srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第107章

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f　for　which　there　was　no　consolation。　Late　at　night；　she　made　muffled　grating　noises；　as　if　she　ground　her　teeth　to
　keep　herself　from　weeping。　And　in　the　morning　of　the　third　day…the　thirty…second　since　she　had　left　Revelstone…she　neared　the　end　of　her　endurance。　Her　gaze　was　starved　and　hollow；　and　it　had　an　angle　of　farewell。
　Thickly；　Covenant　asked　her　what　she　was　going　to　do。
　〃I　will　appeal。〃　Her　voice　had　a　raw；　flagellated　sound。　She　looked　as　frail　as　a　skeleton…mere　brave；　fragile　bones　standing　in　the　path　of　someone　who；　for　all　his　boyish　gaiety；　was　as　unmanageable　as　an　avalanche。　A　presage　like　an　alarm　in　his　head　told　Covenant　that　her　crisis　was　at　hand。　If　Amok　did　not　respond　to　her　appeals；　she　might　turn　to　the　last　resort　of　her　strange　inner　force。
　The　violence　of　that　possibility　frightened　him。　He　caught　himself　on　the　verge　of　asking　her　to　stop；　give　up　the　attempt。　But　he　remembered　his　bargain；　his　brain　raced　after　alternatives。
　He　accepted　her　argument　that　the　answer　to　Amok's　condition　must　be　accessible。　But　he　believed　that　she　would　not　find　it；　she　was　approaching　the　problem　from　the　wrong　side。　Yet　it　seemed　to　be　the　only　side。　Kicking　at　the　rubbish　which　clogged　his　mind；　he　tried　to　imagine　other　approaches。
　While　his　thoughts　scrambled　for　some　kind　of　saving　intuition；　High　Lord　Elena　took　her　stance；　and　summoned　Amok。　The　youth　appeared　at　once。　He　greeted　her　with　a　florid　bow；　and　said；　〃High　Lord；　what　is　your　will　today？　Shall　we　set　aside　our　sparring；　and　sing　glad　songs　together？〃
　〃Amok；　hear　me。〃　Her　voice　grated。　Covenant　could　hear　depths　of　self…punishment　in　her。　〃I　will　play　no　more　games　of　inquiry　with　you。〃　Her　tone　expressed　both　dignity　and　desperation。　〃The　need　of　the　Land　will　permit　no　more　delay。　Already；　there　is　war　in　the　distance…bloodshed　and　death。　The　Despiser　marches　against　all　that　High　Lord　Kevin　sought　to　preserve　when　he　created　his　Wards。　This　insisting　upon　conditions　is　false　loyalty　to　his　intent。　Amok；　I　appeal。　In　the　name　of　the　Land；　guide　us　to　the　Seventh　Ward。〃
　Her。　supplication　seemed　to　touch　him；　and　his　reply
　was　inordinately　grave。　〃High　Lord；　I　cannot。　I　am　as　I　was　made　to　be。　Should　I　make　the　attempt；　I　would　cease　to　exist。〃
　〃Then　teach　us　the　way；　so　that　we　may　follow　it　alone。〃
　Amok　shook　his　head。　〃Then　also　I　would　cease　to　exist。〃
　For　a　moment；　she　paused　as　if　she　were　defeated。　But　in　the　silence；　her　shoulders　straightened。　Abruptly；　she　lifted　the　Staff　of　Law；　held　it　horizontally　before　her　like　a　weapon。　〃Amok；〃　she　manded；　〃place　your　hands　upon　the　Staff。〃
　The　youth　looked　without　flinching　into　the　authority　of　her　face。　Slowly；　he　obeyed。　His　hands　rested　lightly　between　hers　on　the　rune…carved　wood。
　She　gave　a　high；　strange　cry。　At　once；　fire　blossomed　along　the　Staff；　viridian　flames　opened　from　all　the　wood。　The　blaze　swept　over　her　hands　and　Amok's；　it　intensified　as　if　it　were　feeding　on　their　fingers。　It　hummed　with　deep　power；　and　radiated　a　sharp　aroma　like　the　smell　of　duress。
　〃Kevin…born　Amok！〃　she　exclaimed　through　the　hum。　〃Way　and　door　to　the　Seventh　Ward！　By　the　power　of　the　Staff　of　Lawin　the　name　of　High　Lord　Kevin　son　of　Loric　who　made　you…I　adjure　you。　Tell　me　the　name　of　the　Seventh　Ward's　power！〃
　Covenant　felt　the　force　of　her　mand。　Though　it　was　not　leveled　at　him…though　he　was　not　touching　the　Staff…he　gagged　over　the　effort　to　utter　a　name　he　did　not　know。
　But　Amok　met　her　without　blinking；　and　his　voice　cut　clearly　through　the　flame　of　the　Staff。　〃No；　High　Lord。　I　am　impervious　to　pulsion。　You　cannot　touch　me。〃
　〃By　the　Seven！〃　she　shouted。　〃I　will　not　be　denied！〃　She　raged　as　if　she　were　using　fury　to　hold　back　a　scream。　〃Melenkurion　abatha！　Tell　me　the　name！〃
　〃No；〃　Amok　repeated。
　Savagely；　she　tore　the　Staff　out　of　his　hands。　Its　flame　gathered；　mounted；　then　sprang　loudly　into　the　sky　like　a　bolt　of　thunder。
　He　gave　a　shrug；　and　disappeared。
　For　a　long；　shocked　moment；　the　High　Lord　stood　frozen；　staring　at　Amok's　absence。　Then　a　shudder　ran　through　her；　and　she　turned　toward　Covenant　as　if　she　had　the　weight　of　a　mountain　on　her　shoulders。　Her　face　looked　like　a　wilderland。　She　took　two　tottering　steps；　and　stopped　to　brace　herself　on　the　Staff。　Her　gaze　was　blank；　all　her　force　was　focused　inward；　against　herself。
　〃Failed；〃　she　gasped。　〃Doomed。〃　Anguish　twisted　her　mouth。　〃I　have　doomed　the　Land〃
　Covenant　could　not　stand　the　sight。　Forgetting　all　his　issueless　thoughts；　he　hurried　to　say；　〃There's　got　to　be　something　else　we　can　do。〃
　She　replied　with　an　appalling　softness。　Tenderly；　almost　caressingly；　she　said；　〃Do　you　。believe　in　the　white　gold？　Can　you　use　it　to　meet　Amok's　condition？〃　Her　voice　had　a　sound　of　madness。　But　the　next　instant；　her　passion　flared　outward。　With　all　her　strength；　she　pounded　the　Staff　against　Rivenrock；　and　cried；　〃Then　do　so！〃
　The　power　she　unleashed　caused　a　wide　section　of　the　plateau　to　lurch　like　a　stricken　raft。　The　rock　bucked　and　plunged；　seamless　waves　of　force　rolled　through　it　from　the　Staff。
　The　heaving　knocked　Covenant　off　his　feet。　He　stumbled；　fell　toward　the　cleft。
　Almost　at　once；　Elena　regained　control　over　herself。　She　snatched　back　the　Staffs　power；　shouted　to　the　Bloodguard。　But　Bannor's　reflexes　were　swifter。　While　the　rock　still　pitched；　he　bounded　surefootedly　across　it　and　caught　Covenant's　arm。
　For　a　moment；　Covenant　was　too　stunned　to　do　anything　but　hang　limply　in　Bannor's　grip。　The　High　Lord's　violence　flooded　through　him；　sweeping　everything　else　out　of　his　awareness。　But　then　he　noticed　the　pain　of　Bannor's　grasp　on　his　arm。　He　could　feel　something　prophetic　in　the　ancient　strength　with　which　Bannor　clenched　him；　kept　him　alive。　The　Bloodguard　had　an　iron　grip；　surer　than　the　stone　of　Rivenrock。　When　he　heard　Elena　moan；　‘Beloved！　Have　I　harmed　you？〃　he　was　already　muttering　half　aloud；　〃Wait。　Hold　on。　I've　got　it。〃
　His　eyes　were　closed。　He　opened　them；　and　discovered　that　Bannor　was　holding　him　erect。　Elena　was　nearby；　she　flung　her　arms　around　him　and　hid　her　face　in　his　shoulder。　He　said；　〃I've　got　it。〃　She　ignored　him；　started　to　mumble　contrition　into　his　shoulder。　To　stop　her；　he　said　sharply；　〃Forget　it。　I　must　be　losing　my　mind。　I　should　have　figured　this　out　days　ago。〃
　Finally　she　heard　him。　She　released　him　and　stepped　back。　Her　ravaged　face　stiffened。　She　caught　her　breath　between　her　teeth；　pushed　a　hand　through　her　hair。　Slowly；　she　became　a　Lord　again。　Her　voice　was　unsteady　but　lucid　as　she　said；　〃What　have　you　learned？〃
　Bannor　released　Covenant　also；　and　the　Unbeliever　stood　wavering　on　his　own。　His　feet　distrusted　the　stone；　but　he　locked　his　knees；　and　tried　to　disregard　the　sensation。　The　problem　was　in　his　brain；　all　his　preconceptions　had　shifted。　He　wanted　to　speak　quickly；　ease　Elena's　urgent　distress。　But　he　had　missed　too　many　clues。　He　needed　to　approach　his　intuition　slowly；　so　that　he　could　pull　all　its　strands　together。
　He　tried　to　clear　his　head　by　shaking　it。　Elena　winced　as　if　he　were　reminding　her　of　her　outburst。　He　made　a　placating　gesture　toward　her；　and　turned　to　confront　the　Bloodguard。　Intently；　he　scrutinized　the　blank　metal　of　their　faces；　searched　them　for　some　flicker　or　hue　of　duplicity；　ulterior　purpose；　which　would　verify　his　intuition。　But　their　ancient；　sleepless　eyes　seemed　to　conceal　nothing；　reveal　nothing。　He　felt　an　instant　of　panic　at　the　idea　that　he　might　be　wrong；　but　he　pushed　it　down；　and　asked　as　calmly　as　he　could；　〃Bannor；　how　old　are　you？〃
　〃We　are　the　Bloodguard；〃　Bannor　replied。　〃Our　Vow　was　sworn　in　the　youth　of　Kevin's　High　Lordship。〃
　〃Before　the　Desecration？〃
　〃Yes；　ur…Lord。〃
　〃Before　Kevin　found　out　that　Foul　was　really　an　enemy？〃
　〃Yes〃
　〃And　you　personally；　Bannor？　How　old　are　you？〃
　〃I　was　among　the　first　Haruchui　who　entered　the　Land。　I　shared　in　the　first　swearing　of　the　Vow。〃
　〃That　was　centuries　ago。〃　Covenant　paused　before　he　asked；　〃How　well　do　you　remember　Kevin？〃
　〃Step　softly；〃　Elena　cautioned。　〃Do　not　mock　the　Bloodguard。〃
　Bannor　did　not　acknowledge　her　concern。　He　answered　the　Unbeliever　inflexibly；　〃We　do　not　forget。〃
　〃I　su