srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第26节

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ord　to　mit　his　Eowards。　If　he　risked　a　guess；　and　guessed　wrong；　disaster　would　result。　So　Covenant　had　been　urgently　summoned；　and　yet　now　was　left　to　himself；　with　no　demands　upon　him。
　In　addition；　the　Lord　went　on；　there　was　another　reason　why　he　had　been　summoned　at　a　time　which　now　appeared　to　have　been　premature。　Warmark　Troy　had　argued　urgently　for　the　summons。　This　surprised　Covenant　until　Callindrill　explained　Troy's　reasoning。　The　Warmark　had　believed　that　Lord　Foul　would　be　able　to　detect　the　summons。　So　by　means　of　Covenant's　call　Troy　had　hoped　to　put　pressure　on　the　Despiser；　force　him；　because　of　his　fear　of　the　wild　magic；　to　launch　his　attack　before　he　was　ready。　Time　favored　Lord　Foul　because　his　war　resources　far　surpassed　those　of　the　Council；　and　if　he　prepared　long　enough　he　might　well　field　an　army　that　no　Warward　could　defeat。　Troy　hoped　that　the　ploy　of　summoning　Covenant　would　make　the　Despiser　cut　his　preparations　short。
　Lastly；　Callindrill　explained　in　a　gentle　voice；　High　Lord　Elena　and　Lord　Mhoram　were　in　fact　evading　the　Unbeliever。　Covenant　had　not　asked　that　question；　but　Callindrill　seemed　to　divine　some　of　the　causes　of　his　frustration。　Elena　and　Mhoram；　each　in　their　separate　ways；　felt　so　involved　in　Covenant's　dilemma　that　they　stayed　away　from　him　in　order　to　avoid　aggravating　his　distress。　They　sensed；　said　Callindrill；　that　he　found　their　personal　appeals　more　painful　than　any　other。　The　possibility　that　he　might　go　to　Seareach　had　jolted　Elena。　And　Mhoram　was　consumed　by　his　work　on　the　krill。　Until　the　war　bereft　them　of　choice；　they　refrained　as　much　as　possible　from　imposing　upon　him。
　Well；　Troy　warned　me；　Covenant　muttered　to　himself　as　he　left　Callindrill　and　Faer。　He　said　that　they're　scrupulous。　After　a　moment；　he　added　sourly；　I　would　be　better　off　if　all　these　people　would　stop　trying　to　do　me　favors。
　Yet　he　was　grateful　to　Faer　and　her　husband。　Their　panionly　gestures　helped　him　to　get　through　the　next　few　days；　helped　him　to　keep　the　vertiginous　darkness　at　bay。　He　felt　that　he　was　rotting　inside；　but　he　was　not　going　mad。
　But　he　knew　that　he　could　not　stand　it　much　longer。　The　ambience　of　Revelstone　was　as　tight　as　a　string　about　to　snap。　Pressure　was　building　inside　him；　rising　toward　desperation。　When　Bannor　knocked　at　his　door　one　afternoon；　he　was　so　startled　that　he　almost　cried　out。
　However；　Bannor　had　not　e　to　announce　the　start　of　the　war。　In　his　flat　voice；　he　asked　Covenant　if　the　Unbeliever　would　like　to　go　hear　a　song。
　A　song；　he　echoed　numbly。　For　a　moment；　he　was　too　confused　to　respond。　He　had　not　expected　such　a　question；　certainly　not　from　the　Bloodguard。　But　then　he　shrugged　jerkily。　〃Why　not？〃　He　did　not　stop　to　ask　what　had　prompted　Bannor's　unusual　initiative。　With　a　scowl；　he　followed　the　Bloodguard　out　of　his　suite。
　Bannor　took　him　up　through　the　levels　of　the　Keep　until　they　were　higher　in　the　mountain　than　he　had　ever　been　before。　Then　the　wide　passage　they　followed　rounded　a　corner；　and　came　unexpectedly　into　open　sunlight。　They　entered　a　broad；　roofless　amphitheater。　Rows　of　stone　benches　curved　downward　to　form　a　bowl　around　a　flat　center　stage；　and　behind　the　topmost　row　the　stone　wall　rose　straight　for　twenty　or　thirty　feet；　ending　in　the　flat　of　the　plateau；　where　the　mountain　met　the　sky。　The　afternoon　sun　shone　into　the　amphitheater；　drenching　the　dull　white　stone　of　the　stage　and　benches　and　wall　with　warmth　and　light。
　The　seats　were　starting　to　fill　when　Bannor　and　Covenant　arrived。　People　from　all　the　occupations　of　the　Keep；　including　farmers　and　cooks　and　warriors；　and　the　Lords　Trevor　and　Loerya　with　their　daughters；　came　through　several　openings　in　the　wall　to　take　seats　around　the　bowl。　But　the　Bloodguard　formed　the　largest　single　group。　Covenant　estimated　roughly　that　there　were　a　hundred　of　them　on　the　benches。　This　vaguely　surprised　him。　He　had　never　seen　more　than　a　score　of　the　Haruchai　in　one　place　before。　After　looking　around　for　a　while；　he　asked　Bannor；　〃What　song　is　this；　anyway？〃
　〃Lord　Kevin's　Lament；〃　Bannor　replied　dispassionately。
　Then　Covenant　felt　that　he　understood。　Kevin；　he　nodded　to　himself。　Of　course　the　Bloodguard　wanted　to　hear　this　song。　How　could　they　be　less　than　keenly　interested　in　anything　which　might　help　them　to　prehend　Kevin　Landwaster？
　For　it　was　Kevin　who　had　summoned　Lord　Foul　to　Kiril　Threndor　to　utter　the　Ritual　of　Desecration。　The　legends　said　that　when　Kevin　had　seen　that　he　could　not　defeat　the　Despiser；　his　heart　had　turned　black　with　despair。　He　had　loved　the　Land　too　intensely　to　let　it　fall　to　Lord　Foul。　And　yet　he　had　failed；　he　could　not　preserve　it。　Torn　by　his　impossible　dilemma；　he　had　been　driven　to　dare　that　Ritual。　He　had　known　that　the　unleashing　of　that　fell　power　would　destroy　the　Lords　and　all　their　works；　and　ravage　the　Land　from　end　to　end；　make　it　barren　for　generations。　He　had　known　that　he　would　die。　But　he　had　hoped　that　Lord　Foul　would　also　die；　that　when　at　last　life　returned　to　the　Land　it　would　be　life　free　of　Despite。　He　chose　to　take　that　risk　rather　than　permit　Lord　Foul's　victory。　Thus　he　dared　the　Despiser　to　join　him　in　Kiril　Threndor。　He　and　Lord　Foul　spoke　the　Ritual；　and　High　Lord　Kevin　Landwaster　destroyed　the　Land　which　he　loved。
　And　Lord　Foul　had　not　died。　He　had　been　reduced　for　a　time；　but　he　had　survived；　preserved　by　the　law　of　Time　which　emprisoned　him　upon　the　Earth　so　the　legends　said。　So　now　all　the　Land　and　the　new　Lords　lay　under　the　consequences　of　Kevin's　despair。
　It　was　not　surprising　that　the　Bloodguard　wanted　to　hear　this　song…or　that　Bannor　had　asked　Covenant　to　e　hear　it　also。
　As　he　mused；　Covenant　caught　a　glimpse　of　blue　from　across　the　amphitheater。　Looking　up；　he　saw　High　Lord　Elena　standing　near　one　of　the　entrances。　She；　too；　wanted　to　hear　this　song。
　With　her　was　Warmark　Troy。
　Covenant　felt　an　urge　to　go　join　them；　but　before　he　could　make　up　his　mind　to　move；　the　singer　entered　the　amphitheater。　She　was　a　tall；　resplendent　woman；　simply　clad　in　a　crimson　robe；　with　golden　hair　that　flew　like　sparks　about　her　head。　As　she　moved　down　the　steps　to　the　stage；　her　audience　rose　to　its　feet　and　silently　gave　her　the　salute　of　wele。　She　did　not　return　it。　Her　face　bore　a　look　of　concentration；　as　if　she　were　already　feeling　her　song。
　When　she　reached　the　stage；　she　did　not　speak；　said　nothing　to　introduce　or　explain　or　identify　her　song。　Instead；　she　took　her　stance　in　the　center　of　the　stage；　posed　herself　for　a　moment　as　the　song　came　over　her；　then　lifted　her　face　to　the　sun　and　opened　her　throat。
　At　first；　her　melody　was　restrained；　arid　and　angular　…only　hinting　at　burned　pangs　and　poignancies。
　I　stood　on　the　pinnacle　of　the　Earth：　Mount　Thunder；　its　Lions　in　full　flaming　mane；　raised　its　crest　no　higher　than　the　horizons　that　my　gaze　manded；　the　Ranyhyn；　hooves　unfettered　since　the　Age　began；　galloped　gladly　to　my　will；　iron…thewed　Giants　from　beyond　the　sun's　birth　in　the　sea　came　to　me　in　ships　as　mighty　as　castles；　and　cleft　my　castle　from　the　raw　Earth　rock　and　gave　it　to　me　out　of　pure　friendship　a　handmark　of　allegiance　and　fealty　in　the　eternal　stone　of　Time；　the　Lords　under　my　Watch　labored　to　find　and　make　manifest　the　true　purpose　of　the　Earth's　Creator；　barred　from　His　creation　by　the　vary　power　of　that　purpose…power　graven　into　the　flesh　and　bone　of　the　Land　by　the　immutable　Law　of　its　creation：　how　could　I　stand　so；　so　much　glory　and　dominion　prehended　by　the　outstretch　of　my　armsstand　thus；　eye　to　eye　with　the　Despiser；　and　not　be　dismayed？
　But　then　the　song　changed；　as　if　the　singer　opened　inner　chambers　to　give　her　voice　more　resonance。　In　high；　arching　spans　of　song；　she　gave　out　her　threnody　…highlighted　it　and　underscored　it　with　so　many　implied　harmonies；　so　many　suggestions　of　other　acpanying　voices；　that　she　seemed　to　have　a　whole　choir　within　her；　using　her　one　throat　for　utterance。
　Where　is　the　Power　that　protects　beauty　from　the　decay　of　life？
　preserves　truth　pure　of　falsehood？　secures　fealty　from　that　slow　stain　of　chaos　which　corrupts？
　How　are　we　so　rendered　small　by　Despite？　Why　will　the　very　rocks　not　erupt　for　their　own　cleansing；
　or　crumble　into　dust　for　shame？　Creator！
　When　You　desecrated　this　temple；　rid　Yourself　of　this　contempt　by　inflicting　it　upon　the　Land；　did　You　intend　that　beauty　and　truth　should　pass　utterly　from　the　Earth？
　Have　You　shaped　my　fate　into　the　Law　of　life？　Am　I　effectless？
　Must　I　preside　over；　sanction；　acknowledge　with　the　bitter　face　of　treachery；　approve　the　falling　of　the　world？
　Her　music　ached　in　the　air　like　a　wound　of　song。　And　as　she　finished；　the　people　came　to　their　feet　with　a　rush。　Together　they　sang　into　the　fathomless　heavens：
　Ah；　Creator！
　Timelord　and　Landsire！
　Did　You　intend　that　beauty　and　truth　should　pass　utterly　from　the　Earth？
　Bannor　stood；　though　he　did　not　join　the　song。　But　Covenant　kept　his　seat；　feeling　small　and　useless　beside　the　munity　of　Revelstone。　Their　emotion　climaxed　in　the　refrain；　expending　sharp　grief　and　then　filling　the　amphitheater　with　a　wash　of　peace　which　cleansed　and　healed　the　song's　despair；　as　if　the　united　power　of　the　singing　alone　were　answer　e