tw.togreenangeltower2-第174部分

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　　　　　　　Isgrimnur　nodded。　〃Ask　them。〃　He　had　been　expecting　this　since　he　saw　Simon　standing　in　mute　absorption　before　the　statue　of　Eahlstan。
　　　　　　　〃Binabik　said　yesterday　that　bringing　the　swords　was　a　trick；　a　'false　messenger'…that　Pryrates　and　the　Storm　King　wanted　them　all　the　time。〃　Simon　pushed　at　one　of　the　sodden　banners　with　the　heel　of　his　boot。　〃They　needed　them　so　they　could　turn　back　time　to　before　Ineluki's　last　spell；　before　all　the　wards　and　prayers　and　whatnot　had　been　laid　on　the　Hayholt。〃
　　　　　　　〃All　of　us　outside　saw　the　castle　change；〃　the　duke　said　slowly；　caught　off　balance　by　Simon's　question。　He　had　been　certain　the　youth　would　want　to　ask　about　his　newly…discovered　history。　〃Even　as　we　fought　against　the　Norns；　the　Hayholt　just　。。。　melted　away。　There　were　strange　towers　everywhere；　and　fires　burning。　I　thought　I　saw　。　。　。　ghosts；　I　suppose　they　were…ghosts　of　Sithi　and　Rimmersmen　in　ancient　costume。　They　were　at　war；　right　in　the　midst　of　our　own　battle。　What　else　could　it　have　been？〃　The　clean　afternoon　light　flooding　in　through　the　high　windows　suddenly　made　it　all　seem　unreal　to　Isgrimnur。　Just　days　ago；　the　world　had　been　gripped　by　sorcerous　madness　and　deadly　winter　storms。　Now　a　bird　twittered　outside。
　　　　　　　Simon　shook　his　head。　〃I　believe　that。　I　was　there。　It　was　worse　inside。　But　why　did　they　need　us　to　bring　the　swords？　Bright…Nail　was　less　than　a　league　away　from　Pryrates　for　two　years。　And　surely；　if　they　had　really　tried；　they　could　have　taken　Thorn；　either　when　we　were　ing　back　from　Yiqanuc　or　when　it　was　lying　on　a　stone　slab　in　Leavetaking　House　up　on　Sesuad'ra。　It　doesn't　make　sense。〃
Jiriki　spoke　up。　〃Yes；　this　is　perhaps　the　hardest　matter　of　all　to　understand；　Seoman。　I　can　explain　some　of　it。　As　we　were　struggling　with　Utuk'ku　at　the　Pool　of　Three　Depths；　much　of　her　thought　was　revealed　to　us。　She　did　not　shield　herself；　but　rather　used　that　strength　in　her　fight　to　capture　and　use　the　Pool。　She　believed　there　was　little　at　that　point　we　could　do　even　if　we　understood　the　truth。〃　His　slow　hand…spread　seemed　a　gesture　of　regret。　〃She　was　correct。〃
　　　　　　　〃You　held　her　off　a　long　while；〃　Simon　pointed　out。　〃And　at　a　great　price；　from　what　I　heard。　Who　knows　what　might　have　happened　if　the　Storm　King　hadn't　been　forced　to　wait？〃
Jiriki　smiled　thinly。　〃Of　all　of　who　fought　beside　the　Pool；　Likimeya　understood　the　most　in　the　short　time　we　touched　Utuk'ku's　thoughts。　My　mother　is　recovering　very　slowly　from　the　battle　with　her　ancestor；　but　she　has　confirmed　much　that　the　rest　of　us　suspected。
　　　　　　　〃The　swords　were　almost　living　things。　That　will　e　as　no　surprise　to　anyone　who　bore　one　of　them。　A　large　part　of　their　might　was；　as　Binabik　of　Mintahoq　suspected；　the　unwordly　forces　bound　by　the　Words　of　Making。　But　almost　as　much　of　their　power　was　in　the　effect　those　Words　had。　Somehow；　the　swords　had　life。　They　were　not　creatures　like　us…they　had　nothing　in　them　that　humans　or　even　Sithi　can　fully　understand…yet　they　lived。　This　was　what　made　them　greater　than　any　other　weapons；　but　it　was　also　what　made　them　difficult　for　anyone　to　rule　or　control。　They　could　be　called…their　hunger　to　be　together　and　to　release　their　energies　would　eventually　draw　them　to　the　tower…but　they　could　not　be　pelled。　Part　of　the
terrible　magic　the　Storm　King　needed　for　his　plan　to　succeed；　perhaps　the　most　important　part；　was　that　the　swords　must　e　to　the　summoning　themselves　at　the　proper　time。　They　must　choose　their　own　bearers。〃
Isgrimnur　watched　Simon　think　carefully　before　speaking。　〃But　Binabik　also　told　me　that　the　night　Miriamele　and　I　left　Josua's　camp；　the　Norns　tried　to　kill　Camaris。　But　the　sword　had　already　chosen　him…chosen　him　a　long　time　ago！　So　why　would　they　want　him　dead？〃
　　　　　　　〃I　may　have　the　beginning　of　the　answer　to　that；〃　Strangyeard　spoke　up。　He　was　still　nearly　as　diffident　as　when　Isgrimnur　had　first　met　him　years　before；　but　a　little　boldness　had　begun　to　show　through　in　recent　days。　〃When　we　fled　Naglimund；　the　Norns　who　pursued　us　behaved　very　strangely。　Sir　Deornoth　was　the　first　to　realize　that　they　were　。。。　oh！〃　The　archivist　looked　up；　startled。
　　　　　　　A　gray　shape　had　rushed　into　the　throne　room。　It　bounded　up　onto　the　steps　before　the　dais；　knocking　Simon　onto　his　side。　The　young　man　laughed；　tangling　his　fingers　in　the　wolf's　hackles；　trying　to　keep　the　probing　muzzle　and　long　tongue　from　his　face。
　　　　　　　〃She　is　full　of　gladness　to　see　you；　Simon！〃　Binabik　called。　He　was　just　ing　through　the　doorway；　trotting　in　a　futile　effort　to　keep　pace　with　Qantaqa。　〃She　has　been　waiting　long　to　bring　you　greeting。　I　was　keeping　her　away　before；　while　your　wounds　were　new…bandaged。〃　The　troll　hurried　forward；　distractedly　greeting　the　rest　of　the　pany　as　he　wrestled　Qantaqa　to　the　stone　floor　beside　the　dais。　She　yielded；　then　stretched　out　between　Binabik　and　Simon；　huge　and　content。　〃You　will　be　pleased　for　knowing　I　have　found　Homefinder　this　afternoon；〃　the　troll　told　the　young　man。　〃She　wandered　away　from　the　fighting　and　was　roaming　in　the　depths　of　the　Kynswood。〃
〃Homefinder。〃　Simon　said　the　name　slowly。　〃Thank　you；　Binabik。　Thank　you。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　will　take　you　for　seeing　her　later。〃
　　　　　　　When　all　had　settled　in　once　more；　Strangyeard　continued。　〃Sir　Deornoth　was　the　first　to　see　that　they　were　not　so　much　chasing　us　as　。。。　herding　us。　They　drove　us　out　in　flight；　but　they　did　not　kill　us　when　they　surely　could　have。　And　they　only　became　desperate　to　stop　us　when　we　turned　toward　the　innermost　depths　of　Aldheorte。〃
〃Toward　Jao　e…Tinukai'i；〃　said　Aditu　softly。　
　　　　　　　〃。。　。　And　they　also　killed　Amerasu　when　she　had　begun　to　see　Ineluki's　plan。〃　Simon　pondered。　〃But　I　still　do　not　see　why　they　tried　to　kill　Camaris。〃
　　　　　　　Jiriki　spoke。　〃They　were　content　when　you　had　the　sword；　Seoman；　although　I　am　sure　it　made　Utuk'ku　unhappy　when　Ingen　Jegger　brought　her　the　news　that　Dawn　Children　acpanied　you。　Still；　she　and　Ineluki　must　have　thought　it　doubtful　we　would　so　quickly　grasp　what　they　planned…and　as　it　turned　out；　they　were　correct。　Only　First　Grandmother　perceived　the　lineaments　of　their　plot。　They　removed　her　and　sowed　much　other　confusion　beside。　For　those　who　dwelled　in　Stormspike；　the　Zida'ya　were　then　little　threat。　They　must　have　felt　sure　that　when　the　time　came；　the　black　sword　would　select　you　or　the　Rimmersman　Sludig　or　someone　else　to　be　its　bearer。　Josua　would　e　for　Bright…Nail…his　father's　sword；　after　all…and　the　final　rituals　could　take　place。〃
　　　　　　　〃But　Camaris　came　back；〃　said　Simon。　〃I　suppose　they　didn't　suspect　that　might　happen。　Still；　he　had　carried　Thorn　for　decades。　It　only　makes　sense　the　sword　would　choose　him　again。　Why　should　they　fear　him？〃
Strangyeard　cleared　his　throat。　〃Sir　Camaris；　may　God　rest　his　troubled　soul…〃　the　priest　quickly　sketched　the　Tree；　〃…confessed　to　me　what　he　could　not　tell　others。　That　confession　must　go　with　me　to　my　grave。〃　Strangyeard　shook　his　head。　〃Ransomer　preserve　him！　But　the　reason　he　confessed　to　me　at　all　was　that　Aditu　and　Geloe　wished　to　know　whether　he　had　traveled　to　Jao。。。　whether　he　had　met　Amerasu。　He　had。〃
　　　　　　　〃He　told　Prince　Josua　his　secret；　I　am　sure；〃　muttered　Isgrimnur。　Remembering　that　night；　and　Josua's　terrible　expression；　he　wondered　again　at　what　mere　words　could　have　made　the　prince　look　as　he　had。　〃But　Josua　is　dead；　too；　God　rest　him。　We　will　never　know。〃
　　　　　　　〃But　even　though　Father　Strangyeard　swears　that　it　had　nothing　to　do　with　our　battles　here；〃　Jiriki　said。　〃it　seems　that　Utuk'ku　and　her　ally　did　not　know　that。　Nakkiga's　queen　knew　that　Amerasu　had　met　Camaris…perhaps　she　somehow　gleaned　the　knowledge　from　First　Grandmother　herself　during　their　tests　of　will。　Having　Camaris　suddenly　and　unexpectedly　appear　on　the　scene；　perhaps　with　some　special　wisdom　Amerasu　might　have　given　him；　and　also　with　his　long　experience　of　one　of　the　Great　Swords　。。。〃　Jiriki　shook　his　head。　〃We　cannot　know；　but　it　seems　they　decided　it　was　too　much　of　a　risk。　They　must　have　thought　that　with　Camaris　dead；　the　sword　would　find　a　new　bearer；　one　less　likely　to　plicate　their　scheme。　After　all；　Thorn　was　not　a　loyal　creature　like　Binabik's　wolf。〃
　　　　　　　Simon　leaned　bac