df.therunelords-第57部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　needed　before　he　could　bee　the　Sum　of　All　Men。
　Jureem　prided　himself　on　being　a　man　who　was　not　easily　deceived。　He　strongly　suspected　that　Borenson　had　told　an　intricate　tale　based　on　some　truth；　twisted　together　liberally　with　lies。　Yet　as　Jureem　considered　the　message　Borenson　had　brought；　it　was　damnably　difficult　to　know　where　the　truth　ended　and　the　lies　began。
　After　only　a　few　moments　on　the　castle　wall；　Raj　Ahten　looked　to　his　side；　at　Jureem。　〃My　counselors；　let　us　walk；〃　he　said。　The　Wolf　Lord　seldom　sought　advice　from　Jureem　or　Feykaald　anymore。　Certainly　his　master　was　worried。
　They　came　down　from　the　city　wall；　walking　along　the　steps；　and　had　not　gone　far　before　they　were　out　of　the　crowd；　heading　up　a　small　rise　toward　the　stables。
　〃Feykaald；〃　the　Wolf　Lord　asked　the　oldest　of　his　counselors。　〃What　think　you：　Does　King　Orden　have　his　son？〃
　〃Of　course　not；〃　Feykaald　hissed。　〃The　messenger　was　too　startled；　too　frightened；　when　you　first　mentioned　the　ransom。　That　messenger　was　full　of　lies。　He　spoke　not　a　word　of　truth。〃
　〃I　agree　that　Orden　does　not　yet　have　his　son；　but　though　the　messenger's　manner　showed　him　to　be　a　liar；　he　spoke　some　truth。〃
　〃He　does　not　have　his　son；〃　Jureem　agreed；　replaying　every　nuance　of　the　messenger's　voice；　every　expression。
　〃Granted；〃　Raj　Ahten　said。　〃What　of　Longmont？〃
　〃He　could　not　have　conquered　it；〃　Feykaald　spat　quickly。
　〃He　has　done　so；〃　Raj　Ahten　said；　his　voice　not　betraying　the　concern　that　this　must　have　caused。　Jureem's　heart　nearly　froze　at　the　thought。
　〃O　Greatest　of　Lights；〃　Jureem　said；　〃I　must　argue　with　you。　The　messenger's　demeanor　clearly　indicated　that　this；　too；　was　a　lie。　Orden　must　be　a　fool；　to　send　such　a　poor　liar　on　such　an　errand！〃
　〃It　is　not　the　messenger's　demeanor　that　convinced　me；〃　Raj　Ahten　said。　〃I　felt　a　dizziness　at　dawn。　Virtue　left　me。　Many　hundreds　of　Dedicates　died；　and　their　endowments　are　lost。　Of　that　I　am　sure。〃
　To　lose　so　many　endowments　was　a　deep　blow；　a　fearsome　cut。　Yet　it　did　not　terrify　Jureem。　In　distant　lands　to　the　south；　Raj　Ahten's　facilitators　worked　assiduously　to　find　new　Dedicates　for　him。　These　were　men　with　great　glamour　and　powers　of　Voice；　who　could　lure　others　into　Raj　Ahten's　service；　put　the　forcibles　to　them。　Raj　Ahten　was　in　a　constant　state　of　flux；　gaining　in　strength　and　wit　and　glamour　and　stamina　at　an　astonishing　rate。　Jureem　no　longer　knew　how　many　thousands　served　as　his　lord's　Dedicates。　He　knew　only　that　his　lord　grew　in　power；　day　by　day。　Jureem　could　not　yet　see　what　his　lord　would　bee；　when　he　became　the　Sum　of　All　Men。
　But　this　morning　he　had　suffered　a　blow。
　In　a　day　or　two；　Raj　Ahten's　occupying　armies　would　arrive；　a　hundred　thousand　strong；　and　lay　siege。　Orden　could　not　have　anticipated　so　large　an　occupying　force。
　At　the　same　time；　three　armies　would　enter　the　kingdom　of　Orwynne　to　the　west；　and　King　Theros　Val　Orwynne；　upon　seeing　that　he　was　caught　in　a　vise；　would　have　little　choice　but　to　either　surrender　or　dig　in　for　a　siege。　He　would　not　be　able　to　send　aid　to　Orden　in　Longmont。
　Meanwhile；　saboteurs　in　Fleeds　had　begun　poisoning　the　grain　stock　to　the　stables　of　High　King　Connel；　preventing　the　horse　clans　from　mounting　their　fierce　cavalry　attacks。
　No；　Orden　had　to　be　terrified。　So　he　was　sending　this　little　yapping　messenger　to　bark　at　Raj　Ahten。
　〃Perhaps；〃　Jureem　said；　〃Orden　has　taken　Longmont；　but　he　cannot　hold　it。〃　Yet　if　Raj　Ahten　was　right；　if　Longmont　had　fallen；　and　this　messenger　had　managed　to　feign　dishonesty　through　his　whole　speech；　was　it　yet　possible　that　in　every　matter　he　had　spoken　the　truth？
　Now　Raj　Ahten　said　the　thing　Jureem　dreaded　most。　〃Do　we　have　a　spy　in　our　midst？〃
　Jureem　considered；　could　see　no　other　way　to　explain　how　Orden　had　known　that　Raj　Ahten　planned　to　attack　Heredon。　Nor　could　Orden　have　known　about　the　forcibles　hidden　in　Longmont；　or　known　that　the　garrison　was　undermanned。
　Immediately；　Jureem　worried　that　he　himself　might　have　been　the　problem。　Had　he　spoken　of　these　things　to　any　of　his　lovers？　Had　he　spoken　before　any　servants　or　strangers？　A　careless　word　to　the　wrong　person？
　It　could　have　been　me；　Jureem　thought。　He'd　confided　his　fears　about　leaving　Longmont　undermanned　to　one　of　his　lovers；　a　horseman　who　bred　fine　stallions。　But　had　he　mentioned　that　the　forcibles　would　be　there？　No。　He　had　not　spoken　of　them。
　Jureem　looked　to　his　side。　Feykaald　had　been　with　Raj　Ahten　for　many　years。　Jureem　trusted　the　man。　As　for　the　flameweavers；　they　cared　nothing　for　Raj　Ahten。　They　served　the　elemental　fires；　and　would　follow　Raj　Ahten　only　so　long　as　he　promised　them　war；　promised　to　feed　their　master。
　So　Jureem　did　not　worry　that　these　men　were　spies。　True；　it　could　be　that　one　of　the　captains　was　a　spy。　But　how？　How　could　even　a　spy　have　notified　Orden　of　the　opportunity　at　Longmont　on　such　short　notice？
　No；　it　was　the　Days；　the　tall　man　with　graying　hair　and　chiseled；　imperious　features　who　most　worried　Jureem。　He　could　have　aided　Orden　in　this　battle。　Only　he。
　Jureem　dreaded　this　moment；　had　long　suspected　it　would　e。　The　Days　claimed　they　were　neutral；　that　they　never　aided　any　lord　against　another。　To　do　so　would　have　been　to　interfere　in　the　affairs　of　men；　an　action　that　the　Days　said　the　Lords　of　Time　would　not　tolerate。　So　they　merely　recorded　eventsbut　Jureem　had　heard　too　many　rumors；　too　many　hints　at　unscrupulous　dealings　in　the　past。　For　years；　Raj　Ahten　had　grown　in　power　until　he　reached　the　point　where　Jureem　suspected　that　the　Days　would　unite　against　him。
　In　their　own　way；　Jureem　believed　the　Days　were　far　more　of　a　threat　than　the　irrepressible　Knights　Equitable。
　The　Days；　of　course；　knew　Raj　Ahten's　actions。　The　Days　knew　well　in　advance　that　Raj　Ahten　planned　to　attack　Longmont；　knew　he'd　left　the　castle　without　a　sufficient　garrison。　The　Days'　twin；　the　man　or　woman　who　shared　his　mind　in　the　monastery　to　the　north；　of　course　knew　what　had　e　to　pass。　And　anything　learned　by　one　Days　could　swiftly　be　relayed　to　many。
　It　was　all　Jureem　could　do　to　keep　from　whirling　now　and　gutting　the　Days。
　〃I　think；　we　are　betrayed；　my　lord；〃　Jureem　said；　glancing　at　the　Days。　〃Though　I　know　not　how。〃　His　master　was　watching；　had　seen　the　covert　accusation。
　Yet　what　could　the　master　do？　If　Jureem　accused　the　Days　falsely；　and　slew　him；　he　might　make　matters　worse。　All　of　the　Days　would　then　openly　fight　Raj　Ahten；　betray　his　secrets　into　every　ear。
　On　the　other　hand；　if　Jureem　did　not　slay　the　Days；　then　a　spy　would　remain　in　the　camp。
　Raj　Ahten　stopped。
　〃What　will　we　do　now？〃　Feykaald　asked；　wringing　his　little　hands。　They　stuck　out　from　his　turquoise　silk　robes　like　twisted　knots　from　a　tree　limb。
　〃What　do　you　think　we　should　do？〃　Raj　Ahten　asked。　〃You　are　my　counselor；　Feykaald。　So　counsel　me。〃
　〃We　should　send　a　message；〃　Feykaald　whispered；　〃to　General　Suh；　and　divert　his　armies　to　us　for　reinforcement；　instead　of　having　him　attack　Orwynne。〃
　Feykaald　was　old；　tough；　and　full　of　experience。　He'd　lived　long　by　being　careful。　But　Jureem　knew　that　Raj　Ahten　often　desired　less…cautious　counsel。　The　Wolf　Lord　had　grown　in　power　by　listening　to　Jureem。
　He　leaned　his　ear　to　Jureem。　〃And　what　would　you　do？〃
　Jureem　bowed　his　head。　He　spoke　carefully　as　he　thought　aloud。　〃Forgive　me；　O　Blessed　Light；　if　in　this　matter；　I　do　not　seem　so　alarmed。〃　He　flashed　a　distrustful　glance　at　Feykaald。　〃It　may　be　true　that　King　Orden　has　captured　your　forcibles；　but　who　will　he　use　them　on？　You　have　already　stripped　endowments　from　everyone　who　was　worthy　at　Longmont。　Orden　cannot　use　the　local　populace。　Which　means　he　would　have　to　take　endowments　only　from　his　warriorsan　unfortunate　proposition；　for　with　each　endowment　he　took　to　himself；　he　would　weaken　his　own　army。〃
　〃So　you　propose？〃
　〃Go　to　Longmont　and　take　your　forcibles　back！〃　It　was；　of　course；　the　only　possible　answer。　Raj　Ahten　could　ill　afford　to　wait　for　reinforcements。　It　would　only　give　Orden　time　to　either　slip　away　with　the　treasure　or　draw　reinforcements　himself。
　Raj　Ahten　smiled　at　this　answer。　It　was　risky；　Jureem　knew。　Perhaps　Orden　wanted　to　draw　them　out　of　Castle　Sylvarresta　for　an　ambush。　But　all　life　was　a　risk。　And　Raj　Ahten　could　ill　afford　to　do　nothing。
　The　Master　had　taken　six　endowments　of　metabolism。　In　doing　so；　he　was　able　to　thwart　the　assassins　who　came　after　him　time　and　again。
　But　taking　such　endowments　carried　a　great　danger；　the　promise　of　an　early　death。　Metabolism　could　serve　as　a　weapon　against　its　owner。　Indeed；　in　one　case；　according　to　legend；　a　Dedicate　who　gave　a　great　king　metabolism　was　kidnapped　by　the　King's　enemies。　Then；　the　enemies　gave　hundreds　of　endowments　of　metabolism　to　the　Dedicate；　making　him　a　vector；　so　that　the　King　died　of　old　age　in　a　matter　of　weeks。　For　this　reason；　Raj　Ahten　had　vectored　all　his　metabolism　through　a　single　Dedicate；　a　man　he　always　kept　near　to　his　side；　in　case　he　needed　to　slay　the　man　and　break　his　own　link。
　Few　kings　ever　dared　take　more　than　one　or　two　endowments　of　metabolism。　With　six；　Raj　Ahten　could　run　six　times　the　speed　of　another　man。
　But　he　also　aged　six　times　faster。　And　though　Ju