mc.eatersofthedead-第17部分

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　Of　the　table　of　Rothgar　I　shall　say　this：　that　every　man　had　a　tablecloth　and　plate；　and　spoon　and　knife；　that　the　meal　was　boiled　pork　and　goat；　and　some　fish；　too；　for　the　Northmen　much　prefer　boiled　meat　to　roasted。　Then　there　were　cabbages　and　onions　in　abundance；　and　apples　and　hazelnuts。　A　sweetish　fleshy　meat　was　given　me　that　I　had　not　tasted　before；　this；　I　was　told；　was　elk；　or　rain…deer。
　The　dreadful　foul　drink　called　mead　is　made　from　honey；　then　fermented。　It　is　the　sourest；　blackest；　vilest　stuff　ever　invented　by　any　man；　and　yet　it　is　potent　beyond　all　knowing；　a　few　drinks；　and　the　world　spins。　But　I　did　not　drink；　praise　Allah。
　Now　I　noticed　that　Buliwyf　and　all　his　pany　did　not　drink　that　night；　or　only　sparingly；　and　Rothgar　took　this　as　no　insult；　but　rather　acknowledged　it　as　the　natural　course　of　things。　There　was　no　wind　that　night；　the　candles　and　flames　of　Hurot　Hall　did　not　flicker；　and　yet　it　was　damp；　and　chill。　I　saw　with　my　own　eyes　that　out　of　doors　the　mist　was　rolling　in　from　the　hills；　blocking　the　silvered　light　of　the　moon；　cloaking　all　in　blackness。
　As　the　night　continued；　King　Rothgar　and　his　Queen　departed　for　sleep；　and　the　massive　doors　of　Hurot　Hall　were　locked　and　barred；　and　the　nobles　and　earls　remaining　there　fell　into　a　drunken　stupor　and　snored　loudly。
　Then　Buliwyf　and　his　men；　still　wearing　their　armor；　went　about　the　room；　dousing　the　candles　and　seeing　to　the　fires；　that　they　should　burn　low　and　weak。　I　asked　Herger　the　meaning　of　this；　and　he　told　me　to　pray　for　my　life；　and　to　feign　sleep。　I　was　given　a　weapon；　a　short　sword；　but　it　was　little　fort　to　me；　I　was　not　a　warrior　and　knew　it　full　well。
　Verily；　all　the　men　feigned　sleep。　Buliwyf　and　his　men　joined　the　slumbering　bodies　of　the　King　Rothgar's　earls；　who　were　truly　snoring。　How　long　we　waited　I　do　not　know；　for　I　think　I　slept　awhile　myself。　Then　all　at　once　I　was　awake；　in　a　manner　of　unnatural　sharp　alertness；　I　was　not　drowsy　but　instantly　tense　and　alert；　still　lying　on　a　bearskin　cloth　on　the　floor　of　the　great　hall。　It　was　dark　night；　the　candles　in　the　hall　burned　low；　and　a　faint　breeze　whispered　through　the　hall　and　fluttered　the　yellow　flames。
　And　then　I　heard　a　low　grunting　sound；　like　the　rooting　of　a　pig；　carried　to　me　by　the　breeze；　and　I　smelled　a　rank　odor　like　the　rot　of　a　carcass　after　a　month；　and　I　feared　greatly。　This　rooting　sound；　for　I　can　call　it　none　else；　this　grumbling；　grunting；　snorting　sound；　grew　louder　and　more　excited。　It　came　from　outdoors；　at　one　side　of　the　hall。　Then　I　heard　it　from　another　side；　and　then　another；　and　another。　Verily　the　hall　was　surrounded。
　I　sat　up　on　one　elbow；　my　heart　pounding；　and　I　looked　about　the　hall。　No　man　among　the　sleeping　warriors　moved；　and　yet　there　was　Herger；　lying　with　his　eyes　wide　open。　And　there；　too；　Buliwyf；　breathing　in　a　snore；　with　his　eyes　also　wide　open。　From　this　I　gathered　that　all　the　warriors　of　Buliwyf　were　waiting　to　do　battle　with　the　wendol；　whose　sounds　now　filled　the　air。
　By　Allah；　there　is　no　fear　greater　than　that　of　a　man　when　he　does　not　know　the　cause。　How　long　I　lay　upon　the　bearskin；　hearing　the　grunting　of　the　wendol　and　smelling　their　foul　odors！　How　long　I　waited　for　I　knew　not　what；　the　start　of　some　battle　more　fearsome　in　the　prospect　than　it　could　be　in　the　fighting！　I　remembered　this：　that　the　Northmen　have　a　saying　of　praise　that　they　carve　upon　the　tombstones　of　noble　warriors；　which　is　this：　〃He　did　not　flee　battle。〃　None　of　the　pany　of　Buliwyf　fled　that　night；　though　the　sounds　and　the　stink　were　all　around　them；　now　louder；　now　fainter；　now　from　one　direction；　now　another。　And　yet　they　waited。
　Then　came　the　most　fearsome　moment。　All　sounds　ceased。　There　was　utter　silence；　except　for　the　snoring　of　the　men　and　the　low　crackle　of　the　fire。　Still　none　of　the　warriors　of　Buliwyf　stirred。
　And　then　there　was　a　mighty　crash　upon　the　solid　doors　of　the　hall　of　Hurot；　and　these　doors　burst　open；　and　a　rush　of　reeking　air　gutted　all　the　lights；　and　the　black　mist　entered　the　room。　I　did　not　count　their　number：　verily　it　seemed　thousands　of　black　grunting　shapes；　and　yet　it　might　have　been　no　more　than　five　or　six；　huge　black　shapes　hardly　in　the　manner　of　men；　and　yet　also　manlike。　The　air　stank　of　blood　and　death；　I　was　cold　beyond　reason；　and　shivered。　Yet　still　no　warrior　moved。
　Then；　with　a　curdling　scream　to　wake　the　dead；　Buliwyf　leapt　up；　and　in　his　arms　he　swung　the　giant　sword　Runding；　which　sang　like　a　sizzling　flame　as　it　cut　the　air。　And　his　warriors　leapt　up　with　him；　and　all　joined　the　battle。　The　shouts　of　the　men　mingled　with　the　pig…grunts　and　the　odors　of　the　black　mist；　and　there　was　terror　and　confusion　and　great　wracking　and　rending　of　the　Hurot　Hall。
　I　myself　had　no　stomach　for　battle；　and　yet　I　was　set　upon　by　one　of　these　mist　monsters；　who　came　close　to　me；　and　I　saw　gleaming　red　eyes…verily　I　saw　eyes　that　shone　like　fire；　and　I　smelled　the　reek；　and　I　was　lifted　bodily　and　flung　across　the　room　as　a　child　flings　a　pebble。　I　struck　the　wall　and　fell　to　the　ground；　and　was　greatly　dazed　for　the　next　period；　so　all　around　me　was　more　confused　than　true。
　I　remember；　most　distinctly；　the　touch　of　these　monsters　upon　me；　especially　the　furry　aspect　of　the　bodies；　for　these　mist　monsters　have　hair　as　long　as　a　hairy　dog；　and　as　thick；　on　all　parts　of　their　bodies。　And　I　remember　the　fetid　smell　of　the　breath　of　the　monster　who　flung　me。
　The　battle　raged　for　how　long　I　cannot　know；　but　it　concluded　most　suddenly　of　a　moment。　And　then　the　black　mist　was　gone；　slunk　away；　grunting　and　panting　and　stinking；　leaving　behind　destruction　and　death　that　we　could　not　know　until　we　had　lighted　fresh　tapers。
　Here　is　how　the　battle　waged。　Of　the　pany　of　Buliwyf；　three　were　dead；　Roneth　and　Halga；　both　earls；　and　Edgtho；　a　warrior。　The　first　had　his　chest　torn　open。　The　second　had　his　spine　broken。　The　third　had　his　head　torn　off　in　the　manner　I　had　already　witnessed。　All　these　warriors　were　dead。
　Wounded　were　two　others；　Haltaf　and　Rethel。　Haltaf　had　lost　an　ear；　and　Rethel　two　fingers　of　his　right　hand。　Both　men　were　not　mortally　injured；　and　made　no　plaint；　for　it　is　the　Northman　way　to　bear　the　wounds　of　battle　cheerfully；　and　to　praise　above　all　the　retaining　of　life。
　As　for　Buliwyf　and　Herger　and　all　the　others；　they　were　soaked　in　blood　as　if　they　had　bathed　in　it。　Now　I　shall　say　what　many　will　not　believe；　and　yet　it　was　so：　our　pany　had　killed　not　one　of　the　mist　monsters。　Each　had　slunk　away；　some　perhaps　mortally　wounded；　and　yet　they　had　escaped。
　Herger　said　thus：　〃I　saw　two　of　their　number　carrying　a　third；　who　was　dead。〃　Perhaps　this　was　so；　for　all　generally　agreed　upon　it。　I　learned　that　the　mist　monsters　never　leave　one　of　their　kind　to　the　society　of　men；　but　rather　will　risk　great　dangers　to　retrieve　him　from　human　purview。　So　also　will　they　go　to　extreme　lengths　to　keep　a　victim's　head；　and　we　could　not　find　the　head　of　Edgtho　in　any　place；　the　monsters　had　carried　it　off　with　them。
　Then　Buliwyf　spoke；　and　Herger　told　me　his　words　thus：　〃Look；　I　have　retained　a　trophy　of　the　night's　bloody　deeds。　See；　here　is　an　arm　of　one　of　the　fiends。〃
　And；　true　to　his　word；　Buliwyf　held　the　arm　of　one　of　the　mist　monsters；　cut　off　at　the　shoulder　by　the　great　sword　Runding。　All　the　warriors　crowded　around　to　examine　it。　I　perceived　it　thusly：　it　appeared　to　be　small；　with　a　hand　of　abnormally　large　size。　But　the　forearm　and　upper　arm　were　not　large　to　match　it；　although　the　muscles　were　powerful。　There　was　long　black　matted　hair　on　all　parts　of　the　arm　except　the　palm　of　the　hand。　Finally　it　is　to　say　that　the　arm　stank　as　the　whole　beast　stank；　with　the　fetid　smell　of　the　black　mist。
　Now　all　the　warriors　cheered　Buliwyf；　and　his　sword　Runding。　The　fiend's　arm　was　hung　from　the　rafters　of　the　great　hall　of　Hurot；　and　marveled　at　by　all　the　people　of　the　kingdom　of　Rothgar。　Thus　ended　the　first　battle　with　the　wendol。
　
　THE　EVENTS　THAT　FOLLOWED　THE　FIRST　BATTLE

　VERILY；　THE　PEOPLE　OF　THE　NORTH　COUNTRY　NEVER　act　as　human　beings　of　reason　and　sense。　After　the　attack　of　the　mist　monsters；　and　their　beating　back　by　Buliwyf　and　his　pany；　wit