fs.thesecondbookofswords-第2部分

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　　　Just　before　nightfall；　the　train　had　halted　in　a　small　clearing　amid　the　scrubby　growth　and　boulders　of　the　wasteland。　In　a　smooth　and　evidently　prearranged　fashion；　the　laden　animals　with　their　six　drivers　had　been　detached　at　this　point　from　their　escort；　and　under　the　mand　of　Radulescu　had　continued　forward　over　this　rugged　thread　of　trail。
　　　According　to　the　announced　plan；　their　escort　was　to　wait　in　the　clearing　for　their　return。　As　the　separation　was　taking　place；　and　almost　as　an　afterthought；　the　six　drivers　had　been　ordered　to　leave　their　own　weapons　behind　in　the　escort's　care。　Swords　and　daggers；　Ben　and　the　five　others　had　been　told；　would　not　be　needed　up　ahead；　and　would　just　get　in　their　way　when　they　went　to　work　on　the　unloading。
　　　Radulescu　had　been　the　officer　who　told　them　that；　raising　his　crisp　professional　voice　above　the　rising　wind；　while　behind　him　the　cavalry　sat　their　own　mounts；　waiting　silently。　And　when　the　weapons　of　the　six　drivers　had　been　collected　under　a　waterproof；　　and　the　spare　cavalry　mounts　returned；　Radulescu　had　ordered　the　train　forward　along　this　unknown　thread　of　a　trail。　Then　he　had　followed　it　on　his　own　steed。
　　　Ben　had　never　set　eyes　on　the　priest…officer　before　today；　and　as　far　as　he　could　tell　the　man　was　unknown　to　the　other　drivers　as　well　…　even　as　they　were　to　each　other。　Certainly　Radulescu　was　not　one　of　the　regular　cavalry　or　infantry　officers　assigned　to　the　local　Temple's　garrison。　Ben　suspected　that　he　came　from　somewhere　very　high　up　in　the　loftier　strata　of　Blue　Temple　power　…　perhaps　he　even　had　some　connection　with　the　Inner　Council　that　ruled　the　Temple　in　all　its　branches。　All　of　the　regular　officers　had　deferred　to　him；　even　though　his　uniform　of　plain　gold　and　blue　was　devoid　of　any　of　the　usual　insignia　of　rank。　That；　thought　Ben；　had　to　mean　he　was　a　priest。　Still；　Radulescu　seemed　perfectly　at　home　astride　his　cavalry　mount；　and　also　quite　at　home　with　giving　orders　in　the　field。
　　　And　now　through　the　night　the　men　and　animals　continued　to　struggle　on；　to　move　their　heavy　cargo　forward。　Ben　thought　it　might　not　be　all　gold　that　they　were　carrying。　He　could　imagine；　inside　the　heavily　padded；　shapeless　bundles　that　filled　the　wicker　baskets；　a　certain　proportion　of　jewelry；　for　example。　Precious　stones；　and　maybe　some　things　of　art。。。
　　　With　every　minute　the　worry　that　had　fastened　upon　him　grew　and　grew。　And　the　wind　continued　to　blast　the　little　procession；　as　did　the　rain；　until　even　the　four…footed　creatures　were　slipping　and　sliding　on　the　wet　and　rounded　rocks　that　made　up　so　much　of　this　poor　excuse　for　a　path。
　　　Again　Ben　shoved　against　the　beast　whose　hindquarters　were　under　his　right　arm。　He　shifted　the　animal　bodily　a　small　distance　to　the　right；　farther　away　from　that　dreadful　brink　that　now　again　came　curving　in　from　the　left　to　run　close　beside　the　path。
　　　And　now；　to　Ben's　mild　surprise；　the　officer　came　cantering　forward　on　the　right　side　of　the　small　train。　Radulescu　was　urging　his　mount　to　a　greater　fraction　of　its　speed；　so　that　it　quickly　got　ahead　of　the　slow　loadbeasts。　Lights　and　shadows　shifted　with　the　change　in　position　of　the　cold　torch　still　held　in　the　officer's　hand。　That　torch　was　a　thick　rod　whose　rounded；　glassy　tip　glowed　steadily　and　brightly　white；　impervious　to　wind　and　rain。　Ben　had　seen　similar　lights　in　use　a　time　or　two　before；　though　certainly　they　were　not　mon。　In　that　steady　light；　Radulescu's　officer's　cloak　shone；　glistened　as　if　it　might　be　waterproof；　and　this　head　was　neatly　dry　under　a　hood　instead　of　wet　in　a　damned　dripping　helmet。　From　under　his　cloak　on　the　left　side　a　sheathed　sword　protruded　like　some　kind　of　stiffened　tail。
　　　As　soon　as　Radulescu　had　gotten　ahead　of　the　train；　he　turned　back　into　its　path　and　reined　in　his　swifter　mount。　And　now；　with　a　motion　of　his　light；　he　signaled　to　the　drivers　that　here　they　were　going　to　leave　the　precarious　path。　He　was　waving　them　inland；　across　utterly　trackless　country。
　　　The　driver　just　ahead　of　Ben　cursed　again。
　　　With　the　officer　now　riding　slowly　on　ahead　of　the　train；　his　cold　light　held　high　for　guidance；　the　first　driver　got　the　first　animal　turned　off　the　trail　and　headed　inland；　to　the　west。　Ben　followed；　leaning　on　the　first　animal's　hindquarters　as　before。　The　animal
　behind　had　to　agree；　with　Ben's　grip　still　on　its　reins。
　The　others　followed。
　　　Now；　moving　across　country　on　footing　even　worse　than　before；　they　were　traveling　even　more　slowly。　From　what　Ben　could　see　of　the　surrounding　land；　it　was　absolutely　trackless　and　abandoned。　All　six　of　the　drivers　were　cursing　now；　Ben　was　sure　of　it；　though　he　could　hear　no　maledictions　other　than　his　own。
　　　The　edge　of　the　cliff　was　now　safely　distant。　But　now　men　and　animals　had　to　pick　their　way　over　uneven　slopes　of　sand；　push　through　prickly　growth；　negotiate　more　rocks　whose　surfaces　were　slicked　by　rain。　This　land；　thought　Ben；　was　in　fact　good　for　nothing　but　raising　demons；　as　the　old　folksaying　had　it　of　the　deserts。　If　indeed　a　large　dragon　was　nearby　and　he　did　not　doubt　that　it　was　…　then　it　was　hard　to　imagine　what　it　found　to　eat。
　　　He　thought　that　the　dragon　was　making　its　presence　known。　The　farther　west　and　south　the　loadbeasts　were　made　to　struggle；　the　more　restive　they　became。　And　now　Ben；　who　had　more　experience　than　most　in　locating　dragons；　thought　that　he　could　detect　the　unique　tang　directly　in　the　wet　air；　ing　and　going　with　variations　in　the　wind。　In　that　scent　there　was　something　swinish；　and　something　metallic　too；　and　something　else　that　Ben　could　not　relate　to　anything　outside　itself。
　　　And　now；　unexpectedly；　the　packtrain　was　jouncing　and　stumbling　to　a　halt。　A　few　meters　ahead；　the　priest…officer　Radulescu　had　already　reined　in　his　animal　and　was　dismounting。　Reins　held　firmly　in　one　hand；　Radulescu　lifted　his　torch　high　in　the　other；　and　began　to　chant　a　spell。　Ben　could　not　hear　him　chanting；　but　could　see　in　profile　a　regular　movement　of　the　officer's　short　beard；　chewing　words　boldly　out　into　the　wind。
　　　And　now　something　else　came　into　view；　above　and　beyond　the　cowled　head　of　Radulescu；　who　now　turned　fully　away　from　Ben　to　face　the　apparition。　First　the　two　eyes　of　the　dragon　were　born　in　the　midst　of　darkness；　greenly　reflecting　the　Old　World　light。　The　height　of　those　eyes　above　the　ground；　and　the　distance　between　them；　were　enough　to　impress　even　an　experienced　dragon　hunter。　In　the　next　moment；　as　the　monster　drew　in　a　slow　breath；　there　appeared　below　and　between　the　eyes　a　red　suggestion；　glowing　through　flesh　and　scale；　of　the　inner　fires　of　nose　and　mouth；　an　almost　subliminal　red　that　would　have　been　invisible　by　day。　The　purring　snort　that　followed　was　a　nearly　musical　sound；　the　rolling　of　hollow　metal　spheres　in　some　vast　brazen　bowl。
　　　Ben's　sense　of　magic　in　operation　was　not　particularly　strong；　but　now　even　he　could　feel　the　flow；　the　working　of　the　chant。　The　spell　had　already　held　the　dragon　back；　and　now　was　turning　it　away。　With　blinking　eyes　the　great　landwalker　snorted　again；　and　then　melted　back　out　of　the　train's　path；　disappearing　into　storm　and　darkness。
　　　With　the　going　of　the　dragon；　Ben's　real　worry　only　sharpened。　He　had　no　trouble　now　in　concentrating　on　it。　In　fact；　as　he　waited　for　Radulescu　to　conclude　his　spell；　demonstrating　how　firmly　the　powers　of　the　Blue　Temple　were　in　control；　it　was　impossible　for　him　to　think　of　anything　else。
　　　The　worry　that　deviled　Ben　was　not　rooted　in　any　single　warning；　any　one　thing　that　he　had　seen　or　heard。　Rather　it　had　sprung　into　existence　like　some　kind　of　elemental　power；　out　of　a　great　number　of　details。
　　　One　detail　was　that　all　six　of　the　drivers　here　tonight；　including　Ben　himself；　were　newers　to　this　particular　Temple　garrison。　That　meant；　Ben　supposed；　that　none　of　them　were　likely　to　have　friends　around。　All　six　had　been　transferred　in　from　local　Temples　elsewhere；　within　the　past　few　days。　Ben　had　managed　to　discover　that　much　from　a　few　words　casually　exchanged　while　they　were　waiting　for　the　train　to　start。　He　had　not　been　given　any　particular　reason　for　his　own　transfer；　and　he