sheritepper.necromancer nine-第17部分
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Chirrup；〃 my guide called。 〃Thrufarufarufarufamf〃
We walked as on a road of glass。 The appearance of fire was only reflection from the geysers and fountains to either side。 Rivers of fire ran beside us。 Heaped mountains of half molten stuff built into fantastic shapes。 From these came heat as from a furnace； but upon the road we walked it was cool。 We seemed to be crossing a narrow neck of the fiery land between two towering heights crowned with spouting smoke which boiled upward toward the bloody cloud； hideous and heavy with ash and rain。 Before me the little ones began to run； gamboling from side to side of the way。 〃Chirrup； chirrup； Peter； eater； ter； ter。〃
An answering call came from ahead。 We ventured between the last flaming fountains to emerge upon a hillside； green and cool； with a steady wind blowing the heat away and a glint of water showing among the trees。 The little ones leapt on； me laboring after them； wishing I had taken time to pack properly and roll my blankets so they would not fall around my feet。 As it was； I arrived in a shambling rush； half tripped up by trailing bedstuffs； red…faced from the heat and the hurry； to fall on my face before the one who awaited us。 She did me the discourtesy of laughing rudely。
〃Rise； Sir Gamesman；〃 she said； sneering at the tumbled stuff around me。 She turned away to hold a multisyllabled conversation with the quadrumanna which seemed to much delight them； for they giggled endlessly and rolled upon the ground clutching at themselves。
〃I have asked them；〃 she said； 〃if you are one of the mythical tumble…bats who roll themselves endlessly through the world not knowing their heads from their tails。 They are inclined to believe this； though they say you are a good provider and are； possibly the one whose travel was arranged for by Mavin Manyshaped。 Are you indeed he？〃
〃She is my mother；〃 I said wearily。
〃Ah。 Well then； you are he。 Mavin has not so many sons that we would mistake one of them for another。 Your name would be Peter？〃
〃Yes。 And yours？〃
〃You may call me Thynbel； or Sambeline。 Or anything else you would rather。〃
I grasped at the last name。 Sambeline。 Did my mother arrange for you to meet me？〃
〃Indeed； no。 She arranged for me to meet the people of Proom to pay them for their trouble in guiding you here。 Though they say they are already well paid since they have your horse。〃
〃My horse？ What will they do with my horse？〃
〃It may be they will sell him； but I think they will eat him。〃 I could think of no reply to this。 It was not a horse I had loved or cared for； but still； it was a good horse。 A well…trained horse。 A horse which had served me well。 〃If you pay them； would they consent not to eat the horse？〃
〃It may be。 Or I may pay them and they may eat the horse regardless。 But I will try for you。〃
So she did； engaging in a lengthy and intricate argument； full of words which echoed themselves endlessly。 At last the little people giggled a final round； held out their hands for their pay； and had put into those hands a wealth of silvery bells and metal flutes； bright as the sun。 They clasped my legs； slapped my sides； called me 〃Peter； eater； ter； ter〃 one last time and went capering back down the trail of false fire into the distant dawn。
Sambeline waved at them； turned to me； saying； 〃They say they will turn the horse loose in the meadows until you return。 Peter。 They may do that。 They may forget。 They may do it and then forget and eat it later。 They forget a lot； those little ones。 They forget where they put their bells and flutes。 They lose them by the dozens。 So they are always eager for more and are willing to be paid。 If they did not lose things； they would not work for us at all。 Now they will have music for a time and sing many long songs of their trip to the firelands with the son of Mavin Manyshaped。〃
I finished packing my things into more pact bundles and strapped them together into a pack I could carry。 She made no offer to help； merely sneered at these efforts。 I said； 〃I must needs go further； but you say you are not my guide？〃
〃No。 I will go with you a short way。 You are in the land of Schlaizy Noithn； the land of the Shifters。 None can guide you here。 This is Schlaizy Noithn and no roads run the same here。 Not for long。 Where do you want to go？''
I sat upon the pack。 The dawn had uncovered a green land； forested； flowing with rivers and spotted with pools and lakes。 It lay beneath the height on which we stood； stretching north and west in a lovely bowl which cupped at the edge of vision to other heights。 〃I seek the monument of Thandbar；〃 I said。 〃Can you tell me where to find it？〃
〃You think unshifterish；〃 she mented； 〃when you ask where in Schlaizy Noithn you would find the monument of Thandbar。〃
I thought on this。 It made a certain kind of sense。 Thandbar had been the first and greatest of Shifters。 Surely his memorial would not be a stable； unchanging thing。 It would change； move； shift。 〃If you had to find it；〃 tasked her； 〃where would you look？〃
〃Up and down； here and there； among； between； around； in and out of；〃 she said。
〃Upon；〃 I offered。 〃Within； beneath； through and over。〃
〃Exactly。〃 she replied。 〃That is more shifterish。 There may be hope for Mavin's outland son。〃
5。 Schlaizy Noithn
During the time that followed I learned of shifterish behavior； and thoughts； and habits。 How could this be summed up so that you will understand； you of the world in which mountains do not walk and roadways do not run； you of the world in which you wake in the same place you have slept； find your way by landmarks； travel by maps and charts？ Having made one journey in the little lake ship； I had seen； though learned nothing of the art of； guidance by the stars。 In Schlaizy Noithn； that is what I did； for nothing but the stars remained unchanging through the nights and days of travel。 I despair of explaining 〃shifterish〃 to you except to say that it is difficult for one reared in a Schooltown。 And yet； from what I learned later； that rearing had been a mercy my Mother had given me which many young Shifters would have been glad to receive。 Well； there is no better way to tell it than to tell it； as Chance would have said。 So I will tell。
I entered the country of Schlaizy Noithn with Sambeline walking beside me。 I said something or other； and she replied； making a remark about Mavin being much respected there； and after a short silence I turned to say something to her but found a huge； shambling pombi walking beside me； its monstrous head swinging to and fro with each step； long tongue lolloped between fangs of curved ivory。 I was too frightened to do anything。 My first thought was that this beast had killed Sambeline and left her bleeding body somewhere behind us； but when the beast looked up at me abstractedly before leaving the path to climb a hollow tree； to which it clung with one great； clawed foot while dipping into the hollow with the other to suck the honey…dripping paw with every evidence of pleasure； I began to guess that pombi and Sambeline were one。 When the pombi blurred； shifted； and flew away through the trees on wide wings of softest white； calling a two pitched oo…ooo as it went； when the honey tree shock itself and moved away through the forest on roots suddenly as flexible as fingers； leaving me alone； then I began to know what shifterish meant。 I began to understand why it was that Sambeline had sneered at my belongings。 Does a pombi need a blanket？ A cookpot？ A firestarter？ I put down the pack and stared at it； unwilling to leave it and yet sure it marked me as nothing else could…stranger； outsider； outlander。 Was this dangerous or otherwise？ I could not tell。
Among the Gamesmen of Barish there were sixteen tiny figures representing Shifters。 In an ordinary set of Gamesmen； such as are given to children for their little two…space games； these would be the pawns。 In my set； Shifters； and one of them； or perhaps all of them held the persona of Thandbar； old sent…far himself； shiftiest of all。 Presumably none of this would have been strange to him； and yet I never thought of taking a Shifter figure into my hand； never considered it。 Later I wondered why I had not done。 It
