fs.thesecondbookofswords-第3部分

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son　for　his　own　transfer；　and　he　wondered　if　the　others　had；　for　theirs。　So　far　he　had　had　no　chance　to　ask　them。
　　　At　the　time；　the　transfer　orders　had　seemed　to　Ben　only　one　more　inprehensible　military　quirk；　in　a　year's　service　with　Blue　Temple　he　had　gotten　used　to　such　unexplained　twitches　of　the　organism。　But　now。。。
　　　In　Ben's　memory；　repository　of　a　thousand　old　songs；　one　in　particular　had　now　e　alive　and　was　dancing　an　acpaniment　to　his　thoughts。　He　couldn't　remember　where　or　when　he　had　heard　it　first。　He　probably　hadn't　heard　it　at　all　for　years。　But　it　had　popped　up　now；　as　an　ironic　background　for　his　fear。
　　　If　only；　he　thought；　he　was　able　to　talk　to　the　other　drivers。　They　might　be　able　to　shout　a　few　words　back　and　forth　now　through　the　wind；　but　Ben　needed　more　than　that；　he　needed　time　to　ask　them　things　and　make　them　think。。。　he　suspected　he　wasn't　going　to　get　the　chance。
　　　He　had　only　a　very　little　time　in　which　to　decide　whether　to　act；　or　not　to　act；　alone。　And　if　he　decided　wrong；　either　way；　then　very　soon　he　would　be　dead。。。　The　priest…officer；　in　the　act　of　concluding　his　spell；　used　his　wand　of　light　to　make　one　long；　slow　gesture　after　the　departing　dragon。　Then　Radulescu　held　the　wand　upright　again；　looking　after　the　retreating　beast　and　perhaps　trying　to　listen　after　it　through　the　storm。　Then　he　remounted；　turned　to　the　waiting　drivers；　and　once　more　motioned　the　train　forward。
　　　The　drivers　moved　reluctantly。　The　loadbeasts　were　more　easily　convinced　than　their　masters　that　the　dragon　had　in　fact　departed。　With　dragon…scent　now　vanishing　quickly　in　the　wind；　the　animals　moved　forward　again　with　more　willingness　than　they　had　shown　for　several　hours。　And　now；　as　if　to　suit　the　improvement　in　the　atmosphere；　the　rain　began　to　lessen　too。
　　　There　followed　a　hundred　meters　more　of　stumbling　along　their　trackless　way；　now　and　then　tearing　clothes　and　skin　on　thorns。　Then　the　officer　reined　in　again；　and　again　motioned　the　packtrain　to　a　halt。　Another　dragon？　Ben　wondered。　He　could　perceive　no　other　reason　for　stopping　at　this　point。　Radulescu　was　indicating　with　his　light　the　exact　place　where　he　wanted　them　to　halt　the　animals；　close　beside　a　rocky　hillock　that　looked　no　different　than　a　hundred　other　rocky　hillocks　that　surrounded　it。　There's　nothing　here；　thought　Ben。。。　and　then　he　understood　that　that　was　just　what　he　was　supposed　to　think。
　　　Radulescu　had　dismounted　again。　With　torch　still　in　hand　he　moved　to　stand　beside　the　lower　end　of　a　great　slab　of　stone　that　in　itself　made　up　a　large　portion　of　the　hillock's　flank。　Putting　one　hand　on　this　huge　stone；　he　raised　his　voice　above　the　wind：　〃You　　men；　secure　the　animals。　Then　gather　here　and　lift　this　rock。　Yes；　here；　lift；　I　say。〃
　　　The　boulder　he　was　indicating　looked　too　heavy　for　a　score　of　men　to　budge。　But　orders　were　orders。　The　drivers　hobbled　their　beasts；　and　crowded　round。　Some　of　them　were　brawny　men　and　some　were　not　…　but　anyway；　the　priest　was　proven　not　to　be　mad。　As　soon　as　they　lifted；　the　enormous　stone　went　tilting　and　tipping　up　with　surprising　ease；　to　e　to　rest　balanced　in　a　new　position。　Now　where　its　lower　end　had　been；　the　dark　triangle　of　a　cave　opening　was　revealed。　The　black　hole　in　the　hillside　looked　to　Ben　a　little　too　regular　in　shape　to　be　entirely　natural；　and　was　about　big　enough　for　a　single　man　to　be　able　to　pass　through　it　readily。
　　　First　in　was　the　officer；　moving　confidently；　holding　his　cold　torch　before　him　to　light　the　way。　The　utter　interior　darkness　melted　before　that　light；　to　reveal　a　single…chambered　cave；　with　its　flat　floor　sunken　three　or　four　meters　below　the　land　outside。　There　was　room　on　that　floor　for　perhaps　a　dozen　people　to　stand　without　crowding。　From　where　Ben　stood　at　the　triangular　entrance；　a　narrow　stairway　crudely　carved　from　rock　twisted　down　to　the　floor；　and　now　in　the　center　of　that　floor　Ben　noticed；　between　two　lips　of　stone；　another　man…sized　aperture；　this　one　leading　into　deeper　blackness。
　　　When　he　reached　that　lower　opening；　Radulescu　stopped。　He　leaned　his　torch　against　a　wall；　and　from　some　inner　pocket；　evidently　waterproof；　brought　out　two　stubby　candles。　He　produced　a　flame　…so　quickly　that　Ben　did　not　see　just　how　it　was　done　…　and　in　a　moment　had　placed　a　lighted　candle　on　either　side　of　the　hole　in　the　floor。
　　　And　now　he　looked　up　to　where　the　drivers'　faces　were　crowding　the　small　entrance。　〃Begin　unloading；〃　Radulescu　ordered　briskly。　〃You　are　to　carry　the　sacks　of　cargo　down　here；　carefully…carefully！　And　drop　them　here；　into　this　aperture。〃　With　a　light　stamp　of　his　foot　he　indicated　the　opening　in　the　floor。　He　had　given　the　last　order　with　special　clarity　and　emphasis；　as　if　wishing　to　avoid　having　to　repeat　it　for　those　who　thought　they　had　not　heard　it　properly　the　first　time。　On　either　side　of　Radulescu　the　candles　burned；　blue　wax　and　golden　flames；　and　on　the　flat　rocks　where　they　stood；　Ben　could　see　drippings；　encrustations　of　old　wax。　It　was　evidently　not　the　first　time；　nor　the　second　or　third；　that　a　cargo　had　been　delivered　here。
　　　The　six　drivers；　as　they　drew　back　from　the　upper　entrance；　getting　ready　to　obey　orders；　all　looked　at　one　another　for　a　moment。　But　there　was　really　no　time　for　Ben　to　talk　to　them。　He　could　see　surprise　in　some　of　their　faces；　but　nothing　like　his　own　fear　mirrored。
　　　Will　it　be　here；　he　thought　to　himself；　as　soon　as　the　unloading's　finished？　And　if　so；　how？　Or　do　I　have　a　little　more　time；　until　we　get　back　to　where　the　cavalry's　waiting。。。
　　　〃Move！　Quick！　Unload！〃　Radulescu　was　climbing　the　stair　with　his　bright　torch　in　hand。　He　was　not　going　to　give　them　time　to　think　about　anything　except　getting　the　job　done。
　　　The　men　had　been　trained；　in　a　hard　school；　to　obedience。　They　sprang　into　action。　Ben　moved　with　them；　as　automatically　as　any　of　the　others。　Only　now；　as　he　lifted　his　first　bundle　from　a　pannier　on　a　loadbeast's　back；　did　he　realize　how　effective　the　Blue　Temple　training　had　been。
　　　The　bundle　he　had　taken　was　small　but　very　heavy；　like　all　the　others。　It　was　wrapped　against　weather　in　some　kind　of　waterproof　oilskin　that　had　been　sewn　shut。　Inside　the　outer　covering　Ben　could　feel　thick　padding；　that　made　it　hard　to　tell　what　the　true　shape　of　the　contents　might　be。　To　Ben　the　loading　felt　like　several　metal　objects；　all　of　them　heavy；　hard；　and　paratively　small。
　　　Despite　the　weight；　Ben　could　have　carried　two　of　the　bundles　at　once　easily　enough。　He　did　not　do　so；　wanting　to　prolong　the　unloading。　He　might　have　only　the　time　it　took　to　do　that　job　in　which　to　try　to　think；　to　nerve　himself；　to　act。。。
　　　As　he　passed　through　the　upper　doorway　of　the　cave　for　the　first　time；　bearing　his　first　load　down；　he　looked　carefully　at　the　great　stone　as　it　rested　in　its　raised　position。　Ben　was　struck　by　how　close　it　must　be　to　its　point　of　balance。　What　six　men　had　heaved　to　open；　it　appeared；　could　be　easily　tilted　shut　again　by　one。
　　　Going　down　the　crooked　stairs　for　the　first　time；　watching　carefully　by　candlelight　where　he　put　down　his　feet；　he　noticed　that　the　stairs　were　beginning　to　be　worn。　As　if　many　processions　of　laborers　had　borne　their　burdens　here。。。
　　　Think；　he　ordered　himself。　Think！　But；　to　his　silent；　inward　horror；　his　mind　seemed　paralyzed。
　　　Down　in　the　cave；　putting　his　first　bundle　obediently　down　into　the　dark　hole　in　the　floor；　Ben　noticed　something　else。　The　heavy　bundle　made　no　noise　of　fall　or　landing　when　he　released　it　into　darkness。　Either　it　was　still　falling　…　or　it　had　somehow　been　caught。
　　　Moving　in　slow　procession　with　the　other　drivers；　now　emerging　from　the　cave　to　get　his　second　load；　Ben　saw　that　Radulescu　had　again　set　his　Old　World　torch　leaning　against　a　rock；　this　time　just　outside　the　entrance。　The　officer　had　gone　back　to　his　tethered　riding　beast　and　was　taking　something　from　the　saddle；　untying　a　light；　long　bundle　that　Ben　had　not　really　noticed　until　now。　The　bundle　was　just　about　the　same　size　and　shape　as　the　sword　…　that　Radulescu　wore；　and　heavily　wrapped　like　all　the　other　cargo。
　　　Ben　kept　moving　as　he　watched。　He　shouldered　his　second