fs.thefirstbookofswords-第45部分

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the　distant　chinking　from　the　armorers。　〃I　must　go　back　to　my　own　work；〃　Yoldi　said　at　last；　and　kissed　the　lord　of　the　castle　once；　and　went　away。
　　　〃And　I　must　go　down；〃　said　Sir　Andrew　aloud　to　himself；　〃and　inspect　the　defenses。〃
　　　A　little　later　when　he　was　walking　upon　the　castle's　outer　wall；　near　one　of　the　strong　guard…towers　that　defended　the　main　gate；　Sir　Andrew　encountered　one　of　his　old　rades　in　arms；　and　fell　into　conversation　with　him。
　　　〃A　long　time；　Sir　Andrew；　since　we've　had　to　draw　our　swords　atop　these　walls。〃
　　　〃Yes；　a　long　time。〃
　　　At　some　point　the　rade　had　turned　into　quite　an　old　man；　white…haired　and　wrinkled；　and　Sir　Andrew；　not　remembering　him　as　such；　could　not　quite　shake　the　feeling　that　this　aged　appearance　was　some　kind　of　a　disguise；　which　the　other　would　presently　take　off。　The　talk　they　had　sounded　cheerful　enough；　though　most　of　the　matters　they　talked　about　were　horrible；　seige　and　stratagem；　raid　and　counterattack　and　sally。
　　　〃That　kept　'em　off　our　backs　a　good　long　time；　hey　sir？〃
　　　〃Not　long　enough。〃　Sir　Andrew　sighed。
　　　And　presently　he　was　once　more　left　alone；　still　standing　on　the　wall　near　the　main　gate。　This　was　a　good　vantage　point　from　which　to　overlook　the　thin；　intermittent　stream　of　provision　carts；　fighting　men；　and　refugees　that　came　trickling　up　the　winding　road　that　led　from　the　intersection　of　the　highways　to　the　castle。
　　　Here　came　some　priests　and　priestesses　of　Ardneh；　whiterobed　and　hurried；　who　had　just　passed　an　inspection　at　the　checkpoint　down　the　way。　They　were　driving　two　carts；　that　Sir　Andrew　could　at　least　hope　were　filled　with　medical　supplies。　Sometimes；　in　time　of　war；　Temples　of　Ardneh　stood　unscathed　in　the　midst　of　contending　armies。　Each　leader　and　each　fighter　hoped　that　if　he　were　wounded；　he　would　be　cared　for　if　there　were　room。　But　evidently　it　would　not　be　that　way　this　time。　Ardneh；　in　a　sense；　was　ing　to　Sir　Andrew's　side；　and；　medical　supplies　aside；　the　troops　were　sure　to　take　that　as　a　good　omen。
　　　Sir　Andrew　closed　his　eyes；　and　gripped　the　parapet　in　front　of　him。　He　thought　of　praying　to　Ardneh　for　more　direct　help；　although　with　part　of　his　mind　he　knew；　knew　better　than　almost　anyone　else　in　the　world；　that　though　Ardneh　had　once　lived；　he　had　now　been　dead　for　almost　two　thousand　years。　Sir　Andrew　knew　it　well。　And　yet。。。
　　　And　this　mystery　regarding　Ardneh　called　to　mind　another；　that　had　long　troubled　Sir　Andrew　and　that　none　of　his　studies　had　ever　been　able　to　solve：　If　Ardneh　was　dead；　why　were　all　the　world's　other　gods　and　goddesses　alive？　The　mon　opinion　was　that　all　of　them　had　been　living　since　the　creation　of　the　world；　or　thereabouts；　and　that　of　course　Ardneh　was　still　alive　with　all　the　others。　But　Sir　Andrew　had　the　gravest　doubts　that　the　mon　opinion　was　correct。
　　　He　tended　instead　to　trust　certain　historical　writings；　that　spoke　in　matter…of…fact　terms　of　Ardneh's　existence　and　his　death；　but　did　not　so　much　as　mention　Vulcan；　Hermes；　Aphrodite；　Mars；　or　any　of　the　rest　with　the　sole　exception　of　the　Beast…Lord　Draffut。　And　Draffut　was　not　assigned　the　importance　of　Ardneh；　or　of　their　evil　opponent　Orcus；　Lord　of　Demons。
　　　And　whatever　Sir　Andrew　might　think　of　gods；　he　had　no　doubts　at　all　about　the　reality　of　demons。
　　　At　some　time　in　his　long　years　of　study　and　deep　thought；　a　horrible　suspicion　had　been　born；　deep　in　his　mind：　That　the　entities　that　who　now　called　themselves　gods；　were　recognized　by　humanity　as　gods；　and　who　claimed　to　rule　the　world　…　whenever　they　bothered　to　take　an　interest　in　it　…　that　these　beings　were　in　fact　demons　who　had　survived　from　the　era　of　Ardneh　and　of　Orcus。　But　there　were；　fortingly；　important　difficulties　with　that　theory　too。
　　　After　all　Sir　Andrew's　study　of　the　gods；　all　he　could　say　about　them　with　absolute　certainty　was　very　little：　That　most　of　them　were　real；　here　and　now；　and　very　powerful。　The　swords　were　testimony　enough　to　the　real　power　of　Vulcan。
　　　Yoldi　was　a　fine　magician；　and　a　brave　one。　But　there　were　limits　to　the　ability　of　any　magician　to　reach　and　control　the　ultimate　powers　of　reality。
　　　Why　in　the　names　of　all　the　gods　and　demons　did　the　universe　have　to　be　such　a　plicated；　confused；　and　contrary　place？　Sir　Andrew　thought　now；　not　for　the　first　time；　that　if　he　had　been　put　in　charge　of　the　design；　he　would　have　done　things　differently。
　　　Sir　Andrew　had　opened　his　eyes　for　a　while；　closed　them　again；　and　was　trying　to　decide　whether　he　was　really　praying　to　Ardneh　now　or　not；　when　he　heard　his　name　called　from　below。　Looking　down；　he　saw　that　one　man　had　stepped　aside　from　the　continued　trickle　of　traffic　approaching　the　castle；　and　was　now　standing　just　below　Sir　Andrew　on　the　shoulder　of　the　road。　The　man　was　in　his　late　youth　or　early　middle　age；　rather　slight　of　build；　and　with　a　traveled　look　about　him。　He　wore　a　large　sword；　belted　on　with　what　looked　like　rope　or　twine；　that　immediately　drew　Sir　Andrew's　attention。
The　man　had　to　speak　again　before　Sir　Andrew　recognized　the　dragon…hunter；　Nestor。　〃Sir　Andrew？　I　bring　you　greetings　from　the　Beast…Lord；　Draffut。〃
Chapter　17
　　　Even　traveling　almost　without　pause；　at　the　best　speed　made　possible　by　his　enormous　strides；　it　had　taken　Draffut　a　day　and　a　half　to　get　from　the　temple　island　near　the　middle　of　the　Great　Swamp　east　as　far　as　the　high　plains。　And　night　was　falling　again　before　he　reached　the　region　in　Duke　Fraktin's　domain　where　the　upward　slope　of　land　began　to　grow　pronounced。　The　volcanic　fires　that　had　lighted　the　eastern　sky　when　seen　from　hundreds　of　kilometers　away　were　at　this　close　range　truly　spectacular。
　　　Almost　immediately　upon　leaving　the　swamp　behind；　Draffut　had　begun　to　encounter　refugees　from　the　eruption。　These　were　mainly　folk　from　Duke　Fraktin's　high　villages；　where　a　mass　evacuation　had　obviously　started。　The　villagers　were　fleeing　their　homes　and　land　in　groups；　as　families；　as　individuals；　moving　anywhere　downslope；　most　of　them　lost　now　in　unfamiliar　territory。　Some　of　these　people；　passing　Draffut　at　a　little　distance；　shouted　to　him　word　of　what　they　considered　Vulcan's　wrath　…　as　if　Draffut　should　not　be　able　to　see　for　himself　the　flaming　sky　ahead。
　　　Draffut　was　not　sure　whether　these　folk　were　trying　to　warn　him；　to　plead　for　his　intercession　with　the　gods；　or　both。　〃I　will　speak　to　Vulcan　about　it；〃　he　said；　when　he　said　anything　at　all　in　answer。　Carefully　he　avoided　stepping　on　any　of　the　people。　For　the　most　part　of　course　they　said　nothing　to　him。　They　were　astonished　and　terrified　to　see　him；　and　in　their　panic　would　sometimes　have　run　right　under　his　feet；　or　would　have　driven　their　livestock　or　their　farm…carts　into　him。　Draffut　made　his　way　considerately　around　them　all；　and　went　on　east　and　up。
　　　He　had　no　such　need　to　be　careful　with　the　small　units　of　Duke　Fraktin's　army　that　he　encountered　along　the　way；　some　of　them　even　before　he　had　entered　the　Duke's　domain。　Whether　mounted　or　afoot；　these　always　scattered　in　flight　before　Draffut's　advance；　as　if　they　took　it　for　granted　that　he　would　be　their　deadly　enemy。　Draffut　could　not　help　thinking　back　to　the　time　when　soldiers　had　cheered　him　and　looked　to　him　for　help。　But　that　had　been　many　ages　and　wars　ago；　and　halfway　around　the　world　from　here。
　　　In　a　lifetime　that　had　spanned　more　than　fifty　thousand　years；　Draffut　had　often　enough　seen　swarms　of　human　refugees；　and　even　burning　skies　like　these。　But　seldom　before　had　he　felt　the　earth　quiver　beneath　his　feet　as　it　was　quivering　now。
　　　When　he　got　in　among　the　barren　foothills　he　continued　climbing　without　pause。　Now　the　rumbling　towers　of　fire　loomed　almost　above　his　head；　and　fine　ash　drifted　continuously　down　around　him。　He　thought　that　there　were　forces　here　that　could　destroy　him；　that　he　was　no　longer　immune　to　death；　as　he　might　once　have　been。　His　own　powers；　absorbed　over　ages；　were　fading　as　slowly　as　they　had　been　gained；　but　they　were　fading。　Yet　he　could　feel　little　personal　fear。　By　his　nature；　Draffut　could　not　help　but　be　absorbed　in　larger　things　than　that。
　　　The　shuddering；　burning　agony　of　the　mountains　against　the　darkening　sky　brought　back　more　old　memories　to　Draffut。　One　of　these　recollections　was　very　old　indeed；　of　another　mountain；　upon　another　continent；　that　once　had　split　to　spill　the　Lake　of　Life。。。　that　had　been　in　the　days　of　Ardneh's　greatest　power。　Ardneh；　whom　Draffut　had　never　really　known　at　all；　despite　the　current　human　version　of　the　history　of　the　world。　It　hardly　mattered　now；　for　now　Ardneh　was　long　dead。。。
　　　The　question　to　be　answered　now　was；　where　had　these　new　creatures　of　power　sprung　from；　these　upstart　entities　calling　themselves　gods？　Ardneh　in　his　days　of　greatest　strength　had　never　claimed　to　be　a　god；　nor　had　the　evil　Orcus。　Indeed；　it　seemed　to　Draffut　looking　back　that　for　thousands　of　years　the　very　word　god　had　been　almost　forgotten　among　humanity。
　　　If　he　tried　to　peer　back　too　far　into　his　own　past；　he　reached　an　epoch　where　all　memory　faded；　blurring　into　disconnected　scenes　and　meaningless　impressions。　He　knew　that　these　were　remnant　of　a　time　when　his　i