srdonaldson.thepowerthatpreserves-第68部分

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h　something　new　was　aborning。
　　　　Much　later　that　night；　he　stirred　and　found　the　keen　gleams　peering　at　him　again　through　his　closed　eyelids。　He　was　still　far　from　consciousness；　but　the　notes　of　the　melody　roused　him　enough　to　hear　feet　shuffling　toward　him　across　the　grass。　〃Ah；　mercy；〃　an　old　woman's　voice　sighed　over　him；　〃mercy。　So　peace　and　silence　e　to　this。　I　left　all　thought　of　such　work…and　yet　my　rest　es　to　this。　Have　mercy。〃
　　　　Hands　cleared　the　gentle　bindings　from　his　head　and　face。
　　　　〃Yes　I　see…for　this　reason　the　Forest　called　me　from　my　old　repose。　Injured…cold…ill。　And　he　has　eaten　amanibhavam。　Ah；　mercy。　How　the　world　intrudes；　when　even　Morinmoss　bestirs　itself　for　such　things　as　this。　Well；　the　grass　has　kept　life　in　him；　whatever　its　penalty。　But　I　mislike　the　look　of　his　thoughts。　He　will　be　a　sore　trial　to　me。〃
　　　　Covenant　heard　the　words；　though　they　did　not　penetrate　the　cold　center　of　his　sleep。　He　tried　to　open　his　eyes；　but　they　kept　themselves　closed　as　if　out　of　fear　of　what　he　might　see。　The　old　woman's　hands　as　they　searched　him　for　other　injuries　filled　him　with　loathing；　yet　he　lay　still；　slumberous；　shackled　in　mad　dreams。　He　had　no　volition　with　which　to　oppose　her。　So　he　lurked　within　himself；　hid　from　her　until　he　could　spring　and　strike　her　down　and　free　himself。
　　　　〃Mercy；〃　she　mumbled　on　to　herself；　〃mercy；　indeed。　Cold…ill　and　broken…minded。　I　left　such　work。　Where　will　I　find　the　strength　for　it？〃　Then　her　deft　fingers　bared　his　left　hand；　and　she　gasped；　〃Melenkurion！　White　gold？　Ah；　by　the　Seven！　How　has　such　a　burden　e　to　me？〃
　　　　The　need　to　protect　his　ring　from　her　drew　him　closer　to　consciousness。　He　could　not　move　his　hand；　could　not　even　clench　his　fist　around　the　ring；　so　he　sought　to　distract　her。
　　　　〃Lena；〃　he　croaked　through　cracked　lips；　without　knowing　what　he　said。　〃Lena？　Are　you　still　alive？〃
　　　　With　an　effort　he　pried　open　his　eyes。
　
　THIRTEEN　
　The　Healer
　
　　　　Still　sleep　shrouded　his　sight；　at　first　he　saw　nothing　except　the　pact；　baleful　light　of　the　trees。　But　his　ring　was　in　danger　from　her。　He　was　jealous　of　his　white　gold。　Sleep　or　no　sleep；　he　did　not　mean　to　give　it　up。　He　strove　to　focus　his　eyes；　strove　to　e　far　enough　out　of　hiding　to　engage　her　attention。
　　　　Then　a　soft　stroke　of　her　hand　swept　the　cobwebs　from　his　eyebrows；　and　he　found　that　he　could　see　her。
　
　〃Lena？〃　he　croaked　again。
　　　　She　was　a　dusky；　loamy　woman；　with　hair　like　tangled　brown　grass；　and　an　old　face　uneven　and　crude　of　outline；　as　if　it　had　been　inexpertly　molded　in　clay。　The　hood　of　a　tattered　fallow…green　cloak　covered　the　crown　of　her　head。　And　her　eyes　were　the　brown　of　soft　mud；　an　unexpected　and　suggestive　brown；　as　if　the　silt　of　some　private　devotion　filled　her　orbs；　effaced　her　pupils…as　if　the　black；　round　nexus　between　her　mind　and　the　outside　world　were　something　that　she　had　surrendered　in　exchange　for　the　rare；　rich　loam　of　power。　Yet　there　was　no。　confidence；　no　surety；　in　her　gaze　as　she　regarded　him；　the　life　which　had　formed　her　eyes　was　far　behind　her。　Now　she　was　old；　timorous。　Her　voice　rustled　like　the　creaking　of　antique　parchment　as　she　asked；　〃Lena？〃

　　　　〃Are　you　still　alive？〃
　　　　〃Am　I…？　No；　I　am　not　your　Lena。　She　is　dead…if　the　look　of　you　tells　any　truth。　Mercy。〃
　　　　Mercy；　he　echoed　soundlessly。
　　　　〃This　is　the　doing　of　the　amanibhavam。　Perhaps　you　have　preserved　your　life　in　eating　it…but　surely　you　know　that　it　is　poison　to　you；　a　food　too　potent　for　human　flesh。〃
　　　　〃Are　you　still　alive？〃　he　repeated　with　cunning　in　his　throat。　Thus　he　disguised　himself；　protected　that　part　of　him　which　had　e　out　of　hiding　and　sleep　to　ward　his　ring。　Only　the　damaged　state　of　his　features　kept　him　from　grinning　at　his　own　slyness。
　　　　〃Perhaps　not；〃　she　sighed。　〃But　let　that　pass。　You　have　no　knowledge　of　what　you　say。　You　are　cold…ill　and　poison…mad…and…and　there　is　a　sickness　in　you　that　I　do　not　prehend。〃
　　　　〃Why　aren't　you　dead？〃
　　　　She　brought　her　face　close　to　his；　and　went　on：　〃Listen　to　me。　I　know　that　the　hand　of　confusion　is　upon　you…but　listen　to　me。　Hear　and　hold　my　words。　You　have　e　in　some　way　into　Morinmoss　Forest。　I　am…a　Healer；　an　Unfettered　One　who　turned　to　the　work　of　healing。　I　will　help　you…because　you　are　in　need；　and　because　the　white　gold　reveals　that　great　matters　are　afoot　in　the　Land…and　because　the　Forest　found　its　voice　to　summon　me　for　you；　though　that　also　I　do　not　prehend。〃
　　　　〃I　saw　him　kill　you。〃　The　raw　croak　of　Covenant's　voice　sounded　like　horror　and　grief；　but　in　his　depths　he　hugged　himself　for　glee　at　his　cunning。
　　　　She　drew　back　her　head　but　showed　no　other　reaction　to　what　he　had　said。　〃I　came　to　this　place　from…from　my　life…because　the　Forest's　unquiet　slumber　met　my　own　long　ache　for　repose。　I　am　a　Healer；　and　Morinmoss　permits　me。　Yet　now　it　speaks…　Great　matters；　indeed。　Ah；　mercy。　It　is　in　my　heart　that　the　Colossus　itself…　Well；　I　wander。　I　have　made　my　home　here　for　many　years。　I　am　accustomed　to　speak　only　for　my　own　pleasure。〃
　　　　〃I　saw。〃
　　　　〃Do　you　not　hear　me？〃
　　　　〃He　stabbed　you　with　a　wooden　spike。　I　saw　the　blood。〃
　　　　〃Mercy！　Is　your　life　so　violent　then？　Well；　let　that　pass　also。　You　do　not　hear　me…you　have　fallen　too　far　into　the　amanibhavam。　But　violent　or　not　I　must　aid　you。　It　is　well　that　my　eyes　have　not　forgotten　their　work。　I　see　that　you　are　too　weak　to　harm　me；　whatever　your　purpose。〃
　　　　Weak；　he　echoed　to　himself。　What　she　said　was　true；　he　was　too　frail　even　to　clench　his　fist　for　the　protection　of　his　wedding　band。　〃Have　you　e　back　to　haunt　me？〃　he　gasped。　〃To　blame　me？〃
　　　　''　Speak　if　you　must；''　she　said　in　a　rustling　tone；　〃but　I　cannot　listen。　I　must　be　about　my　work。〃　With　a　low　groan；　she　climbed　to　her　feet　and　moved　stiffly　away　from　him。
　　　　〃That's　it；〃　he　continued；　impelled　by　his　grotesque　inner　glee。　〃That's　it；　isn't　it？　You've　e　back　to　torture　me。　You're　not　satisfied　that　I　killed　him。　I　put　that　knife　all　the　way　into　his　heart　but　you're　not　satisfied。　You　want　to　hurt　me　some　more。　You　want　me　to　go　crazy　thinking　about　all　the　things　I'm　guilty　of。　I　did　Foul's　work　for　him；　and　you　came　to　torture　me　for　it。　You　and　your　blood！　Where　were　you　when　it　would　have　made　a　difference　what　happens　to　me？　Why　didn't　you　try　to　get　even　with　me　after　I　raped　you？　Why　wait　until　now？　If　you'd　made　me　pay　for　what　I　did　then；　maybe　I　would　have　figured　out　what's　going　on　before　this。　All　that　generosity…！　It　was　cruel。　Oh；　Lena！　I　didn't　even　understand　what　I'd　done　to　you　until　it　was　too　late；　too　late；　I　couldn't　help　myself。　What　are　you　waiting　for？　Torture　me！　I　need　pain！〃
　　　　〃You　need　food；〃　the　Healer　muttered　as　if　he　had　disgusted　her。　With　one　hand　she　fixed　his　jaw　in　an　odd　pelling　grip　while　the　other　placed　two　or　three　treasure…berries　in　his　mouth。　〃Swallow　the　seeds。　They；　too；　will　sustain　you。〃
　　　　He　wanted　to　spit　out　the　aliantha；　but　her　grip　made　him　chew　in　spite　of　himself。　Her　other　hand　stroked　his　throat　until　he　swallowed；　then　fed　him　more　of　the　berries。　Soon　she　had　coerced　him　to　eat　several　mouthfuls。　He　could　feel　sustenance　flowing　into　him；　yet　for　some　reason　it　seemed　to　feed　his　deep　slumber　rather　than　his　cunning。　Before　long　he　could　not　remember　what　he　had　been　saying。　An　involuntary　drowsiness　shone　into　him　from　the　trees。　He　was　unable　to　resist　or　ply　when　the　Healer　lifted　him　from　the　grass。
　　　　Grunting　at　the　strain；　she　raised　his　limp　form　until　he　was　half　erect　in　her　arms。　Then　she　leaned　him　against　her　back　with　his　arms　over　her　shoulders；　and　gripped　his　upper　arms　like　the　handles　of　a　burden。　His　feet　dragged　behind　him；　he　dangled　on　her　squat　shoulders。　But　she　bore　his　weight；　carried　him　like　a　dead　sack　into　the　pale　white　night　of　Morinmoss。
　　　　While　he　drowsed；　she　took　him　laboriously　farther　and　farther　into　the　secret　depths　of　the　Forest。　And　as　they　left　its　borders　behind；　they　passed　into　warmer　air　and　greater　health…a　region　where　spring　had　not　been　quenched　by　Lord　Foul's　winter。　Leaves　multiplied　and　spread　out　around　bird　nests　to　cloak　the　branches；　moss　and　grass　and　small　woodland　animals　increase