sheritepper.necromancer nine-第22部分
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in Schlaizy Noithn； she shook her head。
〃We call it the monument of Thandbar； true。 Howsomever； it is as much a nursery as anything else。 Many of those there are new e to their Talents； or very young； or limited。 Sambeline has only three shapes； her own； a pombi； and an owl。 Many there are were…owls or were…pombis。 Some there are experimentalists； madmen or women who cannot adapt to the Talent at all； who shift and bee locked into strangeness。 Roads which move。 Speaking hillocks。 Some experiment themselves into shapes they cannot get out of。 I think Castle Lament was one such。 I have long thought it would be worthwhile to have a few Immutables available to unlock them； but I have been unable to convince the Immutables of that。〃
〃They have no fondness for Gamesmen。〃 I yawned。 〃Though Riddle has been very kind to me。〃
〃Well； perhaps we can call upon that kindness e someday。 Tell me of my kindred？ Is Mertyn well？ Does he plot still with Himaggery and old Windlow？〃
I cursed myself。 She didn't know。 I had sat by her fire eating and drinking for an hour； and she did not know。 I blurted it all out； the disappearances； Himaggery gone； Windlow gone； Mertyn in the Bright Demesne。 She looked at me frozen…faced with suspicious wetness at the corner of one eye。
〃Himaggery vanished！ Oh； Gameslords； but I feared it would happen。 He is a sweet man； full of juice as ripe fruit。〃 She paused； and then said； 〃He is your father。 I remember him kindly always； though he does not so remember me。 He would have had me stay with him and live with him like some pawnish wife of a farmer； me； Mavin Manyshaped； for whom the world is not too large！ So I left him against his will and he likes me no longer。〃
〃Does he know？ Did he 。。。 I mean； that he is my father？〃
〃Oh； knowing I am your mother and what your age is。 he should have figured it out。 Yes。 I should think so。 Not that it matters。 Which is what I told him； but he was full of pawnish ideas。 Enough。 Whether he likes me well or not at all； still I would not have him vanished into the shadows like so many of our friends。 Mertyn did well to send you to me。 Now。 What's to do about this。〃
〃Mertyn wanted me to find them； search for them。 He told me to ask for them wherever I went； as Necromancer 。〃
〃Tush。 Those who are vanished in this way are not dead。 We had figured that out a decade ago。 Nor do they live； for the Pursuivants cannot find them。 No； it is into the Land of Dingold they have gone； the place of shadows； and it is there we must Shift to find them。 Nap； now； he knows something； you may be sure。〃
This abrupt change of subject caught me by surprise； and seeing this； she pointed down from the height we sat upon to the place below； slowly emerging into the light as the shadow of the precipice grew shorter。 I peered down at strangeness； stranger even than Schlaizy Noithn； for it looked like nothing I had seen before that time； a weirdness lying below us at the foot of the cliff。 If a giant child had built a mud…spider out of shreds and threads； rat fur and murk； then set it upon a stone dish with its legs arrayed full circle around it and its eyes glittering in all directions； this might have been likened to what I saw。 Then； if the child had built bulky mud towers between the spider's legs； each tower with doors at the bottom in the shape of faces； each face a maw opening into the dark…why then； that might have been likened to what I saw。 Then； if the child had surrounded it all with a saw…edged wall and set the whole thing in quivering motion…well； that was the place。 Smoke rose from it。 Clangor sounded from it； soft with distance。 The faces upon the tower doors grimaced； eyes first open then shut。 The spider turned its eyes this way and that； the whole a clot； a bulk of dark in the light of morning。
〃What is it？〃 I whispered； unbelieving。
〃The Blot；〃 she said。 〃To which Gifters e。 Nap among them。〃
〃Gifters！〃
〃Traders。 They call themselves Traders。 They are Gifters nonetheless。 They bring certain things here； they take certain things from here。 The things they take from here they sell； sometimes。 Often they give。〃
〃Is this…the place of magicians？〃
〃What do you know of magicians？〃 she demanded。
〃Only what is said in the marketplace。 What Gamesmaster Gervaise said。 What Laggy Nap said。 That there may be； perhaps； a place of magicians to the west。 Gervaise says the little cold Gamespieces e from there。 Nap says no such thing； but we both know he is a liar。〃
〃Some call the place below there a place of magicians。 But there are no Gamesmen there。 No Immutables。 Only a few very strange beings which stay there and other strange creatures which e and go。 And soon now； Nap again。 He es regularly； and last time he came here； he left here with your cousins in his train。〃
〃My cousins？〃 I remembered two grinning faces under flame…red hair； peering down at me from a height before the battle at Bannerwell。 〃My cousins？ With Nap？〃
〃Your cousins。 Swolwys and Dolwys。 Twins。 Scamps。 But better Shifters than any you met in Schlaizy Noithn。 They have not your advantages； no Gamesmen of Barish to call upon （as I presume you did in Castle Lament； as I intended） but good boys for all that。 I sent them to join Nap's train the last time he came to the Blot； and I let them go and return by that road to the north。
If we had no other evidence； the fact that Nap travels that road would tell us what he is。 Past Poffle。 Too close。 But they should return soon。〃
She was staring away to the north where a pair of ruts wound around the edge of the plateau and disappeared。 Following her gaze I could see a plume of dust there。 Someone was upon that road； certainly； and it came in only the one direction； toward the place below。
〃There they are。 Still some hours away； ing no faster than the pace of their water oxen。 So； if I were you； my son； I'd sleep a while。 Drink the rest of your wineghost and take your full stomach into my cavern yonder。 I will call you when they e。〃 She gestured toward a half hidden entrance I had not noticed before。 I was too weary to argue； so let her push me in that direction。
When I came to the cave entrance； I looked back expecting to see her still watching from the prominence； but it was bare。 High above me circled a huge bird with wings as long as I am tall。 It cried my name and dipped toward me； then caught a current of air to carry it north。 It was very beautiful in the sun； white and gleaming； trailing plumes graceful as smoke。 I went into the cave with a feeling of exquisite sadness； as though ridden by a memory I could not identify。 Had I seen her so before？ Or was it something in her voice as she cried to me？ Perhaps it was only the spirit in my blood； the aftermath of anger。 I was asleep as soon as I lay down。
She woke me in the late afternoon； shaking me and offering some warm brew from a simmering pot by the fire。 〃They have stopped；〃 she said。 〃It is as though Nap is not eager to e to the Blot。 They have e almost to the wall； however； and you can see them easily from the pinnacle。〃
So I went onto the pinnacle once more to watch the pact circle of wagons near the cinereous walls。 The animals were unhitched and led away to a patch of tall meadow grass near the bottom of the long slope。 Mavin watched the animals with curious intensity。 Until that moment I had given no thought as to what guise my cousins had taken in Nap's train。 Now her focused gaze told me where they were and in what shape。 A pair of oxen grazed away from the others； toward a stony place heavy with obscuring shadows； grazed around； behind them； and was gone。 A rustle among small trees marked their passage。
〃They will be here momentarily；〃 she said with satisfaction。 〃Perhaps we may learn something There was the sound of plodding on the trail； silence； and then they appeared around the high stone； precisely as I remembered them。 Broad…faced； red…haired； with grins of the same width on lips of the same shape。 One of them had an interesting scar over one eye。 Otherwise they were identical。 The scarred one pointed to his identifying mark。
〃Swolwys；〃 he said。 〃I keep the scar to make it easier for others to address me by name。 It is eas
