srdonaldson.thepowerthatpreserves-第14章

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l　held　him　unincarnate。　As　he　fought　the　pletion　of　his　summoning；　he　reminded　Mhoram　forcibly　of　dukkha；　the　poor　Waynhim　upon　which　Lord　Foul　had　practiced　so　many　torments　with　the　Illearth　Stone。　He　resisted　as　if　the　Lords　were　coercing　him　into　a　vat　of　acid　and　virulent　horror。
　　　　〃Covenant！〃　Mhoram　groaned。　〃Oh；　Covenant。〃　In　his　fatigue；　he　feared　that　he　would　not　be　able　to　hold　back　his　weeping。　〃You　are　in　hell。　Your　world　is　a　hell。〃
　　　　Covenant　flinched。　The　High　Lord's　voice　seemed　to　buffet　him　physically。　But　an　instant　later　he　demanded　again；　〃Send　me　back！　She　needs　me！〃
　　　　〃We　need　you　also；〃　murmured　Mhoram。　He　felt　frail；　sinewless；　as　if　he　lacked　the　thews　and　ligaments　to　keep　himself　erect。　He　understood　now　why　he　had　been　able　to　summon　Covenant　without　the　Staff　of　Law；　and　that　understanding　was　like　a　hole　of　grief　knocked　in　the　side　of　his　being。　He　seemed　to　feel　himself　spilling　away。
　　　　〃She　needs　me！〃　Covenant　repeated。　The　effort　of　speech　made　blood　trickle　from　his　mouth。　〃Mhoram；　can't　you　hear　me？〃
　　　　That　appeal　touched　something　in　Mhoram。　He　was　the　High　Lord；　he　could　not；　must　not；　fall　short　of　the　demands　placed　upon　him。　He　forced　himself　to　meet　Covenant's　feverish　gaze。
　　　　〃I　hear　you；　Unbeliever；〃　he　said。　His　voice　became　stronger　as　he　spoke。　〃I　am　Mhoram　son　of　Variol；　High　Lord　by　the　choice　of　the　Council。　We　need　you　also。　I　have　summoned　you　to　help　us　face　the　Land's　last　need。　The　prophecy　which　Lord　Foul　the　Despiser　gave　you　to　pronounce　upon　the　Land　has　e　to　pass。　If　we　fall；　he　will　have　the　mand　of　life　and　death　in　his　hand；　and　the　universe　will　be　a　hell　forever。　Ur…Lord　Covenant；　help　us！　It　is　I；　Mhoram　son　of　Variol；　who　beseech　you。〃
　　　　The　words　struck　Covenant　in　flurries。　He　staggered　and　quailed　under　the　sound　of　Mhoram's　voice。　But　his　aghast　resistance　did　not　falter。　When　he　regained　his　balance；　he　shouted　again；　〃She　needs　me；　I　tell　you！　That　rattlesnake　is　going　to　bite　her！　If　you　take　me　now；　I　can't　help　her；〃
　　　　In　the　back　of　his　mind；　Mhoram　marveled　that　Covenant　could　so　grimly　deny　the　summoning　without　employing　the　power　of　his　ring。　Yet　that　capacity　for　refusal　accorded　with　Mhoram's　secret　knowledge。　Hope　and　fear　struggled　in　the　High　Lord；　and　he　had　difficulty　keeping　his　voice　steady。
　　　　〃Covenant…my　friend…please　hear　me。　Hear　the　Land's　need　in　my　voice。　We　cannot　hold　you。　You　have　the　white　gold…you　have　the　power　to　refuse　us。　The　Law　of　Death　does　not　bind　you。　Please　hear　me。　I　will　not　require　much　time。　After　I　have　spoken；　if　you　still　choose　to　depart…I　will　recant　the　summoning。　I　will…I　will　tell　you　how　to　make　use　of　your　white　gold　to　deny　us。〃
　　　　Again；　Covenant　recoiled　from　the　assault　of　sound。　But　when　he　had　recovered；　he　did　not　repeat　his　demand。　Instead；　he　said　harshly；　〃Talk　fast。　This　is　my　only　chance…the　only　chance　to　get　out　of　a　delusion　is　at　the　beginning。　I've　got　to　help　her。〃
　　　　High　Lord　Mhoram　clenched　himself；　mustered　all　his　love　and　fear　for　the　Land；　put　it　into　his　voice。　''Ur…Lord；　seven　years　have　passed　since　we　stood　together　on　Gallows　Howe。　In　that　time　we　have　recovered　from　some　of　our　losses。　But　since…since　the　Staff　of　Law　was　lost…the　Despiser　has　been　much　more　free。　He　has　built　a　new　army　as　vast　as　the　sea；　and　has　marched　against　us。　Already　he　has　destroyed　Revelwood。　Satansfist　Raver　has　burned　Revelwood　and　slain　Lord　Callindrill。　In　a　very　few　days；　the　siege　of　Lord's　Keep　will　begin。
　　　　〃But　that　does　not　plete　the　tale　of　our　trouble。　Seven　years　ago；　we　might　have　held　Revelstone　against　any　foe　for　seasons　together。　Even　without　the　Staff　of　Law；　we　might　have　defended　ourselves　well。　But…　my　friend；　hear　me…we　have　lost　the　Bloodguard。〃
　　　　Covenant　cowered　as　if　he　were　being　pounded　by　a　rockfall；　but　Mhoram　did　not　stop。　〃When　Korik　of　the　Bloodguard　led　his　mission　to　the　Giants　of　Seareach；　great　evils　claimed　the　lives　of　the　Lords　Hyrim　and　Shetra。　Without　them…〃　Mhoram　hesitated。　He　remembered　Covenant's　friendship　with　the　Giant；　Saltheart　Foamfollower。　He　could　not　bear　to　torment　Covenant　by　telling　him　of　the　Giants'　bloody　fate。　〃Without　them　to　advise　him；　Korik　and　two　rades　captured　a　fragment　of　the　Illearth　Stone。　He　did　not　recognize　his　danger。　The　three　Bloodguard　bore　the　fragment　with　them；　thinking　to　carry　it　to　Lord's　Keep。
　　　　〃But　the　Illearth　Stone　is　a　terrible　wrong　in　the　Land。　The　three　Bloodguard　were　not　forewarned…and　the　Stone　enslaved　them。　Under　its　power；　they　bore　their　fragment　to　Foul's　Creche。　They　believed　that　they　would　fight　the　Despiser。　But　he　made　them　his　own。〃　Again；　Mhoram　forbore　to　tell　the　whole　story。　He　could　not　say　to　Covenant　that　the　Bloodguard　Vow　had　been　subtly　betrayed　by　the　breaking　of　the　Law　of　Death…or　that　the　fine　metal　of　the　Bloodguard　rectitude　had　been　crucially　tarnished　when　Covenant　had　forced　Banner　to　reveal　the　name　of　the　Power　of　mand。　〃Then　he〃…Mhoram　still　winced　whenever　he　remembered　what　had　happened…〃he　sent　the　three　to　attack　Revelstone。　Korik；　Sill；　and　Doar　marched　here　with　green　fire　in　their　eyes　and　Corruption　in　their　hearts。　They　killed　many　farmers　and　warriors　before　we　prehended　what　had　been　done　to　them。
　　　　〃Then　First　Mark　Banner　and　Terrel　and　Runnik　of　the　Bloodguard　went　to　do　battle　with　the　three。　They　slew　Korik　and　Sill　and　Doar　their　rades；　and　brought　their　bodies　to　the　Keep。　In　that　way；　we　found''…　Mhoram　swallowed　thickly…〃we　found　that　Lord　Foul　had　cut　off　the　last　two　fingers　from　the　right　hand　of　each　of　the　three。〃
　　　　Covenant　cried　out　in　pain；　but　Mhoram　drove　his　point　home　hoarsely。　〃He　damaged　each　Bloodguard　to　resemble　you。〃
　　　　〃Stop！〃　Covenant　groaned。　〃Stop。　I　can't　stand　it。〃
　　　　Still　the　High　Lord　continued。　〃When　First　Mark　Banner　saw　how　Korik　and　his　rades　had　been　corrupted　despite　their　Vow；　he　and　all　the　Bloodguard　abandoned　their　service。　They　returned　to　the　mountain　home　of　the　Haruchai。　He　said　that　they　had　been　conquered　by　Corruption；　and　could　no　longer　serve　any　Vow。
　　　　〃My　friend；　without　them…without　the　Staff　of　Law…without　any　immense　army　or　dour…handed　allies…we　will　surely　fall。　Only　the　wild　magic　can　now　e　between　us　and　Lord　Foul's　hunger。〃
　　　　As　Mhoram　finished；　Covenant's　eyes　looked　as　bleak　as　a　wilder…land。　The　heat　of　his　fever　seemed　to　make　any　tears　impossible。　His　resistance　sagged　briefly；　and　for　an　instant　he　almost　allowed　his　translation　into　the　Close　to　be　pleted。　But　then　he　raised　his　head　to　look　at　other　memories。　His　refusal　stiffened；　he　moved　back　until　he　almost　vanished　in　the　bright　graveling　light。　〃Mhoram；　I　can't；〃　he　said　as　distantly　as　if　he　were　choking。　〃I　can't。　The　snake…　That　little　girl　is　all　alone。　I'm　responsible　for　her。　There's　no　one　to　help　the　child　but　me。〃
　　　　From　high　in　the　opposite　gallery；　Mhoram　felt　a　surge　of　anger　as　Quaan's　old　indignation　at　Covenant　flared　into　speech。　〃By　the　Seven！〃　he　barked。　〃He　speaks　of　responsibility。〃　Quaan　had　watched　himself　bee　old　and　helpless　to　save　the　Land；　while　Covenant　neither　aged　nor　acted；　He　spoke　with　a　warrior's　sense　of　death；　a　warrior's　sense　of　the　value　in　sacrificing　a　few　lives　to　save　many。　〃Covenant；　you　are　responsible　for　us！〃
　　　　The　Unbeliever　suffered　under　Quaan's　voice　as　he　did　under　Mhoram's；　but　he　did　not　turn　to　face　the　Warmark。　He　met　Mhoram's　gaze　painfully　and　answered；　〃Yes；　I　know。　I　know。　I　am…responsible。
　　　　But　she　needs　me。　There's　no　one　else。　She's　part　of　my　world；　my　real　world。　You're…not　so　real　now。　I　can't　give　you　anything　now。''　His　face　twisted　frantically；　and　his　resistance　mounted　until　it　poured　from　him　like　agony。　〃Mhoram；　if　I　don't　get　back　to　her　she　is　going　to　die。〃
　　　　The　desolate　passion　of　Covenant's　appeal　wrung　Mhoram。　Unconsciously；　he　gnawed　his　lips；　trying　to　control　with　physical　pain　the　strain　of　his　conflicting　passions。　His　whole　life；　all　his　long　mitments；　seemed　rent　within　him。　His　love　for　the　Land　urged　him　to　deny　the　Unbeliever；　to　struggle　now　as　if　he　were　wrestling　for　possession　of　Covenant's　soul。　But　from　the　same　wellspring　of　his　self　arose　an　oppo