uleg.thetombsofatuan-第10部分

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　the　days　of　Erreth…Akbe　and　Intathin；　was　lost。　No　one　knows　what　became　of　it。　And　that　was　a　lifetime　ago。〃
　　〃It　was　thrown　out　as　trash；　no　doubt；〃　Kossil　said。　〃They　say　it　doesn't　look　like　anything　of　value；　the　Ring　of　Erreth…Akbe。　A　curse　upon　it　and　upon　all　the　things　of　the　wizardfolk！〃　Kossil　spat　into　the　fire。
　　〃Have　you　seen　the　half　that　is　here？〃　Arha　asked　of　Thar。
　　The　thin　woman　shook　her　head。　〃It　is　in　that　treasury　to　which　none　may　e　but　the　One　Priestess。　It　may　be　the　greatest　of　all　the　treasures　there；　I　do　not　know。　I　think　perhaps　it　is。　For　hundreds　of　years　the　Inner　Lands　sent　thieves　and　wizards　here　to　try　to　steal　it　back；　and　they　would　pass　by　open　coffers　of　gold；　seeking　that　one　thing。　It　is　very　long　since　Erreth…Akbe　and　Intathin　lived；　and　yet　still　the　story　is　known　and　told；　both　here　and　in　the　West。　Most　things　grow　old　and　perish；　as　the　centuries　go　on　and　on。　Very　few　are　the　precious　things　that　remain　precious；　or　the　tales　that　are　still　told。〃
　　Arha　brooded　awhile　and　said；　〃They　must　have　been　very　brave　men；　or　very　stupid；　to　enter　the　Tombs。　Don't　they　know　the　powers　of　the　Nameless　Ones？〃
　　〃No；〃　Kossil　said　in　her　cold　voice。　〃They　have　no　gods。　They　work　magic；　and　think　they　are　gods　themselves。　But　they　are　not。　And　when　they　die；　they　are　not　reborn。　They　bee　dust　and　bone；　and　their　ghosts　whine　on　the　wind　a　little　while　till　the　wind　blows　them　away。　They　do　not　have　immortal　souls。〃
　　〃But　what　is　this　magic　they　work？〃　Arha　asked；　enthralled。　She　did　not　remember　having　said　once　that　she　would　have　turned　away　and　refused　to　look　at　the　ships　from　the　Inner　Lands。　〃How　do　they　do　it？　What　does　it　do？〃
　　〃Tricks；　deceptions；　jugglery；〃　Kossil　said。
　　〃Somewhat　more；〃　said　Thar；　〃if　the　tales　be　true　even　in　part。　The　wizards　of　the　West　can　raise　and　still　the　winds；　and　make　them　blow　whither　they　will。　On　that；　all　agree；　and　tell　the　same　tale。　That　is　why　they　are　great　sailors；　they　can　put　the　wind　of　magic　in　their　sails；　and　go　where　they　will；　and　hush　the　storms　at　sea。　And　it　is　said　that　they　can　make　light　at　will；　and　darkness；　and　change　rocks　to　diamonds；　and　lead　to　gold；　that　they　can　build　a　great　palace　or　a　whole　city　in　one　instant；　at　least　in　seeming；　that　they　can　turn　themselves　into　bears；　or　fish；　or　dragons；　just　as　they　please。〃
　　〃I　do　not　believe　all　that；〃　said　Kossil。　〃That　they　are　dangerous；　subtle　with　trickery；　slippery　as　eels；　yes。　But　they　say　that　if　you　take　his　wooden　staff　away　from　a　sorcerer；　he　has　no　power　left。　Probably　there　are　evil　runes　written　on　the　staff。〃
　　Thar　shook　her　head　again。　〃They　carry　a　staff；　indeed；　but　it　is　only　a　tool　for　the　power　they　bear　within　them。〃
　　〃But　how　do　they　get　the　power？〃　Arha　asked。　〃Where　does　it　e　from？〃
　　〃Lies；〃　Kossil　said。
　　〃Words；〃　said　Thar。　〃So　I　was　told　by　one　who　once　had　watched　a　great　sorcerer　of　the　Inner　Lands；　a　Mage　as　they　are　called。　They　had　taken　him　prisoner；　raiding　to　the　West。　He　showed　them　a　stick　of　dry　wood；　and　spoke　a　word　to　it。　And　lo！　it　blossomed。　And　he　spoke　another　word；　and　lo！　it　bore　red　apples。　And　he　spoke　one　word　more；　and　stick；　blossoms；　apples；　and　all　vanished；　and　with　them　the　sorcerer。　With　one　word　he　had　gone　as　a　rainbow　goes；　like　a　wink；　without　a　trace；　and　they　never　found　him　on　that　isle。　Was　that　mere　jugglery？〃
　　〃It's　easy　to　fool　fools；〃　Kossil　said。
　　Thar　said　no　more；　avoiding　argument　but　Arha　was　loath　to　have　the　subject　dropped。　〃What　do　the　wizard…folk　look　like；〃　she　asked；　〃are　they　truly　black　all　over；　with　white　eyes？〃
　　〃They　are　black　and　vile。　I　have　never　seen　one；〃　Kossil　said　with　satisfaction；　shifting　her　heavy　bulk　on　the　low　stool　and　spreading　her　hands　to　the　fire。
　　〃May　the　Twin　Gods　keep　them　afar；〃　Thar　muttered。
　　〃They　will　never　e　here　again；〃　said　Kossil。　And　the　fire　sputtered；　and　the　rain　spattered　on　the　roof；　and　outside　the　gloomy　doorway　Manan　cried　shrilly；　〃Aha！　A　half　for　me；　a　half！〃
　
　Light　Under　the　Hill
　　
　　As　the　year　was　rounding　again　towards　winter；　Thar　died。　In　the　summer　a　wasting　disease　had　e　upon　her；　she　who　had　been　thin　grew　skeletal；　she　who　had　been　grim　now　did　not　speak　at　all。　Only　to　Arha　would　she　talk；　sometimes；　when　they　were　alone　together；　then　even　that　ceased；　and　she　went　silently　into　the　dark。　When　she　was　gone；　Arha　missed　her　sorely。　If　Thar　had　been　stern；　she　had　never　been　cruel。　It　was　pride　she　had　taught　to　Arha；　not　fear。
　　Now　there　was　only　Kossil。
　　A　new　High　Priestess　for　the　Temple　of　the　Twin　Gods　would　e　in　spring　from　Awabath；　until　then；　Arha　and　Kossil　between　them　were　the　rulers　of　the　Place。　The　woman　called　the　girl　〃mistress；〃　and　should　obey　her　if　manded。　But　Arha　learned　not　to　mand　Kossil。　She　had　the　right　to　do　so；　but　not　the　strength；　it　would　take　very　great　strength　to　stand　up　against　Kossil's　jealousy　of　a　higher　status　than　her　own；　her　hatred　of　anything　she　herself　did　not　control。
　　Since　Arha　had　learned　（from　gentle　Penthe）　of　the　existence　of　unfaith；　and　had　accepted　it　as　a　reality　even　though　it　frightened　her；　she　had　been　able　to　look　at　Kossil　much　more　steadily；　and　to　understand　her。　Kossil　had　no　true　worship　in　her　heart　of　the　Nameless　Ones　or　of　the　gods。　She　held　nothing　sacred　but　power。　The　Emperor　of　the　Kargad　Lands　now　held　the　power；　and　therefore　he　was　indeed　a　godking　in　her　eyes；　and　she　would　serve　him　well。　But　to　her　the　temples　were　mere　show；　the　Tombstones　were　rocks；　the　Tombs　of　Atuan　were　dark　holes　in　the　ground；　terrible　but　empty。　She　would　do　away　with　the　worship　of　the　Empty　Throne；　if　she　could。　She　would　do　away　with　the　First　Priestess；　if　she　dared。
　　Arha　had　e　to　face　even　this　last　fact　quite　steadily。　Perhaps　Thar　had　helped　her　to　see　it；　though　she　had　never　said　anything　directly。　In　the　first　stages　of　her　illness；　before　the　silence　came　upon　her；　she　had　asked　Arha　to　e　to　her　every　few　days；　and　had　talked　to　her；　telling　her　much　about　the　doings　of　the　Godking　and　his　predecessor；　and　the　ways　of　Awabath　…　matters　which　she　should　as　an　important　priestess　know；　but　which　were　not　often　flattering　to　the　Godking　and　his　court。　And　she　had　spoken　of　her　own　life；　and　described　what　the　Arha　of　the　previous　life　had　looked　like　and　done；　and　sometimes；　not　often；　she　had　mentioned　what　might　be　the　difficulties　and　dangers　of　Arha's　present　life。　Not　once　did　she　mention　Kossil　by　name。　But　Arha　had　been　Thar's　pupil　for　eleven　years；　and　needed　no　more　than　a　hint　or　a　tone　to　understand；　and　to　remember。
　　After　the　gloomy　motion　of　the　Rites　of　Mourning　was　over；　Arha　took　to　avoiding　Kossil。　When　the　long　works　and　rituals　of　the　day　were　done；　she　went　to　her　solitary　dwelling；　and　whenever　there　was　time；　she　went　to　the　room　behind　the　Throne；　and　opened　the　trapdoor；　and　went　down　into　the　dark。　In　daytime　and　nighttime；　for　it　made　no　difference　there；　she　pursued　a　systematic　exploration　of　her　domain。　The　Undertomb；　with　its　great　weight　of　sacredness；　was　utterly　forbidden　to　any　but　priestesses　and　their　most　trusted　eunuchs。　Any　other；　man　or　woman；　who　ventured　there　would　certainly　be　struck　dead　by　the　wrath　of　the　Nameless　Ones。　But　among　all　the　rules　she　had　learned；　there　was　no　rule　forbidding　entry　to　the　Labyrinth。　There　was　no　need。　It　could　be　entered　only　from　the　Undertomb；　and　anyway；　do　flies　need　rules　to　tell　them　not　to　enter　in　a　spider's　web？
　　So　she　took　Manan　often　into　the　nearer　regions　of　the　Labyrinth；　that　he　might　learn　the　ways。　He　was　not　at　all　eager　to　go　there；　but　as　always　he　obeyed　her。　She　made　sure　that　Duby　and　Uahto；　Kossil's　eunuchs；　knew　the　way　to　the　Room　of　Chains　and　the　way　out　of　the　Undertomb；　but　no　more；　she　never　took　them　into　the　Labyrinth。　She　wanted　no　one　but　Manan；　utterly　faithful　to　her；　to　know　those　secret　ways。　For　they　were　hers；　hers　alone；　forever。　She　had　begun　her　full　exploration　with　the　Labyrinth。　All　the　autumn　she　spent　many　days　walking　those　endless　corridors；　and　still　there　were　regions　of　them　she　had　never　e　to。　There　was　a　weariness　in　that　tracing　of　the　vast；　meaningless　web　of　ways；　the　legs　got　tired　and　the　mind　got　bored；　forever　reckoning　up　the　turnings　and　the　passages　behind　and　to　e。　It　was　wonderful；　laid　out　in　the　solid　rock　underground　like　the　streets　of　a　great　city；　but　it　had　been　made　to　weary　and　confuse　the　mortal　walking　in　it；　and　even　its　priestess　must　feel　it　to　be　nothing；　in　the　end；　but　a　great　trap。
　　So；　more　and　more　as　winter　deepened；　she　turned　her　thorough　exploration　to　the　Hall　itself；　the　altars；　the　alcoves　behind　and　beneath　the　altars；　the　rooms　of　chests　and　boxes；　the　contents　of　the　chests　and　boxes；　the　passages　and　attics；　the　dusty　hollow　under　the　dome　where　hundreds　of　bats　nested；　the　basements　and　underbasements　that　were　the　anterooms　of　the　corridors　of　darkness。
　　Her　hands　and　sleeves　perfumed　with　the　dry　sweetness　of　a　musk　that　had　fallen　to　powder　lying　for　eight　centuries　in　an　iron　chest；　her　brow　smeared　with　the　clinging　black　of　cobweb；　she　would　kneel　for　an　hour　to　study　the　carvings　on　a　beautiful；　time…ruined　c