gc.shadowslinger-第50部分

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al；　secret　insurance　against　tomorrow。
　　Silent　told　us　it　was　up　in　Duretile　with　the　old　man。　There　had　been　no　chance　to　get　it　out。
　　One…Eye　broke　down　and　wept。　That　chest　meant　more　to　him　than　all　vicissitudes　past；　present　or　promised。
　　Goblin　got　down　on　him。　Sparks　flew。　The　Lieutenant　was　about　to　take　a　hand　when　someone　shoved　through　the　door。　〃You　guys　better　e　topside　and　see　this。〃　He　was　gone　before　we　could　find　out　what　he　meant。
　　We　hurried　up　to　the　main　deck。
　　The　ship　was　a　good　two　miles　down　the　Port；　riding　the　current　and　tide。　But　the　glow　from　the　black　castle　illuminated　both　us　and　Juniper　as　brightly　as　a　cloudy　day。
　　The　castle　formed　the　base　of　a　fountain　of　fire　reaching　miles　into　the　sky。　A　vast　figure　twisted　in　the　flames。　Its　lips　moved。　Long；　slow　words　echoed　down　the　Port。　〃Ardath。　You　bitch。〃　I　had　been　right。
　　The　figure's　hand　rose　slowly；　lazily；　pointed　toward　Duretile。
　　〃They　got　enough　bodies　inside；〃　Goblin　squeaked。　〃The　old　bastard　is　ing　through。〃
　　The　men　watched　in　rapt　awe。　So　did　I；　able　only　to　think　we　were　lucky　to　escape　in　time。　At　the　moment　I　felt　nothing　for　the　men　we　had　left　behind。　I　could　think　only　of　myself。
　　〃There；〃　somebody　said　softly。　〃Oh；　look　there。〃
　　A　ball　of　light　formed　on　Duretile's　wall。　It　swelled　rapidly；　shedding　many　colors。　It　was　gorgeous；　like　a　giant　moon　of　stained　glass　rotating　slowly。　It　was　at　least　two　hundred　yards　in　diameter　when　it　separated　from　Duretile　and　drifted　toward　the　black　castle。　The　figure　there　reached；　grabbed　at　the　globe；　was　unable　to　affect　it。
　　I　giggled。
　　〃What's　so　damned　funny？〃　the　Lieutenant　demanded。
　　〃Just　thinking　how　the　people　of　Juniper　must　feel；　looking　up　at　that。　They've　never　seen　sorcery。〃
　　The　stained　glass　ball　rolled　over　and　over。　For　a　moment　it　presented　a　side　I　hadn't　noticed　before。　A　side　that　was　a　face。　The　Lady's　face。　Those　great　glassy　eyes　stared　right　into　me；　hurting。　Without　thinking　I　said；　〃I　didn't　betray　you。　You　betrayed　me。〃
　　I'd　swear　to　the　gods　there　was　some　form　of　munication。　Something　in　the　eyes　said　she　had　heard；　and　was　pained　by　the　accusation。　Then　the　face　rolled　away；　and　I　did　not　see　it　again。
　　The　globe　drifted　into　the　fountain　of　fire。　It　vanished　there。　I　thought　I　heard　the　long；　slow　voice　say；　〃I　have　you；　Ardath。〃
　　〃There。　Look　there；〃　the　same　man　said；　and　we　turned　to　Duretile。　And　upon　the　wall　where　the　Lady　had　begun　moving　toward　her　husband　there　was　another　light。　For　a　while　I　could　not　make　out　what　was　happening。　It　came　our　way；　faltering；　rising；　falling。
　　〃That's　the　Lady's　carpet；〃　Silent　signed。　〃I　have　seen　it　before。〃
　　〃But　who？　。。。〃　There　was　no　one　left　who　could　fly　one。　The　Taken　were　ail　over　at　the　black　castle。
　　The　thing　began　to　move　faster；　converting　rickety　up…and…down　into　ever…increasing　velocity。　It　came　our　way；　faster　and　faster；　dropping　lower　and　lower。
　　〃Somebody　who　doesn't　know　what　they're　doing；〃　One…Eye　opined。　〃Somebody　who　is　going　to　get　killed　if。　。　。　。〃
　　It　came　directly　toward　us；　now　not　more　than　fifty　feet　off　the　water。　The　ship　had　begun　the　long　turn　which　would　take　her　around　the　last　headland　to　the　open　sea。　I　said；　〃Maybe　it　was　sent　to　hit　us。　Like　a　missile。　To　keep　us　from　getting　away。〃
　　〃No；〃　One…Eye　said。　〃Carpets　are　too　precious。　Too　hard　to　create　and　maintain。　And　the　Lady's　is　the　only　one　left。　Destroy　it　and　even　she　would　have　to　walk　home。〃
　　The　carpet　was　down　to　thirty　feet；　swelling　rapidly；　sending　an　audible　murmur　ahead。　It　must　have　been　traveling　a　hundred　fifty　miles　an　hour。
　　Then　it　was　on　us；　ripping　through　the　rigging；　brushing　a　mast；　and　spinning　on　to　impact　on　the　sound　half　a　mile　away。　A　gout　of　spray　arose。　The　carpet　skipped　like　a　flat　stone；　hit　again；　bounced　again；　and　smashed　into　the　face　of　a　cliff。　The　spell　energies　ruling　the　carpet　degenerated　in　a　violet　flash。
　　And　not　a　word　was　spoken　by　any　member　of　the　pany。　For　as　that　carpet　had　torn　through　the　rigging；　we　had　glimpsed　the　face　of　its　rider。
　　The　Captain。
　　Who　knows　what　he　was　doing？　Trying　to　join　us？　Probably。　I　suspect　he　went　to　the　wall　planning　to　disable　the　carpet　so　it　could　not　be　used　to　pursue　us。　Maybe　he　planned　to　throw　himself　off　the　wall　afterward；　to　avoid　being　questioned　later。　And　maybe　he　had　seen　the　carpet　in　action　often　enough　to　have　been　tempted　by　the　idea　of　using　it　himself。
　　No　matter。　He　had　succeeded。　The　carpet　would　not　be　used　to　chase　us。　He　would　not　be　exposed　to　the　Eye。
　　But　he　had　failed　his　personal　goal。　He　had　died　in　the　North。
　　His　flight　and　death　distracted　us　while　the　ship　moved　down　the　channel　till　both　Juniper　and　the　north　ridge　dropped　behind　the　headland。　The　fire　over　the　black　castle　continued；　its　terrible　flames　extinguishing　the　stars；　but　it　shrank　slowly。　Oning　dawn　lessened　its　brilliance。　And　when　one　great　shriek　rolled　across　the　world；　announcing　someone's　defeat；　we　were　unable　to　determine　who　had　won。
　　For　us　the　answer　did　not　matter。　We　would　be　hunted　by　either　the　Lady　or　her　long…buried　spouse。
　　We　reached　the　sea　and　turned　south；　with　sailors　still　cursing　as　they　replaced　lines　torn　by　the　Captain's　passage。　We　of　the　pany　remained　very　silent；　scattered　about　the　deck；　alone　with　our　thoughts。　And　only　then　did　I　begin　to　worry　for　rades　left　behind。
　　We　held　a　long　service　two　days　out。　We　mourned　everyone　left　behind；　but　the　Captain　especially。　Every　survivor　took　a　moment　to　eulogize　him。　He　had　been　head　of　the　family；　patriarch；　father　to　us　all。
　　
　　　Chapter　Forty：　MEADENVIL：　PATHFINDING
　　
　　Fair　weather　and　good　winds　carried　us　to　Meadenvil　in　good　time。　The　ship's　master　was　pleased。　He　had　been　well…paid　beforehand　for　his　trouble；　but　was　eager　to　shed　a　manifest　of　such　vile　temper。　We　had　not　been　the　best　of　passengers。　One…Eye　was　terrified　of　the　sea；　a　grand　victim　of　seasickness；　and　insisted　everyone　else　be　as　scared　and　sick　as　he。　He　and　Goblin　never　let　up　on　one　another；　though　the　Lieutenant　threatened　to　throw　the　pair　of　them　to　the　sharks。　The　Lieutenant　was　in　such　a　foul　temper　himself　that　they　took　him　half　seriously。
　　In　accordance　with　the　Captain's　wishes；　we　elected　the　Lieutenant　our　mander　and　Candy　to　bee　second。　That　position　should　have　fallen　to　Elmo。　。　。　。　We　did　not　call　the　Lieutenant　Captain。　That　seemed　silly　with　the　outfit　so　diminished。　There　weren't　enough　of　us　left　to　make　a　good　street　gang。
　　Last　of　the　Free　panies　of　Khatovar。　Four　centuries　of　brotherhood　and　tradition　reduced　to　this。　A　band　on　the　run。　It　did　not　make　sense。　Did　not　seem　right。　The　great　deeds　of　our　forebrethren　deserved　better　of　their　successors。　The　treasure　chest　was　lost；　but　the　Annals　themselves　had；　somehow；　found　their　way　aboard。　I　expect　Silent　brought　them。　For　him　they　were　almost　as　important　as　for　me。　The　night　before　we　entered　Meadenvil　harbor；　I　read　to　the　troops；　from　the　Book　of　Woeg；　which　chronicled　the　pany's　history　after　its　defeat　and　near　destruction　in　the　fighting　along　the　Bake；　in　Norssele。　Only　a　hundred　four　men　survived　that　time；　and　the　pany　had　e　back。　They　were　not　ready　for　it。　The　pain　was　too　fresh。　I　gave　it　up　halfway　through。
　　Fresh。　　Meadenvil　was　refreshing。　　A　real　city；　not　a　colorless　berg　like　Juniper。　We　left　the　ship　with　little　but　our　arms　and　what　wealth　we'd　carried　in　Juniper。　People　watched　us　fearfully；　and　there　was　no　little　trepidation　on　our　part；　too；　for　we　were　not　strong　enough　to　make　a　show　if　the　local　Prince　took　exception　to　our　presence。　The　three　wizards　were　our　greatest　asset。　The　Lieutenant　and　Candy　had　hopes　of　using　them　to　pull　something　that　would　provide　the　wherewithal　to　move　on；　aboard　another　ship；　with　further　hopes　of　returning　to　lands　we　knew　on　the　southern　shore　of　the　Sea　of　Torments。　To　do　that；　though；　meant　an　eventual　overland　journey　at　least　partly　through　lands　belonging　to　the　Lady。　I　thought　we　would　be　wiser　to　move　down　the　coast；　confuse　our　trail；　and　hook　on　with　someone　out　here；　at　least　till　the　Lad