srdonaldson.thepowerthatpreserves-第97部分

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　　　　At　the　best　pace　Covenant　could　manage　on　his　numb；　battered　feet；　he　pushed　ahead　through　the　bosk。
　　　　They　stayed　under　tree　cover　as　much　as　possible　to　ward　against　spying　birds。　This　caution　slowed　them　somewhat；　but　the　largest　drag　on　their　progress　was　Covenant's　weariness。　His　injury　and　the　ordeal　of　the　Colossus　appeared　to　have　drained　some　essential　resilience　out　of　him。　He　got　little　sleep　in　the　cold　wet　nights；　and　he　felt　that　he　was　slowly　starving　on　his　share　of　the　food。　In　dogged　silence　he　shambled　along　league　after　league　as　if　his　fear　of　the　hunt　were　the　only　thing　that　kept　him　moving。　And　that　evening；　in　the　gloaming　verdigris　of　the　eel　fire；　he　consumed　the　last　of　Foamfollower's　supplies。
　　　　〃Now　what？〃　he　muttered　vaguely　when　he　was　done。
　　　　〃We　must　resign　ourselves。　There　is　no　more。〃
　　　　Ah；　hell！　Covenant　groaned　to　himself。　He　remembered　vividly　what　had　happened　to　him　in　the　woods　behind　Haven　Farm；　when　his　self…imposed　inanition　had　made　him　hysterical。　The　memory　filled　him　with　cold　dread。
　　　　In　turn；　that　dread　called　up　other　memories…recollections　of　his　ex…wife；　Joan；　and　his　son；　Roger。　He　felt　an　urge　to　tell　Foamfollower　about　them；　as　if　they　were　spirits　he　could　exorcise　by　simply　saying　the　right　thing　about　them　to　the　right　person。　But　before　he　could　find　the　words；　his　thoughts　were　scattered　by　the　first　attack　of　the　hunt。
　　　　Without　warning；　a　band　of　apelike　creatures　came　crashing　through　the　bosk　from　the　south　side　of　the　Ruinwash。　Voiceless；　like　the　rush　of　a　nightmare；　they　broke　through　the　brittle　wood　and　the　eel　light。　They　threw　themselves　from　the　low　bank　and　heaved　across　the　current　toward　their　prey。
　　　　Either　they　did　not　know　their　danger；　or　they　had　forgotten　it。　Without　one　shout　or　cry；　they　all　vanished　under　a　sudden；　hot；　seething　of　blue…green　iridescence。　None　of　them　reappeared。
　　　　At　once；　Covenant　and　Foamfollower　started　on　their　way　again。　While　the　crepuscular　light　lasted；　they　put　as　much　distance　as　possible　between　themselves　and　the　place　of　the　attack。
　　　　A　short　time　later　the　rain　began。　It　fell　on　them　like　the　collapse　of　a　mountain；　made　the　whole　night　impenetrable。　They　were　forced　to　stop。　They　hunched　together　like　waifs　under　the　scant；　leafless　shelter　of　a　tree；　trying　to　sleep　and　hoping　that　the　hunt　could　not　follow　them　in　this　weather。
　　　　After　a　while；　Covenant　dozed。　He　was　hovering　near　the　true　depths　of　sleep　when　Foamfollower　shook　him　awake。
　　　　〃Listen！〃
　　　　Covenant　could　hear　nothing　but　the　uninterrupted　smash　of　the　rain。
　　　　The　Giant's　ears　were　keener。　〃The　Ruinwash　rises！　There　will　be　a　flood。〃
　　　　Straggling　like　blind　men；　thrashing　their　way　against　unseen　trees　and　brush；　slipping　through　water　that　already　reached　above　their　ankles；　they　tried　to　climb　out　of　the　bosk　toward　higher　ground。　After　a　long　struggle；　they　worked　clear　of　the　old　riverbed。　But　the　water　continued　to　mount；　and　the　terrain　did　not。　Now　beyond　the　rain；　Covenant　could　hear　the　deeper　roar　of　the　flood；　it　seemed　to　tower　above　them　in　the　night。　He　was　stumbling　knee…deep　in　muddy　water；　and　could　see　no　way　to　save　himself。
　　　　But　Foamfollower　dragged　him　onward。　Some　time　later；　they　waded　into　an　erosion　gully。　Its　walls　were　slick；　and　the　water　poured　down　through　it　like　flowing　silt；　but　the　Giant　did　not　hesitate。　He　attached　Covenant　to　him　with　a　short　clingor　line　and　began　to　forge　up　the　gully。
　　　　Covenant　clung　to　Foamfollower　for　a　distance　that　seemed　as　long　as　leagues。　But　at　last　he　could　feel　that　they　were　climbing。　The　walls　of　the　gully　narrowed。　Foamfollower　used　his　hands　to　help　him　ascend。
　　　　When　they　reached　an　open　hillside　where　the　flow　of　water　hardly　covered　their　feet；　they　stopped。　Covenant　sank　exhausted　into　the　mud。　The　rain　faltered　to　an　end；　and　he　went　numbly　to　sleep　until　another　cold　gray　dawn　smeared　its　way　across　the　clouds　from　the　east。
　　　　At　last　he　rubbed　the　caked　fatigue　out　of　his　eyes　and　sat　up。　Foamfollower　was　gazing　at　him　with　amusement。　〃Ah；　Covenant；〃　the　Giant　said；　〃we　are　a　pair。　You　are　so　bedraggled　and　sober…　And　I　fear　my　own　appearance　is　not　improved。〃　He　struck　a　begrimed　pose。　〃What　is　your　opinion？〃
　　　　For　a　moment；　Foamfollower　looked　as　gay　and　carefree　as　a　playing　child。　The　sight　gave　Covenant　a　pang。　How　long　had　it　been　since　he　had　heard　the　Giant　laugh？　〃Wash　your　face；''　he　croaked　with　as　much　humor　as　he　could　manage。　〃You　look　ridiculous。〃
　　　　〃You　honor　me；〃　Foamfollower　returned。　But　he　did　not　laugh。　As　his　amusement　faded；　he　turned　away　and　splashed　a　little　water　on　his　face　to　clean　it。
　　　　Covenant　followed　his　example；　though　he　was　too　tired　to　feel　dirty。　He　drank　three　swallows　from　the　jug　for　breakfast；　then　pried　himself　unsteadily　to　his　feet。
　　　　In　the　distance；　he　could　see　a　few　treetops　sticking　out　of　the　broad　brown　swath　of　the　flood。　No　other　signs　remained　visible　to　mark　the　bosk　of　the　Ruinwash。
　　　　Opposite　the　flood；　in　the　direction　he　and　Foamfollower　would　now　have　to　take；　lay　a　long　ridge　of　hills。　They　piled　in　layers　above　him　until　they　seemed　almost　as　high　as　mountains；　and　their　scarred　sides　looked　as　desolate　as　if　their　very　roots　had　been　dead　for　aeons。
　　　　He　groaned　at　the　prospect。　His　worn　flesh　balked。　But　he　had　no　choice；　the　lowlands　of　the　Ruinwash　were　no　longer　passable。
　　　　With　nothing　to　sustain　them　but　frugal　rations　of　water；　he　and　the　Giant　began　to　climb。
　　　　The　ascent　was　shallower　than　it　had　appeared。　If　Covenant　had　been　well　fed　and　healthy；　he　would　not　have　suffered。　But　in　his　drained　condition；　he　could　hardly　drag　himself　up　the　slopes。　The　festering　wound　on　his　forehead　ached　like　a　heavy　burden　attached　to　his　skull；　pulling　him　backward。　The　thick　humid　air　seemed　to　clog　his　lungs。　From　time　to　time；　he　found　himself　lying　among　the　stones　and　could　not　remember　how　he　had　lost　his　feet。
　　　　Yet　with　Foamfollower's　help　he　kept　going。　Late　that　day；　they　crested　the　ridge　of　hills；　started　their　descent。
　　　　Since　leaving　the　Ruinwash；　they　had　seen　no　sign　of　pursuit。
　　　　The　next　morning；　after　a　night's　rain　as　ponderous　and　rancid　as　if　the　clouds　themselves　were　stagnant；　they　moved　down　out　of　the　hills。　As　Covenant's　gaunt　flesh　adjusted　to　hunger；　he　grew　steadier…not　stronger；　but　less　febrile。　He　made　the　descent　without　mishap；　and　from　the　ridge　he　and　Foamfollower　traveled　generally　eastward　out　into　the　barren　landscape。
　　　　After　a　foodless　and　dreary　noon；　they　came　to　an　eerie　wilderness　of　thorns。　It　occupied　the　bottom　of　a　wide　lowland；　for　nearly　a　league；　dead　thorn…trees　with　limbs　like　arms　and　gray　barbs　as　hard　as　iron　stood　in　their　way。　The　whole　bottom　looked　like　a　ruined　orchard　where　sharp　spikes　and　hooks　had　been　grown　for　weapons；　the　thorns　stood　in　crooked　rows　as　if　they　had　been　planted　there　so　that　they　could　be　tended　and　harvested。　Here　and　there；　gaps　appeared　in　the　rows；　but　from　a　distance　Covenant　could　not　see　what　caused　them。
　　　　Foamfollower　did　not　want　to　cross　the　valley。　Higher　ground　bordered　the　thorn　wastes　on　both　sides；　and　the　barren　trees　offered　no　concealment；　while　they　were　down　in　the　bottom；　they　could　be　easily　seen。　But　again　they　had　no　choice。　The　wastes　extended　far　to　the　north　and　south。　They　would　need　time　to　circumvent　the　thorns…time　in　which　hunger　could　overe　them；　pursuit　overtake　them。
　　　　Muttering　to　himself；　Foamfollower　scanned　all　the　terrain　as　far　as　he　could　see；　searching　for　any　sign　of　the　hunt。　Then　he　led　Covenant　down　the　last　slope　into　the　thorns。
　　　　They　found　that　the　lowest　branches　of　the　trees　were　six　or　seven　feet　above　the　ground。　Covenant　could　move　erect　along　the　crooked　rows　of　trunks；　but　Foamfollower　had　to　crouch　or　bend　almost　double　to　keep　the　barbs　from　ripping　open　his　torso　and　head。　He　risked　injury　if　he　moved　too　quickly。　As　a　result；　their　progress　through　the　wastes　was　dangerously
　　　　slow。
　　　　Thick　dust　covered　the　ground　under　their　feet。　All　the　rain　of　the　past　nights　seemed　to　have　left　this　valley　untouched。　The　lifeless　dirt　fa