sheritepper.necromancer nine-第33部分

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　happen　now。　The　music　made　that　clear。
　But　all　that　happened　was　that　Manacle　shut　the　door　behind　him　and　sat　down；　disconsolately；　upon　the　metal　floor。　He　took　a　writing　implement　from　a　pocket；　with　a　piece　of　paper；　and　sat　there；　alternately　chewing　the　one　and　jotting　upon　the　other。
　The　singing　built　into　a　climax；　slowed；　and　dwindled　to　silence。　Still　he　sat。　After　a　time　the　singing　began　again；　and　it　went　as　before。　At　this；　he　stood　up　and　sighed；　murmuring　to　himself。　〃Well；　well。　That　will　do　as　well　as　any　message。　I　used　it　five　years　ago；　but　it　will　do　as　well　as　any。〃　And　reached　to　open　the　door。
　〃Do　as　well　as　what；　Manacle？〃　It　was　Quench；　leaning　against　a　shiny　panel；　boring　into　Manacle　with　eyes　which　could　have　burned　holes　in　stone。　〃Why　have　you　not　Called　Home；　Manacle？　That　is　what　you　are　supposed　to　have　done。　Call　Home。　I　wish　to　hear　what　Home　has　to　say！〃
　〃Oh；　Quench。　Quench；　you　monster。　What　are　you　doing　here？　Why　have　you　e？　You　are　disrupting　the　ceremony。　Get　out　of　my　way。　I　have　to　tell　them。〃
　〃Tell　them　what？　That　you　did　not　Call　Home？　That　there　was　no　message　from　Home？　That　there　has　not　been　any　message　from　Home　for…for　how　long；　Manacle？　How　long；　you　little；　insignificant　dribble。　How　long？〃　He　shook　Manacle；　waving　him　like　a　flag。　〃Tell　me；　or　I'll　break　your　bones。〃
　〃Don't　be　a　fool；　Quench。　You　know　it's　only　a　ceremony。　We　all　know　it's　only　a　ceremony。　The　message　from　Home　is　only　a　ritual。　We　all　know　。
　〃We　don't　all　know。　We　all　may　suspect；　but　we　don't　all　know。　How　long　has　it　been。　Manacle。　I　want　to　know。　Now！〃
　〃My　。。。　my　great…grandfather's　time。　Not　since　then。　Not　since　then　to　Call　Home。　And　no　message　received　from　Home　long　before　that。　The　machines　stopped　working；　Quench。　It　wasn't　anyone's　fault。　They　just　stopped　working。〃
　〃So　it's　all　a　mockery　and　a　deceit。　All　of　it。　The　monster　watching；　and　the　Faculty…all　of　it。〃
　〃No；　no；　Quench。　You　know　that　isn't　true。　It's　worth　something；　worth　preserving。　You　mustn't；　mustn't　。。。〃
　〃I　mustn't；　mustn't　I？　Manacle；　for　the　sake　of　those　poor　fools　down　there；　I　won't　drag　you　out　on　the　platform　and　expose　you　for　what　you　are；　an　empty　sack　of　nothing。　I'll　leave　you　to　go　to　them；　Manacle；　with　your　lies　and　your　ceremonial　message。　You！　I　remember　a　time　when　being　Capan　meant　something。　As　for　me；　I'm　off　to　the　Council。〃
　〃What…where…what　are　you　going　to　do？〃
　〃I'm　leaving；　Manacle。　I'm　leaving　with　all　the　techs　who　want　to　leave　with　me；　and　that　means　almost　all　of　them。　We　disabled　the　power　machine　for　the　boots　this　morning。　You　can't　hold　them；　and　they　won't　be　held。　We're　going。　Some　of　the　younger　men　may　go　with　us；　and　if　not…well；　be　that　as　it　may。　I'm　sorry　for　you　all；　Manacle；　but　there's　nothing　I　can　do　to　save　you；　and　I　won't　perish　with　you。〃
　And　he　was　gone；　clattering　down　the　spiralling　stairs。　Mavin　and　I　could　hear　him；　down　and　down　until　the　sound　faded；　and　I　knew　he　had　e　to　the　cargo　space　at　the　bottom　and　gone　out　through　it。　Manacle　was　crying　before　us；　great　tears　oozing　down　his　face。　The　singing　outside　had　reached　its　climax　once　more。　He　gulped；　made　a　little　heartbroken　sound；　then　wiped　his　face　upon　his　sleeve；　leaving　long　red　welts　upon　it　from　the　harsh　gold　trim。　Unconscious　of　this　he　stepped　to　the　door；　straightened　himself；　and　opened　it。　As　Mavin　and　I　slipped　away　to　follow　Quench；　we　heard　his　voice　crying　to　the　world；　〃Message；　message　from　Home。〃
　
　12。　Huld　Again
　We　arrived　at　the　cargo　space　near　the　bottom　of　the　tower…the　〃ship〃…only　moments　before　Manacle　himself　came　down。　He　wore　a　forced；　fixed　smile　as　he　met　Flogshoulder　and　Shear　near　the　ladder。　I　heard　Shear　say；　〃Where　are　the　techs？　They　should　be　here　to　unload　the　bodies　and　take　them　back　to…〃　and　Flogshoulder　interrupting；　as　always；　with　some　inconsequentiality。　Manacle　did　not　hear　either　of　them。
　He　laid　hands　upon　Flogshoulder　and　said；　〃Quiet；　my　boy。　Be　still。　Now　listen　to　me；　for　all　your　life　is　worth。　Remember　the　room　where　we　were　yesterday？　The　room　which　controls　the　defenders？　Good。　That's　a　good　boy。　Now；　I　want　you　to　go　there。　I　left　it　unlocked　for　you。　I　want　you　to　press　the　lever　down。　Just　do　that；　my　boy。　Then　e　back　and　tell　me。〃　He　patted　Flogshoulder；　almost　absentmindedly；　as　he　turned　to　Shear　with　that　same　fixed　smile。
　〃Shear。　There's　a　minor　emergency。　Nothing　we　can't　take　care　of；　but　I　think　the　mittee　should　be　advised。　Can　you　go　among　the　celebrants　and　suggest　that　we　move　the　celebration　indoors？　Hmm？　And　tell　the　mittee　members　we　will　meet　them　in　the　mittee　room。　Have　you　seen　Hold？　No。　Well；　that　was　more　than　I　could　hope　for；　perhaps　　　　　
　Shear　and　Manacle　began　a　slow　circling　movement　among　those　gathered　in　the　grassy　space。　I　remembered　Manacle　saying　that　the　techs　would　serve　cakes　and　wine。　There　were　no　techs；　and　the　magicians　were　looking　about　themselves　with　pursed　lips　and　expressions　of　annoyance。　A　mutter　began；　grew　in　volume　as　the　celebrants　moved　away；　away　toward　the　doors。　We　waited　for　the　last　dawdlers　to　leave　before　emerging　from　the　ship　with　the　bodies　of　Windlow　and　Himaggery　carried　before　us。　We　staggered　across　the　grass　to　the　machine。　When　we　came　close；　I　was　horrified　to　see　that　the　ribbons　and　garlands　covered　areas　of　corrosion。　Wires　and　tubes　appeared　fused　together　into　a　blackened　mass。　We　stared　at　each　other　for　a　moment。　〃What　can　we　do　but　try？〃　asked　Mavin。　〃We　must。〃
　We　laid　Himaggery　upon　the　slab；　placed　the　tiny　blue　in　the　recess　beside　his　head；　and　Mavin　went　to　the　long；　silver　lever　which　protruded　at　the　side。　Her　eyes　were　shut；　her　lips　moving。　I　don't　know　whom　she　invoked；　what　godling　or　devil。　Perhaps　it　was　only　herself　she　counseled。　Her　hands　were　steady　when　she　thrust　the　lever　up；　in　the　opposite　direction　we　had　seen　it　moved　in　the　laboratories；　and　I　knew　she　had　been　thinking　of　that；　puzzling　it　out。　Could　it　be　that　simple？　I　could　not　dare　to　hope　it　was。
　The　machine　screamed。　I　bit　my　lips　until　the　blood　came。　The　slab　moved；　turned；　swung　beneath　the　blackened　mass　which　towered　above　it。　I　smelled　smoke；　burning　oil。　There　was　no　device　here　to　put　out　fire。　I　only　held　my　breath　and　waited；　waited　while　the　scream　rose　to　an　agonized　howl　be…　fore　diminishing　to　silence。　The　slab　had　not　returned。　Mavin　jiggled　the　lever；　once；　twice。　Slowly　the　slab　dropped　from　beneath　the　machine；　down；　twisting；　out　and　back　toward　us　once　again。　The　blue　was　gone。　Himaggery　looked　like　Himaggery　once　more。　I　could　see　his　chest　move；　tiny；　tiny　movements；　the　shallowest　of　breaths。　We　pulled　him　from　the　slab　and　put　Windlow　in　his　place。
　I　knelt　above　Himaggery　while　Mavin　went　to　the　lever　again。　I　heard　the　ascending　howl；　smelled　burning　once　more。　This　time　there　was　smoke；　harsh　and　biting。　I　coughed。　Himaggery　coughed。　His　head　moved；　his　hand。　I　found　myself　patting　him；　stroking　him；　mumbling　nonsense　into　his　ear。　Then　Mavin's　cry　from　behind　me　brought　me　to　my　feet。
　The　machine　was　on　fire。　Below　the　contorted　mass；　the　slab　moved　out　slowly；　too　slowly。　Already　I　could　see　that　the　blue　was　still　there。　Nothing　had　happened。　Then；　when　it　came　further　into　view；　I　knew　that　something　had　happened…　Windlow's　body　had　been　。　。　。　changed。　Was　it　the　heat　of　the　machine？　Some　ancient　device　which　had　broken　at　last；　irretrievably？　It　didn't　matter。　What　lay　upon　the　slab　could　not　support　life　again；　and　I　knew　this　with　every　cell　which　Dealpas　had　inhabited。　〃Dead；〃　I　whispered；　unable　to　believe　it。　〃Dead。〃
　〃Dead？〃　The　voice　behind　me　was　Himaggery's。　I　turned　to　see　him　trying　to　sit　up；　failing；　and　trying　once　again。　His　eyes　were　unfocused；　blind。　Mavin　was　beside　him　in　that　instant；　ready　with　one　of　the　black　dresses　which　Manacle　had　used　in　his　ceremony；　ready　to　wrap　him　and　coerce　him　back　into　life　once　more。　I　reached　over　the　slab　and　took　Windlow's　blue　into　my　hands；　hands　sticky　with　tears。　I　tried　not　to　look　at　the　slab　again；　but　could　not　stop　the　thought　that　this；　this　is　what　old　Windlow　had　foreseen　and　begged　for　my　help　against。
　Perhaps　Mavin　read　my　mind；　or　my　face。　She　snapped　at　me。　〃There　is　no　time　for　guilt；　Peter。　We　must　get　out　of　this　place。　What　Didir　feared　will　happen　very　soon。　。
　〃The　door　is　locked；〃　I　said　stupidly。　〃Flogshoulder　will　find　the　door　locked。　He　will　have　to　return　to　get　the　key。　We　have　a　little　time。〃
　〃We　have　no　time。　Didir　warned　of　some　general　catastrophe。　Gamelords　know　how　far　we　would　have　to　go　to　escape　it；　but　the　farthest；　the　soonest　would　be　best。〃　She　leaned　across　Himaggery　once　more；　urging　him　to　his　feet。　I　do　not　know　how　he　did　it；　but　the　man　lurched　upright；　mouth　open　in　anguish　as　he　did　so。　She　went　on　even　as　she　urged　him　toward　the　tunnels。　〃The　cars　that　brought　the　bodies　to　this　place　are　still　there；　still　on　the　track。　I　watched　them　when　they　ran　them。　They　will　take　us　away。　　I　followed　her；　placing　Windlow's　blue　tenderly　in　my　pocket　as　I　went。　The　carts　were　there；　just　as　she　had　said。　Himaggery　and　I　climbed　into　the　foremost　one　as　Mavin　fumbled　with　the　controls。　It　shuddered；　made　a　grating　noise；　then　began　to　run　forward　into　the　mountains。
　〃Where？〃　I　asked　her；　seeing　the　daylight　vanish　behind　us。　〃Where　will　you　take　us？〃
　〃Where　the　tracks　go；〃　she　replied。　〃The　carts　came　from　those　cold　caverns；　they　should　return　there。　We　need　distance　between　us　and　this　place；　and　any　other　way　would　take　too　long　　　　　
　So　we　ran　off　into　a　half　darkness。　　There　were　no　magicians。　There　were　no　techs。　We　saw　one　or　two　Tallmen　from　time　to　time；　but　they　stood　by　the　walls　as　still　and　silent　as　trees；　but　unalive。　It　was　then　I　began　to　know　that　they　had　not　truly　been　living　things…or　not　entirely　living　things。　I　thought　of　Tallmen；　and　I　thought　of　music；　and　I　wondered　how　those　who　made　the　one　could　make　the　other。　I　have　not　yet　made　an　answer　to　that。
　Somewhere　early　in　the　journey；　Himaggery　began　to　regain　his　wits。　He　wanted　to　know　what　had　happened；　and　in　order　to　tell　him　that　I　had　to　tell　him　everything；　Laggy　Nap；　my　journey；　Mavin；　Izia；　the　Tallmen；　Manacle；