sheritepper.necromancer nine-第20部分

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a　door　at　the　far　side　of　the　room　opened　and　that　which　had　inhabited　the　room　flowed　away。　　Behind　it　the　door　shut　with　that　absolute　finality　I　had　heard　over　and　over　again。
　〃It　knew　someone　was　here；''　whispered　Didir　within。　〃But　it　did　not　know　where　you　were。〃　　　I　slid　down　the　wall　to　lie　in　a　puddle　at　its　base；　a　puddle　in　which　the　little　pouch　which　held　the　Gamesmen　of　Barish　seemed　the　only　solid　thing。　
　〃Pull　yourself　together；　boy；〃　　said　Didir　sternly。　〃Give　me　a　shape　I　can　think　in！〃　She　slapped　at　me；　a　quiver　of　electric　pain　which　cared　nothing　for　the　shape　I　was　in。　I　struggled　into　the　form　of　furred…Peter；　placed　the　Gamesmen　in　my　pocket　and　waited。　Far　off　and　receding　came　the　clamor　of　the　great　doors。　　I　eavesdropped　then　upon　a　conversation　among　ghosts。　Dorn　and　Didir；　Wafnor　and　Shattnir；　with　Trandilar　as　an　interested　observer；　all　talking　at　once；　or　trying　to；　as　I　tried　to　stay　out　of　my　own　head　enough　to　give　them　room。　It　went　on　for　a　long　time；　too　long；　for　down　the　echoing　corridors　the　sounds　of　the　doors　returned。
　〃Enough；〃　I　snapped；　patience　worn　thin。　〃None　of　you　is　listening　to　the　others。　Be　still。　Let　me　have　the　use　of　my　head！〃　There　was　a　surprised　silence　and　a　sense　almost　of　withdrawal；　perhaps　amused　withdrawal。　I　didn't　care。　Let　them　laugh　at　me　as　they　would。　It　was　my　body　I　needed　to　protect。
　I　set　out　my　findings　as　Gamesmaster　Gervaise　had　once　taught　me；　high　in　the　cold　aeries　of　Schooltown；　setting　out　the　known；　the　extrapolated；　the　merely　guessed。　〃Didir　finds　no　mind　in　this　place。　If　there　were　a　mind；　Didir　would　find　it；　therefore；　there　is　no　mind　here。　Nonetheless；　we　are　in　a　place　which　shows　evidence　of　intelligence；　of　design；　a　place　which　probably　did　not　occur　by　accident　or　out　of　confusion。　Therefore；　if　there　is　no　mind　now；　at　one　time　there　was。　If　it　is　not　here；　it　is　gone…or　elsewhere。〃　I　waited　to　be　contradicted；　but　those　within　kept　silent。
　I　went　on　obstinately；　〃Despite　all　this；　there　is　something　in　the　place；　something　primordial　and　evil；　which　allows　outsiders　to　e　in　but　will　not　let　them　out　again。　It　is　a　trap；　a　mindless　trap；　inhabited　by　what？〃
　〃A　devil？〃　The　voice　was　Wafnor's；　doubtful。
　〃What　are　devils？〃　asked　Didir。　　Silence。
　〃What　is　left　when　the　mind　dies？〃　This　was　Dorn；　thoughtful。　〃If　the　body　were　to　go　on　living；　after　the　mind　were　dead　I　thought。　　Beneath　Bannerwell；　in　the　dungeons　there；　after　the　great　battle；　we　had　found　several　Gamesmen　with　living　bodies　whom　Silkhands　the　Healer　had　cried　over；　saying　they　should　be　allowed　to　die　for　their　minds　were　already　dead；　root…Read；　burned　out；　leaving　only　what　she　called　living　meat。　They　had　breathed；　swallowed；　stared　with　sightless　eyes　at　nothing。　Himaggery　had　let　her　have　her　way；　and　she　had　sent　them　into　kind　sleep。　Didir　read　my　memory　of　this。　　　
　〃What　mind　does　the　lizard　have　upon　the　rock？〃　she　asked。　〃What　mind　the　crocodilian　in　the　mire？　Mind　enough　to　eat；　to　 breathe；　to　fight；　to　hold　its　own　territory　against　others　of　its　kind…of　any　kind。　So　much；　no　more。　No　reason；　no　imagination。〃　　
　〃How　long；〃　breathed　Dorn。　〃How　long　could　it　survive？〃　　　　
　〃Forever；〃　whispered　Didir。　〃Why　not？　What　enemies　could　stand　against　it？〃　　　
　''So；　I　questioned　them；　''the　creator　of　this　place　is　。。。　dead？　Perhaps　long　dead？　　But　something　of　。。。　it　。。。　survives；　some　ancient；　very　primitive　part？〃　
　Outside　the　room　the　hissing　began；　the　door　began　to　open。　I　flowed　across　the　wall　once　more；　quickly；　for　it　entered　the　room　in　one　hideous　rush　of　fury。　I　sensed　something　which　sought　the　intruder；　something　ready　to　rend　and　tear。　This　time　it　stayed　within　the　room　for　a　long；　restless　time；　turning　again　and　again　to　examine　the　room；　the　surfaces　of　it；　the　smell　and　taste　of　it。　Terrified　time　passed　until　at　last　it　flowed　away　again；　out　the　other　door；　away　down　the　corridors　of　the　place。　　　
　〃How　do　we　stop　it？〃　They　did　not　answer　me。　〃e；〃　I　demanded。　〃Help　me　think！　Was　the　place　built？　Or　is　it　rather　like　that　hillside　I　sat　upon　which　spoke　to　me？　Are　we　within　the　body　of　a　Shifter？〃　　
　〃It　doesn't　matter。〃　said　Wafnor。　〃Call　upon　my　ancestor；　Hafnor；　the　Elator；　who　is　among　the　Gamesmen。　Call　upon　him　and　we　will　be　transported　from　this　place　。。。　I　gritted　my　teeth　at　the　temptation。　〃Had　I　desired　that。　　I　would　have　called　him　rather　than　Grandmother　Didir。　Think　of　the　stone　heads。　The　beasts　in　the　gardens。　Shall　we　leave　them　here　forever　to　cry　out　their　pain？〃　This　was　presumptuous　of　me；　but　I　had　resolved　that　no　cry　for　help　would　find　me　wanting　in　the　future。　The　fate　of　Himaggery　and　Windlow…and；　perhaps；　Izia…burned　too　deep　within　me；　the　guilt　too　fresh　to　allow　another　yet　fresher。　I　felt　them　move　within　me；　uneasily；　and　it　made　me　feel　dizzy　and　weak；　depleted　of　power。　　　
　〃Ah；　well；〃　said　Wafnor　from　within。　〃If　we　cannot　find　the　mind；　then　we　must　attack　the　body。〃
　I　felt　him　reaching　out　with　his　arms　of　force；　out　and　out　to　a　far；　slender　tower　upon　the　boundary　of　the　building；　felt　him　push　at　it　using　all　the　power　Shattnir　had　built　up　for　him。　The　tower　swayed；　rocked；　began　to　fall。　From　somewhere　in　that　vast　bulk　came　a　screaming　hiss；　a　horrid　cacophony　of　furious　sound；　a　drum　roll　of　doors　opening　and　closing　down　the　long　corridors　toward　that　tower。　Like　a　whip；　Wafnor's　power　came　back　to　us；　reached　once　more；　this　time　in　the　opposite　direction。　He　found　a　curtain　wall　over　a　precipice　and　began　to　hollow　the　earth　from　beneath　it；　swiftly；　letting　the　stone　and　soil　tumble　downward　as　the　bottom　layers　weakened。　I　felt　the　wall　begin　to　go；　slowly；　leaning　outward　in　one　vast　sheet　which　cracked　and　shattered　onto　the　stones　far　below。　Within　the　castle　the　sound　of　fury　redoubled；　a　rushing　of　wind　went　through　the　place　from　end　to　end；　seeking　us；　searching　for　us。　The　hissing　grew　to　a　roar；　a　frenzied　tumult。
　〃The　thing　is　hurt；〃　said　Didir。　〃See　the　doors。。。〃
　Indeed；　the　doors　stood　open　into　the　corridor；　open　here　and　there　up　and　down　that　corridor；　moving　as　though　in　a　wind；　uncertain　whether　to　open　further　or　close　tight。　Wafnor　reached　out　once　more；　this　time　to　a　point　of　the　wall　midway　between　his　two　former　assaults；　once　more　undermining　the　wall　to　let　it　shatter　onto　the　mosaic　paving　in　a　thunder　of　broken　stone。　The　door　before　us　began　to　bang；　again　and　again；　a　cannonade　of　sound。　Between　one　bang　and　the　next　came　a　long；　rumbling　roar；　and　the　stone　heads　burst　through　the　open　door　to　ricochet　from　wall　to　wall；　side　to　side；　screaming；　eyes　open；　stone　lips　pouring　forth　guttural　agonies。　The　clamor　increased；　and　they　rolled　away；　still　shrieking；　as　Wafnor　began　to　work　on　the　fourth　side　of　the　castle。　The　walls　of　the　room　began　to　buckle。
　〃It　is　striking　at　itself；〃　whispered　Didir。　I　pulled　myself　across　the　room；　onto　the　opposite　wall；　watching　and　listening　with　every　fiber。　The　wall　opposite　me　breathed　inward；　bulging；　broke　into　fragments　upon　the　floor　and　through　it　into　the　endless　halls　below。　Then　Wafnor　came　back　to　me；　and　we　did　not　move；　did　not　need　to　move；　for　around　us　Castle　Lament　pursued　its　angry　self…destruction；　biting　at　itself；　striking　at　itself　in　suicidal　frenzy。　Walls　crumbled；　ceilings　fell；　great　beams　cracked　in　two　to　thrust　shattered　ends　at　the　sky　like　broken　bones。　Then；　suddenly；　beam　and　stone　and　plaster　began　to　fade；　to　blur；　to　stink　with　the　stink　of　corruption。　Gouts　of　putrescence　fell　upon　us；　rottenness　boiled　around　us。　I　rolled　into　myself；　made　a　shell；　floated　upon　that　corruption　like　a　nut；　waited；　heard　the　scream　of　that　which　died　with　Castle　Lament　fade　into　silence；　gone；　gone。　　
　When　the　silence　was　broken　by　the　songs　of　birds。　I　unrolled　myself　into　furred…Peter　once　more。　I　stood　upon　a　blasted　hill；　upon　a　soil　of　ash　and　cinder；　gray　and　hard；　upon　which　nothing　grew。　Here　and　there　one　stone　stood　upon　another；　wrenched　and　shattered；　like　skeletal　remains。　Elsewhere　nothing；　nothing　except　the　stone　heads；　the　stone　beasts；　silent　now；　with　dead　eyes。　I　kicked　at　one　of　them　and　it　fell　into　powder　to　reveal　the　skull　within。