srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第68部分

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before　him；　so　that　he　could　at　least　vaguely　see　his　three　panions。　Then　he　braced　both　arms　against　the　stone　beside　him　as　if　to　keep　himself　from　falling。
　A　slight　breeze　drifted　onto　the　Watch　from　the　towering　mountain　face　south　of　it；　and　the　air　carried　a　foretaste　of　winter　that　made　Troy　shiver。　As　midnight　passed　through　the　darkness；　he　began　to　talk　desultorily；　as　if　to　warm　the　vigil　by　the　sound　of　his　voice。　His　present　sense　of　suspension；　of　voids；　reminded　him　of　his　last　moments　in　that　world　which　Covenant　insisted；　on　calling　〃real〃…moments　during　which　his　apartment　had　been　flame…gutted；　forcing　him　to　hang　by　failing　fingers　from　his　windowsill；　with　the　long　fall　and　smash　on　concrete　hovering　below　him。
　He　talked　erratically　about　that　world　until　the　vividness　of　the　memory　eased。　Then　he　said；　〃Friend　Mhoram；　remind　me…remind　me　to　tell　you　sometime　how　grateful　I　am…for　everything。〃　He　was　embarrassed　to　say　such　things　aloud；　but　these　feelings　were　too　important　to　be　left　unexpressed。　〃You　and　Elena　and　Quaan　and　Amorine…you're　all　incredibly　precious　to　me。　And　the　Warward…　I　think　I'd　be　willing　to　jump　from　here　if　the　Warward　needed　it。〃
　He　fell　silent　again；　and　time　passed。　Although　he　shivered　in　the　chill　breeze；　his　speech　had　steadied　him。　He　tried　to　turn　his　thought　to　the　fighting　ahead；　but　the　unknown　sight　crouched　in　the　ing　day　dominated　his　brain；　confusing　all　his　anticipations　and　plans。　And　around　him　the　blank　night　remained　unchanged；　as　impenetrable　as　chaos。　He　needed　to　know　where　he　stood。　In　the　distance；　he　thought　he　heard　dim　hoofbeats。　But　none　of　his　panions　reacted　to　them；　he　could　not　be　sure　he　had　heard　anything。
　He　needed　to　distract　himself。　Half　to　Mhoram；　he　growled；　〃I　hate　dawns。　I　can　cope　with　nights。　They　keep　me　they're　something　I've　had　experience　with；
　at　least。　But'　dawns！　I　can't　stand　waiting　for　what　I'm　going　to　see。〃　Then；　abruptly；　he　asked；　〃Is　the　sky　clear？〃
　〃It　is　clear；〃　Mhoram　said　softly。
　Troy　sighed　his　relief。　For　a　moment；　he　was　able　to　relax。
　Silence　enpassed　the　Watch　again。　The　waiting　went　on。　Gradually；　Troy's　shivering　became　worse。　The　stone　he　leaned　against　remained　cold；　impervious　to　his　body　warmth。　He　wanted　to　stand　up　and　pace；　but　did　not　dare。　Around　him；　Mhoram；　Ruel；　and　Terrel　stood　as　still　as　statues。　After　a　while；　he　could　no　longer　refrain　from　asking　the　Lord　if　he　had　received　any　messages　from　Elena。　〃Has　she　tried　to　contact　you？　How　is　she　doing？〃
　〃No；　Warmark；〃　Mhoram　answered。　〃The　High　Lord　does　not　bear　with　her　any　of　the　lomillialor　rods。〃
　〃No？〃　The　news　dismayed　Troy。　Until　this　moment；　he　had　not　realized　how　much　trust　he　had　put　in　Mhoram's　power　to　contact　Elena。　He　wanted　to　know　that　she　was　safe。　And　as　a　last　resort；　he　had　counted　on　being　able　to　summon　her。　But　now　she　was　as　pletely　lost　to　him　as　if　she　were　already　dead。　〃No？〃　He　felt　suddenly　so　blind　that　he　could　not　see　Mhoram's　face；　that　he　had　never　really　seen　Mhoram's　face。　〃Why？〃
　〃The　High　Wood　rods　were　only　three。　One　went　to　Lord's　Keep；　and　one　stayed　in　Revelwood；　so　that　the　Loresraat　and　Revelstone　could　act　together　to　defend　themselves。　One　rod　remained。　It　was　given　into　my　hands　for　use　in　this　war。〃
　Troy's　voice　crackled　with　protest。　〃What　good　is　that？〃
　〃At　need　I　will　be　able　to　speak　to　Revelwood　and　Lord's　Keep。〃
　〃Oh；　you　fool。〃　Troy　did　not　know　whether　he　was　referring　to　Mhoram　or　himself。　So　many　things　had　been　kept　from　him。　And　yet　he　had　never　thought　to　ask　who　had　the　rods。　He　had　been　saving　that　whole　subject　until　he　saw　Lord　Foul's　army；　knew　what　help　he　would　need。　〃Why　didn't　you　tell　me？〃
　For　answer；　Mhoram　only　gazed　at　him。　But　through　his　haze；　Troy　could　not　read　the　Lord's　expression。　〃Why　didn't　you　tell　me？〃　he　repeated　more　bitterly。　〃How　much　else　is　there　that　you　haven't　told　me？〃
　Mhoram　sighed。　〃As　to　the　lomillialorI　did　not　speak　because　you　did　not　ask。　The　rods　are　not　a　tool　that　you　could　use。　They　were　made　for　the　Lords；　and　we　used　them　as　we　saw　fit。　It　did　not　occur　to　us　that　your　desires　would　be　otherwise。〃
　He　sounded　withdrawn；　weary。　For　the　first　time；　Troy　noticed　how　unresponsive　the　Lord　had　been　all　day。　A　fit　of　shivering　shook　him。　That　dream　Mhoram　had　had　last　night…what　did　it　mean？　What　did　the　Lord　knew　that　made　him　so　unlike　his　usual　self？　Troy　felt　a　sudden　foretaste　of　dread。　〃Mhoram；〃　he　began；　〃Mhoram…〃
　〃Peace；　Warmark；〃　the　Lord　breathed。　〃Someone　es。〃
　At　once；　Troy　heaved　to　his　feet；　and　caught　at　Ruel's　shoulder　to　anchor　himself。　Though　he　strained　his　ears；　he　could　hear　nothing　but　the　low　breeze。　〃Who　is　it？〃
　For　a　moment；　no　one　answered。　When　Ruel　spoke；　his　voice　sounded　as　distant　and　passionless　as　the　darkness。　〃It　is　Tull；　who　shared　the　mission　of　Korik　to　the　Giants　of　Seareach。〃
　
　
　SEVENTEEN：　Tull's　Tale
　
　TROY'S　heart　lurched；　and　began　to　labor　heavily。　Tulll　He　could　feel　his　pulse　beating　in　his　temples。　Korik's　mission！　After　the　shock　of　Runnik's　news；　he　had　repressed　all　thought　of　the　Giants；　refused　to　let　himself　think　of　them。　He　had　concentrated　on　the　war；　concentrated　on　something　he　could
　do　something　about。　But　now　his　thoughts　reeled。　The　Giants！
　Almost　instantly　he　began　to　calculate。　He　'gad　been　away　from　Revelstone　for　twenty…five　days。　The　mission　to　Seareach　had　left　eighteen　days　before　that。　That　was　almost　enough　time；　almost　enough。　The　Giants　could　not　travel　as　fast　as　Bloodguard　on　Ranyhyn…but　surely　they　would　not　be　far　behind。　Surely
　Troy　could　understand　how　Tull　had　e　here。　It　made　sense。　The　other　Bloodguard　would　be　leading　the　Giants；　and　Tull　had　e　ahead　to　tell　the　Warward　that　help　was　on　the　way。　With　war　on　the　Land　and　Lord　Foul　marching；　the　Giants　would　not　go　to　Revelstone；　would　not　go　north　at　all。　They　would　go　south；　around　Sarangrave　Flat　if　not　through　it。　The　Bloodguard　knew　Troy's　battle　plan；　they　would　know　what　to　do。　They　would　pick　up　the　trail　of　Lord　Foul's　army　above　Landsdrop　south　of　Mount　Thunder；　and　would　follow　it…past　Morinmoss；　through　the　Mithil　valley；　then　southwest　toward　Doom's　Retreat。　They　would　be　hoping　to　attack　Lord　Foul's　rear　during　the　battle　of　the　Retreat。　And　Tull；　seeking　to　circumvent　Lord　Foul's　army　in　search　of　the　Warward；　would　naturally　e　south　to　skirt　the　Southron　Range　toward　Doom's　Retreat。　That　route　would　bring　him　almost　to　the　doorstep　of　Mithil　Stonedown。　Surely…！
　When　Tull　topped　the　stair　and　stepped　onto　the　Watch；　Troy　was　so　eager　that　he　jumped　past　all　preliminary　questions。　〃Where　are　they？〃　The　words　came　so　rapidly　that　he　could　hardly　articulate　them。　〃How　far　behind　are　they？〃

　In　the　dim　light　of　the　graveling；　he　was　unable　to　make　out　Tull's　face。　But　he　could　tell　that　the　Bloodguard　was　not　looking　at　him。　〃Lord；〃　Tull　said；　〃I　was　charged　by　Korik　to　give　my　tidings　to　the　High　Lord。　With　Shull　and　Vale　I　was　charged…〃　For　an　instant；　his　fiat　voice　faltered。　〃But　the　Bloodguard　in　the　Stonedown　have　told　me　that　the　High　Lord　has　gone　into　the　Westron　Mountains　with　Amok。　I　must　give　my　tidings　to　you。　Will　you　hear？〃
　Even　through　his　excitement；　Troy　sensed　something　strange　in　Tull's　tone；　something　that　sounded　like　pain。　But　he　could　not　wait　to　hear　it　explained。　Before　Lord　Mhoram　could　reply；　Troy　repeated；　〃Where　are　they？〃
　〃They？〃　said　the　Bloodguard。
　〃The　Giants！　How　far　behind　are　they？〃
　Tull　turned　deliberately　away　from　him　to　face　Lord　Mhoram。
　〃We　will　hear　you；〃　Mhoram　said。　His　voice　was　tense　with　dread；　but　he　spoke　steadily；　without　hesitation。　〃This　war　is　in　our　hands。　Speak；　Bloodguard。〃
　〃Lord；　they…we　could　not…the　Giants…〃　Suddenly　the　habitual　flatness　of　Tull's　voice　was　gone。　〃Lord！〃　The　word　vibrated　with　a　grief　so　keen　that　the　Bloodguard　could　not　master　it。
　The　sound　of　it　stunned　Troy。　He　was　accustomed　to　the　characteristic　alien　lack　of　inflection　of　all　the　Bloodguard。　He　had　long　since　stopped　expecting　them　to　express　what　they　felt…had　virtually　forgotten　that　they　even　had　emotions。　And　he　was　not　braced　for　grief；　his　anticipation　of　good　news　was　so　gr