gc.shadowslinger-第48部分

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　　The　man　knew　his　job。　He　was　good。　His　preparation　and　quick　response　were　more　valuable　than　anything　done　by　the　Lady　or　Taken　that　night。　He　held　the　line　in　the　critical　minutes。
　　A　mad　battle　began　the　moment　the　creatures　realized　they　were　cut　off。　They　promptly　attacked；　trying　to　reach　the　engines。　The　Lieutenant　signaled　his　under…officers　and　brought　the　bulk　of　his　available　manpower　to　bear。　He　had　to。　Those　creatures　were　more　than　a　match　for　any　two　soldiers；　and　they　benefited　from　the　protective　glow　as　well。
　　Here；　there；　a　brave　citizen　of　Juniper　grabbed　a　fallen　weapon　and　jumped　into　the　struggle。　Most　paid　the　ultimate　price；　but　their　sacrifice　helped　keep　the　enemy　away　from　the　engines。
　　It　was　obvious　to　everyone　that　if　the　creatures　escaped　with　many　bodies；　our　cause　was　lost。　We'd　soon　be　　face…to…face　with　their　master　himself。
　　The　ball　pairs　began　ing　over　from　Duretile；　splashing　the　night　with　terrible　color。　Then　Taken　dropped　from　the　night；　Limper　and　Whisper　each　depositing　an　egg　which　hatched　the　fire　that　fed　on　the　stuff　of　the　castle。　Limper　dodged　several　attacks　from　the　castle；　swooped　around；　brought　his　carpet　to　ground　near　my　hospital；　where　we　were　swamped　by　customers　already。　I　had　to　retreat　there　to　do　the　job　for　which　I　was　paid。　I　kept　the　uphill　tent　flaps　open　so　I　could　watch。
　　Limper　left　his　aerial　steed；　marched　uphill　with　a　long；　black　sword　that　glimmered　evilly　in　the　light　from　the　burning　fortress。　He　radiated　a　glow　not　unlike　that　protecting　the　castle　creatures。　His；　however；　was　far　more　puissant　than　theirs；　as　he　demonstrated　when　he　pushed　through　the　press　and　attacked　them。　Their　weapons　could　not　reach　him。　His　sliced　through　them　as　though　they　were　made　of　lard。
　　The　creatures；　by　that　time；　had　slaughtered　at　least　five　hundred　men。　The　majority　were　workers；　but　the　pany　had　taken　a　terrible　beating；　too。　And　that　beating　went　on　even　after　the　Limper　turned　the　tide；　for　he　could　engage　but　one　creature　at　a　time。　Our　people　strove　to　keep　the　enemy　contained　till　the　Limper　could　get　to　them。
　　They　responded　by　trying　to　swamp　the　Limper；　which　they　managed　with　some　success；　fifteen　or　twenty　piling　on　and　keeping　him　pinned　by　sheer　body　weight。　The　Lieutenant　shifted　the　fire　of　the　engines　temporarily；　pounded　that　seething　pile　till　it　broke　up　and　the　Limper　regained　his　feet。
　　That　ploy　having　failed；　a　band　of　the　creatures　clotted　up　and　tried　to　break　out　to　the　west。　I　don't　know　whether　they　planned　to　escape　entirely　or　meant　to　swing　around　and　strike　from　behind。　The　dozen　who　made　it　through　encountered　Whisper；　and　a　heavy　fall　of　the　melting　dust。　The　dust　killed　a　half…dozen　workers　for　every　castle　creature；　but　it　stopped　the　charge。　Only　five　creatures　survived　it。
　　Those　five　immediately　encountered　the　portal　from　elsewhere　that　expelled　the　cold　breath　of　the　infinite。　They　all　perished。
　　Whisper；　meantime；　was　scrambling　for　altitude。　A　drum…roll　procession　of　bangs　pursued　her　up　the　sky。　She　was　a　better　flyer　than　Journey；　but　even　so　could　not　evade　injury。　Down　she　came；　eventually　touching　down　beyond　the　fortress。
　　Within　the　castle　itself　creatures　were　out　with　the　cats…o'…nine…tails；　extinguishing　the　fires　started　by　Whisper　and　the　Limper。　The　structure　had　begun　to　look　pathetic；　so　much　of　its　substance　had　been　consumed。　Gone　was　the　dark；　dreadful　grace　of　weeks　before。　It　was　one　big；　dark；　glassy　lump；　and　it　seemed　impossible　that　creatures　could　survive　inside　it；　yet　they　did；　and　continued　the　fight。　A　handful　came　out　on　the　ramp　and　did　something　which　gnawed　black　chunks　out　of　the　Lieutenant's　conflagration。　All　the　creatures　on　the　slope　ran　for　home；　not　a　one　forgetting　to　scoop　up　at　least　one　body。
　　The　ice　door　opened　again；　its　breath　dumping　on　the　steps。　The　fires　died　instantly。　A　score　of　the　creatures　died　too；　hammered　to　powder　by　the　Lieutenant's　missiles。　The　things　inside　took　a　tack　I　had　anticipated　fearfully　since　I　had　seen　Feather　crash。　They　turned　their　booming　spell　on　the　slope。
　　If　it　wasn't　the　thing　that　had　pursued　the　Lieutenant；　Elmo；　One…Eye　and　me　that　day；　it　was　a　close　cousin。　There　wasn't　much　flash　or　smoke　when　they　used　it　on　the　slope；　but　huge　holes　appeared；　often　with　bloody　pulp　smashed　into　their　bottoms。
　　All　this　happened　so　swiftly；　so　dramatically；　that　nobody　really　had　time　to　think。　I　don't　doubt　that　even　the　pany　would　have　run　had　events　been　stretched　out　enough　to　allow　thinking　time。　As　it　was；　in　their　confusion；　the　men　had　a　chance　only　to　pursue　roles　for　which　they　had　been　preparing　since　reaching　Juniper。　They　stood　their　ground　and；　too　often；　died。
　　The　Limper　scampered　around　the　slope　like　an　insane　chicken；　cackling　and　hunting　creatures　who　hadn't　died　on　the　steps。　There　were　a　score　of　those；　most　surrounded　by　angry　soldiers。　Some　of　the　creatures　were　slain　by　their　own　side；　for　those　knots　made　tempting　targets　for　the　booming　spell。
　　Teams　of　creatures　appeared　on　the　ramparts；　assembling　devices　like　the　one　we'd　seen　them　try　to　use　before。　This　time　there　was　no　Taken　above　to　drop　and　give　them　hell。
　　Not　till　fool　Journey　came　rushing　past　the　hospital；　looking　cruelly　battered；　and　stole　the　Limper's　carpet。
　　It　had　been　my　notion　that　one　Taken　could　not　use　another's　vehicle。　Not　so；　apparently；　for　Journey　got　the　thing　aloft　and　dove　upon　the　castle　again；　dumping　dust　and　another　fire　egg。　The　castle　knocked　him　down　again；　and　despite　the　tumult；　I　heard　the　Limper　howling　and　cursing　him　for　it。
　　Ever　see　how　a　child　draws　a　straight　line？　None　too　straight。　Something　as　shaky　as　a　child's　hand　scribbled　a　wobbly　line　from　Duretile　to　the　black　castle。　It　hung　against　the　night　like　an　improbable　clothesline；　wriggling；　of　indeterminate　color；　irridescent。　Its　tip　threw　sparks　off　the　obsidian　material；　like　the　meeting　of　flint　and　steel　magnified　ten　thousand　times；　generating　an　actinic　glare　too　intense　to　view　directly。　The　entire　slope　was　bathed　in　wild　bluish　light。
　　I　put　aside　my　instruments　and　stepped　out　to　better　observe；　for　down　in　my　gut　I　knew　the　Lady　anchored　the　nether　end　of　that　scrawl；　having　entered　the　lists　for　the　first　time。　She　was　the　big　one；　the　most　powerful；　and　if　the　castle　could　be　reduced　at　all；　hers　was　the　might　that　would　do　it。
　　The　Lieutenant　must　have　been　distracted。　For　a　few　seconds　his　fires　dwindled。　A　half…dozen　castle　creatures　went　up　the　steps；　dragging　two　and　three　corpses　apiece。　A　rush　of　their　patriots　came　out　to　meet　the　Limper；　who　was　in　hot　pursuit。　My　guess　is　they　got　twelve　bodies　inside。　Some　might　not　have　lost　the　spark　of　life　entirely。
　　Chunks　flew　from　the　castle　where　the　Lady's　line　touched；　each　blazing　with　that　brilliant　light。　Thin　cracks；　in　crimson；　appeared　against　the　black；　spreading　slowly。　The　creatures　assembling　the　devices　retreated；　were　replaced　by　others　trying　to　lessen　the　effects　of　the　Lady's　attack。　They　had　no　luck。　Several　were　knocked　down　by　missiles　from　the　Lieutenant's　batteries。
　　The　Limper　reached　the　head　of　the　stairs　and　stood　limned　against　the　glow　of　a　section　of　castle　still　afire；　sword　raised　high。　A　giant　runt；　if　you　will　pardon　the　contradiction。　He　is　a　tiny　thing；　yet　stood　huge　at　that　moment。　He　bellowed；　〃Follow　me！〃　and　charged　down　the　ramp。
　　To　my　everlasting　amazement；　men　followed　him。　Hundreds　of　men。　I　saw　Elmo　and　the　remnants　of　his　pany　go　roaring　up；　across；　and　disappear。　Even　scores　of　gutsy　citizens　decided　to　take　part。
　　Part　of　the　story　of　Marron　Shed　had　e　out　recently；　without　names　or　such；　but　with　heavy　emphasis　on　how　much　wealth　he　and　Raven　had　garnered。　Obviously；　the　story　had　been　planted　against　this　moment；　when　a　storm　of　manpower　would　be　needed　to　subdue　the　castle。　In　ensuing　minutes　the　call　of　wealth　led　many　a　man　from　the　Buskin　up　those　steps。
　　Down　on　the　far　side　of　the　castle　Whisper　reached　One…Eye's　camp。　One…Eye　and　his　men；　of　course；　had　stood　to　arms；　but　had　taken　part　in　nothing　yet。　His　mine　operation　had　stalled　once　he　was　ce