cacb.thefarkingdoms-第123部分

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　Now　anger　grew　on　his　face。　〃There　was　no　price　named；〃　he　hissed。　〃What　I　did　。。。　was　needful。　You　would　have　destroyed　。。。　you　have　destroyed　everything。〃
　I　maintained　calmness。　〃What　is　this　everything；　Janos？　By　luck；〃　and　I　recollected　what　Raveline　had　told　me　luck　was；　'I　am　still　alive。　Now　Raveline's　darkness　will　not　be　able　to　destroy　our　lands。　And　now　we　have　the　measure　of　the　Far　Kingdoms。　And　even　if　King　Domas　expels　us　as　the　price　for　his　brother's　death；　what　of　it？　We　will　still　be　able　to　achieve　what　they　have　gained　。。。　and　more。　Is　that　everything？　Or　is　everything　the　ruin　of　your　own　ambitions　。。。　and　the　loss　of　your　black　guide？〃
　〃We　needed　Raveline；〃　Janos　said。　〃I　needed　him。　He　was　my　stepping　stone。　He　would　have　been　my　tool。〃
　〃For　what　end？　So　you　could　bee　more　evil　than　he？　So　you　could　reach　deeper　into　demon　worlds　than　he　has？　So　you；　in　the　end；　would　be　able　to　rule　with　fire　and　the　lash　in　a　manner　that　would　make　people　remember　the　Black　Prince　as　a　kindly　benefactor？〃
　〃Words；　words；　Antero；〃　Janos　barked。　〃You　still　use　words　that　you　do　not　know　the　meaning　of。。。　or　that　have　no　meaning　at　all。　Evil。。。　good　。。。　We　stand　at　the　threshold　of　another　age；　an　age　beyond　all　of　the　petty　considerations　of　prattling　parents　and　teachers。　Men　say　that　once　there　was　a　Golden　Age；　when　we　were　all　like　gods。　That　age　never　existed。　All　there　has　been；　since　this　world　formed　itself　from　the　slime；　were　flounderings；　sometimes　a　bit　toward　the　light；　sometimes　a　slip　back　into　the　abyss。　Raveline　would　have　helped　me　split　the　clouds　and　let　the　radiance　shine　for　all　eternity。　Men　would　have　been；　not　gods；　but　beyond　gods。　Except　for　your　doing。　Except　for　one　small…souled　peddler　who　can　see　nothing　but　profit　and　some　sort　of　mythical　woolly…brained　benevolence　in　a　world　where　there　is　nothing　but　predator　and　prey。　There　was　but　one　chance　for　all　of　us。　Can't　you　see？　Chance；　which　is　the　only　real　god　to　worship；　created　one　brief　moment　for　this　change　to　begin；　for　man　to　step　up　and　beyond。〃
　That　was　quite　enough。　〃Gods；〃　I　said；　and　there　was　anger　in　my　voice　as　well。　〃You　claim　I　use　meaningless　words。　Well；　this　peddler　is　having　trouble　with　some　of　your　words；　and　gods　is　one　of　them。　Another　is　this　new　age　you　mention。　If　we　are　to　be　gods；　my　pardon；　more　than　gods；　all　of　us　small…souled　beings　should　now　look　at　the　face　of　Janos　Greycloak；　and　see　the　awful　halo　of　the　future　he　promises。　Look　at　yourself。　Your　face　mirrors　what　you　have　bee；　man！　You're　nothing　but　a　degenerate　who　prattles　drunkenly　of　the　morrow's　blessing　while　he　cheerfully　plunges　into　the　gutter　with　the　swine。　Janos；　can't　you　see？　I　recollect　a　time　when　you　spoke　of　what　gains　we　could　bring　back　from　the　Far　Kingdoms　。。。　gains　for　everyone。　Instead；　what　is　your　goal；　now？　You　told　me　to　look　at　one　grain　of　sand　and　see　a　myriad　within　it。　I　cannot。　All　I　see　is　that　poor　woman　in　her　boat；　sorrowing　under　your　mansion。　What　did　you　give　her；　Greycloak？　Did　you　make　her　。。。　or　her　children　。。。　more　than　gods？　Look　at　yourself　now；　my　once　friend。　And　answer　this　simple　merchant's　question：　why；　if　your　quest　is　for　the　heavens；　do　you　now　have　the　face　of　a　demon？〃
　Janos　did　not　look　away。　His　obvious　scorn　grew；　and　I　realized　why　he　was　letting　his　anger　build。　〃Knowledge　。。。　power　。。。　exacts　its　own　price；〃　he　said。　〃You　would　know　that；　if　you　were　anything　but　a　child。〃
　We　stared　at　each　other　for　a　long　moment；　and　in　that　moment；　Halab's　final　gift　manifested　itself。　I　knew　what　must　be　done；　and　my　heart　shriveled　as　it　realized　that　just　as　there　had　been　no　possibility　of　Janos'　redemption；　my　duty　was　now　equally　graven　in　stone。　I　fought　the　revelation；　but　knew　its　truth。
　The　second　part　of　the　gift　followed。　I　was　suddenly　watching　the　room　with　two　sets　of　eyes；　as　if　one　brain　controlled　two　beings　who　stood　apart　from　one　another。　Images　of　everything　doubled　and　overlapped。　Everything…except　for　Janos。　His　eyes　gleamed　brightly　as　they　became　lamps；　their　glow　not　dissimilar　from　the　light　that　had　shone　from　Greif's　blind　eye。　〃Could　have；〃　he　murmured；　〃and　still　shall　be。〃　Without　looking　away；　without　a　change　of　expression；　he　swooped　to　one　knee；　seized　a　long　blade　that　had　been　lying　on　the　floor；　and　slashed　at　my　midsection。　But　I　was　not　there。　The　third；　and　last；　part　of　Halab's　gift　was　now　mine。　I　had　〃seen〃　the　knife；　fully　as　long　as　a　sword；　just　before　Janos'　hand　found　it…and　realized　his　plan。　Time　came　to　a　stop　as　he　cut　at　me；　and　it　was　most　easy　to　step　back　beyond　its　reach。
　〃No；　Janos；〃　I　said。　〃You　do　not　need　to　do　this。　Neither　of　us　needs　to　die。〃　I　said　the　words；　but　they　were　hollow。　They　were　not　a　deliberate　lie；　but　came　from　the　last　part　of　me　that　still　fought　against　the　onrushing　end　to　this　tragedy。　He　did　not　answer；　but　attacked　once　more。　His　knife　gleamed；　glowing　as　if　it　had　been　carved　from　a　single　jewel；　and　each　facet　caught　the　dawn's　sun　and　reflected　a　thousand　thousand　shimmerings　across　the　room。　He　lunged　。。。　and　his　thrust　went　past　my　side　as　I　slipped　out　of　the　way。
　He　recovered　as　my　right　hand　found　the　grip　of　the　sword　that；　without　looking；　I　had　known　would　be　there。　I　drew　it　from　its　sheath；　which　hung　on　a　bedside　chair。　The　blade　I　held　was　either　the　same；　or　a　duplicate；　of　that　plain；　slender　soldier's　blade　Janos　had　used　to　save　me　from　Melina's　pimp。　As　it　snaked　out；　Janos　cut　at　me　again；　this　time　for　my　face。　My　blade　rose；　parried　his　strike　with　a　crash；　and　the　knife　jewel；　if　that　was　what　it　was；　shattered　like　dropped　crystal。
　Its　pieces　still　hung　in　midair　as　my　blade　finished　its　semicircle；　then　I　lunged；　every　muscle；　every　nerve；　every　part　of　my　body　and　soul　hi　that　swordpoint。　It　took　Janos　in　the　lungs　and　drove　through　his　body　until　I　〃saw〃　nearly　six　inches　of　crimsoning　steel　emerge　from　his　back。　Halab's　final　gift；　a　gift　that　carried　a　curse　to　my　heart；　disappeared　then。
　There　was　no　movement　from　either　of　us　for　what　seemed　forever。　Janos'　eyes　showed　enormous　surprise；　like　those　of　a　seer　whose　vision　had　proven　faulty。　He　opened　his　mouth；　but　instead　of　words　or　a　scream；　blood　gouted。　He　swayed。　I　released　my　grip　on　the　sword。　Janos　took　one　step　forward；　then　sank　to　his　knees；　both　hands　coining　up　to　grasp　the　blade　buried　in　his　chest。　He　collapsed　on　his　back；　the　sword　standing　above　him。　His　eyes　were　closed；　and　then　they　opened；　and　looked　up；　past　the　swaying　guard　of　the　weapon；　into　my　face。
　〃When　。。。　the　blade　es　out；〃　he　said；　in　a　harsh　whisper；　〃my　soul　es　with　it。〃
　I　nodded。　My　eyes　were　blurred　once　again；　but　not　from　magic。　My　face　was　wet。
　〃I　。。。　remember；〃　he　said；　〃once　telling　you；　outside　that　tavern　where　first　we　met。。。　that　to　meet　a　red…haired　man　was　。。。　was　a　lucky　omen。〃　He　forced　a　smile；　and　there　was　a　harsh　gasping　as　his　body　fought　on　for　life。　〃At　least　。。。　at　least　we　found　。。。　found　the　Far　Kingdoms；〃　he　said。
　〃We　did；〃　I　said。　Then；　more　strongly；　〃We　did；〃
　Pain　struck　Janos　then；　and　he　writhed。　〃Take　。。。　take　the　blade　out　now；〃　he　said；　and　his　voice　was　a　mand。　〃Before　I　dishonor　my　pride。〃
　I　pulled　the　blade　free。　And　as　it　came　out；　a　soul　fled　into　the　embrace　of　the　Dark　Seeker。
　Janos　Kether　Greycloak；　Prince　of　Kostroma；　Captain　and　Knight　of　Orissa；　unanointed　Baron　of　Vacaan；　seeker　of　the　Far　Kingdoms；　and；　yes；　a　man　who　had　once　been　my　friend；　was　dead。
　
　CHAPTER　TWENTY…EIGHT　
　The　Holy　Mountain
　I　E　TO　the　end　of　this　journey　now；　and　as　I　write　these　lines；　I　can　feel　Janos'　weight　sag　in　my　arms　when　I　lifted　his　body　from　the　cart。　My　rheumy　eyes　look　through　younger　ones；　and　I　see　clear　the　path　we　dragged　that　cart　up　to　reach　the　crown　of　the　Holy　Mountain。　Sergeant　Maeen　and　the　other　men　step　forward　to　help　me；　but　I　harshly　order　them　away。　I　must　do　this　myself。
　I　shift　my　burden　and　turn　toward　the　great　pocked　ruins　of　the　Old　Ones'　altar。　I　stumble　toward　it；　weak　with　present　age；　and　I　am　weary；　so　weary　I　pray　for　that　youth's　strength　so　I　do　not　fall。　My　quill　trembles　with　effort　as　I　lift　Janos　to　the　stone。　I　lay　h