rz.thegunsofavalon-第36部分

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ondered　what　had　bee　of　me。　I　would　never　know；　of　course。
　Night　had　begun　and　the　sky　was　clear　and　its　first　stars　bright　as　I　stepped　outside　and　locked　the　door　behind　me。　I　went　around　to　the　side　and　returned　the　key　to　its　place　beneath　the　patio。　Then　I　mounted　the　hill。
　When　I　looked　back　from　the　top；　the　house　seemed　to　have　shrunken　there　in　the　darkness；　to　have　bee　a　piece　of　the　desolation；　like　an　empty　beer　can　tossed　beside　the　road。　I　crossed　over　and　down；　heading　across　a　field　toward　the　place　where　I　had　parked；　wishing　I　had　not　looked　back。
　
　
　Chapter　9
　
　Ganelon　and　I　departed　Switzerland　in　a　pair　of　trucks。　We　had　driven　them　there　from　Belgium；　and　I　had　taken　the　rifles　in　mine。　Figuring　ten　pounds　per　piece；　the　three　hundred　had　e　to　around　a　ton　and　a　half；　which　was　not　bad。　After　we　took　on　the　ammo；　we　still　had　plenty　of　room　for　fuel　and　other　supplies。　We　had　taken　a　short　cut　through　Shadow；　of　course；　to　avoid　the　people　who　wait　around　borders　to　delay　traffic。　We　departed　in　the　same　fashion；　with　me　in　the　lead　to　open　the　way；　so　to　speak。
　I　led　us　through　a　land　of　dark　hills　and　narrow　villages；　where　the　only　vehicles　we　passed　were　horse…drawn。　When　the　sky　grew　bright　lemon；　the　beasts　of　burden　were　striped　and　feathered。　We　drove　for　hours；　finally　encountering　the　black　road；　paralleling　it　for　a　time；　then　heading　off　in　another　direction。　The　skies　went　through　a　dozen　shiftings；　and　the　contours　of　the　land　melted　and　merged　from　hill　to　plain　and　back　again。　We　crept　along　poor　roads　and　skidded　on　flats　as　smooth　and　hard　as　glass。　We　edged　our　way　across　a　mountain's　face　and　skirted　a　wine…dark　sea。　We　passed　through　storms　and　fogs。
　It　took　me　half　a　day　to　find　them　once　again；　or　a　shadow　so　close　that　it　made　no　difference。　Yes；　those　whom　I　had　exploited　once　before。　They　were　short　fellows；　very　hairy；　very　dark；　with　long　incisors　and　retractable　claws。　But　they　had　trigger　fingers；　and　they　worshiped　me。　They　were　overjoyed　at　my　return。　It　little　mattered　that　five　years　earlier　I　had　sent　the　cream　of　their　manhood　off　to　die　in　a　strange　land。　The　gods　are　not　to　be　questioned；　but　loved；　honored；　and　obeyed。　They　were　quite　disappointed　that　I　only　wanted　a　few　hundred。　I　had　to　turn　away　thousands　of　volunteers。　The　morality　of　it　did　not　especially　trouble　me　this　time。　One　way　of　looking　at　it　might　be　that　by　employing　this　group　I　was　seeing　to　it　that　the　others　had　not　died　in　vain。　Of　course　I　did　not　look　at　it　that　way；　but　I　enjoy　exercises　in　sophistry。　I　suppose　I　might　also　consider　them　mercenaries　being　paid　in　spiritual　coin。　What　difference　did　it　make　whether　they　fought　for　money　or　for　a　belief？　I　was　capable　of　supplying　either　one　when　I　needed　troops。
　Actually；　though；　these　would　be　pretty　safe；　being　the　only　ones　in　the　place　with　fire　power。　My　ammo　was　still　inert　in　their　homeland；　however；　and　it　took　several　days　of　marching　through　Shadow　to　reach　a　land　sufficiently　like　Amber　for　it　to　bee　functional。　The　only　catch　was　that　shadows　follow　a　law　of　congruency　of　correspondences；　so　that　the　place　actually　was　close　to　Amber。　This　kept　me　somewhat　on　edge　throughout　their　training。　It　was　unlikely　that　a　brother　would　blunder　through　that　shadow。　Still；　worse　coincidences　have　occurred。
　We　drilled　for　close　to　three　weeks　before　I　decided　we　were　ready。　Then；　on　a　bright；　crisp　morning；　we　broke　camp　and　moved　on　into　Shadow；　the　columns　of　troops　following　behind　the　trucks。　The　trucks　would　cease　to　function　when　we　neared　Amber　…　they　were　already　giving　us　some　trouble　…　but　they　might　as　well　be　used　to　haul　the　equipment　as　far　along　as　possible。
　This　time；　I　intended　to　go　over　the　top　of　Kolvir　from　the　north；　rather　than　essay　its　seaward　face　again。　All　of　the　men　had　an　understanding　of　the　layout；　and　the　disposition　of　the　rifle　squads　had　already　been　determined　and　run　through　in　practice。
　We　halted　for　lunch；　ate　well；　and　continued　on；　the　shadows　slowly　slipping　away　about　us。　The　sky　became　a　dark　but　brilliant　blue；　the　sky　of　Amber。　The　earth　was　black　among　rocks　and　the　bright　green　of　the　grass。　The　trees　and　the　shrubs　had　a　moist　lucency　to　their　foliage。　The　air　was　sweet　and　clean。
　By　nightfall；　we　were　passing　among　the　massive　trees　at　the　fringes　of　Arden。　We　bivouacked　there；　posting　a　very　heavy　guard。　Ganelon；　now　wearing　khakis　and　a　beret；　sat　with　me　long　into　the　night；　going　over　the　maps　I　had　drawn。　We　still　had　about　forty　miles　to　go　before　we　hit　the　mountains。
　The　trucks　gave　out　the　following　afternoon。　They　went　through　several　transformations；　stalled　repeatedly；　and　finally　refused　to　start　at　all。　We　pushed　them　into　a　ravine　and　cut　branches　to　cover　them　over。　We　distributed　the　ammo　and　the　rest　of　the　rations　and　continued　on。
　We　departed　the　hard；　dirt　roadway　after　that　and　worked　our　way　through　the　woods　themselves。　As　I　still　knew　them　well；　it　was　less　of　a　problem　than　it　might　have　been。　It　slowed　us；　naturally；　but　lessened　chances　of　surprise　by　one　of　Julian's　patrols。　The　trees　were　quite　large；　as　we　were　well　into　Arden　proper；　and　the　topography　sprang　back　into　mind　as　we　moved。
　We　encountered　nothing　more　menacing　than　foxes；　deer；　rabbits；　and　squirrels　that　day。　The　smells　of　the　place　and　its　green；　gold；　and　brown　brought　back　thoughts　of　happier　times。　Near　sunset；　I　scaled　a　forest　giant　and　was　able　to　make　out　the　range　that　held　Kolvir。　A　storm　was　playing　about　its　peaks　just　then　and　its　clouds　hid　their　highest　portions。
　The　following　noon　we　ran　into　one　of　Julian's　patrols。　I　do　not　really　know　who　surprised　whom；　or　who　was　more　surprised。　The　firing　broke　out　almost　immediately。　I　shouted　myself　hoarse　stopping　it；　as　everyone　seemed　anxious　to　try　out　his　weapon　on　a　live　target。　It　was　a　small　group　…　a　dozen　and　a　half　men　…　and　we　got　all　of　them。　We　suffered　only　one　minor　casualty；　from　one　of　our　men　wounding　another　…　or　perhaps　the　man　had　wounded　himself。　I　never　got　the　story　straight。　We　moved　on　quickly　then；　because　we　had　made　a　hell　of　a　racket　and　I　had　no　idea　as　to　the　disposition　of　other　forces　in　the　vicinity。
　We　gained　considerable　distance　and　altitude　by　nightfall；　and　the　mountains　were　in　sight　whenever　there　was　a　clear　line　of　vision。　The　storm　clouds　still　clung　to　their　peaks。　My　troops　were　excited　over　the　day's　slaughter　and　took　a　long　while　getting　to　sleep　that　night。
　The　next　day　we　reached　the　foothills；　successfully　avoiding　two　patrols。　I　pushed　us　on　and　up　well　after　nightfall；　to　reach　a　place　of　cover　I　had　had　in　mind。　We　bedded　down　at　an　altitude　perhaps　half　a　mile　higher　than　we　had　the　previous　night。　We　were　under　the　cloud　cover；　but　there　was　no　rainfall；　despite　a　constant　atmospheric　tension　of　the　sort　that　precedes　a　storm。　I　did　not　sleep　well　that　night。　I　dreamed　of　the　burning　cat　head；　and　of　Lorraine。
　In　the　morning；　we　moved　out　under　gray　skies；　and　I　pushed　the　troops　remorselessly；　heading　steadily　upward。　We　heard　the　sounds　of　distant　thunder；　and　the　air　was　alive　and　electric。
　About　mid…morning；　as　I　led　our　file　up　a　twisted；　rocky　route；　I　heard　a　shout　from　behind　me；　followed　by　several　bursts　of　gunfire。　I　headed　back　immediately。
　A　small　knot　of　men；　Ganelon　among　them；　stood　staring　down　at　something；　talking　in　low　voices。　I　pushed　my　way　through。
　I　could　not　believe　it。　Never　in　my　memory　had　one　been　seen　this　near　to　Amber。　Perhaps　twelve　feet　in　length；　bearing　that　terrible　parody　of　a　human　face　on　the　shoulders　of　a　lion；　eagle…like　wings　folded　above　its　now　bloody　sides；　a　still…twitching　tail　like　that　of　a　scorpion；　I　had　glimpsed　the　manticora　once　in　isles　far　to　the　south；　a　frightful　beast　that　had　always　held　a　spot　near　the　top　on　my　unclean　list。
　〃It　tore　Rall　in　half；　it　tore　Rall　in　half；〃　one　of　the　men　kept　repeating。
　About　twenty　paces　away；　I　saw　what　was　left　of　Rall。　We　covered　him　over　with　a　tarp　and　weighted　it　down　with　rocks。　That　was　really　about　all　that　we　could　do。　If　nothing　else；　it　served　to　restore　a　quality　of　wariness　that　had　seemed　to　vanish　after　the　previous　day's　easy　victory。　The　men　were　silent　and　cautious　as　we　continued　on　our　way。
　〃Quite　a　thing；　that；〃　Ganelon　said。　〃Has　it　the　intelligence　of　a　man？〃
　〃I　do　not　really　know。〃
　〃I've　a　funny；　nervous　feeling；　Corwin。　As　though　something　terrible　is　about　to　happen。　I　don't　know　how　else　to　put　it。〃
　〃I　know。〃
　〃You　feel　it；　too？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　He　nodded。
　〃Maybe　it's　the　weather；〃　I　said。　He　nodded　again；　more　slowly。
　The　sky　continued　to　darken　as　we　climbed；　and　the　thunder　never　ceased。　Flashes　of　heat　lightning　occurred　in　the　west；　and　the　winds　grew　stronger。　Looking　up；　I　could　see　great　masses　of　clouds　about　the　higher　peaks。　Black；　bird…like　shapes　were　constantly　outlined　against　them。
　We　encountered　another　manticora　later；　but　we　dispatched　it　with　no　damage　to　ourselves。　About　an　hour　later；　we　were　attacked　by　a　flock　of　large；　razor…beaked　birds；　the　like　of　which　I　had　never　seen　before。　We　succeeded　in　driving　them　off；　but　this；　too；　disturbed　me。
　We　kept