tw.togreenangeltower2-第97部分

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　　　　　　　〃Because　the　Rimmersmen　had　surrounded　this　place　and　were　going　to　kill　him　anyway。〃
〃There　is　truth　in　what　you　say；〃　Binabik　admitted。　〃But　please；　Miriamele；　no　more。　I　do　not　know　what　things　are　in　this　place；　or　what　ears　might　be　listening；　but　I　am　thinking　that　the　less　we　speak　of　such　matters；　the　happier　we　will　be。　In　many　ways。〃
　　　　　　　Miriamele　inclined　her　head；　agreeing。　In　fact；　she　wished　now　she　had　never　mentioned　it。　After　more　than　a　day　wandering　in　these　disturbing　shadows；　the　thought　of　the　undead　enemy　was　already　close　enough。　
　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　They　had　not　penetrated　far　into　the　tunnels　the　first　night。　The　catab　passages　beneath　Saint　Sutrin's　had　gradually　bee　wider　and　wider；　and　soon　had　begun　to　slant　steadily　downward　into　the　earth；　after　the　first　hour；　Miriamele　thought　that　they　must　have　descended　beneath　even　the　bed　of　the　many…faThorned　Kynslagh。　They　had　soon　found　a　relatively　fortable　spot　to　stop　and　eat　a　meal。　After　sitting　down　for　a　short　while；　both　of　them　had　realized　just　how　weary　they　truly　were；　so　they　had　spread　their　cloaks　and　slept。　Upon　awaking；　Binabik　had　relit　their　torches　from　his　firepot…a　tiny　earthenware　jug　in　which　a　spark　was　somehow　kept　smoldering…and　after　a　few　bites　of　bread　and　some　dried　fruit　washed　down　with　warm　water；　they　had　set　out　again。
　　　　　　　The　day's　traveling　had　brought　them　down　many　twisting　paths。　Miriamele　and　Binabik　had　done　their　best　to　stay　close　to　the　general　directions　on　the　dwarrow　map；　but　the　tunnels　were　snaky　and　confusing；　it　was　hard　to　feel　very　confident　that　they　were　following　the　correct　course。　Wherever　they　were；　though；　it　was　clear　that　they　had　left　the　realms　of　humankind。　They　had　descended　into　Asu'a…in　a　way；　they　had　circled　back　into　the　past。　Trying　to　fall　asleep；　Miriamele　had　found　her　thoughts　reeling。　Who　could　know　the　world　had　so　many　secrets　in　it？
　　　　　　　She　was　no　less　overwhelmed　this　morning。　A　well…　traveled　child；　even　for　a　king's　daughter；　she　had　seen　many　of　the　greatest　monuments　of　Osten　Ard；　from　the　Sancellan　Aedonitis　to　the　Floating　Castle　at　Warinsten…but　the　minds　that　had　conceived　this　strange　hidden　castle　made　even　the　most　innovative　human　builders　seem　timid。
　　　　　　　Time　and　falling　debris　had　crushed　much　of　Asu'a　into　dust；　but　enough　of　it　remained　to　show　how　matchless　it　had　been。　Spectacular　as　the　ruins　of　Da'ai　Chikiza　had　seemed；　Miriamele　quickly　decided；　these　far　surpassed　them。　Stairways；　seemingly　unsupported；　rose　and　twisted　into　darkness　like　cloth　streamers　bending　in　the　wind。　Walls　curved　upward；　then　spread　out　overhead　into　spectacular　fan…shaped　arrays　of　multicolored；　attenuated　rock；　or　bent　back　on　themselves　in　rippling　folds；　every　surface　was　alive　with　carvings　of　animals　and　plants。　The　makers　of　this　place　seemed　able　to　stretch　stone　like　hot　sugar…candy　and　etch　it　like　wax。
　　　　　　　What　had　clearly　been　streambeds；　although　they　now　held　only　sifting　dust；　ran　in　and　out　from　one　room　to　the　other　along　the　broken　floors；　stitched　by　tiny；　ornate　bridges。　Overhead；　great　sconces　shaped　like　fantastically　unlikely　flowers　grew　downward　from　the　carved　vines　and　leaves　that　festooned　the　ceilings。　Miriamele　could　not　help　wishing　she　could　have　seen　them　when　they　had　bloomed　full　of　light。　Judging　by　the　traces　of　color　that　still　remained　in　the　grooves　of　the　stone；　the　palace　had　been　a　garden　of　colors　and　radiance　almost　beyond　imagining。
　　　　　　　But　although　chamber　after　ruined　chamber　dazzled　her　eyes；　there　was　also　something　about　these　endless　halls　that　set　her　teeth　on　edge。　For　all　their　beauty；　they　had　clearly　been　made　for　inhabitants　who　saw　things　differ…　ently　than　a　mortal　could：　the　angles　were　strange；　the　arrangements　unsettling。　Some　high…arched　chambers　seemed　far　too　vast　for　their　furnishings　and　decorations；　but　other　rooms　were　almost　frightening　in　their　closeness；　so　cramped　and　tangled　with　ornament　that　it　was　hard　to　imagine　more　than　one　person　occupying　them　at　any　given　time。　Stranger　still；　the　remnants　of　the　Sithi　castle　did　not　seem　entirely　dead。　In　addition　to　the　faint　sounds　which　might　be　voices　and　the　odd　shifts　of　the　air　in　what　should　be　a　windless　place；　Miriamele　saw　an　elusive　shimmer　everywhere；　a　hint　of　unseen　movement　at　the　corner　of　her　eye；　as　though　nothing　was　quite　real。　She　imagined　she　could　blink　and　find　Asu'a　restored…or；　equally　likely；　find　bare　cavern　walls　and　dirt。

　　　　　　　〃God　is　not　here。〃
　　　　　　　〃What　is　that　you　are　saying？〃　asked　Binabik。
　　　　　　　Their　meal　finished；　they　were　walking　again；　carrying　their　packs　down　a　long；　high…walled　gallery；　across　a　narrow　bridge　that　stretched　through　emptiness　like　the　flight　of　an　arrow。　The　torchlight　did　not　reach　past　the　darkness　below　them。
　　　　　　　She　looked　up；　embarrassed。　〃I'm　not　sure。　I　said；　〃God　is　not　here。'　〃
　　　　　　　〃You　are　not　liking　this　place？〃　Binabik　showed　a　small　yellow　smile。　〃I　have　fear　of　these　shadows；　too。〃
　　　　　　　〃No…I　mean；　yes；　I'm　afraid。　But　that's　not　what　I　meant。〃　She　held　her　torch　higher；　staring　at　a　string　of　carvings　on　the　wall　beyond　the　gap。　〃The　people　who　lived　here　weren't　anything　like　us。　They　didn't　think　about　us。　It's　hard　to　believe　it's　the　same　world　as　the　one　I　know。　I　was　taught　to　believe　that　God　is　everywhere；　watching　over　everything。〃　She　shook　her　head。　〃It's　hard　to　explain。　It　seems　like　this　place　is　out　of　God's　sight。　Like　the　place　itself　doesn't　see　Him；　so　He　doesn't　see　it。〃
　　　　　　　〃Is　that　making　you　more　afraid？〃
〃I　suppose　so。　It　just　seems　as　though　the　things　happening　here　don't　have　much　to　do　with　the　things　I　was　taught。〃
　　　　　　　Binabik　nodded　solemnly。　In　the　yellow　torchlight；　he　looked　less　like　a　child　than　he　sometimes　did。　Outlined　by　shadow；　his　round　face　had　an　air　of　gravity。　〃But　some　would　be　saying　that　the　things　happening　are　exactly　what　your　church　is　telling　of…a　battle　between　the　armies　of　goodness　and　badness。〃
　　　　　　　〃Yes；　but　it　can't　be　that　simple；〃　she　said　emphatically。　〃Ineluki…was　he　good？　Bad？　He　tried　to　do　what　was　right　for　his　people。　I　just　don't　know　any　more。〃
　　　　　　　Binabik　paused；　then　reached　out　a　small　hand　to　take　hers。　〃Your　questions　are　sensible　ones；　and　I　am　not　thinking　that　we　should　hate。。。　our　enemy。　But　do　not　be　naming　him；　please！〃　He　squeezed　her　fingers　for　emphasis。　〃And　make　yourself　assured　of　one　thing：　whatever　he　was　being　once；　he　has　now　bee　a　dangerous　thing；　more　dangerous　than　anything　you　know　or　can　be　thinking　about。　Do　not　be　forgetting　that！　He　wilt　kill　us　and　all　of　the　people　we　love　if　his　wishes　are　done。　Of　that　I　have　certainty。〃
And　my　father？　she　wondered。　Is　he　only　an　enemy　now；　too？　What　if　somehow　I　find　my　way　to　him；　but　there　is　nothing　left　of　what　I　loved？　That　will　be　like　dying。　I　won't　care　what　happens　to　me　then。
　　　　　　　And　then　it　came　to　her。　It　was　not　that　God　was　not　watching；　it　was　that　no　one　was　going　to　tell　her　right　from　wrong；　she　had　not　even　the　solace　of　doing　something　just　because　someone　else　had　ordered　her　not　to。　Whatever　decisions　she　made；　she　would　have　to　make　herself；　then　live　by　them。
　　　　　　　She　held　Binabik's　hand　for　a　moment　longer　before　they　resumed　walking。　At　least　she　had　the　pany　of　a　friend。　What　would　it　be　like　to　be　alone　in　such　a　place？

　　　　　　　By　the　time　they　had　slept　three　times　in　the　ruins　of　Asu'a；　even　its　crumbling　magnificence　could　no　longer　hold　Miriamele's　attention。　The　dark　halls　seemed　to　breed　memories…unimportant　pictures　of　her　childhood　in　Meremund；　her　days　as　a　captive　princess　in　the　Hayholt。　She　felt　herself　suspended　between　the　Sithi's　past　and　her　own。
　　　　　　　They　found　a　wide　staircase　leading　upward；　an　expanse　of　dusty　steps　with　balusters　carved　into　the　form　of　rose　hedges。　When　Binabik's　inspection　of　the　map　suggested　that　this　was　part　of　their　path；　she　felt　a　rush　of　happiness。　They　would　be　going　upward；　after　so　long　in　the　depths！
　　　　　　　But　something　more　than　an　hour　plodding　up　the　apparently　endless　stairs　soon　cooled　even　that　excitement；　Miriamele's　mind　went　wandering　again。
　　　　　　　Simon　is　gone；　and　I　never　had　a　chan