srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第86部分

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　do　not　altogether　prehend　Lena　my　mother。　I　am　a　woman…human　like　any　other。　And　I　have　chosen　you　to　be　my　panion　on　this　quest。　Surely　my　choice　reveals　my　mother's　heart　as　well　as　my　own。　I　am　her　daughter。　From　birth　I　lived　in　her　care；　and　she　taught　me。　Unbeliever；　she　did　not　teach　me　any　anger　or　bitterness　toward　you。〃
　〃No！〃　Covenant　breathed。　〃No。〃　No！　Not　her；　too！　A　vision　of　blood　darkened　his　sight…the　blood　on　Lena's　loins。　He　could　not　bear　to　think　that　she　had　forgiven　him；　she！
　He　turned　away。　He　felt　Elena　watching　him；　felt　her　presence　reaching　toward　him　in　an　effort　to　draw　him　back。　But　he　could　not　face　her。　He　was　afraid　of　the　emotions　that　motivated　her；　he　did　not　even　name　them　to　himself。　He　lay　down　in　his　blankets　with　his　back　to　her　until　she　banked　the　graveling　for　the　night　and　settled　herself　to　sleep。
　The　next　morning；　shortly　after　dawn；　Morin　and　Bannor　reappeared。　They　brought　Myrha　and　Covenant's　mount　with　them。　He　roused　himself；　and　joined　Elena　in　a　meal　while　the　Bloodguard　packed　their　blankets。　And　soon　after　they　had　started　westward　again；　Amok　became　visible　at　the　High　Lord's　side。
　Covenant　was　in　no　mood　for　any　more　of　Amok's　spellbinding。　And　he　had　made　a　decision　during　the　night。　There　was　a　risk　he　had　to　take…a　dangerous　gesture　that　he　hoped　might　help　him　recover　some　kind　of　integrity。　Before　the　youth　could　begin；　Covenant　clenched　himself　to　contain　the　sudden　hammering　of　his　heart；　and　asked　Amok　what　he　knew　about　white　gold。
　〃Much　and　little；　Bearer；〃　Amok　answered　with　a　laugh　and　a　bow。　〃It　is　said　that　white　gold　articulates　the　wild　magic　which　destroys　peace。　But　who　is　able　to　describe　peace？〃
　Covenant　frowned。　〃You're　playing　word　games。　I　asked　you　a　straight　question。　What　do　you　know　about　it？〃
　〃Know；　Bearer？　That　is　a　small　word…it　conceals　the　magnitude　of　its　meaning。　I　have　heard　what　I　have　been　told；　and　have　seen　what　my　eyes　have　beheld；　but　only　you　bear　the　white　gold。　Do　you　call　this　knowledge？〃
　〃Amok；〃　Elena　came　to　Covenant's　aid；　〃is　white　gold　in　some　way　interwoven　with　the　Seventh　Ward？　Is　white　gold　the　subject　or　key　of　that　Ward？〃
　〃Ah；　High　Lord；　all　things　are　interwoven。〃　The　youth　seemed　to　relish　his　ability　to　dodge　questions。　〃The　Seventh　Ward　may　ignore　white　gold；　and　the　master　of　white　gold　may　have　no　use　for　the　Seventh　Ward…yet　both　are　power；　forms　and　faces　of　the　one　Power　of　life。　But　the　Bearer　is　not　my　master。　He　shadows　but　does　not　darken　me。　I　respect　that　which　he　bears；　but　my　purpose　remains。〃
　Elena's　response　was　firm。　〃Then　there　is　no　need　to　evade　his　questions。　Speak　of　what　you　have　heard　and　learned　concerning　white　gold。〃
　〃I　speak　after　my　fashion；　High　Lord。　Bearer；　I　have　heard　much　and　learned　little　concerning　white　gold。　It　is　the　girding　paradox　of　the　arch　of　Time；　the　undisciplined　restraint　of　the　Earth's　creation；　the　absent　bone　of　the　Earthpower；　the　rigidness　of　water　and　the　flux　of　rock。　It　articulates　the　wild　magic　which　destroys　peace。　It　is　spoken　of　softly　by　the　Bhrathair；　and　named　in　awe　by　the　Elohim；；　though　they　have　never　seen　it。　Great　Kelenbhrabanal　dreams　of　it　in　his　grave；　and　grim　Sandgorgons　writhe　in　voiceless　nightmare　at　the　touch　of　its　name。　In　his　last　days；　High　Lord　Kevin　yearned　for　it　in　vain。　It　is　the　abyss　and　the　peak　of　destiny。〃
　Covenant　sighed　to　himself。　He　had　feared　that　he　would　receive　this　kind　of　answer。　Now　he　would　have　to　go　further；　push　his　question　right　to　the　edge　of　his　dread。　In　vexation　and　anxiety　he　rasped；　〃That's　enough…spare　me。　Just　tell　me　how　white　gold…〃　For　an　instant　he　faltered。　But　the　memory
　of　Lena　pelled　him。　〃…how　to　use　this　bloody
　ring。〃　Bearer；〃　Amok　laughed；　〃ask　the　Sunbirth　Sea　or　Melenkurion　Skyweir。　Question　the　fires　of　Gorak　Krembal；　or　the　tinder　heart　of　Garroting　Deep。　All　the　Earth　knows。　White　gold　is　brought　into　use　like　any　other　power…through　passion　and　mystery；　the　honest　subterfuge　of　the　heart。〃
　〃Hellfire；〃　Covenant　growled　in　an　effort　to　disguise　his　relief。　He　did　not　like　to　admit　to　himself　how　glad　he　was　to　remain　ignorant　on　this　subject。　But　that　ignorance　was　vital　to　his　self…defense。　As　long　as　he　did　not　know　how　to　use　the　wild　magic；　he　could　not　be　blamed　for　the　fate　of　the　Land。　In　a　secret　and　perfidious　part　of　his　heart；　he　had　risked　his　question　only　because　he　trusted　Amok　to　give　him　an　unrevealing　answer。　Now　he　felt　like　a　liar。　Even　his　attempts　at　integrity　were　flawed。　But　his　relief　was　greater　than　his　self…distaste。
　That　relief　enabled　him　to　change　the　subject；　attempt　a　normal　conversation　with　the　High　Lord。　He　felt　as　awkward　as　a　cripple；　he　had　not　conversed　casually　with　another　person　since　before　the　onset　of　his　leprosy。　But　Elena　responded　willingly；　even　gladly；　she　weled　his　attention。　Soon　he　no　longer　had　to　search　for　leading　questions。
　For　some　time；　their　talk　floated　on　the　ambience　of　Trothgard。　As　they　climbed　westward　through　the　hills　and　woodlands　and　moors；　the　autumn　air　grew　crisper。　Birds　roved　the　countryside　in　deft　flits　and　soars。　The　cheerful　sunlight　stretched　as　if　it　might　burst　at　any　moment　into　sparkles　and　gleams。　In　it；　the　fall　colors　became　dazzling。　And　the　riders　began　to　see　more　animals…rabbits　and　squirrels；　plump　badgers；　occasional　foxes。　The　whole　atmosphere　seemed　to　suit　High　Lord　Elena。　Gradually；　Covenant　came　to　understand　this　aspect　of　Lordship。　Elena　was　at　home　in　Trothgard。　The　healing　of　Kurash　Plenethor　became　her。
　In　the　course　of　his　questions；　she　avoided　only　one　subject…her　childhood　experiences　with　the　Ranyhyn。　Something　about　her　young　rides　and　initiations　was
　too　private　to　be　treated　under　the　open　sky。　But　on　other　topics　she　replied　without　constraint。　She　al…　v　lowed　herself　to　be　led　into　talk　of　her　years　in　the　Loresraat；　of　Revelwood　and　Trothgard；　of　Revelstone　and　Lordship　and　power。　He　sensed　that　she　was　helping　him；　allowing　him；　cooperating；　and　he　x　was　grateful。　In　time；　he　no　longer　felt　maimed　during
　the　pauses　in　their　conversation。
　The　next　day　passed　similarly。　But　the　day　after　that；　this　unthreatened　mood　eluded　him。　He　lost　his　facility。　His　tongue　grew　stiff　with　remembered　loneliness；　and　his　beard　itched　irritably；　like　a　reminder　of　peril。　It's　impossible；　he　thought。　None　of　this　is　happening　to　me。　Deliberately；　driven　by　his　illness；　and　by　all　the　survival　disciplines　he　had　lost；　he　raised　the　question　of　High　Lord　Kevin。
　〃I　am　fascinated　by　him；〃　she　said；　and　the　core　of　stillness　in　her　voice　sounded　oddly　like　the　calm　in　the　eye　of　a　storm。　〃He　was　the　highest　of　all　Berek　Heartthew's　great　line…the　Lord　most　full　of　dominion　in　all　the　Land's　known　or　legended　history。　His　fidelity　to　the　Land　and　the　Earthpower　knew　neither　taint　nor　flaw。　His　friendship　with　the　Giants　was　a　matter　for　a　fine　song。　The　Ranyhyn　adored　him；　and　the　Bloodguard　wove　their　Vow　because　of　him。　If　he　had　a　fault；　it　was　in　excessive　trust…yet　how　can　E　trust　be　counted　for　blame？　At　the　first；　it　was　to　his　honor　that　the　Despiser　could　gain　Lordship　from　him…Lordship；　and　access　to　his　heart。　Was　not　Fangthane　witnessed　and　approved　by　the　orcrest　and　lomillialor　tests　of　truth？　Innocence　is　glorified　by　its　vulnerability。
　〃And　he　was　not　blind。　In　the　awful　secret　of　his　doubt；　he　refused　the　summons　which　would　have　taken　him　to　his　death　in　Treacher's　Gorge。　In　his　heart…wrung　foresight　or　prophecy；　he　made　decisions　which　preserved　the　Land's　future。　He　prepared　his　Wards。　He　provided　for　the　survival　of　the　Giants　and　the　Ranyhyn　and　the　Bloodguard。　He　warned　the　people。　And　then　with　his　own　hand　he　destroyed
　〃Thomas　Covenant；　there　are　some　who　believe　that　the　Ritual　of　Desecration　expressed　High　Lord
　Kevin's　highest　wisdom。　They　are　few；　but　eloquent。　The　mon　understanding　holds　that　Kevin　strove　to　achieve　that　paradox　of　purity　through　destruction　and　failed；　for　he　and　all　the　works　of　the　Lords　were　undone；　yet　the　Despiser　endured。　But　these　few　argue　that　the　final　despair　or　madness　with　which　Kevin　invoked　the　Ritual　was　a　necessary　sacrifice；　a　price　to　make　possible　ultimate　victory。　They　argue　that　his　preparations　and　then　the　Ritual　forcing　both　health　and　ill　to　begin　their　work　anew…were　enacted　to　provide　us　with　Fangthane's　defeat。　In　this　argument；　Kevin　foresaw　the　need　which　would　pel　the　Despiser　to　summon　white　gold　to　the　Land。〃
　〃He　must　have　been　sicker　than　I　thought；〃　Covenant　muttered。　〃Or　maybe　he　just　liked　desecrations。〃
　〃Neither；　I　think；〃　she　replied　tartly；　sternly。　〃He　was　a　brave　and　worthy　man　driven　to　extremity。　Any　mortal　or　unguarded　heart　may　be　brought　to　despair　…for　this　reason　we　cling　to　the　Oath　of　Peace。　And　for　this　same　reason　High　Lord　Kevin　fascinates　me。　He　avowed　the　Land；　and　defiled　it…in　the　same　breath　affirmed　and　denounced。〃　Her　voice　rose　on　the　inner　wind　of　her　emotion。　〃How　great　must　have　been　his　grief？　And　how　great　his　power　had　he　only　survived　that　last　consuming　moment…if；　after　beholding　the　Desecration；　and　hearing　the　Despiser's　glee；　he　had　lived　to　strike　one　more　blow！
　〃Thomas　Covenant；　I　believe　that　the