fs.thefirstbookofswords-第39章

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　　　For　an　instant；　he　thought　that　a　great　wind　had　arisen；　and　was　about　to　blow　him　off　his　feet。　For　that　heartbeat's　duration　of　double　contact；　he　had　a　sense　that　the　world　was　altering　around　him；　or　else　that　he　was　being　extracted　from　it。。。
　　　The　rising　movement　of　the　flyer　pulled　from　Mark's　extended　hand　the　hilt　of　the　sword　with　which　he'd　stabbed　it。　The　dragon　was　taking　off　with　the　blade　still　embedded　in　its　side。　Mark；　on　his　knees　now；　squinting　upward　as　if　into　dazzling　light；　lost　sight　of　the　sword　that　went　up　with　the　dragon。　But　before　his　eyes　the　dragon's　whole　shape　was　changing；　melting　and　reforming。　He　saw　first　a　giant　barnyard　fowl　in　flight；　then　an　enormous　hawk；　at　last　a　winged　woman　garbed　in　white。　Then　the　shape　vanished；　climbing　beyond　the　effective　range　of　the　fairgrounds'　lights。
　　　Slowly　Mark　stood　up　straight；　still　holding　the　sword　that　the　dragon　had　dropped　in　front　of　him。　It　was　by　now；　he　found；　he　was　able　to　tell　one　from　another　by　the　feeling；　needing　no　look　at　the　hilt。
　　　The　world　that　had　been　trying　to　alter　around　him　was　now　trying　to　e　back。　But　its　swift　shifting　had　been　too　violent　for　that　to　be　acplished　in　an　instant。
　　　The　stocky　man　who　had　attacked　Barbara　and　had　been　chasing　Mark　had　now　caught　up　with　him　once　more。　But　the　man　only　stood　in　front　of　Mark　in　absolute　consternation；　gazing　first　at　Mark　and　then　up　into　the　night　sky　after　the　vanished　courier。
　　　From　somewhere　in　the　gathering　crowd；　Barbara　came　stumbling；　staggering；　screaming　incoherent　accusations。　The　dandy；　bemused　and　rumpled；　turned　on　her　with　his　dagger　drawn。　Before　Mark　could　react；　a　huge　hand　reached　from　behind　the　man　to　grab　him　by　one　shoulder　and　turn　him；　spinning　him　into　the　impact　of　a　fist　that　seemed　to　break　him　like　a　toy。
Men　in　orange　and　black　had　Ben　surrounded。　But　now；　from　the　direction　of　the　drawbridge；　another　small　group　of　men　in　black　and　orange　came　charging。　These　were　halfarmored　with　helms　and　shields；　and　held　drawn　swords。　Led　by　a　graybeard　nobleman；　they　hurled　themselves　with　a　warcry　at　the　first　group。　Mark　knew　that　his　own　hand　still　held　a　sword。　He　told　himself　that　he　should　be　doing　something。　But　the　sense　that　his　place　in　the　world　had　changed　still　held　him。　It　was　not　like　anything　he　had　ever　felt　before。　He　thought　that　he　could　still　feel　the　two　hilts；　one　in　each　hand。　And　then　he　could　feel　nothing　at　all。
Chapter　11
　　　〃Yes；　I　am　Draffut；　once　called　by　humans　the　Lord　of　Beasts。　And　now　they　call　me　a　god。〃　In　the　deep　voice　were　tired　tones　that　mocked　the　foolishness　of　humans。　〃Stand　up；　man。　No　human　being　should　kneel　to　me。〃
　　　All　around　Nestor　and　the　giant　the　night　creatures　of　the　swamp　were　awakening；　from　whatever　daytime　dreams　they　had　to　noisy　life。　Nestor　stood　up。　His　emotional　outburst；　whether　or　not　it　had　been　based　on　some　misconception；　had　relieved　something　in　him　and　he　felt　calmer。　〃Very　well；〃　he　said。　〃What　shall　I　call　you；　then？〃
　　　〃I　am　Draffut。　It　is　enough。　And　you　are　Nestor；　who　kills　dragons。　Now　e　with　me；　you　will　need　food　and　rest。〃
　　　〃Rest；　first；　I　think。〃　Nestor　rubbed　at　his　eyes：　exhaustion　was　rapidly　overtaking　him。　The　sword　dragged　down　whichever　hand　he　held　it　in。
　　　Draffut　led　the　way　back　to　the　ancient　temple。　Standing　beside　the　building；　he　raised　a　shaggy　arm　to　indicate　a　place　where；　he　said；　Nestor　should　be　able　to　rest　in　safety。　This　was　a　half…ruined　room　on　an　upper　level；　in　a　portion　of　the　structure　that　once　had　had　a　second　floor。　The　stairway　nearby　had　almost　entirely　disappeared；　but　Nestor　was　agile　and　he　found　a　way　to　scramble　up。　His　assigned　resting　place　was　open　to　the　sky；　but　at　least　it　should　offer　him　some　degree　of　isolation　from　creeping　things。　When　Nestor　turned　from　a　quick　inspection　of　the　place　to　speak　to　Draffut　again；　he　saw　to　his　surprise　that　the　giant　had　disappeared。
　　　Neither　the　hard　floor　of　his　high　chamber；　nor　the　possibility　of　danger；　kept　Nestor　from　falling　quickly　into　a　deep　sleep；　that　turned　almost　at　once　into　a　vivid　dream。
　　　In　this　dream　he　beheld　a　fantastic　procession；　that　was　made　up　partly　of　human　beings；　and　partly　of　others　who　were　only　vaguely　visualized。　The　procession　was　marching　through　brilliant　sunlight　to　the　temple；　at　some　time　in　the　days　of　that　building's　wholeness　and　glory。　At　first　the　dream　was　quite　a　pleasant　experience。　Then　came　the　point　when　Nestor　realized　that　in　the　midst　of　the　procession　was　being　borne　a　maiden　meant　for　sacrifice　…　and　that　the　prospective　victim　was　Barbara。
　　　In　the　dream　Barbara　was　straining　at　the　bonds　that　held　her；　and　crying　out　to　him　for　help。　But　in　terror　Nestor　turned　away　from　her。　Clasping　the　hilt　of　his　precious　sword；　which　he　knew　he　must　not　lose　no　matter　what；　he　ran　with　it　into　the　jungle　surrounding　the　temple　closely。　This　was　a　dreamgrowth　of　spectacular　colors；　very　different　from　the　scrubby　woods　that　his　waking　eyes　had　beheld　covering　most　of　the　island。　But　as　soon　as　Nestor　had　reached　the　jungle；　the　sword…hilt　in　his　hand　turned　into　something　else　…　and　before　he　could　understand　what　it　had　bee；　he　was　waking　up；　gasping　with　his　fear。
　　　Night…creatures　were　being　noisy　at　a　little　distance；　yet　the　darkness　round　him　was　peaceful　enough；　though　he　was　breathing　as　hard　as　if　he　had　been　fighting。　The　gibbous　moon　was　by　now　almost　directly　overhead；　in　a　sky　patched　with　clouds；　it　was　some　time　near　the　middle　of　the　night。
　　　The　image　of　Barbara　remained　vividly　with　Nestor　for　some　time　after　he　had　awakened。　Ought　he　to　have　stood　by　the　spilled　wagon；　sword　in　hand；　to　fight　for　her　and　for　the　others？
　　　Nonsense。　Before　he'd　managed　to　get　his　hand　on　a　sword；　they'd　all　run　away；　scattering　and　hiding　as　best　they　could。　He　would　have　been　killed；　and　it　would　have　done　no　one　any　good　at　all。
　　　Maybe　he　knew　that　he　would　have　run　away；　even　if　the　others　hadn't。　But　it　was　nonsense；　dredging　up　such　theoretical　things　to　worry　about。
　　　Though　the　unpleasantness　of　the　dream　lingered；　Nestor　soon　fell　asleep　again。　He　woke　with　the　feeling　that　no　time　at　all　had　passed；　though　the　sun　was　now　fully　up　in　a　bright　sky；　and　monkbirds　were　exchanging　loud　cries　in　branches　not　far　above　his　head。
　　　Nestor　sat　up；　reflecting　on　how　well　he　felt；　how　rested。　He　rubbed　the　shoulder　that　yesterday　had　been　…　he　was　sure　of　it　broken。　It　felt　as　good　as　the　other　shoulder　now。
　　　He　vaguely　remembered　having　some　disagreeable　dream；　but　he　no　longer　remembered　what　it　had　been　about。
　　　The　sword　was　at　his　side；　just　where　he　had　put　it　down。　What　had　Draffut　said；　that　sounded　like　quoted　verse？
　　　　　　　　　　　Long　roads　the　Sword　of　Fury　makes；
　　　　　　　　　　　Hard　walls　it　builds　around　the　soft。。。
　　　Nestor　would　have　given　something　to　hear　the　rest。
　　　Beside　the　sword　now　was　a　pile　of　fresh　fruit　that　certainly　had　not　been　there　when　he　last　fell　asleep。　Nestor　sniffed　at　something　yellow　and　round　then　nibbled　cautiously。　Then；　suddenly　ravenous；　he　fell　to。　The　sword　made　a　convenient　tool　to　slice　and　peel。
　　　Before　Nestor　had　fully　satisfied　his　appetite；　Draffut　appeared；　walking　tree…tall　from　among　the　trees。　The　giant　exchanged　rather　casual　greetings　with　Nestor；　and　claimed　credit　for　the　provision　of　the　marls　breakfast；　for　which　Nestor　thanked　him。　In　the　bright　morning　Draffut's　fur　glowed　delicately；　just　as　it　had　in　twilight　and　after　dark；　holding　its　own　light。　As　Draffut　stood　on　the　ground　outside　the　temple　his　face　was　approximately　on　a　level　with　Nestor's；　who　was　standing　on　what　had　once　been　a　second　floor。
　　　This　morning　Nestor　felt　no　impulse　to　kneel。　He　realized　that　his　awe　of　Draffut　was　already　fading　into　something　that　approached　familiarity；　and　in　an　obscure　way　the　man　partially　regretted　the　fact。　As　soon　as　a　few　conversational　preliminaries　had　been　gone　through；　he　asked：　〃Draffut；　will　you　tell　me　about　the　gods？　And　about　yourself。　If　you　maintain　you　are　not　one　of　them；　I　don't　intend　to　argue　with　you。　But　perhaps　you　can　understan