tw.togreenangeltower2-第104部分

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ch's　meaty　hands　closed　on　him　again。　He　was　lifted　up；　then　something　struck　his　face　so　hard　that　he　heard　thunder　and　saw　lightning。　He　felt　his　cloth　mask　pull　away。　Another　blow　rocked　him；　then　he　was　free　and　toppling　to　the　ground。　Simon　lay　where　he　had　fallen；　struggling　to　understand　where　he　was　and　what　had　happened。
　　　　　　　〃You　make　me　angry　。。。〃　said　a　deep　voice。　Simon　waited　helplessly　for　another　blow；　hoping　it　would　be　strong　enough　to　take　away　the　pain　in　his　head　and　the　sickness　in　his　guts　forever。　But　for　long　moments　nothing　happened。
　　　　　　　'The　little　kitchen　boy；〃　Inch　said　at　last；　〃I　know　you。　You　are　the　kitchen　boy。　But　you　have　hair　on　your　face！〃　There　was　a　sound　like　two　stones　being　rubbed　together。　It　took　some　time　for　Simon　to　realize　that　Inch　was　laughing。　〃You　came　back！〃　He　sounded　as　pleased　as　if　Simon　were　an　old　friend。　〃Back　to　Inch…but　I　am　Doctor　Inch　now。　You　laughed　at　me。　But　you　won't　laugh　any　more。〃
　　　　　　　Thick　fingers　squeezed　him　and　he　was　jerked　up　from　the　floor。　The　sudden　movement　filled　his　head　with　blackness。

　　　　　　　Simon　struggled　to　move　but　could　not。　Something　held　him　with　his　arms　and　legs　extended；　stretched　to　their　utmost。
　　　　　　　He　opened　his　eyes　to　the　tattered　moon　face　of　Inch。　〃Little　kitchen　boy。　You　came　back。〃　The　huge　man　leaned　closer。　He　used　one　hand　to　pinion　Simon's　right　arm　against　whatever　stood　behind；　then　raised　the　other；　which　clutched　a　heavy　mallet。　Simon　saw　the　spike　being　held　against　his　wrist　and　could　not　hold　back　his　shout　of　terror。
　　　　　　　〃Are　you　afraid；　kitchen　boy？　You　took　my　place；　the　place　that　should　have　been　mine。　Turned　the　old　man　against　me。　I　didn't　forget。〃　Inch　raised　the　mallet　and　brought　it　down　hard　against　the　head　of　the　spike。　Simon　gasped　and　twitched　helplessly；　but　there　was　no　pain　only　a　tightening　of　the　pressure　on　his　wrist。　Inch　hammered　the　spike　in　deeper；　then　leaned　back　to　examine　his　work。　For　the　first　time　Simon　realized　that　they　were　high　above　the　cavern　floor。　Inch　was　standing　on　a　ladder　that　leaned　against　the　wall　just　below　Simon's　arm。
　　　　　　　But　it　wasn't　the　wall；　Simon　saw　a　moment　later。　The　rope　around　his　wrist　was　now　spiked　to　the　forge's　immense　water　wheel。　His　other　wrist　and　both　ankles　had　already　been　secured。　He　was　spread…eagled　a　few　cubits　beneath　the　wheel's　edge；　ten　cubits　above　the　ground。
　　　　　　　The　wheel　was　not　moving；　and　the　sluice　of　dark　water　seemed　farther　away　than　it　should。
　　　　　　　〃Do　whatever　you　want。〃　Simon　clenched　his　teeth　against　the　scream　that　wanted　to　erupt。　〃I　don't　care。　Do　anything。〃　
　　　　　　　Inch　tugged　at　Simon's　wrists　again；　testing。　Simon　could　begin　to　feel　the　downward　pull　of　his　weight；　against　the　bonds　and　the　slow　warmth　in　the　joints　of　his　arms；　precursor　of　real　pain。
〃Do？　I　do　nothing。〃　Inch　placed　his　huge　hand　on　Simon's　chest　and　gave　a　push；　forcing　Simon's　breath　out　in　a　surprised　hiss。　〃I　waited。　You　took　my　place。　I　waited　and　waited　to　be　Doctor　Inch。　Now　you　wait。〃
　　　　　　　〃W…wait　for　what？〃
　　　　　　　Inch　smiled；　a　slow　spread　of　lips　that　revealed　broken　teeth。　〃Wait　to　die。　No　food。　Maybe　I　will　give　you　water…it　will　take　longer　that　way。　Maybe　I　will　think　of。。。　something　else　to　do。　Doesn't　matter。　You　will　wait。〃　Inch　nodded　his　head。　〃Wait。〃　He　pushed　the　mallet's　handle　into　his　belt　and　climbed　down　the　ladder。
　　　　　　　Simon　craned　his　neck；　watching　Inch's　progress　with　stupefied　fascination。　The　overseer　reached　the　bottom　and　waved　for　a　pair　of　his　henchmen　to　take　the　ladder　away。　Simon　sadly　watched　it　go。　Even　if　he　somehow　escaped　his　bonds；　he　would　surely　fall　to　his　death。
　　　　　　　But　Inch　was　not　finished。　He　moved　forward　until　he　was　almost　hidden　from　Simon's　view　by　the　great　wheel；　then　pulled　down　on　a　thick　wooden　lever。　Simon　heard　a　grinding　noise；　then　felt　the　wheel　jerk；　its　sudden　motion　rattling　his　bones。　It　slipped　downward；　shuddering　as　it　went；　then　splashed　into　the　sluice；　sending　another　jolt　through　Simon。
　　　　　　　Slowly　。。。　ever　so　slowly　。。。　the　wheel　began　to　turn。
At　first　it　was　almost　a　relief　to　be　rotated　down　toward　the　ground。　The　weight　shifted　from　both　his　arms　to　his　wrist　and　ankle；　then　gradually　the　strain　moved　to　his　legs　as　the　chamber　turned　upside　down。　Then；　as　he　rolled　even　further　downward；　blood　rushed　to　his　head　until　it　felt　as　though　it　would　burst　out　through　his　ears。
　　　　　　　At　the　bottom　of　his　revolution；　water　splashed　just　beyond　him；　almost　wetting　his　finger　tips。
　　　　　　　Above　the　wheel；　the　immense　chains　were　again　reeling　up　into　darkness。
　　　　　　　〃Couldn't　stop　it　for　long；〃　rumbled　a　downside…up　Inch。　〃Bellows　don't　work；　buckets　don't　work…and　the　Red　Rat　Wizard's　tower　don't　turn。〃　He　stood　staring　for　a　moment　as　Simon　slowly　began　to　rise　toward　the　cavern　ceiling。　〃It　does　lots　of　things；　this　wheel。〃　His　remaining　eye　glittered　in　the　light　from　the　forge。　〃Kills　little　kitchen　boys。〃
　　　　　　　He　turned　and　lumbered　off　across　the　chamber。
　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　It　didn't　hurt　that　much　at　first。　Simon's　wrists　were　so　securely　bound；　and　he　was　stretched　so　tightly　against　the　wheel's　wide　rim；　that　there　was　very　little　movement。　He　was　hungry；　which　kept　him　clearheaded　enough　to　think；　his　mind　revolved　far　more　swiftly　than　the　prisoning　wheel；　circling　through　the　events　that　had　brought　him　to　this　place　and　through　dozens　of　unlikely　possibilities　for　escape。
　　　　　　　Perhaps　Stanhelm　would　e　when　it　was　sleeping　time　and　cut　him　loose；　he　told　himself。　Inch　had　his　own　chamber　somewhere　in　another　part　of　the　forge：　with　luck；　Simon　could　be　freed　without　the　hulking　overseer　even　knowing。　But　where　would　he　go？　And　what　made　him　think　that　Stanhelm　was　still　alive；　or　if　he　was；　that　he　would　risk　death　again　to　save　a　person　he　barely　knew？
　　　　　　　Someone　else？　But　who？　None　of　the　other　foundrymen　cared　if　Simon　lived　or　died…nor　could　he　much　blame　them。　How　could　you　worry　about　another　person　when　every　moment　was　a　struggle　to　breathe　the　air；　to　survive　the　heat；　to　perform　backbreaking　work　at　the　whim　of　a　brutish　master？
And　this　time　there　were　no　friends　to　rescue　Simon。　Binabik　and　Miriamele；　even　should　they　somehow　make　their　way　into　the　castle；　would　surely　never　e　here。　They　sought　the　king…and　had　no　reason　to　believe　Simon　still　lived；　anyway。　Those　who　had　rescued　him　from　danger　in　the　past…Jiriki；　Josua；　Aditu…were　far　away；　on　the　grasslands　or　marching　toward　Nabban。　Any　friends　who　had　once　lived　in　the　castle　were　gone。　And　even　if　he　somehow　managed　to　free　himself　from　this　wheel；　where　would　he　go？　What　could　he　do？　Inch　would　only　catch　him　again；　and　next　time　the　forge…master　might　not　devise　such　a　gradual　torment。
　　　　　　　He　strained　again　at　his　bonds；　but　they　were　heavy　ropes　woven　to　resist　the　strains　of　forge　work　and　they　gave　not　at　all。　He　could　work　at　them　for　days　and　only　tear　the　skin　from　his　wrists。　Even　the　spikes　that　held　the　knotted　ropes　against　the　wheel's　timbers　were　no　help：　Inch　had　carefully　driven　them　between　the　strands　so　that　the　rope　would　not　split。
　　　　　　　The　burning　in　his　arms　and　legs　was　worsening。　Simon　felt　a　drumbeat　of　real　dread　begin　inside　him。　He　could　not　move。　No　matter　what　happened；　no　matter　how　bad　it　got；　no　matter　how　much　he　screamed　and　struggled　for　release；　there　was　nothing　he　could　do。
　　　　　　　It　would　almost　be　a　relief；　he　thought；　if　Pryrates　came　and　found　that　Inch　held　him　prisoner。　The　red　priest　would　do　terrible　things　to　him；　but　at　least　they　would　be　different　terrible　things…sharp　pains；　long　pains；　little　ones　and　great　ones。　This；　Simon　could　tell；　was　only　going　to　bee　steadily　worse。　Soon　his　hunger　would　bee　a　torment　as　well。　Most　of　a　day　had　passed　since　he　had　last　eaten；　and　he　was　already　thinking　on　his　last　bowl　of　scum…flecked　soup　with　a　regret　bordering　on　madness。
　　　　　　　As　he　turned　upside…down　once　more；　his　stomach　lurched；　momentarily　freeing　him　from　hunger。　It　was　little　enough　to　be　grateful　for；　but　Simon's　expectations　were　being　very　slight。
　　　　　　　The　pain　that　burned　his　body　was　matched　by　a　fury　that　grew　within　him　as　he　suffered；　a　helpless　rage