fs.thethirdbookofswords-第30部分

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rly　e　to　blows？〃
　〃They　have　e　very　nearly　to　civil　war；　Highness。〃　The　General's　voice　was　suitably　gravelly　and　deep。　〃But；　thank　the　gods；　all　that　is　over　now。　All　factions　can　agree　on　you。　It　was　only　the　thought　that　you　were　missing；　too。。。　thank　all　the　gods　you're　here。〃
　〃I　am　here。　And　well。〃　And　at　last　her　eyes　turned　in　Mark's　direction。
　Now　Mark　and　Rostov　were　being　introduced。　The　General　glowered　at　him；　Mark　thought；　that　was　the　way　of　generals　everywhere；　he　had　observed；　when　looking　at　someone　of　insignificance　who　had　got　in　the　way。　Still　Rostov　was　quick　to　express　his　own　and　his　army's　formal　thanks。
　A　hundred　people　were　speaking　now；　but　one　soft　voice　at　Mark's　elbow　caught　his　full　attention。　It　was　a　woman's；　and　it　said：　〃They　told　me　that　your　name　was　Mark。　And　so　I　hurried　here　to　see。〃
　Mark　recognized　his　mother's　voice；　before　he　turned　to　see　her　face。
　Chapter　8
　The　scar　on　Denis's　arm；　the　last　trace　of　the　wound　that　had　been　healed　by　the　Sword　of　Mercy；　looked　faint　and　old　already。　He　thought　that　the　second　touch　of　Woundhealer　in　the　hand　of　Aphrodite　had　reached　his　heart；　for　there　were　times　when　he　had　the　feeling　of　scar　tissue　forming　there　as　well。　The　vision　of　the　goddess　as　she　had　appeared　to　him　at　night　on　the　river…island　was　with　him　still。　He　still　felt　pity　for　her　whenever　he　thought　of　what　had　happened；　and　then；　each　time；　fear　at　what　might　happen　to　a　man　who　dared　feel　pity　for　divinity。
　His　emotions　whipsawn　by　his　encounter　with　Aphrodite；　Denis　sometimes　felt　as　if　years　had　passed　in　the　few　days　since　his　departure　from　Tashigang。　In　the　days　that　followed；　he　went　on　paddling　his　canoe　into　the　north　and　east。　He　toyed　no　more　with　the　idea　of　absconding　with　the　remaining　Sword；　he　was　still　in　awe　and　shock　from　that　demonstration　of　its　powers；　and　he　wanted　nothing　but　to　be　honorably　and　safely　rid　of　it。
　With　that　objective　in　mind；　he　tried　his　best　to　keep　his　attention　concentrated　upon　practical　affairs。　It　was　necessary　now　to　watch　for　a　second　set　of　landmarks；　these　to　tell　him　where　to　leave　this　river　and　make　the　small　necessary　portage。　The　markers　were　specially　blazed　trees；　in　the　midst　of　a　considerable　forest　through　which　the　little　river　now　ran。　Denis　paddled　upstream　through　the　forest　for　a　full　day；　looking　for　them。　The　stream　he　was　now　following　grew　ever　younger　and　smaller　and　more　lively　as　he　got　further　from　the　Corgo；　and　was　here　overhung　from　both　banks　by　great　branches。
　On　the　night　that　Denis　left　Tashigang；　Ben　had　told　him　that　if　he　saw　any　wild…looking　people　after　he　had　e　this　far；　they　were　probably　Sir　Andrew's。　The　Kind　Knight's　folk　would　escort　a　courier　the　rest　of　the　way；　or　at　least　put　him　on　the　right　track；　once　he　had　convinced　them　he　was　bona　fide。
　。。。　and　the　Goddess　of　Love　had　told　him；　Denis；　that　she　loved　him。　Even　in　the　midst　of　trying　to　make　plans　he　kept　ing　back　to　that；　ing　back　to　it　in　a　glow　of　secret　and　guilty　pride；　guilty　because　he　knew　that　it　was　undeserved。　Was　ever　mortal　man　so　blessed？
　Much　good　had　such　a　blessing　done　him。　Pride　came　only　fitfully。　In　general　he　felt　scarred　and　numb。
　He　did　manage　to　keep　his　mind　on　the　job；　and　spot　his　required　landmarks。　The　blazed　trees　were　not　very　conspicuous；　and　it　was　a　good　thing　that　he　had　been　keeping　an　alert　eye　open。　Once　he　had　found　the　proper　place；　he　had　to　beach　his　canoe　on　the　right　bank；　then　drag　it　through　a　trackless　thicket　…　this　route　was　apparently　not　much　used　…　and　next　up　a　clear　slope；　over　ground　fortunately　too　soft　to　damage　the　canoe。　This　brought　him　into　a　low　pass　leading　through　a　line　of　hills　that　the　stream　had　now　been　paralleling　for　some　time。
　After　dragging　his　canoe　for　half　a　kilometer；　lifting　and　carrying　it　when　absolutely　necessary；　Denis　reached　the　maximum　slight　elevation　afforded　by　the　pass。　From　this　vantage　point　he　could　look　ahead；　over　the　treetops　of　another　forest；　and　see　in　the　distance　the　beginnings　of　the　Great　Swamp；　different　kinds　of　trees　rearing　up　out　of　an　ominous　flatness。　During　the　last　four　years　that　largely　uncharted　morass　had　swallowed　up　the　larger　portions　of　a　couple　of　small　armies；　to　the　great　disfiture　of　the　Dark　King　and　the　Silver　Queen　respectively。　And　neither　monarch　was　any　closer　now　than　four　years　ago　to　their　goal　of　slaughtering　Sir　Andrew　and　the　impertinent　fugitives　of　his　own　small　military　force。
　The　stream　that　Denis　had　to　find　now　was　not　hard　to　locate。　It　was　running　in　the　only　place　nearby　that　it　very　well　could　run；　just　beyond　the　line　of　hills　in　the　bottom　of　the　adjoining　gentle　valley。　After　resting　a　little　while　on　its　bank；　he　launched　his　canoe　again；　and　resumed　paddling；　once　more　going　upstream。　In　this　waterway　the　current　was　slower；　and　Denis　made　correspondingly　better　time。　But　this　was　a　more　winding　stream；　taking　him　back　and　forth　on　wide　curves　through　the　forest；　he　was　going　to　have　to　paddle　farther　just　to　get　from　here　to　there。
　Denis　spent　an　entire　day　paddling　up　this　stream　before　he　was　challenged。　This　happened　at　just　about　the　point　where　he　could　see　that　he　was　entering　some　portion　of　the　Great　Swamp　itself。
　His　challengers　were　three　in　number；　a　man　and　two　women；　one　of　them　standing　on　each　bank　of　the　narrow　stream　and　one　on　an　overhanging　bough。　All　three　looked　quite　tough　and　capable。　Their　weapons　did　not　menace　but　they　were　certainly　held　ready。　Against　this　display　Denis　lifted　his　own　hands；　empty；　in　a　sign　of　peace。
　He　said；　〃I　need　to　see　Sir　Andrew；　as　quickly　as　I　can。　I　e　from　a　man　named　Ben；　and　I　have　here　a　cargo　that　Sir　Andrew　needs。〃
　The　three　who　had　stopped　him　spoke　quickly　among　themselves；　and　two　of　them　promptly　became　Denis's　escort。　They　made　no　ment　on　the　fact　of　his　empty…looking　boat；　as　contrasted　with　his　claim　of　valuable　cargo。。。　They　did　take　from　him　his　only　visible　weapon；　a　short　knife。　Then　the　man　got　into　the　rear　seat　of　Denis's　canoe；　and　took　over　the　paddling；　while　one　of　the　women　oared　another　small　craft　along　behind。　As　they　glided　deeper　into　the　swamp；　under　the　twisted　limbs　of　giant　trees　festooned　with　exotic　parasite…plants；　Denis　saw　a　small　arboreal　creature；　of　a　type　strange　to　him；　headed　in　the　same　direction。　It　was　brachiating　itself　along　through　the　upper　branches　at　a　pace　that　soon　overtook　and　passed　the　boats。　He　surmised　it　was　some　species　of　half…intelligent　messenger。
　Presently；　after　about　a　kilometer　of　paddling；　Denis　was　delivered　to　a　camouflaged　mand　post；　a　half…walled　structure　made　of　logs　and　shirt…sized　tree　fronds；　where　he　repeated　his　terse　message　to　an　officer。　Again　he　was　sent　on；　deeper　into　the　swamp；　this　time　with　a　different　and　larger　escort。
　This　leg　of　the　escorted　journey　took　longer。　It　occupied　a　fair　portion　of　the　remaining　daylight　hours；　and　ended　with　Denis's　canoe　grounding　on　the　shore　of　what　appeared　to　be　a　sizable　island　of　firm　land　that　reared　up　out　of　the　swamp。　There　were　people　on　this　island　already。　He　estimated　a　score　of　them　or　more；　many　of　them　conspicuously　wearing　Sir　Andrew's　orange　and　black。　A　few　tents　had　been　set　up；　but　the　place　did　not　have　the　worn　look　of　a　permanent　encampment。
　The　people　who　were　already　gathered　here　appeared　to　be　waiting　for　something。　They　were　not；　as　it　turned　out；　anticipating　Denis's　arrival；　which　in　itself　did　not　cause　much　of　a　stir。　His　canoe　was　beached　for　him；　and　he　was　at　once　conducted　a　short　distance　inland；　toward　one　particular　knot　of　people　who　were　engaged　in　some　serious　discussion。　Taking　the　chance　to　look　about　him　from　the　slightly　higher　vantage　point　of　this　firm　ground；　Denis　realized　that　this　was　no　true　island　at　all；　or　else　it　was　a　much　larger　island　than　he　had　first　assumed。　From　here　he　could　see　a　double　track；　what　looked　like　a　regular　road；　though　a　poor　one；　approaching　through　the　trees　to　end　in　the　small　clearing　where　the　knot　of　people　were　conversing。
　The　focus　of　that　group's　attention　was　one　man；　heavily　built；　gray…haired；　and　wearing　clothing　that　might　once　have　been　fine。　This　man