uleg.thefarthestshore-第30章

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　　So　those　two　began　their　great　race　across　the　ocean。　A　thousand　miles　and　more　it　was　from　the　uncharted　seas　of　the　raft…folk　to　the　island　Selidor；　which　lies　of　all　the　lands　of　Earthsea　the　farthest　west。　Day　after　day　rose　shining　from　the　clear　horizon　and　sank　into　the　red　west；　and　under　the　gold　arch　of　the　sun　and　the　silver　wheeling　of　the　stars　the　boat　ran　northward；　all　alone　on　the　sea。
　　Sometimes　the　thunderclouds　of　high　summer　massed　far　off；　casting　purple　shadows　down　on　the　horizon；　then　Arren　would　watch　the　mage　as　he　stood　up　and　with　voice　and　hand　called　those　clouds　to　drift　toward　them　and　to　loosen　their　rain　down　on　the　boat。　The　lightning　would　leap　among　the　clouds；　and　the　thunder　would　bellow。　Still　the　mage　stood　with　upraised　hand；　until　the　rain　came　pouring　down　on　him　and　on　Arren　and　into　the　vessels　they　had　set　out　and　into　the　boat　and　onto　the　sea；　flattening　the　waves　with　its　violence。　He　and　Arren　would　grin　with　pleasure；　for　of　food　they　had　enough；　if　none　to　spare；　but　water　they　needed。　And　the　furious　splendor　of　the　storm　that　obeyed　the　mage's　word　delighted　them。
　　Arren　wondered　at　this　power　which　his　panion　now　used　so　lightly；　and　once　he　said；　〃When　we　began　our　voyage；　you　used　to　work　no　charms。〃
　　〃The　first　lesson　on　Roke；　and　the　last；　Is　Do　what　is　needful。　And　no　more！〃
　　〃The　lessons　in　between；　then；　must　consist　in　learning　what　is　needful。〃
　　〃They　do。　One　must　consider　the　Balance。　But　when　the　Balance　itself　is　broken…then　one　considers　other　things。　Above　all；　haste。〃
　　〃But　how　is　it　that　all　the　wizards　of　the　South　…and　elsewhere　by　now…　even　the　chanters　of　the　rafts…　all　have　lost　their　art；　but　you　keep　yours？〃
　　〃Because　I　desire　nothing　beyond　my　art；〃　Sparrowhawk　said。
　　And　after　some　time　he　added；　more　cheerfully；　〃And　if　I　am　soon　to　lose　it；　I　shall　make　the　best　of　it　while　it　lasts。〃
　　There　was　indeed　a　kind　of　light…heartedness　in　him　now；　a　pure　pleasure　in　his　skill；　which　Arren；　seeing　him　always　so　careful；　had　not　guessed。　The　mind　of　the　magician　takes　delight　in　tricks；　a　mage　is　a　trickster。　Sparrowhawk's　disguise　in　Hort　Town；　which　had　so　troubled　Arren；　had　been　a　game　to　him；　a　very　slight　game；　too；　for　one　who　could　transform　not　just　his　face　and　voice　at　will；　but　his　body　and　very　being；　being　as　he　chose　a　fish；　a　dolphin；　a　hawk。　And　once　he　said；　〃Look；　Arren：　I'll　show　you　Gont；〃　and　had　him　look　at　the　surface　of　their　watercask；　which　he　had　opened；　and　which　was　full　to　the　brim。　Many　simple　sorcerers　can　cause　an　image　to　appear　on　the　water…mirror；　and　so　he　had　done：　a　great　peak；　cloud　wreathed；　rising　from　a　grey　sea。　Then　the　image　changed；　and　Arren　saw　plainly　a　cliff　on　that　mountain　isle。　It　was　as　if　he　were　a　bird；　a　gull　or　a　falcon；　hanging　on　the　wind　offshore　and　looking　across　the　wind　at　that　cliff　that　towered　from　the　breakers　for　two　thousand　feet。　On　the　high　shelf　of　it　was　a　little　house。　〃That　is　Re　Albi；〃　said　Sparrowhawk；　〃and　there　lives　my　master　Ogion；　he　who　stilled　the　earthquake　long　ago。　He　tends　his　goats；　and　gathers　herbs；　and　keeps　his　silence。　I　wonder　if　he　still　walks　on　the　mountain；　he　is　very　old　now。　But　I　would　know；　surely　I　would　know；　even　now；　if　Ogion　died。。。〃　There　was　no　certainty　in　his　voice；　for　a　moment　the　image　wavered；　as　if　the　cliff　itself　were　falling。　It　cleared；　and　his　voice　cleared：　〃He　used　to　go　up　into　the　forests　alone　in　late　summer　and　in　autumn。　So　he　came　first　to　me；　when　I　was　a　brat　in　a　mountain　village；　and　gave　me　my　name。　And　my　life　with　it。〃　The　image　of　the　water…mirror　now　showed　as　if　the　watcher　were　a　bird　among　the　forest　branches；　looking　out　to　steep；　sunlit　meadows　beneath　the　rock　and　snow　of　the　peak；　looking　inward　along　a　steep　road　going　down　in　a　green；　gold…shot　darkness。　〃There　is　no　silence　like　the　silence　of　those　forests；〃　Sparrowhawk　said；　yearning。
　　The　image　faded；　and　there　was　nothing　but　the　blinding　disk　of　the　noon　sun　reflected　in　the　water　in　the　cask。
　　〃There；〃　Sparrowhawk　said；　looking　at　Arren　with　a　strange；　mocking　look；　〃there；　if　I　could　ever　go　back　there；　not　even　you　could　follow　me。〃
　
　　Land　lay　ahead；　low　and　blue　in　the　afternoon　like　a　bank　of　mist。　〃Is　it　Selidor？〃　Arren　asked；　and　his　heart　beat　fast；　but　the　mage　answered；　〃Obb；　I　think；　or　Jessage。　We're　not　half　way　yet；　lad。〃
　　That　night　they　sailed　the　straits　between　those　two　islands。　They　saw　no　lights；　but　there　was　a　reek　of　smoke　in　the　air；　so　heavy　that　their　lungs　grew　raw　with　breathing　it。　When　day　came　and　they　looked　back；　the　eastern　isle；　Jessage；　looked　burnt　and　black　as　far　as　they　could　see　inland　from　the　shore；　and　a　haze　hung　blue　and　dull　above　it。
　　〃They　have　burnt　the　fields；〃　Arren　said。
　　〃Aye。　And　the　villages。　I　have　smelled　that　smoke　before。〃
　　〃Are　they　savages；　here　in　the　West？〃
　　Sparrowhawk　shook　his　head。　〃Farmers；　townsmen。〃
　　Arren　stared　at　the　black　ruin　of　the　land；　the　withered　trees　of　orchards　against　the　sky；　and　his　face　was　hard。　〃What　harm　have　the　trees　done　them？〃　he　said。　〃Must　they　punish　the　grass　for　their　own　faults？　Men　are　savages；　who　would　set　a　land　afire　because　they　have　a　quarrel　with　other　men。〃
　　〃They　have　no　guidance；〃　Sparrowhawk　said。　〃No　king；　and　the　kingly　men　and　the　wizardly　men；　all　turned　aside　and　drawn　into　their　minds；　are　hunting　the　door　through　death。　So　it　was　in　the　South；　and　so　I　guess　it　to　be　here。〃
　　〃And　this　is　one　man's　doing　…　the　one　the　dragon　spoke　of？　It　seems　not　possible。〃
　　〃Why　not？　If　there　were　a　King　of　the　Isles；　he　would　be　one　man。　And　he　would　rule。　One　man　may　as　easily　destroy；　as　govern：　be　King　or　Anti…King。〃
　　There　was　again　that　note　in　his　voice　of　mockery　or　challenge　which　roused　Arren's　temper。
　　〃A　king　has　servants；　soldiers；　messengers；　lieutenants。　He　governs　through　his　servants。　Where　are　the　servants　of　this…Anti…King？〃
　　〃In　our　minds；　lad。　In　our　minds。　The　traitor；　the　self；　the　self　that　cries　I　want　to　live；　let　the　world　burn　so　long　as　I　can　live！　The　little　traitor　soul　in　us；　in　the　dark；　like　the　worm　in　the　apple。　He　talks　to　all　of　us。　But　only　some　understand　him。　The　wizards　and　the　sorcerers。　The　singers；　the　makers。　And　the　heroes；　the　ones　who　seek　to　be　themselves。　To　be　one's　self　is　a　rare　thing　and　a　great　one。　To　be　one's　self　forever：　is　that　not　better　still？〃
　　Arren　looked　straight　at　Sparrowhawk。　〃You　would　say　to　me　that　it　is　not　better。　But　tell　me　why。　I　was　a　child　when　I　began　this　voyage；　a　child　who　did　not　believe　in　death。　You　think　me　a　child　still；　but　I　have　learnt　something；　not　much；　maybe；　but　something；　I　have　learnt　that　death　exists　and　that　I　am　to　die。　But　I　have　not　learnt　to　rejoice　in　the　knowledge；　to　wele　my　death　or　yours。　If　I　love　life；　shall　I　not　hate　the　end　of　it？　Why　should　I　not　desire　immortality？〃
　　Arren's　fencing…master　in　Berila　had　been　a　man　of　about　sixty；　short　and　bald　and　cold。　Arren　had　disliked　him　for　years；　though　he　knew　him　to　be　an　extraordinary　swordsman。　But　one　day　in　practice　he　had　caught　his　master　off　guard　and　nearly　disarmed　him；　and　he　had　never　forgotten　the　incredulous；　incongruous　happiness　that　had　suddenly　gleamed　in　the　master's　cold　face；　the　hope；　the　joy　…an　equal；　at　last　an　equal！　From　that　moment　on；　the　fencing…master　had　trained　him　mercilessly；　and　whenever　they　fenced；　that　same　relentless　smile　would　be　on　the　old　man's　face；　brightening　as　Arren　pressed　him　harder。　And　it　was　on　Sparrowhawk's　face　now；　the　flash　of　steel　in　sunlight。
　　〃Why　should　you　not　desire　immortality？　How　should　you　not？　Every　soul　desires　it；　and　its　health　is　in　the　strength　of　its　desire。　…But　be　careful；　you　are　one　who　might　achieve　your　desire。〃
　　〃And　then？〃
　　〃And　then　this：　a　false　king　ruling；　the　arts　of　man　forgotten；　the　singer　tongueless；　the　eye　blind。　This！　…　this　blight　and　plague　on　the　lands；　this　sore　we　seek　to　heal。　There　are　two；　Arren；　two　that　make　one：　the　world　and　the　shadow；　the　light　and　the　dark。　The　two　poles　of　the　Balance。　Life　rises　out　of　death；　death　rises　out　of　life；　in　being　opposite　they　yearn　to　each　other；　they　give　birth