tw.thestoneoffarewell-第144部分

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　　Simon　felt　a　quickening　of　hope；　but　it　was　a　painful　thing。　〃Why？〃　
　　〃I　do　not　know。　I　only　know　that　we　are　all　asked　to　e；　all　who　live　in　Jao　e…Tinukai'i。　Since　you　live　here　now；　I　think　it　fitting　that　you　e。〃
　　Simon's　hopes　sank。　〃They　did　not　ask　for　me。〃　For　a　moment　he　had　envisioned　how　it　would　be：　Shima'onari　and　Likimeya　apologizing　for　their　mistake；　sending　him　back　to　his　own　kind　bearing　presents；　laden　as　well　with　the　wisdom　to　help　Josua　and　the　others。　Another　mooncalf　daydream…hadn't　he　grown　out　of　them　yet？　〃I　don't　want　to　go；〃　he　said　at　last。
　　Jiriki　squatted　beside　him；　poised　as　gracefully　as　a　hunting　bird　upon　a　branch。　〃I　wish　that　you　would；　Seoman；〃　he　said　at　last。　〃I　cannot　force　you　and　I　will　not　plead；　but　Amerasu　will　be　there。　It　is　rare　indeed　for　her　to　ask　to　speak　to　our　people；　except　when　it　is　the　Day　of　Year…Dancing。〃
　　Simon　felt　his　interest　quicken。　Perhaps　Amerasu　was　going　to　speak　on　his　behalf；　order　them　to　let　him　go！　But　if　that　was　the　case；　why　hadn't　he　been　asked　to　e？
　　He　feigned　indifference。　Whatever　else　occurred；　he　was　steadily　learning　Sithi　ways。　〃There　you　go　about　Year…Dancing　again；　Jiriki；〃　he　said。　〃But　you　have　never　told　me　what　it　means。　I　saw　the　Year…Dancing　grove；　you　know。〃
　　Jiriki　appeared　to　be　suppressing　a　smile。　〃Not　very　closely；　I　think。　But　e；　Seoman；　you　are　playing　a　game。　Some　other　time　I　will　tell　you　what　I　can　of　the　responsibilities　of　our　family's　house；　but　now　I　must　go。　You；　too；　if　you　plan　to　acpany　me。〃
　　Simon　tossed　the　piece　of　chewed…upon　bark　over　his　shoulder。　'I'll　go　if　I　can　sit　near　the　door。　And　if　I　don't　have　to　speak。〃
　　〃You　can　sit　wherever　you　please；　Snowlock。　You　are　a　prisoner；　perhaps；　but　an　honored　one。　My　people　are　trying　to　make　your　time　here　endurable。　As　to　the　rest；　I　have　no　say　over　what　you　may　be　asked。　e；　you　are　almost　grown；　manchild。　Do　not　be　afraid　to　stand　for　yourself。〃
　　Simon　frowned；　considering。　〃Lead　on；　then；〃　he　said。
　　　
　　They　stopped　before　the　doorway　of　the　great　living　tent。　The　butterflies　were　agitated；　fluttering　their　spangled　wings　so　that　shifting　patterns　of　colored　shadow　rippled　across　the　face　of　the　Yasira　like　wind　through　a　field　of　wheat。　The　papery　rustle　of　their　gentle　mingling　filled　the　whole　glen。　Suddenly　unwilling　to　proceed　through　the　door；　Simon　pulled　back；　shaking　himself　free　of　Jiriki's　panionable　arm。
　　〃1　don't　want　to　hear　anything　bad；〃　he　said。　There　was　a　cold　heaviness　m　the　pit　of　his　stomach；　the　same　as　he　had　felt　when　he　expected　punishment　from　Rachel　or　the　Master　of　Scullions。　〃I　don't　want　to　be　shouted　at。〃
　　Jiriki　looked　at　him　quizzically。　〃No　one　will　shout；　Seoman。　That　is　not　our　way；　we　Zida'ya。　This　may　be　nothing　to　do　with　you　at　all。〃
　　Simon　shook　his　head；　embarrassed。　〃Sorry。　Of　course。〃　He　took　a　deep　breath　and　shrugged　nervously；　then　waited　until　Jiriki　gently　took　his　arm　once　more　and　steered　him　toward　the　Yasira's　rose…entwined　doorway。　A　thousand　thousand　butterfly　wings　hissed　like　a　dry　wind　as　Simon　and　his　panion　stepped　through　into　the　vast　bowl　of　multi…hued　light。
　　Likimeya　and　Shima'onari；　as　before；　were　seated　at　the　center　of　the　room　on　low　couches　near　the　jutting　finger…stone。　Amerasu　sat　between　them　on　a　higher　couch；　the　hood　of　her　pale　gray　robe　thrown　back。　Her　snowy　white　hair；　unbound；　spread　in　a　soft　cloud　upon　her　shoulders。　She　wore　a　sash　of　bright　blue　around　her　slender　waist；　but　no　other　ornamentation　or　jewelry。
　　As　Simon　stared；　her　eyes　passed　briefly　across　his。　If　he　hoped　for　a　helpful　smile　or　a　reassuring　nod；　he　was　disappointed：　her　gaze　slid　by　as　though　he　were　just　one　unexceptional　tree　in　a　great　forest。　His　heart　sank。　If　any　ideas　remained　about　Amerasu's　being　concerned　with　mooncalf　Simon's　fate；　he　decided；　it　was　time　to　put　them　away。
　　Beside　Amerasu；　on　a　pedestal　of　dull　gray　rock；　stood　a　curious　object：　a　disk　of　some　pale　icy　substance；　mounted　on　a　broad　stand　of　dark　and　shiny　witchwood　wrought　with　twining　Sithi　carvings。　Simon　thought　it　a　table…mirror…he　had　heard　that　some　great　ladies　possessed　them…but；　oddly；　it　did　not　seem　to　reflect。　The　disk's　edges　were　sharp　as　knives；　like　a　sugar…sweet　that　had　been　sucked　to　near…transparency。　Its　color　was　the　frosty　near…white　of　a　winter　moon；　but　other；　deeper　hues　seemed　to　move　sleepily　within　it。　A　wide；　shallow　bowl　of　the　same　translucent　substance　lay　before　the　stone　disk；　nestled　in　the　carved　stand。
　　Simon　could　not　stare　at　the　thing　too　long。　The　changing　colors　disturbed　him；　in　some　strange　manner；　the　shifting　stone　reminded　him　of　the　gray　sword　Sorrow；　and　that　was　a　memory　he　did　not　wish　reawakened。　He　turned　his　head　away　and　looked　slowly　around　the　great　chamber。
　　As　Jiriki　had　suggested；　all　the　residents　of　Jao　e…Tmukai'i　seemed　to　have　e　to　the　Yasira　this　afternoon。　Dressed　m　their　emphatically　colorful　manner；　plumed　like　rare　birds；　still　the　golden…eyed　Sithi　seemed　unusually　reserved；　even　by　the　standards　of　a　retiring　folk。　Many　eyes　had　turned　toward　Simon　and　Jiriki　upon　their　entrance；　but　no　one　gaze　had　lingered　long：　the　attention　of　all　assembled　seemed　fixed　on　the　three　figures　at　the　center　of　the　vast　tree…chamber。　Glad　of　the　anonymity；　Simon　chose　a　place　on　the　outskirts　of　the　silent　crowd　for　Jiriki　and　himself　to　sit。　He　did　not　see　Aditu　anywhere；　but　he　knew　she　would　be　hard　to　pick　out　in　the　midst　of　such　an　array。
　　For　a　long　time　there　was　no　movement　or　speech；　although　it　seemed　to　Simon　that　there　were　hidden　currents　moving　just　beneath　his　own　understanding；　subtle　munications　shared　by　everyone　in　the　room　but　him。　Still；　he　was　not　so　insensitive　that　he　failed　to　perceive　the　tension　of　the　quiet　Sithi；　the　clear　sense　of　uneasy　anticipation。　There　was　a　sharpness　to　the　air；　as　before　a　lightning　storm。
　　He　had　begun　to　wonder　if　they　would　go　on　this　way　all　afternoon；　like　a　group　of　cat…rivals　gathered　on　a　wall；　silently　staring　each　other　down；　when　at　last　Shima'onari　rose　and　began　to　speak。　This　time；　the　master　of　Jao　e…Tinukai'i　did　not　bother　with　Simon's　own　Westerlmg　tongue；　but　used　the　musical　Sithi　speech。　He　spoke　for　some　while；　acpanying　his　soliloquy　with　graceful　hand　gestures；　the　sleeves　of　his　pale　yellow　robe　fluttering　as　he　emphasized　his　words。　To　Simon；　it　was　only　confusion　piled　atop　inprehensibility。
　　 〃My　father　speaks　of　Amerasu　and　asks　us　to　listen　to　her；〃　Jiriki　whispered；　translating。　Simon　was　dubious：　Shima'onari　seemed　to　have　spoken　a　very　long　time　just　to　say　that。　He　glanced　around　the　Yasira　at　the　somber；　cat…eyed　faces。　Whatever　Jiriki's　father　was　saying；　he　had　the　undivided　and　almost　fnghteningly　plete　attention　of　his　people。　
　　When　Shima'onari　concluded；　Likimeya　rose；　and　all　eyes　then　turned　to　her。　She；　too；　spoke　for　a　long　time　in　the　language　of　the　Zida'ya。
　　〃She　says　Amerasu　is　very　wise；〃　explained　Jiriki。　Simon　frowned。
　　When　Likimeya　finished　a　great；　gentle　sigh　arose；　as　though　all　assembled　had　released　their　breath　at　once。　Simon　let　out　his　own　quiet　sigh；　one　of　relief　as　the　inprehensible　babble　of　Sithi…tongue　went　on　and　on；　he　had　been　finding　it　harder　and　harder　to　concentrate。　Even　the　butterflies　were　moving　restlessly　above；　the　colorful　sun…patterns　made　by　their　wings　swimming　back　and　forth　across　the　great　chamber。
　　At　last　Amerasu　stood。　She　seemed　much　less　frail　than　she　had　in　her　house。　Simon　had　thought　her　then　like　a　martyred　saint；　but　now　he　saw　in　her　a　touch　of　the　angelic；　a　power　that　smoldered　low　but　which　could　burst　out　into　pure　white　light。　Her　long　hair　moved　in　a　breeze　that　might　have　e　from　the　careful　movement　of　a　million　wings。
　　〃I　see　that　the　mortal　child　is　here；〃　she　said；　〃so　I　will　speak　in　a　way　that　he　can　understand；　as　much　of　what　I　say　came　from　him。　He　has　a　right　to　hear。〃
　　 Several　Sithi　turned　their　heads　to　gaze　impassively　at　Simon。　Caught　by　surprise；　he　dropped　his　chin　and　looked　down　at　his　chest　until　they　had　turned　away　once　more。
　　〃In　fact；〃　Amerasu　continued；　〃strange　as　this　may　sound；　it　is　possible　that　some　of　the　things　I　must　say　are　better　suited　to　the　languages　of　the　Sudhoda'ya。　The　mortals　have　always　lived　beneath　one　kind　of　darkness　or　another。　That　is　among　the　reasons　we　named　them　'sunset…children'　when　they　first　came　to　Osten　Ard。〃　She　paused　〃The　manchildren；　the　mortals；　have　many　ideas　of　what　happens　after　they　die　and　wrangle　about　who　is　right　and　who　is　wrong。　These　disagreements　often　e　to　bloodshed；　as　if　they　wished　to　dispatch　messengers　who　could　discover　the　answer　to　their　dispute。　Such　messengers；　as　far　as　I　know　of　mortal　philosophy；　never　return　to　give　their　brethren　the　taste　of　truth　they　yearn　for。
　　〃But　among　the　mortal　peoples　there　are　stories　that　say　that　some　do　return　as　bodiless　spirits；　although　they　bring　no　answers　with　them。　These　spirits；　these　ghosts；　are　mute　reminders　of　that　shadow　of　death。　Those　who　encounter　such　unhomed　spirits　call　themselves　'haunted'。〃　Amerasu　took　a　breath；　her　immense　posure　seemed　to　slip。　It　was　a　moment　before　she　resumed。　〃That　is　a　word　we　Zida'ya　do　not　have；　but　perhaps　we　should。　〃
　　 The　silence；　but　for　the　murmur　of　delicate　wings；　was　absolute。
　　〃We　fled　out　of　the　Uttermost　East；　thinking　to　escape　that　Unbeing　that　overwhelmed　our　Garden…land。　That　story　is　known　to　all　but　the　mortal　boy…even　those　of　our　children　born　after　the　Flight　from　Asu'a　take　it　in　with　their　mother's　milk…and　so　it　will　not　be　told　again　here。
　　 〃When　we　reached　this　new　land；　we　thought　we　had　escaped　that　shadow。　But　a　piece　of　it　came　with　us。　That　stain；　that　shadow；　is　part　of　us…just　as　the　mortal　men　and　women　of　Osten　Ard　cannot　escape　the　shadow　of　their　own　dying。
　　〃We　are　an　old　people。　We　do　not　fight　the　unfightable。　That　is　why　we　fled　Venyha　Do'sac；　rather　than　be　unmade　in　a　fruitless　struggle。　But　the　curse　of　our　race　is　not　that　we　refuse　to　throw　down　our　lives　in　purposeless　defiance　of　the　great　shadow；　but　that　we　instead　clasp　the　shadow　to　ourselves　and　hug　it　tightly；　gleefully