srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第69章

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hat　they　even　had　emotions。　And　he　was　not　braced　for　grief；　his　anticipation　of　good　news　was　so　great　that　he　could　already　taste　it。
　Instantly；　before　either　he　or　Lord　Mhoram　could　say　anything；　react　at　all；　Terrel　moved　toward　Tull。　Swinging　so　swiftly　that　Troy　hardly　saw　the　blow；　he　struck　Tull　across　the　face。　The　hit　resounded　heavily　in　the　empty　air。
　At　once；　Tull　stiffened；　came　to　attention。　〃Lord；〃　he　began　again；　and　now　his　voice　was　as　expressionless　as　the　night；　〃with　Shull　and　Vale　I　was　charged　to　bear　tidings　to　the　High　Lord。　Before　the　dawn　of　the　twenty…fourth　day　of　the　mission…the　dawn　after　the　dark　of　the　moon…we　left　Coercri　and　came　south；　as　Korik　charged　us；　seeking　to　find　the　High　Lord　in　battle　at　Doom's　Retreat。　But　because　of　the　evil　which　is　awake；　we　were　pelled　to　journey　on　foot　around　the　Sarangrave；　and　so　twelve　days　were　gone。　We　came　too　near　to　the　Shattered　Hills；　and　so　Vale　and　Shull　fell　to　the　scouts　and　defenders　of　Corruption。　But　I　endured。　Borne　by　the　Ranyhyn；　I　fled　to　Landsdrop　and　the　Upper　Land；　following
　Corruption's　army。　Striving　to　pass　around　it；　I　rode　through　the　hills　to　the　Southron　Range；　and　so　came　within　hail　of　Mithil　Stonedowneight　days　in　which　the　Ranyhyn　has　run　without　rest。
　〃Lord…〃　Again　he　faltered；　but　at　once　he　controlled　himself。　〃I　must　tell　you　of　the　mission　to　Seareach；　and　of　the　ill　doom　which　has　befallen　The　Grieve。〃
　〃I　hear　you；〃　Mhoram　said　painfully。　〃But　forgive　me…I　must　sit。〃　Like　an　old　man；　he　lowered　himself　down　his　staff　to　rest　with　his　back　against　the　wall　of　the　parapet。　〃I　lack　the　strength　to　stand　for　such　tidings。〃
　Tull　seated　himself　opposite　the　Lord　across　the　graveling　pot；　and　Troy　sat　down　also；　as　if　Tull's　movement　pelled　him。　The　vestiges　of　his　sight　were　locked　on　the　Bloodguard。
　After　a　moment；　Mhoram　said；　〃Runnik　came　to　us　in　Trothgard。　He　spoke　of　Hoerkin　and　Lord　Shetra；　and　of　the　lurker　of　the　Sarangrave。　There　is　no　need　to　speak　of　such　things　again。〃
　〃Very　well。〃　Tull　faced　the　Lord；　but　his　visage　was　shrouded　in　darkness。　Troy　could　not　see　his　eyes；　he　appeared　to　have　no　eyes；　no　mouth；　no　features。　When　he　began　his　tale；　his　voice　seemed　to　be　the　voice　of　the　blind　night。
　But　he　told　his　tale　clearly　and　coherently；　as　if　he　had　rehearsed　it　many　times　during　his　journey　from　Seareach。　And　as　he　spoke；　Troy　was　reminded　that　he　was　the　youngest　of　the　Bloodguard…a　Haruchai　no　older　than　Troy　himself。　Tull　had　e　to　Revelstone　to　replace　one　of　the　Bloodguard　who　had　been　slain　during　Lord　Mhoram's　attempt　to　scout　the　Shattered　Hills。　So　he　was　still　new　to　the　Vow。　Perhaps　that　explained　his　unexpected　emotion；　and　his　ability　to　tell　a　tale　in　a　way　that　his　hearers　could　understand。
　After　the　deaths　of　Lord　Shetra　and　the　Bloodguard　Cerrin；　there　was　rain　in　Sarangrave　Flat　all　that　day。　It　was　cold　and　merciless；　and　it　harmed　the　mission；　for　Lord　Hyrim　was　sickened　by　the　river　water　he
　had　swallowed；　and　the　rain　made　his　sickness　worse。　And　the　Bloodguard　could　give　him　no　ease…neither　warmth　nor　shelter。　In　the　capsizing　of　the　raft；　all　the　blankets　had　been　lost。　And　the　rank　water　of　the　Defiles　Course　did　other　damage：　it　spoiled　all　the　food　except　that　which　had　been　kept　in　tight　containers；　it　ruined　the　lillianrill　rods；　so　that　they　had　no　more　potency　to　burn　against　the　rain；　it　even　stained　the　clothing；　so　that　Lord　Hyrim's　robe　and　the　raiment　of　the　Bloodguard　became　black。
　Before　the　end　of　the　day；　the　Lord　was　no　longer　strong　enough　to　propel　or　steer　the　raft。　Fever　filled　his　eyes；　and　his　lips　were　blue　and　trembling　with　cold。　Sitting　in　the　center　of　the　raft；　he　hugged　his　staff　as　if　for　warmth。
　During　the　night；　he　began　to　rant。
　In　a　voice　that　bubbled　through　the　water　running　down　his　face；　he　spoke　to　himself　as　to　an　adversary　and　tormentor；　alternately　cursing　and　pleading。　At　times　he　wept　like　a　child。　His　delirium　was　cruel　to　him；　demeaning　him　as　if　he　were　without　use　or　worth。　And　the　Bloodguard　could　do　nothing　to　succor　him。
　But　at　last　before　dawn　the　rain　broke；　and　the　sky　became　clear。　Then　Korik　ordered　the　raft　over　to　one　bank。　Though　it　was　perilous　to　stop　thus　in　darkness；　he　sent　half　the　Bloodguard　foraging　into　the　jungle　for　firewood　and　aliantha。
　After　Sill　fed　him　a　handful　of　treasure…berries；　the　Lord　rallied　enough　to　call　up　a　flame　from　his　staff。　With　this；　Korik　started　a　fire；　built　it　into　a　steady　blaze　near　the　center　of　the　raft。　Then　the　steersmen　pushed　the　raft　out　into　the　night；　and　the　mission　continued　on　its　way。
　In　the　course　of　that　day；　they　slowly　passed　out　of　the　Sarangrave。　Across　the　leagues；　the　Defiles　Course　was　now　growing　constantly　wider　and　shallower；　dividing　into　more　channels　as　islets　and　mudbanks　increased。　These　channels　were　treacherous…shallow；　barred　with　mudbanks；　full　of　rotten　logs　and　stumps　…and　the　effort　of　navigating　them　slowed　the　raft　still　more。　And　around　it；　the　jungle　gradually　changed。
　The　vegetation　of　the　Sarangrave　gave　way　to　different　kinds　of　growths：　tall；　dark　trees　with　limbs　that　spread　out　widely　above　bare　trunks；　hanging　mosses；　ferns　of　all　kinds；　bushes　that　clung　to　naked　rock　with　thin　root…fingers　and　seemed　to　drink　from　the　river　through　leaves　and　branches。　Water　snakes　swam　out　of　the　path　of　the　raft。　And　the　stench　of　the　Course　slowly　faded　into　a　smell　of　accumulated　wet　decay　and　stagnation。
　Thus　the　mission　entered　Lifeswallower；　the　Great　Swamp。
　As　they　moved；　Korik　kept　the　raft　in　the　northern　passages。　In　this　way；　he　was　able　to　begin　traveling　northeastward…toward　Seareach…and　to　avoid　the　heart　of　Lifeswallower。
　When　night　came；　they　were　fortunate　that　the　sky　was　clear；　in　that　tortuous　channel；　starless　darkness　would　have　halted　the　mission　altogether。
　Yet　they　were　still　in　one　of　the　less　difficult　regions　of　Lifeswallower；　water　still　flowed　over　the　deep　mud　and　silt。　Eastward；　in　the　heart　of　the　Great　Swamp；　the　water　slowly　sank　into　the　ground；　creating　one　continuous　quagmire　for　scores　of　leagues　in　all　directions；　where　the　mud　flowed　and　seethed　almost　imperceptibly。
　But　in　other　things　they　were　not　so　fortunate。　The　fever　now　raged　in　Lord　Hyrim。　Though　Sill　had　fed　him　with　aliantha；　and　on　water　boiled　clean；　he　was　failing。　Already　he　looked　thinner；　and　he　shook　as　if　there　were　a　palsy　in　his　bones。
　And　without　him…without　the　power　of　his　staff　the　mission　could　not　escape　Lifeswallower。　The　steersmen　were　forced　to　keep　the　raft　where　the　water　was　deepest　because　the　mud　of　the　Swamp　sucked　at　their　poles。　If　the　logs　touched　that　clinging　mud；　the　Bloodguard　would　be　unable　to　pull　the　raft　free。
　Even　in　the　center　of　the　channel；　their　progress　was　threatened　by　the　peculiar　trees　of　Lifeswallower。　These　trees　the　Giants　called　marshwaders。　Despite　their　height；　and　the　wide　stretch　of　their　limbs；　their　roots　were　not　anchored　in　solid　ground。　Rather　they　held　themselves　；erect　in　the　mud；　and　they　seemed　to
　move　with　the　submerged；　subtle　currents　of　the　Swamp。　Passages　that　looked　open　from　a　distance　were　closed　when　the　raft　reached　them；　channels　appeared　which　had　been　invisible　earlier。　More　than　once　trees　moved　toward　each　other　as　the　raft　passed　between　them；　as　if　they　sought　to　capture　it。
　All　these　things　grew　worse　as　the　days　passed。　The　level　of　the　water　in　the　channel　was　declining。　As　the　mission　moved　north　and　east；　more　and　more　of　the　river　was　swallowed　into　the　mire；　and　the　raft　sank　toward　the　mud。
　The　Bloodguard　could　find　no　escape。　Lifeswallower　allowed　them　no　opportunity　to　work　their　way　northward　to　solid　ground。　Although　they　were　always　within　half　a　league　of　the　simple　marsh　which　bordered　the　Swamp；　they　could　not　reach　it。　They　thrust　the　raft　along；　labored　tirelessly　day　and　night；　paused　only　to　collect　aliantha　and　firewood。　But　they　could　not　escape。　They　needed　Lord　Hyrim's　power…and　he　was　lost　in　delirium。　His　eyes　were　crusted　as　if　with　dried　foam；　and　only　the　treasure…berries　and　boiled　water　which　Sill　forced　into　him　kept　him　alive。
　During　the　afternoon　of　the　eigh