fs.thesecondbookofswords-第37部分

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tream　had　sought　its　own　slope；　curving　away　behind　them；　and　was　now　out　of　sight。　Now　there　was　only　the　forest；　the　look　of　it　somehow　already　monotonous；　and　now　they　had　put　enough　of　the　forest　behind　them　to　cover　up　the　last　sight　of　the　cliffs。
　　　Presently　a　sunlit　glade　appeared；　some　fifty　or　sixty　meters　ahead　and　directly　in　their　path。　Mark　looked　forward　in　a　minor　way　to　reaching　it　and　being　able　to　take　at　least　a　squinting　look　more　or　less　directly　at　the　sun　of　the　realm　of　magic。　But　in　approaching　the　place　minor　detours　were　necessary；　first　around　a　large　stump　and　its　fallen　log；　then　around　some　trees；　and　then　around　a　solitary　bush。　And　when　they　reached　the　place　where　he　had　seen　the　open　glade；　there　was　only　the　same　thick　topped　forest　around　them　as　before；　lit　only　by　small　dancing　spots　of　sunlight　too　small　to　show　you　anything　but　shattered　brilliance　when　you　sighted　back　upward　along　the　ray。　Now　Mark　could　see　other　sunny　glades；　all　of　them　somewhat　in　the　distance。　The　Sword　led　on　indifferently。
　　　He　was　vaguely　alarmed　by　this　minor　experience；　and　looked　back　when　they　had　walked　on　a　few　strides　past　the　place。　The　last　landmark　he　had　noted　was　a　large　stump　with　its　broken；　fallen　tree；　and　already　that　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。　Abruptly　Mark　lost　his　automatic　outdoorsman's　confidence　in　being　able　to　retrace　his　steps。
　　　Presently　they　came　to　the　stream　again。　Of　course　it　might　have　been　another　stream　of　about　the　same　size；　but　it　looked　and　sounded　like　the　first　one；　and　it　came　winding　its　way　back　across　their　path　from　the　same　general　direction　in　which　the　first　stream　had　flowed　away。　The　Sword　pointed　them　straight　across　it；　an　easy　wading。
　　　Ben；　walking　now　behind　Ariane；　found　his　attention　continually　being　distracted　by　the　rhythm　of　her　moving　body。　He　had　to　warn　himself　repeatedly　to　concentrate　on　being　alert　for　possible　danger。　Though　if　he　thought　about　it　he　was　not　sure　there　was　any　point　in　doing　so；　because　whatever　he　saw　or　heard　here　was　likely　to　be　some　magical　deception。。。
　　　Somewhere　above　the　trees　and　the　seeming　sky　there　was；　he　knew；　the　maze；　containing　among　its　other　parts　the　huge　turning　mass　of　the　Old　World　wheel　and　all　its　nested　tunnels。　If　Mark　was　right　about　that；　and　it　seemed　he　was。。。　abruptly；　frighteningly；　there　came　into　Ben's　imagination　a　picture　of　Hubert's　battered　body；　bouncing　and　falling　out　of　this　magic　sky。　There'd　be　a　riffle　through　the　treetops　and　then　instantly　a　heavy　thud　…　might　they　be　going　to　e　upon　it　here　at　any　moment；　the　shattered　head　still　wearing　a　glowing　lamp？
　　　Or　would　a　mangled　corpse；　here　in　the　realm　of　magic；　look　like　something　else　entirely？
　　　Whatever　a　man　looked　at　here；　or　whatever　he　tried　to　think　about；　it　seemed　that　it　had　to　be　done　in　fear。
　　　Doon　kept　them　moving；　maintaining　a　good　pace　over　the　almost　level　ground。　The　forest　flowed　past　them；　and　flowed　past　them　some　more。　Ben　wondered　if　he　should　have　started　counting　steps。　The　sameness　of　it；　he　thought；　was　already　starting　to　make　it　seem　endless。
　　　Once　more　they　approached　and　crossed　the　stream。　It　looked　and　sounded　the　same　as　ever。　The　ground；　Ben　thought；　was　now　rising　very　slightly　beneath　their　feet　as　they　walked　on。　The　sun；　as　nearly　as　he　could　tell　from　sighting　distant　clearings；　was　somewhere　near　the　zenith；　making　it　hard　to　tell　directions　that　way。　But　he　could　have　sworn　that　they　were　traveling　in　a　straight　line；　or　very　nearly　so；　ignoring　the　small　necessary　detours　around　minor　obstacles。
　　　They　passed　another　sunlit　glade；　off　to　their　right。　Birds　sang　in　it；　apparently　enjoying　the　vertical　sunshine。
　　　Mark　called　forward　to　the　leaders：　〃How　big　is　this　cave　that　we're　in；　anyway？　Are　we　even　still　absolutely　sure　that　we're　in　a　cave？〃
　　　Indosuaros；　next　to　the　head　of　the　line；　turned　his　head　with　an　indulgent　smile。　〃Of　course　we　are。　But　you　are　not　moving　through　it　as　fast　as　you　think。〃
　　　〃I'm　having　doubts　that　I'm　moving　through　it　at　all。　Can　you　see　the　far　end　yet？〃
　　　The　magician　turned　his　eyes　forward　again；　and　seemed　to　be　gazing　off　into　the　distance　as　he　walked。　〃Even　for　me；〃　he　began　confidently；　〃it　is。。。　〃
　　　His　voice　trailed　off　there。　In　a　moment　he　had　stopped　abruptly；　and　in　another　moment　the　whole　procession　had　stumbled　to　a　halt。　The　two　wizards　went　through　a　session　of　whispering　together；　after　which　both　of　them　continued　to　stare　off　in　the　same　direction。
　　　Looking　in　that　same　direction　himself；　Ben　could　see　…　or　might　it　be　only　his　imagination　…　a　faint　cloud　above　the　trees；　or　at　least　a　dimming　of　the　sunshine　there。　The　darkening；　whatever　might　be　its　cause；　deepened　swiftly　and　mysteriously。　It　was　passing　like　a　slow　wave；　from　the　left　of　the　observers　to　their　right。
　　　All　six　of　the　humans　could　see　it　now。　The　monkbird　appeared　indifferent；　but　now　the　people　all　gave　evidence　of　being　able　to　feel　it；　too。　It　was　as　if　the　temperature　in　the　forest　had　dropped；　though　where　they　stood　the　sun　appeared　to　shine　through　leaves　as　brightly　as　before。　But　leaves　hung　quiet　in　motionless　air；　whatever　was　passing　was　not　wind。　Ben　had　not　the　least　doubt　now　that　he　was　underground；　the　tricks　of　light　and　sky　seemed　poor　and　obvious　shams。
　　　Over　there；　something。。。　some　power。。。　was　passing。　Passing；　yes；　thank　all　the　gods！　And　it　was　gone。
　　　The　first　to　break　the　silence　was　Doon；　and　his　voice　was　now　constrained　to　a　whisper：　〃What　was　that？〃
　　　Indosuaros　turned　to　him　slowly。　The　wizard's　face　looked　disturbingly　pale；　and　sweat　was　beaded　on　his　brow。　〃I　had　not　expected　this。　That　was　a　god。〃
　　　A　murmur　went　up；　as　if　involuntarily。　Most　people；　including　Ben；　had　never　seen　a　god　or　goddess　in　their　lives；　and　had　no　real　expectation　of　ever　doing　so。　In　human　society　the　presence　of　a　deity　was　somewhat　rarer　even　than　that　of　a　king　or　queen。　〃Which　god？〃　several　voices　asked。
　　　The　magician　answered　thoughtfully。　〃I　believe　that　it　was　Hades　…　or　Pluto；　as　most　people　call　him。　No　one　sees　him　at　close　range；　or　face　to　face；　and　lives。〃
　　　〃But　what　is　he　doing　here？〃
　　　The　magicians　could　e　up　with　no　real　answer　for　that。　〃Gods　go　where　they　will。　And　Hades'　domain　after　all　prises　everything　that　is　under　the　earth。　But　he　is　not　worshipped　by　the　Blue　Temple；　so　we　can　hope　that　he　is　here　somehow　as　their　antagonist　…　that　he　will　favor　our　enterprise；　if　he　takes　notice　of　it　at　all。〃
　　　Ben　was　worried。　〃Then　we　should　make　sacrifice　to　him　right　away；　shouldn't　we？〃
　　　He　had　realized　for　a　long　time　that　magicians　in　general　held　a　low　opinion　of　the　efficacy　of　routine　sacrifice　and　prayer　offered　to　any　god；　and　these　two　magicians　now　proved　to　be　no　exception。　Indosuaros　only　gave　him　a　look　and　turned　away。　Mitspieler　did　the　same；　but　then　turned　back　to　say：　〃Do　something　of　the　kind　quietly；　for　yourself；　if　it　will　make　you　feel　any　better。　I　will　not。　If　it　had　any　effect　at　all；　it　would　only　be　to　draw　to　myself　the　attention　of　a　being　whose　attention　I　do　not　want。〃
　　　Doon　was　consulting　his　Sword；　which　pointed　him　in　the　same　direction　as　before；　very　close　to　flee　area　in　which　they　had　seen　the　shadow　passing。　For　the　first　time　he　hesitated　visibly　to　follow　Wayfinder's　guidance。　Instead　he　turned　to　Ariane。　〃Girl；　is　that　creature　ready　and　willing　to　fly？　If　so；　send　it　out　ahead。〃
　　　Ariane　whispered　to　Dart；　and　in　a　moment　the　monkbird　was　in　flight。　Its　flight　path　curved　slightly　to　the　left；　and　in　a　moment　it　had　disappeared　among　the　trees　in　the　very　area　where　the　shade　of　the　presence　of　the　god　had　seemed　to　linger　longest。　A　few　moments　later　a　small　cry；　faint　and　mournful；　drifted　back。　It　seemed　to　Ben　more　a　cry　of　exhaustion　than　one　of　pain　or　shock。
　　　The　six　people　waited；　but　they　heard　no　more；　nor　did　the　monkbird　reappear。
　　　〃e；　we'll　move　on；〃　said　Doon　at　last。　He　looked　at　Ariane。　〃It　can　catch　up　with　us　on　the　way；　if　nothing's　happened　to　it。〃
　　　She　protested。　〃But　shouldn't　we　look　for　it？〃
　　　〃It　has　no