fs.thefirstbookofswords-第62部分

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the　power　to　shape　inorganic　matter　but　the　BeastLord　personifies　organic　matter's　potential　for　growth。　Unharmed　by　fire；　Draffut　can　quicken　Vulcan's　molten　lava　to　momentary　life。　Yet　Draffut's　confrontation　with　the　upstart　gods　is　only　one　episode　in　the　contest　that　begins；　proceeds；　and　will　end　via　Vulcan's　swords。
　　　The　gods　call　the　game　their　own；　but　is　it？　Their　pretentions　to　divinity　ring　hollow　yet　they　are　clearly　more　than　human。　Given　the　subtle　hint　in　the　Prologue　that　Vulcan　has　been　〃programmed〃　for　his　task；　are　they　perhaps　some　magical　equivalent　of　the　huge　robotic　god…figures　in　Berserker's　Planet？　They　could　be　automata　animated　by　quasimaterial　beings　such　as　djinni。
　　　Overshadowing　these　meddlesome；　amoral　gods　are　the　images　of　Ardneh　and　the　masked　figure　known　as　the　Dark　King。　The　Demon…Slayer　and　Hospitaller　has　bee　more　of　an　Apollo　than　an　Indra；　a　patron　of　humane　technology　opposed　to　Vulcan's　brutal　methods。　Unlike　Orcus；　the　Dark　King　is　suave　and　manlike　but　his　title　would　be　a　suitable　alias　for　Hell's　overlord。　（By　an　irony　of　history；　their　mon　antagonist　Ominor　has　been　transformed　from　a　mirthless；　plodding　tyrant　to　a　legendary　buffoon。）　But　why　are　they　here　at　all；　since　god　and　demon　presumably　destroyed　each　other　in　Empire？　（The　question　puzzles　theologically　aware　Sir　Andrew。）　Did　the　quasimaterial　beings　prove　immortal　after　all？　Or　are　these　identities；　like　the　names　of　the　gods；　idiosyncratic　choices　of　the　games　ultimate　players？
　　　Revelation　of　these　and　other　enigmas　must　await　publication　of　the　second　and　third　volumes　of　The　Book　of　Swords。　But　a　few　observations　about　Mark　are　possible　even　at　this　early　stage　in　the　contest。　His　very　name　is　packed　with　allusion　…　is　he　a　piece　of　labeled　property　or　a　symbolic　witness？　Like　Berserker　Man's　Michael；　he　is　。a　Child…Hero　begotten　under　mysterious　circumstances　and　born　into　a　web　of　contradictory　influences　which　will　surely　confound　the　evil　forces　that　plan　to　make　use　of　him。　Lake　Empire's　Rolf；　young　Mark　is　sent　off　into　epic　adventures　where　he　will　confound　both　chance　and　fate；　to　learn　through　passages　of　sword…play　that　mastery　of　self　is　the　kind　most　worth　striving　for。