fs.thethirdbookofswords-第42部分

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　The　Emperor　stretched　himself；　a　weary　movement；　then　moved　back　a　step　and　looked　around。　〃I　think　this　present　skirmish　at　least　is　yours。　One　day　you　and　I　will　have　a　long　time　to　talk。　But　not　just　now。　Now　that　you　have　pleted　your　mission　for　the　Princess；　I　would　advise　you　to　get　your　remaining　people　to　Tashigang；　and　quickly　inside　the　walls。　And　warn　the　people　in　the　city；　if　they　do　not　already　realize　it；　that　an　attack　is　imminent。〃
　〃I　will。〃　Mark　heard　himself　accepting　orders　from　this　man；　the　same　man　he　had　sought　for　days；　meaning　to　confront　in　accusation。　But　this　change　was　riot　like　that　brought　about　by　the　Mindsword's　hideous　warping　pressure。　This　inward　change；　this　decision；　was　his　own；　for　all　that　it　surprised　him。
　His　revitalized　mount　was　already　carrying　him　away。　His　father　waved　after　him　and　called：　〃And　you　can　give　them　this　encouraging　news　as　well　…　Rostov　is　bringing　the　Tasavaltan　army　to　their　aid！〃
　Chapter　13
　The　little　column　of　refugees　was　posed　for　the　most　part　of　cumbersome　carts　and　loadbeasts；　and　for　several　days　it　had　been　moving　with　a　nightmarish　slowness　over　the　appalling　roads。　Now　and　again　it　left　the　roads；　where　a　bridge　had　been　destroyed　or　the　only　roads　ran　in　the　wrong　directions；　to　go　trundling　off　across　someone's　neglected　fields。　In　this　manner　the　train　of　carts　and　wagons　had　made　its　way　toward　Tashigang。　The　people　in　the　train；　all　of　them　villagers　or　peasants　who　had　been　poor　even　before　the　war　started；　were　fearful　of　the　Dark　King's　cavalry；　and　with　good　reason。　Behind　them　the　land　was　death　and　ruin；　under　a　leaden　sky　hazed　at　the　horizon　with　the　smoke　of　burning　villages。　The　wooden…wheeled　carts　groaned　with　their　increasing　burden　of　people　who　could　walk　no　more；　and　of　the　poor　belongings　that　the　people　were　still　stubbornly　trying　to　keep。　The　loadbeasts；　in　need　of　food　and　most　of　all　of　rest；　uttered　their　own　sounds　of　protest。
　Riding　in　the　second　wagon　were　four　people；　a　man　named　Birch　and　his　wife　Micheline；　along　with　their　two　small　children。　The　man　was　driving　at　the　moment；　urging　on　their　one　loadbeast　that　pulled　the　wagon。　In　general　he　kept　up　a　running　stream　of　encouraging　ments；　directed　at　the　animal　and　at　his　family　indiscriminately。　He　was　not　getting　too　much　in　the　way　of　answers。　His　wife　had　said　very　little　for　several　days　now；　and　the　children　were　too　tired　to　speak。
　Just　now　the　train　of　wagons　was　ing　to　a　place　where　the　poor　road　dipped　between　hills　that　had　once　been　wooded；　to　ford　a　small；　muddy　stream。　Most　of　the　trees　on　the　hills　looked　as　if　they　might　have　been　individually　hacked　at　by　a　hundred　axes；　then　pulled　apart　by　a　thousand　arms；　of　people　needing　firewood　or　wood　for　other　uses；　quite　likely　someone's　army　had　camped　near　here　not　long　ago。
　The　little　train　of　half　a　dozen　wagons　and　carts　now　stopped　at　the　ford。　All　of　the　travelers　wanted　to　let　their　animals　drink；　and　the　people　who　were　not　carrying　fresher　water　with　them　in　their　vehicles　drank　from　the　stream　too。　Birch　and　his　family　did　not　get　out　of　their　cart。　At　this　point　they　were　not　so　much　thirsty　as　simply　dazed　and　exhausted。
　While　the　pany　of　refugees　was　halted　thus；　a　patrol　of　the　Dark　King's　cavalry　did　indeed　e　into　sight。　Those　who　were　sitting　in　their　wagons　or　standing　beside　them　held　their　breath；　watching　fatalistically。　But　the　patrol　was　some　distance　off；　and　showed　little　interest　in　their　poor　pany。
　They　were　greatly　relieved。　But　hardly　had　the　cavalry　ridden　out　of　the　way　when　one　of　the　women　stood　up　in　her　wagon　screaming；　and　pointed　in　a　different　direction。
　Over　one　of　the　nearby　hills；　studded　with　its　broken　trees　like　stubble　on　a　tough　chin；　the　head　and　shoulders　of　a　god　had　just　appeared。　There　was　more　nearby　smoke　in　the　air　in　that　direction；　from　some　farm　building　on　the　other　side　of　the　hill　burning　perhaps；　or　it　might　have　been　a　haystack　or　a　woodpile　smoldering；　and　the　effect　of　seeing　the　god's　figure　through　this　haziness　was　somehow　to　suggest　a　truly　gigantic　figure　kilometers　away；　moving　about；　at　the　distance　of　an　ordinary　horizon。
　Birch；　the　man　in　the　second　cart；　froze　in　his　position　on　the　driver's　seat。　His　wife；　Micheline；　who　was　sitting　beside　him　had　clamped　a　painful　grip　upon　his　arm；　but　he　could　not　have　moved　in　any　case。　Behind　them；　peering　out　from　where　they　had　been　tucked　away　amid　furniture　in　the　large　two…wheeled　cart；　their　two　small　children　were　frozen　too。
　Birch　could　tell　at　first　glance　that　the　mountainous…looking　god　ing　over　the　hill　was　Mars。　He　could　make　the　identification　at　once　by　the　great　spear　and　helm　and　shield　of　the　approaching　being's　equippage；　even　though　the　man　had　never　before　seen　any　deity　and　had　not　expected　to　see　one　now。
　Mars　was　almost　directly　ahead　of　the　people　in　their　wagons；　advancing　toward　them　from　almost　the　same　direction　that　the　train　was　headed。　And　the　War…god　had　certainly　taken　notice　of　them　already；　Birch　thought　for　a　moment　that　those　distant　eyes　were　looking　directly　into　his　own。　Now　Mars；　marching　forward　out　of　the　smoke；　appeared　as　no　more　than　three　times　taller　than　a　man。　Now　he　was　lowering　his　armored　helm　as　if　in　preparation　for　battle；　and　still　he　tramped　thunderously　nearer；　a　moving　mountain　of　a　being；　kicking　stumps　and　boulders　out　of　his　way。
　He　was　descending　the　near　side　of　the　nearest　hill　now；　taller　than　the　treetops　of　the　ruined　grove　as　he　moved　among　them。　Before　Birch　could　think　of　any　way　he　might　possibly　react；　Mars　had　reached　the　muddy　little　ford。
　Once　there；　he　raised　his　arms。　Looking　preoccupied；　as　if　his　divine　thoughts　were　elsewhere；　and　without　preamble　or　warning；　he　spitted　the　man　who　had　been　driving　the　first　wagon　neatly　on　his　spear；　which　was　as　long　as　a　tall　tree　itself；　and　only　a　little　thinner。　That　man's　wife　and　children　came　spilling　around　him　from　their　cart；　and　rolling　on　the　ground　as　if　they　could　feel　the　same　spear　in　their　own　guts。
　Mars　moved　quickly；　and　came　so　close　that　he　was　hard　to　see；　like　a　mountain　when　you　were　standing　on　it。　Birch　felt　his　own　wagon　go　over　next。　If　that　great　spear　had　thrust　for　him　too；　it　had　somehow　missed。　All　Birch　could　feel　was　a　fall　that　left　him　half　stunned；　and　then　a　growing　pain　in　his　leg　and　hip；　and　a　numbness　that　threatened　to　grow　into　a　greater　pain　still；　and　the　awareness　that　he　could　not　move。　Near　him　Micheline　and　the　children　lay　huddled　and　jumbled　in　the　midst　of　their　spilled　belongings。　Except　for　Birch　himself　they　all　appeared　to　be　unhurt；　but　Micheline　was　gasping　and　the　children　whimpering　softly　in　new　terror。　Still　connected　to　the　wagon　by　the　leather　straps　of　the　harness；　their　only　loadbeast　lay　twitching；　its　whole　body　crumpled　into　an　impossible　position。　It　had　been　slaughtered；　butchered　by　a　mere　gesture　from　the　passing　God　of　War。
　Mars'　windstorm　of　a　voice　roared　forth；　above　the　cowering　humans'　heads：　〃What's　all　this　talk　I　hear；　these　last　few　years；　about　twelve　special　Swords？　I've　never　seen　them　and　I　don't　want　to。　What's　so　great　about　them；　really？　Can　anyone　here　answer　me　that？　My　war…spear　here　does　the　job　as　neatly　as　it　ever　did。〃
　If　the　god　was　really　talking　to　the　humans　he　had　just　trampled；　and　whether　he　expected　any　of　his　surviving　victims　to　actually　enter　into　a　dialogue；　Birch　never　knew。　The　voice　that　did　rumble　an　answer　back　at　Mars　was　deeper　and　louder　by　far　than　any　human　tones　could　be。　It　came　rolling　down　at　them　from　the　hillside　on　the　other　side　of　the　ford；　and　it　said：　〃Your　spear　has　failed　you　before；　Wargod。　It　will　again　be　insufficient。〃
　Birch　did　not　recognize　that　voice。　But　Mars　did；　for　Birch　saw　him　turn；　with　an　expression　suddenly　and　almost　madly　joyful；　to　face　its　owner。　The　God　of　War　cried　out：　〃It　is　the　dog！　The　great　son　of　a　bitch　that　they　call　the　Lord　of　Beasts。　At　last！　I　have　been　looking　for　you　for　a　long　time。〃
　Birch　was　still　lying　on　his　back；　aware　that　Micheline　and　the　children　were　still　at　his　side；　and　evidently　still　unhurt；　but　beyond　that　he　could　not。　think　for　the　moment　a