df.therunelords-第83部分

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　Orden　didn't　really　understand；　could　hardly　prehend　such　callousness。　Often　he'd　thought　the　Days　and　their　religion　quaint　and　strange。　Now　he　thought　them　hard　of　heart。
　Yet　he　sought　to　understand　them。　Gaborn's　Days　remained　here；　instead　of　going　to　Gaborn。　Why？　Had　his　son　died；　so　the　Days　could　not　follow？　Or　did　the　Days　merely　wait　for　Gaborn　to　e　back　here？　Or。。。had　his　son　disappeared　even　from　the　sight　of　the　Days？
　Orden　pondered。　His　Days　had　called　him　〃milord；〃　a　title　he'd　never　used　before。　The　man　wanted　to　speak；　found　it　hard　to　remain　a　bystander。　He　restrained　himself；　but　wanted　to　ameliorate　any　hard　feelings　in　the　nasty　affair。
　Might　a　Days　not　counsel　him；　even　if　his　own　life　became　forfeit　in　the　process？　Orden　had　studied　history；　knew　that　in　some　wars　a　Days　had　revealed　secrets。　But　Orden　had　never　learned　the　fate　of　such　Days。
　The　chronicles　told　the　deeds　of　kings　and　nations。　If　a　Days　had　ever　gone　rogue；　had　bee　a　counselor；　the　fate　of　such　a　Days　was　never　mentioned。
　Instead；　the　chronicles　flowed　as　if　a　single　dispassionate　watcher　had　observed　the　king；　studying　his　affairs。　For　a　long　hour；　Orden　wondered　at　this。
　When　Captain　Stroecker　returned　from　Bredsfor　Manor；　he　found　Orden　lying　before　a　dying　fire；　petting　the　hounds。
　〃Excuse　me；　milord；〃　Captain　Stroecker　said　from　the　doorway。
　King　Orden　turned　over；　sat　up。　〃What　did　you　find？〃
　Stroecker　smiled　grimly。　He　held　a　bunch　of　fresh　turnips　in　his　right　hand；　his　eyes　shone　with　what　might　have　been　anger。　〃These；　milord。　Enough　turnips　to　feed　an　army。〃
　Intense　terror　struck　King　Orden　as　he　realized　the　forcibles　were　gone；　had　been　taken。
　Stroecker　smiled　wickedly。　〃And　these；〃　he　said；　reaching　behind　his　back。　He　pulled　a　small　bundle　of　forcibles　from　his　belt。
　King　Orden's　heart　leapt　in　relief；　so　much　so　that　he　forgave　the　captain's　jest　immediately。
　He　jumped　up；　grabbed　the　forcibles；　inspected　them。　The　runes　in　each　looked　perfect；　without　dents　or　abrasions　in　the　blood　metal；　all　in　the　Kartish　style。　Orden　had　no　facilitator　here　to　perform　the　rites；　but　he　needed　none。　With　the　wits　of　twenty　men；　and　gifts　of　voice　from　fifteen；　Orden　could　chant　the　spells　as　well　as　the　best　of　them。
　A　weapon。　He　had　his　weapon。
　〃Captain　Stroecker；〃　Orden　said　softly。　〃You　and　I　and　Borenson　are　the　only　three　men　who　know　where　this　treasure　lies。　We　must　keep　it　that　way。　I　can't　risk　that　the　enemy　find　these。　I　can't　risk　that　you　get　captured。〃
　〃Agreed；〃　Stroecker　said　in　such　a　tone　that　Orden　realized　the　man　thought　Orden　wanted　him　to　make　the　ultimate　sacrifice。　In　a　moment；　Stroecker　would　disembowel　himself。
　〃Therefore；　Captain；〃　Orden　said；　〃I　want　you　to　tell　the　men　that　we　need　guards　to　take　a　great　treasure　back　to　Mystarria。　Choose　three　menyoung　family　men　with　childrento　acpany　you　as　guards。　Choose　them　carefully；　for　you　may　be　saving　their　lives。　Then　take　the　men　and　four　fast　horses；　and　fill　your　saddlebags　with　stones；　and　leave　here；　taking　every　effort　not　to　get　caught。〃
　〃Milord？〃　Stroecker　asked。
　〃You　heard　me　right。　A　war　will　be　fought　here　near　dawn。　I　expect　Raj　Ahten　to　throw　his　full　force　against　us。　He　anticipates　the　help　of　an　army　of　a　hundred　thousand；　and　Ido　not　know　what　allies　I　might　have。　If　this　castle　falls；　if　we　all　die；　it　will　be　your　duty　to　return　here　and　retrieve　the　treasure；　then　deliver　it　to　Mystarria。〃
　〃Milord；　have　you　considered　retreat？〃　Stroecker　asked。　One　of　the　dogs　stood；　pushed　its　muzzle　against　the　King's　thigh。　The　dog　seemed　hungry；　but　would　settle　for　affection。
　〃I　think　about　it　every　moment；〃　Orden　said；　〃but　my　son　is　missing　in　the　wilderness；　and；　so　far；　I　have　no　word　of　him。　Until　I　hear　word；　I　must　consider　that　Raj　Ahten　holds　him　prisoner　and　has　taken　an　endowmentor　that　he　is　dead。〃　Orden　took　a　deep　breath。　For　all　his　life；　he'd　sought　to　protect　and　nurture　his　son。　His　wife　had　borne　him　four　children。　Only　Gaborn　had　survived。　Yet　his　worry　for　Gaborn　was　but　one　of　a　multitude　of　pains。　His　voice　faltered　as　he　admitted；　〃And　I　have　sent　my　most　fearsome　warrior　to　kill　my　best　friend。　If　my　fears　prove　true；　Captain　Stroeckerif　the　worst　es　to　passI　won't　want　to　live　through　this　battle。　I'm　going　to　raise　my　sword　against　Raj　Ahten。　I'm　going　to　attack　him；　personally。　Either　he　will　die　or　I　will　die。　At　dawn　we　will　be　forming　a　serpent　ring。〃
　King　Orden　held　up　the　forcibles。
　Captain　Stroecker's　face　paled。　Creating　a　serpent　ring　was　a　dangerous　gambit。　With　these　forcibles；　Orden　could　take　an　endowment　of　metabolism　from　a　man；　who　would　then　take　an　endowment　from　another；　who　would　take　an　endowment　from　another；　so　that　each　man　became　one　in　a　long　line　of　vectors。　In　the　parlance　of　facilitators；　this　line　of　men　was　called　a　〃serpent；〃　for　the　man　at　the　head　of　the　chain　became　very　powerful；　deadly　as　a　poisoned　serpent；　and　should　he　be　destroyed；　should　the　serpent　be　beheaded；　the　next　man　in　line　would　arise；　hardly　diminished　in　power　from　the　first。
　But　if　a　man　took　too　many　endowments　of　metabolism；　it　was　sure　death。　He　might　bee　a　great　warrior　for　a　few　hours　or　days；　but　he　would　burn　himself　out　like　a　shooting　star。　Desperate　men　had　done　it　in　the　past；　at　times。　But　it　would　be　hard　to　find　twenty　able　fighters　willing　to　form　a　serpent；　to　throw　away　their　lives。
　So　Orden　offered　them　some　hope。　In　this　case；　last　of　all；　the　King　would　give　his　own　endowment　of　metabolism　to　the　last　man　in　the　serpent；　so　that　every　man　in　the　serpent　became　vectored　to　another。　Thus；　with　twenty　forcibles；　twenty　men　could　all　share　their　metabolism；　forming　a　pool　from　which　any　one　warrior　could　draw。　Since　Orden　had　the　most　endowments　and　the　greatest　skill　in　battle；　the　task　of　fighting　Raj　Ahten　would　fall　to　him。　He　would　volunteer　to　act　as　〃the　serpent's　head；〃　and　so　long　as　the　other　men　in　the　ring　remained　inert；　Orden　would　be　able　to　draw　upon　their　surplus　metabolism。　Many　of　Orden's　soldiers　had　metabolism　from　one　or　two　men。　So；　as　the　serpent's　head；　Orden　would　be　able　to　move　with　the　speed　of　thirty　or　forty　men。
　And　the　hope　that　Orden　offered　his　men　was　this：　that　if　he　himself　managed　to　survive　the　battle；　the　serpent　ring　would　remain　unbroken；　and　each　man　in　the　ring　would　thus　be　able　to　continue　his　life　with　some　degree　of　normalcy。
　But　still　it　was　a　dangerous　gambit。　If　any　other　man　in　the　ring　were　forced　into　battle；　that　man　might　well　draw　away　metabolism　that　Orden　needed　at　a　critical　moment；　sabotaging　Orden's　chances　in　the　fight。　Even　worse；　if　a　member　of　the　serpent　ring　were　slain；　Orden　might　find　himself　a　mere　vector　to　another　man；　might　suddenly　fall　in　battle；　unable　to　move。
　No；　if　anyone　died　in　this　battle；　it　would　best　be　the　serpent's　headOrden　himself。　For　if　Orden　died；　if　the　ring　broke；　then　the　burden　of。　metabolism　would　fall　to　the　person　who　had　granted　Orden　his　endowment。
　This　next　man　in　line　would　bee　the　new　serpent's　head。　And　he　could　continue　to　fight　Raj　Ahten's　forces；　spreading　destruction。
　Yet　even　if　Orden　won　his　battle　with　Raj　Ahten；　even　if　the　serpent　ring　remained　intact　today；　Orden　was　still　calling　upon　all　his　men　to　make　a　terrible　sacrifice。　For　at　some　time；　hopefully　on　some　distant　morning；　the　circle　would　break。　A　man　from　the　circle　would　die　in　some　battle；　or　would　fall　prey　to　illness。　When　that　happened；　all　other　vectors　would　fall　into　the　deep　slumber　of　those　who'd　given　metabolism；　with　the　exception　of　one　man；　the　new　serpent's　head；　doomed　to　age　and　die　in　a　matter　of　months。
　Regardless　of　how　the　battle　played　out　today；　every　man　in　the　ring　would　be　called　upon　to　sacrifice　some　portion　of　his　life。
　Knowing　all　this；　Orden　felt　gratified　when　his　captain　bent　low　at　the　waist；　smiling；　and　said；　〃I　would　be　pleased　to　serve　with　you；　if　you　would　have　me　in　this　ring。〃
　〃Thank　you；〃　Orden　said；　〃but　you'll　have　to　miss　this　opportunity　to　waste　your　life。　Duty　calls　you　elsewhere。〃
　Captain　Stroecker　turned　smartly　and　left　the　great　hall。　Orden　followed　him　out　to　gather　his　troops　for　battle。
　Already　his　captains　had　set　men　on　the　walls。　Artillerymen　had　pushed　the　catapults　out　from　beneath　the　protective　enclosures　in　the　towers　above　the　gates；　had　begun　firing；　testing　their　ranges　in　the　dark。　It　was　a　poor　time　for　such　tests；　but　Orden　did　not　know　if　they'd　ever　get　a　chance　to　test　the　catapults　in　daylight。
　At　that　moment；　a　horn　sounded　in　the　western　hills；　off　toward　the　road　from　Castle　Dreis。
　Orden　smiled　grimly。　So；　he　thought；　the　Earl　es　at　last；　hoping　for　a　share　of　the　treasure。
　
　Chapter　34
　THE　RUNNING　MAN
　　
　In　Khuram　it　is　said　that　a　running　man　with　a　knife　can　kill　two　thousand　men　in　a　single　night。　Borenson　worked　faster　than　that；　but　then　he　was　a　force　soldier；　and　he　carried　a　knife　in　each　hand。
　He　did　not　think　about　what　he　did；　did　not　watch　the　quivering　of　his　victims　or　listen　to　the　thrash　of　limbs　or　gurgle　of　blood。　For　most　of　the　night；　he　hurried　through　the　job　in　a　mindless　horror。
　Three　hours　after　he　entered　the　Dedica