tw.thestoneoffarewell-第128部分

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　　〃If　you　will　not　take　offense；〃　Aditu　said；　smiling；　〃may　I　instead　show　you　another　way？〃　She　put　the　markers　back　in　their　previous　locations。　〃If　I　use　these　Songs　of　mine　to　build　a　Bridge　here。。。〃…a　quick　flurry　of　movements…〃then　you　can　cross　to　the　Isles　of　the　Cloud　of　Exile。〃
　　〃But　why　do　you　want　to　help　me？〃　Somewhere；　as　if　in　the　very　fabric　of　the　mutable　walls；　a　stringed　instrument　began　to　sound；　if　Simon　had　not　known　that　they　were　quite　alone　within　the　airy　nectarine　halls　of　Aditu's　house；　he　would　have　thought　a　musician　played　in　the　next　wind…shifting　room。　He　had　stopped　wondering　about　such　things；　but　could　not　still　a　reflexive　shudder；　the　music　felt　eerie　and　delicate　as　a　small　and　excessively…legged　something　walking　across　his　skin。　〃How　can　you　win　a　game　when　you　keep　helping　the　other　person？〃
　　Aditu　leaned　back　from　the　gaming　board。　In　her　own　home　she　wore　just　as　little　as　she　did　on　the　walkways　of　Jao　e…Tinukai'i；　if　not　less。　Simon；　who　still　could　not　look　fortably　on　the　abundance　of　her　golden　limbs；　stared　hard　at　the　playing　pieces。
　　〃Manchild；〃　she　said；　〃I　think　you　can　learn。　I　think　you　are　learning。　But　remember；　we　Zida'ya　have　been　playing　this　game　since　time　before　time。　First　Grandmother　says　it　came　with　us　from　the　Garden　that　is　Lost。〃　She　laid　a　placatory　hand　on　Simon's　arm；　raising　goosebumps　there。　〃Shent　can　be　played　to　amuse；　only。　I　have　played　games　that　were　nothing　but　gossip　and　friendly　mockery；　and　all　strategies　were　turned　to　that　end。　Other　games　one　can　only　win　by　almost　losing。　1　have　also　experienced　games　where　both　players　truly　strove　to　lose…although　it　took　years　for　one　to　succeed。〃　Some　memory　brought　a　flick　of　smile。　〃Do　you　not　see；　Snowlock；　winning　and　losing　are　only　the　walls　within　which　the　game　takes　place。　Inside　the　House　of　Shent。。。〃　she　paused；　a　frown　touching　her　mercurial　face　like　a　shadow。　〃It　is　hard　to　say　in　your　tongue。〃　The　frown　disappeared。　〃Perhaps　that　is　why　it　seems　so　difficult　for　you。　The　thing　is；　within　the　House　of　Shent　it　is　the　ing　and　going；　the　visitors…friends　and　enemies　both…the　births　and　deaths；　all　of　these　things　that　matter。〃　She　gestured　around　her　at　her　own　habitation；　the　floors　deep　in　sweet　grass；　the　rooms　tangled　with　the　branches　of　tiny　flowering　trees。　Some　of　the　trees；　Simon　had　discovered；　had　fierce　little　thorns。　〃As　with　all　dwellings；〃　she　said；　〃of　mortals　and　immortals　both；　it　is　the　living　that　makes　a　house…not　the　doors；　not　the　walls。〃
　　She　rose　and　stretched。　Simon　watched　covertly；　struggling　to　keep　his　frowning　mask　even　as　her　graceful　movements　caused　his　heart　to　leap　painfully。　〃We　will　continue　our　play　tomorrow；〃　she　said。　〃I　think　you　are　learning；　although　you　do　not　know　it　yet。　Shent　has　lessons　even　for　Sudhoda'ya；　Seoman。〃
　　Simon　knew　that　she　was　bored　and　that　it　was　time　for　him　to　leave。　He　was　terribly　conscious　of　never　overstaying　his　wele。　He　hated　it　when　the　Sithi　were　kind　and　understanding　with　him；　as　though　he　were　a　stupid　animal　that　did　not　know　better。
　　〃I　should　go；　Aditu。〃
　　She　did　not　ask　him　to　stay。　Anger　and　regret　and　a　sort　of　deep　physical　frustration　all　struggled　within　him　as　he　bowed　his　head　briefly；　then　turned　and　made　his　way　out　between　the　swaying　blossoms。　The　afternoon　light　glowed　through　the　orange　and　rose　walls；　as　if　he　moved　inside　the　very　heart　of　a　sunset。
　　 He　stood　outside　Aditu's　house　for　some　time；　looking　out　past　the　shimmering　mist　thrown　up　from　the　cataract　that　played　beside　her　doorway。　The　valley　was　umber　and　gold；　slashed　with　the　darker　green　of　the　tree…covered　hills　and　the　bright　emerald　of　tended　meadows。　To　look　at；　Jao　e…Tinukai'i　seemed　straightforward　as　sun　and　rain。　Like　any　other　place；　it　had　rocks　and　plants　and　trees　and　houses…but　it　also　had　the　Sithi；　the　folk　who　lived　in　these　houses；　and　Simon　had　grown　quite　sure　that　he　would　never　understand　them。　Like　the　minute　and　secret　life　that　teemed　in　the　black　earth　beneath　the　valley's　placid　grass；　Simon　now　realized　that　Jao　e…Tinukai'i　was　crowded　with　things　beyond　his　prehension。　He　had　already　found　out　how　little　he　understood　when　he　had　embarked　upon　an　attempt　at　escape；　soon　after　being　sentenced　to　a　lifetime's　imprisonment　among　these　gentle　captors。
　　He　had　waited　three　full　days　after　his　sentence　had　been　delivered　by　Shima'onari。　Such　patience；　Simon　had　felt　sure；　demonstrated　a　cold…blooded　subtlety　of　maneuver　worthy　of　the　great　Camaris。　Looking　back　a　fortnight　later；　such　ignorance　was　already　laughable。　What　had　he　thought　he　was　doing。。。？
　　
　　On　the　fourth　day　of　his　sentence；　in　late　afternoon　while　the　prince　was　away；　Simon　walked　out　of　Jiriki's　house。　He　crossed　the　river　quickly　but…he　hoped…unobtrusively；　clambering　over　a　narrow　bridge；　then　headed　back　toward　the　spot　where　Aditu　had　first　brought　him　to　the　valley。　The　cloth…knotted　mural　that　led　to　Jiriki's　house　continued　on　the　river's　far　side　as　well；　spanning　from　tree　to　tree。　The　sections　Simon　passed　seemed　to　show　the　survivors　of　some　great　disaster　bringing　their　boats　to　a　new　land…the　Sithi　ing　to　Osten　Ard？…and　building　great　cities；　empires　in　the　forests　and　mountains。　There　were　other　details；　too；　signs　woven　into　the　tapestry　that　suggested　strife　and　sorrow　had　not　been　left　behind　in　the　blighted　homeland；　but　Simon　was　in　too　much　of　a　hurry　to　stop　and　look　closely。
　　After　making　his　way　down　the　river　path　for　some　distance　he　turned　off　at　last　and　headed　for　the　heavy　undergrowth　at　the　base　of　the　hills；　where　he　hoped　to　make　up　in　stealth　what　he　lost　in　time。　There　were　not　many　Sithi　about；　but　he　was　certain　that　any　one　of　them　would　sound　the　alarm　at　the　sight　of　their　prisoner　traveling　toward　the　boundaries　of　Jao　e…Tinukai'i；　so　he　slid　through　the　trees　as　carefully　as　he　could；　keeping　away　from　the　mon　paths。　Despite　the　exhilaration　of　escape；　he　felt　more　than　a　pang　of　guilt：　Jiriki　would　doubtless　suffer　some　punishment　for　letting　the　mortal　captive　slip　away。　Still；　Simon　owed　a　responsibility　to　his　other　friends　that　outweighed　even　the　multimillennial　laws　of　the　Sithi。
　　No　one　saw　him；　or　at　lease　no　one　made　an　attempt　to　stop　him。　By　the　time　several　hours　had　passed；　he　had　moved　into　what　seemed　a　wilder；　less　tamed　section　of　the　old　forest；　and　was　certain　he　had　made　his　escape。　His　entire　trip　with　Aditu；　from　the　Pools　to　Jiriki's　door；　had　taken　less　than　two　hours。　He　had　now　gone　easily　twice　that；　straight　back　along　the　river。
　　But　when　Simon　crept　down　from　the　cover　of　the　thickest　vegetation；　it　was　to　find　himself　still　in　Jao　e…Tinukai'i；　albeit　in　a　part　he　had　not　yet　seen。
　　He　stood　in　the　middle　of　a　shadowed；　dusky　clearing。　The　trees　all　around　were　draped　with　fine；　silky　streamers　like　spiderwebs；　the　afternoon　sun　set　them　gleaming；　so　that　the　forest　seemed　wound　in　a　fiery　net。　In　the　middle　of　the　clearing　an　oval　door　of　moss…matted　white　wood　had　been　built　into　the　trunk　of　a　huge　oak；　around　which　the　silk　hung　so　thickly　that　the　tree　itself　was　barely　visible。　He　paused　for　a　moment；　wondering　what　undersized　hermit　would　live　here；　in　a　tree　on　the　outskirts　of　the　city。　Next　to　the　beautiful；　rippling　folds　of　Jiriki's　house　or　the　other　graceful　constructions　of　Jao　e…Tinukai'i；　let　alone　the　living　magnificence　of　the　Yasira；　this　place　seemed　backward；　as　though　whoever　dwelled　here　hid　himself　from　even　the　slow　pace　of　the　Sithi。　But　despite　its　aura　of　age　and　isolation；　the　spidersilk　house　seemed　in　no　way　menacing。　The　clearing　was　empty　and　peaceful；　fortable　in　its　unimportance。　The　air　was　dusty　but　pleasant；　like　the　pockets　of　a　beloved　aunt。　Here　the　rest　of　Jao　e…Tinukai'i　seemed　only　a　memory　of　vibrant　life。　A　person　could　linger　here　beneath　the　silk…draped　trees　while　the　very　world　crumbled　away　outside。。。
　　As　Simon　stood　watching　the　undulating　strands；　a　mourning　dove　hooted　softly。　He　abruptly　remembered　his　mission。　How　long　had　he　stood　here；　staring　like　a　fool？　What　if　the　owner　of　this　strange　house　had　e　out；　or　returned　from　some　errand？　Then　the　hue　and　cry　would　go　up　and　he　would　be　caught　like　a　rat。
　　Frustrated　by　this　first　error　in　reckoning；　Simon　hurried　back　into　the　forest。　He　had　misjudged　his　time；　that　was　all。　Another　hour's　hiking　would　carry　him　beyond　the　city's　fringe　and　back　through　the　Summer　Gate。　Then；　with　the　hoarded　provisions　he　had　quietly　stolen　from　the　prince's　generous　table；　he　would　head　due　south　until　he　reached　the　edge　of　the　forest。　He　might　die　in　the　attempt；　but　that　was　what　heroes　did。　This　he　knew。
　　Simon's　willingness　to　bee　a　dead　hero　seemed　to　have　little　effect　on　the　subtleties　of　Jao　e…Tinukai'i。　When　he　emerged　at　last　from　the　dense　brush；　the　sun　now　far　across　the　sky　toward　evening；　it　was　to　find　himself　up　to　his　knees　in　the　golden　grass　of　open　woodland　before　the　mighty　Yisira；　where　he　stood　dumbstruck　before　the　shimmering；　shifting　wings　of　the　butterflies。
　　How　could　this　be？　He　had　followed　the　river　carefully。　It　had　never　been　out　of　his　sight　for　more　than　a　few　steps；　and　always　it　had　flowed　in　the　same　direction。　The　sun　had　seemed　to　move　correctly　across　the　sky。　His　journey　into　this　place　with　Aditu　would　be　printed　on　his　heart　forever…he　could　not　forget　a　single　detail！…but　nevertheless；　he　had　walked　more　than　half　the　afternoon　to　travel　a　distance　of　a　few　hundred　paces。
　　With　this　realization；　the　strength　flowed　from　his　body。　He　fell　to　the　warm；　damp　ground　and　lay　with　his　face　against　the　turf；　as　though　he　had　been　struck　a　blow。
　　
　　Jiriki's　house　had　many　rooms；　one　of　which　he　had　given　to　Simon　to　be　his　own；　but　the　prince　seemed　to　spend　most　of　his　own　time　in　the　open…sided　chamber　where　Simon　had　first　met　him　on　arriving　in　Jao　e…Tmukai'i。　As　the　earliest　weeks　of　his　confinement　passed　it　became　Simon's　habit　to　spend　each　evening　there　with　Jiriki；　sitting　on　the　gentle　slope　above　the　water　while　the　light　gradually　dimmed　from　the　sky；　watching　the　shadows　lengthen　and　the　glassy　pond　grow　darker。　As　the　last　gleam　of　the　sunset　vanished　f