fs.thethirdbookofswords-第40部分

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when　the　fight　at　last　was　over。　And　what　subordinate　did　the　Dark　King　dare　to　trust　with　succeeding　in　that　search？　…　but　at　the　same　time　he　dared　not　fail　to　meet　the　Silver　Queen's　advance　with　the　Mindsword　in　his　own　hands。　He　could　not　be　in　two　places　at　once。
　Anyway　Vilkata　did　not　really　believe　the　report　about　Sir　Andrew　throwing　Shieldbreaker　away。　Whether　the　Sword　of　Force　would　be　dropped　and　abandoned　by　any　living　person　on　any　battlefield　was；　in　his　mind；　very　doubtful　to　say　the　least。　In　the　end　he　ordered　certain　patrols　to　the　place　where　Sir　Andrew　was　last　seen；　to　search　for　the　Sword；　or　to　make　what　other　valuable　discoveries　they　could；　while　he　himself　turned　back　to　meet　the　advancing　columns　of　Yambu。
　As　it　turned　out；　Yambu's　main　army　was　not　nearly　as　close　as　had　been　reported。　The　flying；　half…intelligent　scouts　often　had　trouble　estimating　horizontal　distances；　but　the　King　could　not　take　chances。　He　had　not　much　more　than　got　his　army　into　motion　in　that　direction；　when　additional　disquieting　reports　came　in。　These　told　of　gods　and　goddesses　seen　in　the　vicinity　of　Tashigang；　doing　extravagant　things　in　the　Dark　King's　name；　and　proclaiming　him　their　lord　and　master；　the　new　ruler　of　the　world。　That　in　itself　would　have　been　well　enough；　but　the　reports　also　told　of　the　deities　offering　him　human　sacrifice；　and　holocausts　of　grain　and　cattle。　Besides　the　waste　of　valuable　resources；　it　made　Vilkata　uneasy　to　realize　that　the　divinities　who　had　pledged　loyalty　to　him　were　not　really　under　his　control。　Should　he　send　word　to　them　of　his　displeasure？　But　he　did　not　even　know　where　they　were　right　now。　Or　where　they　were　going　to　be　next；　or　what　they　might　be　intending　to　do。
　The　trouble　is；　he　thought；　they　worship　me　but　I　am　not　a　god。　Having　arrived　at　that　thought　he　felt　as　if　he　had　made　some　great；　vaguely　alarming　discovery。
　Mark　and　his　escort　had　not　been　many　days　out　from　Tasavalta　when　they　were　forced　into　a　skirmish　with　a　strong　patrol　of　the　Dark　King's　troops。　This　fight　had　cost　them　some　casualties。　But　Coinspinner　in　Mark's　hands；　altering　the　odds　of　chance　in　his　favor　at　every　turn；　saw　him　and　most　of　his　small　force　through　the　fighting　safely。　He　had　experienced　the　workings　of　the　Sword　of　Chance　before；　and　he　trusted　it　…　to　a　degree；　it　was　really　the　least　trustworthy　of　the　Twelve　…　and　felt　almost　familiar　with　it。　The　soldiers　of　his　escort　had　done　neither　until　now。
　When　the　skirmish　was　over；　the　enemy　survivors　driven　into　flight；　Mark　and　his　troops　rested　briefly　and　moved　on。　He　was　confident；　and　the　soldiers；　who　earlier　had　only　grimly　obeyed　orders；　now　picked　up　that　attitude　from　him。　Since　what　he　truly　wanted　now　was　to　locate　the　Emperor；　then　to　the　Emperor　Coinspinner's　luck　would　lead　him；　in　one　way　or　another。
　As　they　rode　Mark　paused　periodically　to　sweep　the　horizon　with　the　naked　tip　of　the　Sword　of　Chance。　When　he　aimed　it　in　a　certain　direction；　and　in　that　direction　only；　a　quivering　seized　the　blade；　and　Mark　could　feel　a　faint　surge　of　power　pass　into　his　hand　through　the　hilt。　In　that　direction　was　the　Emperor。　Or；　at　least；　that　was　the　way　to　go　to　ultimately　reach　him。
　For　several　days　Mark　and　his　surviving　Tasavaltan　escort　journeyed　in　safety。　Then　they　began　to　observe　the　unmistakable　signs　of　armies　near。　And　then　at　last　there　was　the　noise　of　a　battle　close　ahead。
　From　a　distance　Mark　watched　an　enemy　force　of　overwhelming　strength；　what　he　thought　had　to　be　the　main　body　of　the　Dark　King's　troops；　first　advance　in　one　direction；　then　reverse　themselves　though　not　as　in　defeat；　he　thought　…　and　trudge　in　mass　formation　the　other　way。　The　actual　fighting　had　been　somewhere　beyond　them；　where　he　could　not　see　it。
　When　the　enemy　had　moved　out　of　the　way；　and　almost　out　of　sight；　Coinspinner　still　pointed　him　toward　the　place　where　the　battle　had　been。
　When　Mark　with　his　small　escort　reached　the　battlefield；　they　found　it　almost　devoid　of　living　things；　except　for　a　few　scavengers；　gathering　on　wing　and　afoot。　There　were　a　hundred　human　dead　or　more；　concentrated　mostly　in　one　place。　Among　the　fallen　Mark　could　not　see　a　single　one　in　Vilkata's　colors。　The　only　livery　visible　was　Sir　Andrew's　orange　and　black。
　On　the　field　one　human　figure　was　still　standing。　Slightly　built；　it　was　garbed　in　a　robe　that　had　once　been　white；　and　looked　like　one　of　Ardneh's　servants　who　had　been　through　some　arduous　journey　and　perhaps　a　battle　or　two　as　well。　When　Mark　first　saw　it；　this　figure　was　bending　over　one　of　the　dead　men　who　lay　a　little　apart　from　the　others。　Then；　even　as　Mark　watched；　the　figure　in　white　began　to　labor　awkwardly　at　digging　…　a　grave；　Mark　supposed　…　using　the　blade　of　a　long　knife。
　As　Mark　and　his　troops；　in　the　colors　of　Tasavalta；　rode　nearer；　the　figure　in　white　took　note　of　them　and　stopped　what　it　was　doing　to　await　their　approach。　But　it　did　not　try　to　run。
　When　Mark　got　closer；　he　recognized　the　isolated　dead　man　as　Sir　Andrew。　In　war　it　was　no　great　surprise；　particularly　on　a　field　of　slaughter　like　this　one；　to　find　a　rade　and　a　leader　dead。　But　still　the　discovery　was　no　less　a　shock。
　Mark　jumped　down　from　his　mount　and　put　his　hand　on　the　gore…spattered　head　of　the　Kind　Knight；　and　remarked　his　peaceful　face。　〃Ardneh　greet　you；〃　he　muttered；　and　for　a　moment　at　least　could　feel　real　hope　that　it　might　be　so。
　Then　Mark　stood　up。　Taking　Denis　for　a　genuine　Ardneh…pilgrim　who　had　probably　just　wandered　onto　the　scene；　Mark　asked；　〃But　where　are　his　own　people；　all　slaughtered？〃　He　looked　round　him　at　the　few　score　dead。　〃This　can't　be　his　entire　army！〃
　Denis　answered。　〃Many　were　slaughtered；　I　Fear。　The　Dark　King's　cavalry　attacked　also；　ahead；　beyond　those　hills。　The　officers　remaining　are　trying　to　rally　whatever　troops　are　left。　Sir　Andrew's　close　friends　wanted　to　bury　him　…　what　I　am　trying　to　do　…　but　they　decided　Sir　Andrew　would　have　wanted　them　to　see　to　the　living　first。　As　I　am　sure　he　would。〃　〃You　knew　him；　then？〃
　The　youth　in　ragged　white　nodded　assent。　〃I　had　been　with　him　for　some　days。　I　think　I　came　to　know　him；　in　a　way。　I　am　called　Denis　the　Quick；　of　Tashigang。〃　And　Denis's　quick　eyes　flicked　around　Mark's　escort。　〃I　did　not　know　that　there　were　Tasavaltan　troops　nearby。〃
　〃There　are　not　many。　My　name　is　Mark。〃
　Nor　had　Denis　failed　to　notice　the　large　black　hilt　at　Mark's　side。　〃There　was　a　man　of　that　name　who　had　…　and　still　has；　for　all　I　know　…　much　to　do　with　the　Twelve　Swords。　Or　so　all　the　stories　say。　But　I　didn't　know　that　he　was　Tasavaltan。〃
　〃I　am　not　Tasavaltan；　really。。。　and　yes；　I　have　had　much　to　do　with　them。　Much　more　than　I　could　wish。〃　Mark　sighed。
　But　even　as　he　spoke；　Mark　was　tiredly；　dutifully　drawing　Coinspinner　again。　While　Denis　and　the　Tasavaltan　soldiers　watched　in　alert　silence；　he　swept　it　once　more　round　the　horizon。　〃That　way；〃　Mark　muttered；　as　he　resheathed　the　Blade。　〃And　nearby；　now；　I　think。　The　feeling　in　the　hilt　is　strong。〃
　The　Sword　has　pointed　in　the　direction　of　the　abandoned　carnival；　which　was　just　visible　over　the　nearest　gentle　rise　of　ground。
　Mark　began　to　walk　in　the　direction　of　the　carnival；　leading　his　mount。　His　escort　followed　silently；　professionally　alert　for　trouble。　Denis　hesitated　for　a　moment；　then　abandoned　his　gravedigging　temporarily　and　came　with　them　too。　The　ruined　show　was　only　about　a　hundred　meters　distant。
　Standing　on　the　edge　of　the　area　of　dilapidated　tents　and　flimsy　shelters；　Mark　looked　about　him　with　a　frown。　〃This　is　very　much　like。。。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃Nothing。〃　But　then　Mark　hesitated。　His　voice　when　he　replied　again　was　strained。　〃Like　one　carnival　in　particular　that　I　remember　seeing　once。。。　long　ago。〃
　It　was　of　course　impossible　for　him　to　be　certain；　but　he　had　a　feeling　that　it　was　really　the　same　one。　Something　about　the　tents；　or　maybe　the　names　of　the　performers　…　though　he　could　not　remember　any　of　them　consciously　…　on　the　few　worn；　faded　signs　that　were　visible。
　Yes。　Nine　years　ago；　or　thereabouts；　this　very　carnival　…　he　thought　…　had　been　encamped　far　from　here；　in　front　of　what　had　then　been　Sir　Andrew's　castle。　That　had　b