srdonaldson.thepowerthatpreserves-第73节

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limmermere's　clarity；　he　made　his　plans。
　　　　Then　at　last　his　mount　limped　down　into　the　wide　tunnel　which　led　into　Lord's　Keep。　The　clop　of　hooves　echoed　faintly　against　the　smooth　stone　walls　and　ceiling…echoed　and　scurried　ahead　of　the　High　Lord　like　a　murmurous　announcement　of　his　return。　Soon　he　could　feel　the　voices　of　the　Keep　spreading　word　of　him；　proclaiming　that　he　had　e　back　on　a　Ranyhyn。　People　left　their　work　and　hastened　to　the　main　passage　of　the　tunnel　to　see　him。　They　lined　his　way；　muttered　in　wonder　or　pain　at　the　sight　of　the　Ranyhyn；　whispered　intently　to　each　other　about　the　look　of　focused　danger　which　shone　in　his　eyes。　Down　into　the　Keep　he　rode　as　if　he　were　borne　on　a　low　current　of　astonishment　and　hope。
　　　　After　he　had　ridden　a　few　hundred　yards　along　the　main　ways　of　Revelstone；　he　saw　ahead　of　him　the　other　leaders　of　the　city…the　Lords　Trevor；　Amatin；　and　Loerya；　Warmark　Quaan；　the　two　Hearthralls；　Tohrm　and　Borillar。　They　awaited　him　as　if　they　had　e　out　together　to　do　him　honor。　When　the　Ranyhyn　stopped　before　them；　they　saluted　the　High　Lord　and　his　mount　mutely；　lacking　words　for　what　they　felt。
　　　　He　gazed　back　at　them　for　a　moment；　studied　them。　In　their　separate　ways；　they　were　all　haggard；　needy；　stained　with　battle。　Quaan　in　particular　appeared　extravagantly　worn。　His　bluff　old　face　was　knotted　into　a　habitual　scowl　now；　as　if　only　the　clench　of　constant　belligerence　held　the　pieces　of　his　being　together。　And　Amatin；　too；　looked　nearly　desperate；　her　physical　slightness　seemed　to　drain　her　moral　stamina。　Borillar's　face　was　full　of　tears　that　Mhoram　knew　came　from　the　loss　of　Thomas　Covenant。　Trevor　and　Loerya　supported　each　other；　unable　to　remain　upright　alone。　Of　them　all；　only　Tohrm　was　calm；　and　his　calm　was　the　steadiness　of　a　man　who　had　already　passed　through　his　personal　crisis。　Nothing　could　be　worse　for　him　than　the　stone　Desecration　he　had　experienced　in　the　Close…experienced　and　mastered。　The　others　met　Mhoram　with　concentrated　hope　and　dismay　and　suspense　and　effectlessness　in　their　faces…　expressions　which　begged　to　know　what　this　returning　on　a　Ranyhyn　meant。
　　　　He　nodded　to　their　silent　salute；　then　dropped　heavily　from　Drinny's　back　and　moved　a　step　or　two　closer　to　them。　On　the　only　level　for　which　he　had　sufficient　strength…the　level　of　his　authority…he　answered　them。　He　spoke　softly；　but　his　voice　was　raw　with　peril。　〃Hear　me。　I　am　Mhoram　son　of　Variol；　High　Lord　by　the　choice　of　the　Council。　I　have　taken　my　decision。　Hear　me　and　obey。　Warmark　Quaan；　Drinny　of　the　Ranyhyn　must　be　given　care。　He　must　be　fed　and　healed…he　must　be　returned　swiftly　to　his　strength。　I　will　ride　him　soon。
　　　　〃Lords；　Hearthralls；　Warmark…the　watchtower　of　Revelstone　must　be　regained。　The　gates　of　the　Keep　must　be　cleared。　Do　it　swiftly。　Warmark；　ready　the　horses　of　the　Warward。　Prepare　all　mounted　warriors　and　as　many　unmounted　as　you　deem　fit…prepare　them　to　march　against　samadhi　Satansfist。　We　strike　as　soon　as　our　way　has　been　made　clear。〃
　　　　He　could　see　that　his　mands　stunned　them；　that　they　were　appalled　at　the　mad　prospect　of　attacking　the　Raver's　army。　But　he　did　not　offer　them　any　aid；　any　reassurance。　When　the　time　came　for　the　certain　death　of　his　purpose；　he　hoped　to　leave　behind　him　men　and　women　who　had　proved　to　themselves　that　they　could　meet　extreme　needs…leaders　who　had　learned　that　they　could　do　without　him。
　　　　Yet　he　could　not　refuse　to　explain　the　reason　for　his　mands。　〃My　friends；〃　he　went　on　with　the　rawness　livid　in　his　tone；　〃the　light　of　the　krill　has　failed。　You　know　the　meaning　of　this。　Thomas　Covenant　has　left　the　Land…or　has　fallen　to　his　death…or　has　been　bereft　of　his　ring。　Therein　lies　our　sole　hope。　If　the　Unbeliever　lives…and　while　the　wild　magic　has　not　been　brought　into　use　against　us…we　can　hope　that　he　will　regain　his　ring。
　　　　〃We　must　act　on　this　hope。　It　is　small…but　all　hopes　are　small　in　this　extremity。　It　is　our　work　to　redeem　victory　from　the　blood　and　havoc　of　despair。　We　must　act。　Surely　the　Despiser　knows　that　ur…Lord　Covenant　has　lost　the　white　gold…if　it　has　been　lost　and　not　withdrawn　from　the　Land　or　captured。　Therefore　his　thoughts　may　be　turned　from　us　for　a　time。　In　that　time　we　may　have　some　hope　of　success　against　samadhi　Raver。　And　if　Lord　Foul　seeks　to　prevent　the　Unbeliever's　recovery　of　his　ring；　we　may　give　a　distant　aid　to　ur…Lord　Covenant　by　requiring　the　Despiser　to　look　toward　us　again。〃
　　　　He　could　not　bear　to　watch　the　aghast　supplications　which　wrung　the　faces　of　his　friends。　He　put　his　arm　over　Drinny's　neck　and　concluded　as　if　he　were　speaking　to　the　Ranyhyn；　〃This　choice　is　mine。　I　will　ride　against　Satansfist　alone　if　I　must。　But　this　act　must　be　made。〃
　　　　At　last；　Amatin　found　herself　to　gasp；　〃Melenkurion！　Melenkurion　abatha！　Mhoram；　have　you　learned　nothing　from　Trell　Atiaran…mate…　from　the　Bloodguard…from　Kevin　Landwaster　himself？　You　beg　yourself　to　bee　a　Desecrator。　In　this　way；　we　learn　to　destroy　that　which　we　love！〃
　　　　High　Lord　Mhoram's　reply　had　the　sting　of　authority。　〃Warmark；　I　will　take　no　warrior　with　me　who　has　not　accepted　this　hazard　freely。　You　must　explain　to　the　Warward　that　the　light　of　Loric's　krill　has　failed。〃
　　　　He　ached　to　rush　to　his　friends；　ached　to　throw　his　arms　around　them；　hug　them；　show　them　in　some　way　his　love　and　his　terrible　need　for　them。　But　he　knew　himself；　he　knew　he　would　be　utterly　unable　to　leave　them　if　they　did　not　first　show　their　independence　to　themselves　and　him　by　meeting　alone　his　extreme　demands。　His　own　courage　hung　too　much　on　the　verge　of　faltering；　he　needed　some　demonstration　from　them　to　help　him　follow　the　strait　line　of　faith。　So　he　contained　himself　by　hugging　Drinny　tightly　for　a　moment；　then　turned　on　his　heel　and　walked　stiffly　away　to　his　private　chambers。
　　　　He　spent　the　next　days　alone；　trying　to　rest…searching　himself　for　some　resource　which　would　enable　him　to　bear　the　impossibility　and　the　uselessness　of　his　decision。　But　a　fever　was　on　his　soul。　The　foundation　of　serenity　which　had　sustained　him　for　so　long　seemed　to　have　eroded。　Whether　he　lay　on　his　bed；　or　ate；　or　paced　his　chambers；　or　studied；　he　could　feel　a　great　emptiness　in　the　heart　of　the　Keep　where　the　krill's　fire　should　have　been。　He　had　not　realized　how　much　that　white　blaze　had　taught　him　to　rely　on　the　Unbeliever。　Its　quenching　left　him　face　to　face　with　futile　death…death　for　himself；　for　Drinny；　for　any　who　dared　follow　him…death　that　could　only　be　trusted　to　foreshorten　Revelstone's　survival。　So　he　spent　large　stretches　of　the　time　on　his　hands　and　knees　on　the　floor；　probing　through　the　stone　in　an　effort　to　sense　how　his　mands　were　being　met。
　　　　Without　difficulty　he　read　the　preparations　of　the　Warward。　The　few　hundred　horses　which　had　been　stabled　in　the　Keep　were　being　made　ready。　The　duty　rotations　of　the　warriors　were　changed　so　that　those　who　chose　to　follow　the　High　Lord　could　rest　and　prepare。　And　as　a　result；　the　burden　of　resisting　samadhi's　attacks　fell　on　fewer　shoulders。　Soon　the　defense　took　on　a　febrile　pitch　which　matched　Mhoram'　s　own　fever。　His　mands　had　hastened　the　Warward's　ineluctable　decline　into　frenzy　and　desperation。　He　ground　his　teeth　on　that　pain　and　hunted　elsewhere　in　the　city　for　the　Lords。
　　　　He　found　that　Lord　Amatin　had　retreated　to　the　isolation　of　the　Loresraat's　libraries；　but　Trevor；　Loerya；　and　Hearthrall　Tohrm　were　active。　Together；　Lord　Trevor　and　Tohrm　went　down　into　one　of　the　unfrequented　caverns　directly　under　the　tower。　There　they　bined　their　lore　in　a　rite　dangerously　similar　to　Trell's　destruction　of　the　Close；　and　sent　a　surge　of　heat　up　through　the　stone　into　the　passages　of　the　tower。　They　stoked　the　heat　for　a　day；　raised　it　against　the　enemy　until　the　Cavewights　and　creatures　began　to　abandon　the　tower。
　　　　And　when　the　lowest　levels　were　empty；　Lord　Loerya　led　several　Eoman　in　an　assault。　Under　cover　of　darkness；　they　leaped　from　the　main　Keep　into　the　sand；　crossed　the　courtyard；　and　entered　the　tower　to　fight　their　way　upward。　By　the　dawn　of　the　third　day；　they　were　victorious。　Makeshift　crosswalks　were　thrown　up　over　the　courtyard；　and　hundreds　of　archers　rushed　across　to　help　secure　the　tower。
　　　　Their　success　gave　Mhoram　a　pride　in　them　that　eased　his　distress　for　a　time。　He　doubted　that　the　tower　could　be　held　for　more　than　a　day　or　two；　but　a　day　or　two　would　be　enough；　if　the　rest　of　his　mands　were　equally　met。
　　　　Then；　during　the　third　day；　Amatin　returned　to　work。　She　had　spent　the　time　in　an　intense　study　of　certain　arcane　portions　of　the　Second　Ward　which　High　Lord　Mhoram　himself　had　never　grasped；　and　there　she　had　found　the　rites　and　invocations　she　sought。　Armed　with　that　knowledge；　she　went　to　the　abutments　directly　above　the　courtyard；　made　eldritch　signs　and　symbols　on　the　stone；　wove　rare　gestures；　chanted　songs　in　the　lost　language　of　the　Old　Lords…and　below　her　the　sandy　remains　of　the　dead　slowly　parted。　They　pulled　back　far　enough　to　permit　the　opening　of　the　gates；　far　enough　to　permit　an　army　to　ride　out　of　Revelstone。
　　　　Her　achievement　drew　Mhoram　from　his　chambers　to　watch。　When　she　was　done；　she　collapsed　in　his　arms；　but　he　was　so　proud　of　her　th