sheritepper.necromancer nine-第10部分

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from　the　constant　horror　of　it。　We　cannot　sleep　by　night　because　of　the　howling；　and　we　cannot　sleep　by　day　or　we　will　all　starve。　I；　myself；　think　it　might　be　better　to　starve。　My　father　said　he　would　rather　starve　than　have　me　raped；　but　my　mother　said　nonsense；　the　girl　must　be　raped　because　it　is　the　law。〃
　I　dropped　the　cup　and　heard　it　echo　hollowly　from　under　the　bed　where　it　rocked　to　and　fro　making　clanking　sounds。　〃Raped！　By　whom？〃
　〃By　you；　sir。　Or；　rather；　by　nobody。〃
　I　sat　upon　the　side　of　the　bed　and　reached　for　the　cup　with　my　foot。　〃Sylbie；　pour　more　wine。　Then　sit　here　beside　me　and　tell　me　what　you　have　just　said。　I　am　quite　young；　and　I　do　not　understand　anything　you　have　said。〃
　〃Oh；　sir；〃　she　said；　falling　to　her　knees　to　fetch　the　cup；　〃truly　you　are　very　stupid。　I　have　already　told　you。　But　I　will　tell　you　again。〃
　〃It　was　two　years　ago　last　Festival　that　the　Necromancer　came　to　Betand。　He　was　an　old　man；　and　he　amused　the　crowd　at　the　Festival　by　raising　small　spirits　（some　said　it　was　forbidden　for　him　to　do　so　during　Festival；　and　was　the　cause　of　all　our　woe）　which　danced　and　sang　like　little　windy　shadows。　Well；　one　night　he　was　drinking　at　the　Dirty　Girdle；　a　tavern　which；　my　mother　says；　has　a　well　deserved　reputation；　and　he　got　into　an　argument　with　the　tavern　keeper；　a　man　as　foul　of　mouth　as　his　kitchen　floor；　so　says　my　mother。　Doryon；　the　Necromancer；　would　not　take　besting　in　any　battle　of　words；　so　my　father　says；　and　so　decided　to　place　a　haunting　upon　the　tavern。　He　was　very　drunk；　sir；　very　drunk。
　〃So　he　rose　to　his　feet　and　made　some　gestures；　speaking　some　certain　words；　at　which；　so　my　father　says；　the　whole　pany　within　the　place　trembled；　for　he　had　summoned　up　a　monstrous　spirit　which　fulminated　and　gorbled　in　the　middle　of　the　air；　spinning。　Then；　so　my　father　says；　did　the　old　Necromancer　clutch　at　his　chest　and　fall　like　an　axed　tree　down；　straight；　stiff　as　a　dried　fish　and　dead　as　one；　too。
　〃But　the　haunting　he　had　raised　up　went　on　boiling　and　fetching；　sir；　growing　darker　and　mere　roily　until　at　last　it　began　to　howl；　and　it　howled　its　way　out　of　the　tavern　and　into　the　streets　of　Betand　where　it　has　howled　and　howled　until　this　night。〃
　〃But；〃　I　said；　〃why　was　not　some　other　Necromancer　brought　to　settle　the　revenant？　What　one　can　raise；　surely　another　can　put　down。　Or　so　I　have　always　been　taught。〃
　〃Sir；　it　was　thought　so。　But　Doryon　was　very　drunk；　and　the　Necromancers　who　came　after　said　he　had　raised　no　dead　spirit　from　the　past　but　had；　instead；　raised　up　some　spirit　yet　unborn；　twisted　in　time　and　brought　untimely　to　Betand。　None　of　them　knew　how　to　twist　it　out　of　being　and　into　the　future　again。〃
　〃So。　And　so。　And　so　what　is　the　what　of　that？〃　I　was　baffled；　mystified。　〃What　has　that　to　do　with　being　raped　because　it　is　the　law？〃
　She　shook　her　head　at　me　as　though　I　should　have　seen　the　whole　matter　clearly　by　this　time。　〃If　it　is　the　spirit　of　one　unborn；　then　it　is　in　the　interest　of　the　city　that　it　bee　born　as　soon　as　possible。　Which　means　that　every　woman　of　Betand　able　to　bear　must　bear　at　every　opportunity。〃
　〃But　rape；〃　I　protested　feebly。　〃Why？〃
　〃Because　all　sexual　congress　except　between　married　persons　is　defined　as　rape　in　the　laws　of　Betand。　Marriages　cannot　be　entered　into　lightly　for　mere　convenience。　There　are　matters　of　property；　of　family；　of　alliance。　It　takes　years；　sometimes；　to　work　out　the　agreements　and　settlements　and　the　contracts。〃
　〃So　they　expect　me　to　rape　you；　to　break　the　laws　of　the　city？〃
　〃Oh；　truly　you　are　very　stupid；　sir。　Nobody　will　break　the　laws。　Did　they　not　say　you　were　nobody？　How　can　nobody　break　a　law？　It　is　manifestly　impossible；　so　says　my　mother。　We　of　Betand　do　not　change　our　laws　readily；　so　says　my　father；　but　we　interpret　them　to　our　needs。〃
　〃I　see。　At　least；　I　think　I　see。〃　I　was　not　sure；　but　it　had　begun　to　make　a　weird　kind　of　sense。
　〃I　hope　so；〃　she　said；　wearily　taking　off　her　jacket。　〃You　look　far　less　dirty　than　the　drover。〃　Removing　her　blouse；　〃That　is；　if　one　may　choose　among　nobodies。〃
　My　throat　was　dry。　I　could　think　of　nothing　to　say　to　her；　nothing　at　all。　While　I　poured　wine　and　drank　it；　she　removed　all　of　her　clothing　except　a　filmy　thing　which　began　halfway　down　her　front　and　ended　above　her　knees。　It　did　little　to　hide　the　rest　of　her。　Knowing　my　history；　you　will　believe　it　when　I　say　she　was　the　first　female　person　I　had　seen　so　unclothed。　Silkhands　the　Healer；　even　when　she　traveled　across　the　country　with　us；　had　never　been　so　unclad。　Now　that　she　was　bare；　Sylbie　seemed　not　to　know　what　to　do　next。　I　offered　her　wine；　and　we　gulped　at　it　together；　each　as　unfortable　as　the　other。
　〃Have　you　had　lots　of　women？〃　she　whispered　in　a　voice　which　seemed　hopeful　of　an　affirmative　answer。
　Imanaged　to　say；　〃Ummm；〃　in　a　vaguely　encouraging　tone。
　〃I　didn't　want　to　be　fumbled　at；〃　she　said　through　tears。
　〃Urnmm；〃　sympathetically。
　〃I　think　it　might　help　if　I　knew　your　name。
　〃P…Peter。〃
　〃Well；　Peter；　it's　a　fort　that　you　know　about　。。。　everything。　My　mother　says　that　will　make　it　much　easier；〃　she　said；　then　she　threw　herself　sobbing　onto　the　pillows。
　Iwasam　a　fearfully　stupid　person。　Until　that　instant　I　had　not　considered　the　Gamesmen　of　Barish　which　were　in　the　pouch　at　my　belt。　Among　them　was　the　eidolon　of　Trandilar；　great　Queen；　Goddess　of　beguilement　and　passion。　I　had　taken　that　eidolon　once　before；　outside　the　shattered　walls　of　Bannerwell。　I　had　not　thought　of　it　since；　had　rejected　use　of　it；　had　tried　to　pretend　it　had　never　happened。　Now；　faced　with　the　sodden　misery　before　me；　I　could　not　in　conscience　ignore　Trandilar　longer。　Peter；　rude　boy　would　indeed　〃fumble　at　her。〃　Only　Trandilar　offered　any　hope　for　something　less　than　agony　for　us　both。　My　hand　found　the　Gamespiece　without　trying；　as　though　it　rushed　into　my　hand。　I　knew　then　what　to　do　and　how　to　do　it　as　the　lizard　knows　the　sun。
　〃e；〃　I　said　to　the　girl；　laughing。　〃Let　us　have　some　of　this　good　supper　the　matron　has　left　us。　Tell　me　about　your　family。　Eyes　like　yours　are　too　lovely　to　spoil　with　tears。〃　（Was　this　Peter　speaking？　Surely。　If　not　Peter；　then　who？　Nobody？）
　Tears　were　wiped　away。　Wine　was　drunk　and　food　eaten；　fire　allowed　to　warm　skin　to　a　roseate　gleaming。　Bodies　allowed　to　huddle　together　for　fort　when　the　howling　came；　to　seek　the　softness　of　the　mattresses　and　quilts；　to　burrow；　explore；　touch；　wonder　at；　murmur　at。　Alone；　I　would　have　made　all　stiff；　plex；　and　hateful；　but　with　Trandilar　all　merely　occurred。　I　seem　to　recall　some　howls　from　within　the　room；　but　I　cannot　be　sure。　It　was　of　no　matter。
　When　I　awoke；　I　found　her　staring　at　me；　the　tears　running　down　her　cheeks　once　again。
　〃Why　are　you　crying？　What's　the　matter？〃
　〃They　will　arrange　a　marriage　for　me；〃　she　sobbed；　〃with　someone　awful；　and　it　will　never　be　like　this　again。〃
　Oh；　Trandilar。　Is　nothing　ever　as　it　should　be？
　Later　that　morning　the　Midwife　came　to　the　door　of　our　room；　as　the　matron　had　said　she　would。　The　dress　of　a　midwife　is　red；　with　a　white　cowl　and　owl's　feathers　in　a　crest。　She　stared　at　me。　then　laid　hands　upon　Sylbie　with　an　expression　of　fierce　concentration　before　shaking　her　head　and　turning　away　without　a　word。　At　which　Sylbie　turned　unwontedly　cheerful；　as　suddenly　as　she　had　bee　teary　before。
　〃You　must　stay　another　night；〃　she　crowed。　〃Nothing　happened。〃
　I　replied；　somewhat　stiffly；　that　I　felt　a　good　deal　had　happened；　at　which　she　was　properly　giggly。　I　had　not　known　before　that　girls　were　giggly。　Boys　are；　young　boys；　that　is；　in　the　dormitories　of　the　schools。　Perhaps　girls　are　allowed　to　retain　some　childhood　habits　and　joys　which　boys　are　not。　Or　perhaps　it　is　only　that　male　Gamesmen　are　so　driven　by　Talent…but　no。　The　whole　matter　was　too　plex　to　think　out。　At　any　rate；　the　matron　came　again　to　give　us　leave　toga　into　the　market　while　she　arranged　for　the　room　to　be　cleaned　and　food　brought　in。　So　the　day　went　by　and　another　night　during　which　I　had　no　real　need　of　Trandilar；　and　another　morning　with　Sylbie　weeping；　for　this　time　the　Midwife　nodded；　the　owl　feathers　bobbing　upon　her　head。　A　child　would　be　forthing；　it　seemed；　and　the