srdonaldson.thepowerthatpreserves-第54部分

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　　　　While　gray　daylight　spread　over　the　siege；　the　three　unbroken　bolts　jumped　and　gibbered　maniacally；　raged　at　the　silent　clouds；　drew　closer　to　each　other。　Behind　them；　the　army　began　to　howl　as　the　pressure　became　more　and　more　unendurable。
　　　　Lord　Amatin　dug　her　thin　fingers　into　the　flesh　of　Mhoram's　arm。　Quaan　had　crossed　his　arms　over　his　chest；　and　was　straining　against　himself　to　keep　from　shouting。　Borillar's　hands　scrubbed　fervidly　over　his　features　in　an　effort　to　erase　the　sensation　of　wrong。　His　staff　lay　useless　at　his　feet。　The　High　Lord　prayed　for　them　all　and　fought　his　dread。
　　　　Then；　abruptly；　the　Raver　whirled　his　Stone　and；　roaring；　threw　still　more　power　into　the　arc。
　　　　The　three　great　columns　of　lightning　sprang　together；　became　one。
　　　　The　earth　shook　with　thunder　in　answer　to　that　single；　prodigious　bolt。　At　once；　the　lightning　vanished；　though　samadhi　and　the　ur…viles　did　not　withdraw　their　power　from　the　arc。
　　　　The　thunder　continued；　tremors　jolted　the　ground。　In　moments；　the　tower　was　trembling　as　if　its　foundations　were　about　to　crack　open　and　swallow　it。
　　　　Immensely；　tortuously；　the　ground　of　the　foothills　began　to　shift。　It　writhed；　jerked；　cracked；　and　through　the　cracks；　stone　shapes　thrust　upward。　To　his　horror；　Mhoram　saw　the　forms　of　humans　and　Giants　and　horses　rip　themselves　out　of　the　earth。　The　forms　were　blunt；　misshapen；　insensate；　they　were　articulated　stone；　the　ancient　fossilized　remains　of　buried　bodies。
　　　　The　memory　of　Asuraka's　cry　from　Revelwood　echoed　in　Mhoram's　ears：　He　resurrected　the　old　death！

　　　　By　hundreds　and　then　thousands；　the　stone　shapes　heaved　up　out　of　the　ground。　Amid　the　colossal　thunder　of　the　breaking　earth；　they　thrust　free　of　their　millennia…long　graves　and　lumbered　blindly　toward　the　gates　of　Revelstone。
　　　　〃Defend　the　tower！〃　Mhoram　cried　to　Quaan。　〃But　do　not　waste　lives。　Amatin！　Fight　here！　Flee　if　the　tower　falls。　I　go　to　the　gates。〃
　　　　But　when　he　spun　away　from　the　parapet；　he　collided　with　Hearthrall　Tohrm。　Tohrm　caught　hold　of　him；　stopped　him。　Yet　in　spite　of　the　High　Lord's　urgency；　a　long　moment　passed　before　Tohrm　could　bring　himself　to　speak。
　　　　At　last；　he　wrenched　out；　〃The　tunnel　is　defended。〃
　　　　〃Who？〃　Mhoram　snapped。
　　　　〃The　Lord　Trevor　ordered　all　others　away。　He　and　Trell　Gravelingas　support　the　gates。〃
　　　　〃Melenkurion！〃　Mhoram　breathed。　〃Melenkurion　abatha！〃　He　turned　back　to　the　parapet。
　　　　Below　him；　the　dead；　voiceless　shapes　had　almost　reached　the　base　of　the　tower。　Arrows　flew　at　them　from　hundreds　of　bows；　but　the　shafts　glanced　uselessly　off　the　earthen　forms　and　fell　flaming　to　the　ground　without　effect。
　　　　He　hesitated；　muttering　to　himself　in　extreme　astonishment。　The　breaking　of　the　Law　of　Death　had　consequences　beyond　anything　he　had　imagined。　Thousands　of　the　gnarled　shapes　were　already　massed　and　marching；　and　at　every　moment　thousands　more　struggled　up　from　the　ground；　writhed　into　motion　like　lost　souls　and　obeyed　the　mand　of　Sheol　Satansfist's　power。
　　　　But　then　the　first　shape　set　its　hands　on　the　gates；　and　High　Lord　Mhoram　sprang　forward。　Whirling　his　staff；　he　sent　a　blast　down　the　side　of　the　tower；　struck　the　dead　form　where　it　stood。　At　the　impact　of　his　Lords…fire；　it　shattered　like　sandstone　and　fell　into　dirt。
　　　　At　once；　he　and　Lord　Amatin　set　to　work　with　all　their　might。　Their　staffs　rang　and　fired；　rained　blue　strength　like　hammer　blows　down　on　the　marching　shapes。　And　every　blow　broke　the　dead　into　sand。　But　every　one　that　fell　was　replaced　by　a　score　of　others。　Across　all　the　terrain　between　the　watchtower　and　Satansfist's　arc；　the　ground　heaved　and　buckled；　pitching　new　forms　into　motion　like　beings　dredged　up　from　the　bottommost　muck　of　a　lifeless　sea。　First　one　by　one；　then　by　tens；　scores；　fifties；　they　reached　the　gates　and　piled　against　them。
　　　　Through　the　stone；　Mhoram　could　feel　the　strain　on　the　gates　mounting。　He　could　feel　Trevor's　fire　and　Trell's　mighty　subterranean　song　supporting　the　interlocked　gates；　while　hundreds；　thousands；　of　the　blind；　mute　forms　pressed　against　them；　crushed　forward　in　lifeless　savagery　like　an　avalanche　leaping　impossibly　up　out　of　the　ground。　He　could　feel　the　groaning　retorts　of　pressure　as　if　the　bones　of　the　tower　were　grinding　together。　And　still　the　dead　came；　shambling　out　of　the　earth　until　they　seemed　as　vast　as　the　Raver's　army　and　as　irresistible　as　a　cataclysm。　Mhoram　and　Amatin　broke　hundreds　of　them　and　had　no　effect。
　　　　Behind　the　High　Lord；　Tohrm　was　on　his　knees；　sharing　the　tower's　pain　with　his　hands　and　sobbing　openly；　〃Revelstone！　Oh；　Revelstone；　alas！　Oh；　Revelstone；　Revelstone！〃
　　　　Mhoram　tore　himself　away　from　the　fighting；　caught　hold　of　Tohrm's　tunic；　hauled　the　Hearthrall　to　his　feet。　Into　Tohrm's　broken　face；　he　shouted；　〃Gravelingas！　Remember　who　you　are！　You　are　the　Hearthrall　of　Lord's　Keep。〃
　　　　〃I　am　nothing！〃　Tohrm　wept。　〃Ah！　the　Earth…！〃
　　　　〃You　are　Hearthrall　and　Gravelingas！　Hear　me…I；　High　Lord　Mhoram；　mand　you。　Study　this　attack…learn　to　know　it。　The　inner　gates　must　not　fall。　The　rhadhamaerl　must　preserve　Revelstone's　inner　gates！〃
　　　　He　felt　the　change　in　the　attack。　Satansfist's　Stone　now　threw　bolts　against　the　gates。　Amatin　tried　to　resist；　but　the　Raver　brushed　her　efforts　aside　as　if　they　were　nothing。　Yet　Mhoram　stayed　with　Tohrm；　focused　his　strength　on　the　Hearthrall　until　Tohrm　met　the　demand　of　his　eyes　and　hands。
　　　　〃Who　will　mourn　the　stone　if　I　do　not？〃　Tohrm　moaned。
　　　　Mhoram　controlled　his　desire　to　yell。　〃No　harm　will　receive　its　due　grief　if　we　do　not　survive。〃
　　　　The　next　instant；　he　forgot　Tohrm；　forgot　everything　except　the　silent　screams　that　detonated　through　him　from　the　base　of　the　tower。　Over　Trell's　shrill　rage　and　the　vehemence　of　Trevor's　fire；　the　gates　shrieked　in　agony。
　　　　A　shattering　concussion　convulsed　the　stone。　The　people　atop　the　tower　fell；　tumbled　across　the　floor。　Huge　thunder　like　a　howl　of　victory　crashed　somewhere　between　earth　and　sky；　as　if　the　very　firmament　of　existence　had　been　rent　asunder。
　　　　The　gates　split　inward。
　　　　Torrents　of　dead　stone　flooded　into　the　tunnel　under　the　tower。
　　　　Mhoram　was　shouting　at　Quaan　and　Amatin；　〃Defend　the　tower！〃　The　shaking　subsided；　and　he　staggered　erect。　Pulling　Tohrm　with　him；　he　yelled；　〃e！　Rally　the　Gravelingases！　The　inner　gates　must　not　fall。〃　Though　the　tower　was　still　trembling；　he　started　toward　the　stairs。
　　　　But　before　he　could　descend；　he　heard　a　rush　of　cries；　human　cries。　An　anguish　like　rage　lashed　through　the　roiling　throng　of　his　emotions。　〃Quaan！〃　he　roared；　though　the　old　Warmark　had　almost　caught　up　with　him。　〃The　warriors　attack！〃　Quaan　nodded　bitterly　as　he　reached　Mhoram's　side。　〃Stop　them！　They　cannot　fight　these　dead。　Swords　will　not　avail。〃
　　　　With　Tohrm　and　Quaan；　the　High　Lord　raced　down　the　stairs；　leaving　Amatin　to　wield　her　fire　from　the　edge　of　the　parapet。
　　　　Quaan　went　straight　down　through　the　tower；　but　Mhoram　took　Tohrm　out　over　the　courtyard　between　the　tower　and　the　Keep　on　the　highest　crosswalk。　From　there；　he　saw　that　Trell　and　Lord　Trevor　had　already　been　driven　back　out　of　the　tunnel。　They　were　fighting　for　their　lives　against　the　slow；　blind　march　of　the　dead。　Trevor　exerted　an　extreme　force　like　nothing　Mhoram　had　ever　seen　in　him　before；　battering　the　foremost　attackers；　breaking　them　rapidly；　continuously；　into　sand。　And　Trell　wielded　in　both　hands　a　massive　fragment　of　one　gate。　He　used　the　fragment　like　a　club　with　such　ferocious　strength　that　even　shapes　vaguely　resembling　horses　and　Giants　went　down　under　his　blows。
　　　　But　the　two　men　had　no　chance。　Swords　and　spears　and　arrows　had　no　effect　on　the　marching　shapes；　scores　of　warriors　who　leaped　into　the　tunnel　and　the　courtyard　were　simply　crushed　underfoot；　and　the　cries　of　the　crushed　were　fearful　to　hear。　While　Mhoram　watched；　the　dead　pushed　Trell　and　Trevor　back　past　the　old　Gilden　tree　toward　the　closed　inner　gates。
　　　　Mhoram　shouted　to　the　warriors　on　the　battlements　below　him；　manding　them　to　stay　out　of　the　courtyard。　Then　he　ran　across　to　the　Keep　and　dashed　down　the　stairways　toward　the　lower　levels。　With　Tohrm　behind　him；　he　reached　the　first　abutment　over　the　inner　gates　in　time　to　see　Cavewights　spill　through　the　tunnel；　squirming　their　way　among　the　dead　to　attack　the　side　doors　which　provided　the　only　access　to　the　tower。
　　　　Some　of　them　fell　at　once　with　arrows　in　their　throats　and　bellies；　and　others　were　cut　down　by　the　few　warriors　in　the　court　who　had　avoided　being　crushed。　But　their　thick；　heavy　jerkins　protected　them　from　most　of　the　shafts　and　swords。　With　their　great　strength　and　their　knowledge　of　stone；　they　threw　themselves　at　the　doors。　And　soon　the　gangrel　creatures　were　swarming　through　the　tunnel　in　large　numbers。　The　High　Lord　saw　that　the　warriors　alone　could　not　keep　samadhi's　creatures　out　of　the　tower。
　　　　For　a　harsh　moment；　he　pushed　Trevor　and　Trell；　Cavewights；　warriors；　animated　dead　earth　from　his　mind；　and　faced　the　decision　he　had　to　make。　If　Revelstone　were　to　retain　any　viable　defense；　either　the　tower　or　the　inner　gates　must　be　preserved。　Without　the　gates；　the　tower　might　still　restr