srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第14章

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　The　Lord　fell　silent；　musing　with　his　head　down　and　his　cheek　pressed　against　his　staff。　Covenant　watched　him　for　a　time。　The　warmth　of　the　sun　and　the　cool　breeze　seemed　to　underscore　Mhoram's　stern　self　judgment。　Revelstone　itself　dwarfed　the　people　who　inhabited　it。
　Yet　the　Lord's　influence　or　example　strengthened　Covenant。　At　last；　he　found　the　courage　to　ask　his　most　important　question。　〃Then　why　am　I　here？　Why　did　he　let　you　summon　me？　Doesn't　he　want　the　white　gold？〃
　Without　raising　his　head；　Mhoram　said；　〃Lord　Foul　is　not　yet　ready　to　defeat　you。　The　wild　magic　still　surpasses　him。　Instead；　he　strives　to　make　you　destroy　yourself。　I　have　seen　it。〃
　〃Seen　it？〃　Covenant　echoed　softly；　painfully；
　〃In　gray　visions　I　have　caught　glimpses　of　the　Despiser's　heart。　In　this　matter；　I　speak　from　sure　prehension。　Even　now；　Lord　Foul　believes　that　his　might　is　not　equal　to　the　wild　magic。　He　is　not　yet　ready　to　battle　you。
　〃Remember　that　forty　years　ago　Drool　Rockworm　held　both　Staff　and　Stone。　Desiring　still　more　power　desiring　all　power…he　exerted　himself　against　you　in　ways　which　the　Despiser　would　not　have　chosen　ways　which　were　wasteful　or　foolish。　Drool　was　mad。　And　Lord　Foul　had　no　wish　to　teach　him　wisdom。
　〃Matters　are　otherwise　now。　Lord　Foul　wastes　no　power；　takes　no　risks　which　do　not　gain　his　ends。　He　seeks　indirectly　to　make　you　do　his　bidding。　If　it　es　to　the　last；　and　you　are　still　unmastered；　he　will　fight　you…but　only　when　he　is　sure　of　victory。　Until　that　time；　he　will　strive　to　bend　your　will　so　that　you　will　choose　to　strike　against　the　Land…or　to　withhold　your　hand　from　our　defense；　so　that　he　will　be　free　to　destroy　us。
　〃But　he　will　make　no　open　move　against　you　now。　He　fears　the　wild　magic。　White　gold　is　not　bound　by　the　law　of　Time；　and　he　must　prevent　its　use　until　he　can　know　that　it　will　not　be　used　against　him。〃
　Covenant　heard　the　truth　of　Mhoram's　words。　The　Despiser　had　told　him　much　the　same　thing；　high　on　Kevin's　Watch；　when　he　had　first　appeared　in　the　Land。　He　shivered　under　the　livid　memory　of　Lord　Foul's　contempt…shivered　and　felt　cold；　as　if　behind　the　clean　sunlight　over　Revelstone　blew　the　dank　mist　of　Despite；　dampening　his　soul　with　the　smell　of　attar；　filling　his　ears　on　a　level　just　beyond　hearing　with　the　rumble　of　an　avalanche。　Looking　into　Mhoram's　eyes；　he　knew　that　he　had　to　speak　truly　as　well；　reply　as　honestly　as　he　could。

　〃I　don't　have　any　choice。〃　Even　this　made　him　want　to　duck　his　head　in　shame；　but　he　forced　himself　to　hold　the　Lord's　gaze。　〃I'll　have　to　do　it　that　way。　Even　if　that's　not　the　one　good　answer…even　if　madness　is　not　the　only　danger　in　dreams。　Even　if　I　believed　in　this　wild　magic。　I　haven't　got　one　idea　how　to　use　it。〃
　With　an　effort；　Mhoram　smiled　gently。　But　the　somberness　of　his　glance　overshadowed　his　smile。　He　met　Covenant's　eyes　unwaveringly；　and　when　he　spoke；　his　voice　was　sad。　〃Ah；　my　friend；　what　will　you　do？〃
　The　uncritical　softness　of　the　question　caught　Covenant　by　the　throat。　He　was　not　prepared　for　such　sympathy。　With　difficulty；　he　answered；　〃I'll　survive。〃
　Mhoram　nodded　slowly；　and　a　moment　later　he　turned　away；　back　toward　the　room。　As　he　reached　the　door；　he　said；　〃I　am　late。　The　Council　waits　for　me。　I　must　go。〃
　But　before　the　Lord　could　leave；　Covenant　called　after　him；　〃Why　aren't　you　the　High　Lord？〃　He　was　trying　to　find　some　way　to　thank　Mhoram。　〃Don't　they　appreciate　you　around　here？〃
　Over　his　shoulder；　Mhoram　replied　simply；　〃My　time　has　not　yet　e。〃　Then　he　left　the　room；　closing　the　door　carefully　behind　him。
　
　
　FIVE：　Dukkha
　
　COVENANT　turned　back　to　the　southward　view　from　Revelstone。　He　had　many　things　to　think　about；　and　no　easy　way　to　grasp　them。　But　already　his　senses　seemed　to　be　swinging　into　consonance　with　the　Land。　He　could　smell　the　crops　in　the　fields　east　of　him　they　were　nearly　ready　for　harvesting…and　see　the　inner　ripeness　of　the　distant　trees。　He　found　autumn　in　the　way　the　sunlight　stroked　his　face。　Such　sensations　accented　the　excitement　in　his　veins；　but　they　confused　his　efforts　to　deal　clearly　with　his　situation。　No　leper；　he　thought　painfully；　no　leper　should　be　asked　to　live　in　such　a　healthy　world。
　Yet　he　could　not　deny　it；　he　was　moved　by　Mhoram's　account　of　the　dilemmas　of　the　Lords。　He　was　moved　by　the　Land；　and　by　the　people　who
　served　it　though　they　made　him　look　so　small　to　himself。　Sourly；　he　left　the　balcony；　and　scanned　the　tray　of　food　which　had　been　set　for　him　on　a　stone　table　in　the　center　of　his　sitting　room。　The　soup　and
　stew　still　steamed；　reminding　him　how　hungry　he　was。
　No。　He　could　not　afford　to　make　any　more　concessions。　Hunger　was　like　nerve…health…illusion；　deception；　dream。　He　could　not　A　knock　at　the　door　interrupted　him。　For　a　moment；　he　stood　still；　irresolute。　He　did　not　want　to　talk　to　anyone　until　he　had　had　more　time　to　think。　But　at　the　same　time　he　did　not　want　to　be　alone。　The　threat　of　madness　was　always　at　its　worst　when　he　was　alone。
　Keep　moving；　don't　look　back；　he　muttered　bitterly　to　himself；　echoing　a　formula　which　had　served　him　ambiguously　at　best。
　He　went　to　open　the　door。
　Standing　in　the　outer　hallway　was　Hile　Troy。
　He　was　dressed　as　Covenant　had　seen　him　before；　with　his　sunglasses　firmly　in　place；　and　again　the　slight　smile　on　his　lips　looked　vaguely　mysterious　and　apologetic。　A　sharp　pang　of　anxiety　joined　the　tingling　of　Covenant's　blood。　He　had　been　trying　not　to　think　about　this　man。
　〃e　on；〃　Troy　said。　His　tone　was　full　of　the　power　of　mand。　〃The　Lords　are　doing　something　you　ought　to　see。〃
　Covenant　shrugged　to　disguise　a　tremor　in　his　shoulders。　Troy　was　an　adversary…Covenant　could　sense　it。　But　he　had　made　his　decision　when　he　had　opened　the　door。　Defiantly；　he　strode　out　into　the　hall。
　In　the　hallway；　he　found　Bannor　standing　watch　by　his　door。
　Hile　Troy　started　away　with　a　swift；　confident　stride；　but　Covenant　turned　toward　the　Bloodguard。　Bannor　met　his　look　with　a　nod；　for　a　moment　they　held　each　other's　eyes。　Bannor's　flat；　brown；　unreadable　face　had　not　changed　a　whit；　not　aged　a　day　that　Covenant　could　discern。　As　he　stood　relaxed　and　ready；　the　Bloodguard　radiated　a　physical　solidity；　a　palpable　petence；　which　intimidated　or　belittled　Covenant；　and　yet　Covenant　sensed　something　extreme　and　sad　in　Bannor's　timeless　impenetrability。
　The　Bloodguard　were　said　to　be　two　thousand　years　old。　They　were　clenched　into　immutability　by　a　strait　and　consuming　Vow　of　service　to　the　Lords；　while　all　the　people　they　had　ever　known…including　the　long…lived　Giants；　and　High　Lord　Kevin；　who　had　inspired　them　to　their　Vow…fell　into　dust。
　Looking　now　at　Bannor；　with　his　alien　countenance　and　his　bare　feet　and　his　short　brown　tunic；　Covenant　received　a　sudden　intuitive　impression；　as　if　a　previous　subliminal　perception　had　crystallized。　How　many　times　had　Bannor　saved　his　life？　For　an　instant；　he　could　not　remember。　He　felt　unexpectedly　sure　that　the　Bloodguard　could　tell　him　what　he　needed　to　know；　that　from　the　extravagance　of　his　two　thousand…year　perspective；　bereft　by　the　unforeseen　power　of　his　Vow　of　home　and　sleep　and　death；　of　everyone　he　had　ever　loved；　he　had　gained　the　knowledge　Covenant　needed。
　〃Bannor…〃　he　began。
　〃Ur…Lord。〃　The　Bloodguard's　voice　was　as　passionless　as　time。
　But　Covenant　did　not　know　how　to　ask；　he　could　not　put　his　need　into　words　which　would　not　sound　like　an　attack　on　the　Bloodguard's　impossible　fidelity。　Instead；　he　murmured；　〃So　we're　back　to　this。〃
　〃The　High　Lord　has　chosen　me　to　keep　watch　over　you。〃
　〃e　on；〃　called　Troy　peremptorily。　〃You　should　see　this。〃
　Covenant　disregarded　him　for　a　moment　longer。　To
　Bannor；　he　said；　〃I　hope…I　hope　it　works　out　better　than　the　last　time。〃　Then　he　turned　and　moved　down　the　hall　after　Troy。　He　knew　that　Bannor　came　behind　him；　though　the　Bloodguard　walked　without　a　sound。
　Impatiently；　Hile　Troy　guided　Covenant　inward　through　the　levels　of　the　Keep。　They　passed　briskly　across　high　vaulted　halls；　along　connecting　corridors；　and　down　stairs　until　they　reached　a　place　that　Covenant　recognized：　the　long　circular　passage　around　the　sacred　enclosure；　where　the　inhabitants　of　Revelstone　worshipp