srdonaldson.thepowerthatpreserves-第79章

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　　　　〃Yes；　High　Lord；〃　she　replied；　looking　intensely　into　him。　〃Yet　I　do　not　trust　this　power　which　makes　Desecration　possible。　I　will　not　hazard　it。〃
　　　　Her　gaze　turned　him　back　to　the　krill。　Its　white　gem　flamed　at　him　like　the　light　of　a　paradox；　a　promise　of　life　and　death。　Slowly；　he　reached　out　and　touched　its　hilt。　But　his　exaltation　had　faded；　and　the　krill's　heat　made　him　withdraw　his　hand。
　　　　He　smiled　crookedly。　〃Yes；〃　he　breathed　as　if　he　were　speaking　to　the　blade；　〃it　is　a　hazard。　I　am　very　afraid。''　Carefully；　he　took　a　cloth　from　within　his　robe；　carefully；　he　wrapped　the　krill　and　set　it　aside　until　it　could　be　taken　to　a　place　where　the　Lorewardens　could　study　it。　Then　he　glanced　up　and　saw　that　Amatin　was　trying　to　smile　also。
　　　　〃e；　sister　Amatin；〃　he　said　to　her　bravery；　〃we　have　delayed　our　work　too　long。〃
　　　　Together；　they　made　their　way　to　the　battle；　and　with　Lord　Loerya　they　called　fire　from　their　staffs　to　throw　back　the　hordes　of　the　Despiser。
　　　　The　three　were　joined　late　in　the　afternoon　by　a　bandaged　and　hobbling　Trevor。　But　by　that　time；　Revelstone　had　survived　the　worst　frenzy　of　Satansfist's　assault。　The　Lords　had　given　the　Warward　the　support　it　needed。　Under　Quaan's　stubborn　mand；　the　warriors　held　back　the　onslaught。　Wherever　the　Lords　worked；　the　casualties　among　the　defenders　dropped　almost　to　nothing；　and　the　losses　of　the　attackers　increased　vastly。　In　this　kind　of　battle；　the　ur…viles　could　not　focus　their　power　effectively。　As　a　result；　the　Lords　were　able　to　wreak　a　prodigious　ruin　among　the　Cavewights　and　other　creatures。　Before　the　shrouded　day　had　limped　into　night；　samadhi　Raver　called　back　his　forces。
　　　　But　this　time　he　did　not　allow　the　Keep　to　rest。　His　attacks　began　again　shortly　after　dark。　Under　the　cover　of　cold　winter　blackness；　ur…viles　rushed　forward　to　throw　liquid　vehemence　at　the　battlements；　and　behind　them　tight　panies　of　creatures　charged；　carrying　shields　and　ladders。　Gone　now　was　the　haphazard　fury　of　the　assault；　the　unconcerted　wild　attempt　to　breach　the　whole　Keep　at　once。　In　its　place　were　precision　and　purpose。　Growling　with　hunger；　the　hordes　shaped　themselves　to　the　task　of　wearing　down　Revelstone　as　swiftly　and　efficiently　as　possible。
　　　　In　the　days　that　followed；　there　was　no　let　to　the　fighting。　Satansfist　controlled　his　assaults　so　that　his　losses　did　not　significantly　outrun　the　constant　arrival　of　his　reinforcements；　but　he　exerted　pressure　remorselessly；　allowing　the　warriors　no　respite　in　which　to　recover。　Despite　Quaan's　best　efforts　to　rotate　his　Eoman　and　Howard；　so　that　each　could　rest　in　turn；　the　Warward　grew　more　and　more　weary…and　weary　warriors　were　more　easily　slain。　And　those　who　fell　could　not　be　replaced。
　　　　But　the　Warward　did　not　have　to　carry　the　burden　of　this　battle　alone。　Gravelingases　and　Hirebrands　and　Lore　wardens　fought　as　well。　People　who　had　no　other　urgent　work…homeless　farmers　and　Cattleherds；　artists；　even　older　children…took　over　supporting　tasks；　they　supplied　arrows　and　other　weapons；　stood　sentry　duty；　ran　messages。　Thus　many　Eoman　were　freed　for　either　bat　or　rest。　And　the　Lords　rushed　into　action　whenever　Quaan　requested　their　aid。　They　were　potent　and　pelling；　in　their　separate　ways；　they　fought　with　the　hard　strength　of　people　who　knew　themselves　capable　of　Desecration　and　did　not　intend　to　be　driven　to　that　extreme。
　　　　Thus　Lord's　Keep　endured。　Eoman　after　Eoman　fell　in　battle　every　day；　food　stores　shrank；　the　Healers'　supplies　of　herbs　and　poultices　dwindled。　Strain　carved　the　faces　of　the　people；　cut　away　fortable　flesh　until　their　skulls　seemed　to　be　covered　by　nothing　but　pressure　and　apprehension。　But　Revelstone　protected　its　inhabitants；　and　they　endured。
　　　　At　first；　the　Lords　concentrated　their　attention　on　the　needs　of　the　battle。　Instinctively；　they　shied　away　from　their　dangerous　knowledge。　They　spent　their　energy　in　work　and　fighting；　rather　than　in　studying　last　resorts。　But　when　the　continuous　adumbrations　of　assault　had　echoed　through　the　Keep　for　six　days；　High　Lord　Mhoram　found　that　he　had　begun　to　dread　the　moment　when　Satansfist　would　change　his　tactics…when　the　Raver　and　his　master　were　ready　to　use　the　Stone　and　the　Staff　again。　And　during　the　seventh　night；　Mhoram's　sleep　was　troubled　by　dim　dreams　like　shadows　of　his　former　visionary　nightmares。　Time　and　again；　he　felt　that　he　could　almost　hear　somewhere　in　the　depths　of　his　soul　the　sound　of　an　Unfettered　One　screaming。　He　awoke　in　an　inchoate　sweat；　and　hastened　upland　to　see　if　anything　had　happened　to　the　Unfettered　One　of　Glimmermere。
　　　　The　One　was　safe　and　well；　as　were　Loerya's　daughters。　But　this　did　not　relieve　Mhoram。　It　left　a　chill　in　the　marrow　of　his　bones　like　an　echo　of　winter。　He　felt　sure　that　someone；　somewhere；　had　been　slain　in　torment。　Straightening　himself　against　the　shiver　of　dread；　he　called　the　other　Lords　to　a　Council；　where　for　the　first　time　he　raised　the　question　of　how　their　new　knowledge　could　be　used　against　the　Despiser。
　　　　His　question　sparked　unspoken　trepidations　in　them　all。　Amatin　stared　widely　at　the　High　Lord；　Trevor　winced；　Loerya　studied　her　hands…and　Mhoram　felt　the　acuteness　of　their　reaction　as　if　they　were　saying；　Do　you　think　then　that　we　should　repeat　the　work　of　Kevin　Landwaster？　But　he　knew　they　did　not　intend　that　accusation。　He　waited　for　them；　and　at　last　Loerya　found　her　voice。　〃When　you　defended　the　Close…you　worked　against　another's　wrong。　How　will　you　control　this　power　if　you　initiate　it？〃
　　　　Mhoram　had　no　answer。
　　　　Shortly；　Trevor　forced　himself　to　add；　〃We　have　nothing　through　which　we　could　channel　such　might。　It　is　in　my　heart　that　our　staffs　would　not　suffice…they　would　not　be　strong　to　control　power　of　that　extent。　We　lack　the　Staff　of　Law；　and　I　know　of　no　other　tool　equal　to　this　demand。〃
　　　　〃And；〃　Amatin　said　sharply；　〃this　knowledge　in　which　you　dare　to　put　your　faith　did　not　suffice　for　High　Lord　Kevin　son　of　Loric。　It　only　increased　the　cost　of　his　despair。　I　have…I　have　given　my　life　to　his　Lore；　and　I　speak　truly。　Such　power　is　a　snare　and　a　delusion。　It　cannot　be　controlled。　It　strikes　the　hand　that　wields　it。　Better　to　die　in　the　name　of　Peace　than　to　buy　one　day　of　survival　at　the　cost　of　such　peril！〃
　　　　Again；　Mhoram　had　no　answer。　He　could　not　name　the　reasons　behind　his　question。　Only　the　cold　foreboding　in　his　bones　impelled　him；　told　him　that　unknown　horrors　stalked　the　Land　in　places　far　distant　from　Revelstone。　When　Amatin　concluded　grimly；　〃Do　you　fear　that　ur…Lord　Covenant　may　yet　Desecrate　us？〃　he　could　not　deny　that　he　was　afraid。
　　　　So　the　Council　ended　without　issue；　and　the　Lords　went　back　to　the　defense　of　the　Keep。
　　　　Still　the　fighting　went　on　without　surcease。　For　four　more　days；　the　Lords　wielded　their　staff　fire　with　all　the　might　and　cunning　they　could　conceive…and　the　Warward　drove　itself　beyond　its　weariness　as　if　it　could　not　be　daunted…and　the　other　people　of　Revelstone　did　their　utmost　to　hurl　Cavewights；　ur…viles；　Stone…spawn；　from　the　walls。　But　Satansfist　did　not　relent。　He　pressed　his　assault　as　if　his　losses　were　meaningless；　spent　whole　panies　of　his　creatures　to　do　any　kind　of　damage　to　the　city；　however　small。　And　the　accumulating　price　that　Lord's　Keep　paid　for　its　endurance　grew　more　terrible　day　by　day。
　　　　During　the　fifth　day；　Mhoram　withdrew　from　the　battle　to　inspect　the　condition　of　the　city。　Warmark　Quaan　joined　him；　and　when　they　had　seen　the　fatal　diminishment　of　the　stores；　had　taken　the　toll　of　lost　lives；　Quaan　met　Mhoram's　gaze　squarely　and　said　with　a　tremor　in　his　brusque　voice；　〃We　will　fall。　If　this　Raver　does　not　raise　another　finger　against　us；　still　we　will　fall。〃
　　　　Mhoram　held　his　old　friend's　eyes。　〃How　long　can　we　hold？〃
　　　　〃Thirty　days…at　most。　No　more。　Forty…if　we　deny　food　to　the　ill；　and　the　injured；　and　the　infirm。〃
　　　　〃We　will　not　deny　food　to　any　who　yet　live。〃
　　　　〃Thirty；　then。　Less；　if　my　warriors　lose　strength　and　permit　any　breach　of　the　walls。〃　He　faltered　and　his　eyes　fell。　〃High　Lord；　does　it　e　to　this？　Is　this　the　end…for　us…for　the　Land？〃
　　　　Mhoram　put　a　firm　hand　on　Quaan's　shoulder。　〃No；　my　friend。　We　have　not　e　to　the