tw.togreenangeltower2-第139部分

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　claim　the　killing　of　the　dragon　and　with　it　the　throne　of　Erkynland。　Morgenes　had　entrusted　him　with　the　ring　that　told　that　secret。
　　　　　　　〃This　is　your　story；〃　the　angel　had　said。　Who　else　to　entrust　with　the　knowledge　and　record　of　Eahlstan's　house　than　。。　。　Eahlstan's　heir？
　　　　　　　As　he　stood　before　the　statue；　the　sudden；　certain　knowledge　splashed　him　like　cold　water；　raising　goosebumps　of　fear　and　wonder。

　　　　　　　Much　of　the　afternoon　slid　by　as　Simon　paced　back　and　forth　across　the　empty　throne　room；　lost　in　thought。　He　was　staring　at　Eahlstan's　statue　again　when　he　heard　a　noise　in　the　doorway　behind　him。　He　turned　to　see　Duke　Isgrimnur　and　a　few　others　filing　into　the　chamber。
　　　　　　　The　duke　looked　him　over　carefully。　〃Ah。　So　you　know；　do　you？〃
　　　　　　　The　young　man　said　nothing；　but　his　face　was　full　of　conflicting　emotions。　Isgrimnur　observed　Simon　carefully；　wondering　how　this　could　be　the　same　person　as　the　stripling　brought　to　him　on　the　plains　south　of　Naglimund　a　year　before；　draped　like　a　sack　across　the　saddle　of　a　riderless　horse。
　　　　　　　He　had　been　tall　even　then；　although　surely　not　this　tall；　and　the　thick　reddish　beard　had　been　only　soft　boy…whiskers…but　there　was　more　to　the　change。　Simon　had　developed　an　air　of　calm；　a　stillness　that　might　have　been　either　strength　or　unconcern。　Isgrimnur　worried　more　than　a　little　about　what　the　boy　might　have　bee：　what　had　happened　to　Simon　seemed　to　have　changed　that　stripling　of　a　year　ago　beyond　reclaiming；　almost　beyond　recognizing。　His　childhood　had　been　burned　away；　and　now　only　manhood　remained。
〃I　think　I　have　realized　some　things；　yes；〃　Simon　said　at　last。　He　carefully　smoothed　all　expression　from　his　face。　〃But　I　do　not　think　they　matter　very　much…even　to　me。〃
　　　　　　　Isgrimnur　made　a　nonmittal　sound。　〃Well。　We　have　been　looking　for　you。〃
　　　　　　　〃Here　I　am。〃
As　the　group　moved　forward；　Simon　nodded　toward　the　duke；　then　greeted　Tiamak；　Strangyeard；　Jiriki；　and　Aditu。　As　Simon　said　a　few　quiet　words　to　the　Sithi；　Isgrimnur　saw　for　the　first　time　how　like　them　the　young　man　had　bee；　at　least　at　this　moment…reserved；　careful；　stow　to　speak。　The　duke　shook　his　head。　Who　would　ever　have　imagined　such　a　thing？
〃Are　you　well；　Simon？〃　asked　Strangyeard。
　　　　　　　The　youth　shrugged　and　offered　a　half…smile。　〃My　wounds　are　healing。〃　He　turned　to　Isgrimnur。　〃Jeremias　brought　me　your　message。　I　would　have　e　to　your　tent；　you　know；　but　Jeremias　insisted　you　would　e　to　me　when　you　were　ready。〃　He　looked　around　the　small　pany；　his　face　closed　and　careful。　〃It　looks　like　you're　ready　now；　but　you've　e　a　long　way　up　from　camp　to　find　me。　Do　you　have　more　questions　to　ask？〃
　　　　　　　〃Among　other　things。〃　The　duke　watched　the　others　seat　themselves　on　the　stone　floor　and　made　a　face。　Simon　smiled　with　good…natured　mockery　and　motioned　to　the　Dragonbone　Chair。　Isgrimnur　shook　his　head；　shuddering。
〃Very　well；　then。〃　Simon　collected　a　stack　of　fallen　banners　and　put　them　down　on　the　step　below　the　throne　dais。
　　　　　　　With　only　one　good　arm；　Isgrimnur　took　a　little　time　to　lower　himself　to　the　makeshift　seat；　but　he　was　determined　to　do　it　without　leaning　on　anyone。　〃I　am　glad　to　see　you　up　and　around；　Simon；〃　he　said　when　he　could　talk　without　breathing　hard。　〃You　did　not　look　well　this　morning。〃
The　young　man　nodded　and　eased　down　beside　him。　He　moved　slowly；　too；　nursing　many　hurts；　but　Isgrimnur　knew　he　would　heal　soon。　The　duke　could　not　help　feeling　a　sharp　twinge　of　envy。　〃Where　are　Binabik　and　Miriamele？〃　asked　Simon。
　　　　　　　〃Binabik　will　be　here　soon；〃　Strangyeard　offered。　〃And　。。。　and　Miriamele　。。。〃
　　　　　　　The　youth's　calm　evaporated。　〃She's　still　here；　isn't　she？　She　hasn't　run　off；　or　been　hurt？〃
Tiamak　waved　his　hand。　〃No；　Simon。　She　is　in　camp　and　healing；　just　as　you。　But　she　。　。　。〃　He　turned　to　Isgrimnur；　seeking　help。
　　　　　　　〃But　there　are　things　to　be　discussed　without　Miriamele　here；〃　the　duke　said　bluntly。　〃That　is　all。〃
Simon　absorbed　this。　〃Very　well。　I　have　questions。〃
　　　　　　　Isgrimnur　nodded。　〃Ask　them。〃　He　had　been　expecting　this　since　he　saw　Simon　standing　in　mute　absorption　before　the　statue　of　Eahlstan。
　　　　　　　〃Binabik　said　yesterday　that　bringing　the　swords　was　a　trick；　a　'false　messenger'…that　Pryrates　and　the　Storm　King　wanted　them　all　the　time。〃　Simon　pushed　at　one　of　the　sodden　banners　with　the　heel　of　his　boot。　〃They　needed　them　so　they　could　turn　back　time　to　before　Ineluki's　last　spell；　before　all　the　wards　and　prayers　and　whatnot　had　been　laid　on　the　Hayholt。〃
　　　　　　　〃All　of　us　outside　saw　the　castle　change；〃　the　duke　said　slowly；　caught　off　balance　by　Simon's　question。　He　had　been　certain　the　youth　would　want　to　ask　about　his　newly…discovered　history。　〃Even　as　we　fought　against　the　Norns；　the　Hayholt　just　。。。　melted　away。　There　were　strange　towers　everywhere；　and　fires　burning。　I　thought　I　saw　。　。　。　ghosts；　I　suppose　they　were…ghosts　of　Sithi　and　Rimmersmen　in　ancient　costume。　They　were　at　war；　right　in　the　midst　of　our　own　battle。　What　else　could　it　have　been？〃　The　clean　afternoon　light　flooding　in　through　the　high　windows　suddenly　made　it　all　seem　unreal　to　Isgrimnur。　Just　days　ago；　the　world　had　been　gripped　by　sorcerous　madness　and　deadly　winter　storms。　Now　a　bird　twittered　outside。
　　　　　　　Simon　shook　his　head。　〃I　believe　that。　I　was　there。　It　was　worse　inside。　But　why　did　they　need　us　to　bring　the　swords？　Bright…Nail　was　less　than　a　league　away　from　Pryrates　for　two　years。　And　surely；　if　they　had　really　tried；　they　could　have　taken　Thorn；　either　when　we　were　ing　back　from　Yiqanuc　or　when　it　was　lying　on　a　stone　slab　in　Leavetaking　House　up　on　Sesuad'ra。　It　doesn't　make　sense。〃
Jiriki　spoke　up。　〃Yes；　this　is　perhaps　the　hardest　matter　of　all　to　understand；　Seoman。　I　can　explain　some　of　it。　As　we　were　struggling　with　Utuk'ku　at　the　Pool　of　Three　Depths；　much　of　her　thought　was　revealed　to　us。　She　did　not　shield　herself；　but　rather　used　that　strength　in　her　fight　to　capture　and　use　the　Pool。　She　believed　there　was　little　at　that　point　we　could　do　even　if　we　understood　the　truth。〃　His　slow　hand…spread　seemed　a　gesture　of　regret。　〃She　was　correct。〃
　　　　　　　〃You　held　her　off　a　long　while；〃　Simon　pointed　out。　〃And　at　a　great　price；　from　what　I　heard。　Who　knows　what　might　have　happened　if　the　Storm　King　hadn't　been　forced　to　wait？〃
Jiriki　smiled　thinly。　〃Of　all　of　who　fought　beside　the　Pool；　Likimeya　understood　the　most　in　the　short　time　we　touched　Utuk'ku's　thoughts。　My　mother　is　recovering　very　slowly　from　the　battle　with　her　ancestor；　but　she　has　confirmed　much　that　the　rest　of　us　suspected。
　　　　　　　〃The　swords　were　almost　living　things。　That　will　e　as　no　surprise　to　anyone　who　bore　one　of　them。　A　large　part　of　their　might　was；　as　Binabik　of　Mintahoq　suspected；　the　unwordly　forces　bound　by　the　Words　of　Making。　But　almost　as　much　of　their　power　was　in　the　effect　those　Words　had。　Somehow；　the　swords　had　life。　They　were　not　creatures　like　us…they　had　nothing　in　them　that　humans　or　even　Sithi　can　fully　understand…yet　they　lived。　This　was　what　made　them　greater　than　any　other　weapons；　but　it　was　also　what　made　them　difficult　for　anyone　to　rule　or　control。　They　could　be　called…their　hunger　to　be　together　and　to　release　their　energies　would　eventually　draw　them　to　the　tower…but　they　could　not　be　pelled。　Part　of　the
terrible　magic　the　Storm　King　needed　for　his　plan　to　succeed；　perhaps　the　most　important　part；　was　that　the　swords　must　e　to　the　summoning　themselves　at　the　proper　time。　They　must　choose　their　own　bearers。〃
Isgrimnur　watched　Simon　think　carefully　before　speaking。　〃But　Binabik　also　told　me　that　the　night　Miriamele　and　I　left　Josua's　camp；　the　Norns　tried　to　kill　Camaris。　But　the　sword　had　already　chosen　him…chosen　him　a　long　time　ago！　So　why　would　they　want　him　dead？〃
　　　　　　　〃I　may　have　the　beginning　of　the　answer　to　that；〃　Strangyeard　spoke　up。　He　was　still　nearly　as　diffident　as　when　Isgrimnur　had　first　met　him　years　before；　but　a　little　boldness　had　begun　to　show　through　in　recent　days。　〃When　we　fled　Naglimund；　the　Norns　who　pursued　us　behaved　very　strangely。　Sir　Deornoth　was　the　first　to　realize　that　they　were　。。。　oh！〃　The　archivist　looked　up；　startled。
　　　　　　　A　gray　shape　had　rushed　into　the　throne　room。　It　bounded　up　onto　the　steps　before　the　dais；　knocking　Simon　onto　his　side。　The　young　man　laughed；　tangling　his　fingers　in　the　wolf's　hackles；　trying　to　keep　the　probing　muzzle　and　long　tongue　from　his　face。
　　　　　　　〃She　is　full　of　gladness　to　see　you；　Simon！〃　Binabik　called。　He　was　just　ing　through　the　doorway；　trotting　in　a　futile　effort　to　keep　pace　with　Qantaqa。　〃She　has　been　waiting　long　to　bring　you　greeting。　I　was　keeping　her　away　before；　while　your　wounds　were　new…bandaged。〃　The　troll　hurried　forward；　distractedly　greeting　the　rest　of　the　pany　as　he　wrestled　Qantaqa　to　the　stone　floor　beside　the　dais。　She　yielded；　then　stretched　out　between　Binabik　and　Simon；　huge　and　content。　〃You　will　be　pleased　for　knowing　I　have　found　Homefinder　this　afternoon；〃　the　troll　told　the　young　man。　〃She　wandered　away　from　the　fighting　and　was　roaming　in　the　depths　of　the　Kynswood。〃
〃Homefinder。〃　Simon　said　the　name　slowly。　〃Thank　you；　Binabik。　Thank　you。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　will　take　you　for　seeing　her　later。〃
　　　　　　　When　all　had　settled　in　once　more；　Strangyeard　continued。　〃Sir　Deornoth　was　the　first　to　see　that　they　were　not　so　much　chasing　us　as　。。。　herding　us。　They　drove　us　out　in　flight；　but　they　did　not　kill　us　when　they　surely　could　have。　And　they　only　became　desperate　to　stop　us　when　we　turned　toward　the　innermost　depths　of　Aldheorte。〃
〃Toward　Jao　e…Tinukai'i；〃　said　Aditu　softly。　
　　　　　　　〃。。　。　And　they　also　killed　Amerasu　when　she　had　begun　to　see　Ineluki's　plan。〃　Simon　pondered。　〃But　I　still　do　not　see　why　they　tried　to　kill　Camaris。〃
　　　　　　　Jiriki　spoke。　〃They　were　content　when　you　had　the　sword；　Seoman；　although　I　am　sure　it　made　Utuk'ku　unhappy　when　Ingen　Jegger　brought　her　the　news　that　Dawn　Children　acpanied　you。　Still；　she　and　Ineluki　must　have　thought　it　doubtful　we　would　so　quickly　grasp　what　they　planned…and　as　it　turned　out；　they　were　correct。　Only　First　Grandmother　perceived　the　lineaments　of　their　plot。　They　removed　her　and　sowed　much　other　confusion　beside。　For　those　who　dwelled　in　Stormspike；　the　Zida