srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第71部分

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　Their　footprints　in　the　open　earth　of　the　vineyard　ran　in　the　direction　of　Coercri。
　That　day；　the　mission　passed　through　vineyards；　teak　stands；　fields。　In　all　of　them；　the　scattered　tools　and　supplies　told　the　same　tale。　But　the　next　day　came　a　rain　which　effaced　the　footprints　and　work　signs。　The　Bloodguard　were　able　to　gain　no　more　knowledge　from　such　things。
　During　the　night；　the　rain　ended。　In　the　slow　breeze；　the　Bloodguard　could　smell　sea　salt。　The　clear　sky　appeared　to　promise　a　clear　day；　but　the　dawn　of　the　twenty…third　day　had　a　red　cast　scored　at　moments　with　baleful　glints　of　green；　and　it　gave　the　Lord　no　relief。　After　he　had　eaten　the　treasure…berries　Sill　offered　him；　he　did　not　arise。　Rather；　he　wrapped　his　arms　around　his　knees　and　bowed　his　head　as　if　he　were　cowering。
　For　the　sake　of　the　mission；　Korik　spoke。　〃Lord；　we　must　go。　The　Grieve　is　near。〃
　The　Lord　did　not　raise　his　head。　His　voice　was　muffled　between　his　knees。　〃Are　you　impervious　to
　fear？　Do　you　not　know　what　we　will　find？　Or　does　it　not　touch　you？〃
　〃We　are　the　Bloodguard；〃　Korik　replied。
　〃Yes；〃　Lord　Hyrim　sighed。　〃The　Bloodguard。　And　I　am　Hyrim　son　of　Hoole；　Lord　of　the　Council　of　Revelstone。　I　am　sworn　to　the　services　of　the　Land。　I　should　have　died　in　Shetra's　place。　If　I　had　her　strength。〃
　Abruptly；　he　sprang　to　his　feet。　Spreading　his　arms；　he　cried　in　the　words　of　the　old　ritual；　〃　‘We　are　the　new　preservers　of　the　Land…votaries　of　the　Earthpower。　Sworn　and　dedicate…dedicate…　We　will　not　rest　'　〃　But　he　could　not　plete　it。　〃Melenkurion！〃　he　moaned；　clutching　his　black　robe　at　his　chest。　〃Melenkurion　Skyweir！　Help　me！〃
　Korik　was　loath　to　speak；　but　the　mission　pelled　him。　〃If　the　Giants　are　to　be　aided；　we　must　do　it。〃
　〃Aided？〃　Lord　Hyrim　gasped。　〃There　is　no　aid　for　them！〃　He　stooped；　snatched　up　his　staff。　…For　several　shuddering　breaths；　he　held　it；　gripped　it　as　if　to　wrest　courage　from　it。　〃But　there　are　other　things。　We　must　learn…　The　High　Lord　must　be　told　what　power　performed　this　abomination！〃　His　eyes　had　a　shadow　across　them；　and　their　lids　were　red　as　if　with　panic。　Trembling；　he　turned　and　started　toward　Coercri。
　Now　the　mission　did　not　hasten。　It　moved　cautiously　toward　the　Sea；　warding　against　an　ambush。　Yet　the　morning　passed　swiftly。　Before　noon；　the　Bloodguard　and　the　Lord　reached　the　high　lighthouse　of　The　Grieve。
　The　lighthouse　was　a　tall　spire　of　open　stonework　that　stood　on　the　last　and　highest　hill　before　the　cliffs　of　the　coast。　The　Giants　had　built　it　to　guide　their　roving　ships；　and　someone　was　always　there　to　tend　the　focused　light　beam　of　the　signal　fire。
　But　as　the　Bloodguard　crept　up　the　hill　toward　the　foot　of　the　spire；　they　could　see　that　the　fire　was　dead。　No　gleam　of　light　or　wisp　of　smoke　came　from　the　cupola　atop　the　tower。
　They　found　blood　on　the　steps　of　a　lighthouse。　It　was　dry　and　black；　old　enough　to　resist　the　washing　of　the　rain。
　At　a　mand　from　Korik；　Vale　ran　up　the　steep　steps　into　the　spire。　The　rest　of　the　Bloodguard　waited；　looking　out　over　Coercri　and　the　Sunbirth　Sea。
　In　the　noon　sun　under　a　clear　sky；　the　Sea　was　bright　with　dazzles；　and　out　of　sight　below　the　rim　of　the　cliff　the　waves　made　muffled　thunder　against　the　piers　and　levees　of　The　Grieve。
　There；　like　a　honeyb　in　the　cliff；　was　the　city　of　the　Giants。　All　its　homes　and　halls　and　passages；　all　its　entrances　and　battlements；　had　been　delved　into　the　rock　of　the　coast。　And　it　was　immense。　It　had　halls　where　five　hundred　Giants　could　gather　for　their　Giantclaves　and　their　stories　which　consumed　days　in　the　telling；　it　had　docks　for　eight　or　ten　of　the　mighty　Giant　ships；　it　had　hearths　and　homes　enough　for　all　the　remnant　of　the　Unhomed。
　Yet　it　showed　no　sign　of　habitation。　The　back　of　The　Grieve；　the　side　facing　inland；　looked　abandoned。　Above　it；　an　occasional　gull　screamed。　And　below；　the　Sea　beat。　But　it　revealed　no　life。
　However；　Coercri　had　been　built　to　face　the　Sea。　Still　the　Bloodguard　hoped　to　find　Giants　there。
　Then　Vale　came　down　out　of　the　lighthouse。　He　spoke　directly　to　Lord　Hyrim。　〃One　Giant　is　there。〃　He　indicated　the　cupola　of　the　spire　with　a　jerk　of　his　head。　〃She　is　dead。〃　After　a　moment；　he　said；　〃She　was　killed。　Her　face　and　the　top　of　her　head　are　gone。　Her　brain　is　gone。　Consumed。〃
　All　the　Bloodguard　looked　at　Lord　Hyrim。
　He　was　staring　at　Vale　with　red　in　his　eyes。　His　lean　face　was　twisted。　In　his　throat；　he　made　a　confused　noise　like　a　snarl。　His　knuckles　were　white　on　his　staff。　Without　a　word；　he　turned　and　started　down　toward　the　main　entrance　of　The　Grieve。
　Then　Korik　gave　his　mands。　Of　the　eleven　Bloodguard；　Vale；　Doar；　Shull；　and　two　others　he　instructed　to　remain　at　the　lighthouse；　to　watch；　and　to　give　warning　if　necessary；　and　to　carry　out　the　mission　if　the　others　fell。　Three　he　sent　northward　to　begin　exploring　Coercri　from　that　end。　And　with　Tull　and　Sill；　he　followed　Lord　Hyrim。　These　three　took
　the　Lord　away　from　the　main　entrance　toward　the　south　of　the　city。
　Together；　the　four　crept　into　The　Grieve　on　its　southern　side。
　The　entrance　they　chose　was　a　tunnel　that　led　straight　through　the　cliff；　sloping　slightly　downward。　They　passed　along　it　to　its　end；　where　it　opened　into　a　roofless　rampart　overhanging　the　Sea。　From　this　vantage；　they　could　see　much　of　the　city's　cliff　front。　Ramparts　like　the　one　on　which　they　stood　alternately　projected　and　receded　along　the　wall　of　rock　for　several　levels　below　them；　giving　the　face　of　the　city　a　knuckled　appearance。　They　could　see　into　many　of　the　projections　until　the　whole　city　passed　out；　of　sight　north　of　them　behind　a　bulge　in　the　cliff。　Don　at　sea　level；　just　south　of　this　bulge；　was　a　wide　levee　between　two　long　stone　piers。
　The　levee　and　the　piers　were　deserted。　Nothing　moved　on　any　of　the　ramparts。　Except　for　the　noise　of　the　Sea；　the　city　was　still。
　But　when　Lord　Hyrim　opened　a　high　stone　door　and　entered　the　apartments　beyond　it；　he　found　two　Giants　lying　cold　in　a　pool　of　dried　blood。　Both　their　skulls　were　broken　asunder　and　empty；　as　if　the　bones　had　been　blasted　apart　from　within。
　In　the　next　set　of　rooms　were　three　more　Giants；　and　in　the　next　set　three　more；　one　of　them　a　childall　dead。　They　lay　among　pools　of　their　blood；　and　the　blood　was　spattered　around　as　if　someone　had　stamped　through　the　pools　while　they　were　still　fresh。　All　including　the　child　had　been　slain　by　having　their　heads　rent　open。
　But　they　were　not　decayed。　They　had　not　been　long　dead…not　above　three　days。
　〃Three　days；〃　Korik　said。
　And　Lord　Hyrim　said　bitterly；　〃Three　days。〃
　They　went　on　with　the　search。
　They　looked　into　every　apartment　along　the　rampart　until　they　were　directly　above　the　levee。　In　each　set　of　rooms；　they　found　one　or　two　or　three　Giants；　all　slaughtered　in　the　same　way。　And　none　but　the　youngest　children　showed　any　sign　of　resistance；　of　struggle。
　The　few　youngest　bodies　were　contorted　and　frantic；　all　the　rest　lay　as　if　they　had　been　simply　struck　dead　where　they　stood　or　sat。
　When　the　searchers　entered　one　round　meeting　hall；　they　discovered　that　it　was　empty。　And　the　huge　kitchen　beyond　it　was　also　empty。　The　stove　fires　had　fallen　into　ash；　but　the　cooks　had　not　been　killed　there。
　The　sight　dismayed　Lord　Hyrim。　Groaning；　he　said；　〃They　went　to　their　homes　to　die！　They　knew　their　danger…and　went　to　their　homes　to　await　it。　They　did　not　fight…or　flee…or　send　for　help。　Melenkurion　abatha！　Only　the　children…　What　horror　came　upon　them？〃
　The　Bloodguard　had　no　answer。　They　knew　of　no　wrong　potent　enough　to　mit　such　a　slaughter　unresisted。
　As　he　left　the　hall；　Lord　Hyrim　wept　openly。
　From　that　rampart；　he　and　the　Bloodguard　worked　downward　through　the　levels　of　Coercri。　They　took　a　crooked　stairway　which　descended　back　into　the　cliff；　then　toward　the　Sea　again。　At　the　next　level；　they　again　went　to　look　into　the　rooms。　Here　also　all　the　Giants　were　dead。　。
　Everywhere　it　was　the　same。　The　Unhomed　had　gone　to　their　private　dwellings　to　die。
　Then　an　urgency　came　upon　the　Bloodguard　and　the　Lord。　They　began　to　hasten。　The　Lord　leaped　down　the　high　stairs；　ran　along　the　ramparts　to　inspect　the　apartments。　In　their　black　garb；　the　four　flew