mc.eatersofthedead-第18部分

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　pany；　with　me　amongst　them；　the　men　of　the　kingdom　of　Rothgar　did　nothing。
　There　was　no　celebration；　no　feasting；　no　jubilation　or　display　of　happiness。　From　far　and　wide；　the　people　of　the　kingdom　came　to　view　the　dangling　arm　of　the　fiend；　which　hung　in　the　great　hall；　and　this　they　greeted　with　much　amazement　and　astonishment。　But　Rothgar　himself；　the　half…blind　old　man；　expressed　no　pleasure；　and　presented　Buliwyf　and　his　pany　with　no　gifts；　planned　no　feasts；　gave　him　no　slaves；　no　silver；　no　precious　garments；　or　any　other　sign　of　honor。
　Contrary　to　any　expression　of　pleasure；　King　Rothgar　made　a　long　face　and　was　solemn；　and　seemed　more　fearful　than　he　had　been　before。　I　myself；　though　I　did　not　speak　it　aloud；　suspected　that　Rothgar　preferred　his　earlier　condition；　before　the　black　mist　was　beaten。
　Nor　was　Buliwyf　different　in　manner。　He　called　for　no　ceremonies；　no　feasting；　no　drinking　or　eating　of　food。　The　nobles　who　had　died　valiantly　in　the　battle　of　the　night　were　quickly　placed　in　pits　with　a　wooden　roof　over　the　top；　and　left　there　for　the　assigned　ten　days。　There　was　haste　in　this　matter。
　Yet　it　was　only　in　the　laying　out　of　the　dead　warriors　that　Buliwyf　and　his　rades　showed　happiness；　or　allowed　themselves　any　smiles。　After　further　time　among　the　Northmen；　I　learned　that　they　smile　upon　any　death　in　battle；　for　this　is　pleasure　taken　on　behalf　of　the　dead　person；　and　not　the　living。　They　are　pleased　when　any　man　dies　a　warrior's　death。　Also　the　opposite　is　held　true　by　them；　they　show　distress　when　a　man　dies　in　his　sleep；　or　in　a　bed。　They　say　of　such　a　man；　〃He　died　as　a　cow　in　the　straw。〃　This　is　no　insult；　but　it　is　a　reason　for　mourning　the　death。
　The　Northmen　believe　that　how　a　man　dies　determines　his　condition　in　the　afterlife；　and　they　value　the　death　of　a　warrior　in　battle　above　all。　A　〃straw　death〃　is　shameful。
　Any　man　who　dies　in　his　sleep　is　said　by　them　to　be　strangled　by　the　maran；　or　mare　of　the　night。　This　creature　is　a　woman；　which　makes　such　a　death　shameful；　for　to　die　at　the　hands　of　a　woman　is　degrading　above　all　things。
　Also　they　say　to　die　without　your　weapons　is　degrading；　and　a　Northman　warrior　will　always　sleep　with　his　weapons；　so　that　if　the　maran　es　at　night；　he　will　have　his　weapons　at　hand。　Seldom　does　a　warrior　die　of　some　illness；　or　of　the　enfeeblement　of　age。　I　heard　of　one　king；　of　the　name　Ane；　who　lived　to　such　an　age　that　he　became　as　an　infant；　toothless　and　existing　upon　the　food　of　an　infant；　and　he　spent　all　his　days　in　his　bed　drinking　milk　from　a　horn。　But　this　was　told　to　me　as　most　unmon　in　the　North　country。　With　my　own　eyes　I　saw　few　men　grown　very　old；　by　which　I　mean　grown　old　to　the　time　when　the　beard　is　not　only　white　but　falling　out　from　the　chin　and　face。
　Several　of　their　women　live　to　great　age；　especially　such　as　the　old　crone　they　call　the　angel　of　death；　these　old　women　are　counted　as　having　magical　powers　in　healing　of　wounds；　casting　of　spells；　banishing　evil　influences；　and　foretelling　the　future　of　events。
　The　women　of　the　North　people　do　not　fight　among　themselves；　and　often　did　I　see　them　intercede　in　a　growing　brawl　or　duel　of　two　men；　to　quench　the　rising　anger。　This　they　will　do　especially　if　the　warriors　are　thickened　and　slow　with　drink。　This　is　often　the　circumstance。
　Now；　the　Northmen；　who　drink　much　liquor；　and　at　all　hours　of　the　day　and　night；　drink　nothing　on　the　day　after　the　battle。　Seldom　did　the　people　of　Rothgar　offer　them　a　cup；　and　when　it　happened；　the　cup　was　refused。　This　I　found　most　puzzling；　and　spoke　of　it　finally　to　Herger。
　Herger　shook　his　shoulders　in　the　Northmen's　gesture　of　unconcern；　or　indifference。　〃Everyone　is　afraid；〃　he　said。
　I　inquired　why　there　should　still　be　a　reason　to　fear。　He　spoke　thus：　〃It　is　because　they　know　that　the　black　mist　will　return。〃
　Now　I　admit　that　I　was　puffed　with　the　arrogance　of　a　fighting　man；　though　in　truth　I　knew　I　did　not　deserve　such　a　posture。　Even　so；　I　felt　exhilaration　at　my　survival；　and　the　people　of　Rothgar　treated　me　as　one　of　a　pany　of　mighty　warriors。　I　said　boldly；　〃Who　cares　for　that？　If　they　e　again；　we　shall　beat　them　a　second　time。〃
　Indeed；　I　was　vain　as　a　young　cock；　and　I　am　abashed　now　to　think　upon　my　strutting。　Herger　responded：　〃The　kingdom　of　Rothgar　has　no　fighting　warriors　or　earls；　they　are　all　long　since　dead；　and　we　alone　must　defend　the　kingdom。　Yesterday　we　were　thirteen。　Today　we　are　ten；　and　of　that　ten　two　are　wounded　and　cannot　fight　as　full　men。　The　black　mist　is　angered；　and　it　will　take　a　terrible　vengeance。〃
　I　said　to　Herger；　who　had　suffered　some　minor　wounds　in　the　fray…but　nothing　so　fierce　as　the　claw　marks　upon　my　own　face；　which　I　bore　proudly…that　I　feared　nothing　the　demons　would　do。
　He　answered　curtly　that　I　was　an　Arab　and　understood　nothing　of　the　ways　of　the　North　country；　and　he　told　me　that　the　vengeance　of　the　black　mist　would　be　terrible　and　profound。　He　said；　〃They　will　return　as　Korgon。〃
　I　did　not　know　the　sense　of　the　word。　〃What　is　Korgon？〃
　He　said　to　me；　〃The　glowworm　dragon；　which　swoops　down　through　the　air。〃
　Now　this　seemed　fanciful；　but　I　had　already　seen　the　sea　monsters　just　as　they　said　that　such　beasts　truly　lived；　and　also　I　saw　Herger's　strained　and　tired　countenance；　and　I　perceived　that　he　believed　in　the　glowworm　dragon。　I　said；　〃When　will　Korgon　e？〃
　〃Perhaps　tonight；〃　Herger　said。
　Verily；　even　as　he　spoke；　I　saw　that　Buliwyf；　though　he　had　slept　not　at　all　during　the　night　and　his　eyes　were　red　and　heavy　with　fatigue；　was　directing　anew　the　building　of　defenses　around　the　hall　of　Hurot。　All　the　people　of　the　kingdom　worked；　the　children　and　the　women　and　the　old　men；　and　the　slaves　as　well；　under　the　direction　of　Buliwyf　and　his　lieutenant　Ecthgow。
　This　is　what　they　did：　about　the　perimeter　of　Hurot　and　the　adjacent　buildings；　those　being　the　dwellings　of　the　King　Rothgar　and　some　of　his　nobles；　and　the　rude　huts　of　the　slaves　of　these　families；　and　one　or　another　of　the　farmers　who　lived　closest　to　the　sea；　all　around　this　area　Buliwyf　erected　a　kind　of　fence　of　crossed　lances　and　poles　with　sharpened　points。　This　fence　was　not　higher　than　a　man's　shoulders；　and　although　the　points　were　sharp　and　menacing；　I　could　not　see　the　value　of　this　defense；　for　men　could　scale　it　easily。
　I　spoke　of　this　to　Herger；　who　called　me　a　stupid　Arab。　Herger　was　in　an　ill　temper。
　Now　a　further　defense　was　constructed；　a　ditch　outside　the　pole　fence；　one　and　a　half　paces　beyond。　This　ditch　was　most　peculiar。　It　was　not　deep；　never　more　than　a　man's　knees；　and　often　less。　It　was　unevenly　dug；　so　that　in　places　it　was　shallow；　and　in　other　places　deeper；　with　small　pits。　And　in　places　short　lances　were　sunk　into　the　earth；　points　upward。
　I　understood　the　value　of　this　paltry　ditch　no　better　than　the　fence；　but　I　did　not　inquire　of　Herger；　already　knowing　his　mood。　Instead　I　aided　in　the　work　as　best　I　could；　pausing　only　once　to　have　my　way　with　a　slavewoman　in　the　Northman's　fashion；　for　in　the　excitement　of　the　night's　battle　and　the　day's　preparations　I　was　most　energetic。
　Now；　during　my　journey　with　Buliwyf　and　his　warriors　up　the　Volga；　Herger　had　told　me　that　unknown　women；　especially　if　attractive　or　seductive；　were　to　be　mistrusted。　Herger　said　to　me　that　within　the　forests　and　wild　places　of　the　North　country　there　live　women　who　are　called　woodwomen。　These　woodwomen　entice　men　by　their　beauty　and　soft　words；　yet　when　a　man　approaches　them；　he　finds　that　they　are　hollow　at　the　back　part；　and　are　apparitions。　Then　the　woodwomen　cast　a　spell　upon　the　seduced　man　and　he　bees　their　captive。
　Now；　Herger　had　thus　warned　me；　and　verily　it　is　true　that　I　approached　this　slavewoman　with　trepidation；　because　I　did　not　know　her。　And　I　felt　her　back　with　my　hand；　and　she　laughed；　for　she　knew　the　reason　of　the　touch；　to　assure　myself　that　she　was　no　wood　spirit。　I　felt　a　fool　at　that　time；　and　cursed　myself　for　placing　faith　in　a　heathen　superstition。　Yet　I　have　discovered　that　if　all　those　around　you　believe　some　particular　thing；　you　will　soon　be　tempted　to　share　in　that　belief；　and　so　it　was　with　me。
　The　women　of　the　North　people　are　pale　as　the　men