df.therunelords-第42部分

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。　She　pulled　the　blade　free。
　The　wound　closed　as　the　bloody　blade　exited。
　〃You　see？〃　Raj　Ahten　asked。　〃Neither　your　mother's　poison　nor　your　own　dagger　can　hurt　me。　Among　Runelords；　there　has　never　been　another　of　Daylan's　equal。　Until　now。
　〃It　is　said　in　my　country　that　when　he'd　received　enough　endowments；　he　no　longer　needed　to　take　them。　The　love　of　his　people　supported　him；　it　flowed　to　him。　When　his　Dedicates　died；　his　powers　remained；　undiminished。〃
　She'd　never　read　that。　It　defied　her　understanding　of　the　art　of　the　Runelords。　Yet　she　hoped　it　was　true。　She　hoped　that　such　a　thing　could　be；　that　Raj　Ahten　would　someday　quit　draining　people　like　her　father。
　〃I　think；〃　Raj　Ahten　said　softly；　〃that　I　am　nearly　there。　I　think　I　shall　be　his　equal；　and　that　I　shall　defeat　the　reavers　without　the　loss　of　fifty　million　human　lives；　as　would　happen　under　any　other　plan。〃
　Iome　looked　into　his　eyes；　wanting　to　hate　him　for　what　he'd　done。　Her　father　lay　in　his　own　urine　on　the　floor　at　her　feet。　Her　mother　was　dead　on　the　paving　stones　outside　the　keep。　Yet　Iome　looked　into　Raj　Ahten's　face；　and　she　could　not　hate　him。　He　seemed。。。so　sincere。　So　beautiful。
　He　reached　out；　stroked　her　hand；　and　she　dared　not　pull　away。　She　wondered　if　he　would　try　to　seduce　her。　She　wondered　if　she'd　have　the　strength　to　fight　him　if　he　did。
　〃So　sweet。　If　you　were　not　my　kin；　I'd　take　you　as　a　wife。　But　I'm　afraid　propriety　forbids　it。　Now；　Iome；　you　too　must　do　your　part　to　help　me　defeat　the　reavers。　You　will　give　me　your　glamour。〃
　Iome's　heart　pounded。　She　imagined　how　it　would　be；　with　skin　as　rough　as　leather；　the　cobwebs　of　her　hair　falling　from　her　head；　the　way　the　veins　would　stick　out　on　her　legs。　The　dry　smell　of　her　breath。　To　look；　to　smell；　to　be　repulsive。
　Yet　that　was　not　half　the　horror　of　it。　Glamour　was　more　than　beauty；　more　than　physical　loveliness。　It　could　be　recognized　partly　as　form；　but　just　as　much　was　manifest　in　the　color　of　one's　skin；　the　glossiness　of　one's　hair；　the　light　that　shone　in　one's　eyes。　It　could　be　seen　in　posture；　in　poise；　in　determination。　The　heart　of　it　often　lay　somewhere　in　a　person's　confidence　in　and　love　of　self。
　So；　depending　on　the　ruthlessness　of　the　facilitator　involved；　all　these　could　be　drawn　away；　leaving　the　new　Dedicate　both　ugly　and　filled　with　self…loathing。
　Iome　shook　her　head。　She　had　to　fight　him；　had　to　fight　Raj　Ahten　any　way　she　could。　Yet　she　could　think　of　nothing；　no　way　to　strike　back。
　〃e；　child；〃　Raj　Ahten　said　smoothly。　〃What　would　you　do　with　all　your　beauty；　if　I　left　it　to　you？　Lure　some　prince　to　your　bed？　What　a　petty　desire。　You　could　do　it。　But　afterward　you　would　only　spend　your　life　in　regret。　You've　seen　how　men　look　at　you　with　lust　in　their　eyes。　You've　seen　how　they　stare；　always　wanting　you。　Certainly　you　must　tire　of　it。〃
　When　he　put　it　that　way；　in　such　a　silky　voice；　Iome　felt　wretched。　It　seemed　vile　and　selfish　to　want　to　be　beautiful。
　〃In　the　desert　near　where　I　was　born；〃　Raj　Ahten　said；　〃a　great　monument；　a　statue；　stands　three　hundred　feet　tall；　half　tilted　in　the　sand。　It　is　the　statue　of　a　king；　long　forgotten；　his　face　scoured　away　by　wind。　A　banner　at　his　feet；　written　in　an　ancient　language；　says；　'All　bow　to　the　Great　Ozyvarius；　who　rules　the　earth；　whose　kingdom　shall　never　fail！'
　〃Yet　all　the　scribes　in　the　world　cannot　tell　me　who　that　king　is；　or　how　long　ago　he　reigned。
　〃We　have　always　been　such　fleeting　creatures；〃　Raj　Ahten　whispered。　〃We　have　always　been　so　temporary。　But　together；　Iome；　we　can　bee　something　more。〃
　The　craving　in　his　voice；　the　hunger；　almost　drove　all　reason　from　Iome's　mind。　Almost　she　felt　willing　to　give　him　her　beauty。　But　a　wiser　voice　in　the　back　of　her　mind　nagged。　〃No；　I　would　die；　I　would　be　nothing。〃
　〃You　would　not　die；〃　Raj　Ahten　said。　〃If　I　bee　the　Sum　of　All　Men；　your　beauty　would　live　on　in　me。　Some　part　of　you　would　always　remain；　to　be　loved；　to　be　admired。〃
　〃No；〃　Iome　said　in　horror。
　Raj　Ahten　glanced　at　the　floor；　where　King　Sylvarresta　still　lay　in　a　foul　heap。　〃Not　even　to　save　his　life？〃
　Then　Iome　knew；　she　knew；　that　her　father　would　tell　her　not　to　make　this　bargain。　〃No；〃　Iome　shuddered。
　〃It　is　a　horrible　thing；　to　put　an　idiot　among　the　torturers。　All　that　pain　your　father　would　have　to　endure；　never　understanding　why；　never　knowing　that　there　is　such　a　thing　as　death　that　could　bring　him　release；　with　the　torturers　repeating　your　name　each　time　they　put　the　hot　irons　to　him；　so　that　in　time；　even　at　the　mention　of　your　name；　he　would　cry　out　in　pain。　It　would　be　truly　horrible。〃
　The　cruelty　inherent　in　such　an　idea　left　Iome　numb。　She　looked　at　Raj　Ahten；　her　heart　breaking。　She　could　not　say　yes。
　The　Wolf　Lord　nodded　to　one　of　his　men。　〃Bring　in　the　girl。〃
　The　guard　left　the　chamber；　returned　quickly　with　Chemoise。　Chemoise；　who　should　have　been　in　the　Dedicates'　Keep；　forting　her　father。　Chemoise；　who　had　already　suffered　so　much　this　week；　lost　so　much　to　Raj　Ahten。
　How　had　Raj　Ahten　known　what　Iome　felt　for　her　dear　friend？　Had　Iome　betrayed　the　girl　with　a　glance？
　Chemoise　had　wide；　frightened　eyes。　She　began　weeping　in　terror　when　she　saw　the　King　lying　on　the　floor。　Shrieked　when　Raj　Ahten's　guard　took　her　to　the　broken　window；　poised　to　throw　her　over　the　edge。
　Iome's　heart　hammered；　as　she　watched　her　childhood　friend　begin　to　gibber　in　fear。　Two　lives。　Raj　Ahten　would　be　killing　twoChemoise　and　her　unborn　child。
　Chemoise；　forgive　me　for　this　betrayal；　Iome　wanted　to　say。　For　she　knew；　she　knew　with　her　whole　soul；　that　surrender　was　wrong。　If　no　one　had　ever　surrendered；　Raj　Ahten　would　be　dead　by　now。　Yet　she　also　knew　that　to　give　her　glamour　to　Raj　Ahten　would　benefit　him　little；　while　it　saved　the　lives　of　Iome's　friends。
　〃I　cannot　give　you　an　endowment；〃　Iome　said；　unable　to　disguise　the　loathing　in　her　words。　She　could　not　give　it　to　him。　Not　to　him　personally。
　〃If　not　me；　a　vector；　then；〃　Raj　Ahten　offered。
　Something　in　Iome's　heart　tripped。　A　balance　was　found。　She　could　give　her　beautygive　it　for　her　father；　for　Chemoise。　So　long　as　she　did　not　have　to　give　it　to　Raj　Ahten。　Her　voice　broke　as　she　said；　〃Bring　your　forcible；　then。〃
　Moments　later　the　forcibles　were　fetched；　along　with　a　wretched　woman　who　had　given　her　glamour。　So　Iome　looked　upon　the　hag　in　dirty　gray　robes　and　saw　what　she　would　bee；　and　struggled　to　see　what　beauty　had　ever　been　hidden　inside　the　woman。
　Then　the　chants　began。　Iome　watched　Chemoise；　still　poised　on　the　ledge；　and　silently　willed　her　beauty　away；　willed　herself　to　buy　something　lovely　and　eternally　precious　with　it。　The　life　of　a　friend；　and　the　baby　she　carried。
　There　was　a　rustling　in　the　darkness；　and　a　tiny　glowing　streamer　of　phosphorous　fire　as　the　facilitator　approached；　put　the　forcible　low　on　her　neck；　almost　against　her　bosom。
　For　half　a　moment；　nothing　happened；　and　someone　whispered；　〃For　your　friend。　Do　it　for　your　friend。〃
　Iome　nodded；　sweat　pouring　down　her　brow。　She　held　the　image　of　Chemoise　in　her　mind；　Chemoise　holding　a　child　in　her　arms；　nuzzling　it。
　Iome　felt　the　unspeakable　pain　of　the　forcible；　opened　her　eyes；　saw　the　skin　of　her　hands　dry　and　crack　as　if　they　burned　in　the　infernal　heat。　The　veins　rose　on　her　wrists　like　roots；　and　her　nails　became　brittle　as　chalk。
　Her　firm　young　breasts　sank；　and　she　grabbed　at　them；　feeling　the　loss　keenly。　She　regretted　the　trade　now；　but　it　was　too　late。　She　felt。。。as　if　she　stood　in　the　river；　and　the　sand　at　her　feet　flowed　out　from　under　her；　undermining　her。　Everything　that　was　hers；　all　her　beauty；　her　allure；　flowed　out　and　away；　into　the　forcible。
　Her　lustrous　hair　withered　and　twisted　on　her　head　like　worms。
　Iome　cried　in　pain　and　horror；　and　more　flowed　out　from　her　still。　For　a　moment；　it　was　as　if　she　gazed　into　oblivion　and　saw　herself；　and　loathed　what　she　saw。　She　understood　for　the　first　time　in　her　life　that　she　was　nothing；　had　always　been　nothing；　a　no　one；　a　cipher。　She　feared　to　cry　out；　lest　others　take　offense　at　the　sound　of　her　wretched　voice。
　That　is　a　lie。　I　am　not　so　ugly　as　that；　she　cried　out　to　Raj　Ahten　in　her　soul。　My　beauty