fs.thefirstbookofswords-第24部分

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　　　Accordingly　the　wizard　laid　both　hands　upon　its　lid；　whereupon　there　rose　from　the　chest　a　faint　humming；　buzzing　sound；　as　of　innumerable　insects。　In　response　to　this　sound　the　wizard　muttered　words。　Apparently　it　was　now　necessary　to　wait　a　little；　for　the　conversation　between　the　two　men　went　on　with　the　chest　still　unopened；　the　magician's　hands　still　resting　quietly　on　it。
　　　〃Then　does　Your　Grace　still　believe　that　these　attackers　were　mon　bandits？　Such　do　not　monly　include　warbeasts　in　their　armament。〃
　　　〃No；〃　agreed　the　Duke　gently。　He　was　looking　at　the　map　now；　without　really　paying　it　much　attention。　〃Nor　do　they　monly　attempt　to　kidnap　any　of　my　relatives。〃
　　　〃Then　it　would　seem；　sire；　that　they　were　not　simply　bandits。〃
　　　〃That　had　occurred　to　me。〃
　　　〃Agents；　perhaps；　of　the　Grand　Duke？〃
　　　〃Basil　bears　me　no　love；　I'm　sure　of　that。　And　of　course　he　too　may　have　learned　of　the　existence　of　the　swords；　and　he　may　be　trying　now　to　gather　them　all　into　his　own　hands；　even　as　I　would　have　them　all　in　mine。。。　hah；　Blue…Robes；　how　I　wish　I　knew　how　many　all　across　the　continent　are　playing　the　same　game。　I　presume　your　latest　divinations　still　indicate　that　the　magic　blades　at　least　are　not　scattered　all　around　the　earth？〃
　　　〃The　swords　are　all　still　on　this　continent；　Your　Grace。　I　am　quite　positive　of　that。　But　as　to　exactly　where；　in　whose　possession。。。　〃
　　　The　Duke's　darkening　mood　sounded　in　his　voice。　〃Yes；　exactly。　And　there's　no　telling　how　many　know　of　them　by　now。　Bah。　Kings　and　princes；　queens　and　bandits；　priests；　scoundrels　and　adventurers　of　every　stripe。。。　bah；　what　a　fine　mess。〃
　　　〃At　least　Your　Grace　has　had　a　chance　to　get　in　on　the　game。　You　were　not　left　in　ignorance　that　it　is　taking　place。〃
　　　〃Game；　is　it？〃　The　Duke　snorted。　〃You　know　I　have　small　tolerance　for　games。　But　I　must　play；　or　be　swallowed　up；　when　others　gain　the　power　of　the　swords。　And　you　need　not　remind　me　any　more　that　I　have　your　skill　at　divination　to　thank　for　my　awareness　of　the　game；　late　as　it　es；　I've　thanked　you　for　that　already。　Gods；　I　wonder　whose　men　those　were。　The　Margrave's；　you　suppose？　They　didn't　even　seem　to　know　or　care　about　the　sword；　at　least　according　to　the　descriptions　of　events　we　have。〃
　　　The　wizard；　his　hands　stroking　the　carven　lid　of　the　wooden　chest；　coughed。　It　was　a　sound　as　delicate　and　diplomatic　as　the　Duke's　habitual　sigh。　〃I　think　not　the　Margrave's；　sire。　Perhaps　they　could　have　been　agents　of　the　Queen　of　Yambu？〃
　　　The　Duke；　nagged　by　irritation　on　top　of　worry；　flared　up　sullenly；　then　recovered。　〃Have　I　not　told　you　never　to　speak　of　that。。。　but　never　mind。　You　are　right；　we　must　consider　Yambu　also；　I　suppose。　But　I　do　not　think　it　was　her。。。　no；　I　do　not　think　so。〃
　　　〃Perhaps　not。。。　then　we　must　face　the　possibility；　Your　Grace；　that　they　were　agents　of　the　Dark　King　himself。　I　did　find　it　odd　that　a　mere　miller　should　have　mentioned　that　august　name。〃　〃I　would　say　that　this　one…armed　Jord　is　not　your　ordinary　miller。　But　then；　the　mons　in　general　are　not　nearly　so　ignorant　of　their　rulers　and　their　rulers'　affairs　as　those　rulers　generally　suppose。〃
　　　〃Just　so；　sire。〃　The　wizard　nodded　soothingly。　〃We　have　then　primarily　to　consider　Grand　Duke　Basil；　Queen　Yambu　…　and　Vilkata　himself。　While　remembering；　as　Your　Grace　so　wisely　points　out；　that　there　are　still　other　possibilities。〃
　　　〃Yes。〃　But　now　the　Duke's　attention　was　straying；　drawn　by　a　thought　connected　with　the　huge　map。　His　gaze　had　lifted　to　the　map；　and　had　e　to　rest　at　an　unmarked　spot　near　the　eastern　limit　of　his　own　domain　and　of　the　continent　itself；　right　at　the　inland　foot　of　the　coastal　range　that　was　labeled　as　the　Ludus　Mountains。　Right　about　there；　somewhere；　ought　to　be　the　high　village　…　what　had　the　woman　named　it？　Treefall；　that　was　it　…　from　which　the　god　had　conscripted　his　human　helpers；　keeping　them　for　a　night　and　a　day　of　labor；　death；　and　mutilation。　It　now　struck　Duke　Fraktin　as　absurd　that　the　village　where　such　an　enigmatic　and　almost　incredible　event　had　taken　place　should　not　even　be　marked　on　his　map。
　　　The　woman　had　asked　him。。。　no；　she　had　as　much　as　told　him　that　he；　the　Duke；　had　been　there；　and　had　fathered　a　bastard　on　her　there；　the　night　after　Jord's　maiming；　in　one　of　those　hill　country　funeral　rites。　The　Duke　knew　something　about　those。
　　　A　bold　story　indeed　for　any　woman　to　make　up　out　of　nothing。　Still；　the　fact　was　that　the　Duke　could　remember　nothing　like　that　happening；　and　he　had；　as　a　rule；　a　good　memory。　A　better　memory；　he　thought；　for　women　than　for　most　things。　Of　course　he　couldn't　recall　everything　from　thirteen　years　ago。　Exactly　what　had　he　been　doing　at　that　time？
　　　The　insect…buzzing　sound　had　died　away。　The　wizard　pushed　up　the　lid　of　the　huge　box。　Both　men　stared　at　the　fine　sword　that　was　reveled　inside；　nesting　in　a　lining　of　rare　and　fantastically　beautiful　blue　fur。　The　sword　had　not　been　brought　to　the　Duke　in　any　such　sumptuous　container　as　this；　in　fact　it　had　arrived；　wrapped　for　concealment；　in　the　second…best　cloak　of　a　Red　Temple　courtesan。
　　　The　clear　light　from　the　Old　World　wall　panels　glinted　softly　on　mirror　steel。　Beneath　the　surface　of　the　blade；　the　Duke's　eye　seemed　to　be　able　to　trace　a　beautiful；　finely　mottled　pattern　that　went　centimeters　deep　into　the　metal；　though　the　blade　was　nowhere　a　full　centimeter　thick。
　　　Putting　both　hands　on　the　hilt；　the　Duke　lifted　the　sword　gently　from　the　magical　protection　of　the　chest。　〃Are　they　ready　out　on　the　terrace？〃　he　asked；　without　taking　his　eyes　from　the　blade　itself。
　　　〃They　have　so　indicated；　Your　Grace。〃
　　　Now　the　Duke；　holding　the　sword　raised　before　him　as　if　in　ritual；　led　the　way　out　of　the　blind　room　behind　the　arras；　across　a　larger　chamber；　and　through　another　doorway；　whose　curtains　were　stirred　by　an　outdoor　breeze。　The　terrace　on　which　he　emerged　was　open　to　the　air；　and　yet　it　was　a　secret　place。　The　view　was　cut　off　on　all　sides　by　stone　walls；　and　by　high　hedges　planted　near　at　hand。　On　the　stone　pavement　under　the　gray　sky；　several　soldiers　in　blue　and　white　were　waiting；　and　with　them　one　other　man；　a　prisoner。　The　prisoner；　a　middle…aged；　well…muscled　man；　wore　only　a　loincloth　and　was　not　bound　in　any　way。　Yet　he　was　sweating　profusely　and　kept　looking　about　him　in　all　directions；　as　if　he　expected　his　doom　to　spring　out　at　him　at　any　moment。
　　　The　Duke　trusted　his　wizard　to　hold　the　sword　briefly；　while　he　himself　quickly　slipped　a　mail　shirt　on　over　his　head；　and　put　on　a　light　helm。　Then　he　took　back　the　sword；　and　stood　holding　it　like　the　experienced　swordsman　that　he　was。
　　　The　Duke　gestured　toward　the　prisoner。　〃Arm　him；　and　step　back。〃
　　　Most　of　the　soldiers；　weapons　ready；　retreated　a　step　or　two。　One　tossed　a　long　knife；　unsheathed；　at　the　prisoner's　feet。
　　　〃What　is　this？〃　the　man　demanded；　his　voice　cracking。
　　　〃e　fight　me；〃　said　the　Duke。　〃Or　refuse；　and　die　more　slowly。　It　is　all　one　to　me。〃
　　　The　man　hesitated　a　moment　longer；　then　picked　up　the　knife。
　　　The　Duke　walked　forward　to　the　attack。　The　prisoner　did　what　he　could　to　defend　himself；　which；　given　the　disparity　in　arms　and　armor；　was　not　much。
　　　When　it　was　over；　a　minute　later；　the　Duke　wiped　the　long　blade　clean　himself；　and　with　a　gesture　dismissed　his　troops；　who　bore　away　with　them　the　prisoner's　body。
　　　〃I　felt　no　power　in　it；　Blue…Robes。　It　killed；　but　any　sharp　blade　would　have　killed　as　well。　If　its　power　is　not　activated　by　being　carried　into　a　fight；　then　how　can　it　be　ordered；　how　controlled？　And　what　does　it　do？〃
　　　The　wizard　signed　humbly　that　he　did　not　know。
　　　The　Duke　bore　the　cleaned　blade　back　into　the　concealed　room　behind　the　arras；　and　replaced　it　in　the　magically　protective　chest。　Still　his　hand　lingered　on　the　black　hilt；　tracing　with　one　finger　the　thin　white　lines　of　decoration。　〃Something　like　a　castle　wall　on　his　sword；　the　fellow　said。〃
　　　〃So　he　did；　Your　Grace。〃
　　　〃But　here　I　see　no　castle　wall。　Here　there's　nothing　more　or　less　than　what　we've　seen　in　the　pattern　since　that　woman　brought　me　the　sword　a　month　ago。