fs.thethirdbookofswords-第58部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ther　few　steps　in　that　direction；　thought　Rostov；　and　he　would　have　been　ready　to　throw　down　his　weapons　and　his　medals　and　abandon　life。
　He　was　wondering　what　orders　to　give　next；　when　he　saw　a　giant　figure　appear　in　the　distance。　With　swift；　powerful；　two…legged　strides　it　drew　closer；　also　approaching　the　field　of　despair。　It　was　Draffut；　called　a　god　by　some；　although　General　Rostov　had　never　seen　the　Lord　of　Beasts　before；　who　else　could　this　be？
　There　was　someone　else；　a　man…shape；　riding　familiarly　on　Draffut's　shoulders。
　Draffut　did　not　approach　Rostov　and　his　scouting　detachment；　but　instead　halted　at　another　point　on　the　rim　of　that　terrible　battlefield。　There　the　giant　stopped；　and　set　down　the　man　who　had　been　riding　on　his　shoulders；　and　from　that　point　the　man　alone；　a　gray…caped　figure　bearing　a　bright　Sword　in　hand；　walked　on　alone　into　the　field　of　doom　and　silence。
　Rostov；　puzzled；　tried　to　make　out　where　the　man　…　was　he　wearing　a　mask？　…　was　headed。　Then　the　General　realized　that　there　was　still　one　other　human　figure　standing　on　the　battlefield　…　way　out　there；　at　its　center。
　It　was　the　Silver　Queen；　leaning　on　the　blade　that　she　was　too　immobilized　to　cast　down。　When　Rostov　and　his　soldiers　saw　the　Emperor　take　it　from　her　hands；　and　sheath　it；　they　could　feel　how　a　change　for　the　better；　came　instantly　over　the　nearby　world。
　The　General　turned　to　his　troops；　shouting：　〃They're　not　all　dead　out　there！　Some　of　the　Dark　King's　hellions　are　starting　to　wake　up　already！　What're　you　waiting　for；　get　out　there　and　disarm　them　while　you　can！〃
　Epilogue
　When　the　party　of　the　surviving　gods　in　their　retreat　had　climbed　above　the　snow　level　of　the　Ludus　Mountains；　the　blind　man　they　carried　with　them　began　to　curse　and　rail　at　them　again。　He　ranted　as　if　they　were　still　under　his　mand；　and　Vulcan；　listening；　began　to　be　sorry　that　he　had　picked　the　man　up　and　brought　him　along。
　The　Smith　still　had　other　pany；　present　intermittently。　Gray…bearded　Zeus；　proud　Apollo；　Aphrodite；　Hades。　They　and　some　others　came　and　went。　Hades　was；　as　always；　never　far　from　his　true　domain；　the　Earth。　Diana　had　walked　with　them　for　a　while；　but　had　dropped　out　of　the　group　early；　saying　only　that　she　heard　another　kind　of　call。
　Vilkata；　the　man　they　had　brought　with　them；　was　shivering　and　in　rags。　The　golden　circlet　had　fallen　from　his　head　days　ago；　and　his　power　to　mand　demons　had　gone　with　it。　He　kept　groaning；　whining　that　he'd　lost　his　Sword。　He　was　raving　now；　demanding　that　food　and　slaves　and　wine　be　brought　to　him。
　Why　did　I　bring　him　with　me？　Vulcan　pondered　once　again。　The　Smith　himself　had　regained　some　of　his　strength　since　the　servants　of　Ardneh；　perceiving　him　as　no　longer　violent　and　dangerous；　had　loosed　his　bonds　and　let　him　go。　But　he　was　still　far　from　what　he　once　had　been；　and　sometimes　he　feared　that　he　was　dying。
　Apollo　had　told　them　all　several　times　in　the　course　of　the　retreat　that　they　were　all　dying　now；　or　would　be　soon；　himself　included。　The　world　had　changed　again；　Apollo　said。
　The　man　they　carried　with　them　at　least　gave　them　all　some　connection　to　humanity。　Though　Vulcan　still　did　not　want　to　admit　they　needed　that。
　He　said　now　to　the　man　perched　on　his　shoulder；　as　if　talking　to　some　half…intelligent　pet：　〃We　might　find　some　food　for　you　somewhere。　But　there　is　no　wine　…　none　that　you　can　drink　…　and　certainly　no　human　slaves。〃
　〃But　I　have　you　as　my　slaves；〃　the　man　rasped　back。　Today　his　proud　voice　was　weakening　rapidly。　〃And　you　are　gods；　and　goddesses。　Therefore　all　the　Earth　is　mine。〃
　From　behind；　Apollo　asked：　〃You　cannot　feel　it；　little　man？〃
　〃Feel　what？〃　He　who　had　been　the　Dark　King　turned　his　blind　face　back　and　forth。　In　a　more　lucid　voice　he　demanded：　〃Where　are　we？〃　Then；　a　moment　later；　again：　〃Feel　what？〃
　Apollo　said：　〃That　the　humans　whose　dreams　created　us；　and　gave　us　power；　are　now　dreaming　differently？　That　our　power；　and　our　lives　as　well；　have　been　draining　from　us；　ever　since　we　gave　you　Swords　to　use？〃
　Among　the　gods　there　were　still　some　who　could　persuade　themselves　to　argue　with　this　viewpoint。　〃It's　all　part　of　the　Game。。。〃
　〃The　Game　is　over　now。〃
　〃Over？　But　who　won？〃
　That　one　wasn't　answered。
　〃In　the　mountains；　in　the　upper　air；　we'll　start　to　feel　strong　again。〃
　They　trudged　on；　climbed　on。　The　capability　of　swift　effortless　flight　had　once　been　theirs。　Vulcan　thought　that　none　of　them　were　starting　to　feel　stronger。　In　fact　the　thin　air　was　beginning　to　hurt　his　lungs。
　He　would　not　have　it；　would　not　allow　it　to　be　so。　Bravely　he　cried　out　to　Apollo：　〃You　still　say　that　we　are　their　creations？　Bah！　Then　who　created　them？〃
　Apollo　did　not　reply。
　Occasional　volcanic　rumbles　now　shook　the　Earth　beneath　their　feet；　here　and　there　subterranean　warmth　created　bare　steaming　spots　of　rock　amid　the　snow。
　Their　flight；　their　climb；　was　being　slower　and　slower。　But　it　went　on。　Now　where　was　Aphrodite？　Vulcan　looked　around　for　her。　It　was　not　as　if　she　had　departed；　in　the　old；　easy　way；　for　somewhere　else；　he　thought；　she　was　simply　and　truly　gone。
　He　had　not　seen　Hades　for　a　long　time；　either。
　Vilkata　sensed　something。　〃Where　are　you　all　going？〃　the　man　shouted；　or　tried　to　shout。　〃I　mand　you　not　to　disappear。　Turn　round　instead；　take　me　back　down　to　the　world　of　humanity。　I'm　going　to　freeze　to　death　up　here！〃
　Vulcan　had　no　wish　to　put　up　with　the　man's　noise　any　longer；　or　with　his　weight　that　seemed　to　grow　and　grow；　and　the　god　cast　the　blind；　mewing　man　aside；　down　a　cliff　into　frozen　oblivion；　and　moved　on。
　The　Smith　summoned　up　his　determination；　trying　now　to　regain　the　purpose　with　which　he　had　begun　this　climb；　long　days　ago。　He　mused　aloud：　〃It　was　near　here　…　near　here　somewhere　…　that　I　built　my　forge；　to　make　the　Swords。　I　piled　up　logs；　earth…wood；　and　lit　them　from　the　volcanic　fires　below。　If　only　I　could　find　my　forge　again。。。〃
　Presently　he　realized　that　he　was　now　alone；　the　man　having　gone　down　a　cliff　somewhere；　the　last　of　his　divine　panions　having　vanished；　as　if　evaporated　upon　the　wind。　The　last　wrangling　voice　of　them　had　been　chilled　down　to　silence。
　But　not　quite　the　last。
　〃Then　who　created　THEM？〃　the　Smith　bellowed；　hurling　forth　the　question　like　a　challenge　to　the　universe；　at　the　top　of　his　aching；　newly　perishable　lungs。
　He　looked　ahead。
　There　was　something；　or　someone；　lying　in　wait　for　him；　beyond　that　last　convoluted　corner　of　black　rock。　Some　new　power；　or　ancient　one；　e　to　claim　the　world？　Or　only　the　wind？
　He　was　afraid　to　look。
　The　whole　world　was　cold　now。　The　Smith　could　feel　the　awful　cold　turning　against　him；　feel　it　as　easily　and　painfully　as　the　weakest　human　might。
　He　wanted　to　look　around　the　corner　of　the　rock；　but　he　could　not。　He　was　afraid。　Just　in　front　of　him；　volcanic　heat　and　gas　belched　up；　turning　snow　and　ice　into　black　slush　in　a　moment。
　Vulcan　lurched　forward；　seeking　warmth。　He　fell　on　his　hands　and　knees。　Dying；　in　what　seemed　to　him　the　first　cold　morning　of　the　world；　he　groped　for　fire。
　THE　END



1