sheritepper.necromancer nine-第3部分

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ls　and　crooked　roofs；　chimneys　twisting　up　to　breathe　smoke　into　the　hazy　sky；　and　the　School　Houses　on　the　ridge　above。　Havad's　House；　where　Mandor　had　been　Gamesmaster。　Dorcan's　House　across　the　way。　Bilme's　House；　where　it　was　said　Wizards；　were　taught。　Mertyn's　House　where　my　thalan　was　chief　Gamesmaster；　where　I　had　grown　up　in　the　nurseries　to　be　bullied；　by　Karl　Pig…face　and　to　love　Mandor　and　to　depart。　A　sick；　sweet　feeling　went　through　me；　half　nausea；　half　delight；　together　with　the　crazy　idea　that　I　would　ask　Mertyn　to　let　me　stay　at　the　House；　be　a　student　again。　Most　students　did　not　leave　until　they　were　twenty…five。　I　could　have　almost　a　decade　here；　in　the　peace　of　Schooltown。　I　came　to　myself　to　find　Chance　clutching　my　horse's　bridle　and　staring　at　me　in　concern。
　〃What　is　it；　boy？　You　look　as　though　you'd　been　ghost　bit。〃
　〃Nothing。〃　I　laughed；　a　bit　unsteadily。　〃A　crazy　idea；　Brother　Chance。〃
　〃You　haven't　called　me　that　since　we　left　here。〃
　〃No。　But　we're　back；　now；　aren't　we？　Don't　worry；　Chance。　I'm　all　right。〃　We　turned　the　horses　over　to　a　stable　pawn　and　went　in　through　the　small　side　door　beside　the　kitchens。　It　was　second　nature　to　do　so；　habit；　habit　to　remove　my　hat；　to　go　off　along　the　corridor　behind　Chance；　habit　to　hear　a　familiar　voice　rise　tauntingly　behind　me。
　〃Why；　if　it　isn't　old　Fat　Chance　and　Prissy　Pete；　e　back　to　go　to　School　with　us　again。〃
　I　stopped　dead　in　savage　delight。　So；　Karl　Pig…face　was　still　here。　Of　course　he　was　still　here；　along　with　all　his　fellow　tormentors。　He　had　not　seen　my　face。　Slowly　I　put　the　broad　black　bat　upon　my　head；　turned　to　face　them　where　they　hovered　in　the　side　corridor；　lips　wet　and　slack　with　anticipation　of　another　bullying。　I　was　only　a　shadow　to　them　where　I　stood。　I　shook　Chance's　restraining　hand　from　my　shoulder；　moved　toward　the　lantern　which　hung　always　just　at　that　turning。
　〃Yes；　Karl；〃　I　whispered　in　Dora's　voice。　〃It　is　Peter　e　to　School　again；　but　not　with　you。〃　Stepping　into　the　light　on　the　last　word；　letting　them　see　the　death's…head　mask；　hearing　the　indrawn　breath；　the　retching　gulp　which　was　all　Karl　could　get　out。　Then　they　were　gone；　yelping　away　like　whipped　pups；　away　to　the　corridors　and　attics。　I　laughed　silently；　overe。
　〃That　wasn't　nice；〃　said　Chance　sanctimoniously。
　〃Aaah；　Chance。〃　I　poked　him　in　his　purse；　where　the　merchants'　coins　still　clinked　fulsomely。　〃We　have　our　little　failings；　don't　we？　It　was　you　who　told　me　to　travel　as　a　Necromancer；　Chance。　I　cannot　help　it　if　it　scares　small　boys　witless。〃　My　feelings　of　sick　sweet　nostalgia　had　turned　to　ones　of　delighted　vengeance。　Karl　might　think　twice　before　bullying　a　smaller　boy　again。　I　planned　how；　before　I　left；　I　might　drive　the　point　home。
　In　order　to　reach　Mertyn's　tower　room　we　had　to　climb　past　the　schoolrooms；　the　rooms　of　the　other　Masters。　Gamesmaster　Gervaise　met　us　on　the　landing　outside　his　own　classroom；　and　he　knew　me　at　once；　seeming　totally　unawed　by　the　mask。
　〃Peter；　my　boy。　Mertyn　said　you'd　be　ing　to　visit。　He's　down　in　the　garden；　talking　to　a　tradesman　just　now。　e　in　and　have　wine　with　me　while　you　wait　for　him。　e　in；　Chance。　I　have　some　of　your　favorite　here　to　drown　the　dust　of　the　road。　I　remember　we　had　trouble　keeping　it　when　you　were　here；　Chance。　No　less　trouble　now；　but　it's　I　who　drink　it。〃　He　led　us　through　the　cold　classroom　where　the　Gamemodel　swam　in　its　haze　of　blue　to　his　own　sitting　room；　warm　with　firelight　and　sun。　〃Brrrr。〃　He　shivered　as　he　shut　the　door。　〃The　older　I　get；　the　harder　it　bees　to　bear　the　cold　of　the　game　model。　But　you　remember。　All　you　boys　have　chapped　hands　and　faces　from　it。〃
　I　shivered　in　sympathy　and　remembrance；　accepting　the　wine　he　poured。　〃You　always　had　us　work　with　the　model　when　it　was　snowing　out；　Master　Gervaise。　And　in　the　heat　of　summer；　we　never　did。〃
　〃Well；　that　seems　perverse；　doesn't　it？　It　wasn't　for　that　reason；　of　course。　In　the　summer　it's　simply　too　difficult　to　keep　the　models　cold。　We　lock　them　away　down　in　the　ice　cellar。　It　will　soon　be　too　warm　this　year。　Not　like　last　season　where　winter　went　on　almost　to　midsummer。〃　He　poured　wine　for　himself；　sat　before　the　fire。　〃Now；　tell　me　what　you've　been　doing　since　Bannerwell。　Mertyn　told　me　all　about　that。〃　He　shook　his　head　regretfully。　〃Pity　about　Mandor。　Never　trusted　him；　though。　Too　pretty。〃
　I　swirled　my　glass；　watching　the　wine　swirl　into　a　spiral　and　climb　the　edges。　〃I　haven't　been　doing　much。〃
　〃No　Games？〃　He　seemed　surprised。
　〃No；　sir。　There　is　very　little　Gaming　in　the　Bright　Demesne。〃
　〃Well；　that　es　with　consorting　with　Wizards。　I　told　Mertyn　you　should　get　out；　travel　a　bit；　try　your　Talent。　But　it　seems　you're　doing　that。〃　He　nodded　and　sipped。　〃Strange　are　the　Talents　of　Wizards。　That's　an　old　saying；　you　know。　I　have　never　known　one　well；　myself。　Is　Himaggery　easy　to　work　with？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　I　think　he　is。　Very　open。　Very　honest。〃
　〃Ah。〃　He　laid　a　finger　along　his　nose　and　winked。　〃Open　and　honest　covers　a　world　of　strategy；　no　doubt。　Well。　Who　would　have　thought　a　year　ago　you　would　manifest　such　a　Talent　as　Necromancy。　Rare。　Very　rare。　We　have　not　had　a　student　here　in　the　last　twenty　years　who　manifested　Necromancy。〃
　〃There　are　Talents　I　would　have　preferred；〃　I　said。　Chance　was　looking　modestly　at　his　feet；　saying　nothing。　This　fact　more　than　anything　else　made　me　cautious。　I　had　been　going　to　say　that　Necromancy　was　not　my　own　or　only　Talent；　but　decided　to　leave　the　subject　alone。
　〃I　don't　think　I　even　have　a　Gamespiece　of　a　Necromancer；〃　he　said；　brow　furrowed。　〃Let　me　see　whether　I　do。　He　was　up；　through　the　door　into　the　classroom。　I　followed　him　as　seemed　courteous。　He　was　rooting　about　in　the　cold　chest　which　housed　the　Gamespieces；　itself　covered　with　frost　and　humming　as　its　internal　mechanism　labored　to　retain　the　cold。　〃Armigers；〃　he　said。　〃Plenty　of　Armigers。　Seers；　Shifters；　Rancelmen；　Pursuivants；　quite　an　array　here。　Minor　pieces；　Totem；　Talisman；　Fetish。　Here's　an　Afrit；　forgotten　I　had　that。　Here's　a　whole　set　of　air　serpents；　Dragon；　Firedrake；　Colddrake；　all　in　one　box。　Well。　No　Necromancer。　I　didn't　think　I　had　one。〃
　I　picked　up　a　handful　of　the　little　Gamespieces；　dropped　them　quickly　as　their　chill　bit　my　fingers。　They　were　the　same　size　as　the　ones　I　carried　so　secretly；　perhaps　less　detailed。　Under　the　frost；　I　couldn't　be　sure。　〃Gamesmaster　Gervaise；〃　I　asked；　〃where　do　you　get　them？　I　never　thought　to　ask　when　I　was　a　student；　but　where　do　they　e　from？〃
　〃The　Gamespieces？　Oh；　there's　a　Demesne　of　magicians；　I　think；　off　to　the　west　somewhere；　where　they　are　fashioned。　Traders　bring　them。　Most　of　them　are　give…aways；　lagniappe　when　we　buy　supplies。　I　got　that　set　of　air　serpents　when　I　bought　some　tools　for　the　stables。　Give…aways；　as　I　said。〃
　〃But　how　can　they　give　them　away？　To　just　anyone？　How　could　they　be　kept　cold？〃
　Gervaise　shook　his　head　at　me。　〃No；　no；　my　boy。　They　don't　give　Gamespieces　to　anyone　but　Gamesmasters。　Who　else　would　want　them？　They　do　it　to　solicit　custom。　They　give　other　things　to　other　people。　Some　merchants　I　know　receive　nice　gifts　of　spices；　things　from　the　northern　jungles。　All　to　solicit　custom。〃　He　patted　the　cold　chest　and　led　the　way　back　to　Chance。　The　level　of　wine　in　the　bottle　was　considerably　lower；　and　I　smiled。　He　gave　me　that　blank；　〃Who；　me？〃　stare；　but　I　smiled　nonetheless。
　〃I　hear　Mertyn's　tread　on　the　stairs；〃　I　said。　〃I　take　leave　of　you；　Gamesmaster　Gervaise。　We　will　talk　again　before　I　leave。〃　And　we　bowed　ourselves　out；　onto　the　stair。　I　said　to　Chance；　〃You　were　very　silent。〃
　〃Gervaise　is　very　talkative　among　his　colleagues；　among　the　tradesmen　in　the　town；　among　farmers。　。　。　。〃　Chance　said。　〃You　may　be　sure　anything　you　said　to　him　will　be　repeated　thrice　tomorrow。〃
　〃Ah；〃　I　said。　〃Well；　we　gave　him　little　enough　to　talk　of。〃
　〃That's　so；〃　he　agreed　owlishly。　〃As　is　often　best。　You　go　up　to　Mertyn；　lad。　I'm　for　the　kitchens　to　see　what　can　be　scratched　up　for　our　lunch。〃
　So　it　was　I　knocked　on　Mertyn's　door　and　was　admitted　to　his　rooms　by　Mertyn　himself。　I　did　not　know　quite　what　to　say。　It　was　the　first　time　I　had　seen　him　in　this　place　since　I　had　learned　we　were　tha