fs.thefirstbookofswords-第52部分

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thousand　years　ago　and　more。　Do　not　pretend　to　grandeur　now。〃
　　　And　yet　another　voice；　belligerent　and　male：　〃Yes；　tell　them　yourself　…　but　will　they　believe　what　they　are　told　by　a　dog；　the　son　of　a　bitch？　Never　mind　that　some　of　them　now　think　you　are　a　god。　We　can　fix　that！〃
　　　Draffut　could　feel　the　fervor　of　his　anger　growing；　growing；　till　it　was　hotter　than　the　lava　that　made　the　earth　burn　just　in　front　of　him。　He　roared　back：　〃I　have　as　much　right　to　be　a　god　as　any　of　you　do。　More！　Tell　the　human　world　what　you　really　are！〃
　　　Beyond　the　wavering　heat；　their　numbers　were　still　increasing。　Another　voice　mocked　him：　〃You　tell　them　what　we　really　are。　Ha；　haaa！〃
　　　〃I　would　tell　them。　I　will　tell　them；　when　I　know。〃
　　　〃Ha；　haaa！　We　are　the　gods；　and　that　is　all　ye　need　to　know。　It　is　no　business　of　a　son　of　a　bitch　to　challenge　gods。〃
　　　In　a　single　stride　Draffut　moved　forward　across　the　stream　of　lava。　And　now　he　could　see　the　last　speaker　plainly　enough　to　be　able　to　recognize　him。　〃You　are　Vulcan。　And　now　you　are　going　to　give　me　some　answers；　about　the　swords。〃
　　　Vulcan　answered　boldly　enough；　with　an　obscene　insult。　But　at　the　same　time　he　appeared　to　shrink　back　a　little　within　the　group。　There　was　wrangling　and　shoving　among　the　deities；　amid　a　cloud　of　smoke　and　dust。　Then　another　figure；　pushing　Vulcan　aside；　stepped　forward　from　behind　him。　Now　the　shape　of　a　gigantic　and　muscular　man；　carrying　a　great　spear；　his　head　covered　with　a　helm；　stood　limned　against　a　fresh　flow　of　red…hot　lava　spilling　down　a　slope。
　　　〃I　am　traveling　west　from　here；〃　said　Mars。　His　voice　was　one　that　Draffut　had　not　heard　before；　all　drums　and　trumpets　and　clashing　metal。　〃War　draws　me　there。　I　see　a　beseiged　castle；　and　one　in　the　attacking　army　who　offers　me　sacrifice　with　skilful　magic。　I　think　it　is　time　for　me　to　answer　the　prayers　of　one　of　my　devoted　worshippers。〃
　　　From　the　group　behind　the　speaker　there　came　a　discordant　chorus　of　varied　ments　on　this　announcement。　Draffut　noted　that　they　ranged　from　applause　to　enthusiastic　scorn。
　　　Mars　ignored　them　all。　He　did　not　turn　his　terrible　gaze　from　Draffut；　who　stood　right　in　his　way。　Mars　said：　〃I　am　going　to　that　castle；　there　to　spend　some　time　in　killing　humans　for　amusement。〃
　　　Draffut　said　simply：　〃No；　that　you　will　not　do。〃
　　　At　this　point　someone　in　the　rear　rank　of　the　gods　threw　a　burning　boulder　straight　at　Draffut。　It　seemed　to　e　with　awesome　slowness　through　the　air；　and　it　was　accurately　aimed。　Catching　it　strained　his　great　strength；　but　from　some　reserve　he　drew　the　power　to　hurl　it　back　…　not　at　its　unseen　thrower。　Instead　Draffut　aimed　it　straight　for　Mars；　just　as　the　long　spear　leveled　for　a　throw。　Rock　and　spear　met　in　mid…air；　to　explode　in　a　million　screaming　fragments。
Another　spear　already　in　his　hand；　the　God　of　War　strode　forward　to　do　battle。
Chapter　18
　　　Dame　Yoldi　herself　had　told　Mark　several　times　that　she　considered　his　survival　vitally　important；　and　that　she　meant　for　that　reason　to　keep　him　in　parative　safety　at　her　side　as　much　as　possible　when　the　fighting　started。　Thus　it　happened　that　they　were　together　on　the　high　roof　of　Sir　Andrew's　castle；　in　early　morning　light；　when　the　first　attack　of　the　Gray　Horde　broke　like　a　dirty　wave　against　the　walls。
　　　The　defenders　were　as　ready　as　they　could　be　for　the　assault；　for　there　had　been　no　way　for　the　attackers　to　achieve　surprise。　On　the　previous　day；　Sir　Andrew's　enchantress　had　announced　that　the　speed　and　direction　of　the　larvae's　advance　could　be　only　approximately　controlled　by　the　magicians　of　Yambu。　For　the　past　few　days；　Yoldi　and　several　of　her　assistants　had　attempted　to　interfere　with　the　enemy　magic；　and　turn　the　larvae　against　those　who　had　raised　them。　But　that　effort　had　failed；　and　Dame　Yoldi　was　necessarily　concentrating　upon　other　matters　now。　She　said　that　in　any　case　the　larvae　would　not　be　able　to　remain　active　for　more　than　a　few　days。　Once　raised　from　the　swamp；　they　drew　no　nourishment；　no　energy　of　any　kind；　from　their　environment。　This　made　them　difficult　to　interfere　with；　and　almost　impossible　to　poison；　but　also　awkward　for　their　masters　to　control。　However；　for　the　few　days　that　their　pseudo…life　endured　they　were　an　almost　invincible　army；　immune　to　weariness　and　fear。
　　　Their　massed　howling；　like　distant　wind；　could　be　heard　in　the　castle　for　more　than　an　hour　before　their　first　charge　at　the　walls。　Therefore　the　defenders　were　alerted　and　in　place　when　the　hundred　scaling　ladders　of　the　Horde　were　raised。
　　　As　the　light　grew　full；　Mark　could　see　from　his　high　vantage　point　how　Ben　was　taking　part　in　the　fighting　atop　the　eastern　wall；　using　his　great　strength　behind　a　pole　to　topple　scaling　ladders　back　as　fast　as　the　handless；　clumsy　larvae　below　could　prop　them　up；　there　were　no　humans　to　be　seen　at　all　in　the　first　wave　of　attackers。
　　　And　Barbara　was　on　the　wall　west　of　the　guard　towers　and　the　main　gate；　one　of　a　pany　of　men　and　women　armed　with　bows　and　slings。　Their　missiles　went　hailing　thickly　down　into　the　sea　of　the　attackers；　but　Mark　could　not　see　that　they　did　much　damage。　An　arrow　might　penetrate　a　larva's　shell；　but　the　thing　kept　advancing　anyway；　pushing　up　another　ladder　and　then　climbing　to　the　attack。　A　slung　stone　might　crack　a　carapace；　but　the　hit　figure　came　on　anyway；　until　a　leg　joint　was　broken　too　badly　to　let　it　walk；　or　its　arms　disabled　to　the　point　where　it　could　no　longer　climb　a　ladder。
　　　The　hundred　ladders　carried　forward　to　the　walls　in　that　first　attack；　Mark　decided；　must　have　been　made　for　the　larvae　by　their　human　masters　and　allies。　Last　night　he　had　heard　Nestor　talking　in　the　castle；　describing　in　detail　what　he　had　seen　of　the　larvae　at　close　range；　and　what　kind　of　fighting　might　be　expected　when　their　horde　swept　to　the　assault　on　the　castle　walls。
　　　Sir　Andrew　had　listened　very　carefully　to　the　same　account。　The　knight　had　then　sat　alone　for　a　while；　the　picture　of　grim　thought；　and　then　had　issued　orders；　disposing　of　his　defense　forces　as　best　he　might。　Mark　had　got　the　impression；　listening；　that　all　the　experts　on　hand　knew　that　the　walls　were　going　to　be　undermanned。
　　　Then　Sir　Andrew　had　had　Nestor　speak　to　the　defenders　also　of　Draffut；　of　how　the　Lord　of　Beasts　had　seemed　to　favor　their　cause；　and　to　hint　of　active　intervention　on　their　side。　This　raised　the　hopes　of　everyone　somewhat；　though　Nestor　was　careful　not　to　claim　that　any　such　promise　had　been　made　by　Draffut。
　　　Nestor；　as　he　had　explained　to　a　smaller　gathering　of　his　old　panions　of　the　wagon；　had　decided　he　had　no　real　choice　but　to　take　part　in　the　fighting；　once　he　had　decided　to　e　to　Sir　Andrew's　castle　with　the　sword。
　　　〃Besides；　where　would　I　have　gone　to　get　away？　From　here　all　roads　lead　ultimately　to　Fraktin　or　Yambu；　except　those　that　go　back　into　the　swamp；　or　to　the　northwest；　and　I　expect　that　even　those　are　closed　by　now。　〃
　　　Armed　with　the　Sword　of　Fury；　and　wearing　the　best　armor　that　Sir　Andrew　had　been　able　to　fit　him　with　at　short　notice；　Nestor　was　somewhere　in　one　of　the　central　guard…towers　when　the　first　attack　began。　The　strategy　was　for　him　to　wait　there　until　close　bat　provided　a　suitable　chance　to　bring　the　sword's　powers　into　use。　But　though　the　sword　whined　restlessly　when　the　attack　began；　and　drew　its　threads　of　vapor　from　the　air　into　itself；　that　chance　did　not　e　with　the　first　assault。
　　　Not　that　there　was　much　of　a　break　between　the　first　and　second。　The　Gray　Horde　did　not　retreat　from　the　foot　of　the　walls　to　reform；　as　a　human　army　would　certainly　have　done。　Instead　its　thousands　milled　around；　indifferent　to　slung　stone　and　arrow。
　　　And　then　surged　forward　behind　the　ladders　once　again。
　　　By　now　it　had　been　discovered　that　large　stones　dropped　on　the　attacking　larvae　below　the　walls　were　somewhat　more　effective　than　slings　and　arrows；　but　that　fire　was　disappointingly　inefficient。　The　deadwood　figures　were　not　really　dry；　and　they　would　have　to　be　burnt　into　ashes　to　be　stopped。
　　　〃A　breach！　A　breach！〃
　　　Mark　heard　the　cry　go　up　some　minutes　after　the　second　surge　with　ladders　a