cacb.thefarkingdoms-第111部分

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d　of　looking　for。〃　Janos'　excitement　intensified。　〃You　remember　when　I　told　you　about　the　trick　with　the　scorpion　and　the　mouse？　How　I　put　the　scorpion　away　in　one　place；　and　took　the　mouse　from　another？〃　I　nodded　that　I　did。　〃Well；　now　I　know　the　how　and　why　of　it。　There　are　many　worlds；　my　Mend；　that　exist　alongside　our　own。　Each　world　follows　its　own　rules。　A　demon　has　his。　We　have　ours。　When　we　summon　the　demon；　we　also　summon　the　rules　of　his　own　existence；　and　with　knowledge　we　can　manipulate　those　rules　to　our　ends。　Just　as　he　can　manipulate　ours　if　he　is　the　superior　in　the　bargain。〃
　〃Like　Mortacious？〃　I　asked。
　Janos'　face　darkened。　〃Yes。　Like　Mortacious。〃
　〃How　does　one　assure　himself　he　will　always　be　the　superior？〃　I　asked。
　〃By　knowing　that　no　matter　how　different　those　worlds　appear；　no　matter　how　different　the　rules　seem；　there　is　really　only　one　law　that　mands　everything。　The　differences　that　so　confuse　us　are　merely　many　manifestations　of　that　single　law。〃
　〃Do　you　know　that　law　yet？〃　I　asked。
　Janos'　eyes　glowed　with　the　passion　of　his　hunt。　〃No。　But；　as　I　said；　I　am　close；　my　friend。　Very　close。〃
　I　breathed　a　sigh　of　relief。　〃Good。　Now；　listen　to　me；　Greycloak。　All　is　not　as　it　seems　in　Vacaan。　It　can　be　a　dangerous　place　if　we　tarry　much　longer。　I　think　all　of　us　should　leave　as　soon　as　I　plete　my　business　with　the　king。〃
　〃Leave？〃　Janos　said；　astounded。　〃I　couldn't　leave　now。　I　told　you　。。。　I　am　very　close。〃
　〃The　terms　of　my　bargain　should　keep　much　of　that　knowledge　ing；〃　I　said。　〃And　I　have　a　plan　that　can　offer　much　more；　besides。〃
　〃What　is　that？〃　Janos　asked；　his　tone　was　as　if　he　were　addressing　a　child。
　I　ignored　it。　〃When　we　return　to　Orissa；　I　shall　fund　a　great　school　of　wizardry。　You　will　be　in　charge。　Think　of　all　the　eager　assistants　you　will　have　to　carry　out　any　experiment　you　like。　If　you　all　hammer　at　it　jointly；　why；　soon　the　wall　shall　fall；　and　you　will　have　all　you　seek。〃
　Janos　frowned。　〃But　。。。　then　。。。　others　will　know！〃
　〃Exactly；〃　I　said。　〃That　is　the　beauty　of　my　plan。　If　everyone　knows　then　all　of　us　are　equals。　Together　we　can　acplish　as　much；　or　more　than　they　have　in　Vacaan。　And　without　the　blinders　you　constantly　bemoan；　we　can　do　it　more　quickly。〃
　〃That　could　still　take　a　lifetime；〃　Janos　said。　〃My　lifetime。〃
　〃What　of　it？　You　will　still　have　the　satisfaction　of　knowing　someday　it　will　be　done。〃
　Janos　coughed　and　busied　himself　picking　up　the　scrolls　and　sorting　them。　〃I　fear　you　are　making　a　plex　thing　too　simple；〃　he　said。
　〃Oh；　e　now；　Janos。〃　I　laughed。　〃You　are　always　the　one　to　insist　on　the　opposite。　The　simple　is　made　too　plex　out　of　ignorance；　or；　more　likely；　the　desire　of　the　wizards　to　appear　wiser　than　they　are。　Why；　from　what　you　have　told　me　already；　and　remember；　I　am　a　simpleton　when　it　es　to　sorcery；　I　could　put　a　right…thinking　Evocator　from　Orissa　on　the　same　trail　you　are　on。　If　I　told　Gamelan；　for　instance；　that　business　of　many　worlds；　side　by　our　own；　and　added　your　theory　that　one　law　mands　all　forces；　seen　or　unseen；　why；　even　that　old　brain　might　begin　to　glimmer。　Who　knows　where　that　glimmering　would　take　even　Gamelan？〃
　Janos　gave　me　that　odd　look　again。　〃Who　knows；　indeed？〃　he　murmured。
　〃You　see　my　point？〃　I　asked。
　〃Yes；　I　suppose　I　do；〃　Janos　said。
　〃Then　you　agree　to　my　plan？〃　I　pressed。
　Janos　twisted　and　untwisted　his　beard。　He　picked　up　a　scroll　and　stared　at　the　inscriptions；　absently；　at　first；　then　with　more　and　more　absorption。　I　could　see　his　thoughts　racing　away。　〃Janos；〃　I　prodded　again；　and　louder。　〃Do　you　agree？〃
　He　looked　up；　that　charming　smile　of　his　flashing　through　his　unruly　beard。　〃Why；　of　course；　I　do；　my　friend。　Of　course；　I　do。　e　and　see　me　when　you're　done　with　the　king。　And　we'll　talk　again。〃
　〃What　is　there　to　talk　about　。。。　if　you　agree？〃
　Janos　shrugged。　〃Oh；　I　am　hunting　a　thing　just　now；　and　if　I　cannot　find　it　by　the　time　you　are　done　。。。　Well。。。　There　might　be　a　small　delay。　A　very　small　delay。〃　I　had　to　be　satisfied　with　that；　for　his　eyes　were　glazing　over；　and　his　lips　were　muttering　aloud　the　strange　words　he　was　reading　in　the　old　scroll。　I　wished　him　farewell；　got　an　absent　whisper　in　reply；　and　left。
　I　fretted　over　our　conversation　for　an　hour　or　two；　then；　from　the　lazy　fort　of　Omerye's　arms；　I　took　another　look　and　fretted　less。　The　more　I　thought　about　it；　the　more　sound　my　plan　appeared；　and　after　a　while　I　believed　it　so　sound；　I　knew　my　friend…he　who　worshipped　reason…could　not　help　but　see　it；　too。　So　there　was　only　the　business　with　King　Domas　to　conclude；　and　then　we　would　all　return　to　Orissa　bearing　even　more　than　what　we　had　dreamed　when　we　first　set　out　for　the　Far　Kingdoms。
　The　next　day　a　royal　invitation　came。　But　the　summons　was　not　from　the　king；　it　was　from　Prince　Raveline。
　
　CHAPTER　TWENTY…FIVE
　The　Servants　of　Corruption
　AT　THE　APPOINTED　hour；　a　gondola　pulled　into　the　dock　of　my　mansion。　It　was　large　and　could　easily　have　carried　twenty　as　well　as　one。　I　was　the　only　〃guest〃　aboard。　There　were　four　other　men　to　be　seen：　a　steersman　at　the　rudder；　a　serving　man　in　the　luxurious　glass…windowed　cabin；　plus　two　men　in　the　bow　with　long　trumpets　to　warn　other　craft　out　of　the　way。　The　gondola　carried　eight　oars　on　a　side；　the　rowers　were　hidden　belowdecks。　They　might　have　been　human；　but　if　so　had　been　trained　to　perfection：　the　oars　bit；　feathered；　and　stroked　as　if　they　were　run　by　clockwork。　The　trumpeters　were　not　needed；　for　any　gondolier　who　saw　Prince　Raveline's　red；　gold；　and　black　house　colors　blazoned　on　my　craft　would　scuttle　away　like　water　spiders　fleeing　a　crafty　old　pike　when　it　es　up　to　the　shallows　to　feed。
　The　boat　turned　off　the　main　canal　into　an　untraveled　waterway　that　led　beyond　the　city　toward　the　Holy　Mountain。　It　was　odd　to　be　moving　by　water　through　green；　rolling　countryside　that　was　as　carefully　manicured　as　an　athletic　field。　There　were　no　farms；　no　farmers；　nor　did　I　see　houses；　roads；　or　even　paths。　The　canal　curved　in　a　series　of　eye…pleasing　bends。　Far　out　in　the　country　it　ended　in　a　circular　pond。
　A　low；　sleek　carriage　waited；　it　was　drawn　by　six　matched；　blaze…faced　black　horses。　Four　footmen　led　me　to　the　carriage　and　bowed　as　I　entered。　They　mounted　to　their　stations；　and　without　a　mand　from　the　driver；　the　horses　moved　away。　Despite　my　apprehension；　I　peered　eagerly　out　the　carriage　windows；　curious　as　to　what　Prince　Raveline's　estate　would　look　like。　I　was　not　disappointed…but　neither　was　I　enthralled　with　splendor。　The　road　we　traveled　was　made　of　stone　blocks；　each　block　stretching　from　one　side　to　the　other　of　the　roadway；　which　was　easily　five　times　the　height　of　a　man　in　width。　Each　was　precisely　fitted　to　its　fellow。　I　expected　the　road　to　e　to　a　huge　wall；　with　elaborate　gates；　but　there　was　none。　The　perfectly　manicured　countryside　rolled　on　around　me；　with　trees　and　ponds　as　precisely　laid　out　as　if　a　master　gardener　had　been　at　work　for　aeons。　As　inviting　as　it　appeared；　I　felt　that　if　I　had　e　on　this　preserve　knowing　nothing；　I　would　have　found　it　cold　and　foreboding。　The　longer　our　journey　on　that　peaceful　lane；　the　more　my　dread　grew；　I　did　not　know　whether　the　dread　came　from　a　protective　spell；　or　if　it　was　merely　because　I　did　know　the　identity　of　the　estate's　lord。
　I　saw　the　first　guardians…there　were　two　of　them；　standing　on　either　side　of　the　road。　They　were　nearly　one　hundred　feel　tall　and　carved　from　dark　polished　stone。　Each　statue　was　of　a　woman；　holding　a　naked　sword　vertically　before　her。　I　knew　no　earthly　being　had　served　as　a　model　for　the　sculptures…the　women　were　impossibly　beautiful；　but　hard；　cold；　distant…the　faces　as　pitiless　as　a　chieftain's　from　the　ice　fields　of　the　south。　After　we　passed；　I　looked　back　at　the　forbidding　monoliths　and　drew　in　a　sharp　breath。　Each　statue　had　a　second　face；　looking　to　the　rear；　and　that　face　was　a　leering；　malevolent；　fanged　demon。　I　hoped　for　his　sake　that　the　sculptor　had　worked　merely　from　his　imagination；　but　from　what　I'd　heard　of　Prince　Raveline's　interests；　I　suspected　not。
　I　regained　my　posure　and　saw　movement　through　gathering　gloom。　I　thought　it　would　most　likely　be　a　roving　cavalry　patrol；　and　o