srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第25章

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erpreted　as　promise　or　abdication。
　〃He　did　not　wish　to　e；〃　Hyrim　whispered　to　Covenant；　〃but　the　High　Lord　brought　him。　Hs　is　ashamed。〃
　Then　Lord　Verement　moved。　Abruptly；　he　tossed　his　staff　upright　toward　Shetra。　She　caught　it；　and　threw　her　own　staff　to　him。　He　caught　it　in　turn。　〃Stay　well；　wife；〃　he　said　bleakly。
　〃Stay　well；　husband；〃　she　replied。
　〃Nothing　will　be　well　for　me　until　you　return。〃
　〃And　for　me　also；　my　husband；〃　she　breathed　intensely。
　Without　another　word；　he　turned　on　his　heel　and　hastened　back　into　Revelstone。
　For　a　moment；　she　watched　him　go。　Then　she　turned　also；　moved　stiffly　out　of　the　courtyard　into　the　tunnel。　Korik　and　the　other　Bloodguard　followed　her。　Shortly；　Covenant　was　left　alone　with　Hyrim　and　Elena。
　〃Well；　Hyrim；〃　the　High　Lord　said　gently；　〃your　ordeal　must　begin。　I　regret　that　it　will　be　so　arduous　for　you。〃
　〃High　Lord…〃　Hyrim　began。
　〃But　you　are　capable　of　it；〃　she　went　on。　〃You　have　not　begun　to　take　the　measure　of　your　true　strength。〃
　〃High　Lord；〃　Hyrim　said；　〃I　have　asked　ur…Lord　Covenant　to　acpany　us。〃
　She　stiffened。　Covenant　felt　a　surge　of　tension　radiate　from　her；　she　seemed　suddenly　to　emanate　a　palpable　tightness。　〃Lord　Hyrim；〃　she　said　in　a　low　voice；　〃you　tread　dangerous　ground。〃　Her　tone　was　hard；　but　Covenant　could　hear　that　she　was　not　warning　Hyrim；　threatening　him。　She　respected　what　he　had　done。　And　she　was　afraid。
　Then　she　turned　to　Covenant。　Carefully；　as　if　she　feared　to　express　her　own　acute　desire；　she　asked；　〃Will　yon　go？〃
　The　light　from　Revelstone　was　at　her　back；　and　he　could　not　see　her　face。　He　was　glad　of　this；　he　did　not　want　to　know　whether　or　not　her　strange　gaze　was　focused　on　him。　He　tried　to　answer　her；　but　for　a　moment　his　throat　was　so　dry　that　he　could　not　make　a　sound。
　〃No；〃　he　said　at　last。　〃No。〃　For　Hyrim's　sake；　he　made　an　effort　to　tell　the　truth。　〃There's　nothing　I　can　do　for　them。〃　But　as　he　said　it；　he　knew　that　that　was　not　the　whole　truth。　He　refused　to　go　because　Elena　daughter　of　Lena　wanted　him　to　stay。
　Her　relief　was　as　tangible　in　the　gloom　as　her　tension　had　been。　〃Very　well；　ur…Lord。〃　For　a　long　moment；　she　and　Hyrim　faced　each　other；　and　Covenant　sensed　the　current　of　their　silent　munication；　their　mental　melding。　Then　Hyrim　stepped　close　to　her　and　kissed　her　on　the　forehead。　She　hugged　him；　released　him。　He　bowed　to　Covenant；　and　walked　away　into　the　tunnel。
　In　turn；　she　moved　away　from　Covenant；　entered　the　tower　through　one　of　the　small　doors　beside　the　mouth　of　the　tunnel。　Covenant　was　left　alone。　He　breathed　deeply；　trying　to　steady　himself　as　if　he　had　just　e　through　an　interrogation。　Despite　the　coolness　of　the　dawn；　he　was　sweating。　For　a　moment；　he　remained　in　the　courtyard；　uncertain　of　what　to　do。　But　then　he　heard　whistling　from　outside　the　Keepshrill　piercing　cries　that　echoed　off　the　wall　of　Revelstone。　Korik's　mission　was　calling　the　Ranyhyn。
　At　once；　Covenant　hurried　into　the　tunnel。
　Outside　the　shadowed　court；　the　sky　was　lighter。　In　the　east；　the　first　rim　of　the　sun　had　broken　the　horizon。　Morning　streamed　westward；　and　in　it　fifteen　Bloodguard　and　two　Lords　raised　their　call　again。　And　again。　While　the　echoes　of　the　third　cry　faded；　the　air　filled　with　the　thunder　of　mighty　hooves。
　For　a　long　moment；　the　earth　rumbled　to　the　beat　of　the　Ranyhyn；　and　the　sir　pulsed　deeply。　Then　a　shadow　swept　up　through　the　foothills。　Seventeen　strong；　clean…limbed　horses　came　surging　and　proud　to　Revelstone。　Their　white　forehead　stars　looked　like　froth　on　a　wave　as　they　galloped　toward　the　riders　they　had　chosen　to　serve。　With　keen　whinnying　and　the　flash　of　hooves；　they　slowed　their　pace。
　In　response；　the　Bloodguard　and　the　two　Lords　bowed；　and　Korik　shouted；　〃Hail；　Ranyhyn！　Landriders　and　proudbearers！　Sun…flesh　and　sky…mane；　we　are　glad　that　you　have　heard　our　call。　Evil　and　war　are　upon　the　Land！　Peril　and　fatigue　await　the　foes　of　Fangthane。　Will　you　bear　us？〃
　The　great　horses　nodded　and　nickered　as　they　came　forward　the　last　few　steps　to　nuzzle　their　riders；　urging　them　to　mount。　Instantly；　all　the　Bloodguard　leaped　onto　the　backs　of　their　Ranyhyn。　They　used　no　saddles　or　reins；　the　Ranyhyn　bore　their　riders　willingly；　and　replied　to　the　pressure　of　a　knee　or　the　touch　of　a　handeven　to　the　mand　of　a　thought。　The　same　strange　power　of　hearing　which　made　it　possible　for　them　to　answer　their　riders　at　once；　anywhere　in　the　Land…allowed　them　to　sense　the　call　tens　or　scores　of　days　before　it　was　actually　uttered；　and　to　run　from　the　Plains　of　Ra　to　answer　as　if　mere　moments；　not　three　or　four　hundred　leagues；　separated　the　southeast　corner　of　the　Land　from　any　other　region…also　enabled　them　to　act　as　one　with　their　riders；　a　perfect　meeting　of　mind　and　bone。
　The　Lords　Shetra　and　Hyrim　mounted　more　slowly；　and　Covenant　watched　them　with　a　thickness　in　his　throat；　as　if　they　were　accepting　a　challenge　which　rightly　belonged　to　him。　Foamfollower；　please…　he　thought。　Please…　But　he　could　not　articulate　the　words；　forgive　me。
　Then　he　heard　a　shout　behind　and　above　him。　Turning　back　toward　Revelstone；　he　saw　a　small；　slim　figure　standing　with　arms　raised　atop　the　watchtower　…the　High　Lord。　As　the　mounted　pany　swung　around　to　face　her；　she　flourished　the　Staff　of　Law；　drew　from　its　tip　an　intense　blue　blaze　that　flared　and　coruscated　against　the　deep　sky…a　paean　of　power　which　in　her　hands　burned　with　a　core　of　interfused　blue　and　white　turning　to　purest　azure　along　the　flame。　Three　times　she　waved　the　Staff；　and　its　blaze　was　so　bright　that　its　path　seemed　to　linger　against　the　heavens。　Then　she　cried；　〃Hail！〃　and　thrust　the　Staff　upward。　For　an　instant　the　whole　length　of　it　flashed；　so　that　an　immense　incandescent　burst　of　Lords…fire　sprang　toward　the　sky。　For　that　instant；　she　cast　so　much　light　over　the　feet　of　Revelstone　that　the　dawn　itself　was　effaced…as　if　to　show　the　assembled　pany　that　she　was　strong　enough　to　erase　the　fate　written　in　the　morning。
　The　Lords　answered；　wielding　their　own　power　and　returning　the　vibrant　cry；　〃Hail！〃　And　the　Bloodguard　shouted　together　as　one；　〃Fist　and　faith！　Hail；　High　Lord！〃
　For　a　moment；　all　the　staffs　were　upraised　in　fire。　Then　all　the　Lords　silenced　their　flames。　On　that　signal；　the　pany　of　the　mission　wheeled　in　a　smooth　turn　and　galloped　away　into　the　sunrise。
　
　
　
　EIGHT：　〃Lord　Kevin's　Lament〃
　
　THE　departure　of　the　mission…and　his　meeting　with　High　Lord　Elena　the　previous　evening…left　Covenant　deeply　disturbed。　He　seemed　to　be　losing　what　little　independence　or　authenticity　he　possessed。　Instead　of　determining　for　himself　what　his　position　should　be；　and　then　acting　according　to　that　standard；　he　was　allowing　himself　to　be　swayed；　seduced　even　more　fundamentally　than　he　had　been　during　his　first　experience　with　the　Land。　Already；　he　had　acknowledged　Elena's　claim　on　him；　and　only　that　claim　had　prevented　him　from　acknowledging　the　Giants　as　well。
　He　could　not　go　on　in　this　fashion。　If　he　did；　he　would　soon　e　to　resemble　Hile　Troy…a　man　so　overwhelmed　by　the　power；　of　sight　that　he　could　not　perceive　the　blindness　of　his　desire　to　assume　responsibility　for　the　Land。　That　would　be　suicide　for　a　leper。　If　he　failed；　he　would　die。　And　if　he　succeeded；　he　would　never　again　be　able　to　bear　the　numbness　of　his　real　life；　his　leprosy。　He　knew　lepers　who　had　died　that　way；　but　for　them　the　death　was　never　quick；　never　clean。　Their　ends　lay　beyond　a　fetid　ugliness　so　abominable　that　he　felt　nauseated　whenever　he　remembered　that　such　putrefaction　existed。
　And　that　was　not　the　only　argument。　This　seduction　of　responsibility　was　Foul's　doing。　It　was　the　means　by　which　Lord　Foul　attempted　to　ensure　the　destruction　of　the　Land。　When　inadequate　men　assumed　huge　burdens；　the　oute　could　only　serve　Despite。　Covenant　had　no　doubt　that　Troy　was　inadequate。　Had　he　not　been　summoned　to　the　Land　by　Atiaran　in　her　despair？　And　as　for　himself…he；　Thomas　Covenant；　was　as　incapable　of　power　as　if　such　a　thing　did　not　exist。　For　him　it　could　not。　If　he　pretended　otherwise；　then　the　whole　Land　would　bee　just　another　leper　in　Lord　Foul's　hands。
　By　the　time　he　reached　his　rooms；　he　knew　that　he　would　have　to　do　something；　t