fs.thefirstbookofswords-第34部分

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　was　embodied　in　a　sword。　And　other　word　had　reached　me；　through　other　means；　of　other　swords　that　were　said　to　have　been　made　by　the　gods。。。　I　have　good　reason　to　want　to　know　about　these　things。〃
　　　Nestor　thought　that　possibly　he　was　being　used　to　the　burden　of　that　dark　gaze。　Now　he　could　meet　it　once　again。　〃You　are　a　friend　of　dragons；　then；　and　talk　to　them。〃
　　　The　giant　hesitated。　〃'Friend'　is　perhaps　not　the　right　word　for　it。　But　in　some　sense　I　talk　to　them；　and　they　to　me。　I　talk　with　everything　that　lives。　Now；　I　would　ask　you　to　answer　a　few　more　questions　for　me；　in　turn。〃
　　　〃I'll　try。〃　〃Good。　There　is　an　old　prophecy。。。　what　do　you　know　of　the　Gray　Horde？〃
　　　Nestor　looked　back　blankly。　〃What　should　I　know？　I　have　never　heard　the　words　before。　What　do　they　mean？〃
　　　His　interrogator　considered。　〃e　with　me　and　I　will　show　you　a　little　of　their　meaning。〃　With　that；　the　towering　figure　turned　and　paced　away　toward　the　temple。　Nestor　followed；　sword　in　hand。　He　smiled　briefly；　faintly；　at　the　enormous　furred　back　moving　before　him；　the　other　had　not　thought　twice　about　turning　his　back　on　a　strange　man　with　a　drawn　sword。　Not　that　Nestor　was　going　to　think　even　once　about　making　a　treacherous　attack。　Even　if　he'd　had　something　to　gain　by　it；　he　would　as　soon　have　contemplated　taking　a　volcano　by　surprise。
　　　The　front　entrance　of　the　temple　was　high　enough　for　the　giant　to　walk　into　it　without　stooping。　Now；　once　inside；　Nestor　observed　that　the　building　had　indeed　been　constructed　of　some　hardened　and　preserved　wood　…　traces　of　the　grain　pattern　were　still　visible。　He　thought　that　it　must　be　very　old。　Much　of　the　roof　had　fallen　in；　but　the　ceiling　was　still　intact　in　some　of　the　rooms。　So　it　was　in　the　high　chamber　where　Nestor's　guide　now　stopped。　Here　it　was　already　quite　dark　inside。　As　Nestor's　eyes　adapted　to　the　gloom；　the　fantastic　carvings　that　filled　the　walls　seemed　to　materialize　out　of　the　darkness　like　ghosts。
　　　The　giant；　his　body　outlined　in　the　night　by　his　own　faintly　luminous　fur；　had　halted　beside　a　large　open　tank　that　was　built　into　the　center　of　the　floor。　The　reservoir　was　surrounded　by　a　low　rim　of　the　same　preserved　wood　from　which　the　floor　and　walls　were　made；　and　Nestor　thought　that　it　was　probably　some　kind　of　ritual　vat　or　bath。
　　　Moving　a　little　closer；　he　saw　that　the　vat　was　nearly　filled　with　liquid。　Perhaps　it　was　only　water；　but　in　the　poor　light　it　looked　black。
　　　From　a　shelf　his　guide　took　a　device　that　Nestor；　having　seen　its　like　once　or　twice　before；　recognized　as　a　flameless　Old　World　lantern；　powered　by　some　force　of　ancient　technology。　The　giant　focussed　its　cold；　piercing　beam　down　into　the　black　vat。　Something　stirred　beneath　that　inky　surface；　and　in　another　moment　the　shallowness　of　the　tank　was　demonstrated。　The　liquid　it　contained　was　no　more　than　knee…deep　on　the　smallish；　man…shaped　figure　that　now　rose　awkwardly　to　its　feet　inside。　Dark　water；　bright…gleaming　in　the　beam　of　light；　ran　in　rivulets　from　the　gray　naked　surface　of　the　figure。　Its　hairless；　sexless　body　reminded　Nestor　at　once　of　the　curved　exoskeleton　of　some　giant　insect。　He　did　not　for　a　moment　take　it　as　truly　human；　though　it　was　approximately　of　human　shape。
　　　〃What　is　it？〃　Nestor　demanded。　He　had　backed　up　a　step　and　was　gripping　his　sword。
　　　〃Call　it　a　larva。〃　His　guide's　vast　voice　was　almost　hushed。　〃That　is　an　old　word；　which　may　mean　a　ghost；　or　a　mask；　or　an　unfinished　insect　form。　None　of　those　are　exact　names　for　this。　But　I　think　that　all　of　them　in　different　ways　e　close。〃
　　　〃Larva；〃　Nestor　repeated。　The　sound　of　the　word　at　least　seemed　to　him　somehow　appropriate。　He　observed　the　larva　carefully。　Once　it　had　got　itself　fully　erect；　it　stood　in　the　tank　without　moving；　arms　hanging　at　its　sides。　When　Nestor　leaned　closer；　peering　at　it；　he　thought　that　the　dark　eyes　under　the　smooth　gray　brow　fixed　themselves　on　him；　but　the　eyes　were　in　heavy　shadow　and　he　could　not　be　sure。　The　mouth　and　ears　were　tiny；　puckered　openings；　the　nose　almost　non…existent　and　lacking　nostrils。　Apparently　the　thing　did　not　need　to　breathe。　Nestor　thought　it　looked　like　a　mummy。　〃Is　it　dead？〃　he　asked。
　　　〃It　has　never　been　alive。　But　all　across　the　Great　Swamp　the　life　energies　of　the　earth　are　being　perverted　to　produce　others　like　it。　Out　there　under　the　surface　of　the　swamp　thousands　of　them　ate　being　formed；　grown；　raised　by　magical　powers　that　I　do　not　understand。　But　I　fear　that　they　are　connected　somehow　with　the　god…game；　and　the　swords。　And　I　know　that　they　are　meant　for　evil。〃
　　　The　god…game　again。　Nestor　had　no　idea　what　he　ought　to　say；　and　so　he　held　his　peace。　He　thought　he　could　tell　just　from　looking　at　the　figure　that　it　was　meant　for　no　good　purpose。　It　did　not　really　look　like　a　mummy；　he　decided；　but　more　like　some　witch's　mannikin；　fabricated　only　to　facilitate　a　curse。　Except　that；　in　Nestor's　limited　experience　at　least；　such　mannikins　were　no　bigger　than　small　dolls；　and　this　was　nearly　as　big　as　Nestor　himself。　Looking　at　the　thing　more　closely　now；　he　began　to　notice　the　crudity　of　detail　with　which　it　had　been　formed。　Surely　it　would　limp　if　it　tried　to　walk。　He　could　see　the　poor；　mismatched　fit　of　the　lifeless　joints；　how　clumsily　they　bulked　under　the　smooth　covering　that　was　not　skin；　or　scale；　or　even　vegetable　bark。
　　　The　giant's　hand　reached　out　to　pluck　the　figure　from　the　tank。　He　stood　it　on　the　temple　floor　of　hardened　wood；　directly　in　front　of　Nestor。　As　the　hand　released　it；　the　figure　made　a　slight　independent　movement；　enough　to　correct　its　standing　balance。　Then　it　was　perfectly　still　again。　Now　Nestor　could　see　that　its　eyes　under　the　gray　brows　were　also　gray；　the　color　of　old　weathered　wood；　but　still　inanimate　as　no　wood　ever　could　have　been。　The　eyes　were　certainly　locked　onto　Nestor　now；　and　they　made　him　feel　unfortable。
　　　And　only　now；　with　an　inward　shock；　did　Nestor　see　that　the　figure's　arms　did　not　end　in　hands　but　instead　grew　into　weapons；　the　right　arm　terminated　in　an　ugly　blade　that　seemed　designed　as　an　instrument　of　torture；　and　the　left　in　a　crude；　barbed　hook。　There　were　no　real　wrists；　and　the　weapons　were　of　one　piece　with　the　chitinous…looking　material　of　the　forearms。　And　the　bald　head　was　curved　and　angled　like　a　helm。
　　　With　a　faint　inward　shudder　Nestor　moved　back　another　step。　Had　he　not　been　carrying　the　sword；　he　might　have　retreated　farther　from　the　figure。　Now　he　made　his　voice　e　out　with　an　easy　boldness　that　he　was　far　from　feeling：　〃I　give　up；　oh　giant　who　wishes　to　be　nameless。　What　is　this　thing？　You　said　'a　larva'；　but　that　name　answers　nothing。　I　swear　by　the　Great　Worm　Yilgarn　that　I　have　never　seen　the　like　of　it　before。〃
　　　〃It　is　one　cell　of　the　Gray　Horde；　which；　as　I　said；　is　spoken　of　in　an　old　prophecy。　If　you　are　not　familiar　with　that　prophecy；　believe　me　that　I　cannot　very　well　explain　it　to　you　now。〃
　　　〃But　thousands　of　these；　you　say；　are　being　grown　in　the　swamp。　By　whom？　And　to　what　end？〃
　　　The　giant　picked　up　the　two…legged　thing　like　a　toy　and　laid　it　back　into　the　tank　again。　He　pressed　it　down　beneath　the　surface　of　the　liquid；　which　looked　to　Nestor　like　swamp…water。　No　breath…bubbles　rose　when　the　larva　was　submerged。　The　vast　figure　in　glowing　fur　turned　off　the　bright　light　and　replaced　the　lantern　on　the　shelf。　He　watched　the　tank　until　its　surface　was　almost　a　dark　mirror　again。　Then　once　more　he　said　to　Nestor：　〃e　with　me。〃
　　　Nestor　followed　his　huge　guide　out　of　the　temple。　This　time　he　was　led　several　hundred　paces　across　the　wooded　island　and　into　the　true　swamp　at　its　far　edge。　A　gibbous　moon　was　rising。　By　its　light　Nestor　watched　the　furred　giant　wade　waist　deep　into　the　still　water；　seeking；　groping　with　his　legs　for　something　on　the　bottom。　He　motioned　unnecessarily　that　Nestor　should　remain　on　solid　ground。
　　　For　a　full　minute　the　giant　searched。　Then　he　suddenly　bent　and　plunged　in　an　arm；　big　enough　to　have　strangled　a　landwalker；　to　its　fullest　reach。　With　a　huge　splash　he　pulled　out　another　larva。　It　looked　very　much　like　the　one　in　the　tank　inside　the　temple；　except　that　the　two　forearm