sheritepper.necromancer nine-第21部分

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nt　now；　with　dead　eyes。　I　kicked　at　one　of　them　and　it　fell　into　powder　to　reveal　the　skull　within。　It；　too；　stared　at　me　with　vacant　sockets；　and　I　wept。　
　〃Shhh；〃　said　Didir　within。　〃It　does　not　suffer。〃　　　At　the　foot　of　the　hill；　two　trees　shivered　and　became　two　persons；　youths；　fair…haired　and　solemn。　A　pombi　walked　from　the　forest；　stood　upon　its　hind　legs　and　became　Sambeline。　A　bird　roosted　upon　one　of　the　stone　heads；　crossed　its　legs　and　leaned　head　upon　hand　to　look　at　me　with　the　eyes　of　a　middle…aged　man。　Slowly　they　assembled；　some　of　the　Shifters　of　Schlaizy　Noithn；　to　stare　at　me　and　at　the　ruins；　curiously…and　curiously　unmoved。　　At　length　I　looked　up　and　demanded　of　them；　〃How　long　was　this　place　here？〃　　The　bird　man　cocked　his　head；　mused；　said；　〃Some　thousand　years；　I　have　heard。〃
　〃What　was　it？　It　was　a　Shifter；　wasn't　it？〃
　〃I　have　heard　it　was　one　called　Thadigor。　He　was　mad。　Quite　mad。〃
　〃He　was　not　mad。〃　I　forced　them　to　meet　my　eyes。　〃He　was　dead。〃
　〃That　could　not　be；〃　said　Sambeline。　〃If　he　had　been　dead；　Castle　Lament　would　have　gone。　。　　〃No；〃　I　swore　at　them　all。　〃The　Shifter　was　dead。　His　mind　had　died　long　ago。　Only　some　vestige　of　the　body　remained；　some　primitive；　pulsive　nerve　center　which　kept　things　ticking　over；　the　fires　lit；　the　walls　mended；　doors　opening　and　closing；　holding　and　hating。　Only　that。〃　I　waited；　but　they　said　nothing。　〃How　many　of　you　has　it　taken　。。。　captured　。。。　killed？〃
　〃Few　。。。　of　us；〃　said　the　bird　man。
　〃Ah。　So　you　warned　your　own？　But　you　let　others　learn　for　themselves。　Or　die　for　themselves。　How　many　went　in？〃
　〃Thousands；〃　said　Sambeline　moodily。
　〃And　how　many　came　out？〃
　〃None；〃　said　the　bird　man。
　〃Wrong；〃　I　said。　〃They　have　all　e　out。　All。　And　now；　I　demand　of　you　an　answer　which　I　have　earned　from　you。　Where　is　the　monument　of　Thandbar？〃
　They　looked　at　one　another；　shifty　looks；　gazes　which　glanced　away　from　eyes　and　over　shoulders　to　focus　on　distant　things。
　〃I　can　do　to　others　what　I　did　to　Castle　Lament；〃　I　threatened；　softly。　〃No　matter　what　shape　you　take；　I　will　find　you。〃
　It　was　Sambeline　who　spoke；　placatingly。　〃Schlaizy　Noithn　is　the　monument　to　Thandbar；〃　she　said。　〃All　of　it。　The　whole　valley。〃
　Almost　I　laughed。　Oh；　Mavin；　I　thought。　Mother；　are　you　of　this　shifty　kindred；　this　collection　of　lick…spittle　do…nothings？　And；　if　so；　do　I　want　to　find　you　at　all？　My　eyes　went　to　the　heights。　〃Look　not　upon　it；〃　she　had　written。　Well；　if　I　look　not　upon　Schlaizy　Noithn；　I　would　look　upon　the　heights。　Somewhere　up　there。
　I　did　not　speak　to　those　who　still　stood　in　the　wreckage。　I　turned　from　them　all　and　went　away　toward　the　heights。　Behind　me　I　heard　voices　raised　briefly　in　argument。　When　I　looked　down　from　the　trail　they　had　gone。　The　valley　was　as　I　had　seen　it　first；　green；　wooded；　garlanded　with　rivers　and　jeweled　with　lakes。　At　the　edge　of　the　valley　nearest　me　was　a　scar　of　gray。　〃Bee　grass；　and　cover　it；〃　I　whispered　to　them。　〃To　hide　your　shame。〃　
　Within　me；　Didir　stirred。　〃Never　mind；〃　I　said。　Let　them　look　upon　the　scarred　earth　for　a　while。　Perhaps　it　would　make　them　think　of　something　they　should　have　done。　Or　would　have　done；　had　they　learned　any　of　the　words　old　Windlow　taught　me。
　In　that　moment　I　would　not　have　given　a　worm…eaten　fruit　for　all　the　Shifters　in　Schlaizy　Noithn。　　
　
　6。　Mavin'　s　Seat
　At　the　top　of　the　slope　a　trail　led　around　the　valley。　I　turned　toward　the　west　since　this　was　the　direction　opposite　the　one　from　which　I　had　e　into　Schlaizy　Noithn。　The　way　led　higher　and　higher；　ending　at　last　at　a　pinnacle　which　speared　out　westward　over　the　lands　beyond。　I　leaned　against　a　tree；　staring　at　the　far　horizons　from　ice…topped　mountains　in　the　south　to　a　far；　mist…　shrouded　land　in　the　north　where　the　jungly　swamps　were　to　be　found。　I　leaned；　thinking　of　nothing　much；　until　a　movement　caught　my　eye。　There　upon　the　pinnacle　was　Mavin；　crouched　above　a　fire　over　which　several　plump　birds　were　roasting。　My　mouth　filled　so　in　anticipation　of　the　taste　of　them　that　I　could　not　speak　as　I　approached。
　She　looked　up　at　me　and　snarled；　〃What　kept　you？　I　expected　you　long　since。〃
　It　was　too　much。　I　felt　the　hot　fury　build　in　me　and　blow　up　my　backbone　like　a　hard　wind。　〃How　could　you　allow　an　abomination　like　that　to　exist？〃　I　screamed　at　her。　〃Centuries　of　it。　Festering　like　a　sore！　And　you　did　nothing。　Nothing！　I　came　close　to　being　killed。　Like　the　thousands　who　were　killed！　Who　were　they？　Little　people？　Pawns？　People　of　no　consequence？　Eaten　up　in　play？　How　could　you　let　your　own　flesh　fall　into　that　trap？　How　could　you　　　　　I　sputtered　out；　made　mute　by　rage。
　She　did　not　seem　to　have　listened。　She　plopped　one　of　the　birds　upon　a　wooden　trencher；　dumped　a　spoonful　of　something　else　at　its　side；　added　a　hunk　of　bread　and　set　it　all　on　a　stone　beside　me。　〃You'll　be　hungry；〃　she　said。　〃Exorcism　is　hard　work。〃
　　I　screamed　at　her　again。　She　bit　neatly　into　a　leg　of　fowl；　using　one　finger　to　tuck　in　a　bit　of　crispy　skin。　The　smell　ravished　me。　She　said；　〃Your　dinner　will　get　cold。〃　　　
　I　raged；　howled；　strode　back　and　forth　in　a　perfect　frenzy　of　extemporaneous　eloquence。　She　went　on　eating。　At　last　the　exertion　of　the　day；　the　long　rage；　and　sheer　weariness　caught　up　with　me。　I　choked；　gagging　on　my　own　words。　At　this；　she　put　a　wooden　mug　into　my　hand。　I　thought　it　was　water；　drank　half　of　it　in　a　gulp；　then　choked　myself　into　silence。　It　was　pure　spirit　of　wine；　wineghost；　and　it　burned　away　my　fury；　sweeping　through　me　like　a　broom　through　a　midden。　
　〃Ahhg；〃　I　said。　　〃Ahhg。〃　　　
　〃Exactly。〃　She　placed　the　trencher　in　my　hands。　〃If　you　have　done　with　your　peroration；　my　son；　I　will　answer　your　charges。　How　old　do　you　think　I　am？　No。　Never　mind。　Surely　you　do　not　think　me　a　thousand　years　old？　No。　I　thought　not。　　Well；　then；　I　can　disclaim　any　responsibility　for　that　place　you　speak　of　for　at　least　nine　hundred　years。　Since　I　became　aware　of　it　as　a　curse　upon　the　valley　of　Schlaizy　Noithn；　I　have　tried　three　times　to　correct　the　matter。　I　tried　first　to　get　some　of　those　stiff…necked　Immutables　to　e　into　the　valley。　I　was　sure　the　Shifter　was　mad；　and　I　told　the　Immutables　so；　but　they　would　not　e。　None　of　their　affair；　they　said；　whether　it　ate　a　thousand　Gamesmen　or　a　thousand　thousand。　Later；　I　tried　to　get　a　noted　Healer　to　e　with　me　into　the　valley。　He　refused　me；　saying　he　felt　the　chance　of　success　was　small。　My　third　attempt　succeeded。　Castle　Lament　is　gone；　and　you　are　here；　eating　roast　fowl　and　none　the　worse　for　it。〃　　　I　stared　at　her；　unbelieving。　She　had　meant　me　to　fall　into　that。
　〃I　was　right；　wasn't　I？〃　she　asked。　〃It　was　mad？〃
　〃It　was　dead；〃　I　mumbled。　〃Dead；　and　I　could've　been　killed。〃
　〃Nonsense。　You　are　my　son。　You　are　a　Shifter。　Shifters　of　Mavin's　line　do　not　'get　killed。'　We　are　too　shifty；　too　clever；　too　sly　。。。　Besides；　you　have　help。〃
　The　wineghost　had　seeped　into　my　fingers　and　toes；　warming　and　tickling　them　into　a　feeling　almost　of　fort。　The　food　slid　down　my　throat。　I　could　not　summon　the　energy　for　anger。　〃You　got　me　drunk；〃　I　accused。
　〃I　know　how　to　deal　with　hysteria；〃　she　said　stiffly。　〃You　did　take　your　time　in　ing　to　visit　me。　Did　the　invitation　confuse　you？〃
　〃No　。。。　no。　I　wanted　to　e。　But　others　wanted　me　to　stay。　Time　went　by。〃
　〃The　journey？　Was　it　easy？〃
　〃The　worst　was　the　Trader。　I　did　think　I　might　be　killed　there。　He　tried。〃
　〃Nap？　A　smallish　man　with　a　wide　mouth？　Mouth　all　full　of　smiles　and　easy　words？　Eyes　full　of　flint　and　old　ice？　That　one？〃
　I　nodded　yes。　〃Stupid。　I　was　stupid　to　fall　in　with　him。　But　he　was　persistent。〃
　〃He　is　that。〃　Her　voice　grated。
　〃It　took　me　a　while　to　figure　out　he　wanted　to　kill　me。　Or　something　else。　I'm　not　really　sure。〃
　〃What　did　he　try？〃
　〃Drugged　wine。　Or　poisoned。　No；　I　think　drugged；　because　he　was　wild　when　I　convinced　him　I　was　dead。〃　I　went　on　to　tell　her　in　fits　and　starts　what　had　occurred　during　the　journey；　leaving　out　nothing　except　what　had　set　me　off　in　haste　to　her　in　the　first　place。　Well；　I　was　full　of　wineghost。　When　I　told　her　of　my　long　trials　in　Schlaizy　Noithn；　she　shook　her　head。
　〃We　call　it　the　monument　of　Thandbar；　true。　Howsomever；　i