tp.lightfantastic-第31部分

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　'Plague？'　said　Rincewind；　stopping　a　man　pushing　a　handcart　full　of　children。
　He　shook　his　head。　'It's　the　star；　friend；'　he　said。　'Haven't　you　seen　it　in　the　sky？'
　'We　couldn't　help　noticing　it；　yes。'
　They　say　that　it'll　hit　us　on　Hogswatchnight　and　the　seas　will　boil　and　the　countries　of　the　Disc　will　be　broken　nd　kings　will　be　brought　down　and　the　cities　will　be　as　lakes　of　glass；'　said　the　man。　'I'm　off　to　the　mountains。'
　'That'll　help；　will　it？'　said　Rincewind　doubtfully。
　'No；　but　the　view　will　be　better。'
　Rincewind　rode　back　to　the　others。
　'Everyone's　worried　about　the　star；'　he　said。　'Apparently　there's　hardly　anyone　left　in　the　cities；　they're　all　frightened　of　it。'
　'I　don't　want　to　worry　anyone；'　said　Bethan；　'but　hasn't　it　struck　you　as　unseasonably　hot？'
　'That's　what　I　said　last　night；'　said　Twoflower。　'Very　warm；　I　thought。'
　'I　shuspect　it'll　get　a　lot　hotter；'　said　Cohen。　'Let'sh　get　on　into　the　city。'
　They　rode　through　echoing　streets　that　were　practically　deserted。　Cohen　kept　peering　at　merchants'　signs　until　he　reined　his　horse　and　said；　'Thish　ish　what　I've　been　looking　for。　You　find　a　temple　and　a　priesht；　I'll　join　you　shortly。'
　'A　jeweller？'　said　Rincewind。
　'It's　a　shuprishe。'
　'I　could　do　with　a　new　dress；　too；'　said　Bethan。
　'I'll　shteal　you　one。'
　There　was　something　very　oppressive　about　the　city；　Rincewind　decided。　There　was　also　something　very　odd。
　Almost　every　door　was　painted　with　a　large　red　star。
　'It's　creepy；'　said　Bethan。　'As　if　people　wanted　to　bring　the　star　here。'
　'Or　keep　it　away；'　said　Twoflower。
　'That　won't　work。　It's　too　big；'　said　Rincewind。　He　saw　their　faces　turned　towards　him。
　'Well；　it　stands　to　reason；　doesn't　it？'　he　said　lamely。
　'No；'　said　Bethan。
　'Stars　are　small　lights　in　the　sky；'　said　Twoflower。　'One　fell　down　near　my　home　once　…　big　white　thing；　size　of　a　house；　glowed　for　weeks　before　it　went　out。'
　'This　star　is　different；'　said　a　voice。　'Great　A'Tuin　has　climbed　the　beach　of　the　universe。　This　is　the　great　ocean　of　space。'
　'How　do　you　know？'　said　Twoflower。
　'Know　what？'　said　Rincewind。
　'What　you　just　said。　About　beaches　and　oceans。'
　'I　didn't　say　anything！'
　'Yes　you　did；　you　silly　man！'　yelled　Bethan。　'We　saw　your　lips　going　up　and　down　and　everything！'
　Rincewind　shut　his　eyes。　Inside　his　mind　he　could　feel　the　Spell　scuttling　off　to　hide　behind　his　conscience；　and　muttering　to　itself。
　'All　right；　all　right；'　he　said。　'No　need　to　shout。　I　…　I　don't　know　how　I　know；　I　just　know　…。'
　'Well；　I　wish　you'd　tell　us。'
　They　turned　the　corner。
　All　the　cities　around　the　Circle　Sea　had　a　special　area　set　aside　for　the　gods；　of　which　the　Disc　had　an　elegant　sufficiency。　Usually　they　were　crowded　and　not　very　attractive　from　an　architectural　point　of　view。　The　most　senior　gods；　of　course；　had　large　and　splendid　temples；　but　the　trouble　was　that　later　gods　demanded　equality　and　soon　the　holy　areas　were　sprawling　with　lean…to's；　annexes；　loft　conversions；　sub…basements；　bijou　flatlets；　ecclesiastical　infilling　and　trans…temporal　timesharing；　since　no　god　would　dream　of　living　outside　the　holy　quarter　or；　as　it　had　bee；　three…eighths。　There　were　usually　three　hundred　different　types　of　incense　being　burned　and　the　noise　was　normally　at　pain　threshold　because　of　all　the　priests　vying　with　each　other　to　call　their　share　of　the　faithful　to　prayer。
　But　this　street　was　deathly　quiet；　that　particularly　unpleasant　quiet　that　es　when　hundreds　of　frightened　and　angry　people　are　standing　very　still。
　A　man　at　the　edge　of　the　crowd　turned　around　and　scowled　at　the　newers。　He　had　a　red　star　painted　on　his　forehead。
　'What's…'　Rincewind　began；　and　stopped　as　his　voice　seemed　far　too　loud；　'what's　this？'
　'You're　strangers？'　said　the　man。
　'Actually　we　know　one　another　quite…'　Twoflower　egan；　and　fell　silent。　Bethan　pointed　up　the　street。
　Every　temple　had　a　star　painted　on　it。　There　was　a　particularly　big　one　daubed　across　the　stone　eye　outside　the　temple　of　Blind　Io；　leader　of　the　gods。
　'Urgh；'　said　Rincewind。　'Io　is　going　to　be　really　pissed　when　he　sees　that。　I　don't　think　we　ought　to　hang　around　here；　friends。'
　The　crowd　was　facing　a　crude　platform　that　had　been　built　in　the　centre　of　the　wide　street。　A　big　banner　had　been　draped　across　the　front　of　it。
　'I　always　heard　that　Blind　Io　can　see　everything　that　happens　everywhere；'　said　Bethan　quietly。　'Why　hasn't　…'
　'Quiet！'　said　the　man　beside　them。　'Dahoney　speaks！'
　A　figure　had　stepped　up　on　the　platform；　a　tall　thin　man　with　hair　like　a　dandelion。　There　was　no　cheer　from　the　crowd；　just　a　collective　sigh。　He　began　to　speak。
　Rincewind　listened　in　mounting　horror。　Where　were　the　gods？　said　the　man。　They　had　gone。　Perhaps　they　had　never　been。　Who；　actually；　could　remember　seeing　them？　And　now　the　star　had　been　sent　…
　It　went　on　and　on；　a　quiet；　clear　voice　that　used　words　like　'cleanse'　and　'scouring'　and　'purify'　and　drilled　into　the　brain　like　a　hot　sword。　Where　were　the　wizards？　Where　was　magic？　Had　it　ever　really　worked；　or　had　it　all　been　a　dream？
　Rincewind　began　to　be　really　afraid　that　the　gods　might　get　to　hear　about　this　and　be　so　angry　that　they'd　take　it　out　on　anyone　who　happened　to　have　been　around　at　the　time。
　But　somehow　even　the　wrath　of　the　gods　would　have　been　better　than　the　sound　of　that　voice。　The　star　was　ing；　it　seemed　to　say；　and　its　fearful　fire　could　only　be　averted　by　…　by　…　Rincewind　couldn't　be　certain；　but　he　had　visions　of　swords　and　banners　and　blank…eyed　warriors。　The　voice　didn't　believe　in　gods；　which　in　Rincewind's　book　was　fair　enough；　but　it　didn't　believe　in　people　either。
　A　tall　hooded　stranger　on　Rincewind's　left　jostled　him。　He　turned　…　and　looked　up　into　a　grinning　skuli　nder　a　black　hood。
　Wizards；　like　cats；　can　see　Death。
　pared　to　the　sound　of　that　voice；　Death　seemed　almost　pleasant。　He　leaned　against　a　wall；　his　scythe　propped　up　beside　him。　He　nodded　at　Rincewind。
　'e　to　gloat？'　whispered　Rincewind。　Death　shrugged。
　I　HAVE　E　TO　SEE　THE　FUTURE；　he　said。
　'This　is　the　future？'
　A　FUTURE；　said　Death。
　'It's　horrible；'　said　Rincewind。
　I'M　INCLINED　TO　AGREE；　said　Death。
　'I　would　have　thought　you'd　be　all　for　it　I'
　NOT　LIKE　THIS。　THE　DEATH　OF　THE　WARRIOR　OR　THE　OLD　MAN　OR　THE　LITTLE　CHILD；　THIS　I　UNDERSTAND；　AND　I　TAKE　AWAY　THE　PAIN　AND　END　THE　SUFFERING。　I　DO　NOT　UNDERSTAND　THIS　DEATH…OF…THE…MIND。
　'Who　are　you　talking　to？'　said　Twoflower。　Several　members　of　the　congregation　had　turned　around　and　were　looking　suspiciously　at　Rincewind。
　'Nobody；'　said　Rincewind。　'Can　we　go　away？　I've　got　a　headache。'
　Now　a　group　of　people　at　the　edge　of　the　crowd　were　muttering　and　pointing　to　them。　Rincewind　grabbed　the　other　two　and　hurried　them　around　the　corner。
　'Mount　up　and　let's　go；'　he　said。　'I've　got　a　bad　feeling　that　…'
　A　hand　landed　on　his　shoulder。　He　turned　around。　A　pair　of　cloudy　grey　eyes　set　in　a　round　bald　head　on　top　of　a　large　muscular　body　were　staring　hard　at　his　left　ear。　The　man　had　a　star　painted　on　his　forehead。
　'You　look　like　a　wizard；'　he　said；　in　a　tone　of　voice　that　suggested　this　was　very　unwise　and　quite　possibly　fatal。
　'Who；　me？　No；　I'm　…　a　clerk。　Yes。　A　clerk。　That's　right；'　said　Rincewind。
　He　gave　a　little　laugh。
　The　man　paused；　his　lips　moving　soundlessly；　as　though　he　was　listening　to　a　voice　in　his　head。　Several　ther　star　people　had　joined　him。　Rincewind's　left　ear　began　to　be　widely　regarded。
　'I　think　you're　a　wizard；'　said　the　man。
　'Look；'　said　Rincewind；　'if　I　was　a　wizard　I'd　be　able　to　do　magic；　right？　I'd　just　turn　you　into　something；　and　I　haven't；　so　I'm　not。'
　'We　killed　all　our　wizards；'　said　one　of　the　men。　'Some　ran　away；　but　we　killed　quite　a　lot。　They　waved　their　hands　and　nothing　came　out。'
　Rincewind　stared　at　him。
　'And　we　think　you're　a　wizard　too；'　said　the　man　holding　Rincewind　in　an　ever…tightening　grip。　'You've　got　the　box　on　legs　and　you　look　like　a　wizard。'
　Rincewind　became　aware　that　the　three　of　them　and　the　Luggage　had　somehow　bee　separated　from　their　horses；　and　that　they　were　now　in　a　contracting　circle　of　grey…faced；　solemn　people。
　Bethan　had　gone　pale。　Even