fs.thesecondbookofswords-第1部分

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　　　Fire　from　the　sky　came　thrusting　down；　a　dazzling　crooked　spear　of　white　light　that　lived　for　an　instant　only；　long　enough　to　splinter　a　lone　tree　at　the　jutting　edge　of　the　seaside　cliff。　The　impact　beneath　the　howling　darkness　of　the　sky　stunned　eyes　and　ears　alike。　Ben　winced　away　from　the　blinding　flash　…　too　late；　of　course；　to　do　his　shocked　eyes　any　good　…　and　turned　his　gaze　downward；　trying　to　see　the　path　again；　to　find　secure　places　to　put　down　his　sandaled　feet。　In　night　and　wind　and　rain　it　was　hard　to　judge　how　far　away　the　stroke　had　fallen；　but　he　could　hope　that　the　next　one　would　be　farther　off。
　　　Ben's　thick　and　powerful　right　arm　was　stretched　forward　across　the　rump　of　one　heavily　burdened　loadbeast；　his　hand　grasping　the　rope　that　bound　the　panniers　on　the　animal's　back。　Meanwhile　his　left　hand；　extended　backward；　tugged　hard　on　the　reins　of　the　loadbeast　reluctantly　following。
　　　The　little　packtrain　was　posed　of　six　loadbeasts；　along　with　the　six　men　who　drove　and　led　and　cursed　the　animals　forward。　A　seventh　animal；　considerably　more　sleek　and　graceful　than　the　six　that　carried　cargo；　came　a　few　meters　behind　the　train。　It　bore　a　seventh　man；　a　cloaked　and　hooded　figure　who　rode　with　a　cold；　flameless　Old　World　torch　raised　in　his　right　hand。　The　torch　shed　an　unflickering　light　through　wind　and　rain；　projecting　some　of　its　rays　far　enough　ahead　to　give　the　train's　drivers　some　hope　of　seeing　where　they　were　going。
　　　Like　some　odd　crawling　pound　creature　possessing　three　dozen　unsynchronized　feet；　the　pack　train　groped　and　struggled　its　way　forward；　following　a　mere　sketch　of　a　path　across　the　wild　landscape。　Ben　was　pushing　the　first　animal　forward；　more　or　less　dragging　the　second　after　him；　and　trying　to　soothe　them　both。　Hours　ago；　at　the　beginning　of　the　trip；　the　drivers　had　been　warned　that　tonight　the　usually　phlegmatic　animals　were　likely　to　bee　skittish。
　　　There　would　be　dragon…scent　about；　the　officer　had　said。
　　　Another　flash　of　lightning　now；　fortunately　not　quite　as　close　as　the　last　one。　For　just　an　instant　the　rocky　and　forsaken　wilderness　surrounding　the　small　train　was　plain　to　see；　including　the　next　few　meters　of　the　path　ahead。　Then　darkness　closed　in　deeper　than　ever；　bringing　with　it　harder　rain。　Its　parts　linked　by　the　push　and　pull　of　human　arms；　the　beast　with　three　dozen　feet　advanced；　making　slow　progress　over　the　treacherous　footing　of　rain…slicked　rocks　and　yielding　sand。　Meanwhile　the　wind　howled　continuously　and　the　rain　assaulted　everything。
　　　Ahead　of　Ben；　the　soldier　leading　the　first　loadbeast　was　wrapped　and　plastered　like　Ben　himself　in　a　soggy　blue…gold　uniform　cloak；　with　a　useless　helmet　drizzling　rain　into　his　eyes。　Now　Ben　could　hear　him　loudly　calling　down　the　doom　of　demons　and　the　wrath　of　gods　upon　this　whole　situation　…　including　the　high　functionaries　whose　idea　it　must　have　been；　and　who　were　no　doubt　somewhere　warm　and　dry　themselves　this　moment。　The　man　was　almost　shouting；　having　no　fear　that　the　priest…officer；　Radulescu；　who　rode　behind　the　train；　might　be　able　to　hear　him　above　the　wind。
　　　The　cold　torchlight　from　behind　suggested；　and　the　next　flash　of　lightning　proved；　that　the　scanty　path　the　train　was　following　was　now　about　to　veer　sharply　to　the　left。　At　the　same　time；　a　large　indentation　in　the　line　of　the　nearby　cliffs　brought　their　potentially　fatal　edge　sweeping　in　sharply　toward　the　path　from　that　direction。　Ben；　not　liking　this　sudden　proximity　of　the　brink；　leaned　harder　against　the　animal　whose　rump　his　right　arm　was　embracing。　Using　his　great　strength　and　his　considerable　weight；　he　forced　the　beast　a　little　farther　to　the　right。　Now　the　packtrain　was　moving　so　close　to　the　cliff's　edge　that　when　the　lightning　flashed　again　it　was　possible　to　look　down　and　glimpse　the　pounding　sea。　Ben　thought　those　rock…torn　waves　might　be　a　hundred　meters　below。
　　　He　supposed　that　a　mon　soldier's　life　in　any　army　was　not　a　happy　one。　More　than　one　old　proverb；　repeated　mostly　among　soldiers　themselves；　testified　to　that；　and　Ben　had　been　given　plenty　of　chance　to　learn　the　truth　of　the　proverbs　for　himself。　But　what　worried　him　tonight　was　not　the　usual　soldier's　concerns　of　dull　abuse　and　passing　danger。　Not　the　storm。　Not　really　the　danger　of　falling　off　this　cliff　…　that　risk　was　obvious　and　could　be　avoided。　Nor　was　it　even　fear　of　the　guardian　dragon　up　ahead；　whose　presence　the　drivers　had　been　warned　of　because　it　might　make　the　loadbeasts　nervous。
　　　What　bothered　Ben　was　a　certain　realization　that　had　been　growing　upon　him。　If　it　was　correct；　then　he　had　more　than　dragons　to　worry　about。　So；　for　that　matter；　did　the　other　drivers　who　were　here　tonight；　but　Ben　had　no　reason　to　think　that　any　of　them　had　yet　realized　the　fact。
　　　He　wondered　if　he　was　going　to　have　a　chance　to　talk　to　them　about　it　without　the　officer　overhearing。　He　decided　that　he　probably　was　not。。。
　　　By　Ardneh；　how　could　any　man；　even　one　afraid　for　his　life；　manage　to　think　straight　about　anything　in　the　middle　of　a　storm　like　this？　Ben　couldn't　even　spare　a　hand　to　try　to　wipe　the　rain　out　of　his　eyes；　or　hold　his　cloak　together。　Now；　sodden　as　the　garment　was；　it　had　blown　loose　from　its　lower　clasp；　and　streamed　out　uselessly　in　the　wind。　Even　in　the　brilliance　of　the　lightning　the　cloak　no　longer　looked　gold　and　blue。　It　was　so　wet　and　matted　that　it　might　have　been　woven　out　of　the　gray　of　the　night　itself。
　　　More　lightning；　more　wind；　more　rain。　Through　it　all　the　twelve　linked　bodies　of　angry　men　and　burdened　animals　kept　struggling　forward。　Under　ordinary　conditions；　one　or　two　men　could　have　managed　six　loadbeasts　easily。　But　Ben　had　to　admit　that　whoever　had　assigned　six　drivers　to　this　job　tonight　had　known　what　he　was　doing。　Certainly　two　or　three　men　would　not　have　been　enough　to　manage　it　tonight；　when
　lightning　and　the　scent　of　dragon　rode　the　air　together。
　　　Radulescu　had　earlier　reassured　the　drivers；　telling　them　that　he　had　at　his　mand　powerful　spells；　sure　to　keep　the　dragon　at　a　distance。　Ben　believed　that。　Blue　Temple　officers；　he　had　observed　in　his　year's　stint　as　an　enlisted　man；　were　generally　petent　in　matters　that　they　considered　to　be　important。　And　this　trip　tonight　had　to　be　important。。。　and　that　led　Ben　back　to　his　new　private　worry。　He　wanted　to　be　able　to　argue　himself　out　of　that　dreadful　idea；　but　instead　the　more　he　thought　of　it　the　more　real　it　became。
　　　And　the　less　time　was　left　to　try　to　deal　with　it。
　　　They　had　been　told　nothing　about　the　nature　of　the　cargo；　so　well…wrapped；　so　pact　and　heavy；　that　they　were　transporting　through　the　night。　Other　hands　than　theirs　had　wrapped　it；　and　loaded　it　into　the　animals'　panniers。　From　the　way　it　weighed；　and　felt；　it　could　hardly　be　anything　but　heavy　stone　or　metal。
　　　Ben　couldn't　really　believe　that　it　was　stone。　He　could　tell　from　the　way　the　animals　moved　that　it　must　weigh　like　lead。　But　of　course　Blue　Temple；　the　proverbial　worshippers　and　hoarders　of　wealth；　were　unlikely　to　be　trafficking　in　lead。
　　　That　narrowed　the　possibilities　down　considerably。　But　there　was　more。
　　　When　the　packtrain　had　left　the　local　Temple；　some　hours　before　dark；　it　had　been　acpanied　by　an　escort　of　some　three　dozen　heavily　armed　cavalry。　These　were　mercenary　troops；　speaking　only　some　bizarre　dialect　of　their　own；　Ben　thought　that　they　must　have　been　recruited　from　halfway　around　the　world。
　　　Progress　had　at　first　been　easy；　the　sky　was　threatening　but　the　storm　had　not　yet　broken。　The　armed　escort　had　surrounded　the　packtrain　most　of　the　slow　way；　the　loadbeasts　had　been　docile；　and　the　six　drivers　had　been　able　to　take　it　easy；　riding　themselves　on　six　spare　mounts。　Their　journey；　along　back　roads　and　then　increasingly　slender　trails　leading　into　the　back　country；　had　been　entirely　on　Temple　lands　…　or　so　Ben　thought；　he　could　not　be　pletely　sure。　Such　a　heavy　escort；　on　Temple　lands；　seemed　to　be　overdoing　it　a　bit　…　unless　of　course　the　cargo　was　very；　very　valuable。
　　　And　to　think　that　didn't　help　the　new　worry　at　all。。。
　　　Just　before　nightfall；　the　train　had　halted　in　a　small　clearing　amid　the