rz.thegunsofavalon-第32章

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　We　tarried　there　for　the　better　part　of　an　hour；　talking　mainly　of　Avalon。　We　did　not　speak　again　of　the　black　road；　though　I　thought　of　it　quite　a　bit。　I　had　to　get　a　closer　look　at　the　thing；　of　course。
　When　we　were　ready　to　move　on；　I　took　the　reins　again。　The　horses；　somewhat　refreshed；　moved　out　at　a　good　pace。
　Ganelon　sat　beside　me　on　the　left；　still　in　a　talkative　mood。　I　was　only　just　then　beginning　to　realize　how　much　this　strange　homeing　had　meant　to　him。　He　had　revisited　many　of　his　old　haunts　from　the　days　of　his　outlawry；　as　well　as　four　battlefields　where　he　had　distinguished　himself　greatly　after　he　had　achieved　respectability。　I　was　in　many　ways　moved　by　his　reminiscences。　An　unusual　mixture　of　gold　and　clay；　this　man。　He　should　have　been　an　Amberite。
　The　miles　slid　by　quickly　and　we　were　drawing　near　to　the　black　road　again　when　I　felt　a　familiar　mental　jab。　I　passed　the　reins　to　Ganelon。
　〃Take　them！〃　I　said。　〃Drive！〃
　〃What　is　it？〃
　〃Later！　Just　drive！〃
　〃Should　I　hurry？〃
　〃No。　Keep　it　normal。　Don't　say　anything　for　a　while。〃
　I　closed　my　eyes　and　rested　my　head　in　my　hands；　emptying　my　mind　and　building　a　wall　around　the　emptiness。　No　one　home。　Out　to　lunch。　No　solicitors。　This　property　is　vacant。　Do　not　disturb。　Trespassers　will　be　prosecuted。　Beware　of　dog。　Falling　rock。　Slippery　when　wet。　To　be　razed　for　urban　renewal。。。
　It　eased；　then　came　on　again；　hard；　and　I　blocked　it　again。　There　followed　a　third　wave。　I　stopped　that　one；　too。
　Then　it　was　gone。
　I　sighed；　massaged　my　eyeballs。
　〃It's　all　right　now；〃　I　said。
　〃What　happened？〃
　〃Someone　tried　to　reach　me　by　a　very　special　means。　It　was　almost　certainly　Benedict。　He　must　just　now　have　found　out　any　of　a　number　of　things　that　could　make　him　want　to　stop　us。　I'll　take　the　reins　again　now。　I　fear　he　will　be　on　our　trail　soon。〃
　Ganelon　handed　them　over。
　〃What　are　our　chances　of　escaping　him？〃
　〃Pretty　fair　now。　I'd　say；　that　we've　got　more　distance　behind　us。　I　am　going　to　shuffle　some　more　shadows　as　soon　as　my　head　stops　spinning。〃
　I　guided　us　on；　and　our　way　twisted　and　wound；　paralleling　that　black　road　for　a　time；　then　heading　in　closer　to　it。　Finally；　we　were　only　a　few　hundred　yards　away　from　it。
　Ganelon　studied　it　in　silence　for　a　long　while；　then　said；　〃It　reminds　me　too　much　of　that　other　place。　The　little　tongues　of　mist　that　lick　about　things；　the　feeling　that　something　is　always　moving　just　at　the　corner　of　your　eye。。。〃
　I　bit　my　lip。　I　began　to　perspire　heavily。　I　was　trying　to　shift　away　from　the　thing　now　and　there　was　some　sort　of　resistance。　It　was　not　the　same　feeling　of　monolithic　immovability　as　occurs　when　you　try　to　move　through　Shadow　in　Amber。　It　was　altogether　different。　It　was　a　feeling　of　…　inescapability。
　We　moved　through　Shadow　all　right。　The　sun　drifted　higher　in　the　heavens；　heading　back　toward　noonday　…　for　I　did　not　relish　the　thought　of　nightfall　beside　that　black　strip　…　and　the　sky　lost　something　of　its　blue　and　the　trees　shot　higher　about　us　and　mountains　appeared　in　the　distance。
　Was　it　that　the　road　cut　through　Shadow　itself？
　It　must。　Why　else　would　Julian　and　Gerard　have　located　it　and　been　sufficiently　intrigued　to　explore　the　thing？
　It　was　unfortunate；　but　I　feared　we　had　much　in　mon；　that　road　and　I。　Damn　it！
　We　moved　beside　it　for　a　long　while；　gradually　moving　closer　together；　also。　Soon；　only　about　a　hundred　feet　separated　us。　Fifty。。。
　。。。　And；　as　I　had　felt　they　eventually　must；　our　paths　finally　intersected。
　I　drew　rein。　I　packed　my　pipe　and　lit　it；　smoked　as　I　studied　the　thing。　Star　and　Firedrake　obviously　did　not　approve　of　the　black　area　that　cut　across　our　way。　They　had　whinnied　and　tried　to　pull　off　to　the　side。
　It　was　a　long；　diagonal　cut　across　the　black　place　if　we　wanted　to　keep　to　the　road。　Also；　part　of　the　terrain　was　hidden　from　our　sight　by　a　series　of　low；　stone　hills。　There　were　heavy　grasses　at　the　edge　of　the　black　and　patches　of　it；　here　and　there；　about　the　foot　of　the　hills。　Bits　of　mist　scudded　among　them　and　faint；　vaporous　clouds　hovered　in　all　the　hollows。　The　sky；　seen　through　the　atmosphere　that　hung　about　the　place；　was　several　shades　darker；　with　a　smeared；　sooty　tone　to　it。　A　silence　that　was　not　the　same　as　stillness　lay　upon　it；　almost　as　though　some　unseen　entity　were　poised；　holding　its　breath。
　Then　we　heard　a　scream。　It　was　a　girl's　voice。　The　old　lady　in　distress　trick？
　It　came　from　somewhere　to　the　right；　beyond　those　hills。　It　smelled　fishy。　But　hell！　It　could　be　real。
　I　tossed　the　reins　to　Ganelon　and　jumped　to　the　ground；　taking　Grayswandir　into　my　hand。
　〃I'm　going　to　investigate；〃　I　said；　moving　off　to　the　right　and　leaping　the　gulley　that　ran　beside　the　road。
　〃Hurry　back。〃
　I　plowed　through　some　brush　and　scrambled　up　a　rocky　slope。　I　pushed　my　way　through　more　shrubbery　on　its　down　side　and　mounted　another；　higher　slope。　The　scream　came　again　as　I　was　climbing　it；　and　this　time　I　heard　other　sounds　as　well。
　Then　I　reached　the　top　and　was　able　to　see　for　a　good　distance。
　The　black　area　began　about　forty　feet　below　me；　and　the　scene　I　sought　was　laid　about　a　hundred…fifty　feet　within　it。
　It　was　a　monochromatic　sight；　save　for　the　flames。　A　woman；　all　in　white；　black　hair　hanging　loose；　down　to　her　waist；　was　bound　to　one　of　those　dark　trees；　smoldering　branches　heaped　around　her　feet。　Half　a　dozen　hairy；　albino　men；　almost　pletely　naked　and　continuing　the　process　of　undressing　as　they　moved；　shuffled　about；　muttering　and　chuckling；　poking　at　the　woman　and　the　fire　with　sticks　that　they　carried　and　clutching　at　their　loins　repeatedly。　The　flames　were　high　enough　now　to　singe　the　woman's　garments；　causing　them　to　smolder。　Her　long　dress　was　sufficiently　torn　and　disarrayed　so　that　I　could　see　she　possessed　a　lovely；　voluptuous　form；　though　the　smoke　wrapped　her　in　such　a　manner　that　I　was　unable　to　see　her　face。
　I　rushed　forward；　entering　the　area　of　the　black　road；　leaping　over　the　long；　twining　grasses；　and　charged　into　the　group；　beheading　the　nearest　man　and　running　another　through　before　they　knew　I　was　upon　them。　The　others　turned　and　flailed　at　me　with　their　sticks；　shouting　as　they　swung　them。
　Grayswandir　ate　off　big　chunks　of　them；　until　they　fell　apart　and　were　silent。　Their　juices　were　black。
　I　turned；　holding　my　breath；　and　kicked　away　the　front　of　the　fire。　Then　I　moved　in　close　to　the　lady　and　cut　her　bonds。　She　fell　into　my　arms；　sobbing。
　It　was　only　then　that　I　noticed　her　face　…　or；　rather；　her　lack　of　one。　She　wore　a　full；　ivory　mask；　oval　and　curving；　featureless；　save　for　two　tiny　rectangular　grilles　for　her　eyes。
　I　drew　her　away　from　the　smoke　and　the　gore。　She　clung　to　me；　breathing　heavily；　thrusting　her　entire　body　against　me。　After　what　seemed　an　appropriate　period　of　time；　I　attempted　to　disentangle　myself。　But　she　would　not　release　me；　and　she　was　surprisingly　strong。
　〃It　is　all　right　now；〃　I　said；　or　something　equally　trite　and　apt；　but　she　did　not　reply。
　She　kept　shifting　her　grip　upon　my　body；　with　rough　caressing　movements　and　a　rather　disconcerting　effect。　Her　desirability　was　enhanced；　from　instant　to　instant。　I　found　myself　stroking　her　hair；　and　the　rest　of　her　as　well。
　〃It　is　all　right　now；〃　I　repeated。　〃Who　are　you？　Why　were　they　burning　you？　Who　were　they？〃
　But　she　did　not　reply。　She　had　stopped　sobbing；　but　her　breathing　was　still　heavy；　although　in　a　different　way。
　〃Why　do　you　wear　this　mask？〃
　I　reached　for　it　and　she　jerked　her　head　back。
　This　did　not　seem　especially　important；　though。　While　some　cold；　logical　part　of　me　knew　that　the　passion　was　irrational；　I　was　as　powerless　as　the　gods　of　the　Epicureans。　I　wanted　her　and　I　was　ready　to　have　her。
　Then　I　heard　Ganelon　cry　out　my　name　and　I　tried　to　turn　in　that　direction。
　But　she　restrained　me。　I　was　amazed　at　her　strength。
　〃Child　of　Amber；〃　came　her　half…familiar　voice。　〃We　owe　you　this　for　what　you　have　given　us；　and　we　will　have　all　of　you　now。〃
　Ganelon's　voice　came　to　me　again；　a　steady　stream　of　profanities。
　I　exerted　all　my　strength　against　that　grip　and　it　weakened。　My　hand　shot　forward　and　I　tore　away　the　mask。
　There　came