mc.eatersofthedead-第26部分

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ly　the　choice　of　a　man　or　a　hero。〃
　Now　Buliwyf　made　some　response；　but　it　was　low；　and　lost　to　me　in　the　howl　of　the　wind　that　raked　the　entrance　to　the　cave。　Whatever　the　words；　the　dwarf　spoke　further：
　〃That　is　the　hero's　answer；　Buliwyf；　and　I　would　expect　none　other　from　you。　Thus　shall　I　help　your　quest。〃　Then　a　number　of　his　kind　came　forward　into　the　light　from　the　dark　recesses　of　the　cave。　And　they　bore　many　objects。
　〃Here；〃　said　the　tengol；　〃are　lengths　of　rope；　made　from　the　skins　of　seals　caught　at　the　first　melting　of　the　ice。　These　ropes　will　help　you　to　attain　the　ocean　entrance　to　the　thunder　caves。〃
　〃I　thank　you；〃　Buliwyf　said。
　〃And　here　also；〃　the　tengol　said；　〃are　seven　daggers；　forged　with　steam　and　magic；　for　you　and　your　warriors。　Great　swords　will　be　of　no　avail　in　the　thunder　caves。　Carry　these　new　weapons　bravely；　and　you　shall　acplish　all　you　desire。〃
　Buliwyf　took　the　daggers；　and　thanked　the　dwarf。　He　stood。　〃When　shall　we　do　this　thing？〃　he　asked。
　〃Yesterday　is　better　than　today；〃　the　tengol　replied；　〃and　tomorrow　is　better　than　the　day　which　follows　that。　So　make　haste；　and　carry　out　your　intentions　with　a　firm　heart　and　a　strong　arm。〃
　〃And　what　follows　if　we　succeed？〃　Buliwyf　asked。
　〃Then　the　wendol　shall　be　mortally　wounded；　and　thrash　in　its　death　throes　a　final　time；　and　after　this　last　agony　the　land　shall　have　peace　and　sunlight　forevermore。　And　your　name　shall　be　sung　glorious　in　all　the　halls　of　the　Northlands；　forevermore。〃
　〃The　deeds　of　dead　men　are　so　sung；〃　Buliwyf　said。
　〃That　is　true；〃　the　dwarf　said；　and　laughed　again；　the　giggle　of　a　child　or　a　young　girl。　〃And　also　the　deeds　of　heroes　who　live；　but　never　are　sung　the　deeds　of　ordinary　men。　All　this　you　know。〃
　Now　Buliwyf　departed　from　the　cave；　and　gave　to　each　of　us　the　dagger　of　the　dwarves；　and　we　descended　from　the　rocky　windswept　crags；　and　returned　to　the　kingdom　and　the　great　hall　of　Rothgar　as　night　was　falling。
　All　these　things　took　place；　and　I　saw　them　with　my　own　eyes。
　
　THE　EVENTS　OF　THE　NIGHT　BEFORE　THE　ATTACK

　NO　MIST　CAME　THAT　NIGHT；　THE　FOG　DESCENDED　from　the　hills　but　hung　back　among　the　trees；　and　did　not　creep　out　onto　the　plain。　In　the　great　hall　of　Rothgar；　a　mighty　feast　was　held；　and　Buliwyf　and　all　his　warriors　joined　in　great　celebration。　Two　great　horned　sheep38　were　slaughtered　and　consumed；　each　man　drank　vast　quantities　of　mead；　Buliwyf　himself　ravished　half　a　dozen　slave　girls；　and　perhaps　more；　but　despite　merrymaking　neither　he　nor　his　warriors　were　truly　cheerful。　From　one　time　to　another；　I　saw　them　glance　at　the　ropes　of　sealskin　and　the　dwarf　daggers；　which　had　been　set　apart　to　one　side。
　Now　I　joined　in　the　general　revelry；　for　I　felt　as　one　of　them；　having　spent　much　time　in　their　pany；　or　so　it　seemed。　Indeed；　that　night　I　felt　I　had　been　born　a　Northman。
　Herger；　much　intoxicated；　told　me　freely　of　the　mother　of　the　wendol。　He　said　this：　〃The　mother　of　the　wendol　is　very　old　and　she　lives　in　the　caves　of　thunder。　These　thunder　caves　lie　in　the　rock　of　cliffs；　not　far　from　here。　The　caves　have　two　openings；　one　from　the　land　and　another　from　the　sea。　But　the　entrance　from　the　land　is　guarded　by　the　wendol；　who　protect　their　old　mother；　so　it　is　that　we　cannot　attack　from　the　side　of　the　land；　for　in　this　way　we　would　all　be　killed。　Therefore　we　shall　attack　from　the　sea。〃
　I　inquired　of　him：　〃What　is　the　nature　of　this　mother　of　the　wendol？〃
　Herger　said　that　no　Northman　knew　this　thing；　but　that　it　was　said　among　them　that　she　was　old；　older　than　the　old　crone　they　call　the　angel　of　death；　and　also　that　she　was　frightful　to　look　upon；　and　also　that　she　wore　snakes　upon　her　head　as　a　wreath；　and　also；　too；　that　she　was　strong　beyond　all　accounting。　And　he　said　at　the　last　that　the　wendol　called　upon　her　to　direct　them　in　all　their　affairs　of　life。39　Then　Herger　turned　from　me　and　slept。
　Now　this　event　occurred：　in　the　depths　of　the　night；　as　the　celebrations　were　drawing　to　a　close　and　the　warriors　were　drifting　into　sleep；　Buliwyf　sought　me　out。　He　sat　beside　me　and　drank　mead　from　a　horned　cup。　He　was　not　intoxicated；　I　saw；　and　he　spoke　slowly　in　the　North　tongue；　so　that　I　should　understand　his　meaning。
　He　said　first　to　me：　〃Did　you　prehend　the　words　of　the　dwarf　tengol？〃
　I　replied　that　I　did；　with　the　help　of　Herger；　who　now　snored　near　to　us。
　Buliwyf　said　to　me：　〃Then　you　know　I　shall　die。〃　He　spoke　thus；　with　his　eyes　clear　and　his　gaze　firm。　I　did　not　know　any　reply；　or　response　to　make；　but　finally　said　to　him　in　the　North　fashion；　〃Believe　no　prophecy　until　it　bears　fruit。〃40
　Buliwyf　said：　〃You　have　seen　much　of　our　ways。　Tell　me　what　is　true。　Do　you　draw　sounds？〃　I　answered　that　I　did。　〃Then　look　to　your　safety；　and　do　not　be　overbrave。　You　dress　and　now　you　speak　as　a　Northman；　and　not　a　foreign　man。　See　that　you　live。〃
　I　placed　my　hand　upon　his　shoulder；　as　I　had　seen　his　fellow　warriors　do　to　him　in　greeting。
　He　smiled　then。　〃I　fear　no　thing；〃　he　said；　〃and　need　no　fort。　I　tell　you　to　look　to　your　own　safety；　for　your　own　account。　Now　it　is　wisest　to　sleep。〃
　So　speaking；　he　turned　away　from　me；　and　devoted　his　attention　to　a　slave　girl；　whom　he　pleasured　not　a　dozen　paces　from　where　I　sat；　and　I　turned　away　hearing　the　moans　and　laughter　of　this　woman。　And　at　length　I　fell　into　a　sleep。
　
　THE　THUNDER　CAVES

　BEFORE　THE　FIRST　PINK　STREAKS　OF　DAWN　LIGHTED　the　sky；　Buliwyf　and　his　warriors；　myself　among　them；　rode　out　from　the　kingdom　of　Rothgar　and　followed　the　cliff　edge　above　the　sea。　On　this　day　I　did　not　feel　fit；　for　my　head　ached；　also　was　my　stomach　sour　from　the　celebration　of　the　previous　night。　Surely　all　the　warriors　of　Buliwyf　were　in　like　condition；　yet　no　man　gave　signal　of　these　disforts。　We　rode　briskly；　skirting　the　border　of　the　cliffs　which　on　all　this　coast　are　high　and　forbidding；　and　sheer；　in　a　sheet　of　gray　stone　they　drop　to　the　foaming　and　turbulent　sea　below。　In　some　places　along　this　coastline　there　are　rocky　beaches；　but　often　the　land　and　the　sea　meet　directly；　and　the　waves　crash　like　thunder　upon　the　rocks；　and　this　was　the　circumstance　for　the　most　part。
　I　saw　Herger；　who　carried　upon　his　horse　the　sealskin　ropes　of　the　dwarves；　and　I　rode　up　to　travel　alongside　him。　I　inquired　what　was　our　purpose　on　this　day。　In　truth；　I　did　not　care　greatly；　so　badly　did　my　head　ache　and　my　stomach　burn。
　Herger　said　to　me；　〃On　this　morning；　we　attack　the　mother　of　the　wendol　in　the　thunder　caves。　This　we　shall　do　by　attacking　from　the　sea；　as　I　have　told　you　yesterday。〃
　While　I　rode；　I　looked　from　my　horse　down　at　the　sea；　which　smashed　upon　the　rock　cliffs。　〃Do　we　attack　by　boat？〃　I　inquired　of　Herger。
　〃No；〃　Herger　said；　and　slapped　his　hand　upon　the　sealskin　ropes。
　Then　I　took　his　meaning　to　be　that　we　should　climb　down　the　cliffs　on　the　ropes；　and　thereby　in　some　fashion　make　an　entrance　into　the　caves。　I　was　much　frightened　at　this　prospect；　for　never　have　I　liked　to　be　exposed　upon　high　places；　even　high　buildings　in　the　City　of　Peace　have　I　avoided。　I　said　as　much。
　Herger　said　to　me；　〃Be　thankful；　for　you　are　fortunate。〃
　I　inquired　the　source　of　my　fortune。　Herger　said　in　reply；　〃If　you　have　the　fear　of　high　places；　then　this　day　you　shall　overe　it；　and　so　you　shall　have　faced　a　great　challenge；　and　so　you　shall　be　adjudged　a　hero。〃
　I　said　to　him；　〃I　do　not　want　to　be　a　hero。〃
　At　this　he　laughed　and　said　that　I　expressed　such　an　opinion　only　because　I　was　an　Arab。　Then　also　he　said　that　I　had　a　stiff　head；　by　which　the　Northmen　mean　the　aftermath　of　drinking。　This　was　true；　as　I　have　already　told。
　Also　it　is　true　that　I　was　much　aggrieved　at　the　prospect　of　climbing　down　the　cliff。　Verily　I　felt　in　this　manner：　that　I　should　rather　do　any　action　upon　the　face　of　the　earth；　whether　to　lie　with　a　woman　in　menses；　to　drink　from　a　gold　cup；　to　eat　the　excrement　of　a　pig；　to　put　out　my　eyes；　even　to　die　itself…any　or　all　of　these　things　should　I　prefer　to　the　climbing　of　that　accursed　cliff。　Also　I　was　in　ill　temper。　To　Herger　I　said；　〃You　and　Buliwyf　and　all　your　pany　may　be　heroes　as　suits　your　temper；　but　I　have　no　part　in　this　affair；　and　shall　not