fs.thefirstbookofswords-第27部分

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Nestor　kept　going；　angling　away　from　the　direction　he　thought　he'd　seen　Ben　and　Barbara　take　…　time　enough；　later；　to　get　his　crew　back　together　if　they'd　all　survived。
　　　In　the　fog；　the　bank　of　the　creek　appeared　so　suddenly　in　front　of　Nestor　that　he　almost　plunged　into　the　water　before　he　saw　it。　He　hadn't　been　expecting　to　encounter　the　stream　right　here；　but　here　it　was；　across　his　path；　and　maybe　he　was　getting　turned　around　again　…　small　wonder；　in　this　pea　soup。
　　　Now　Nestor　deliberately　stepped　into　the　thigh…deep　water　and　started　wading。　He　wanted　to　put　some　more　distance　between　himself　and　the　fighting。　If　the　soldiers　drove　the　dragon　off　or　killed　it；　they　might　still　e　this　way　looking。　The　uproar　slowly　faded　with　distance。　It　was　peculiar；　because　this　wasn't　the　country　where　you'd　normally　expect　to　find　big　dragons。。。　any　more　than　you'd　expect　a　fog　like　this。。。
　　　。。。wings　translucently　thin；　but　broad　as　a　boat's　sails；　were　ing　down　at　him　from　above；　breaking　through　puffs　of　low　pearly　mist　…　what　in　the　name　of　all　the　gods？
　　　For　a　moment　Nestor；　still　knee…deep　in　water　and　gazing　upward；　literally　could　not　move。　He　thought　that　no　one　had　ever　seen　the　like　of　the　thing　descending　on　him　now。　Those　impossible　wings　had　to　be　reptilian；　which　meant　to　Nestor　that　the　creature　they　supported　had　to　be　some　subspecies　of　dragon。　The　reptilian　head　was　small；　and　obviously　small　of　brain；　grotesquely　tiny　for　such　large　wings。　The　mouth　and　teeth　were　outsized　for　the　head；　and　looked　large　enough　to　do　fatal　damage　to　a　human　with　one　bite。　The　body　between　the　wings　was　wizened；　covered　with　tough…looking　scales；　the　two　dangling　legs　all　scales　and　sinew；　with　taloned　feet　unfolding　from　them　now。
　　　It　was　ing　at　Nestor　in　a　direct　attack。　He　stood　his　ground　…　stood　his　muck　and　water　rather　…　and　thrust　up　at　the　lowering　shape。　With　any　other　weapon　in　hand　he　would　have　thought　his　chances　doubtful　at　best；　but　with　Dragonslicer　he　could　hardly　lose。
　　　Only　at　the　last　moment；　when　it　was　too　late　to　try　to　do　anything　else；　did　he　realize　that　the　sound　he　always　heard　when　he　used　this　sword　was　not　sounding　now；　that　this　time　the　sensation　of　power　with　which　it　always　stung　his　arm　was　absent。
　　　Even　shorn　of　magic；　the　blade　was　very　sharp；　and　Nestor's　arm　was　strong　and　steady。　The　thrust　slid　off　one　scale；　but　then　sank　in　between　two　others；　right　at　the　joint　of　leg　and　body。　Only　in　that　moment　did　Nestor　grasp　how　big　the　flying　creature　really　was。　In　the　next　instant　one　of　the　dragon's　feet；　its　leathery　digits　sprouting　talons；　as　flexible　as　human　fingers；　stronger　than　rope；　came　to　scoop　Nestor　up　by　the　left　arm　and　shoulder。　The　embrace　of　its　other　leg　caught　his　right　arm　and　pinned　it　to　his　body；　forcing　the　sword…hilt　out　of　his　grasp；　leaving　the　sword　still　embedded　in　the　creatures　flesh　between　its　armored　scales。　The　violence　with　which　it　grabbed　and　lifted　him　banged　his　head　against　its　scaly　breast；　a　blow　hard　enough　to　daze　him　again。
　　　He　knew；　before　he　slid　into　unconsciousness；　that　his　feet　had　been　pulled　out　of　the　water；　that　nothing　was　in　contact　with　his　body　now　but　air　and　dragon　scales。　He　felt　the　rhythm　of　the　great　wings　working；　and　then　he　knew　no　more。
　　　Even　as　the　enormous　landwalker　charged　at　Mark；　a　shrill　sound　burst　from　the　sword　in　his　right　hand。　The　sound　from　the　sword　was　almost　lost　in　the　roar　that　erupted　from　the　dragon's　fiery　throat；　and　the　pulsed　thunder　of　its　feet。　But　the　sword's　power　could　be　felt　as　well　as　heard。　Mark　was　holding　the　hilt　in　both　hands　now；　and　energy　rushed　from　it　up　into　his　hands　and　arms；　energy　that　aligned　the　blade　to　meet　the　dragon's　rush。
　　　The　sword　held　up　Mark's　arms；　and　it　would　not　let　him　fall；　or　cower　down；　or　even　try　to　step　aside。　He　thought；　fleetingly：　This　is　the　same　terror　that　Kenn　felt。　And　helplessly　he　watched　the　great　head　bending　near。　From　those　lips；　that　looked　as　hard　and　rough　as　chainmail；　and　from　those　flaring　nostrils　specks　of　fire　drooled。　The　glowing　poison　spurted　feebly；　from　a　reservoir　that　must　have　been　exhausted　on　the　cavalry。　Mark　could　feel　the　bounce　and　quiver　of　the　soft　earth　with　each　approaching　thud　of　the　huge　dragon's　feet。　And　he　saw　the　pitchfork　forelimbs　once　more　raised；　to　swipe　and　rend。
　　　The　head　came　lowering　at　Mark。　It　was　almost　as　if　those　forge…fire　eyes　were　pelled　to　challenge　the　light…sparks　that　now　flecked　the　sword；　springing　as　if　struck　from　the　metal　by　invisible　flint。　The　sword　jerked　in　a　sideways　stroke；　driven　by　some　awesome　power　that　Mark's　arms　could　only　follow；　as　if　they　were　bound　to　the　blade　by　puppet…strings。
　　　The　one　stroke　took　off　the　front　quarter　of　the　dragon's　lower　jaw。　The　dragon　lurched　backward　one　heavy　step；　even　as　a　splash　of　iridescent　blood　shot　from　its　wound。　Mark　felt　small　droplet；　strike；　an　agony　of　pinhead　burning；　on　his　left　arm　below　his　sleeve；　and　one　on　his　left　cheek。　And　the　noise　that　burst　from　the　dragon's　throat　behind　its　blood　was　like　no　other　noise　that　Mark　had　ever　heard；　in　waking　life　or　nightmare。
　　　In　the　next　instant；　the　dragon　lurched　forward　again　to　the　attack。　Even　as　Mark　willed　to　twist　his　body　out　of　the　way　of　the　crushing　mass　the　sword　in　his　hands　maintained　a　level　thrust；　holding　his　hands　clamped　upon　its　hilt；　preventing　an　escape。
　　　Mark　went　down　backward　before　that　falling　charge。　He　fell　embedded　in　cushioning　mud；　beneath　the　scaly　mass。　In　mud；　he　slid　from　under　the　worst　of　the　weight；　he　could　still　breathe；　at　least。　Finally　the　sword　released　his　hands；　and　he　felt　a　monstrous　shudder　go　through　the　whole　mass　of　the　dragon's　body；　which　then　fell　motionless。
　　　The　pain　had　faded　from　the　pinprick　burns　along　his　arm；　but　in　his　left　cheek　a　point　of　agony　still　glowed。　He　tried　to　quench　it　in　mud　as　he　writhed　his　way　toward　freedom。　Only　gradually　did　he　realize　that　he　had　not　been　totally　mangled；　indeed　that　he　was　scarcely　injured　at　all。　The　falling　torso　had　almost　missed　him。　One　of　the　dragon's　upper　limbs　made　a　still　arch　above　his　body；　like　the　twisted　trunk　of　an　old　tree。
　　　He　was　still　alive；　and　still　marveled　at　the　fact。　Some　deep　part　of　his　mind　had　been　convinced　that　a　magic　sword　must　always　kill　its　user；　even　if　at　the　same　time　it　gave　him　victory。
　　　The　scaly　treetrunk　above　Mark's　body　began　to　twitch。　Timing　his　efforts　as　best　he　could　to　its　irregular　pulsation；　he　worked　himself　a　few　centimeters　at　a　time　out　from　under　the　dead　or　dying　mass。　He　was　quivering　in　every　limb　himself；　and　now　he　began　to　feel　his　bruises；　in　addition　to　the　slowly　fading　pain　of　the　small　burn。　Still　he　was　unable　to　detect　any　really　serious　injury；　as　he　crawled　and　then　hobbled　away　from　the　corpse　of　the　dragon　into　some　bushes。　The　only　clear　thought　in　his　mind　was　that　he　must　continue　either　to　try　to　hide　or　to　run　away；　and　at　the　moment　he　was　still　too　shaken　to　try　to　run。
　　　Sitting　on　the　muddy　ground　behind　a　bush；　he　realized　gradually　that；　for　the　moment　at　least；　no　danger　threatened。　The　dragon　had　chased　the　cavalry　away；　and　now　the　sword　had　killed　the　dragon。　He　had　to　go　back　to　the　dragon　and　get　the　sword。
　　　Standing　beside　the　slain　monster　he　couldn't　see　the　sword。　It　must　still　be　buried　where　his　hands　had　last　let　go　of　it。　It　must　still　be　hilt　down　in　mud；　under　the　full　weight　of　more　than　a　thousand　kilograms　of　armored　flesh。
　　　Going　belly　down　in　mud　again；　Mark　reached　as　far　as　possible　in　under　the　dead　mass。　He　could　just　touch　the　sword's　hilt；　and　feel；　through　it　a　faint；　persistent　thrum　of　power。　The　blade　was　hilt…deep　in　the　dragon；　though　Mark　could　touch　the　weapon；　it　seemed　impossible　without　moving　the　dragon　to　pull　it　out。
　　　Mark　was　still　tugging　hopelessly　at　the　handle　when　he　heard　Ben's　voice；　quiet　but　shaken；　just　behind　him。
　　　〃Bigger'n　any　dragon　I　ever　saw。。。　where's　Nestor？〃
　　　Mark　turned　his　head　halfway。　〃I　don't　know。　Help　me　get　the　sword　out；　it's　stuck　in；　way　down　here。〃
　　　〃You　see　what　happened？　I　didn't。〃　Wi