wilbursmith_warlock-第80部分

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　the　wind　drowned　out　all　sound。　She　laid　her　head　on　his　shoulder　and　they　clung　to　each　other。　They　were　entombed　in　the　roaring　darkness；　dumb　and　blinded　and　half　suffocated。　Each　hot　breath　they　drew　had　to　be　strained　through　cloth　and　taken　only　a　sip　at　a　time　to　prevent　a　rush　of　talcum　fine　sand　passing　between　their　lips。
　　
　　After　a　while　the　roar　of　the　wind　deafened　them　and　dulled　all　their　other　senses。　It　went　on　and　on；　without　ceasing　or　relenting。　They　had　no　way　to　judge　the　passage　of　time；　except　the　tiniest　awareness　of　light　and　darkness　through　their　closed　eyelids。　To　mark　the　arrival　of　the　day　there　was　a　faint　rosy　aura；　when　night　fell　it　faded　into　utter　darkness。　Nefer　had　never　known　such　plete　and　endless　dark。　If　it　had　not　been　for　Mintaka's　body　pressed　close　to　his；　he　thought　that　he　would　have　gone　mad。
　　
　　Every　once　in　a　long　while　she　stirred　against　him　and　answered　the　pressure　of　his　arms　with　her　own。　He　might　have　slept；　but　there　were　no　dreams；　just　the　roaring　of　the　khamsin　and　the　darkness。
　　
　　After　another　long　while　he　tried　to　move　his　legs；　but　he　could　not。　In　a　blind　panic　he　thought　he　had　lost　control　of　his　body。　That　he　was　weak　and　dying。　He　tried　again　with　all　his　strength；　and　managed　to　move　his　foot　and　toes。　Then　he　knew　that　he　was　entrapped　by　the　sand　that　was　filtering　into　their　shelter　through　the　chinks　in　the　zareba　wall。　It　had　already　piled　up　as　high　as　his　waist。　They　were　slowly　being　buried　alive。　The　thought　of　that　insidious　death　filled　him　with　terror。　With　his　bare　hands　he　scraped　away　enough　sand　to　be　able　to　move　his　legs　then　did　the　same　for　Mintaka。
　　
　　He　felt　the　others　working　at　the　same　task　in　the　crowded　cave；　trying　to　fight　back　the　sand；　but　it　trickled　in　like　water。　It　was　deposited　on　them　from　the　dense　clouds　of　swirling　dust。
　　
　　And　the　storm　raged　on。
　　
　　For　two　days　and　three　nights　the　wind　never　relented。　During　this　time　Nefer　managed　to　keep　back　the　sand　just　enough　to　move　his　head　and　his　arms；　but　his　lower　body　was　encased　solidly。　He　could　not　begin　to　dig　himself　out；　for　there　was　no　where　to　which　he　could　move　the　sand。
　　
　　He　reached　up　one　hand　and　touched　the　stone　roof　inches　above　his　head。　He　ran　his　fingers　across　it；　and　realized　it　was　slightly　domed。　Their　heads　were　in　this　small　space；　but　the　sand　had　sealed　off　the　cave　entrance　so　that　no　more　sand　could　penetrate。　But　he　could　still　hear　the　storm　bellow　endlessly。
　　
　　He　waited。　At　times　he　felt　Mintaka　sobbing　quietly　beside　him　and　tried　to　fort　her　with　a　gentle　pressure　of　his　arms。　The　air　trapped　with　them　in　the　tiny　head　space　became　fetid　and　stale。　He　thought　that　soon　it　would　no　longer　keep　them　alive；　but　some　fresh　air　must　have　been　filtering　through　the　sand；　for　although　each　breath　was　a　struggle　they　were　still　alive。
　　
　　They　drank　most　of　the　water　that　remained　in　the　waterskins；　leaving　only　a　tiny　amount　in　the　bottom。　Then　the　thirst　came。　Even　though　they　were　unable　to　move　their　bodies　to　use　up　moisture；　the　hot　dry　sand　and　air　sucked　it　out　of　them。　Nefer　felt　his　tongue　slowly　cleave　to　the　roof　of　his　mouth。　Then　it　began　to　swell　so　his　breathing；　already　difficult；　became　almost　impossible　because　of　the　huge　spongy　thing　that　filled　his　mouth。
　　
　　With　the　fear　and　the　thirst　he　lost　track　of　time；　and　it　seemed　that　years　had　passed。　Nefer　aroused　himself　from　the　stupor　that　was　slowly　overtaking　him。　He　realized　that　something　had　changed。　He　tried　to　fathom　what　it　was；　but　his　mind　was　numb　and　unresponsive。　Mintaka　was　very　still　beside　him。　He　squeezed　her　fearfully。　In　reply　he　felt　a　tiny　shudder　of　movement。　She　was　still　alive。　Both　of　them　were　alive；　but　entombed；　able　only　to　move　some　small　part　of　their　bodies。
　　
　　He　felt　himself　drifting　back　into　that　dark　stupor；　into　haunted　dreams　of　water；　of　cool　green　expanses　of　the　great　river；　of　cascades　and　bright　rivulets　of　water。　He　forced　himself　up　from　the　darkness；　and　listened。　He　heard　nothing。　That　was　what　had　roused　him。　There　was　no　sound。　The　roaring　clamour　of　the　khamsin　had　given　way　to　a　profound　silence。　The　silence　of　a　sealed　tomb；　he　thought；　and　the　horror　returned　full　force。
　　
　　He　began　to　struggle　again；　to　try　to　work　his　way　out　of　the　sand。　He　managed　at　last　to　free　his　right　arm；　reached　out　and　found　Mintaka's　covered　head。　He　stroked　it　and　in　the　silence　heard　her　whimper。　He　tried　to　speak；　to　reassure　her；　but　his　swollen　tongue　would　let　no　word　pass。　Instead　he　reached　out　beyond　her　to　see　if　he　could　touch　Hilto；　who　had　been　sitting　on　the　far　side　of　her。　Either　Hilto　was　gone　or　was　beyond　the　reach　of　his　arm；　for　he　touched　nothing。
　　
　　He　rested　a　while　then　roused　himself　once　more；　and　made　an　effort　to　clear　the　sand　from　around　the　entrance　to　the　cave。　But　there　was　little　space　to　store　what　he　scraped　away。　A　handful　at　a　time　he　scooped　it　away　and　pushed　it　into　a　nook　in　their　tiny　cell。　Soon　he　was　working　at　the　furthest　reach　of　his　right　arm；　scraping　away　a　few　grains　at　a　time。　It　was　a　despairing　attempt　but　he　knew　that　he　had　to　keep　trying　or　give　up　hope。
　　
　　Abruptly　he　felt　the　sand　cascade　out　from　under　his　fingers；　and　even　through　the　folds　of　his　headcloth　fresh　air　that　had　not　been　breathed　seeped　into　the　cave。　And　he　was　aware　of　the　faintest　glimmer　of　light　beyond　his　closed　eyelids。　Painfully　he　began　to　pull　away　the　cloth　from　his　face。　The　light　grew　stronger　and　the　air　was　sweet　in　his　dry　mouth　and　aching　lungs。　When　his　face　was　free　of　the　cloth　he　half　opened　one　eye；　and　was　almost　dazzled　by　the　light。　When　his　vision　had　adjusted　he　saw　that　he　had　opened　a　hole　to　the　outside　that　was　no　larger　than　the　circle　of　his　thumb　and　forefinger；　but　from　beyond　there　was　quiet。　The　storm　had　passed。
　　
　　Excited　and　with　new　hope　he　tugged　at　the　cloth　that　covered　Mintaka's　head　and　heard　her　breathe　the　fresh　air。　Again　he　tried　to　speak；　but　again　his　voice　failed　him。　He　tried　to　move；　to　escape　from　the　deadly　grip　of　the　heavy　sand；　but　his　body　was　still　encased　to　the　armpits。
　　
　　With　all　his　remaining　strength；　he　struggled　silently　to　free　himself；　but　the　effort　soon　exhausted　him　and　his　throat　burned　and　ached　with　thirst。　He　thought　how　cruel　it　would　be　to　die　here　with　the　promise　of　air　and　light　mocking　him　through　that　tiny　cleft。
　　
　　He　closed　his　eyes　again　wearily；　giving　up。　Then　he　was　aware　of　another　change　in　the　light；　and　he　opened　his　eye　again。　With　a　sense　of　disbelief　he　saw　a　hand　reaching　through　the　opening　towards　him。　An　ancient　hand；　with　desiccated　skin　covered　with　the　dark　blotches　of　age。
　　
　　'Nefer！'　He　heard　a　voice　so　strange；　so　hoarse　and　altered；　that　for　a　moment　he　doubted　it　was　the　Magus。　'Nefer；　can　you　hear　me？'
　　
　　Nefer　tried　to　reply　but　still　could　not　speak。　He　reached　out　and　touched　Taita's　fingers。　Immediately　the　old　man's　fingers　closed　over　his　with　surprising　strength。
　　
　　'Hold　hard。　We　will　dig　you　out。'
　　
　　He　heard　other　voices　then；　rough　and　faint　with　thirst　and　effort；　and　hands　scraped　away　the　sand　that　entrapped　him　until　at　last　they　could　lay　hold　of　him　and　pull　him　free　of　the　soft；　deadly　grasp　of　the　sand。
　　
　　Nefer　slithered　out　through　the　narrow　cleft　as　though　the　rocky　hillock　was　giving　birth　to　him。　Then　Hilto　and　Meren　reached　in　again　and　dragged　Mintaka　out　of　the　soft　dark　womb　into　the　brilliant　sunlight。
　　
　　They　lifted　the　pair　to　their　feet　and　held　them　from　falling　again；　for　their　legs　had　no　strength。　Nefer　shrugged　off　Meren's　hands；　lurched　across　to　Mintaka　and　embraced　her　silently。　She　was　shivering　as　though　in　the　crisis　of　malaria。　After　a　while　he　held　her　at　arm's　length　and　studied　her　face　with　horror　and　pity。　Her　hair　was　white　with　sand；　which　clung　thickly　in　her　eyebrows。　Her　eyes　had　receded　into　deep　purple　cavities；　and　her　lips　were　swollen　black；　so　that　when　she　tried　to　speak　they　cracked　open　and　a　drop　of　blood；　bright　as　a　ruby；　trickled　down　her　chin。
　　
　　'Water；'　Nefer　managed　to　articulate　at　last。　'She　must　have　water。'
　　
　　He　dropped　to　his　knees　and　began　frantically　to　dig　into　the　sand　that　still　blocked　the　cave。　Meren　and　Hilto　were　working　beside　him　and　they　uncovered　the　waterskin。　They　pulled　it　out；　and　found　that　most　of　the　water　that　had　remained　had　evaporated　or　been　squeezed　from　it。　There　remained　only　sufficient　for　a　few　mouthfuls　each；　but　even　that　amount　was　enough　to　keep　them　alive　a　little　longer。　Nefer　felt　strength　return　to　his　dehydrated　body；　and　for　the　first　time　looked　about　him。
　　
　　It　was　the　middle　of　the　morning。　He　did　not　know　what　morning　or　for　how　many　days　they　had　been　buried。　There　was　still　a　haze　of　fine　sand　like　gold…dust　in　the　still　air。
　　
　　He　shaded　his　eyes；　looked　out　over　the　desert　and　did　not　recognize　it。　The　landscape　had　changed　pletely：　the　high　dunes　had　marched　away　to　be　replaced　by　others；　of　different　shape　and　alignment。　There　were　valleys　where　there　had　been　mountains；　an