fs.thefirstbookofswords-第49部分

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　　　〃It　will　be　best　this　way；〃　she　murmured　to　herself。　〃Yes；　best。　Now　let　us　get　on　down。〃
　　　Once　more　they　hurried　through　hallways；　then　down　flight　after　flight　of　stairs。
　　　〃If　anything　should　happen　to　me　on　the　way；　lad；　you　keep　going。　Down　as　far　as　you　can；　to　the　bottom　of　the　keep；　to　where　the　dungeons　are。〃
　　　〃　Why　？〃
　　　〃Because　we　can't　hold　the　castle　now；　and　the　last　way　out　is　down　there。　And　you　are　the　one；　of　all　of　us；　who　must　get　out。〃
　　　Mark　wasn't　going　to　argue　about　it。　Still　he　couldn't　help　wondering　why。
　　　When　they　reached　ground　level　inside　the　castle；　uproar　and　confusion　swept　in　at　them　from　a　courtyard；　where　the　sounds　of　fighting　were　very　near。　Voices　were　crying　that　Sir　Andrew　had　been　wounded。
　　　Dame　Yoldi　halted　abruptly；　and　when　she　spoke　again　her　voice　had　changed。　〃I　must　go　to　him；　Mark。　You　go　on。　Down　to　the　dungeons　and　out。　Our　people　down　there　will　show　you　the　way。〃
　　　She　hurried　out。　Mark　turned　toward　the　doorway　she　had　indicated。　He　had　almost　reached　it　when　a　mass　of　struggling　soldiers　knocked　him　down。
　　　Duke　Fraktin　and　his　handpicked　force　of　fifteen　men　were　following　their　volunteer　guide；　Kaparu；　toward　the　castle。　It　had　been　a　quick　decision　on　the　Duke's　part；　made　when　the　larvae　had　won　success　atop　the　walls；　and　it　looked　as　if　the　citadel　might　after　all　fall　quickly。
　　　The　Duke　would　not　have　trusted　any　of　his　subordinates　to　lead　a　mission　like　this　one；　not　when　he　wanted　to　be　sure　that　the　prize　gained　reached　his　own　hands。　He　had　faced　war　at　close　range　many　times　before；　when　the　prizes　at　stake　were　far　less　than　these　Swords。　And　now；　secret　but　most　powerful　encouragement；　Coinspinner　was　giving　signs　that　he　took　to　mean　its　powers　were　fully　active。　Just　as　the　small　force　had　started　out　toward　the　beleagured　castle；　the　Sword　of　Chance　had　begun　a　whispering　thrumming　in　its　scabbard；　so　soft　a　sound　that　the　Duke　was　sure　no　one　but　he　could　hear　it。　He　could　hear　it　himself　only　when　he　put　a　hand　upon　the　hilt。　Even　then　the　thrum　was　more　to　be　felt　than　heard；　but　it　was　steady；　and　it　promised　power。　The　Duke　kept　one　hand　on　the　hilt　as　he　walked。
　　　The　small　body　of　men；　seventeen　in　all；　had　moved　out　from　the　lines　of　the　ducal　army　about　an　hour　after　dark；　just　as　soon　as　the　Duke　had　convinced　himself　that　Kaparu's　offer　represented　a　worthwhile　gamble。　The　gamble　had　to　be　taken　soon　if　it　was　to　be　taken　at　all；　for　it　was　impossible　to　count　on　the　defenders　of　the　castle　being　able　to　hold　out　much　longer；　and　at　any　moment　the　human　army　of　Yambu　might　move　as　well。
　　　Moving　toward　the　castle；　the　Duke's　small　force　traversed　a　slope　of　worn　grass；　cut　by　ditches；　that　Kaparu　said　had　been　a　fairground　only　a　few　days　ago。　The　ditches　afforded　a　certain　amount　of　cover　not　that　the　castles　defenders　had　any　attention　to　spare　right　now　for　this　little　group　of　men。　Torches　still　burning　on　the　walls　ahead　showed　that　parts　of　them　were　still　held　by　Sir　Andrew's　troops；　but　new　assaults　against　those　sections　were　being　readied　to　left　and　right；　where　now　the　regular　troops　of　Fraktin　and　Yambu　alike　were　moving　forward；　following　the　larvae。
　　　But；　just　ahead；　where　the　keep　itself　almost　became　a　part　of　the　outer　wall；　that　wall　rose　to　a　forbidding　height。　Until　now；　no　direct　attack　had　been　attempted　at　this　point。
　　　When　his　party　was　halfway　across　what　had　been　the　fairgrounds；　the　Duke　stopped。　He　warned　Kaparu　yet　once　again；　with　Coinspinner's　edge　against　his　throat：　〃You　will　be　first　to　die；　if　there　is　any　treachery　here。〃
　　　The　fellow　took　the　threat　calmly　and　bravely　enough。　〃There'll　be　no　treachery　from　me；　Your　Grace。　I　look　forward　too　eagerly　to　receiving　the　generous　reward　that　you　have　promised。〃
　　　Silently　the　Duke　pushed　him　forward。
　　　When　he　and　his　men　had　topped　the　outer　lip　of　the　almost　waterless　moat；　they　could　see　rectangular　patches　of　faint　light　in　the　castle　wall；　now　just　a　few　meters　in　front　of　them。
　　　〃The　windows；〃　breathed　Kaparu。　〃As　I　promised。　I　tell　you　the　old　man　is　a　soft…brained　fool；　I　only　wonder　that　his　defenses　held　out　as　long　as　they　did。〃
　　　The　Duke　had　to　admit　that　the　rectangles　certainly　looked　like　windows；　open　and　undefended。　Any　castle　lord　who　came　to　be　known　as　Kind　could　hardly　expect　to　keep　his　castle。。。
　　　The　group　easily　forded　the　muddy　moat；　and　easily　climbed　its　inward　wall；　which　was　badly　eroded　and　had　obviously　been　neglected　for　years。　As　they　came　at　last　in　reach　of　the　castle　wall　itself；　Kaparu　leaned　a　hand　upon　the　giant　stones；　and　paused　for　a　final　whisper：　〃As　I　have　already　warned　you；　there　will　be　ponderous　iron　bars　inside。　Once　through　the　wall；　we'll　be　inside　a　large　dungeon　cell；　whether　locked　or　unlocked　I　do　not　know。〃
　　　The　Duke　nodded　grimly。　〃Bars　we　can　deal　with；〃　he　said；　and　glanced　at　some　of　his　men　who　carried　tools；　and　at　BlueRobes　in　his　incongruous　armor。　They　silently　nodded　back。　The　wizard　had　volunteered　half…willingly　to　acpany　this　expedition；　as　a　sort　of　penance；　Mars　had　not；　after　all；　made　his　appearance　as　predicted。
　　　In　a　voice　barely　audible；　the　Duke　hissed　at　Kaparu：　〃Just　so　there　are　no　tricks。〃
　　　The　guide　Kaparu　was　made　to　be　the　second　man　in　through　one　of　the　tunnel…like　windows；　with　Duke　Fraktin　right　behind　him。　The　Sword　of　Chance；　throbbing　faintly　with　the　risks　its　master　was　taking；　was　touching　its　needle　point　to　the　guides　back。
　　　Once　inside；　through　the　five　or　six　meters　of　the　wall's　thickness；　the　Duke　dropped　down　from　windowsill　to　stone　floor；　following　closely　the　men　ahead　of　him　and　moving　to　make　room　for　those　who　followed　closely　after。　Yes；　they　were　in　a　cell；　all　right。　The　bars　were　visible　as　dark　outlines　against　some　illumination　of　ghostly　faintness　that　came　through　an　archway　atop　some　stairs。
　　　As　the　Duke　motioned　his　tool…workers　and　wizard　forward；　to　grope　in　silence　for　the　door；　he　found　himself　starting　to　sweat。　As　the　last　of　his　party　dropped　in　through　the　window；　and　his　men　milled　around　him；　he　found　uneasiness；　queasiness；　growing　in　the　center　of　his　belly。　Fear；　he　reminded　himself；　was　quite　natural　when　a　man　was　engaged　in　an　enterprise　as　dangerous　as　this。　Even　fear　enough　to　make　him　feel　sick。。。　but　this。。。　this　sickness　had　been　only　in　his　gut　at　first；　but　now　it　felt　as　if　it　were　centered　somewhere　even　more　central　than　that；　if　such　were　possible。。。
　　　Beside　the　Duke；　one　of　his　hand…picked　men　cried　out　in　a　low　voice；　then　seemed　to　be　struggling　with　himself；　trying　to　muffle　yet　another　cry。　Another's　weapon　fell　clashing　on　the　stone　floor。　A　third　sobbed　loudly。　The　Duke　would　have　struck　out　at　them　all；　in　anger　at　their　noise；　but　something　was　turning　like　poison　in　the　core　of　his　own　being；　and　he　could　hardly　move　his　limbs。。。
　　　Not　poison；　no。
　　　The　wizard　was　perhaps　the　first　to　understand　what　was　happening　to　them　all；　and　he　choked　out　the　first　words　of　a　phrase　of　power。　But　it　was　too　late　to　be　an　effective　counter；　or　perhaps　too　weak　something　strangled　the　next　words　in　his　throat。
　　　The　sensation　of　deadly　illness　had　now　fastened　upon　all　the　men　who　were　crowded　into　the　large　cell。　Blue　force；　no　longer　pletely　invisible；　hung　in　the　black　air　around　the　windows；　preventing　any　effort　at　retreat。　Some　of　the　men　had　groped　and　pushed　their　way　to　the　cell　bars；　and　hung　on　the　bars　now；　rattling　them。　Now　blue　fiery　tongues；　constructions　almost　more　of　darkness　than　of　light；　were　playing　in　the　air　all　around　the　men；　tongues　of　force　that　became　more　clearly　visible　as　the　wakefulness　and　the　hunger　of　their　possessor　grew。
　　　With　Coinspinner　drawn　and　throbbing　strongly　in　his　hand；　the　Duke　managed　to　tear　himself　free　of　momentarily　faltering　blue　tongues　of　light。　He　threw　himself　down　on　the　stone　floor　of　the　cell；　rolling　violently　from　right　to　left　and　back　again。　He　was　trying；　and　managing　successfully　so　far；　to　avoid　that　groping；　subtle　touch；　that　was　so　wholly　horrible。。。　Two　men　were　hurriedly　carrying　Sir　Andrew　downstairs　on　a　stretcher。　They　had　shoved　their　way　somehow　through　a　melee　on　the　first　floor　of　the　castle；　and　then　had　slammed　a　door　on　a　charging　Yambu　warbeast　to　get　down　to　ground　level。　Their　intention　was　to　carry　their　master　through　the　dungeons　and　then　on　out　through　the　secret　passage　that　here；　as　in　so　many　other　castles；　offered　one　final　hope　when　defenses　and　defenders　failed。
　　　The　bearers　entered　the　long　dungeon　stair。　The　warbeast　had　been　evidence　enough　that　human　attackers；　ing　in　their　own　hordes　on　the　heels　of　the　remnants　of　the　Horde　itself；　were　now　battering　at　the　doors　of　the　keep　above。　Above　were　screams　and　murder；　fire　and　panic；　down　here　there　was　still　almost　silence。
　　　At　any　other　time；　the　sight　of　the　faint　blue　horror　that　hazed　the　air　inside　the　large　end　cell　might　well　have　stopped　the　stretcher…bearers　and　sent　them　running　back。　But　now　they　knew　there　cold　be　no　going　back。　They　set　their　burden　down　in　the　narrow　corridor　that　ran　betwe