sheritepper.necromancer nine-第43部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


What　happened　to　him　was　just。〃
　〃What　happened　to　him？〃　I　had　put　one　hand　into　my　pocket；　feeling　desperately　for…for　what？　Shattnir　could　do　me　no　good　in　this　cold　place。　Those　around　me　were　not　dead　to　be　raised　by　Dorn。　And　neither　would　e　to　me　in　any　case。
　〃Why；　he　died；〃　he　said；　pretending　surprise。　〃After　he　had　made　me　the　things　I　wanted；　told　me　the　things　I　wanted　to　know；　given　me　the　books　he　had。　He　made　this　shield；　like　the　one　you　had　in　Schooltown。　This　weapon；　like　no　other　you　have　ever　seen。　Oh；　Peter；　with　this　weapon　there　will　be　no　Gaming　against　Huld。　No。　All　the　Gaming　will　be　as　I　choose。〃　He　stroked　the　thing　exultantly。　〃After　I　dispose　of　your　family。〃
　He　drew　out　the　word　to　make　it　an　obscenity。　Until　that　moment；　I　had　not　thought　of　them　as　my　family；　but　they　were。　Himaggery。　Mavin。　My　own　kind。　My　fingers　still　groped　in　my　pocket。　Habit；　not　hope。
　And　closed　around　a　Gamesman；　closed　to　feel　a　warm；　wonderful　certainty　rise　through　me；　soft　and　gentle；　kind　as　summer；　the　voice　whispering　as　familiar；　almost；　as　my　own。　〃Peter。　Why　are　you　standing　here？　Valor　is　all　well　and　good；　but　shouldn't　you　be　elsewhere　if　you　can　manage　it？〃
　It　was　Windlow。　　I　almost　laughed　aloud　before　remembering　the　threat。　Yes；　I　know　that　is　foolish。　It　was　only　an　instant　thing；　as　quickly　suppressed。　I　let　Windlow　go　and　burrowed　deep　to　close　around　a　figure　I　had　not　tried　until　then。　Old　as　Didir；　powerful　as　she；　her　mate　and　coeval；　Tamor。　Grandfather　Tamor。　Towering　Tamor。
　There　was　no　hesitation。　The　block；　whatever　it　might　have　been；　had　been　healed。　Perhaps　Windlow　had　healed　it。　Tamor　came　into　me　like　a　hawk　stooping；　and　I　was　looking　down　on　Huld　as　he　peered　at　the　place　I　had　been。　There　was　no　sensation　of　flying　as　I　had　often　thought　there　would　be。　No；　I　was　simply　lying　high　upon　the　air；　above　Huld；　seeing　Mavin　and　Himaggery　moving　stealthily　toward　him　around　barriers　of　chill　bodies。
　〃Huld！〃　I　cried。
　He　pointed　the　device　up；　released　a　bolt　of　force　which　blistered　past　me　and　melted　stone　and　hanging　ice　from　the　arched　ceiling　far　above。　Liquid　rock　fell　past　me；　hardening　as　it　came；　and　Huld　ran　from　the　lethal　rain　even　as　I　swooped　away　to　another　part　of　the　cavern。　More　stone　and　ice　rained　down。　This　was　no　result　of　Huld's　weapon。　This　was　more　of　the　same　quaking　we　had　felt　before。　Mavin　waved　to　attract　my　attention；　pointed　to　the　far　end　of　the　great　cavern。　I　nodded　to　show　her　that　I　understood。　　I　should　have　watched　Huld；　not　Mavin；　for　another　bolt　from　the　weapon　came　toward　me；　touched　me　agonizingly；　and　splashed　against　the　ice。　〃All　right；〃　said　Tamor　from　within。　〃Keep　your　eyes　open；　boy。　Shall　we　rescue　your　friend？〃　Himaggery　did　look　lonely　and　lost；　sprawled　out　below　me　between　two　piles　of　bodies。　We　swooped　down；　not　at　all　birdlike；　to　grab　him　and　lift　him　high　in　a　long　shallow　glide　which　took　us　toward　the　cavern　end。　I　heard　Huld　screaming　in　fury。　He　had　known　of　some　of　my　Talents。　He　had　not　known　of　them　all。　Well；　how　could　he　have　done？　I　had　not　known　of　them　myself。
　〃You　will　not　get　away；〃　he　was　screaming　at　me。　〃I've　closed　that　way　out。　I　knew　you'd　e　here；　e　where　the　bodies　of　your　allies　lay。　I　knew　you'd　try　to　get　them。　It's　the　kind　of　Gamish　stupidity　they　taught　you；　boy。〃
　〃Even　if　you　escape；　it　won't　stop　me。　I'll　e　after　you　again；　and　yet　again。　I　have　allies；　too。　And　plans。　And　the　world　will　not　hold　us　both　as　Masters；　so　you　will　serve　my　Game。〃
　〃Tchuck。〃　Tamor　made　a　tsking　sound　in　my　head。　〃That　kind　of　hysterical　threat　is　unbeing。　undignified。　I　do　not　like　being　called　Grandfather　to　that。〃　We　were　away　on　another　long。　swooping　glide　that　broke　twice　to　escape　bolts　from　Huld's　weapon。　A　great　slab　of　stone　turned　red　behind　us　and　slid　toward　the　floor；　half　flowing。　Without　thinking；　I　reached　for　Shattnir　and　felt　her　run　into　me　like　wine；　reaching　out　toward　the　melted　stone　to　draw　its　heat　and　power　into　every　fiber。　We　stayed　there；　hidden　behind　the　bodies；　until　I　heard　Huld　ing；　then　rose　once　more；　lying　flat；　skimming　like　an　arrow　behind　the　stacked　bodies　toward　the　chill　wind。　Himaggery　gasped。　I　was　holding　him　under　one　Shifted　arm；　huge　and　hairy　as　a　pombi's　leg。　Well；　he　should　have　been　used　to　Shifter　ways。　In　order　to　get　me　upon　my　mother　he　should　have　known　her　rather　well。
　The　shaking　of　the　cavern　was　constant。　I　heard　Huld　shout　something；　away　behind　me；　then　another　shout　which　sounded　like　fear。　He　had　either　been　under　a　falling　chunk　of　rock　or　had　been　narrowly　missed。　I　didn't　care　which。　The　opening　of　the　cavern　was　before　me。　Mavin　was　already　there。　The　entrance　was　covered　by　a　narrow　grill　which　sizzled　with　the　same　force　Huld's　weapon　had　used。　Mavin　spread　her　hands　wide　in　con…sternation。　She　could　not　Shift　to　go　through　the　narrow　openings　without　frying　herself。　Within　me；　Shattnir　laughed。　The　laughter　of　Shattnir　had　nothing　of　humor　in　it。　It　was　not　an　experience；　then　or　thereafter；　which　I　greatly　enjoyed。　　All　the　heat　of　the　great　melted　slab　went　into　the　bolt　which　broke　the　grill；　melted　it　in　its　turn；　and　spread　its　broken　shards　over　half　the　mountain　side。　Mavin　fled　through　the　opening；　out　and　down；　knowing　I　would　follow。　Around　us　the　earth　clamored；　no　longer　quivering　but　heaving　to　and　fro　in　long；　hideous　waves。　I　flew　through　the　opening　into　nubilous　air；　high　into　gray　cloud　to　see　the　white　wings　of　a　huge　bird　slide　through　the　gloom　beneath　me。　　Then　we　saw　it；　Himaggery　and　I。　Away　to　the　southeast；　where　the　shiptower　might　have　been；　a　ball　of　flame；　swelling；　swelling　into　a　little　sun；　a　cloud　rising　from　it　lit　from　below；　bloody　and　skull…shaped　in　the　murk；　fires　within　it；　lightnings　playing　upon　its　top。　The　wind　took　us　then；　tumbling　us　over　and　over　in　the　high　air　on　the　face　of　a　hot　wind　which　Shattnir　merely　sucked　into　me　and　stored　away。　The　earth　roared；　heaved；　and　fell　in　mighty　undulations。　I　saw　a　mountain　tremble；　throw　back　its　head　and　laugh　into　roaring　fragments　as　we　spun　through　the　air　again；　rolling　on　the　wind。　Wild　fire　licked　and　crackled　and　eventually　died。　　After　a　time　we　came　down；　onto　a　green　hill　which　sat　quietly　beneath　us；　steady　as　a　chair。　Wind　from　the　north　whipped　the　bloody　clouds　to　tatters　and　away。　The　sun　broke　through；　midway　down　the　western　sky。　It　was　not　a　day；　yet；　since　we　had　hidden　in　the　shiptower　to　see　the　Ceremony　of　Calling　Home。　
　Beside　me；　Himaggery　picked　up　a　straw　and　closed　trembling　lips　upon　it。　　〃Well；　lad。　What　do　you　think　we　should　do　now？〃
　I　picked　up　a　straw　of　my　own。　　〃I　don't　know　what　you　want　to　do；　Himaggery；〃　I　said。
　〃But　I'm　going　to　change　myself　into　a　Dragon　and　go　looking　for　my　mother。〃
　
　13。　Bright　Demesne
　We　found　Mavin　on　her　pinnacle；　just　where　I　had　thought　she　would　be；　and　she　was　properly　admiring　of　the　most　splendid　Dragon　she　or　anyone　in　the　world　had　ever　seen。　It　was　exactly　as　Chance　had　said；　a　fool　idea。　The　fire　and　speed　and　wind　in　the　wings　were　all　very　well；　but　there　was　still　Windlow　in　my　pocket　and　the　bodies　of　ten　thousand　great　Gamesmen　（as　well　as　a　few　pawns）　lying　in　the　cavern　under　the　snows。　Oh；　we　had　gone　back；　Himaggery　and　I；　just　to　be　sure。　The　cavern　was　quite　intact　except　for　a　little　fallen　ice　and　melted　stone。　Huld　was　not　there；　dead　nor　alive；　which　meant　he　was　still　at　large　in　the　world；　hunting　me。　I　was　growing　tired　of　that。
　So；　once　I　had　done　my　gomerousing　around　as　a　Dragon；　I　settled　with　Himaggery　and　Mavin　on　the　pinnacle；　to　await　the　arrival　of　my　cousins。　We　sat　about　Mavin's　fire；　me　watching　Himaggery　be　excruciatingly　polite　to　her　while　she　twitted　him　at　every　opportunity。　I　finally　took　her　aside　and　told　her　to　let　him　alone。　If　she　truly　did　not　want　to　be　the　man's　pawnish　mate；　I　told　her；　then　she　should　not　keep　saying　so　so　vehemently；　which　would　just　make　him　believe　the　opposite。　I　don't　know　how　I　figured　that　out；　except　that　Trandilar　probably　had　something　to　do　with　it。　At　any　rate；　it　bought　us　some　peace　and　we　got　along　better。
　Swolwys　and　Dolwys　arrived　in　good　time。　They　had　delivered　I