gc.thewhiterose-第54部分

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　　　The　sun　was　maybe　three　hours　short　of　setting　when　we　stepped　outside；　and　it　smacked　us　right　in　the　eyes。　Rough。　But　I　expected　it。　Should　have　warned　her。
　　　We　strolled　up　the　creek；　breathing　slightly　sagey　air　and　saying　nothing。　The　desert　was　silent。　Not　even　Father　Tree　stirred。　The　breeze　was　insufficient　to　sigh　in　the　coral。　After　a　while　I　said；　〃Well？〃
　　　〃I　needed　to　get　out。　The　walls　were　closing　in。　The　null　made　it　worse。　I　feel　helpless　down　there。　It　preys　on　the　mind。〃
　　　〃Oh。〃
　　　We　rounded　a　coral　head　and　encountered　a　menhir。　One　of　my　old　buddies；　I　guess；　for　he　reported；　〃There　are　strangers　on　the　Plain；　Croaker。〃
　　　〃No　lie？〃　Then：　〃Which　strangers；　rock？〃　But　it　had　nothing　more　to　say。
　　　〃They're　always　like　that？〃
　　　〃Or　worse。　Well。　The　null　begins　to　fade。　Feel　better？〃
　　　〃I　felt　better　the　moment　I　stepped　outside。　That's　the　gate　to　Hell。　How　can　you　people　live　like　that？〃
　　　〃It　isn't　much；　but　it's　home。〃
　　　We　came　to　bare　earth。　She　halted。　〃What's　this？〃
　　　〃Old　Father　Tree。　You　know　what　they　think　we're　up　to；　down　there？〃
　　　〃I　know。　Let　them　think　it。　Call　it　protective　coloration。　That　is　your　Father　Tree？〃　She　indicated　Himself。
　　　〃That's　him。〃　I　walked　on。　〃How　you　doing　today；　old…timer？〃
　　　Must　be　fifty　times　I　have　asked　that。　I　mean；　the　old　guy　is　remarkable；　but　just　a　tree。　Right？　I　did　not　expect　a　response。　But　Father　Tree's　leaves　started　tinkling　the　moment　I　spoke。
　　　〃e　back　here；　Croaker。〃　The　Lady's　voice　was　manding；　hard；　a　little　shaken。　I　turned　and　marched。
　　　〃Back　to　your　old　self？〃　From　the　corner　of　my　eye　I　caught　a　shadow　in　motion；　off　toward　the　Hole。　I　concentrated　on　a　bit　of　coral　and　nearby　brush。　〃Keep　your　voice　down。　We　have　an　eavesdropper。〃
　　　〃That's　no　surprise。〃　She　spread　the　ragged　blanket　she　had　brought；　sat　down　with　her　toes　right　at　the　edge　of　the　barren。　She　removed　the　rag　covering　the　bucket。　I　settled　beside　her；　positioned　so　I　could　watch　that　shadow。　〃Do　you　know　what　that　is？〃　she　asked；　nodding　at　the　tree。
　　　〃Nobody　does。　It's　just　Old　Father　Tree。　The　desert　clans　call　him　a　god。　We've　seen　no　evidence　of　that。　One…Eye　and　Goblin　were　impressed　with　the　fact　that　he　stands　almost　exactly　on　the　geographical　center　of　the　Plain；　though。〃
　　　〃Yes。　I　suppose　。　。　。　So　much　was　lost　in　the　fall。　I　should　have　suspected　。　。　。　My　husband　was　not　the　first　of　his　kind。　Croaker。　Nor　the　White　Rose　the　first　of　hers。　It　is　a　grand　cycle；　I　believe。〃
　　　〃You've　lost　me。〃
　　　〃A　very　long　time　ago；　even　as　I　measure　time；　there　was　another　war　like　that　between　the　Dominator　and　the　White　Rose。　The　light　overcame　the　shadow。　But　as　always；　the　shadow　left　its　taint　on　the　victors。　In　order　to　end　the　struggle；　they　summoned　a　thing　from　another　world；　plane；　dimension；　what…have…you；　the　way　Goblin　might　conjure　a　demon；　only　this　thing　was　an　adolescent　god。　Of　sorts。　In　a　sapling　avatar。　These　events　were　legendary　only　in　my　youth；　when　much　more　of　the　past　survived；　so　details　are　open　to　question。　But　it　was　a　summoning　of　such　scope；　and　such　price；　that　thousands　perished　and　counties　were　devastated。　But　they　planted　their　captive　god　over　the　grave　of　their　great　enemy；　where　it　would　keep　him　enchained。　This　tree…god　would　live　a　million　years。〃
　　　〃You　mean？　。　。　。　Old　Father　is　sitting　on　something　like　the　Great　Barrow？〃
　　　〃I　did　not　connect　the　legends　and　the　Plain　till　I　saw　that　tree。　Yes。　This　earth　constrains　something　as　virulent　as　my　husband。　So　much　suddenly　makes　sense。　It　all　fits。　The　beasts。　The　impossible　talking　rocks。　Coral　reefs　a　thousand　miles　from　the　sea。　It　all　leaked　through　from　that　other　world。　The　change　storms　are　the　tree's　dreams。〃
　　　She　rattled　on；　not　so　much　explaining　as　putting　things　together　for　herself。　I　gaped　and　remembered　the　change　storm　that　caught　me　on　the　way　west。　Was　I　accursed；　to　be　caught　in　a　god's　nightmare？
　　　〃This　is　crazy；〃　I　said；　and　at　the　same　instant　decrypted　the　shape　I　had　been　trying　to　pry　from　the　shadows；　bushes；　and　coral。
　　　Silent。　Squatting　on　his　hams；　motionless　as　a　snake　awaiting　prey。　Silent；　who　had　been　everywhere　I　went　the　last　three　days；　like　an　extra　shadow；　seldom　noticed　because　he　was　Silent。　Well。　So　much　for　my　confidence　that　my　return　with　a　panion　had　tickled　no　suspicions。
　　　〃This　is　a　bad　place　to　be；　Croaker。　Very　bad。　Tell　that　deaf　peasant　wench　to　move。〃
　　　〃If　I　did　that；　I　would　have　to　explain　why　and　reveal　who　gave　me　the　advice。　I　doubt　she　would　be　impressed。〃
　　　〃I　suppose　you're　right。　Well；　it　won't　matter　much　longer。　Let's　eat。〃
　　　She　opened　a　packet　and　set　out　what　looked　like　fried　rabbit。　But　there　are　no　rabbits　on　the　Plain。　〃For　all　they　got　kicked　around；　their　adventure　toward　Horse　improved　the　larder。〃　I　dug　in。
　　　Silent　remained　motionless　in　the　corner　of　my　eye。　You　bastard；　I　thought。　I　hope　you're　drooling。
　　　Three　pieces　of　rabbit　later　I　slowed　enough　to　ask；　〃That　about　the　old…timer　is　interesting；　but　does　it　have　any　relevance？〃
　　　Father　Tree　was　raising　a　ruckus。　I　wondered　why。　〃Are　you　afraid　of　him？〃
　　　She　did　not　answer。　I　chucked　bones　down　the　creek　bank；　rose。　〃Back　in　a　minute。〃　I　stomped　over　to　Father　Tree。　〃Old…Timer；　you　got　any　seeds？　Any　sprouts？　A　little　something　we　could　take　to　the　Barrowland　to　plant　on　top　of　our　own　villain？〃
　　　Talking　to　that　tree；　all　those　times　heading　past；　was　a　game。　I　was　possessed　of　an　almost　religious　awe　of　its　age；　but　of　no　conscious　belief　in　it　as　anything　like　either　the　nomads　or　the　Lady　claimed。　Just　a　gnarly　old　tree　with　weird　leaves　and　a　bad　temper。
　　　Temper？
　　　When　I　touched　it；　to　lean　against　it　while　looking　up　among　its　bizarre　leaves　for　nuts　or　seeds；　it　bit　me。　Well；　not　with　teeth。　But　sparks　flew。　The　tips　of　my　fingers　stung。　When　I　took　them　out　of　my　mouth　they　looked　burned。　〃Damn；〃　I　muttered；　and　backed　off　a　few　steps。　〃Nothing　personal；　tree。　Thought　you　might　want　to　help　out。〃
　　　Vaguely；　I　was　aware　that　a　menhir　now　stood　near　Silent's　lurking　place。　More　appeared　around　the　barren　area。
　　　Something　hit　me　with　the　force　of　windwhale　ballast　dumped　from　a　hundred　feet　up。　I　went　down。　Waves　of　power；　of　thought；　beat　upon　me。　I　whimpered；　tried　to　crawl　toward　the　Lady。　She　extended　a　hand；　but　would　not　cross　that　boundary　。　。　。
　　　Some　of　that　power　began　to　hint　at　prehensibility。　But　it　was　like　being　inside　fifty　minds　at　once；　with　them　scattered　across　the　world。　No。　The　Plain。　And　more　than　fifty　minds。　As　it　became　more　melded；　more　meshed　。　。　。　I　was　touching　the　menhir　minds。
　　　That　all　faded。　The　sledge　of　power　ceased　hammering　the　anvil　that　was　me。　I　scrambled　for　the　edge　of　the　barren；　though　I　knew　that　line　demarked　no　true　safety。　I　reached　the　blanket；　caught　my　breath；　finally　turned　to　face　the　tree。　Its　leaves　tinkled　in　exasperation。
　　　〃What　happened？〃
　　　〃Basically；　he　told　me　he's　doing　what　he　can；　not　for　our　sake　but　for　that　of　his　creatures。　That　I　should　go　to　Hell；　leave　him　alone；　quit　aggravating　him　or　find　my　ass　in　deep　shit。　Oh；　my。〃
　　　I　had　looked　back　to　see　how　Silent　had　taken　my　encounter。
　　　〃I　warned　。　。　。　〃　She　glanced　back；　too。
　　　〃I　think　we　maybe　got　trouble。　Maybe　they　recognized　you。〃
　　　Almost　everyone　from　the　Hole　had　appeared。　They　were　lining　up　across　the　trail。　The　menhirs　were　more　numerous。　Walking　trees　were　forming　a　circle　with　us　at　its　center。
　　　And　we　were　unarmed；　for　Darling　was　there。　We　were　inside　the　null　again。
　　　She　had　on　her　white　linen。　She　stepped　past　Elmo　and　the　Lieutenant　and　came　toward　me。　Silent　joined　her。　Behind　her　came　One…Eye；　Goblin；　Tracker；　and　Toadkiller　Dog。　Those　four　still　had　the　dust　of　the　trail　upon　them。
　　　They　had　been　on　the　Plain　for　days。　And　I　had　been　given　no　word　。　。　。
　　　You　talk　about　your　trapdoor　on　your　gallows　dropping　unexpectedly。　For　fifteen　seconds　I　stood　there　with　my　mouth　open。　Then　I　asked；　〃What　do　we　do？〃　in　a　soft　squeak。
　　　She　startled　me　by　taking　my　hand。　〃I　bet　and　lost。　I　don't　know。　They're　your　people。　Bluff。　Oh！〃　Her　eyes　narrowed。　Her　stare　fixed；　became　intense。　Then　a　thin　smile　stretched　her