fs.thethirdbookofswords-第57章

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　〃It　can。　Didn't　you　realize　that　I　was　going　to　insist　on　an　answer；　sooner　or　later？〃
　〃No；　I　really　didn't。　Not　after。。。　what　happened　to　our　daughter。　Have　you　forgotten　about　her？　Or　is　this　visit　just　another　of　your　insane　jokes？〃
　〃I　have　not　forgotten　her。　She　has　been　living　with　me。〃　When　Queen　Yambu　stared　at　him；　he　went　on　calmly：　〃Ariane　was　badly　hurt；　about　four　years　ago；　as　you　know。　But　she's　much　better　now。　She　and　I　have　not　talked　about　you　much；　but　I　think　that　she　might　want　to　meet　you　again　some　day。〃
　The　Silver　Queen　continued　to　stare　at　her　former　lover。　At　last　she　said；　〃My　reports；　and　I　have　reason　to　trust　them；　said　that　Ariane　was　killed；　in　the　treasure…dungeon　of　the　Blue　Temple。〃
　The　Emperor　scowled　his　distaste　for　that　organization。　〃Many　have　died；　in　that。。。　place。　But　Ariane　did　not　die　there。　Even　though　the　young　men　with　her　at　the　time　were　also　sure　that　she　was　dead。　One　of　those　young　men　is　my　son；　did　you　know　that？　I　like　to　take　care　of　my　children；　whenever　I　can。　She　is　not　dead。〃
　And　still　Queen　Yambu　stared　at　him。　She　could　not　shake　off　her　suspicion　that　this　was　all　one　of　his　jokes；　perhaps　the　prelude　to　a　hideous　revenge　…　she　had　never　been　sure；　even　when　they　had　been　lovers；　whether　he　was　a　vengeful　man　or　not。
　At　last　her　royal　poise　abandoned　her　for　the　moment；　and　she　stammered　out：　〃I　…　I　sold　her　to　the　Red　Temple。〃
　The　frown　was　turned　at　her　now；　and　briefly　she　understood　what　ancient　Imperial　power　must　have　been；　that　Kings　and　Queens　had　quaked　before　it。
　〃I　might　have　killed　you　for　that；　if　I　had　known　about　it　when　it　happened。　But　years　have　passed；　and　you　are　sorry　for　that　selling　now。　She　has　survived；　and　so　have　I。　And　so　have　you。〃
　In　anger　she　regained　her　strength。　〃I　have　survived　without　you；　you　impossible。。。　and　you　say　you　want　to　marry　me；　still？　How　do　I　know　you　mean　what　you　are　saying　now？〃
　〃How　do　you　know　when　to　trust　anyone；　my　dear？　You'll　have　to　make　a　choice。〃
　She　wanted　to　cry　out　that　she　did　not　know　when　to　trust　anyone；　that　was　her　whole　problem。　〃You　madman；　suppose　I　were　to　answer　you　and　tell　you　yes。　Could　you　defeat　the　Mindsword　for　me　then？〃
　〃I'll　do　all　I　can　to　help　you；　if　you　will　be　my　bride。　We'll　see　about　the　Mindsword　when　it　es。〃
　〃It's　here　now。　Oh；　you　bastard。　Impossible　as　always。　Leave　now。　Get　out　of　here；　or　I'm　going　to　draw　Soulcutter。〃　And　she　put　her　hand　on　the　unrelieved　blackness　of　that　hilt；　that　rested　as　always　within　reach。　〃And　I　suppose　you'll　go　on　seducing　brides；　and　fathering　more　bastards；　after　we　are　married？〃
　He　said；　softly　and　soberly；　〃I　will　be　more　faithful　to　you　than　you　can　well　imagine。　I　love　you；　I　always　have。　Why　do　you　think　I　fought　for　you；　beside　you；　when　you　were　a　girl？〃
　〃I　don't　believe　it；　I　tell　you。　I　don't　believe　any　of　it。　Leave　now；　or　I　draw　Soulcutter。〃
　〃It's　your　Sword；　to　do　with　as　you　will。　But　I　will　leave　when　you　decide　to　draw　it。〃
　She　started　to　draw　the　Sword；　and　…　at　the　same　moment　called　out　in　a　clear　voice　for　her　guards。　When　they　came　pushing　into　the　tent　a　moment　later；　they　found　their　Queen　quite　alone；　and　Soulcutter　safely　in　its　sheath；　though　her　hand　on　the　hilt　was　poised　as　if　for　action。
　The　soldiers　found　themselves　staring　half…hypnotized　at　that　hand；　both　of　them　hoping　that　they　would　be　out　of　the　tent　again　before　the　Sword　was　drawn；　and　already　in　the　air　around　it；　around　themselves；　they　thought　they　could　feel　the　backwash　of　a　wave　of　emptiness。
　Queen　Yambu　wasted　no　more　time；　but　gave　the　orders　necessary　to　get　her　troops　into　the　state　of　final　readiness　for　battle。　That　done；　she　ordered　an　advance。
　With　Vilkata's　ranks　still　no　more　than　barely　in　sight；　she　waited　in　the　middle　of　her　own　line；　mounted　on　her　famous　gray　warbeast；　ready　to　draw　the　Sword　of　…　of　what？　As　far　as　she　knew；　this　one　had　only　one　name。
　Now　the　enemy　lines　were　creeping　forward。　There；　in　their　center；　that　would　be　Vilkata　himself；　waiting　for　the　perfect　moment　in　which　to　draw　the　weapon　that　he　was　gambling　would　be　supreme。
　The　hand　of　Queen　Yambu　was　on　her　own　Sword's　hilt。　She　urged　her　mount　forward；　a　little。　Not　yet。
　Now。
　The　Mindsword　and　Soulcutter　were　drawn；　virtually　simultaneously。
　Her　own　first　reaction；　to　the　overwhelming　psychic　impact　of　her　own　Sword；　was　that　she　wanted　to　throw　it　away　…　but　then　she　did　not。　Because　she　could　no　longer　see　how　throwing　it　away　would　make　any　difference；　would　matter　in　the　least。
　Nor　did　anything　else　matter。
　Nothing　else　in　the　whole　universe。
　The　Mindsword　was　a　distant；　irrelevant　twinkle；　far　across　the　field；　beneath　the　gloom　of　thunderclouds。　While　near　at　hand；　around　Queen　Yambu　herself。。。
　Those　of　her　own　troops　who　were　closest　to　her　had　been　looking　at　her　when　she　drew。　After　that　they　were　indifferent　as　to　where　they　looked。　Around　her　a　wave　of　lethargy；　of　supreme　indifference；　was　spreading　out；　a　slow　splash　in　an　inkblack　pool。
　In　the　distance；　but　drawing　rapidly　nearer；　a　charge　was　ing。　Vilkata's　troops；　with　maddened　yells；　the　fresh　inspiration　of　the　Mindsword　driving　them。
　Some　of　the　Queen's　soldiers；　more　and　more　of　them　with　each　passing　second；　were　actually　slumping　to　the　ground　now；　letting　their　weapons　fall　from　indifferent　hands。　It　appeared　that　they　would　be　able　to　put　up　no　resistance；　that　the　Dark　King　might　now　be　going　to　win　easily。　But　of　course　that　did　not　matter　either。
　With　berserker　cries；　the　first　of　the　Dark　King's　newly　energized　fanatics　rushed　upon　them。　The　defense　put　up　by　the　soldiers　in　black　and　silver　was　at　best　half…hearted；　and　it　was　weaker　the　closer　they　were　stationed　to　their　Queen。
　But　the　attackers；　Vilkata's　men　and　women；　were　now　entering　the　region　of　Soulcutter's　dominance。　It　was　their　screams　of　triumph　that　faltered　first；　and　then　the　energy　with　which　they　plied　their　weapons。　Next　their　ranks　came　to　a　jostling；　stumbling　halt。
　The　Queen　of　Yambu　…　not　knowing；　really；　why　she　bothered　…　slowly　raised　her　eyes。　The　Sword　she　held　above　her　head　was　so　dull　that　it　almost　hurt　the　eyes　to　look　at　it。
　The　Sword　of　Despair　…　she　had　thought　of　the　other　name　for　it　now。　Not　that　that　mattered；　either。　Not　that　or　anything　else。
　Why　was　she　bothering　to　hold　the　Sword　so　high？　She　let　her　arms　slump　with　its　weight。　When　her　warbeast；　puzzled　and　suffering；　wanted　to　move；　she　let　it　go；　sliding　from　its　back。　She　stood　almost　leaning　on　the　Sword　now；　its　point　cutting　shallowly　into　the　earth。
　Nor　did　any　of　that　really　mean　anything；　as　far　as　she　could　tell。
　The　fighting　that　had　begun；　sporadically；　was　dying　out。　Soulcutter　was　winning；　all　across　the　field。　If　neither　victory　nor　survival　mattered；　to　anyone；　there　would　be　no　battle。
　Yambu　was　aware；　though　only　dimly　and　indifferently；　that　so　far　the　Dark　King's　weapon　had　been　able　to　shield　him；　and　a　small　group　of　his　followers　around　him；　from　Soulcutter's　dark；　subtle　assault。
　That　group　began　to　charge　toward　her　now；　yelling　warcries。　But　its　numbers　shrank；　and　shrank　more　rapidly　the　closer　it　came　to　Queen　Yambu。　One　by　one　the　people　in　it　turned　aside　from　the　charge；　to　sit　or　kneel　or　slump　to　the　ground；　giving　up　the　effort　in　despiar。
　King　Vilkata's　demons　were　the　last　to　desert　him。　And　even　before　that　had　happened；　he　himself　had　given　up　the　attack　and　was　in　full　flight　from　the　field。
　Rostov；　out　having　a　personal　look　around；　turned　his　scouting　squadron　back　when　they　came　to　the　edge　of　the　field。　Ahead　of　him　the　General　could　see　what　looked　to　him　like　the　worst　slaughter　he　had　ever　beheld；　in　a　lifetime　spent　largely　amid　scenes　of　butchery。　There　were　two　armies　on　the　field；　and　as　nearly　as　he　could　tell　from　this　distance；　both　of　them　had　been　virtually　wiped　out。　But　the　General　turned　back；　and　ordered　his　soldiers　back；　not　because　of　what　he　saw　but　because　of　what　he　felt；　what　they　had　all　felt　when　trespassing　upon　the　fringes　of　that　grim　arena。　Another　few　steps　in　that　direction；　thought　Rostov；　and　he　would　have　been　ready　to　throw　down　his