fs.thethirdbookofswords-第49部分

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　But　despite　all　of　the　obstacles　and　objections；　he　could　be　royally　stubborn；　and　he　was　going　forward。　None　of　his　fears　were　great　enough　to　prevent　that。　In　the　end　he　decided　to　keep　his　own　supernal　weapons　under　wraps　for　the　time　being；　and　to　try　what　he　might　to　induce　the　city　to　surrender　under　threats。
　The　afternoon　he　arrived　before　the　walls；　he　had　his　great　pavilion　erected　within　easy　sight　of　them　…　though　not；　of　course；　within　missile　range。　At　the　same　time　Vilkata　ordered　a　plete　envelopment　of　the　city；　and　entrenchment　by　his　troops；　as　if　for　a　lengthy　siege；　all　along　their　encircling　lines。
　Even　his　great　host　was　thinly　spread　by　such　a　maneuver；　which　necessitated　occupying　a　line　several　kilometers　long；　but　Vilkata　intended　to　concentrate　most　of　his　troops　in　a　few　places　later；　if　and　when　it　actually　became　necessary　to　assault　the　walls。　Meanwhile　he　wanted　to　give　an　impression　not　only　of　overwhelming　force　but　of　unhurried　determination。　And　still　he　was　not　satisfied　that　things　were　going　well；　he　kept　urging　both　his　scouts　and　his　wizards　to　provide　him　with　more　information。
　At　dusk　on　the　second　day　of　the　siege；　the　Dark　King's　vaguely　growing　sense　of　some　impending　doom　was　suddenly　relieved。　The　last　flying　messenger　to　arrive　during　daylight　hours　brought　in　a　report　saying　that　the　troublesome　Beastlord　Draffut　was　finally　dead；　and　the　god　Mars　…　who　was　also　troublesome；　because　he　had　managed　to　remain　free　of　the　Mindsword's　control　…　was　dead　with　him。　And　that　Vulcan；　triumphant　over　both　of　them；　was　headed　toward　the　city　of　Tashigang；　waving　the　Sword　Shieldbreaker　and　crying　his　own　eternal　loyalty　to　the　Dark　King。
　When　the　half…intelligent　courier　was　asked　to　predict　the　time　of　the　god's　arrival；　it　gave　answers　interpreted　to　mean　that　the　progress　of　the　Smith　across　the　countryside　was　slow　and　erratic；　because　he　was　stopping　frequently　to　offer　sacrifice　to　his　god　Vilkata；　and　also　because　he　walked　a　zig…zag　course；　but　Vulcan　continually　cried　out　that　he　was　ing　on　to　Tashigang；　where　his　other　Swords　were　gathering；　and　where　he　meant　to　do　honor　in　person　to　the　King。
　His　other　Swords？　Vilkata　pondered　to　himself。　Of　course　the　Smith　had　forged　them　all；　and　perhaps　that　was　all　that　he　meant　by　the　use　of　such　an　expression。　In　any　case；　there　was　nothing　Vilkata　could　do　about　the　Smith；　or　any　other　god；　until　they　came　within　the　Mindsword's　range。　And　the　Dark　King　did　not　want　to　appear　to　be　worried　by　what　sounded；　on　the　surface；　like　very　good　news　indeed。　Therefore　he　gave　permission　for　a　celebration　of　Vulcan's　triumph　to　begin；　and　sent　out　trumpeters　and　criers　to　make　certain　that　the　death　of　Draffut　and　the　advance　of　the　victorious　Vulcan　were　made　known　within　the　walls　of　Tashigang　as　well。
　Vilkata　even　took　part　in　the　revel　himself；　at　least　as　far　as　its　middle　stages。　He　retired　paratively　early；　thinking　that　in　any　case　he　was　giving　himself　time　to　sleep　and　recover　before　Vulcan　could　possibly　arrive。　He　wearied　himself　with　women；　and　came　near　besotting　himself　with　wine；　and　then　tumbled　into　his　private　bed　to　sleep。
　His　awakening　was　hours　earlier　than　he　had　expected；　and　it　came　not　at　the　gentle　call　of　his　valet；　or　some　officer　of　his　bodyguard。　The　sound　that　tore　Vilkata　out　of　dreams　of　victory　was　the　ripping　of　his　pavilion's　fabric；　not　far　from　his　head；　by　some　enemy　weapon's　edge。
　No　matter　how　mad　the　odds　seemed　against　success；　when　merely　human　calculation　was　applied；　Coinspinner　had　insisted　that　the　defenders　of　the　city　organize　a　sally　against　Vilkata's　camp；　a　military　maneuver　involving　the　sending　of　what　could　be　at　most　a　few　hundred　troops；　to　fight　against　the　Dark　King's　many　thousands。　At　least　this　was　the　only　interpretation　that　could　finally　be　placed　on　the　way　that　the　Sword　of　Chance；　whenever　it　was　consulted；　pointed　insistently　into　the　heart　of　the　enemy　camp。
　Mark；　Ben；　and　Barbara；　along　with　the　other　members　of　the　Lord　Mayor's　council；　discussed　the　possibility　of　sending　one　or　two　agents　or　spies；　armed　with　Coinspinner；　out　into　the　camp；　to　try　to　achieve　whatever　the　Sword　was　telling　them　to　do　there。　But　Mark　had　experience　of　the　Dark　King's　security　systems；　and　without　Sightblinder　to　help　he　could　imagine　no　way　of　acplishing　that。
　On　the　other　hand；　the　more　carefully　the　idea　of　a　surprise　sally　was　considered；　the　less　pletely　mad　it　seemed。　It　could；　of　course；　be　launched　by　night；　and　it　certainly　ought　to　take　the　enemy　by　surprise。　The　Mayor　drew　out　secret　maps。　It　was　noted　that　one　of　the　secret　tunnels　leading　out　of　the　city　…　like　most　places　so　elaborately　fortified；　Tashigang　was　equipped　with　several　…　emerged　from　a　concealed　opening　under　the　bank　of　the　Corgo；　behind　the　enemy　front　line　and　only　about　a　hundred　meters　from　where　Vilkata's　pavilion　had　been　set　up。
　A　plan　was　hastily　worked　out。　Both　Ben　and　Mark　would　acpany　the　attack。ing　force；　Mark　with　Coinspinner　in　his　hands。　Ben；　after　speaking　strongly　against　surrender　of　the　city；　could　not　very　well　avoid　the　effort　now；　nor　did　he　want　his　old　friend　to　go　without　him。　The　handful　of　Tasavaltan　troops　who　had　escorted　Mark　to　Tashigang　now　volunteered；　to　a　man；　to　go　with　him　again。　He　was　somewhat　surprised　and　gratified　by　this；　either　his　leadership　or　his　Sword　had　inspired　more　confidence　than　he　knew。
　The　bulk　of　the　raiding　force；　which　was　two　hundred　strong　in　all；　was　made　up　from　the　survivors　of　Sir　Andrew's　slaughtered　army。　They　proved　to　be　as　eager　for　revenge　as　Mark　had　expected　them　to　be。
　The　deployment　of　the　force　into　the　secret；　stone…walled　tunnel　took　place　in　the　late　hours　of　the　night。　The　city　end　of　the　tunnel　was　concealed　in　the　basement　of　an　outbuilding　of　the　Mayor's　palace。
　Waiting　in　the　cramped；　dark；　and　dripping　tunnel　for　some　final　magical　preparations　to　be　made；　Mark　had　some　time　to　talk　with　his　old　friend　Ben。　He　told　Ben　something　of　his　meeting　with　the　Emperor。
　When　Mark　first　mentioned　the　name　of　Ariane；　Ben　shook　his　head；　not　wanting　to　hear　more；　but　when　he　heard　that　the　Emperor　had　claimed　the　red…haired　girl　as　his　daughter；　the　huge　man　turned　hopeless　eyes　to　Mark。　〃But　what　does　it　mean？　What　does　that　matter　now？　She's　dead。〃
　〃I　don't　know　what　it　means。　I　know　you　loved　her。　I　wanted　you　to　hear　what　he　told　me。〃
　Ben　nodded；　slowly。　〃It's　strange。。。　that　he　said　that。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃When　we　were　leaving　the　treasure…dungeon　…　right　after　she　was　killed　…　I　looked　up　onto　that　headland；　the　Emperor's　land　they　said　it　was；　right　across　the　fjord。　I　thought　for　a　moment　I　saw　red　hair。　It　doesn't　mean　anything；　I　don't　suppose。〃
　And　now；　suddenly；　there　was　no　more　time　for　talk。
　The　Mayor's　most　expert　sorceress　was　squeezing　her　way　through　the　narrow　tunnel；　marking　with　a　sign　each　man　and　woman　of　the　raiding　party；　as　she　passed　them。　When　he　hand　touched　his　own　eyes　briefly；　Mark　found　that　now　he　could　see　a　dim；　ghostly　halo　behind　the　head　of　everyone　else　in　the　attacking　force。　When　fighting　started　in　the　darkness；　they　ought　to　be　able　to　identify　each　other。　At　least　until　the　enemy　magicians　solved　the　spell；　and　were　able　to　turn　it　to　their　own　advantage。　Most　likely　they　were　more　skillful　than　this　woman　of　the　Mayor's。　But　it　was　necessary　to　take　what　seemed　desperate　chances。　That　was　what　Coinspinner　was　for。
　The　party　moved　out。　The　tunnel　extended　for　more　than　a　kilometer；　and　its　lower　sections　were　knee…deep　in　water。　An　occasional　loud　splash　or　oath；　the　shuffle　of　feet；　the　chink　of　weapons；　were　for　some　time　the　only　sounds。
　The　outer　end　of　the　tunnel；　in　which　an　advance　party　had　been　waiting　for　some　time；　was　quietly　opened。　Two　by　two；　moving　now　as　quickly　and　silently　as　possible；　the　raiders　launched　themselves　out　of　the　tunnel　into　shallow　water；　and　up　and　out　into　the　open　night。
　Mark；　with　Coinspinner　in　his　hands；　was　the　second　or　third　fighter　to　emerge。　Now　there　could　be　no　mistake　about　it。　The　Sword　of　Chance　was　directing　him；　ordering　the　whole　attack；　straight　to　Vilkata's　pavilion。　The