fs.thethirdbookofswords-第1部分

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　Up　at　the　unpeopled　borderland　of　cloudy　heaven；　where　unending　wind　drove　eternal　snow　between　and　over　high　gray　rocks；　the　gods　and　goddesses　were　gathering。
　In　the　grayness　just　before　dawn；　their　tall　forms　came　like　smoke　out　of　the　gray　and　smoking　wind；　to　take　on　solidity　and　detail。　Unperturbed　by　wind　or　weather；　their　garments　flapping　in　the　shrieking　howl　of　air；　they　stood　upon　the　rooftop　of　the　world　and　waited　as　their　numbers　grew。　Steadily　more　powers　streaked　across　the　sky；　bringing　reinforcement。
　The　shortest　of　the　standing　figures　was　taller　than　humanity；　but　from　the　shortest　to　tallest；　all　were　indisputably　of　human　shape。　The　dress　of　most　members　of　the　assembly　displayed　a　more　than　mortal　elegance；　running　to　crowns　and　jewels　and　snow…white　furs；　the　attire　of　a　few　was；　by　human　standards；　almost　ordinary；　that　of　many　was　bizarre。
　By　an　unspoken　agreement　amounting　to　tradition　the　deities　stood　in　a　rough　circle；　symbol　of　a　rude　equality。　It　was　a　mutually　enforced　equality；　meaning　only　that　none　of　their　number　was　willing　to　concede　pride　of　place　to　any　other。　When　graybearded　Zeus；　a　laurel　wreath　embracing　his　massive　head；　moved　forward　majestically　as　if　after　all　he　intended　to　occupy　the　center　of　the　circle；　a　muttering　at　once　began　around　him。　The　sound　grew　louder；　and　it　did　not　subside　until　the　Graybearded　One；　with　a　frown；　had　converted　his　forward　movement　into　a　mere　circular　pacing；　that　soon　brought　him　back　to　his　old　place　in　the　large　circle。　There　he　stopped。　And　only　when　he　stopped　did　the　muttering　die　down　pletely。
　And　still　with　each　passing　moment　the　shape　of　another　god　or　goddess　materialized　out　of　the　restless　air。　By　now　two　dozen　or　more　tall　forms　were　in　place　around　the　circle。　They　eyed　one　another　suspiciously；　and　exchanged　cautious　nods　and　signs　of　greeting。　Neighbor　to　neighbor　they　muttered　in　near…whispers　through　the　wind；　trading　warily　in　warnings　and　backbitings　about　those　who　were　more　distant　in　the　circle；　or　still　absent。　The　more　of　them　that　gathered；　the　more　their　diversity　was　evident。　They　were　dark　or　fair；　old…looking　or　young…looking。　Handsome　…　as　gods　…　or　beautiful　…　as　goddesses　…　or　ugly；　as　only　certain　gods　and　goddesses　could　be。
　Twice　more　Zeus　opened　his　mouth　as　if　he　intended　to　address　them　all。　Twice　more　he　seemed　on　the　verge　of　stepping　forward；　taking　the　center　of　the　circle；　and　trying　to　mand　the　meeting。　Each　time　he　did　so　that　warning　murmur　swelled　up　into　the　frozen　air；　through　the　blasting　wind；　giving　notice　that　no　such　attempt　was　going　to　be　tolerated。　Zeus　remained　silently　at　his　own　station　in　the　ring；　stamping　his　feet　now　and　then　and　scowling　his　impatience。
　At　last　the　individual　gossipings　around　the　ring　began　to　fade　toward　quiet；　give　way　to　silent　waiting。　There　was　some　general　agreement；　tacitly　attained；　that　now　a　quorum　had　been　reached。　There　was　no　use　trying　to　wait　until　all　the　gods　and　goddesses　were　here；　all　of　them　never　attended　a　meeting　at　the　same　time。　Never　had　they　been　able　to　agree　unanimously　on　anything　at　all；　not　even　on　a　place　or　an　agenda　for　their　arguments。
　But　now　the　assembly　was　large　enough。
　It　was　Mars；　spear…armed　and　helmeted；　who　broke　the　silence；　Mars　speaking　in　a　voice　that　smoldered　and　rumbled　with　old　anger。　The　tones　of　it　were　like　the　sounds　of　displaced　boulders　rolling　down　a　glacier。
　Mars　banged　his　spear　upon　his　shield　to　get　the　attention　of　the　assembly。　Then　he　said　to　them：　〃There　is　news　now　of　the　Mindsword。　The　man　that　other　humans　call　the　Dark　King　has　it。　He　is；　of　course；　going　to　use　it　to　try　to　get　the　whole　world　into　his　hands。　What　effect　this　will　have　on　our　own　Game　is　something　that　we　must　evaluate　for　ourselves；　each　according　to　his　or　her　own　position。〃
　It　was　not　this　news　he　had　just　announced　to　the　assembly　that　was　really　angering　Mars。　Rather　it　was　something　else；　something　that　he　wanted　to　keep　secret　in　his　own　thoughts；　that　made　him　almost　choke　on　rage。　Mars　did　not　conceal　his　feelings　well。　As　he　finished　speaking　he　used　a　savage　gesture；　a　blow　that　almost　split　the　air；　simply　to　signify　the　fact　that　he　was　ready　now　to　relinquish　the　floor　to　someone　else。
　Next　to　speak　was　Vulcan　…　Vulcan　the　Smith　with　the　twisted　leg；　the　armorer　and　Sword…forger　to　the　gods。
　〃I　am　sorry；〃　began　Vulcan；　slyly；　〃that　my　so　…　worthy　colleague　is　unable　to　continue　at　the　moment。　Perhaps　he　is　brooding　too　much　about　a　certain　setback　…　one　might　even　call　it　a　defeat　that　he　suffered　at　the　hands　…　or　should　one　say　the　paws　…　of　a　certain　mortal　opponent；　some　eight　or　nine　years　past？〃
　The　response　of　Mars　to　this　was　more　sullen；　angry　rumbling。　There　also　was　a　murmuring　around　the　circle；　some　of　it　laughter　at　Mars；　some　a　denunciation　of　Vulcan　for　this　obvious　attempt　to　start　an　argument。
　Aphrodite　asked　softly；　〃Is　this　what　we　have　e　here　for；　to　have　another　quarrel？〃　Her　tall　body；　all　curves；　all　essence　of　the　female；　was　wrapped　in　nothing　but　a　diaphanous　veil　that　seemed　always　on　the　verge　of　blowing　away　in　the　fierce　wind　but　never　did。　She　like　the　other　deities　was　perfectly　indifferent　to　the　arctic　cold。
　Near　her；　Apollo's　taller　form　appeared　emphasized　for　a　moment　in　a　lone　ray　of　light　from　the　newly　risen　sun。　The　Sun's　bright　lance　steadily　pierced　the　scudding　clouds　for　just　as　long　as　it　took　the　god　to　speak；　and　held　his　body　in　its　light。　Apollo　demanded；　〃I　take　it　that　we　are　all　agreed　upon　one　thing　at　least？〃
　Someone　else　was　cooperative　enough　to　ask　Apollo：　〃What？〃
　The　tall　god　replied；　〃That　Hermes　has　not　e　back　from　his　mission　to　gather　up　the　Swords　again。　That　he　is　never　going　to　e　back。〃
　〃That's　two　things；〃　another　member　of　the　group　objected。
　Apollo　took　no　notice　of　such　carping。　〃That　our　divine　Messenger；　who　no　doubt　thought　himself　as　secure　in　his　immortality　as　most　of　us　still　think　we　are　in　ours；　has　now　been　for　four　years　dead！〃
　That　word；　of　all　words；　had　power　to　jolt　them　all。　Many　faced　it　bravely。　Some　tried　to　pretend　that　it　had　not　been　spoken；　or　if　spoken　certainly　not　heard。　But　there　was　a　long　moment　in　which　even　the　wind　was　voiceless。　No　other　word；　surely；　could　have　brought　the　same　quality　and　duration　of　silence　to　this　assembly。
　It　was　the　relentless　voice　of　Apollo　that　entered　into　this　new　silence　and　destroyed　it；　repeating：　〃For　four　years　dead。〃
　The　repetition　provoked　not　more　silence；　but　the　beginning　of　an　uproar　of　protest；　still　the　voice　of　Apollo　overrode　the　tumult　even　as　it　swelled。
　〃Dead！〃　he　roared。　〃And　if　Hermes　Messenger　can　be　slain　by　one　of　the　Swords；　why　so　can　we。　And　what　have　we　done　about　it；　during　these　past　four　years？　Nothing！　Nothing　at　all！　Wrangled　among　ourselves；　as　always　…　no　more　than　that！〃
　When　Apollo　paused；　Mars　seized　the　chance　to　speak。　〃And　there　is　the　one　who　forged　those　Swords！〃　The　God　of　War　pointed　with　his　long　war…spear；　and　aimed　an　angry　stare　at　the　crippled　Smith。　〃I　tell　you；　we　must　make　him　melt　them　down　again。　I've　said　all　along　that　the　Swords　are　going　to　destroy　us　all；　unless　we　are　able　to　destroy　them　first！〃
　Leaning　awkwardly　on　his　lame　leg；　Vulcan　turned　at　bay。　〃Don't　blame　me！〃　Wind　whipped　at　his　fur　garments；　his　ornaments　of　dragon…scale　clashing　and　fluttering　in　the　gale。　But　his　words　ate　through　the　windstorm　plainly；　suffering　no　interference　from　mere　physical　air。　〃The　blunder；　if　there　was　one；　was　not　mine。　These　very　faces　that　I　see　all　about　me　now　spoke　urging　me；　manding　me；　to　forge　the　Swords。〃
　He　turned　accusingly　from　one　to　another　of　his　peers。　〃We　needed　the　Swords；　we　had　to　have　them；　you　all　told　me；　for　the　Game。　The　Game　was　going　to　be　a　great　delight；　something　we　hadn't　tried　before。　You　said　the　Swords　must　be　distributed　among　the　humans；　who　in　the　Game　would　be　our　pawns。　Now　what　kind　of　pawns　have　they　turned　into？　But　no；　you　all　insisted　on　it；　no　matter　how　I　warned　you。。。〃
　Again　an　uproar　of　protest　was　breaking　out；　and　this　time　it　was　too　loud　for　any　one　voice　to　overe。　Objectors　were　shouting　that；　on　the　contrary；　they　had　been　the　ones　against　the　whole　idea　of　the　Swords　and　the　Game　from　the　very　start。
　Naturally　this　provoked　a　strong　counterreaction　from　others　present。　〃What　you　mean　is；　you've　been　against　the　Game　ever　since　you　started　losing　in　it！　As　long　as　you　thought　that　you　were　winning；　it　was　a　great　idea！〃
　One　of　the　graybeard　elder　gods；　not　Zeus；　put　in：　〃Let's　get　back　to　our　immediate　problem。　You　say　that　the　man　they　call　the　Dark　King　has　the　Mindsword　now。　Well；　that　may　be　good　or　bad　news　for　some　of　us　in　terms　of　the　Game；　but　does　it　matter　beyond　that？　The　Game　is　only　a　game；　and　what　real　difference　does　it　make？〃　〃You　fool！　Are　you　incapable　of　understanding？　This　Game；　that　you're　so　proud　of　winning　…　It　got　out　of　hand　long　ago。　Haven't　you　been　listening？　Did　you　hear　nothing　that　Apollo　just　said　about　the　death　of　Hermes？〃
　〃All　right。　All　right。　Let's　talk　about　Hermes　Messenger。　He　had　supposedly　gone　to　collect　all　the　Swords　again；　to　get　them　out　of　human　h