rz.thegunsofavalon-第43部分

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followed。　I　waited　until　now　to　approach；　because　I　wanted　you　to　be　too　near　to　Amber　to　send　me　back　when　I　did。〃
　〃I　don't　believe　you　are　telling　me　the　whole　truth；〃　I　said；　〃but　I　haven't　the　time　to　care。　We　are　going　ahead　now；　and　there　will　be　fighting。　The　safest　thing　for　you　will　be　to　remain　here。　I　will　assign　you　a　couple　of　bodyguards。〃
　〃I　do　not　want　them！〃
　〃I　don't　care　what　you　want。　You　are　going　to　have　them。　When　the　fighting　is　over　I　will　send　for　you。〃　I　turned　then　and　selected　two　men　at　random；　ordering　them　to　remain　behind　and　guard　her。　They　did　not　seem　overjoyed　at　the　prospect。
　〃What　are　those　weapons　your　men　bear？〃　Dara　asked。
　〃Later；〃　I　said。　〃I'm　busy。〃　I　relayed　a　sketchy　briefing　and　ordered　my　squads。
　〃You　seem　to　have　a　very　small　number　of　men；〃　she　said。
　〃They　are　sufficient；〃　I　replied。　〃I　will　see　you　later。〃　I　left　her　there　with　her　guards。
　We　moved　back　along　the　route　I　had　taken。　The　thunder　ceased　as　we　advanced；　and　the　silence　became　less　a　thing　of　relief　than　of　suspense　to　me。　The　twilight　resettled　about　us；　and　I　perspired　within　the　damp　blanket　of　the　air。
　I　called　a　halt　before　we　reached　the　first　point　from　which　I　had　observed　the　action。　I　returned　to　it　then；　acpanied　by　Ganelon。
　The　wyvern…riders　were　all　over　the　place　and　their　beasts　fought　along　with　them。　They　were　pressing　the　defenders　back　against　the　cliff　face。　I　sought　for　but　could　not　locate　Eric　or　the　glow　of　his　jewel。
　〃Which　ones　are　the　enemy？〃　Ganelon　asked　me。
　〃The　beast…riders。〃
　They　were　all　of　them　landing　now　that　heaven's　artillery　had　let　up。　As　soon　as　they　struck　the　solid　surface；　they　charged　forward。　I　searched　among　the　defenders；　but　Gerard　was　no　longer　in　sight。
　〃Bring　up　the　troops；〃　I　said；　raising　my　rifle。　〃Tell　them　to　get　the　beasts　and　the　riders　both。〃
　Ganelon　withdrew；　and　I　took　aim　at　a　descending　wyvern；　fired；　and　watched　its　swoop　turn　into　a　sudden　flurry　of　pinions。　It　struck　against　the　slope　and　began　to　flop　about。　I　fired　again。
　The　beast　began　to　burn　as　it　died。　Soon　I　had　three　bonfires　going。　I　crawled　up　to　my　second　previous　position。　Secure；　I　took　aim　and　fired　once　more。
　I　got　another；　but　by　then　some　of　them　were　turning　in　my　direction。　I　fired　the　rest　of　my　ammo　and　hastened　to　reload。　Several　of　them　had　begun　moving　toward　me　by　then。　They　were　quite　fast。
　I　managed　to　stop　them　and　was　reloading　again　when　the　first　rifle　squad　arrived。　We　put　down　a　heavier　fire；　and　began　to　advance　as　the　others　came　up。
　It　was　all　over　within　ten　minutes。　Within　the　first　five　they　had　apparently　realized　that　they　hadn't　a　chance；　and　they　began　to　flee　back　toward　the　ledge；　launching　themselves　into　space；　being　airborne　again。　We　shot　them　down　as　they　ran；　and　burning　flesh　and　smoldering　bones　lay　everywhere　about　us。
　The　moist　rock　rose　sheer　to　our　left；　its　summit　lost　in　the　clouds；　so　that　it　seemed　as　if　it　might　tower　endlessly　above　us。　The　winds　still　whipped　the　smoke　and　the　mists；　and　the　rocks　were　smeared　and　splotched　with　blood。　As　we　had　advanced；　firing；　the　forces　of　Amber　quickly　realized　that　we　represented　assistance　and　began　to　push　forward　from　their　position　at　the　base　of　the　cliff。　I　saw　that　they　were　being　led　by　my　brother　Caine。　For　a　moment　our　eyes　locked　together　across　the　distance；　then　he　plunged　ahead　into　the　fray。
　Scattered　groups　of　Amberites　united　into　a　second　force　as　the　attackers　fell　back。　Actually；　they　limited　our　field　of　fire　when　they　attacked　the　far　flank　of　the　wizened　beast…men　and　their　wyverns；　but　I　had　no　way　of　getting　word　of　this　to　them。　We　drew　closer；　and　our　firing　was　accurate。
　A　small　knot　of　men　remained　at　the　base　of　the　cliff。　I　had　a　feeling　they　were　guarding　Eric；　and　that　he　had　possibly　been　wounded；　since　the　storm　effects　had　ceased　abruptly。　I　worked　my　own　way　off　in　that　direction。
　The　firing　was　already　beginning　to　die　down　as　I　drew　near　the　group；　and　I　was　hardly　aware　of　what　happened　next　until　it　was　too　late。
　Something　big　came　rushing　up　from　behind　and　was　by　me　in　an　instant。　I　hit　the　ground　and　rolled；　bringing　my　rifle　to　bear　automatically。　My　finger　did　not　tighten　on　the　trigger；　however。　It　was　Dara；　who　had　just　plunged　past　me　on　horseback。　She　turned　and　laughed　as　I　screamed　at　her。
　〃Get　back　down　there！　Damn　you！　You'll　be　killed！〃
　〃I'll　see　you　in　Amber！〃　she　cried；　and　she　shot　on　across　the　grisly　rock　and　made　it　up　the　trail　that　lay　beyond。
　I　was　furious。　But　there　was　nothing　I　could　do　about　it　just　then。　Snarling；　I　got　back　to　my　feet　and　continued　on。
　As　I　advanced　upon　the　group；　I　heard　my　name　spoken　several　times。　Heads　turned　in　my　direction。　People　moved　aside　to　let　me　pass。　I　recognized　many　of　them；　but　I　paid　them　no　heed。
　I　think　that　I　saw　Gerard　at　about　the　same　time　that　he　saw　me。　He　had　been　kneeling　in　their　midst；　and　he　rose　to　his　feet　and　waited。　His　face　was　expressionless。
　As　I　drew　nearer；　I　saw　that　it　was　as　I　had　suspected。　He　had　been　kneeling　to　tend　an　injured　man　who　rested　upon　the　ground。　It　was　Eric。
　I　nodded　to　Gerard　as　I　came　up　beside　him；　and　I　looked　down　at　Eric。　My　feelings　were　quite　mixed。　The　blood　from　his　several　chest　wounds　was　very　bright　and　there　was　a　lot　of　it。　The　Jewel　of　Judgment；　which　still　hung　on　a　chain　about　his　neck；　was　covered　with　it。　Eerily；　it　continued　its　faint；　glowing　pulsation；　heart…like　beneath　the　gore。　Eric's　eyes　were　closed；　his　head　resting　upon　a　rolled…up　cloak。　His　breathing　was　labored。
　I　knelt；　unable　to　take　my　eyes　off　that　ashen　face。　I　tried　to　push　my　hate　aside　just　a　little；　since　he　was　obviously　dying；　so　that　I　might　have　a　better　chance　to　understand　this　man　who　was　my　brother　for　the　moments　that　remained　to　him。　I　found　that　I　could　muster　up　something　of　sympathy　by　considering　all　that　he　was　losing　along　with　his　life　and　wondering　whether　it　would　have　been　me　lying　there　if　I　had　e　out　on　top　five　years　earlier。　I　tried　to　think　of　something　in　his　favor；　and　all　I　could　e　up　with　were　the　epitaph…like　words；　He　died　fighting　for　Amber。　That　was　something；　though。　The　phrase　kept　running　through　my　mind。
　His　eyes　tightened；　flickered；　opened。　His　face　remained　without　expression　as　his　eyes　focused　on　mine。　I　wondered　whether　he　even　recognized　me。
　But　he　said　my　name；　and　then；　〃I　knew　that　it　would　be　you。〃　He　paused　for　a　couple　of　breaths　and　went　on；　〃They　saved　you　some　trouble；　didn't　they？〃　I　did　not　reply。　He　already　knew　the　answer。
　〃Your　turn　will　e　one　day；〃　he　continued。　〃Then　we　will　be　peers。〃　He　chuckled　and　realized　too　late　that　he　should　not　have。　He　went　into　an　unpleasant　spasm　of　moist　coughing。　When　it　passed；　he　glared　at　me。
　〃I　could　feel　your　curse；〃　he　said。　〃All　around　me。　The　whole　time。　You　didn't　even　have　to　die　to　make　it　stick。〃
　Then；　as　if　reading　my　thoughts；　he　smiled　faintly　and　said；　〃No　I'm　not　going　to　give　you　my　death　curse。　I've　reserved　that　for　the　enemies　of　Amber　…　out　there。〃　He　gestured　with　his　eyes。　He　pronounced　it　then；　in　a　whisper；　and　I　shuddered　to　overhear　it。
　He　returned　his　gaze　to　my　face　and　stared　for　a　moment。　Then　he　plucked　at　the　chain　about　his　neck。
　〃The　Jewel。。。〃　he　said。　〃You　take　it　with　you　to　the　center　of　the　Pattern。　Hold　it　up。　Very　close　…　to　an　eye。　Stare　into　it　…　and　consider　it　a　place。　Try　to　project　yourself　…　inside。　You　don't　go。　But　there　is　…　experience。。。　Afterward；　you　know　how　to　use　it。。。〃
　〃How　…　？〃　I　began；　but　stopped。　He　had　already　told　me　how　to　attune　to　it。　Why　ask　him　to　waste　his　breath　on　how　he　had　figured　it　out？
　But　he　caught　it　and　managed；　〃Dworkin's　notes。。。　under　fireplace。。。　my　…〃
　Then　he　was　taken　with　another　coughing　spell　and　the　blood　came　out　of　his　nose　and　his　mouth。　He　sucked　in　a　deep　breath　and　heaved　himself　into　a　sitting　position；　eyes　rolling　wildly。
　〃Acquit　yourself　as　well　as　I　have　…　bastard！〃　he　said；　then　fell　into　my　arms　and　heaved　out　his　final；　bloody　breath。
　I　held　him　for　several　moments；　then　lowered　him　into　his　former　position。　His　eyes　were　still　open；　and　I　reache