that　I　was　in　battle　with　a　supreme　loremaster　of　the　ur…viles。　But　I　learned…I　learned　otherwise。〃；
　Lord　Mhoram　stared　unseeing　into　the　depths　of　the　sky；　remembering　with　grim；　concentrated　eyes　what　had　happened　to　him。　After　a　moment；　he　continued：　〃It　was　a　Raven　I　fought…a　Raven　in　the　flesh　of　an　ur…vile。　The　touch　of　its　hand　taught　me　much。　In　the　oldest　time…beyond　the　reach　of　our　most　hoary　legends；　even　before　the　dim　time　of　the　ing　of　men　to　the　Land；　and　the　cruel　felling　of　the　One　Forest…the　Colossus　of　the　Fall　had　both　power　and　purpose。　It　stood　on　Landsdrop　like　a　forbidding　fist　over　the　Lower　Land；　and　with　the　might　of　the　…'　Forest　denied　a　dark　evil　from　the　Upper　Land。〃
　Abruptly；　he　broke　into　a　slow　song　like　a　lament；　a　quiet　declining　hymn　which　told　the　story　of　the　Colossus　as　the　Lords　had　formerly　known　it；　before　the　son　of　Variol　had　gained　his　new　knowledge。　In　restrained　sorrow　over　lost　glory；　the　song　described　the　Colossus　of　the　Fallthe　huge　stone　monolith；　upraised　in　the　semblance　of　a　fist；　which　stood　beside　the　waterfall　where　the　River　Landrider　of　the　Plains　of　Ra　became　the　Ruinwash　of　the　Spoiled　Plains。
　Since　a　time　that　was　ancient　before　Berek　Lord
　Fatherer　lost　half　his　hand；　the　Colossus　had　stood　in　…lone　somber　guard　above　the　cliff　of　Landsdrop；　and　the　oldest　hinted　legends　of　the　Old　Lords　told　of　a　‘　time；　during　the　ages　of　the　One　Forest's　dominion　in　the　Land；　when　that　towering　fist　had　held　the　power　to　forbid　the　shadow　of　Despite…held　it；　and　did　not　wane　until　the　felling　of　the　Forest　by　that　unsuspected　enemy；　man；　had　cut　too　deeply　to　be　halted。　But　then；　outraged　and　weakened　b