wilbursmith_warlock-第27部分

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　　'Then　how　do　you　know　their　strength　and　numbers？'　Taita　frowned　at　him。
　　
　　'Lord　Naja　was　shouting…'　Gil　broke　off　and　dropped　his　eyes。
　　
　　'Did　any　of　the　others；　apart　from　Naja；　see　the　enemy？'
　　
　　'I　do　not　know；　honourable　Magus。　You　see；　Lord　Naja　ordered　us　back　down　the　pathway　to　the　chariots。　We　could　see　that　the　King　was　mortally　wounded；　probably　already　dead。　We　had　all　lost　heart。'
　　
　　'You　must　have　discussed　it　later　with　your　panions。　Did　any　of　them　tell　you　he　had　engaged　an　enemy？　That　he　had　hit　one　of　the　Hyksos　with　arrow　or　lance？'
　　
　　Gil　shook　his　head　doubtfully。　'I　don't　remember。　No；　I　don't　think　so。
　　
　　'Apart　from　the　King；　were　any　others　wounded？'
　　
　　'None。'
　　
　　'Why　did　you　not　tell　this　to　the　council？　Why　did　you　not　tell　them　that　you　had　not　seen　an　enemy？'　Taita　was　angry　now。
　　
　　'Lord　Naja　told　us　to　answer　the　questions　simply　and　not　to　waste　the　council's　time　with　idle　boasting　and　long　tales　of　our　part　in　the　fighting。'　Gil　hunched　his　shoulders　with　embarrassment。　'I　suppose　that　none　of　us　wanted　to　admit　that　we　ran　without　a　fight。'
　　
　　'Do　not　feel　ashamed；　Gil。　You　carried　out　your　orders；'　Taita　told　him；　in　a　kinder　tone。　'Now；　climb　up　on　the　rocks　there；　and　keep　your　eyes　open。　We　are　still　deep　in　Hyksosian　territory。　I　shall　not　be　long。'　Taita　went　forward　slowly　and　stepped　round　the　boulder　that　blocked　the　path。　He　paused　and　surveyed　the　ground　ahead。　From　this　angle　he　could　just　make　out　the　top　of　the　ruined　watchtower。　The　path　went　up　towards　it　in　a　series　of　dog…legs。　Then　it　disappeared　over　the　crest　of　a　slope；　which　was　fairly　open；　with　little　cover　for　a　Hyksosian　ambush；　just　a　few　clumps　of　rock　and　scattered　sun…blasted　thorn　trees。　Then　he　remembered　that　it　had　happened　at　night。　But　something　disturbed　him。　Taita　felt　a　vague　sense　of　evil；　as　though　he　was　being　watched　by　a　powerful　malignant　force。
　　
　　This　feeling　grew　so　strong　that　he　stood　motionless　in　the　sunlight　and　closed　his　eyes。　He　opened　his　mind　and　his　soul；　being　a　dry　sponge　to　soak　up　any　influence　from　the　air　around　him。　Almost　at　once　the　feeling　grew　stronger　still：　there　were　terrible　things　here；　but　the　focus　of　evil　emanated　from　somewhere　not　far　ahead　of　him。　He　opened　his　eyes　and　walked　slowly　towards　it。　There　was　nothing　to　be　seen；　other　than　heat…blasted　rock　and　thorn；　but　now　he　could　even　smell　evil　in　the　hot　air；　a　faint　but　rank　odour　like　the　breath　of　a　carrion…eating　wild　beast。
　　
　　He　stopped　and　sniffed；　like　a　hunting　dog；　and　immediately　the　air　smelt　dusty　and　dry；　but　clean。　This　proved　to　him　that　the　elusive　stench　was　something　outside　natural　law。　He　was　catching　the　faint　echo　of　an　evil　that　had　been　perpetrated　in　this　place；　but　when　he　tried　to　pinpoint　it；　it　disappeared。　He　took　a　pace　forward　then　another；　and　once　more　the　nauseating　stench　wafted　around　him。　Another　pace；　and　now　the　smell　was　acpanied　by　a　feeling　of　great　sorrow；　as　though　he　had　lost　something　of　inestimable　value；　something　that　could　never　be　replaced。
　　
　　He　had　to　force　himself　to　take　the　next　step　up　the　rocky　pathway；　and　at　that　instant　something　struck　him　with　a　force　that　drove　the　air　from　his　lungs。　He　cried　out　in　agony　and　dropped　to　his　knees；　clutching　his　chest；　unable　to　breathe。　It　was　extreme　pain；　the　pain　of　death；　and　he　struggled　with　it　as　though　with　a　serpent　that　had　wound　its　coils　about　him。　He　managed　to　throw　himself　back　down　the　path；　and　immediately　the　pain　fell　away。
　　
　　Gil　had　heard　him　cry　out　and　came　bounding　up　the　path。　He　seized　Taita；　and　helped　him　to　his　feet。　'What　is　it？　What　ails　you；　my　lord？'
　　
　　Taita　thrust　him　away。　'Go！　Leave　me！　You　are　in　danger　here。　This　is　a　thing　not　of　men　but　of　gods　and　demons。　Go！　Wait　for　me　at　the　bottom　of　the　hill。'
　　
　　Gil　hesitated；　but　then　he　saw　the　look　in　those　glittering　eyes　and　recoiled　as　if　from　a　ghost。
　　
　　'Go！'　Taita　said；　in　a　voice　Gil　wanted　never　to　hear　again；　and　he　fled。
　　
　　For　a　long　time　after　he　had　gone　Taita　struggled　to　bring　his　body　and　mind　back　under　his　own　control；　to　enable　him　to　counter　the　forces　arrayed　against　him。　He　reached　into　the　pouch　on　his　belt　and　brought　out　the　Periapt　of　Lostris。　He　held　it　in　his　right　hand　and　stepped　forward　again。
　　
　　As　he　came　to　the　exact　spot　on　the　pathway　the　pain　struck　once　more　with　even　more　savage　intensity；　like　a　flint…tipped　arrow　through　the　chest；　and　he　could　barely　prevent　himself　screaming　as　he　reeled　backwards　and　the　pain　fell　away　as　it　had　before。
　　
　　Panting；　he　stared　down　at　the　stony　ground。　At　first　it　seemed　unmarked　and　no　different　from　any　other　point　on　the　rugged　pathway　he　had　traversed。　Then；　a　small　ethereal　shadow　appeared　on　the　earth。　As　he　watched；　it　changed；　became　a　shimmering　dark　scarlet　pool。　Slowly　he　sank　to　his　knees。　The　heart　blood　of　a　king　and　a　god；'　he　whispered。　'Here；　on　this　very　spot；　died　Pharaoh　Tamose。'
　　
　　He　rallied　himself　and　in　a　quiet　yet　firm　voice　spoke　the　invocation　to　Horus；　so　potent　that　only　an　adept　of　the　seventh　degree　dared　voice　it。　On　the　seventh　repetition　he　heard　the　rustle　of　unseen　wings；　which　stirred　the　desert　air　around　him。　'The　god　is　here；'　he　whispered；　and　he　began　to　pray。　He　prayed　for　his　Pharaoh　and　his　friend；　entreating　Horus　to　relieve　his　suffering　and　lift　his　torture。
　　
　　'Allow　him　to　escape　from　this　dread　place；'　he　beseeched　the　god。　'It　must　have　been　murder　for　his　soul　to　have　been　trapped　here。'
　　
　　As　he　prayed　he　made　the　signs　for　the　exorcism　of　evil。　Before　his　eyes　the　pool　of　blood　began　to　shrink；　as　though　it　were　soaking　away　into　the　dry　earth。　As　the　last　drop　disappeared　Taita　heard　a　soft；　formless　sound；　like　the　cry　of　a　sleepy　child；　and　the　terrible　weight　of　loss　and　sorrow　that　had　burdened　him　fell　from　his　shoulders。　As　he　stood　up　he　felt　a　great　sense　of　release。　He　stepped　forward　on　to　the　spot　where　the　pool　of　blood　had　been。　Even　when　his　sandalled　feet　were　firmly　planted　upon　it　he　felt　no　pain　and　his　sense　of　well…being　remained　intact。
　　
　　'Go　in　peace；　my　friend　and　my　king；　and　may　you　live　for　all　eternity；'　he　said　aloud；　and　made　the　sign　for　long　life　and　happiness。
　　
　　He　turned　away；　and　would　have　started　back　down　the　hill　to　where　the　chariots　waited　but　something　stopped　him　in　his　tracks。　He　lifted　his　head　and　tested　the　air　again。　There　was　still　a　faint　whiff　of　that　evil　smell；　just　an　elusive　trace　of　it。　Warily　he　turned　back　up　the　slope；　passing　the　place　where　Pharaoh　had　died；　and　went　on。　With　each　pace　the　stench　of　evil　grew　stronger；　until　it　caught　in　his　throat　and　made　his　gorge　rise。　Once　again；　he　realized　that　this　was　something　from　beyond　the　natural　order。　He　went　on；　until　after　twenty　measured　paces　the　odour　began　to　fade。　He　stopped　and　retraced　his　steps。　Immediately　the　stench　grew　stronger。　He　quested　back　and　forth　until　it　was　at　its　zenith。　Then　he　stepped　off　the　path　and　found　it　stronger　still；　almost　suffocating。
　　
　　He　was　standing　under　the　twisted　branches　of　a　thorn　tree　that　grew　next　to　the　path。　He　looked　up　and　saw　that　the　branches　were　strangely　shaped；　as　though　they　had　been　fashioned　by　a　human　hand　into　a　distinctive　cross　that　stood　out　against　the　blue　of　the　sky。　He　looked　down　and　a　rock　the　size　and　shape　of　a　horse's　head　caught　his　attention。　It　had　recently　been　dislodged　then　replaced　in　its　original　position。　Taita　lifted　it　out　of　the　depression　in　which　it　sat；　and　saw　that　it　had　covered　a　niche　between　the　roots　of　the　thorn　tree。　He　laid　it　aside　and　peered　into　the　niche。　There　was　something　in　it　and　he　reached　in　gingerly…it　was　the　kind　of　shelter　that　might　hide　a　snake　or　scorpion。
　　
　　He　brought　out　a　magnificently　carved　and　tooled　object。　He　stared　at　it　for　a　moment　before　he　realized　that　it　was　an　arrow　quiver。　There　was　no　doubting　its　origin；　for　the　design　was　in　the　Hyksosian　heraldic　style；　and　the　image　tooled　into　the　leather　cover　was　Seueth；　the　crocodile　god　of　war　revered　by　Hyksosian　warriors。
　　
　　Taita　twisted　off　the　stopper　cover　and　found　that　the　quiver　contained　five　war　arrows；　fletched　in　green　and　red。　He　drew　out　one　of　the　shafts　and　his　heart　beat　fiercely　as　he　recognized　it。　There　could　be　no　mistake。　He　had　minutely　examined　the　broken；　blood…caked　one　that　Naja　had　brought　before　the　council。　This　was　identical　to　the　arrow　that　had　killed　Pharaoh。
　　
　　He　held　it　to　the　light　and　peered　closely　at　the　signet　etched　into　the　painted　shaft。　It　was　a　stylized　head　of　a　leopard；　holding　the　hieratic　letter　T　in　its　jaws。　This　was　the　device　he　had　seen　on　the　fatal　arrow。　This　was　its　identical　twin。　Taita　turned　it　over　and　over　in　his　hands；　as　though　trying　to　draw　from　it　the　last　grain　of　information。　He　held　it　to　his　nose　and　sniffed　it。　There　was　just　the　smell　of　wood；　paint　and　feathers。　The　foul　odour　that　had　guided　him　to　the　cache　had　disappeared。
　　
　　Why　should　the　assassin　of　Pharaoh　hide　his　quiver？　After　the　figh