srdonaldson.thepowerthatpreserves-第15节

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he　cold　in　his　bones。　His　shivering　mounted。　Dizziness　dismembered　his　balance；　made　him　reel　through　the　woods　as　if　he　were　being　driven　by　a　tattered　gale。　Whenever　he　stepped　on　a　pointed　rock　or　branch；　it　gouged　far　enough　up　into　his　arches　to　hurt　him。　Several　times；　his　joints　folded　sharply；　and　he　plunged　to　his　knees。　But　each　time；　the　dark　wound　he　carried　pulled　him　upright　again；　and　sent　him　forward；　mumbling　past　his　thick　lip；　〃Help　me。〃
　　　　His　own　swelling　seemed　to　take　over　his　face　like　a　tumor。　Hot　lances　of　pain　thrust　from　it　through　his　head　every　time　the　ground　jarred　him。　As　time　passed；　he　could　feel　his　heart　itself　trembling；　quivering　between　each　beat　as　it　labored　to　carry　the　strain。　The　haze　of　his　fever　thickened　until　at　odd　moments　he　feared　that　he　had　lost　his　sight。　In　the　blur；　he　quailed　away　from　the　dazzles　of　sunlight　which　sprang　at　him　off　the　stream；　but　when　the　creek　passed　through　shadows；　it　looked　so　cool　and　healing　that　he　could　hardly　restrain　himself　from　stumbling　into　it；　burying　his　face　in　its　anodyne。
　　　　Yet　all　the　while　he　knew　he　could　not　deviate　from　the　strait　path　of　his　trek。　If　he　failed　to　find　help　for　the　child；　then　everything　he　had　already　done　for　her　would　be　useless；　bereft　of　meaning。　He　could　not　stop。　Her　wound　would　not　tolerate　his　futility。　He　saw　too　much　of　his　lost　son　Roger　in　her　bare　shin。　Despite　the　nails　of　pain　which　crucified　him；　he　lurched　onward。
　　　　Then　in　the　distance　he　heard　shouts；　like　people　wailing　for　someone　lost。　He　jerked　to　a　swaying　halt　on　stiff　legs；　and　tried　to　look　around。　But　he　seemed　to　have　lost　control　of　his　head。　It　wobbled　vainly　on　his　neck；　as　if　the　weight　of　his　swelling　threw　it　out　of　joint；　and　he　was　unable　to　face　it　in　the　direction　of　the　shouts。
　　　　In　his　arms；　the　girl　whimpered　pitifully；　〃Mommy。　Daddy。〃
　　　　He　fought　his　black　tight　pain　to　frame　the　word；　Help。　But　no　sound　came　between　his　lips。　He　forced　his　vocal　cords　to　make　some　kind　of　noise。
　　　　〃Help　me。〃
　　　　It　was　no　louder　than　a　whisper。
　　　　A　sound　like　hoarse　sobs　shook　him；　but　he　could　not　tell　whether　they　came　from　him　or　from　the　girl。　Weakly；　almost　blindly；　he　straightened　his　arms；　lifted　the　child　outward　as　if　he　were　offering　her　to　the　shouts。
　　　　They　became　a　woman's　voice　and　took　on　words。　〃Karen！　Here　she　is！　Over　here！　Oh；　Karen！　my　baby！〃　Running　came　toward　him　through　the　leaves　and　branches；　it　sounded　like　the　blade　of　a　winter　wind　cutting　at　him　from　the　depths　of　his　fever。　At　last　he　was　able　to　see　the　people。　A　woman　hurried　down　the　side　of　a　hill；　and　a　man　ran　anxiously　after　her。　〃Karen！〃　the　woman　cried。
　　　　The　child　reached　out　toward　the　woman　and　sobbed；　〃Mommy！　Mommy！''
　　　　An　instant　later；　the　burden　was　snatched　from　Covenant's　arms。　〃Karen。　Oh；　my　baby；''　the　woman　moaned　as　she　hugged　the　child。　〃We　were　so　frightened。　Why　did　you　run　away？　Are　you　all　right？〃　Without　a　glance　at　Covenant；　she　said；　〃Where　did　you　find　her？　She　ran　away　this　morning；　and　we've　been　frightened　half　to　death。''　As　if　this　needed　some　explanation；　she　went　on；　〃We're　camping　over　there　a　ways。　Dave　has　Good　Friday　off；　and　we　decided　to　camp　out。　We　never　thought　she　would　run　away。〃
　　　　The　man　caught　up　with　her；　and　she　started　speaking　to　the　child　again。　〃Oh；　you　naughty；　naughty　girl。　Are　you　all　right？　Let　me　look　at　you。〃
　　　　The　girl　kept　sobbing　in　pain　and　relief　as　the　woman　held　her　at　arm's　length　to　inspect　her。　At　once；　the　woman　saw　the　tourniquet　and　the　swelling　and　the　cuts。　She　gave　a　low　scream；　and　looked　at　Covenant　for　the　first　time。
　　　　〃What　happened？〃　she　demanded。　〃What've　you　done　to　her？〃　Suddenly；　she　stopped。　A　look　of　horror　stretched　her　face。　She　backed　away　toward　the　man；　and　screamed　at　him；　〃Dave！　It's　that　leper！　That　Covenant！〃
　　　　〃What？〃　the　man　gasped。　Righteous　indignation　rushed　up　in　him。　〃You　bastard！〃　he　spat　belligerently；　and　started　toward　Covenant。
　　　　Covenant　thought　that　the　man　was　going　to　hit　him；　he　seemed　to　feel　the　blow　ing　at　him　from　a　great　distance。　Watching　it；　he　lost　his　balance；　stumbled　backward　a　step；　and　sat　down　heavily。　Red　pain　flooded　across　his　sight。　When　it　cleared；　he　was　vaguely　surprised　to　find　that　he　was　not　being　kicked。　But　the　man　had　stopped　a　dozen　feet　away；　he　stood　with　his　fists　clenched；　trying　not　to　show　that　he　was　afraid　to　e　closer。
　　　　Covenant　struggled　to　speak；　explain　that　the　child　still　needed　help。　But　a　long；　stunned　moment　passed　before　he　was　able　to　dredge　words　past　his　lips。　Then　he　said　in　a　tone　of　detachment　pletely　at　variance　with　the　way　he　looked　and　felt；　〃Snakebite。　Timber　rattler。　Help　her。〃
　　　　The　effort　exhausted　him；　he　could　not　go　on。　He　lapsed　into　silence；　and　sat　still　as　if　he　were　hopelessly　waiting　for　an　avalanche　to　fall　on　him。　The　man　and　woman　began　to　recede　from　him；　lose　solidity；　as　if　they　were　dissolving　in　the　acid　of　his　prostration。　Vaguely；　he　heard　the　child　moan；　〃The　snake　bit　me；　Mommy。　My　leg　hurts。〃
　　　　He　realized　that　he　still　had　not　seen　the　child's　face。　But　he　had　lost　his　chance。　He　had　exercised　too　strenuously　with　snake　venom　in　his　blood。　By　degrees；　he　was　slipping　into　shock。
　　　　〃All　right；　Mhoram；〃　he　mumbled　wanly。　〃e　and　get　me。　It's　over　now。〃
　　　　He　did　not　know　whether　he　had　spoken　aloud。　He　could　not　hear　himself。　The　ground　under　him　had　begun　to　ripple。　Waves　rolled　through　the　hillside；　tossing　the　small　raft　of　hard　soil　on　which　he　sat。　He　clung　to　it　as　long　as　he　could；　but　the　earthen　seas　were　too　rough。　Soon　he　lost　his　balance　and　tumbled　backward　into　the　ground　as　if　it　were　an　undug　grave。
　
　FOUR
　　Siege
　
　　　　Twelve　days　after　the　last　charred　trunks　of　Revelwood　were　consumed；　reduced　to　ashes　and　trampled　underfoot；　Satansfist　Raver；　the　right　hand　of　the　Gray　Slayer；　brought　his　vast；　dolorous　army　to　the　stone　gates　of　Lord's　Keep。　He　approached　slowly；　though　his　hordes　tugged　forward　like　leashed　wolves；　he　restrained　the　ravening　of　the　ur…viles　and　Cavewights　and　creatures　he　manded　so　that　all　the　inhabitants　of　Trothgard；　and　of　the　lands　between　Revelwood　and　the　North　Plains；　would　have　time　to　seek　safety　in　the　Keep。　This　he　did　because　he　wished　all　the　humans　he　meant　to　slay　to　be　gathered　in　one　place。　Every　increase　in　the　Keep's　population　would　weaken　its　endurance　by　eating　its　stores　of　food。　And　crowds　of　people　would　be　more　susceptible　than　trained　warriors　or　Lords　to　the　fear　he　bore。
　　　　He　was　sure　of　the　oute　of　his　siege。　His　army　was　not　as　immense　as　the　one　which　moksha　Fleshharrower　his　brother　had　lost　in　Garroting　Deep。　In　order　to　secure　his　hold　upon　the　regions　he　had　already　mastered；　he　had　left　scores　of　thousands　of　his　creatures　behind　along　the　Roams…edge　River；　throughout　the　valley　which　formed　the　south　border　of　Andelain；　and　across　the　Center　Plains。　But　the　Despiser　had　lost　little　more　than　a　third　of　his　forces　in　that　earlier　war。　And　instead　of　wolves　and　kresh　and　unwieldy　griffins；　Satansfist　had　with　him　more　of　the　lore…cunning；　roynish；　black；　eyeless　ur…viles；　and　more　of　the　atrocious　creatures　which　Lord　Foul　had　raised　up　from　the　Great　Swamp；　Lifeswallower；　from　Sarangrave　Flat；　from　the　Spoiled　Plains　and　the　bosk　of　the　Ruinwash…raised　up　and　demented　with　the　power　of　the　Illearth　Stone。　In　addition；　the　Giant…Raver　had　at　his　back　a　power　of　which　the　Lords　of　Revelstone　had　no　conception。　Therefore　he　was　willing　to　prolong　his　approach　to　the　Keep；　so　that　he　could　hasten　its　eventual　and　irreparable　collapse。
　　　　Then；　early　on　the　twelfth　day；　a　sky…shaking　howl　shot　through　his　hordes　as　they　caught　their　first　sight　of　the　mountain　plateau　of　Revel…stone。　Thousands　of　his　creatures　started　to　rush　madly　toward　it　through　the　foothills；　but　he　knocked　them　back　with　the　flail　of　his　power。　Ruling　his　army　with　a　green　scourge；　he　spent　the　whole　day　making　his　approach；　placing　his　forces　in　position。　When　daylight　at　last　drained　away　into　night；　his　army　was　wrapped　around　the　entire　promontory　of　Revel…stone；　from　the　westmost　edge　of　its　south　wall　to　the　cliffs　of　the　plateau　on　the　northwest。　His　encampment　locked　the　Keep　in　a　wide；　round　formation；　sealing　it　from　either　flight　or　rescue；　from　forages　for　food　or　missions　to　unknown　allies。　And　that　night；　Satansfist　feasted　on　the　flesh　of　prisoners　who　had　been　captured　during　his　long　march　from　Landsdrop。
　　　　If　any　eyes　in　Revelstone　had　been　able　to　penetrate　the　unbroken　mass　of　clouds　which　frowned　now　constantly　over　the　Land；　they　would　have　seen　that　this　night　was　the　dark　of　the　moon　on　the　middle　night　of　spring。　The　Despiser's　preternatural　winter　had　clenched　the　Land　for　forty…two　days。
　　　　Satansfist　had　followed　precisely　the　design　which　his　master　had　given　him　for　his　march　through　the　Upper　Land。
　　　　The　next　morning；　he　went　to　face　the　watchtower　which　fronted　the　long　walls　of　Revelstone　at　their　wedge　point。　He　paid　no　attention　to　the　intricate　Giantish　labor　which　had　produced　the　pattern　of　coigns　and　oriels　and　walks　and　battlements　in　the　smooth　cliff…walls；　that　part　of　him　which