uleg.thefarthestshore-第38章

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cient　fashion；　it　was　rent　as　if　by　hatchet　blows；　and　the　jeweled　scabbard　of　his　sword　was　empty。　His　face　was　stern；　with　arched；　black　brows　and　narrow　nose；　his　eyes　were　dark；　keen；　and　sorrowful。　There　were　wounds　on　his　arms　and　in　his　throat　and　side；　they　bled　no　longer；　but　they　were　mortal　wounds。　He　stood　erect　and　still；　and　looked　at　them。
　　Ged　took　one　step　toward　him。　They　were　somewhat　alike；　thus　face　to　face。
　　〃Thou　art　Erreth…Akbe；〃　Ged　said。　The　other　gazed　at　him　steadily　and　nodded　once；　but　did　not　speak。
　　〃Even　thou；　even　thou　must　do　his　bidding。〃　Rage　was　in　Ged's　voice。　〃O　my　lord；　and　best　and　bravest　of　us　all；　rest　in　thy　honor　and　in　death！〃　And　raising　his　hands；　Ged　brought　them　down　in　a　great　gesture；　saying　again　those　words　he　had　spoken　to　the　multitudes　of　the　dead。　His　hands　left　behind　on　the　air　a　moment　a　broad；　bright　track。　When　it　was　gone；　the　armored　man　was　gone；　and　only　the　sun　dazzled　on　the　sand　where　he　had　stood。
　　Ged　struck　at　the　house　of　bones　with　his　staff；　and　it　fell　and　vanished　away。　Nothing　of　it　was　left　but　one　great　rib…bone　that　stuck　up　out　of　the　sand。
　　He　turned　to　Orm　Embar。　〃Is　it　here；　Orm　Embar？　Is　this　the　place？〃
　　The　dragon　opened　his　mouth　and　made　a　huge；　gasping　hiss。
　　〃Here　on　the　last　shore　of　the　world。　That　is　well！〃　Then　holding　his　black　yew　staff　in　his　left　hand；　Ged　opened　his　arms　in　the　gesture　of　invocation；　and　spoke。　Though　he　spoke　in　the　language　of　the　Making；　yet　Arren　understood；　at　last；　as　all　who　hear　that　invocation　must　understand；　for　it　has　power　over　all：　〃Now　do　I　summon　you　and　here；　my　enemy；　before　my　eyes　and　in　the　flesh；　and　bind　you　by　the　word　that　will　not　be　spoken　till　time's　end；　to　e！〃
　　But　where　the　name　of　him　summoned　should　have　been　spoken；　Ged　said　only：　My　enemy。
　　A　silence　followed；　as　if　the　sound　of　the　sea　had　faded。　It　seemed　to　Arren　that　the　sun　failed　and　dimmed；　though　it　stood　high　in　a　clear　sky。　A　darkness　came　over　the　beach；　as　though　one　looked　through　smoked　glass；　directly　before　Ged　it　grew　very　dark；　and　it　was　hard　to　see　what　was　there。　It　was　as　if　nothing　was　there；　nothing　the　light　could　fall　on；　a　formlessness。
　　Out　of　it　came　a　man；　suddenly。　It　was　the　same　man　they　had　seen　upon　the　dune；　black…haired　and　long…armed；　lithe　and　tall。　He　held　now　a　long　rod　or　blade　of　steel；　graven　all　down　its　length　with　runes；　and　he　tilted　this　toward　Ged　as　he　faced　him。　But　there　was　something　strange　in　the　look　of　his　eyes；　as　if　they　were　sun…dazzled　and　could　not　see。
　　〃I　e；〃　he　said；　〃at　my　own　choosing；　in　my　own　way。　You　cannot　summon　me；　Archmage。　I　am　no　shadow。　I　am　alive。　I　only　am　alive！　You　think　you　are；　but　you　are　dying；　dying。　Do　you　know　what　this　is　I　hold？　It　is　the　staff　of　the　Grey　Mage；　he　who　silenced　Nereger；　the　Master　of　my　art。　But　I　am　the　Master　now。　And　I　have　had　enough　of　playing　games　with　you。〃　With　that　he　suddenly　reached　out　the　steel　blade　to　touch　Ged；　who　stood　as　if　he　could　not　move　and　could　not　speak。　Arren　stood　a　pace　behind　him；　and　all　his　will　was　to　move；　but　he　could　not　stir；　he　could　not　even　put　his　hand　on　his　sword…hilt；　and　his　voice　was　stopped　in　his　throat。
　　But　over　Ged　and　Arren；　over　their　heads；　vast　and　fiery；　the　great　body　of　the　dragon　came　in　one　writhing　leap　and　plunged　down　full…force　upon　the　other；　so　that　the　charmed　steel　blade　entered　into　the　dragon's　mailed　breast　to　its　full　length：　but　the　man　was　borne　down　under　his　weight　and　crushed　and　burnt。
　　Rising　up　again　from　the　sand；　arching　his　back　and　beating　his　vaned　wings；　Orm　Embar　vomited　out　gouts　of　fire　and　screamed。　He　tried　to　fly；　but　he　could　not　fly。　Malign　and　cold；　the　metal　lay　in　his　heart。　He　crouched；　and　the　blood　ran　black　and　poisonous；　steaming；　from　his　mouth；　and　the　fire　died　in　his　nostrils　till　they　became　like　pits　of　ash。　He　laid　down　his　great　head　on　the　sand。
　　So　died　Orm　Embar　where　his　forefather　Orm　died；　on　the　bones　of　Orm　buried　in　the　sand。
　　But　where　Orm　had　struck　his　enemy　to　earth；　there　lay　something　ugly　and　shriveled；　like　the　body　of　a　big　spider　dried　up　in　its　web。　It　had　been　burned　by　the　dragon's　breath　and　crushed　by　his　taloned　feet。　Yet；　as　Arren　watched；　it　moved。　It　crawled　away　a　little　from　the　dragon。
　　The　face　lifted　up　toward　them。　There　was　no　eliness　left　in　it；　only　ruin；　old　age　that　had　outlived　old　age。　The　mouth　was　withered。　The　sockets　of　the　eyes　were　empty　and　had　long　been　empty。　So　Ged　and　Arren　saw　at　last　the　living　face　of　their　enemy。
　　It　turned　away。　The　burnt；　blackened　arms　reached　out；　and　a　darkness　gathered　into　them；　that　same　shapeless　darkness　that　swelled　and　dimmed　the　sunlight。　Between　the　arms　of　the　Unmaker　it　was　like　an　archway　or　a　gate；　though　dim　and　without　outline；　and　through　it　was　neither　pale　sand　nor　ocean；　but　a　long　slope　of　darkness　going　down　into　the　dark。
　　There　the　crushed；　crawling　figure　went；　and　when　it　came　into　the　darkness　it　seemed　suddenly　to　rise　up　and　move　swiftly；　and　it　was　gone。
　　〃e；　Lebannen；〃　said　Ged；　laying　his　right　hand　on　the　boy's　arm；　and　they　went　forward　into　the　dry　land。
　
　The　Dry　Land
　
　　The　yew…wood　staff　in　the　mage's　hand　shone　in　the　dull；　lowering　darkness　with　a　silver　gleam。　Another　slight　glimmering　movement　caught　Arren's　eye：　a　flicker　of　light　along　the　blade　of　the　sword　he　held　naked　in　his　band。　As　the　dragon's　act　and　death　had　broken　the　binding　spell；　he　had　drawn　his　sword；　there　on　the　beach　of　Selidor。　And　here；　though　he　was　no　more　than　a　shadow；　he　was　a　living　shadow；　and　bore　the　shadow　of　his　sword。
　　There　was　no　other　brightness　anywhere。　It　was　like　a　late　twilight　under　clouds　at　the　end　of　November；　a　dour；　chill；　dull　air　in　which　one　could　see；　but　not　clearly　and　not　far。　Arren　knew　the　place；　the　moors　and　barrens　of　his　hopeless　dreams；　but　it　seemed　to　him　that　he　was　farther；　immensely　farther；　than　he　had　ever　been　in　dream。　He　could　make　out　nothing　distinctly；　except　that　he　and　his　panion　stood　on　the　slope　of　a　hill；　and　before　them　was　a　low　wall　of　stones；　no　higher　than　a　man's　knee。
　　Ged　still　kept　his　right　hand　on　Arren's　arm。　He　moved　forward　now；　and　Arren　went　with　him；　they　stepped　over　the　wall　of　stones。
　　Formless；　the　long　slope　fell　away　before　them；　descending　into　the　dark。
　　But　overhead；　where　Arren　had　thought　to　see　a　heavy　overcast　of　clouds；　the　sky　was　black；　and　there　were　stars。　He　looked　at　them；　and　it　seemed　as　if　his　heart　shrank　small　and　cold　within　him。　They　were　no　stars　that　he　had　ever　seen。　Unmoving　they　shone；　unwinking。　They　were　those　stars　that　do　not　rise　or　set；　nor　are　they　ever　hidden　by　any　cloud；　nor　does　any　sunrise　dim　them。　Still　and　small　they　shine　on　the　dry　land。
　　Ged　set　off　walking　down　the　far　side　of　the　hill　of　being；　and　pace　by　pace　Arren　went　with　him。　There　was　terror　in　him；　and　yet　so　resolved　was　his　heart　and　so　intent　his　will　that　the　fear　did　not　rule　him；　nor　was　he　even　very　clearly　aware　of　it。　It　was　only　as　if　something　deep　within　him　grieved；　like　an　animal　shut　up　in　a　room　and　chained。
　　It　seemed　that　they　walked　down　that　hill…slope　for　a　long　way；　but　perhaps　it　was　a　short　way；　for　there　was　no　passing　of　time　there；　where　no　wind　blew　and　the　stars　did　not　move。　They　came　then　into　the　streets　of　one　of　the　cities　that　are　there；　and　Arren　saw　the　houses　with　windows　that　are　never　lit；　and　in　certain　doorways　standing；　with　quiet　faces　and　empty　hands；　the　dead。
　　The　marketplaces　were　all　empty。　There　was　no　buying　and　selling　there；　no　gaining　and　spending。　Nothing　was　used；　nothing　was　made。　Ged　and　Arren　went　through　the　narrow　streets　alone；　though　a　few　times　they　saw　a　figure　at　the　turning　of　another　way；　distant　and　hardly　to　be　seen　in　the　gloom。　At　sight　of　the　first　of　these；　Arren　started　and　raised　his　sword　to　point；　but　Ged　shook　his　head　and　went　on。　Arren　saw　then　that　the　figure　was　a　woman　who　moved　slowly；　not　fleeing　from　them。
　　All　those　whom　they　saw　…not　many；　for　the　dead　are　many；　but　that　land　is　large…　stood　still；　or　moved　slowly　and　with　no　purpose。　None　of　them　bore　wounds；　as　ha