fs.thefirstbookofswords-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


en　the　similar　drumbeat　that　helped　to　bring　that　masked　face　back　in　dreams。　The　drumbeat；　and　of　course　Mala's　fervent　but　so　far　utterly　secret　suspicion　that　the　father　of　her　firstborn　was　not　Jord　but　rather　that　man　whose　face　she'd　never　seen　without　its　mask。　Over　the　past　few　months　she'd　tried　to　find　out　what　she　could　about　Duke　Fraktin；　but　apart　from　confirming　his　reputation　for　occasional　cruelty；　for　occasional　excursions　among　the　mon　people　in　disguise；　for　wealth；　and　for　magical　power；　she　knew　very　little　more　now　than　she　had　before。
　　　Tonight；　lying　in　an　accouchement　chamber　halfway　up　the　high　pyramidal　Temple；　Mala　was　questioned；　in　her　lucid　intervals　between　pain　and　druggings；　about　her　dreams。　Jord　had　been　sent　dashing　out　on　some　make…work　errand　by　the　midwife…priestess；　who　now　asked　Mala　with　brisk　professional　interest　…　and　some　evident　kindness；　too　…　exactly　what　she　had　dreamed　about　when　the　last　contractions　came。　The　drugs　and　spells　reacted　with　pain　directly；　turning　it　into　dreams；　some　happy　and　some　not。
　　　Mala　described　the　masked　man　to　the　priestess　as　well　as　she　could；　his　stature；　hair；　dress；　short　sword；　and　mask；　all　without　saying　when　or　where　or　how　she　had　encountered　him　in　real　life。　She　added：　〃I　think。。。　I'm　not　sure　why；　but　I　think　it　may　be　Duke　Fraktin。　He　rules　all　the　region　where　we　live：〃　And　there　was　a　secret　pride　in　Mala's　heart；　a　pride　that　perhaps　became　no　longer　secret　in　her　voice。
　　　〃Ah；　I　suppose　the　dream　is　a　good　omen；　then。〃　But　the　priestess　sounded　faintly　amused。
　　　〃You　don't　think　it　was　the　Duke？〃　Mala　was　suddenly　anxious。
　　　〃You　know　more　about　it　than　I　do；　dear。　It　was　your　dream。　It　might　have　been　the　Emperor；　for　all　I　know。〃
　　　〃Oh；　no；　he　didn't　look　like　that。　Don't　joke。〃　Mala　paused　there；　her　drugged　mind　working　slowly。　Everyone　had　heard　of　the　Emperor；　in　jokes　and　anecdotes　and　sayings；　Mala　had　never　seen　him；　to　her　knowledge；　but　she　knew　that　he　was　supposed　to　wear　a　clowns　mask　and　not　a　gentleman's。　When　the　priestess　had　mentioned　that　relic…title　there　had　sprung　into　Mala's　mind　all　of　the　town…louts；　all　the　loafing　practical　jokers；　that　she　had　ever　seen　or　known　in　any　village。　And　next　she　thought　of　a　certain　real　clown　who　for　years　had　been　appearing　at　fairs　and　festivals　with　a　sad；　grotesque　face　painted　over　his　own　features。　Not　that　it　had　ever　occurred　to　her　that　any　of　those　men　might　really　be　the　Emperor。　In　the　anecdotes　and　jokes　the　Emperor　was　a　very　old　man　who　was　forever　arguing　an　absurd　claim　to　rule　a　vast　domain；　claiming　tribute　from　barons　and　dukes；　grand　dukes　and　tyrants；　even　kings　and　queens。　In　some　of　the　stories　the　Emperor　was　fond　of　pointless　riddles。　（And　what　if　they　had　chosen　not　to　follow　Vulcan's　call？　echoed　here；　unpleasantly；　in　Mala's　spinning　head。）　And　in　some　of　the　stories　he　played　practical　jokes；　some　of　which　were　appreciated　as　clever；　by　those　who　liked　such　things。　There　was　also　a　proverbial　sense；　in　which　an　illegitimate　child　of　an　unknown　father；　or　anyone　whose　luck　had　run　out；　was　spoken　of　as　a　child　of　the　Emperor。
　　　Mala　had　never　had　reason　to　consider　the　possibility　of　a　real　man　still　going　about　in　the　real　world　bearing　that　title；　let　alone　that　he　might　conceivably　have　。。。　no；　she　was　drugged；　not　thinking　clearly。　The　ave　*　Duke　…　or　whoever　it　had　been　…　had　been　young；　and　he　had　certainly　not　worn　the　Emperor's　clown　mask。
　　　The　hallucinatory　haze　that　washed　over　her　with　the　beginning　of　her　next　contractions；　Mala　could　hear　Jord　ing　back。　Maybe；　she　thought；　hopefully　now；　Jord　was　after　all　the　baby's　father。　She　couldn't　see　Jord　very　clearly；　but　she　could　hear　him；　panting　from　his　quick　climb　up　the　many　Temple　steps；　and　sounding　almost　childishly　proud　of　having　successfully　located　whatever　it　was　that　the　priestess　had　sent　him　after。　And　now　Mala　could　feel　his　huge　hand；　holding　both　of　hers；　while　he　started　talking　worriedly　to　the　priestess　about　how　his　first　wife　had　died　trying　to　give　birth　to　their　third　child。　What　would　Jord　think　now　if　he　knew　that　it　might　have　been　the　Duke。。。
　　　And　then　the　dream；　into　which　this　latest　set　of　labor　pangs　had　been　transformed；　took　over　firmly。　There　was　a　shrill　magical　chanting　in　new　voices；　the　voices　of　invisible　beings　who　were　marching　round　Mala's　bed。　Jord　and　the　priestess　and　all　other　human　beings　were　gone；　but　Mala　had　no　time　to　be　concerned　about　that；　because　there　were　too　many　purely　delightful　things　to　claim　all　of　her　attention；　here　in　the　flower　garden　where　she　was　lying　now。。。
　　　The　chanting　rose；　but　other　voices；　in　unmusical　dispute；　were　intruding　upon　it；　too　loudly　for　any　music　to　have　covered　them　up：　They　sounded　angry；　as　if　the　dispute　was　starting　to　get　serious。。。
　　　There　were　flowers　heaped　and　scattered　around　Mala　on　all　sides；　great　masses　of　blooms；　including　kinds　that　she　had　never　seen　or　even　imagined　before；　prodigally　disposed。　She　lay　on　her　back　on　a　…　what　was　it？　a　bed？　a　bier？　a　table？　…　and　around　her；　beyond　the　banks　of　flowers；　the　gods　themselves　were　furiously　debating。
　　　She　was　able　to　understand　just　enough　of　what　they　said　to　grasp　the　fact　that　some　of　the　gods　and　goddesses　were　angry；　unhappy　with　some　of　the　things　that　Ardneh　had　been　doing　to　help　her　…　whatever　those　things　were。　From　where　Mala　lay；　she　could　see　no　more　of　Ardneh　than　his　head　and　shoulders；　but　she　could　tell　from　even　this　partial　view　that　he　was　bigger　than　any　of　the　other　deities。　The　face　of　Ardneh；　Demon…Slayer；　Hospitaller；　bearer　of　a　thousand　other　names　besides；　was　inhumanly　broad　and　huge；　and　something　about　it　made　Mala　think　of　mill…machinery；　the　largest　and　most　plex　mechanism　with　which　she　was　at　all　familiar。
　　　She　thought　that　she　could　recognize　some　of　the　others　in　the　debate　also。　Notably　the　Smith；　by　the　great　forge…hammer　in　his　hand；　and　his　singed　leather　clothes；　and　above　all　by　his　twisted　leg。　For　Jord's　sake；　Mala　feared　and　hated　Vulcan。　Of　course　at　the　moment　she　was　too　drugged　to　feel　very　much　about　anyone　or　anything。　And　anyway　the　Smith　never　bothered　to　look　at　her；　though　he　was　bitterly　opposing　Ardneh。　The　argument　between　the　two　factions　of　the　gods　went　on；　but　to　Mala's　perception　its　details　gradually　grew　even　less　clear。
　　　And　now　it　seemed　to　Mala　that　her　babe　had　already　been　born；　and　that　he　lay　before　her　already　cleaned　and　diapered；　his　raw　belly　bound　with　a　proper　bandage。　Ardneh's　faction　had　prevailed；　at　least　for　the　time　being。　The　baby's　blue　eyes　were　open；　his　small　perfect　hands　were　reaching　for　Mala's　breast。　The　masked　figure　of　his　father　stood　in　the　background；　and　said　proudly：　〃My　son；　Mark。〃　It　was　one　of　the　names　Mala　had　discussed　with　Jord；　one　that　appeared　already　in　both　their　families。
　　　〃When　the　time　es；〃　said　the　voice　of　Ardneh　now；　blotting　out　all　other　sounds　（and　the　tones　of　this　voice　reminded　Mala　somehow　of　the　voice　of　her　dead　father）；　〃When　the　time　es；　your　first…born　son　will　take　the　sword。　And　you　must　let　him　go　with　it　where　he　will。〃
　　　〃His　name　is　Mark；〃　said　the　figure　of　the　masked　man　in　the　dream。　〃My　mark　is　on　him；　and　he　is　mine。〃
And　Mala　cried　aloud；　and　awoke　slowly　from　her　drugged　and　enchanted　dream；　to　be　told　that　her　first…born　son　was　doing　just　fine。
Chapter　1
　　　One　day　in　the　middle　of　his　thirteenth　summer；　Mark　came　home　from　a　morning's　rabbit…hunting　with　his　older　brother　Kenn　to　discover　that　visitors　were　in　their　village。　To　judge　from　their　mounts；　the　visitors　were　unlike　any　that　Mark　had　ever　seen　before。
　　　Kenn；　five　years　the　older　of　the　two；　stopped　so　suddenly　in　the　narrow　riverside　path　that　Mark；　following　lost　in　thought；　almost　ran　into　him。　This　was　just　at　the　place　where　the　path　came　out　of　the　wild　growth　on　the　steep　riverbank；　and　turned　into　the　beginning　of　the　village's　single　street。　From　this　point　it　was　possible　to　see　the　four　strange　riding…beasts；　two　of　them　armored　in　chainmail　like　cavalry　steeds；　the　other　two　caparisoned　in　rich　cloth。　All　four　were　hitched　t