srdonaldson.thepowerthatpreserves-第83部分

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eir　mark　upon　you。〃）　The　Mane…thralls　permitted　only　two　Cords；　Whane　and　Lal；　to　aid　in　the　search。　For　during　the　night；　a　change　had　e　over　the　Ranyhyn。　To　the　surprise　and　joy　of　the　Ramen；　the　great　horses　had　unexpectedly　started　south　toward　the　sanctuary　of　the　mountains。　The　Ramen　followed　at　once。　Only　their　mixed　awe　and　concern　for　the　Ringthane　induced　them　to　give　Bannor　and　Foamfollower　any　aid　at　all。
　　　　So　the　four　of　them　began　the　hunt。　But　they　had　lost　too　much　time；　wind　and　snow　had　obscured　the　trail。　They　lost　it　south　of　the　Roamsedge　and　could　find　no　trace　of　Covenant。　At　last　they　concluded　that　he　must　have　gained　other　aid　to　take　him　eastward。　Together　the　four　made　what　haste　they　could　toward　the　Fall　of　the　River　Landrider。
　　　　The　journey　was　made　slow　and　arduous　by　kresh　packs　and　marauders；　and　the　four　feared　that　Covenant　would　have　left　the　Upper　Land　days　ago。　But　when　they　neared　the　Colossus；　they　came　upon　a　band　of　ur…viles　acpanied　by　the　Raver；　Herem…Triock。　Then　the　four　were　dismayed　to　see　that　the　band　bore　with　it　the　Unbeliever；　prostrate　as　if　he　were　dead。
　　　　The　four　attacked；　slew　the　ur…viles。　But　they　could　not　prevent　the　call　which　Herem　sent。　And　before　they　could　defeat　Herem；　rescue　Covenant；　and　retrieve　the　ring；　that　call　was　answered　by　the　dead　Elena；　wielding　the　Staff　of　Law。　She　mastered　the　four　effortlessly。　Then　she　gave　Whane　to　Herem；　so　that　Triock's　anguish　would　be　more　poignant。　When　Jehannum　came　to　her；　that　Raver　entered　Lal。　Covenant　knew　the　rest。
　　　　Bannor　and　Foamfollower　had　seen　no　sign　of　Lena。　They　did　not　know　what　had　delayed　Covenant's　arrival　at　Landsdrop。
　　　　As　Bannor　finished；　Foamfollower　growled　in　angry　disgust；　〃Stone　and　Sea！　She　has　made　me　unclean。　I　must　bathe…I　will　need　a　sea　to　wash　away　this　coercion。〃
　　　　Bannor　nodded。　〃I；　also。〃
　　　　But　neither　of　them　moved；　though　the　River　Landrider　was　nearby　beyond　a　low　line　of　hills。　Covenant　knew　they　were　holding　themselves　at　his　disposal；　they　seemed　to　sense　that　he　needed　them。　And　they　had　questions　of　their　own。　But　he　felt　unready　for　the　things　he　would　have　to　say。　After　a　silence；　he　asked　painfully；'　Triock　summoned　me…and　he's　dead。　Why　am　I　still　here？〃
　　　　Foamfollower　mused　briefly；　then　said；　〃Perhaps　because　the　Law　of　Death　has　been　broken…perhaps　it　was　that　Law　which　formerly　sent　you　from　the　Land　when　your　summoner　died。　Or　perhaps　it　is　because　I　also　had　a　hand　in　this　call。〃
　　　　Yes；　Covenant　sighed　to　himself。　His　debt　to　Triock　was　hardly　less　than　what　he　owed　Foamfollower。
　　　　He　could　not　shirk　the　responsibility　any　longer；　he　forced　himself　to　describe　what　had　happened　to　Lena。
　　　　His　voice　was　dull　as　he　spoke　of　her…an　old　woman　brought　to　a　bloody　and　graveless　end　because　in　her　confusion　she　clung　to　the　man　who　had　harmed　her。　And　her　death　was　only　the　most　recent　tragedy　in　her　family。　First　and　last；　her　people　had　borne　the　brunt　of　him：　Trell　Gravelingas；　Atiaran　Trell…mate；　High　Lord　Elena；　Lena　herself…he　had　ruined　them　all。　Such　things　altered　him；　made　a　different　man　of　him。　That　made　it　possible　for　him　to　ask　another　question　after　he　had　told　all　he　knew　of　his　own　tale。
　　　　〃Foamfollower〃…he　framed　his　inquiry　as　carefully　as　he　could…　〃it's　none　of　my　business。　But　Pietten　said　some　terrible　things　about　you。　Or　he　meant　them　to　be　terrible。　He　said…〃　But　he　could　not　say　the　words。　No　matter　how　he　uttered　them；　they　would　sound　like　an　accusation。
　　　　The　Giant　sighed；　and　his　whole　frame　sagged。　He　studied　his　intertwined　hands　as　if　somewhere　in　their　clasped　gentleness　and　butchery　were　a　secret　he　could　not　unclose；　but　he　no　longer　evaded　the　question。　〃He　said　that　I　betrayed　my　kinfolk…that　the　Giants　of　Seareach　died　to　the　last　child　at　the　hands　of　turiya　Raver　because　I　abandoned　them。　It　is　true。〃
　　　　Foamfollower！　Covenant　moaned。　My　friend！　Sorrow　welled　up　in　him；　almost　made　him　weep　again。
　　　　Abstractedly；　Bannor　said；　〃Many　things　were　lost　in　The　Grieve　that　day。〃
　　　　〃　Yes。〃　Foamfollower　blinked　as　if　he　were　trying　to　hold　back　tears；　but　his　eyes　were　dry；　as　parched　as　a　wilderland。　〃Yes…many　things。　Among　them　I　was　the　least。
　　　　〃Ah；　Covenant；　how　can　I　tell　you　of　it？　This　tongue　has　no　words　long　enough　for　the　tale。　No　word　can　enpass　the　love　for　a　lost　homeland；　or　the　anguish　of　diminishing　seed；　or　the　pride…the　pride　in　fidelity…　That　fidelity　was　our　only　reply　to　our　extinction。　We　could　not　have　borne　our　decline　if　we　had　not　taken　pride。
　　　　〃So　my　people…the　Giants…I　also；　in　my　own　way…the　Giants　were　filled　with　horror…with　abhorrence　so　deep　that　it　numbed　the　very　marrow　of　their　bones…when　they　saw　their　pride　riven…torn　from　them　like　rotten　sails　in　the　wind。　They　foundered　at　the　sight。　They　saw　the　portent　of　their　hope　of　Home…the　three　brothers…changed　from　fidelity　to　the　most　potent　ill　by　one　small　stroke　of　the　Despiser's　evil。　Who　in　the　Land　could　hope　to　stand　against　a　Giant…Raver？　Thus　the　Unhomed　became　the　means　to　destroy　that　to　which　they　had　held　themselves　true。　And　in　horror　at　the　naught　of　their　fidelity；　their　folly　practiced　through　long　centuries　of　pride；　they　were　transfixed。　Their　revulsion　left　no　room　in　them　for　thought　or　resistance　or　choice。　Rather　than　behold　the　cost　of　their　failure…rather　than　risk　the　chance　that　more　of　them　would　be　made　Soulcrusher's　servants…they…they　elected　to　be　slain。
　　　　〃I　also…in　my　way；　I　was　horrified　as　well。　But　I　had　already　seen　what　they　had　not；　until　that　moment。　I　had　seen　myself　bee　what　I　hated。　Alone　of　all　my　kindred；　I　was　not　surprised。　It　was　not　the　vision　of　a　Giant…Raver　which　horrified　me。　It　was　my…my　own　people。
　　　　〃Ah！　Stone　and　Sea！　They　appalled　me。　I　stormed　at　them…I　ran　through　The　Grieve　like　a　dark　sea　of　madness；　howling　at　their　abandonment；　raging　to　strike　one　spark　of　resistance　in　the　drenched　tinder　of　their　hearts。　But　they…they　put　away　their　tools；　and　banked　their　fires；　and　made　ready　their　homes　as　if　in　preparation　for　departure…''　Abruptly；　his　suppressed　passion　broke　into　a　cry。　〃My　people！　I　could　not　bear　it！　I　fled　them　with　abjection　crowding　at　my　heart…fled　them　lest　I；　too；　should　fall　into　their　dismay。　Therefore　they　were　slain。　I　who　might　have　fought　the　Raver　deserted　them　in　the　deepest　blackness　of　their　need。〃　Unable　to　contain　himself　any　longer；　he　heaved　to　his　feet。　His　raw；　scourged　voice　rasped　thickly　in　his　throat。　〃I　am　unclean。　I　must…wash。〃
　　　　Holding　himself　stiffly　upright；　he　turned　and　lumbered　away　toward　the　river。
　　　　The　helplessness　of　Covenant's　pain　came　out　as　anger。　His　own　voice　shook　as　he　muttered　to　Banner；　〃If　you　say　one　word　to　blame　him；　I　swear…〃
　　　　Then　he　stopped　himself。　He　had　accused　Bannor　unjustly　too　often　in　the　past；　the　Bloodguard　had　long　ago　earned　better　treatment　than　this　from　him。　But　Bannor　only　shrugged。　〃I　am　a　Haruchai；　〃　he　said。　〃We　also　are　not　immune。　Corruption　wears　many　faces。　Blame　is　a　more　enticing　face　than　others；　but　it　is　none　the　less　a　mask　for　the　Despiser。''
　　　　His　speech　made　Covenant　look　at　him　closely。　Something　came　up　between　them　that　had　never　been　laid　to　rest；　neither　on　Gallows　Howe　nor　in　the　Ramen　covert。　It　wore　the　aspect　of　habitual　Bloodguard　distrust；　but　as　he　met　Banner's　eyes；　Covenant　sensed　that　the　issue　was　a　larger　one。
　　　　Without　inflection；　Bannor　went　on：　〃Hate　and　vengeance　are　also　masks。〃
　　　　Covenant　was　struck　by　how　much　the　Bloodguard　had　aged。　His　mortality　had　accelerated。　His　hair　was　the　same　silver　as　his　eyebrows；　his　skin　had　a　sere　appearance；　as　if　it　had　started　to　wither；　and　his　wrinkles　looked　oddly　fatal；　like　gullies　of　death　in　his　countenance。　Yet　his　steady　dispassion　seemed　as　plete　as　ever。　He　did　not　look　like　a　man　who　had　deserted　his　sworn　loyalty　to　the　Lords。
　　　　〃Ur…Lord；〃　he　said　evenly；　〃what　will　you　do？〃
　　　　〃Do？〃　Covenant　did　his　best　to　match　the　Bloodguard；　though　he　could　not　look　at　Banner's　aging　without　remorse。　〃I　still　have　work　to　do。　I've　got　to　go　to　Foul's　Creche。〃
　　　　〃For　what　purpose？〃
　　　　〃I've　got　to　stop　him。〃
　　　　〃High　Lord　Elena　also　strove　to　stop　him。　You　have　seen　the　oute。〃
　　　　〃Yes。〃　Covenant　did　full　justice　to　Banner's　statement。　But　he　did　not　falter。　〃I've　got　to　find　a　better　answer　than　she　did。〃
　　　　〃Do　you　make　this　choice　out　of　hate？〃
　　　　He　met　the　question　squarely。　〃I　don't　know。〃
　　　　〃Then　why　do　you　go？〃
　　　　〃Because　I　must。〃　That　must　carried　the　weight　of　an　irrefusable　necessity。　The　escape　he　had　envisioned　when　he　had　left　Morinmoss　did　not　suffice。　The　Land's　need　held　him　like　a　harness。　〃I've　done　so　many　things　wrong。　I've　got　to　try　to　make　them　right。〃
　　　　Bannor　considered　this　for　a　moment；　then　asked　bluntly；　〃Do　you　know　then　how　to　make　use　of　the　wild　magic？〃
　　　　〃No；〃　Covenant　answered。　〃Yes。〃　He　hesitated；　not　because　he　doubted　his　reply；　but　because　he　was　reluctant　to　say　it　aloud。　But　his　sense　of　what　was　unresolved　between　him　and　Bannor　had　bee　clearer；　something　more　than　distrust　was　at　stake。　〃I　don't　know　how　to　call　it　up；　do　anything　with　it。　But　I　know　how　to