srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第26部分

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ord　Foul's　hands。
　By　the　time　he　reached　his　rooms；　he　knew　that　he　would　have　to　do　something；　take　some　action　to　establish　the　terms　on　which　he　had　to　stand。　He　would　have　to　find　or　make　some　discrepancy；　some　incontrovertible　proof　that　the　Land　was　a　delusion。　He　could　not　trust　his　emotions；　he　needed　logic；　an　argument　as　inescapable　as　the　law　of　leprosy。
　He　paced　the　suite　for　a　time　as　if　he　were　searching　the　stone　floor　for　an　answer。　Then；　on　an　impulse；　he　jerked　open　the　door　and　looked　out　into　the　hallway。　Bannor　was　there；　standing　watch　as　imperturbably　as　if　the　meaning　of　his　life　were　beyond　question。　Stiffly；　Covenant　asked　him　into　the　sitting　room。
　When　Bannor　stood　before　him；　Covenant　reviewed　quickly　what　he　knew　about　the　Bloodguard。　They　came　from　a　race；　the　Haruchai；　who　lived　high　in　the　Westron　Mountains　beyond　Trothgard　and　the　Land。　They　were　a　warlike　and　prolific　people；　so　it　was　perhaps　inevitable　that　at　some　time　in　their　history　they　would　send　an　army　east　into　the　Land。　This　they　had　done　during　the　early　years　of　Kevin's　High　Lordship。　On　foot　and　weaponless…the　Haruchai　did　not　use　weapons；　just　as　they　did　not　use　lore；　they　relied　wholly　on　their　own　physical　petence…they　had　marched　to　Revelstone　and　challenged　the　Council　of　Lords。
　But　Kevin　had　refused　to　fight。　Instead；　he　had　persuaded　the　Haruchai　to　friendship。
　　In　return；　they　had　gone　far　beyond　his　intent。　Apparently；　the　Ranyhyn；　and　the　Giants；　and　Revelstone　itself…as　mountain　dwellers；　the　Haruchai　had　an　intense　love　of　stone　and　bounty　had　moved　them　more　deeply　than　anything　in　their　history。　To　answer　Kevin's　friendship；　they　had　sworn　a　Vow　of　service　to　the　Lords；　and　something　extravagant　in　their　mitment　or　language　had　invoked　the　Earth　power；　binding　them　to　their　Vow　in　defiance　of　time　and　death　and　choice。　Five　hundred　of　their　army　had　bee　the　Bloodguard。　The　rest　had　returned　home。
　Now　there　were　still　nearly　five　hundred。　For　every　Bloodguard　who　died　in　battle　was　sent　on　his　Ranyhyn　up　through　Guards　Gap　into　the　Westron　Mountains；　and　another　Haruchai　came　to　take　his　place。　Only　those　whose　bodies　could　not　be　recovered；　such　as　Tuvor；　the　former　First　Mark；　were　not　replaced。
　Thus　the　great　anomaly　of　the　Bloodguard's　history　was　the　fact　that　they　had　survived　the　Ritual　of　Desecration　intact　even　though　Kevin　and　his　Council　and　all　his　works　had　been　destroyed。　They　had　trusted　him。　When　he　had　ordered　them　all　into　the　mountains　without　explaining　his　intent；　they　had　obeyed。　But　afterward　they　had　seen　reason　to　doubt　that　their　service　was　truly　faithful。　They　had　sworn　the　Vow；　they　should　have　died　with　Kevin　in　Kiril　Threndor　under　Mount　Thunder…or　prevented　him　from　meeting　Lord　Foul　there　in　his　despair；　prevented　him　from　uttering　the　Ritual　which　brought　the　age　of　the　Old　Lords　to　its　destruction。　They　were　faithful　to　an　extreme　that　defied　their　own　mortality；　and　yet　they　had　failed　in　their　promise　to　preserve　the　Lords　at　any　cost　to　themselves。
　Covenant　wanted　to　ask　Bannor　what　would　happen　to　the　Bloodguard　if　they　ever　came　to　believe　that　their　extravagant　fidelity　was　false；　that　in　their　Vow　they　had　betrayed　both　Kevin　and　themselves。　But　he　could　not　put　such　a　question　into　words。　Bannor　deserved　better　treatment　than　that　from　him。　And　Bannor；　too；　had　lost　his　wife　She　had　been　dead　for　two　thousand　years。
　Instead；　Covenant　concentrated　on　his　search　for　a　discrepancy。
　But　he　soon　knew　he　would　not　find　one　by　questioning　Bannor。　In　his　flat；　alien　voice；　the　Bloodguard　gave　brief　answers　that　told　Covenant　what　he　both　wanted　and　did　not　want　to　hear　concerning　the　survivors　of　the　Quest　for　the　Staff　of　Law。　He　had　already　learned　what　had　happened　to　Foamfollower　and　Lord　Mhoram。　Now　Bannor　told　him　that　High　Lord　Prothall；　who　had　led　the　Quest；　had　resigned　his　Lordship　even　before　his　pany　had　returned　to　Revelstone。　He　had　not　been　able　to　forget　that　the　old　Hearthrall　Birinair　had　died　in　his　place。　And　he　had　felt　that　in　regaining　the　Staff　he　had　fulfilled　his　fate；　done　all　that　was　in　him。　He　had　mitted　the　Staff　and　the　Second　Ward　to　Lord　Mhoram's　care；　and　had　ridden　away　to　his　home　in　the　Northrop　Climbs。　The　inhabitants　of　Lord's　Keep　never　saw　him　again。
　So　upon　Mhoram's　return　Osondrea　had　assumed　the　High　Lordship。　Until　her　death；　she　had　used　her　power　to　rebuild　the　Council；　expand　the　Wayward；　and　grow　Revelwood；　the　new　home　of　the　Loresraat。
　After　returning　to　Revelstone；　Quaan…the　Warhaft　of　the　Eoman　that　had　acpanied　Prothall　and　Mhoram…had　also　tried　to　resign。　He　had　been　ashamed　to　bring　only　half　of　his　warriors　back　alive。　But　High　Lord　Osondrea；　knowing　his　worth；　had　refused　to　release　him；　and　soon　he　had　returned　to　his　duties。　Now　he　was　the　Hiltmark　of　the　Wayward；　Hile　Troy's　second…in…mand。　Though　his　hair　was　white　and　thin…though　his　gaze　seemed　rubbed　smooth　by　age　and　use…still　he　was　the　same　strong；　honest　man　he　had　always　been。　The　Lords　respected　him。　In　Troy's　absence　they　would　willingly　have　trusted　Quaan　to　lead　the　Wayward。
　Covenant　sighed　sourly；　and　let　Bannor　go。　Such　information　did　not　meet　his　need。　Clearly；　he　was　not　going　to　find　any　easy　solutions　to　his　dilemma。　If　he　wanted　proof　of　delusion；　he　would　have　to　make　it　for　himself。
　He　faced　the　prospect　with　trepidation。　Anything　he　might　do　would　take　a　long　time　to　bear　fruit。　It　would　not　bee　proof；　brookless　and　unblinkable；　until　his　delusion　ended…until　he　had　returned　to　his　real　life。　In　the　meantime；　it　would　do　little　to　sustain　him。　But　he　had　no　choice；　his　need　was　urgent。
　He　had　available　three　easy　ways　to　create　a　definitive　discontinuity：　he　could　destroy　his　clothes；　throw　away　his　penknife…the　only　thing　he　had　in　his　pockets…or　grow　a　beard。　Then；　when　he　awakened；　and　found　himself　clothed；　or　still　possessed　of　his　penknife；　or　clean…shaven；　he　would　have　his　proof。
　The　obvious　discrepancy　of　his　healed　forehead　he　did　not　trust。　Past　experience　made　him　fear　that　he　would　be　reinjured　shortly　before　this　delusion　ended。　But　he　could　not　bring　himself　to　act　on　his　first　two　alternatives。　The　thought　of　destroying　his　tough；　familiar　apparel　made　him　feel　too　vulnerable；　and　the　expedient　of　discarding　his　penknife　was　too　uncertain。　Cursing　at　the　way　his　plight　forced　him　to　abandon　all　the　strict　habits　upon　which　his　survival　depended；　he　decided　to　give　up　shaving。
　When　at　last　he　summoned　the　courage　to　leave　his　rooms　and　go　into　the　Keep　in　search　of　breakfast；　he　brandished　the　stubble　on　his　cheeks　as　if　it　were　a　declaration　of　defiance。
　Bannor　guided　him　to　one　of　the　great　refectories　of　Revelstone；　then　left　him　alone　to　eat。　But　before　he　was　done；　the　Bloodguard　came　striding　back　to　his　table。　There　was　an　extra　alertness　in　the　spring　of　Bannor's　steps…a　tightness　that　looked　oddly　like　excitement。　But　when　he　addressed　Covenant；　his　flat；　shrouded　eyes　expressed　nothing；　and　the　repressed　lilt　of　his　voice　was　as　inflectionless　as　ever。
　〃Ur…Lord；　the　Council　asks　that　you　e　to　the　Close。　A　stranger　has　entered　Revelstone。　The　Lords　will　soon　meet　with　him。〃
　Because　of　Bannor's　heightened　alertness；　Covenant　asked　cautiously；　〃What　kind　of　stranger？〃
　〃Ur…Lord？〃
　〃Is　it…is　it　someone　like　me？　or　Troy？〃
　In　his　confusion；　Covenant　did　not　immediately　perceive　the　certitude　of　Bannor's　reply。　But　as　he　followed　the　Bloodguard　out　of　the　refectory　and　down　through　Revelstone；　he　began　to　hear　something　extra　in　the　denial；　something　more　than　Bannor's　usual　confidence。　That　No　resembled　Bannor's　stride；　it　was　tenser　in　some　way。　Covenant　could　not　fathom　it。　As　they　descended　a　broad；　curved　stair　through　several　levels　of　the　Keep；　he　forced　himself　to　ask；　〃What's　so　urgent　about　this　stranger？　What　do　you　know　about　him？〃
　Bannor　ignored　the　question。
　When　they　reached　the　Close；　they　found　that　High
　Lord　Elena；　Lord　Verement；　and　four　other　Lords　had　already　preceded　them。　The　High　Lord　was　at　her　place　at　the　head　of　the　curved　table；　and　the　Staff　of　Law　lay　on　the　stone　before　her。　To　her　right　sat　two　men；　then　two　women。　Verement　was