rh.conanthewarrior-第43章

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train　them　for　bloodhounds？〃
　　Conan　shook　his　head。　〃That　was　a　leopard　he　called　out　of　the　woods。〃
　　〃But；〃　Balthus　persisted；　〃if　he　can　order　the　beasts　to　do　his　bidding；　why　doesn't　he　rouse　them　all　and　have　them　after　us？　The　forest　is　full　of　leopards；　why　send　only　one　after　us？〃
　　Conan　did　not　reply　for　a　space；　and　when　he　did　it　was　with　a　curious　reticence。
　　〃He　can't　mand　all　the　animals。　Only　such　as　remember　Jhebbal　Sag。〃
　　〃Jhebbal　Sag？〃　Balthus　repeated　the　ancient　name　hesitantly。　He　had　never　heard　it　spoken　more　than　three　or　four　times　in　his　whole　life。
　　〃Once　all　living　things　worshipped　him。　That　was　long　ago；　when　beasts　and　men　spoke　one　language。　Men　have　forgotten　him；　even　the　beasts　forget。　Only　a　few　remember。　The　men　who　remember　Jhebbal　Sag　and　the　beasts　who　remember　are　brothers　and　speak　the　same　tongue。〃
　　Balthus　did　not　reply；　he　had　strained　at　a　Pictish　stake　and　seen　the　nighted　jungle　give　up　its　fanged　horrors　at　a　shaman's　call。
　　〃Civilized　men　laugh；〃　said　Conan。　〃But　not　one　can　tell　me　how　Zogar　Sag　can　call　pythons　and　tigers　and　leopards　out　of　the　wilderness　and　make　them　do　his　bidding。　They　would　say　it　is　a　lie；　if　they　dared。　That's　the　way　with　civilized　men。　When　they　can't　explain　something　by　their　half…baked　science；　they　refuse　to　believe　it。〃
　　The　people　on　the　Tauran　were　closer　to　the　primitive　than　most　Aquilonians；　superstitions　persisted；　whose　sources　were　lost　in　antiquity。　And　Balthus　had　seen　that　which　still　prickled　his　flesh。　He　could　not　refute　the　monstrous　thing　which　Conan's　words　implied。
　　〃I've　heard　that　there's　an　ancient　grove　sacred　to　Jhebbal　Sag　somewhere　in　this　forest；〃　said　Conan。　〃I　don't　know。　I've　never　seen　it。　But　more　beasts　remember　in　this　country　than　any　I've　ever　seen。〃
　　〃Then　others　will　be　on　our　trail？〃
　　〃They　are　now；〃　was　Conan's　disquieting　answer。　〃Zogar　would　never　leave　our　tracking　to　one　beast　alone。〃
　　〃What　are　we　to　do；　then？〃　asked　Balthus　uneasily；　grasping　his　ax　as　he　stared　at　the　gloomy　arches　above　him。　His　flesh　crawled　with　the　momentary　expectation　of　ripping　talons　and　fangs　leaping　from　the　shadows。
　　〃Wait！〃
　　Conan　turned；　squatted　and　with　his　knife　began　scratching　a　curious　symbol　in　the　mold。　Stooping　to　look　at　it　over　his　shoulder；　Balthus　felt　a　crawling　of　the　flesh　along　his　spine；　he　knew　not　why。　He　felt　no　wind　against　his　face；　but　there　was　a　rustling　of　leaves　above　them　and　a　weird　moaning　swept　ghostily　through　the　branches。　Conan　glanced　up　inscrutably；　then　rose　and　stood　staring　somberly　down　at　the　symbol　he　had　drawn。
　　〃What　is　it？〃　whispered　Balthus。　It　looked　archaic　and　meaningless　to　him。　He　supposed　that　it　was　his　ignorance　of　artistry　which　prevented　his　identifying　it　as　one　of　the　conventional　designs　of　some　prevailing　culture。　But　had　he　been　the　most　erudite　artist　in　the　world；　he　would　have　been　no　nearer　the　solution。
　　〃I　saw　it　carved　in　the　rock　of　a　cave　no　human　had　visited　for　a　million　years；〃　muttered　Conan；　〃in　the　uninhabited　mountains　beyond　the　Sea　of　Vilayet；　half　a　world　away　from　this　spot。　Later　I　saw　a　black　witch…finder　of　Kush　scratch　it　in　the　sand　of　a　nameless　river。　He　told　me　part　of　its　meaning…it's　sacred　to　Jhebbal　Sag　and　the　creatures　which　worship　him。　Watch！〃
　　They　drew　back　among　the　dense　foliage　some　yards　away　and　waited　in　tense　silence。　To　the　east　drums　muttered　and　somewhere　to　north　and　west　other　drums　answered。　Balthus　shivered；　though　he　knew　long　miles　of　black　forest　separated　him　from　the　grim　beaters　of　those　drums　whose　dull　pulsing　was　a　sinister　overture　that　set　the　dark　stage　for　bloody　drama。
　　Balthus　found　himself　holding　his　breath。　Then　with　a　slight　shaking　of　the　leaves；　the　bushes　parted　and　a　magnificent　panther　came　into　view。　The　moonlight　dappling　through　the　leaves　shone　on　its　glossy　coat　rippling　with　the　play　of　the　great　muscles　beneath　it。
　　With　its　head　low　it　glided　toward　them。　It　was　smelling　out　their　trail。　Then　it　halted　as　if　frozen；　its　muzzle　almost　touching　the　symbol　cut　in　the　mold。　For　a　long　space　it　crouched　motionless；　it　flattened　its　long　body　and　laid　its　head　on　the　ground　before　the　mark。　And　Balthus　felt　the　short　hairs　stir　on　his　scalp。　For　the　attitude　of　the　great　carnivore　was　one　of　awe　and　adoration。
　　Then　the　panther　rose　and　backed　away　carefully；　belly　almost　to　the　ground。　With　his　hind…quarters　among　the　bushes　he　wheeled　as　if　in　sudden　panic　and　was　gone　like　a　flash　of　dappled　light。
　　Balthus　mopped　his　brow　with　a　trembling　hand　and　glanced　at　Conan。
　　The　barbarian's　eyes　were　smoldering　with　fires　that　never　lit　the　eyes　of　men　bred　to　the　ideas　of　civilization。　In　that　instant　he　was　all　wild；　and　had　forgotten　the　man　at　his　side。　In　his　burning　gaze　Balthus　glimpsed　and　vaguely　recognized　pristine　images　and　half…embodied　memories；　shadows　from　Life's　dawn；　forgotten　and　repudiated　by　sophisticated　races…ancient；　primeval　fantasms　unnamed　and　nameless。
　　Then　the　deeper　fires　were　masked　and　Conan　was　silently　leading　the　way　deeper　into　the　forest。
　　〃We've　no　more　to　fear　from　the　beasts；〃　he　said　after　a　while；　〃but　we've　left　a　sign　for　men　to　read。　They　won't　follow　our　trail　very　easily；　and　until　they　find　that　symbol　they　won't　know　for　sure　we've　turned　south。　Even　then　it　won't　be　easy　to　smell　us　out　without　the　beasts　to　aid　them。　But　the　woods　south　of　the　trail　will　be　full　of　warriors　looking　for　us。　If　we　keep　moving　after　daylight；　we'll　be　sure　to　run　into　some　of　them。　As　soon　as　we　find　a　good　place　we'll　hide　and　wait　until　another　night　to　swing　back　and　make　the　river。　We've　got　to　warn　Valannus；　but　it　won't　help　him　any　if　we　get　ourselves　killed。〃
　　〃Warn　Valannus？〃
　　〃Hell；　the　woods　along　the　river　are　swarming　with　Picts！　That's　why　they　got　us。　Zogar's　brewing　war…magic；　no　mere　raid　this　time。　He's　done　something　no　Pict　has　done　in　my　memory…united　as　many　as　fifteen　or　sixteen　clans。　His　magic　did　it；　they'll　follow　a　wizard　farther　than　they　will　a　war…chief。　You　saw　the　mob　in　the　village；　and　there　were　hundreds　hiding　along　the　river　bank　that　you　didn't　see。　More　ing；　from　the　farther　villages。　He'll　have　at　least　three　thousand　fighting…men。　I　lay　in　the　bushes　and　heard　their　talk　as　they　went　past。　They　mean　to　attack　the　fort；　when；　I　don't　know；　but　Zogar　doesn't　dare　delay　long。　He's　gathered　them　and　whipped　them　into　a　frenzy。　If　he　doesn't　lead　them　into　battle　quickly；　they'll　fall　to　quarreling　with　one　another。　They're　like　blood…mad　tigers。
　　〃I　don't　know　whether　they　can　take　the　fort　or　not。　Anyway；　we've　got　to　get　back　across　the　river　and　give　the　warning。　The　settlers　on　the　Velitrium　road　must　either　get　into　the　fort　or　back　to　Velitrium。　While　the　Picts　are　besieging　the　fort；　war　parties　will　range　the　road　far　to　the　east…might　even　cross　Thunder　River　and　raid　the　thickly　settled　country　behind　Velitrium。〃
　　As　he　talked　he　was　leading　the　way　deeper　and　deeper　into　the　ancient　wilderness。　Presently　he　grunted　with　satisfaction。　They　had　reached　a　spot　where　the　underbrush　was　more　scattered；　and　an　outcropping　of　stone　was　visible；　wandering　off　southward。　Balthus　felt　more　secure　as　they　followed　it。　Not　even　a　Pict　could　trail　them　over　naked　rock。
　　〃How　did　you　get　away？〃　he　asked　presently。
　　Conan　tapped　his　mail…shirt　and　helmet。
　　〃If　more　borderers　would　wear　harness　there'd　be　fewer　skulls　hanging　on　the　altar…huts。　But　most　men　make　noise　if　they　wear　armor。　They　were　waiting　on　each　side　of　the　path；　without　moving。　And　when　a　Pict　stands　motionless；　the　very　beasts　of　the　forest　pass　him　without　seeing　him。　They'd　seen　us　crossing　the　river　and　got　in　their　places。　If　they'd　gone　into　ambush　after　we　left　the　bank；　I'd　have　had　some　hint　of　it。　But　they　were　waiting；　and　not　even　a　leaf　trembled。　The　devil　himself　couldn't　have　suspected　anything。　The　first　suspicion　I　had　was　when　I　heard　a　shaft　rasp　against　a　bow　as　it　was　pulled　back。　I　dropped　and　yelled　for　the　men　behind　me　to　drop；　but　they　were　too　slow；　taken　by　surprise　like　that。
　　〃Most　of　them　fell　at　the　fi