srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第75节

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　〃No；　I'm　not　going　to　explain。　Not　yet。〃　Troy　kept　his　final　plan　to　himself　as　if　by　silence　and　secrecy　he　could　contain　its　terrors。　〃And　Doriendor　Corishev　won't　serve。　We　could　fight　there　for　a　day　or　two。　But　after　that；　Fleshharrower　would　surround　us　and　just　squeeze。　We've　got　to　do　better　than　that。〃
　The　Hiltmark　nodded　morosely。　Troy's　refusal　saddened　him　like　an　expression　of　distrust。　But　he　managed　a　wry　smile　as　he　said；　〃Warmark；　is　there　no　end　to　your　plans？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Troy　sighed。　〃Yes；　there　is。　And　we're　going　to　get　there。　After　that；　Mhoram　is　going　to　have　to　save　us。　He　promised…〃
　Because　he　could　not　bear　to　face　Quaan　with　his　inadequacies；　he　turned　away。　Clapping　Mehryl　with　his　heels；　he　went　in　search　of　the　Lords。　He　wanted　to　explain　his　intentions　for　Doriendor　Corishev；　and　to　find　out　what　additional　help　Mhoram　or　Callindrill　could　give　the　Warward。
　During　the　rest　of　that　day　and　the　next　morning；　he　received　regular　reports　from　the　Bloodguard　on　Fleshharrower's　progress。　The　Giant…Raver's　army　was　large　and　unwieldy；　it　had　covered　only　nine　leagues　during　the　day　after　it　traversed　Doom's　Retreat。　But　it　did　not　halt　during　the　dark　night；　and　took　only　one　short　rest　before　dawn。　Troy　judged　that　the　Giant　would　reach　Doriendor　Corishev　by　mid…afternoon。
　That　knowledge　made　him　ache　to　drive　the　Warward　faster。　But　he　could　not。　Too　many　warriors　left　the　army　or　died　that　night　and　the　next　morning。　To　his　dismay；　the　attrition　tripled。　A　litany　of　numbers　ran　through　his　brain：　eleven；　thirty…three；　ninety…nine　…at　that　rate；　the　march　itself　would　claim　four　thousand　four　victims　by　the　end　of　six　days。　And　lives　would　be　lost　in　Doriendor　Corishev。　He　needed　plex　equations　to　measure　the　plight　of　his　army。　He　did　not　try　to　hurry　it。
　As　a　result；　the　warriors　were　only　a　league　ahead　of　Fleshharrower　when　they　started　up　the　long　slope　toward　the　ruins　of　Doriendor　Corishev。　The　ancient　city　sat　atop　a　high　hill　under　the　perpetual　frown　of　the　mountains；　and　the　hill　itself　crested　a　southrunning　ridge。　The　ruins　were　elevated　on　a　line　that　separated；　hid　from　each　other；　the　east　and　west　sides　of　the　Southron　Wastes。　In　past　ages；　when　the　city　lived　and　thrived；　it　had　manded　perfectly　the　northern　edge　of　that　region；　and　now　the　low；　massive　remains　of　fortifications　testified　that　the　inhabitants　of　the　city　had　known　the　value　of　their　position。　According　to　the　legends　which　had　been　preserved　in　Kevin's　Lore；　these　people　had　been　warlike；　they　had　needed　their　strategic　location。　Lord　Callindrill　translated　the　name　as　〃masterplace〃　or　〃desolation　of　enemies。〃
　The　legends　said　that　for　centuries　Doriendor　Corishev　had　been　the　capital　of　the　nation　which　gave　birth　to　Berek　Halfhand。
　That　was　the　age　of　the　One　Forest's　dominion　in　the　Land。　Then　there　were　no　Wastes　south　of　the　mountains；　the　region　was　green　and　populous。　But　in　time　it　became　too　populous。　Groups　of　people　from　this　southern　country　slowly　moved　up　into　the　Land；　and　began　to　attack　the　Forest。　At　first；　they　only　wanted　timber　for　the　civilization　of　Doriendor　Corishev。　Then　they　wanted　fields　for　crops。　Then　they　wanted　homes。　With　the　unconscious　aid　of　other　immigrants　from　the　north；　they　eventually　acplished　the　maiming　of　the　One　Forest。
　But　that　injury　had　many　ramifications。　On　the　one　hand；　the　felling　of　the　trees　unbound　the　interdict　which　the　Colossus　of　the　Fall　had　held　over　the　Lower　Land。　The　Ravers　were　unleashed…a　release　which　led　with　deft　inevitability　to　the　destruction　of　Doriendor　Corishev's　monarchy　in　the　great　war　of　Berek　Halfhand。　And　on　the　other　hand；　the　loss　of　perhaps　a　hundred　thousand　square　leagues　'of　Forest　altered　the　natural　balances　of　the　Earth。　Every　falling　tree　hammered　home　an　ineluctable　doom　for　the　masterplace。　As　the　trees　died；　the　southern　lands　lost　the　watershed　which　had　preserved　them　from　the　Gray　Desert。　Centuries　after　the　ravage　of　the　One　Forest　became　irreversible；　these　lands　turned　to　dry　ruin。
　But　the　city　had　been　deserted　since　the　time　of　Berek；　the　first　Lord。　Now；　after　millennia　of　wind　and　dust；　nothing　remained　of　the　masterplace　except　the　standing　shards　of　its　walls　and　buildings；　a　kind　of　ground　map　formed　by　the　bloodless　stumps　of　its　grandeur。　Warmark　Troy　could　have　hidden　his　whole　army　in　its　labyrinthian　spaces　and　ways。　Behind　fragmentary　walls　that　reached　meaninglessly　into　the　sky；　the　warriors　could　have　fought　guerrilla　war　for　days　against　an　army　of　parable　size。
　Troy　trusted　that　Fleshharrower　knew　this。　His
　plans　relied　heavily　on　his　ability　to　convince　the　Giant　that　the　Warward　chose　to　make　its　last　stand　in　Doriendor　Corishev；　rather　than　under　the　certain　death　of　Garroting　Deep。　He　marched　his　army　straight　up　the　long　hillside；　and　into　the　toothless　gate　of　the　masterplace。　Then　he　took　the　warriors　through　the　city　and　out　its　western　side；　where　they　were　hidden　from　Fleshharrower　by　the　ridge　on　which　the　city　stood。
　There　he　gave　Quaan　all　the　instructions　and　encouragement　he　could。　Then　he　saluted　the　Hiltmark；　and　watched　as　the　main　body　of　the　Warward　marched　away　down　the　slope。　When　it　was　gone；　he　and　his　volunteers　returned　to　the　city　with　the　two　Lords；　First　Haft；　Amorine；　all　the　Bloodguard；　and　every　horse　still　strong　enough　to　bear　a　rider。
　Within　the　ruined　walls；　he　addressed　the　eight　Eoward　that　had　offered　to　buy　the　Warward's　escape　from　Doriendor　Corishev。　He　had　a　taut；　dry　feeling　in　his　throat　as　he　began；　〃You're　all　volunteers；　so　I'm　not　going　to　apologize　for　what　we're　doing。　But　I　want　to　be　sure　you　know　why　we're　doing　it。　I　have　two　main　reasons。　First；　we're　going　to　give　the　rest　of　the　warriors　a　chance　to　put　some　distance　between　them　and　Fleshharrower。　Second；　we're　going　to　help　squeeze　out　a　victory　in　this　war。　I'm　preparing　a　little　surprise　for　Foul's　army；　and　we're　going　to　help　make　it　work。　Parts　of　that　army　move　faster　than　others　but　if　they　get　too　spread　out；　they　won't　all　fall　into　my　trap。　So　we're　going　to　pull　them　together　here。〃
　He　paused　to　look　over　the　warriors。　They　stood　squarely　before　him　with　expressions　colored　by　every　hue　of　grimness　and　fatigue　and　determination；　and　their　very　bones　seemed　to　radiate　mortality。　At　the　sight；　he　began　to　understand　Mhoram's　statement　that　they　deserved　to　know　the　truth；　they　were　serving　his　mands　with　their　souls。　Roughly；　he　went　on；　〃But　there's　one　more　thing。　Fleshharrower　may　be　planning　a　surprise　or　two　for　us。　Many　of　you　were　with　Hiltmark　Quaan　during　that　storm…you　know　what　I'm　talking　about。　That　Giant　has　power；　and　he
　intends　to　use　it。　We're　going　to　give　him　a　chance。　We're　going　to　be　a　target；　so　that　whatever　he　does　will　hit　us　instead　of　the　rest　of　the　Warward。　I　think　we　can　survive　it…if　we　do　things　right。　But　it's　not　going　to　be　easy。〃
　Abruptly；　he　turned　to　Amorine；　and　ordered　her　to　deploy　the　Eoward　in　strategic　positions　throughout　the　east　side　of　the　masterplace。　〃Make　sure　of　your　lines　of　retreat。　I　don't　want　people　getting　lost　in　this　maze　when　it's　time　for　us　to　pull　out。〃　Then　he　spoke　to　the　Bloodguard；　asked　them　to　scout　beyond　the　city　along　the　ridge。　〃I've　got　to　know　right　away　if　Fleshharrower　tries　to　surround　us。〃
　Terrel　nodded；　and　a　few　of　the　Bloodguard　rode　away。
　First　Haft　Amorine　took　her　Eoward　back　across　Doriendor　Corishev。　They　left　all　their　horses；　including　the　Ranyhyn；　at　the　west　gate　under　the　care　of　several　Bloodguard。
　Acpanied　by　the　rest　of　the　Bloodguard；　Troy　　and　the　two　Lords　made　their　way　on　foot　to　the　east　。：　wall。
　While　they　passed　through　the　ruins；　Lord　Mhoram　n　asked；　〃Warmark；　do　you　believe　that　Fleshharrower　…：　will　not　attempt　to　surround　us？　Why　would　he　do
　otherwise？〃'
　〃Instinct；〃　Troy　replied　curtly。　〃I　think　he'll　be　very　careful　to　let　us　escape　on　the　west　side。　You　heard　him　laughback　at　Doom's　Retreat…when　he　saw　where　we　were　going。　I　think　that　what　he　really　wants　is　to　trap　us　against　Garroting　Deep。　He's　a　Raver。　He　probably　thinks　the　idea　of　using　that　Forest　against　us　is　hilarious。〃
　Then　he　was　grateful　that　Mhoram　refrained　from　asking　him　what　his…　own　ideas　about　Garroting　Deep　were。　He　did　not　want　to　think　about　that。　Instead；　he　tried　to　concentrate　on　the　layout　of　the　city；　so　that　he　could　find　his　way　through　it　at　night　if　necessary。　But　his　heart　was　not　in　the　task。　Too　many　other　anxieties　occupied　him。
　When　he　reached　the　east　wall；　and　climbed　up　on　‘
　some　rubble　to　peer　over　it；　he　saw　Fleshharrower's　army。
　It　approached　like　a　great　discoloration；　a　dark　bruise；　on　the　pale　ground　of　the　Wastes。　Its　front　stretched　away　both　north　and　south　of　the　ruins。　It　was　less　than　a　league　away。
　And　it　was　immense　beyond　prehension。　Troy　could　not　imagine　how　Lord　Foul　had　been　able　to　create　such　an　army。
　It　came　forward　until　it　reached　the　foot　of　the　hill　upon　which　Doriendor　Corishev　stood。
　As　he　watched；　Troy　gripped　the　handle　of　his　sword　as　if　it　were　the　only　thing　that　kept　him　from　panic。　Several　times；　he　reached　up　to　adjust　the　sunglasses　he　no　lodger　possessed。　The　movement　wa