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uleg.thetombsofatuan-第5部分
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The girl had been sitting in her windowless room; supposedly meditating; actually doing nothing and thinking almost nothing。 It took some time for the fixed; dull; haughty expression of her face to change。 Yet it did change; though she tried to conceal it。 She said; with a certain slyness; 〃The Labyrinth?〃
〃We will not enter the Labyrinth。 But it will be necessary to cross the Undertomb。〃
There was a tone in Kossil's voice that might have been fear; or might have been a pretense of fear; intended to frighten Arha。 The girl stood up without haste and said indifferently; 〃Very well。〃 But in her heart; as she followed the heavy figure of the Godking's priestess; she exulted: At last! At last! I shall see my own domain at last!
She was fifteen。 It was over a year since she had made her crossing into womanhood and at the same time had e into her full powers as the One Priestess of the Tombs of Atuan; highest of all high priestesses of the Kargad Lands; one whom not even the Godking himself might mand。 They all bowed the knee to her now; even grim Thar and Kossil。 All spoke to her with elaborate deference。 But nothing had changed。 Nothing happened。 Once the ceremonies of her consecration were over; the days went on as they had always gone。 There was wool to be spun; black cloth to be woven; meal to be ground; rites to be performed; the Nine Chants must be sung nightly; the doorways blessed; the Stones fed with goat's blood twice a year; the dances of the dark of the moon danced before the Empty Throne。 And so the whole year had passed; just as the years before it had passed; and were all the years of her life to pass so?
Her boredom rose so strong in her sometimes that it felt like terror: it took her by the throat。 Not long ago she had been driven to speak of it。 She had to talk; she thought; or she would go mad。 It was Manan she talked to。 Pride kept her from confiding in the other girls; and caution kept her from confession to the older women; but Manan was nothing; a faithful old bellwether; it didn't matter what she said to him。 To her surprise he had had an answer for her。
〃Long ago;〃 he said; 〃you know; little one; before our four lands joined together into an empire; before there was a Godking over us all; there were a lot of lesser kings; princes; chiefs。 They were always quarreling with each other。 And they'd e here to settle their quarrels。 That was how it was; they'd e from our land Atuan; and from Karego…At; and Atnini; and even from Hur…at…Hur; all the chiefs and princes with their servants and their armies。 And they'd ask you what to do。 And you'd go before the Empty Throne; and give them the counsel of the Nameless Ones。 Well; that was long ago。 After a while the Priest…Kings came to rule all of Karego…At; and soon they were ruling Atuan; and now for four or five lifetimes of men the Godkings have ruled all the four lands together; and made them an empire。 And so things are changed。 The Godking can put down the unruly chiefs; and settle all the quarrels himself。 And being a god; you see; he doesn't have to consult the Nameless Ones very often。〃
Arha stopped to think this over。 Time did not mean very much; here in the desert land; under the unchanging Stones; leading a life that had been led in the same way since the beginning of the world。 She was not accustomed to thinking about things changing; old ways dying and new ones arising。 She did not find it fortable to look at things in that light。 〃The powers of the Godking are much less than the powers of the Ones I serve;〃 she said; frowning。
〃Surely。。。 Surely。。。 But one doesn't go about saying that to a god; little honeyb。 Nor to his priestess。〃
And catching his small; brown; twinkling eye; she thought of Kissil; High Priestess of the Godking; whom she had feared ever since she first came to the Place; and she took his meaning。
〃But the Godking; and his people; are neglecting the worship of the Tombs。 No one es。〃
〃Well; he sends prisoners here to sacrifice。 He doesn't neglect that。 Nor the gifts due to the Nameless Ones。〃
〃Gifts! His temple is painted fresh every year; there's a hundredweight of gold on the altar; the lamps burn attar of roses! And look at the Hall of the Throne… holes in the roof; and the dome cracking; and the walls full of mice; and owls; and bats。。。 But all the same it will outlast the Godking and all his temples; and all the kings that e after him。 It was there before them; and when they're all gone it will still be there。 It is the center of things。〃
〃It is the center of things。〃
〃There are riches there; Thar tells me about them sometimes。 Enough to fill the Godking's temple ten times over。 Gold and trophies given ages ago; a hundred generations; who knows how long。 They're all locked away in the pits and vaults; underground。 They won't take me there yet; they keep me waiting and waiting。 But I know what it's like。 There are rooms underneath the Hall; underneath the whole Place; under where we stand now。 There's a great maze of tunnels; a Labyrinth。 It's like a great dark city; under the hill。 Full of gold; and the swords of old heroes; and old crowns; and bones; and years; and silence。〃
She spoke as if in trance; in rapture。 Manan watched her。 His slabby face never expressed much but stolid; careful sadness; it was sadder than usual now。 〃Well; and you're mistress of all that;〃 he said。 〃The silence; and the dark。〃
〃I am。 But they won't show me anything; only the rooms above ground; behind the Throne。 They haven't even shown me the entrances to the places underground; they just mumble about them sometimes。 They're keeping my own domain from me! Why do they make me wait and wait?〃
〃You are young。 And perhaps;〃 Manan said in his husky alto; 〃perhaps they're afraid; little one。 It's not their domain; after all。 It's yours。 They are in danger when they enter there。 There's no mortal that doesn't fear the Nameless Ones。〃
Arha said nothing; but her eyes flashed。 Again Manan had shown her a new way of seeing things。 So formidable; so cold; so strong had Thar and Kossil always seemed to her; that she had never even imagined their being afraid。 Yet Manan was right。 They feared those places; those powers of which Arha was part; to which she belonged。 They were afraid to go into the dark places; lest they be eaten。
Now; as she went with Kossil down the steps of the Small House and up the steep winding path towards the Hall of the Throne; she recalled that conversation with Manan; and exulted again。 No matter where they took her; what they showed her; she would not be afraid。 She would know her way。
A little behind her on the path; Kossil spoke。 〃One of my mistress' duties; as she knows; is the sacrifice of certain prisoners; criminals of noble birth; who by sacrilege or treason have sinned against our lord the Godking。〃
〃Or against the Nameless Ones;〃 said Arha。
〃Truly。 Now it is not fitting that the Eaten One while yet a child should undertake this duty。 But my mistress is no longer a child。 There are prisoners in the Room of Chains; sent a month ago by the grace of our lord the Godking from his city Awabath。〃
〃I did not know prisoners had e。 Why did I not know?〃
〃Prisoners are brought at night; and secretly; in the way prescribed of old in the rituals of the Tombs。 It is the secret way my mistress will follow; if she takes the path that leads along the wall。〃
Arha turned off the path to follow the great wall of stone that bounded the Tombs behind the domed hall。 The rocks it was built of were massive; the least of them would outweigh a man; and the largest were big as wagons。 Though unshapen they were carefully fitted and interlocked。 Yet in places the height of the wall had slipped down and the rocks lay in a shapeless heap。 Only a vast span of time could do that; the desert centuries of fiery days and frozen nights; the millennial; imperceptible movements of the hills themselves。
〃It is very easy to climb the Tomb Wall;〃 Arha said as they went along beneath it。
〃We have not men enough to rebuild it;〃 Kossil replied。
〃We have men enough to guard it。〃
〃Only slaves。 They cannot be trusted。〃
〃They can be trusted if they're frightened。 Let the penalty be the same for them as for the stranger they allow to set foot on the holy ground within the wall。〃
〃What is that penalty?〃 Kossil did not ask to learn the answer。 She had taught the answer to Arha; long ago。
〃To be decapitated before the Throne。〃
〃Is it my mistress' will that a guard be set upon the Tomb Wall?〃
〃It is;〃 the girl answered。 Inside her long black sleeves her fingers clenched with elation。 She knew Kossil did not want to spare a slave to this duty of watching the wall; and indeed it was a useless duty; for what strangers ever came here? It was not likely that any man would wander; by mischance or intent; anywhere within a mile of the Place without being seen; he certainly would get nowhere near the Tombs。 But a guard was an honor due them; and Kossil could not well argue against it。 She must obey Arha。
〃Here;〃 said her cold voice。
Arha stopped。 She had often walked this path around the Tomb Wall; and knew it as she knew every foot of the Place; every rock and thorn
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