tw.togreenangeltower2-第115部分

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e　had　entered　a　passageway　long　and　straight　enough　to　permit　a　backward　look；　in　that　glimpse　they　had　truly　seemed　creatures　of　the　lightless　depths…pale；　silent；　and　remorseless。　The　Norns　seemed　in　no　hurry；　as　if　they　were　merely　trailing　Miriamele　and　her　panions　until　more　of　their　kind　came　bearing　bows　and　long　spears。　It　had　been　as　much　as　she　could　do　not　to　sink　to　the　ground　in　surrender。
She　knew　that　they　had　been　lucky　to　escape　the　dwarrows'　cavern　at　all。　If　the　White　Foxes　had　anticipated　any　resistance；　they　had　doubtless　expected　it　to　be　close　bat　in　a　narrow　corner。　Instead；　the　dwarrows'　desperate　attack　in　the　dark　and　the　avalanches　of　falling　stone　they　had　engineered　had　caught　the　immortals　by　surprise；　permitting　Miriamele　and　her　panions　to　flee。　But　she　had　no　illusions　they　could　trick　the　cunning　Norns　twice。
　　　　　　　〃We　could　be　forced　to　run　this　way　forever；〃　she　told　Yis…hadra。　〃Perhaps　you　can　outlast　them；　but　we　can't。　In　any　case；　our　people　are　in　danger　up　above。〃
　　　　　　　Binabik　nodded。　〃She　speaks　truth　to　you。　Escaping　is　not　enough　for　us。　We　have　need　of　finding　our　way　out　from　this　place。〃
　　　　　　　The　dwarrow　did　not　reply；　but　looked　to　her　husband　who　was　limping　up　the　passageway　toward　them；　trailed　by　the　last　of　the　dwarrows　and　Cadrach。　The　monk's　face　was　ashen；　as　though　he　had　been　wounded；　but　Miriamele　saw　no　injuries。　She　turned　away；　unwilling　to　waste　sympathy　on　him。
〃They　are　a　distance　behind　us；　now；〃　said　Yis…fidri　wearily。　〃They　seem　full　content　to　let　us　run　ahead。〃　He　leaned　back　against　the　wall；　letting　his　head　rest　against　the　stone。　Yis…hadra　went　to　him　and　probed　gently　with　her　wide　fingers　at　the　arrow　wound　in　his　shoulder。　〃Sho…vennae　is　dead；　and　three　others；〃　he　groaned；　then　fluted　a　few　words　to　his　wife；　who　gave　a　cry　of　grief。　〃Smashed　like　delicate　crystals。　Gone。〃
　　　　　　　〃If　we　had　not　run；　they　would　all　be　dead　anyway…　and　you　and　the　rest　of　us　would　be；　too。〃　Miriamele　paused　to　fight　back　her　anger　and　her　horror　of　the　pursuing　Norns。　〃Forgive　me；　Yis…fidri。　I　am　sorry　about　your　people。　I　am　truly　sorry。〃
　　　　　　　Sweat　beaded　on　the　dwarrow's　brow；　glimmering　in　the　light　of　the　batons。　〃Few　mourn　for　the　Tinukeda'ya；〃　he　replied　softly。　〃They　make　us　their　servants；　they　steal　from　us　the　Words　of　Making；　they　even　beg　our　help　when　they　are　in　need…but　they　seldom　mourn　us。〃
　　　　　　　Miriamele　was　ashamed。　Surely　he　meant　that　she　was　as　guilty　of　using　the　dwarrows…and　Niskies；　too；　she　thought；　remembering　Gan　Itai's　sacrifice…as　even　their　one…time　masters；　the　Sithi。
〃Take　us　to　where　we　can　reach　the　world　above；〃　she　said。　〃That　is　all　I　ask。　Then　go　with　our　blessing；　Yis…fidri。〃
　　　　　　　Before　the　dwarrow　could　reply；　Binabik　suddenly　spoke　up。　〃The　Words　of　Making。　Were　all　the　Great　Swords　being　forged　with　these　Making…Words？〃　
　　　　　　　Yis…fidri　looked　at　him　with　more　than　a　little　suspicion；　then　winced　at　something　his　wife　was　doing　to　his　shoulder。　〃Yes。　It　was　needful　to　bind　their　substance…to　bring　their　being　within　the　Laws。〃
〃What　laws　are　these？〃
〃Those　Laws　that　cannot　be　changed。　The　Laws　that　make　stone　be　stone；　make　water　be　water。　They　can　be　。　。。〃　he　searched　for　a　word；　〃stretched　or　altered　for　a　short　time；　but　that　brings　consequences。　Never　can　they　be　undone。〃
　　　　　　　One　of　the　dwarrows　at　the　rear　of　the　tunnel　spoke　anxiously。
〃Imai…an　says　he　can　feel　them　ing；〃　Yis…hadra　cried。　〃We　must　run。〃
Yis…fidri　pushed　himself　away　from　the　tunnel　wall　and　the　group　began　its　uneven　progress　once　more。　Miriamele's　weary　heart　was　racing。　Wouy　there　never　be　an　end　to　this？　〃Help　us　reach　the　surface；　Yis…fidri；〃　she　begged。　〃Please。〃
　　　　　　　〃Yes！　It　is　more　than　ever　important！〃
　　　　　　　Miriamele　turned　at　the　distraught　tone　of　Binabik's　voice。　The　little　man　looked　terrified。　〃What　is　it？〃　she　asked　him。
　　　　　　　Sweat　was　running　on　his　dark　forehead。　〃I　must　think　on　this；　Miriamele；　but　I　have　never　had　such　fear　as　I　do　now。　For　the　first　time　I　believe　I　see　behind　the　shadow　that　has　been　all　our　consideration；　and　I　am　thinking…　Kikkasut！　To　be　saying　such　words！…that　the　monk　may　have　spoken　rightly。　There　may　be　nothing　left　for　our　doing　at　all。〃
　　　　　　　With　those　words　hanging　in　the　air；　he　turned　from　her　and　hastened　after　the　dwarrows。　As　though　his　sudden　despair　had　passed　to　her　like　a　fever；　she　felt　hopelessness　enwrap　her。

29
The　Hand　of　the　North

　　　　　　　The　winds　howled　around　Stormspike's　summit；　but　beneath　the　mountain　all　was　silent。　The　Lightless　Ones　had　fallen　into　a　deep　slumber。　The　corridors　of　Under…Nakkiga　were　nearly　empty。
　　　　　　　Utuk'ku's　gloved　fingers；　slender　and　brittle　as　cricket　legs；　flexed　upon　the　arm　of　her　throne。　She　settled　her　ancient　bones　against　the　rock　and　let　her　thoughts　move　through　the　Breathing　Harp；　following　its　twistings　and　turnings　until　Stormspike　fell　away　and　she　became　pure　mind　moving　through　the　black　between…spaces。
The　angry　Dark　One　was　gone　from　the　Harp。　He　had　moved　himself　to　the　place…if　it　could　be　called　a　place…where　he　could　act　in　concert　with　her　to　enact　the　final　step　of　their　centuried　scheme；　but　she　could　still　feel　the　weight　of　his　hatred　and　envy；　personified　in　the　net　of　storms　that　spread　across　the　land　above。
In　Nabban；　where　the　upstart　Imperators　had　once　ruled；　snow　piled　high　in　the　streets；　in　the　great　harbor　high　waves　flung　the　anchored　ships　against　each　other；　or　drove　them　into　the　shore　where　their　splintered　timbers　lay　like　the　bones　of　giants。　The　kilpa；　frenzied；　struck　at　everything　that　moved　across　the　water；　and　even　began　to　make　sluggish　forays　into　the　coastal　towns。　And　deep　within　the　heart　of　the　Sancellan　Aedonitis；　the　Clavean　Bell　hung　silent；　immobilized　by　ice　just　as　the　mortals'　Mother　Church　was　frozen　by　fear。
The　Wran；　although　its　interior　was　sheltered　from　the　worst　of　the　storm；　nevertheless　turned　chillingly　cold。　The　ghants；　undeterred　as　a　group；　though　countless　individuals　died　in　the　harsh　weather；　continued　to　boil　out　of　the　swamps　and　harry　the　coastal　villages。　Those　few　mortals　of　Kwanitupul　who　braved　the　icy　winds　to　walk　outside　went　only　in　groups；　armed　with　iron　weapons　and　wind…whipped　torches　against　the　ghants　who　now　seemed　to　be　crawling　in　every　shadowy　place。　Children　were　kept　inside；　and　doors　and　windows　were　shuttered　even　during　those　few　hours　when　the　storm　abated。
　　　　　　　Even　Aldheorte　Forest　slept　beneath　a　blanket　of　white；　but　if　its　ageless　trees　suffered　beneath　the　freezing　hand　of　the　North；　they　did　so　in　silence。　In　the　heart　of　the　woods　Jao　e…Tinukai'i　lay　empty；　misty　with　cold。
　　　　　　　All　the　mortal　lands　lay　trembling　beneath　Stormspike's　hand。　The　storms　kept　Rimmersgard　and　the　Frostmarch　an　icy　wasteland；　and　Hernystir　suffered　only　a　little　less。　Before　the　Hernystiri　could　truly　reclaim　the　homes　from　which　they　had　been　driven　by　Skali　of　Kaldskryke；　they　had　been　forced　back　into　the　caves　of　the　Grianspog。　The　spirit　of　the　people　the　Sithi　had　loved；　a　spirit　which　had　flamed　high　for　a　short　time；　sank　back　to　a　guttering　flicker。
The　storm　hung　low　over　Erkynland。　Black　winds　bent　and　broke　the　trees　and　piled　snow　high　on　the　houses；　thunder　growled　like　an　angry　beast　up　and　down　the　length　of　the　land。　The　storm's　malevolent　heart；　as　it　seemed；　full　of　whirling　sleet　and　jagged　lightning；　pulsed　above　Erchester　and　the　Hayholt。
Utuk'ku　noted　all　this　with　calm　satisfaction；　but　did　not　pause　to　savor　the　terror　and　hopelessness　of　the　hated　mortals。　She　had　something　to　do；　a　task　she　had　awaited　since　her　son　Drukhi's　pale；　cold　body　had　been　set　before　her。　Utuk'ku　was　old　and　subtle。　The　irony　that　it　was　her　own　great…great…grandchild　who　had　led　her　to　her　revenge　at　last；　that　he　was　also　a　scion　of　the　very　family　that　had　destroyed　her　happiness；　was　not　lost　on　her。　She　almost　smiled。
　　　　　　　Her　thoughts　raced　on；　out　along　the　whispery　threads　of　being　until　they　passed　into　the　farther　regions；　the　places　only　she　of　all　the　living　could　go。　When　she　felt　the　presence　of　the　thing　she　sought；　she　reached　out　for　it；　praying　to　forces　that　had　been　old　in　Venyha　Do'sae　that　it　would　give　her　what　she　needed　to　acplish　her　final；　long…awaited　goal。
A　flare　of　joy　passed　through　her。　The　power　was　there；　more　than　enough　for　her　purposes；　now　all　that　remained　was　to　master　it　and　make　it　hers。　The　hour　was　ap…　proaching；　and　Utuk'ku　had　no　need　to　be　patient　any　longer。

　　　　　　　〃My　eyes　are　not　good　at　the　best　of　times；〃　Strangyeard　plained。　〃And　with　this　sunless　day　and　the　blowing　snow；　I　cannot　see　anything！　Sangfugol；　tell　me　what　is　happening；　please！〃
　　　　　　　〃There's　nothing　to　see；　yet。〃　They　were　perched　on　the　side　of　one　of　Swertclif's　foothills；　looking　down　on　Erchester　and　the　Hayholt。　The　tree　beneath　which　the　pair　huddled　and　the　low　wall　of　stones　they　had　made　provided　scant　protection　against　the　wind。　Despite　his　hooded　cloak　and　the　two　blankets　he　had　wrapped　around　himself；　the　harper　was　shivering。　〃Our　army　is　before　the　walls　and　the　heralds　have　blown　the　trumpets。　Isgrimnur　or　someone　must　be　reading　the　Writ　of　Demand。　I　still　don't　see　any　of　the　king's　soldiers　。。。　no；　there　are　some　shapes　moving　on　the　battlements。　I　had　begun　to　wonder　if　anyone　was　inside　at　all。。。。〃
　　　　　　　〃Who？　Who　is　on　the　battlements？〃
〃Aedon's　mercy；　Strangeyeard；　I　can't　tell。　They　are　shapes；　that's　all。〃
　　　　　　　〃We　should　be　closer；〃　the　priest　said　fretfully。　〃This　hillside　is　too　distant　in　weather　like　this。〃
　　　　　　　The　harper　darted　a　glance　at　him。　〃You　must　be　mad。　I　am　a　musician；　you　are　a　librarian。　We　are　too　close　as　it　is…we　should　have　stayed　in　Nabban。　But　here　we　are；　and　here　we　will　stay。　Closer；　indeed！〃　He　blew　into　his　cupped　palms。
　　　　　　　A　faint　clamor　of　horns　drifted　over　the　wind。　〃What　is　it？〃　Strangyeard　asked。　〃What　is　happening？〃　
　　　　　　　'They　have　finished　the　Writ　and　I　suppose　they've　gotten　no　answer。　That　is　just　like　Josua；　to　give　Elias　a　chance　to　surrender　honorably　when　we　know　already　he　will　do　nothing　of　the　sort。〃
〃The　prince　is　。。。　determined　to　do　the　right　thing；〃　Strangyeard　replied。　〃Goodness；