fs.thesecondbookofswords-第44部分

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antly　offended。　〃As　soon　as　First　Chairman　Benambra　shows　up；　I'm　going　to　speak　to　him　about　this。〃
　　　Mark　thought　that　this　threat　had　an　effect　on　d'Albarno。　But　the　Field　Marshal　was　not　going　to　let　it　show　if　he　could　help　it。　〃Speak　away；〃　he　thundered　at　the　other。　〃But；　until　then；　you're　going　to　serve　us　BOOZE！〃
　　　Another　explosive　expression　of　support　burst　up　behind　him。　Men　and　Amazons　surged　forward　to　the　bar。　Those　weaker；　or　perhaps　only　less　desperate　for　drink；　were　pushed　aside。　The　Whitehands　who　had　been　speaking　to　d'Albarno　nodded　fatalistically　to　his　fellows；　and　he　and　the　others　began　to　pour　and　serve。
　　　Ben；　appearing　more　bemused　than　ever；　looked　over　at　Mark　and　asked：　〃What　was　that　about　'Benambra'？〃
　　　Another　man　answered　him　before　Mark　could　speak。　〃Most　of　the　people　we　get　in　here　recognize　that　name。〃　This　was　from　one　of　the　garrison；　a　paratively　healthy…looking　specimen；　who　had　been　forced　close　to　the　prisoners　in　the　increasing　crush。　（And　were　we　really　facing　this　many　of　them　out　there？　Mark　wondered　silently。　If　so；　Doon　had　certainly　been　wise　to　do　what　he　did。）
　　　The　trooper　who　had　just　spoken　had　by　some　legerdemain　already　gotten　a　filled　mug　in　his　hand。　He　added　now：　〃The　first　High　Priest。　You　know。　There　used　to　be　an　old　song　about　him；　when　I　was　still　topside。　He's　still　here；　though　I　bet　the　cave's　changed　a　lot　since　he　first　started　hiding　Temple　treasure　in　it。　You　better　push　your　way　up　there　and　get　a　drink　while　you've　still　got　the　chance。〃
　　　Mark　and　Ben　exchanged　another　look。　Together　they　began　to　force　their　way　through　the　crush；　working　toward　the　bar。
　　　The　Amazons　had　e　to　the　party　in　a　group；　and　this　segregation　still　persisted；　though　it　was　beginning　to　fray　out　around　the　edges。　Ben　kept　peering　toward　their　pany；　trying　to　catch　sight　of　Ariane。　He　could　obtain　occasional　glimpses　of　red　hair　and　a　pale　face；　and　from　what　little　he　could　see　of　her　she　appeared　to　be　all　right。　If　she　wasn't　all　right　next　time　he　looked；　he　wasn't　sure　what　he　could　do　about　it。　Starting　a　fight　would　probably　be　suicidal。　So　far　Doon's　strategy；　whatever　its　ultimate　goal；　was　keeping　them　all　from　being　killed；　or　enslaved；　or　even　disarmed。　But。。。
　　　The　talkative　garrison　man　had　e　along；　pushing　his　way　with　Mark　and　Ben　toward　the　bar。　He　still　had　his　drinking　mug　in　hand；　almost　full；　so　he　probably　had　something　besides　another　drink　in　mind。　Standing　beside　Ben　now；　he　reached　out　casually　for　Dragonslicer's　hilt。　Ben　knocked　the　reaching　hand　away。
　　　〃Neat　sword；〃　the　man　mented；　unperturbed。　〃You　might　as　well　hand　it　over　now；　and　save　trouble　later。　I'm　claiming　it　as　spoils。　No　use　my　trying　to　get　that　headlight　of　yours；　the　priests　or　the　Whitehands　will　latch　onto　that　for　sure。〃
　　　〃They　will？〃　Ben　couldn't　think　of　anything　more　helpful　to　say。
　　　〃Sure。　Whatever　weapons　prisoners　are　captured　with　are　forfeit。　After　you　go　through　your　basic　training　for　the　garrison；　you　can　draw　new　arms　from　the　armory；　anything　they　have　available。〃
　　　〃A　pile　of　rusty　crap；〃　plained　another　man　nearby；　overhearing　at　least　the　tail　of　the　conversation。
　　　The　first　man　shrugged。　〃Maybe　you　can　get　something　better　from　the　next　batch　that　es　in　to　rob　and　gets　captured。〃
　　　〃When'll　that　be？〃　Ben　had　now　adopted　his　stupid　look。　He　figured　that　he　ought　to　keep　on　talking；　while　he　waited　for　a　chance　to　do　some　thing。　He　might　even　be　able　to　learn　something　useful。
　　　〃Who　knows？　Who　can　keep　track　of　time　down　here？　Hey；　what's　going　on　topside　these　days？　Is　Blue　Temple　in　a　war？　Wish　they'd　get　into　a　real　one；　we'd　get　a　lot　of　recruits　down　here；　I　could　get　a　promotion。　A　war　with　the　Amazons；　maybe。　The　bunch　we　have　is　getting　a　little　old。〃　He　licked　his　lips　and　looked　in　that　direction。
　　　Ben；　who　before　today　had　never　heard　of　Amazons　outside　of　an　old　story　or　two；　looked　that　way　again　also。　Ariane　now　appeared　to　have　mastered　her　fears。　She　was　telling　some　kind　of　a　story；　acpanying　the　tale　with　sweeping　arm…gestures；　and　had　a　small　audience　of　warrior…women　around　her　more　or　less　interested。　Not　far　from　the　slowly　dissolving　group　of　women　sat　Willem　and　Daghur；　who　did　not　in　the　least　look　as　if　they　thought　of　themselves　as　prisoners；　recaptured　deserters。　They　were　fraternizing　with　other　men　who　had　to　be　their　old　buddies　from　the　garrison。　And　Dmitry；　laughing　fit　to　burst　at　something；　was　sitting　in　the　lap　of　one　of　the　larger　Amazons　while　she　drank　from　his　mug。
　　　Doon　and　d'Albarno；　now　showing　an　indefinable　but　strong　similarity　despite　the　disparity　in　build　and　features；　were　sitting　with　others　at　a　head　table；　elevated　upon　some　kind　of　dais。　Mark　saw　the　first　platters　of　food；　meat　sliced　nearly　raw；　were　being　served　there　now　by　garrison　youngsters；　mostly　frightenable…looking　Amazon　girls。　Musicians　had　now　appeared　from　somewhere；　and　were　at　work　in　their　own　seats　a　little　below　the　head　table。　Whether　they　played　well　or　badly；　or　indeed　if　their　instruments　made　any　sound　at　all；　it　was　impossible　to　tell　amid　the　general　din。
　　　D'Albarno　was　now　obviously　telling　Doon　a　story；　and　from　the　mammary　shapes　that　the　Field　Marshal's　large　hands　were　sketching　in　the　air；　it　was　easy　to　guess　what　kind　of　a　tale　it　was。　Mugs　and　flagons　were　passing　in　profusion　everywhere　now；　and　with　incredible　speed。　Kegs　and　barrels　were　being　appropriated　from　the　Whitehands　by　main　force；　and　hoisted　onto　tables　to　be　broached　and　tapped；　as　the　regular　troops　impatiently　took　over　the　duties　of　tending　bar。　Somewhere　in　the　midst　of　the　melee　a　woman　screamed；　loud　enough　to　be　heard；　but　more　it　seemed　in　delight　than　in　terror。
　　　A　man　who　had　been　standing　on　one　end　of　a　table　fell　off；　clutching　as　he　went　down　for　the　barrel　that　he　and　others　had　been　trying　to　open。　The　container　swayed；　wobbled；　and　fell　from　the　table　in　its　turn；　hitting　the　stone　floor　with　the　sound　of　doom。　Liquid　and　fumes　burst　forth　together　in　an　overpowering　flood。　People　fell　and　scrambled；　and　some　went　down　on　hands　and　knees；　lapping　at　the　floor。　The　crush　shifted；　and　the　man　who　had　reached　for　Dragonslicer　was　borne　away　in　the　press　of　bodies。
　　　Ben　had　not　seen　Mitspieler　since　their　capture；　and　had　started　to　take　vague　hope　from　this　fact。　Now　he　did　see　him；　seated　at　the　head　table；　but　so　inconspicuously　slumped　among　garrison　officers　that　Ben　realized　his　searching　eye　might　well　have　passed　him　by　before。
　　　Ben　fought　his　way　around　to　the　head　table；　Mark　getting　slightly　separated　from　him　in　the　process；　and　approached　Mitspieler　to　try　to　learn　what　was　going　on。　At　Ben's　approach　the　wizard　raised　his　head；　looking　exhausted。　The　small；　half…finished　drink　that　sat　before　him　appeared　to　have　knocked　him　out　already。
　　　There　was　no　need　to　worry　about　being　overheard。　Mitspieler　had　to　shout　to　make　himself　audible　to　Ben's　ears　a　matter　of　centimeters　away。
　　　〃I　went　around；　invisible。。。　tried　to　wake　up　everybody。。。　thought　if　we　got　the　whole　garrison。。。　escape　in　the　confusion。〃　He　glared　at　Ben　as　if　he　thought　Ben　were　to　blame　for　the　scheme's　failure。　〃Then　I　lost　invisibility。〃
　　　〃You　tried　your　best。〃
　　　Part　of　the　wizard's　reply　was　lost　in　the　ambient　noise。　〃。。。　tried　m'best。　Tried　hard；　for　a　hundred　years　and　more。　And　there　he　is。　There　he　stands。　So　why　bother？　Never　bee　a　father；　lad。　Never　bee　a　parent。　It's　a　great。。。　a　great　sorcery；　that's　what。　Turns　your　whole　life　inside　out。〃
　　　Mark；　who　had　managed　to　get　near　the　leaders　at　the　other　end　of　the　head　table；　now　came　working　his　way　along　to　Ben；　ing　close　enough　to　municate　through　the　uproar。　〃We're　not　yet　disarmed。　Doon　says　to　bide　our　time；　wait　for　his　signal。〃
　　　〃To　do　what？〃
　　　〃That's　all　he　had　a　chance　to　say。　I'm　going　back；　and　stay　near　him　for　a　little；　if　I　can：〃
　　　〃And　I'm　going　to　Ariane。〃　Ben　pushed　himself　away　from　the　dais；　into　the　press。
　　　The　Amazons　by　now　were　widely　dispersed　among　the　general　population。　They　were　heavily　outnumbered；　but　even　so　there　was