uleg.thefarthestshore-第17章

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ch　Elfarran　made　when　she　knew　of　Morred's　death　and　waited　for　her　own。　Not　often　is　that　song　sung；　nor　lightly。　Sparrowhawk　listened　to　the　young　voice；　strong；　sure；　and　sad　between　the　red　sky　and　the　sea；　and　the　tears　came　into　his　eyes；　blinding。
　　Arren　was　silent　for　a　while　after　that　song；　then　he　began　to　sing　lesser；　lighter　tunes；　softly；　beguiling　the　great　monotony　of　windless　air　and　heaving　sea　and　failing　light；　as　night　came　on。
　　When　he　ceased　to　sing　everything　was　still；　the　wind　down；　the　waves　small；　wood　and　rope　barely　creaking。　The　sea　lay　hushed；　and　over　it　the　stars　came　out　one　by　one。　Piercing　bright　to　the　south　a　yellow　light　appeared　and　sent　a　shower　and　splintering　of　gold　across　the　water。
　　〃Look！　A　beacon！〃　Then　after　a　minute；　〃Can　it　be　a　star？〃
　　Sparrowhawk　gazed　at　it　a　while　and　finally　said；　〃I　think　it　must　be　the　star　Gobardon。　It　can　be　seen　only　in　the　South　Reach。　Gobardon　means　Crown。　Kurremkarmerruk　taught　us　that；　sailing　still　farther　south　would　bring；　one　by　one；　eight　more　stars　clear　of　the　horizon　under　Gobardon；　making　a　great　constellation；　some　say　of　a　running　man；　others　say　of　the　Rune　Agnen。　The　Rune　of　Ending。〃
　　They　watched　it　clear　the　restless　sea…horizon　and　shine　forth　steadily。
　　〃You　sang　Elfarran's　song；〃　Sparrowhawk　said；　〃as　if　you　knew　her　grief；　and　you'd　made　me　know　it　too。。。　Of　all　the　histories　of　Earthsea；　that　one　has　always　held　me　most。　The　great　courage　of　Morred　against　despair；　and　Serriadh　who　was　born　beyond　despair；　the　gentle　king。　And　her；　Elfarran。　When　I　did　the　greatest　evil　I　have　ever　done；　it　was　to　her　beauty　that　I　thought　I　turned；　and　I　saw　her　for　a
　moment　I　saw　Elfarran。〃
　　A　cold　thrill　went　up　Arren's　back。　He　swallowed　and　sat　silent；　looking　at　the　splendid；　baleful；　topaz…yellow　star。
　　〃Which　of　the　heroes　is　yours？〃　the　mage　asked；　and　Arren　answered　with　a　little　hesitancy；　〃Erreth…Akbe。〃
　　〃Because　he　was　the　greatest？〃
　　〃Because　he　might　have　ruled　all　Earthsea；　but　chose　not　to；　and　went　on　alone　and　died　alone；　fighting　the　dragon　Orm　on　the　shore　of　Selidor。〃
　　They　sat　a　while；　each　following　his　own　thoughts；　and　then　Arren　asked；　still　watching　yellow　Gobardon；　〃Is　it　true；　then；　that　the　dead　can　be　brought　back　into　life　and　made　to　speak　to　living　souls；　by　magery？〃
　　〃By　the　spells　of　Summoning。　It　is　in　our　power。　But　it　is　seldom　done；　and　I　doubt　that　it　is　ever　wisely　done。　In　this　the　Master　Summoner　agrees　with　me；　he　does　not　use　or　teach　the　Lore　of　Paln；　in　which　such　spells　are　contained。　The　greatest　of　them　were　made　by　one　called　the　Grey　Mage　of　Paln；　a　thousand　years　ago。　He　summoned　up　the　spirits　of　the　heroes　and　mages；　even　Erreth…Akbe；　to　give　counsel　to　the　Lords　of　Paln　in　their　wars　and　government。　But　the　counsel　of　the　dead　is　not　profitable　to　the　living。　Paln　came　on　evil　times；　and　the　Grey　Mage　was　driven　forth；　he　died　nameless。〃
　　〃Is　it　a　wicked　thing；　then？〃
　　〃I　should　call　it　a　misunderstanding；　rather。　A　misunderstanding　of　life。　Death　and　life　are　the　same　thing　…　like　the　two　sides　of　my　hand；　the　palm　and　the　back。　And　still　the　palm　and　the　back　are　not　the　same。。。　They　can　be　neither　separated；　nor　mixed。〃
　　〃Then　no　one　uses　those　spells　now？〃
　　〃I　have　known　only　one　man　who　used　them　freely；　not　reckoning　their　risk。　For　they　are　risky；　dangerous；　beyond　any　other　magery。　Death　and　life　are　like　the　two　sides　of　my　hand；　I　said；　but　the　truth　is　we　do　not　know　what　life　is　or　what　death　is。　To　claim　power　over　what　you　do　not　understand　is　not　wise；　nor　is　the　end　of　it　likely　to　be　good。〃
　　〃Who　was　the　man　who　used　them？〃　Arren　asked。　He　had　not　found　Sparrowhawk　so　willing　to　answer　questions　before；　in　this　quiet；　thoughtful　mood；　both　of　them　were　consoled　by　their　talk；　dark　though　the　subject　of　it　was。
　　〃He　lived　in　Havnor。　They　accounted　him　a　mere　sorcerer；　but　in　native　power　he　was　a　great　mage。　He　made　money　from　his　art；　showing　any　who　paid　him　whatever　spirit　they　asked　to　see；　dead　wife　or　husband　or　child；　filling　his　house　with　unquiet　shadows　of　old　centuries；　the　fair　women　of　the　days　of　the　Kings。　I　saw　him　summon　from　the　Dry　Land　my　own　old　master　who　was　Archmage　in　my　youth；　Nemmerle；　for　a　mere　trick　to　entertain　the　idle。　And　that　great　soul　came　at　his　call；　like　a　dog　to　heel。　I　was　angry　and　challenged　him　…I　was　not　Archmage　then…　saying；　'You　pel　the　dead　to　e　into　your　house：　will　you　e　with　me　to　theirs？'　And　I　made　him　go　with　me　into　the　Dry　Land；　though　he　fought　me　with　all　his　will　and　changed　his　shape　and　wept　aloud　when　nothing　else　would　do。〃
　　〃So　you　killed　him？〃　Arren　whispered；　enthralled。
　　〃No！　I　made　him　follow　me　into　the　land　of　the　dead；　and　return　with　me　from　it。　He　was　afraid。　He　who　summoned　the　dead　to　him　so　easily　was　more　afraid　of　death　…of　his　own　death…　than　any　man　I　ever　knew。　At　the　wall　of　stones。。。　But　I　tell　you　more　than　a　novice　ought　to　know。　And　you're　not　even　a　novice。〃　Through　the　dusk　the　keen　eyes　returned　Arren's　gaze　for　a　moment；　abashing　him。　〃No　matter；〃　said　the　Archmage。　〃There　is　a　wall　of　stones；　then；　at　a　certain　place　on　the　bourne。　Across　it　the　spirit　goes　at　death；　and　across　it　a　living　man　may　go　and　return　again；　if　he　is　a　mage。。。。　By　the　wall　of　stones　this　man　crouched　down；　on　the　side　of　the　living；　and　tried　to　withstand　my　will；　and　could　not。　He　clung　to　the　stones　with　his　hands　and　cursed　and　screamed。　I　have　never　seen　a　fear　like　that；　it　sickened　me　with　its　own　sickness。　I　should　have　known　by　that　that　I　did　wrong。　I　was　possessed
　by　anger　and　by　vanity。　For　he　was　very　strong；　and　I　was　eager　to　prove　that　I　was　stronger。〃
　　〃What　did　he　do　afterward…when　you　came　back？〃
　　〃Grovelled；　and　swore　never　to　use　the　Pelnish　Lore　again；　kissed　my　hand　and　would　have　killed　me　if　he　dared。　He　went　from　Havnor　into　the　West；　to　Paln　perhaps；　I　heard　years　later　that　he　had　died。　He　was　white…haired　when　I　knew　him；　though　long…armed　and　quick　like　a　wrestler。　What　made　me　fall　to　talking　of　him？　I　cannot　even　bring　to　mind　his　name。〃
　　〃His　true　name？〃
　　〃No！　that　I　can　remember…〃　Then　he　paused；　and　for　the　space　of　three　heartbeats　was　utterly　still。
　　〃They　called　him　Cob　in　Havnor；〃　he　said　in　a　changed；　careful　voice。　It　had　grown　too　dark　for　expression　to　be　seen。　Arren　saw　him　turn　and　look　at　the　yellow　star；　now　higher　above　the　waves　and　casting　across　them　a　broken　trail　of　gold　as　slender　as　a　spider's　thread。　After　a　long　silence　he　said；　〃It's　not　only　in　dreams；　you　see；　that　we　find　ourselves　facing　what　is　yet　to　be　in　what　was　long　forgotten；　and　speaking　what　seems　nonsense　because　we　will　not　see　its　meaning。〃
　
　Lorbanery
　
　　Seen　across　ten　miles　of　sunlit　water；　Lorbanery　was　green；　green　as　the　bright　moss　by　a　fountain's　rim。　Nearby；　it　broke　up　into　leaves；　and　tree…trunks；　and　shadows；　and　roads；　and　houses；　and　the　faces　and　clothing　of　people；　and　dust；　and　all　that　goes　to　make　up　an　island　inhabited　by　men。　Yet　still；　over　all；　it　was　green：　for　every　acre　of　it　that　was　not　built　or　walked　upon　was　given　up　to　the　low；　round…topped　hurbah　trees；　on　the　leaves　of　which　feed　the　little　worms　that　spin　the　silk　that　is　made　into　thread　and　woven　by　the　men　and　women　and　children　of　Lorbanery。　At　dusk　the　air　there　is　full　of　small　grey　bats　who　feed　on　the　little　worms。　They　eat　many；　but　are　suffered　to　do　so　and　are　not　killed　by　the　silk…weavers；　who　indeed　account　it　a　deed　of　very　evil　omen　to　kill　the　grey…winged　bats。　For　if　human　beings　live　off　the　worms；　they　say；　surely　small　bats　have　the　right　to　do　so。
　　The　houses　were　curious；　with　little　windows　set　randomly；　and　thatches　of　hurbah…twigs；　all　green　with　moss　and　lichens。　It　had　been　a　wealthy　isle；　as　isles　of　the　Reach　go；　and　this　was　still　to　be　seen　in　the　well…painted　and　well…furnished　houses；　in　the　great　spinning　wheels　and　looms　in　the　cottages　and　worksheds；　and　in　the　stone　piers　of　the　little　harbor　of　Sosara；　where　several　trading　galleys　might　have　docked。　But　there　were　no　galleys　in　the　harbor。　The　paint　on　the　houses　was　faded；　there　was　no　new　furniture；　and　most　of　the　wheel