srdonaldson.thepowerthatpreserves-第71部分

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e　and　a　delusion。　It　cannot　be　controlled。　It　strikes　the　hand　that　wields　it。　Better　to　die　in　the　name　of　Peace　than　to　buy　one　day　of　survival　at　the　cost　of　such　peril！〃
　　　　Again；　Mhoram　had　no　answer。　He　could　not　name　the　reasons　behind　his　question。　Only　the　cold　foreboding　in　his　bones　impelled　him；　told　him　that　unknown　horrors　stalked　the　Land　in　places　far　distant　from　Revelstone。　When　Amatin　concluded　grimly；　〃Do　you　fear　that　ur…Lord　Covenant　may　yet　Desecrate　us？〃　he　could　not　deny　that　he　was　afraid。
　　　　So　the　Council　ended　without　issue；　and　the　Lords　went　back　to　the　defense　of　the　Keep。
　　　　Still　the　fighting　went　on　without　surcease。　For　four　more　days；　the　Lords　wielded　their　staff　fire　with　all　the　might　and　cunning　they　could　conceive…and　the　Warward　drove　itself　beyond　its　weariness　as　if　it　could　not　be　daunted…and　the　other　people　of　Revelstone　did　their　utmost　to　hurl　Cavewights；　ur…viles；　Stone…spawn；　from　the　walls。　But　Satansfist　did　not　relent。　He　pressed　his　assault　as　if　his　losses　were　meaningless；　spent　whole　panies　of　his　creatures　to　do　any　kind　of　damage　to　the　city；　however　small。　And　the　accumulating　price　that　Lord's　Keep　paid　for　its　endurance　grew　more　terrible　day　by　day。
　　　　During　the　fifth　day；　Mhoram　withdrew　from　the　battle　to　inspect　the　condition　of　the　city。　Warmark　Quaan　joined　him；　and　when　they　had　seen　the　fatal　diminishment　of　the　stores；　had　taken　the　toll　of　lost　lives；　Quaan　met　Mhoram's　gaze　squarely　and　said　with　a　tremor　in　his　brusque　voice；　〃We　will　fall。　If　this　Raver　does　not　raise　another　finger　against　us；　still　we　will　fall。〃
　　　　Mhoram　held　his　old　friend's　eyes。　〃How　long　can　we　hold？〃
　　　　〃Thirty　days…at　most。　No　more。　Forty…if　we　deny　food　to　the　ill；　and　the　injured；　and　the　infirm。〃
　　　　〃We　will　not　deny　food　to　any　who　yet　live。〃
　　　　〃Thirty；　then。　Less；　if　my　warriors　lose　strength　and　permit　any　breach　of　the　walls。〃　He　faltered　and　his　eyes　fell。　〃High　Lord；　does　it　e　to　this？　Is　this　the　end…for　us…for　the　Land？〃
　　　　Mhoram　put　a　firm　hand　on　Quaan's　shoulder。　〃No；　my　friend。　We　have　not　e　to　the　last　of　ourselves。　And　the　Unbeliever…　Do　not　forget　Thomas　Covenant。〃
　　　　That　name　brought　back　Quaan's　war…hardness。　〃I　would　forget　him　if　I　could。　He　will…〃
　　　　〃Softly；　Warmark；''　Mhoram　interrupted　evenly。　''Do　not　be　abrupt　to　prophesy　doom。　There　are　mysteries　in　the　Earth　of　which　we　know　nothing。〃
　　　　After　a　moment；　Quaan　murmured；　〃Do　you　yet　trust　him？〃
　　　　The　High　Lord　did　not　hesitate。　〃I　trust　that　Despite　is　not　the　sum　of　life。〃
　　　　Quaan　gazed　back　into　this　answer　as　if　he　were　trying　to　find　its　wellspring。　Some　protest　or　plea　moved　in　his　face；　but　before　he　could　speak；　a　messenger　came　to　recall　him　to　the　fighting。　At　once；　he　turned　and　strode　away。
　　　　Mhoram　watched　his　stern　back　for　a　moment；　then　bestirred　himself　to　visit　the　Healers。　He　wanted　to　know　if　any　progress　had　been　made　with　Trell　Atiaran…mate。
　　　　In　the　low　groaning　hall　which　the　Healers　had　made　into　a　hospital　for　the　hundreds　of　injured　men　and　women；　Mhoram　found　the　big　Gravelingas　sprawled　like　a　wreck　on　a　pallet　in　the　center　of　the　floor。　A　fierce　brain…fever　had　wasted　him。　To　Mhoram's　cold　dread；　he　looked　like　the　incarnated　fate　of　all　Covenant's　victims…a　fleshless　future　crouched　in　ambush　for　the　Land。　The　High　Lord's　hands　trembled。　He　did　not　believe　he　could　bear　to　watch　that　ineluctable　ravage　happen。
　　　　〃At　first；　we　placed　him　near　the　wall；〃　one　of　the　attendants　said　softly；　〃so　that　he　would　be　near　stone。　But　he　recoiled　from　it　in　terror。　Therefore　we　have　laid　him　here。　He　does　not　recover…but　he　no　longer　shrieks。　Our　efforts　to　succor　him　are　confounded。〃
　　　　〃Covenant　will　make　restitution；〃　Mhoram　breathed　in　answer；　as　if　the　attendant　had　said　something　else。　〃He　must。〃
　　　　Trembling；　he　turned　away；　and　tried　to　find　relief　for　his　dismay　in　the　struggle　of　Revelstone。
　　　　The　next　night；　samadhi　changed　his　tactics。　Under　cover　of　darkness；　a　band　of　Cavewights　rushed　forward　and　clambered　up　onto　one　of　the　main　battlements；　and　when　warriors　ran　out　to　meet　the　attack；　two　ur…vile　wedges　hidden　in　the　night　near　the　walls　swiftly　formed　Forbid…dings　across　the　ends　of　the　battlement；　thus　trapping　the　warriors；　preventing　any　escape　or　rescue。　Two　Eoman　were　caught　and　slaughtered　by　the　ur…viles　before　Lord　Amatin　was　able　to　break　down　one　of　the　Forbiddings。
　　　　The　same　pattern　was　repeated　simultaneously　at　several　points　around　the　Keep。
　　　　Warmark　Quaan　had　lost　more　than　eightscore　warriors　before　he　grasped　the　purpose　of　these　tactics。　They　were　not　intended　to　break　into　Revelstone；　but　rather　to　kill　defenders。
　　　　So　the　Lords　were　pelled　to　bear　the　brunt　of　defending　against　these　new　assaults；　a　Forbidding　was　an　exercise　of　power　which　only　they　were　equipped　to　counter。　As　long　as　darkness　covered　the　approach　of　the　ur…viles；　the　attacks　continued；　allowing　the　Lords　no　chance　to　rest。　And　when　dawn　came；　Sheol　Satansfist　resumed　the　previous　strategy　of　his　assault。
　　　　After　four　nights　of　this；　Mhoram　and　his　rades　were　near　exhaustion。　Each　Forbidding　cost　two　of　them　an　arduous　exertion；　one　Lord　could　not　counteract　the　work　of　three…　or　fivescore　ur…viles　swiftly　enough。　As　a　result；　Amatin　was　now　as　pale　and　hollow…eyed　as　an　invalid；　Loerya's　once…sturdy　muscles　seemed　to　hang　like　ropes　of　mortality　on　her　bones；　and　Trevor's　eyes　flinched　at　everything　he　saw；　as　if　even　in　the　deepest　safety　of　the　Keep　he　was　surrounded　by　ghouls。　Mhoram　himself　felt　that　he　had　a　great　weight　leaning　like　misery　against　his　heart。　They　could　all　taste　the　accuracy　of　Quaan's　dire　predictions；　and　they　were　sickening　on　the　flavor。
　　　　During　a　brief　moment　of　dazed　half…sleep　late　that　fourth　night；　the　High　Lord　found　himself　murmuring；　〃Covenant；　Covenant；〃　as　if　he　were　trying　to　remind　the　Unbeliever　of　a　promise。
　　　　But　the　next　morning　the　attacks　stopped。　A　silence　like　the　quietude　of　open　graves　blew　into　Revelstone　on　the　wind。　All　the　creatures　had　returned　to　their　encampment；　and　in　their　absence　Revelstone　panted　and　quivered　like　a　scourged　prisoner　between　lashes。　Mhoram　took　the　opportunity　to　eat；　but　he　put　food　into　his　mouth　without　seeing　it　and　chewed　without　tasting　it。　In　the　back　of　his　mind；　he　was　trying　to　measure　the　remnant　of　his　endurance。　Yet　he　responded　immediately　when　a　messenger　hastened　up　to　him；　informed　him　that　samadhi　Raver　was　approaching　the　Keep　alone。
　　　　Protected　by　flanks　of　archers　from　any　attack　by　the　enemy　occupying　the　tower；　Mhoram　and　the　other　Lords　went　to　one　of　the　high　balconies　near　the　eastward　point　of　the　Keep　and　faced　Satansfist。
　　　　The　Giant…Raver　approached　sardonically；　with　a　swagger　of　confidence　and　a　spring　of　contempt　in　his　stride。　His　huge　fist　gripped　his　fragment　of　the　Stone；　and　it　steamed　frigidly　in　the　freezing　air。　He　stopped　just　beyond　effective　bow　range；　leered　up　at　the　Lords；　and　shouted　stertorously；　〃Hail；　Lords！　I　give　you　greeting！　Are　you　well？〃
　　　　〃Well！〃　Quaan　grated　under　his　breath。　〃Let　him　e　five　paces　nearer；　and　I　will　show　him　'well。'　〃
　　　　〃My　master　is　concerned　for　you！〃　samadhi　continued。　〃He　fears　that　you　have　begun　to　suffer　in　this　unnecessary　conflict！〃
　　　　The　High　Lord's　eyes　glinted　at　this　gibe。　〃Your　master　lives　for　the　suffering　of　others！　Do　you　wish　us　to　believe　that　he　has　eschewed　Despite？〃
　　　　〃He　is　amazed　and　saddened　that　you　resist　him。　Do　you　still　not　see　that　he　is　the　one　word　of　truth　in　this　misformed　world？　His　is　the　only　strength…the　one　right。　The　Creator　of　the　Earth　is　a　being　of　disdain　and　cruelty！　All　who　are　not　folly…blind　know　this。　All　who　are　not　cowards　in　the　face　of　the　truth　know　that　Lord　Foul　is　the　only　truth。　Has　your　suffering　taught　you　nothing？　Has　Thomas　Covenant　taught　you　nothing？　Surrender；　I　say！　Give　up　this　perverse　and　self…made　misery…surrender！　I　swear　to　you　that　you　will　stand　as　my　equals　in　the　service　of　Lord　Foul！''
　　　　In　spite　of　his　mordant　sarcasm；　the　Raver's　voice　carried　a　strange　power　of　persuasion。　The　might　of　the　Stone　was　in　his　words；　pelling　his　hearers　to　submit。　As　samadhi　spoke；　Mhoram　felt　that　the　flesh　of　his　resistance　was　being　carved　away；　leaving　his　bare　bones　exposed　to　the　winter。　His　throat　ached　at　the　taste　of　abdication；　and　he　had　to　swallow　heavily　before　he　could　reply。
　　　　〃Samadhi　Sheol；〃　he　croaked；　then　swallowed　again　and　focused　all　his　skeletal　resolve　in　his　voice。　〃Samadhi　Sheol！　You　mock　us；　but　we　are　not　mocked。　We　are　not　blind…we　see　the　atrocity　which　underlies　your　persuasion。　Begone！　Foul…chattel！　Take　this　army　of　torment　and　despication…return　to　your　master。　He　has　made　your　suffering…let　him　take　joy　in　it　while　he　can。　Even　as　we　stand　here；　the　days　of　his　might　are　numbered。　When　his　end　es　upon　him；　be　certain　he　will　do　nothing　to　preserve　your　miserable　being。　Begone；　Raver！　I　have　no　interest　in　your　cheap　taunts。〃
　　　　He　hoped　that　the　Raver　would　react　with　anger；　do　something　which　would　bring　him　within　reach　of　the　archers。　But　Satansfist　only　laughed。　Barking　with　savage　glee；　he　turned　away