fs.thefirstbookofswords-第46部分

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isconnected　scenes　and　meaningless　impressions。　He　knew　that　these　were　remnant　of　a　time　when　his　intelligence；　brain；　and　body　had　been　very　different　from　what　they　were　now。　But　certainly　Draffut's　memory　of　the　past　few　thousand　years　was　sharp　and　clear。　He　could　recall　very　well　the　days　when　Ardneh　and　Orcus　had　fought　each　other。　And　in　those　days；　not　one　of　these　currently　boasting；　sword…making　upstarts　who　called　themselves　gods　and　goddesses　had　walked　the　earth。　They　bore　names　from　the　remote　past　of　human　myth；　but　who　were　they？　By　what　right　did　they　plan　for　themselves　games　that　involved　for　humanity　the　horror　of　wars？　Draffut　could　no　longer　delay　finding　out。
　　　He　had　climbed　only　a　little　way　up　the　first　slopes　of　the　real　mountain　when　he　found　his　way　blocked　by　a　slow　stream　of　lava；　three　or　four　meters　wide。　The　air　above　the　lava　writhed　with　heat。　And　in　the　night　and　the　hellglow　on　the　far　side　of　the　molten　stream；　visible　amid　swirling　fumes　and　boiling　air；　there　stood　a　two…legged　figure　far　too　large　to　be　human；　even　if　a　human　could　have　stood　there　and　lived。　The　figure　was　roughly　the　same　size　as　Draffut　himself；　and　it　was　regarding　Draffut；　and　waiting　silently。
　　　In　the　raging　heat　he　could　see　nothing　of　the　figure　clearly　but　its　presence。　He　stopped；　and　called　a　salutation　to　it；　using　an　ancient　tongue　that　either　Ardneh　or　Orcus　would　have　understood　at　once。　There　was　no　reply。
　　　Now　Draffut　summoned　up　what　he　could　of　his　old　powers；　concentrating　them　in　his　right　hand。　Then　he　bent　down　and　thrust　that　hand　into　the　sluggish；　crusting；　seething　stream　of　lava。　Without　allowing　himself　to　be　burned；　he　scooped　up　a　dripping　handful　of　the　molten　rock。　With　another　exertion　of　his　will　he　gave　the　handful　of　magma　temporary　life；　so　that　what　had　been　dead　rock　quickened　and　soared　aloft　in　the　hot；　rising　air；　making　a　small　silent　explosion　of　living　things　exquisite　as　butterflies。
　　　Still　the　figure　that　waited　beyond　the　lava…stream　would　not　move　or　speak。　But　now　another　like　itself　had　joined　it；　and　as　Draffut　watched　yet　another　and　another　one　appeared。　The　gods　were　assembling　to　watch　what　he　was　doing；　to　judge　him　silently。
　　　He　wanted　more　than　that　from　them。　He　stood　erect　and　brushed　his　hands　clean　of　smoking　rock。　It　was　impossible　to　tell　from　the　silent　observation　whether　the　onlookers　were　impressed　by　what　he　had　done。
　　　In　a　carrying　roar　he　challenged　them：　〃Why　do　you　not　tell　humanity　the　truth？　Are　you　afraid　of　it？〃
　　　There　was　a　stir　among　the　group；　images　wavering　in　the　heat。　With　the　noise　of　the　earth　itself　pervading　all；　Draffut　could　not　tell　what　they　might　be　saying　among　themselves。　At　last　a　voice；　larger　than　human；　boomed　back　at　him：　〃Tell　them　yourself；　you　shaggy　dog。〃
　　　Another　voice　followed；　high　clear　tones　that　must　be　those　of　a　goddess：　〃We　know　well　what　you　used　to　be；　Beast…Lord；　when　first　you　followed　your　human　masters　into　the　cave　of　the　Lake　of　Life；　fifty　thousand　years　ago　and　more。　Do　not　pretend　to　grandeur　now。〃
　　　And　yet　another　voice；　belligerent　and　male：　〃Yes；　tell　them　yourself　…　but　will　they　believe　what　they　are　told　by　a　dog；　the　son　of　a　bitch？　Never　mind　that　some　of　them　now　think　you　are　a　god。　We　can　fix　that！〃
　　　Draffut　could　feel　the　fervor　of　his　anger　growing；　growing；　till　it　was　hotter　than　the　lava　that　made　the　earth　burn　just　in　front　of　him。　He　roared　back：　〃I　have　as　much　right　to　be　a　god　as　any　of　you　do。　More！　Tell　the　human　world　what　you　really　are！〃
　　　Beyond　the　wavering　heat；　their　numbers　were　still　increasing。　Another　voice　mocked　him：　〃You　tell　them　what　we　really　are。　Ha；　haaa！〃
　　　〃I　would　tell　them。　I　will　tell　them；　when　I　know。〃
　　　〃Ha；　haaa！　We　are　the　gods；　and　that　is　all　ye　need　to　know。　It　is　no　business　of　a　son　of　a　bitch　to　challenge　gods。〃
　　　In　a　single　stride　Draffut　moved　forward　across　the　stream　of　lava。　And　now　he　could　see　the　last　speaker　plainly　enough　to　be　able　to　recognize　him。　〃You　are　Vulcan。　And　now　you　are　going　to　give　me　some　answers；　about　the　swords。〃
　　　Vulcan　answered　boldly　enough；　with　an　obscene　insult。　But　at　the　same　time　he　appeared　to　shrink　back　a　little　within　the　group。　There　was　wrangling　and　shoving　among　the　deities；　amid　a　cloud　of　smoke　and　dust。　Then　another　figure；　pushing　Vulcan　aside；　stepped　forward　from　behind　him。　Now　the　shape　of　a　gigantic　and　muscular　man；　carrying　a　great　spear；　his　head　covered　with　a　helm；　stood　limned　against　a　fresh　flow　of　red…hot　lava　spilling　down　a　slope。
　　　〃I　am　traveling　west　from　here；〃　said　Mars。　His　voice　was　one　that　Draffut　had　not　heard　before；　all　drums　and　trumpets　and　clashing　metal。　〃War　draws　me　there。　I　see　a　beseiged　castle；　and　one　in　the　attacking　army　who　offers　me　sacrifice　with　skilful　magic。　I　think　it　is　time　for　me　to　answer　the　prayers　of　one　of　my　devoted　worshippers。〃
　　　From　the　group　behind　the　speaker　there　came　a　discordant　chorus　of　varied　ments　on　this　announcement。　Draffut　noted　that　they　ranged　from　applause　to　enthusiastic　scorn。
　　　Mars　ignored　them　all。　He　did　not　turn　his　terrible　gaze　from　Draffut；　who　stood　right　in　his　way。　Mars　said：　〃I　am　going　to　that　castle；　there　to　spend　some　time　in　killing　humans　for　amusement。〃
　　　Draffut　said　simply：　〃No；　that　you　will　not　do。〃
　　　At　this　point　someone　in　the　rear　rank　of　the　gods　threw　a　burning　boulder　straight　at　Draffut。　It　seemed　to　e　with　awesome　slowness　through　the　air；　and　it　was　accurately　aimed。　Catching　it　strained　his　great　strength；　but　from　some　reserve　he　drew　the　power　to　hurl　it　back　…　not　at　its　unseen　thrower。　Instead　Draffut　aimed　it　straight　for　Mars；　just　as　the　long　spear　leveled　for　a　throw。　Rock　and　spear　met　in　mid…air；　to　explode　in　a　million　screaming　fragments。
Another　spear　already　in　his　hand；　the　God　of　War　strode　forward　to　do　battle。
Chapter　18
　　　Dame　Yoldi　herself　had　told　Mark　several　times　that　she　considered　his　survival　vitally　important；　and　that　she　meant　for　that　reason　to　keep　him　in　parative　safety　at　her　side　as　much　as　possible　when　the　fighting　started。　Thus　it　happened　that　they　were　together　on　the　high　roof　of　Sir　Andrew's　castle；　in　early　morning　light；　when　the　first　attack　of　the　Gray　Horde　broke　like　a　dirty　wave　against　the　walls。
　　　The　defenders　were　as　ready　as　they　could　be　for　the　assault；　for　there　had　been　no　way　for　the　attackers　to　achieve　surprise。　On　the　previous　day；　Sir　Andrew's　enchantress　had　announced　that　the　speed　and　direction　of　the　larvae's　advance　could　be　only　approximately　controlled　by　the　magicians　of　Yambu。　For　the　past　few　days；　Yoldi　and　several　of　her　assistants　had　attempted　to　interfere　with　the　enemy　magic；　and　turn　the　larvae　against　those　who　had　raised　them。　But　that　effort　had　failed；　and　Dame　Yoldi　was　necessarily　concentrating　upon　other　matters　now。　She　said　that　in　any　case　the　larvae　would　not　be　able　to　remain　active　for　more　than　a　few　days。　Once　raised　from　the　swamp；　they　drew　no　nourishment；　no　energy　of　any　kind；　from　their　environment。　This　made　them　difficult　to　interfere　with；　and　almost　impossible　to　poison；　but　also　awkward　for　their　masters　to　control。　However；　for　the　few　days　that　their　pseudo…life　endured　they　were　an　almost　invincible　army；　immune　to　weariness　and　fear。
　　　Their　massed　howling；　like　distant　wind；　could　be　heard　in　the　castle　for　more　than　an　hour　before　their　first　charge　at　the　walls。　Therefore　the　defenders　were　alerted　and　in　place　when　the　hundred　scaling　ladders　of　the　Horde　were　raised。
　　　As　the　light　grew　full；　Mark　could　see　from　his　high　vantage　point　how　Ben　was　taking　part　in　the　fighting　atop　the　eastern　wall；　using　his　great　strength　behind　a　pole　to　topple　scaling　ladders　back　as　fast　as　the　handless；　clumsy　larvae　below　could　prop　them　up；　there　were　no　humans　to　be　seen　at　all　in　the　first　wave　of　attackers。
　　　And　Barbara　was　on　the　wall　west　of　the　guard　towers　and　the　main　gate；　one　of　a　pany　of　men　and　women　armed　with　bows　and　slings。　Their　missiles　went　hailing　thickly　down　into　the　sea　of　the　attackers；　but　Mark　could　not　see　that　they　did　much　damage。　An　arrow　might　penetrate　a　larva's　shell；　but　the　thing　kept　advancing　anyway；　pushing　up　another　ladder　and　then　climbing　to　the　attack。　A　slung　stone　might　crack　a　carapace；　but　the　hit　figure　came　on　anyway；　until　a　leg　joint　was　broken　too　badly　to　let　it　walk；　or　its　arms　disabled　to　the　point　where　it　could　no　longer　climb　a　ladder。
　　　The　hundred　ladders　carried　forward　to　the　walls　in　that　first　attack；　Mark　decided；　must　have　been　made　for　the　larvae　by　their　human　masters　and　allies。　Last　night　he　had　heard　Nestor　talking　in　the　castle；　describing　in　detail　what　he　had　seen　of　the　larvae　at　close　range；　and　what　kind　of　fighting　might　be　expected　when　their　horde　swept　to　the　assault　on　the　castle　walls。
　　　Sir　Andrew　had　listened　very　carefully　to　the　same　account。　The　knight　had　then　sat　alone　for　a　while；　the　picture　of　grim　thought；　and　then　had　issued　orders；　disposing　of　his　defense　forces　as　best　he　might。　Mark　had　got　the　impression；　listening；　that　all　the　experts　on　han