srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第93节

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day　passed。　By　the　following　noon；　it　dominated　the　southeastern　horizon。
　But　at　night　Covenant　did　not　have　the　mountains　veering　around　him。　He　could　not　see　Melenkurion　Skyweir。　And　after　the　evening　meal；　his　fever　abated　somewhat。　Freed　from　these　demands　and　drains　upon　his　weakened　concentration；　he　came　to　some　vague　terms　with　his　bargain。
　It　did　not　need　her　consent；　he　knew　this；　and　berated　himself　for　it。　Once　the　thrill　of　hope　had　faded　into　fever　and　anxiety；　he　ached　to　tell　her　what　he　had　been　thinking。　And　her　attentiveness　to　him　made　him　ache　worse。　She　cooked　special　healing　broths　and　stews　for　him；　she　went　out　of　her　way　to　supply　him
　with　aliantha。　But　his　emotions　toward　her　had　changed。　There　was　cunning　and　flattery　in　his　responses　to　her　tenderness。　He　was　afraid　of　what　would　happen　if　he　told　her　his　thoughts。
　When　he　lay　awake　late　at　night；　shivering　feverishly；　he　had　a　bad　taste　of　rationalization　in　his　mouth。　Then　it　was　not　embarrassment　or　trust　which　kept　him　from　explaining　himself。　His　jaws　were　locked　by　his　clinging　need　for　survival；　his　rage　against　his　own　death。
　Finally；　his　fever　broke。　Late　in　the　afternoon　of　the　third　day…the　twenty…first　since　the　High　Lord's　party　had　left　Revelwood…a　sudden　rush　of　sweat　poured　over　him；　and　a　tight　inner　cord　seemed　to　snap。　He　felt　himself　relaxing　at　last。　That　night；　he　fell　asleep　while　Elena　was　still　discussing　the　ignorance　or　failure　of　prehension　which　kept　her　from　learning　anything　from　Amok。
　A　long；　sound　sleep　restored　his　sense　of　health；　and　the　next　morning　he　was　able　to　pay　better　attention　to　his　situation。　Riding　at　Elena's　side；　he　scrutinized　Melenkurion　Skyweir。　It　stood　over　him　like　an　aegis；　shutting　out　the　whole　southeastern　dawn。　With　a　low　surge　of　apprehension；　he　judged　that　the　High　Lord's　party　would　probably　arrive　there　before　this　day　was　done。　Carefully；　he　asked　her　about　the　Skyweir。
　〃I　can　tell　you　little；〃　she　replied。　〃It　is　the　tallest　mountain　known　to　the　Land；　and　its　name　shares　one　of　the　Seven　Words。　But　Kevin's　Lore　reveals　little　of　it。　Perhaps　there　is　other　knowledge　in　the　other　Wards；　but　the　First　and　Second　contain　few　hints　or　references。　And　in　our　age　the　Lords　have　gained　nothing　of　their　own　concerning　this　place。　None　have　e　so　close　to　the　Skyweir　since　people　returned　to　the　Land　after　the　Ritual　of　Desecration。
　〃It　is　in　my　heart　that　these　great　peaks　mark　a　place　of　power…a　place　surpassing　even　Gravin　Threndor。　But　I　have　no　evidence　for　this　belief　apart　from　the　strange　silence　of　Kevin's　Lore。　Melenkurion　Skyweir　is　one　of　the　high　places　of　the　Land…and　yet　the　First　and　Second　Wards　contain　no　knowledge　of　it　beyond　a　few　old　maps；　a　fragment　of　one　song；　and
　two　unexplained　sentences　which；　if　their　translation　is　not　faulty；　speak　of　mand　and　blood。　So；〃　she　said　wryly；　〃my　failure　to　unlock　Amok　is　not　altogether　surprising。〃
　This　brought　her　back　to　a　contemplation　of　her　ignorance；　and　she　lapsed　into　silence。　Covenant　tried　to　think　of　a　way　to　help　her。　But　the　effort　was　like　trying　to　see　through　a　wall　of　stone；　he　had　even　less　of　the　requisite　knowledge。　If　he　intended　to　keep　his　side　of　the　bargain；　he　would　have　to　do　so　in　some　other　way。
　He　believed　intuitively　that　his　chance　would　e。
　In　the　meantime；　he　settled　himself　to　wait　for　Amok　to　bring　them　to　the　mountain。
　Their　final　approach　came　sooner　than　he　had　expected。　Amok　took　them　down　a　long　col　between　two　blunt　peaks；　then　into　a　crooked　ravine　that　continued　to　descend　while　it　shifted　toward　the　east。　By　noon　they　had　lost　more　than　two　thousand　feet　of　elevation。　There　the　ravine　ended；　leaving　them　on　a　wide；　flat；　barren　plateau　which　clung　to　the　slopes　of　the　great　mountain。　The　plateau　ran　east　and　south　as　far　as　Covenant　could　see　around　Melenkurion　Skyweir。　The　flat　ground　looked　like　a　setting；　a　base　for　the　fifteen　or　twenty　thousand　feet　of　its　matched　spires。　And　east　of　the　plateau　were　no　mountains　at　all。
　The　Ranyhyn　were　eager　for　a　run　after　long　days　of　constricted　climbing；　and　they　cantered　out　onto　the　flat　rock。　With　surprising　fleetness；　Amok　kept　ahead　of　them。　He　laughed　as　he　ran；　and　even　increased　his　pace。　The　Ranyhyn　stretched　into　full　stride；　began　to　gallop　in　earnest；　leaving　Covenant's　mustang　behind。　But　still　Amok's　prancing　step　outran　them。　Gaily；　he　led　the　riders　east　and　then　south　down　the　center　of　the　plateau。
　Covenant　followed　at　a　more　leisurely　gait。　Soon　he　was　passing　along　the　face　of　the　first　peak。　The　plateau　here　was　several　hundred　yards　wide；　and　it　extended　southward　until　it　curved　west　out　of　sight　beyond　the　base　of　the　second　peak。　The　spires　joined　each　other　a　few　thousand　feet　above　the　plateau；　but　the　line　of　juncture　between　them　remained　clear；　as　if
　the　two　sides　differed　in　texture。　At　the　place　where　this　line　touched　the　plateau；　a　cleft　appeared　in　the　flat　rock。　This　crevice　ran　straight　across　the　plateau　to　its　eastern　edge。
　Ahead　of　Covenant；　the　Ranyhyn　had　ended　their　gallop　near　the　rim　of　the　crevice。　Now　Elena　trotted　down　its　length　toward　the　outer　edge　of　the　plateau。　Covenant　swung　his　mustang　in　that　direction；　and　joined　her　there。
　Together；　they　dismounted；　and　he　lay　down　on　his　stomach　to　peer　over　the　precipice。　Four　thousand　feet　below　the　sheer　cliff；　a　dark；　knotted　forest　spread　out　as　far　as　he　could　see。　The　woods　brooded　over　its　rumpled　terrain…a　thick…grown　old　blanket　of　trees　which　draped　the　foot　of　the　Westron　Mountains　as　if　to　conceal；　provide　the　solace　of　privacy　for；　a　rigid　and　immediate　anguish。　And　northeastward　across　this　covered　expanse　ran　the　red…black　line　of　the　river　which　spewed　from　the　base　of　the　cleft。　Inaudible　in　the　distance；　it　came　moiling　out　of　the　rock　and　slashed　away　through　the　heart　of　the　forest。　The　river　looked　like　a　weal　in　the　woods；　a　cut　across　the　glowering　green　countenance。　This　scar　gave　the　hurt；　rigid　face　an　expression　of　ferocity；　as　if　it　dreamed　of　rending　limb　from　limb　the　enemy　which　had　scored　it。
　Elena　explained　the　view　to　Covenant。　〃That　is　the　Black　River；〃　she　said　reverently。　She　was　the　first　new　Lord　ever　to　see　this　sight。　〃From　this　place；　it　flows　a　hundred　fifty　leagues　and　more　to　join　the　Mithil　on　its　way　toward　Andelain。　Its　spring　is　said　to　lie　deep　under　Melenkurion　Skyweir。　We　stand　on　Rivenrock；　the　eastern　porch　or　portal　of　the　great　mountain。　And　below　us　is　Garroting　Deep；　the　last　forest　in　the　Land　where　a　Forestal　still　walks　where　the　maimed　consciousness　of　the　One　Forest　still　holds　munion　with　itself。〃　For　a　moment；　she　breathed　the　brisk　air。　Then　she　added；　〃Beloved；　I　believe　that　we　are　not　far　from　the　Seventh　Ward。〃
　Pushing　himself　back　from　the　edge；　he　climbed　unsteadily　to　his　feet。　The　breeze　seemed　to　carry　vertigo　up　at　him　from　the　precipice。　He　waited　until　he　was　several　strides　from　the　edge　before　he　replied；　〃I　hope
　so。　For　all　we　know；　that　war　could　be　over　by　now。　If　Troy's　plans　didn't　work；　Foul　might　be　halfway　to　Revelstone。〃
　〃Yes。　I；　too；　have　felt　that　fear。　But　my　belief　remains　that　the　Land's　future　will　not　be　won　in　war。　And　that　battle　is　not　in　our　hands。　We　have　other　work。〃
　Covenant　studied　the　distance　of　her　eyes；　measuring　the　risk　of　offending　her；　then　said；　〃Has　it　occurred　to　you　that　you　might　not　be　able　to　unlock　Amok？〃
　〃Of　course；〃　she　returned　sharply。　〃I　am　not　blind。〃
　〃Then　what　will　you　do；　if　he　doesn't　talk？〃
　〃I　hold　the　Staff　of　Law。　It　is　a　potent　key。　When　Amok　has　guided　us　to　the　Seventh　Ward；　I　will　not　be　helpless。〃
　Covenant　looked　away　with　a　sour　expression　on　his　face。　He　did　not　believe　that　it　would　be　that　easy。
　At　Elena's　side；　he　walked　back　along　the　crevice　toward　the　two　Bloodguard　and　Amok。　The　afternoon　was　not　far　gone；　but　already　Melenkurion　Skyweir's　shadow　stretched　across　Rivenrock。　The　shadow　thickened　the　natural　gloom　of　the　cleft；　so　that　it　lay　like　a　fault　of　darkness　across　the　plateau。　At　its　widest；　it　was　no　more　than　twenty　feet　broad；　but　it　seemed　immeasurably　deep；　as　if　it　went　straight　down　to　the　buried　roots　of　the　mountain。　On　an　impulse；　Covenant　tossed　a　small　rock　into　the　cleft。　It　bounced　from　wall　to　wall　on　its　way　down；　he　counted　twentytwo　heartbeats　before　it　fell　beyond　hearing。　Instinctively；　he　kept　himself　a　safe　distance　from　the　crevice　as　he　went　on　toward　Bannor　and　Morin。
　The　two　Bloodguard　had　unpacked　the　food；　and　Covenant　and　Elena　made　a　light　meal　for　themselves。　Covenant　ate　slowly；　as　if　he　were　trying　to　postpone　the　next　phase　of　the　quest。　He　foresaw　only　three　alternatives…up　the　mountain；　down　the　crevice；　across　the　cleft…and　they　all　looked　bad　to　him。　He　did　not　want　to　do　any　kind　of　climbing　or　jumping；　the　simple　proximity　of　precipices　made　him　nervous。　But　when　he　saw　that　the　High　Lord　was　waiting　for　him；　he　recollected　the　terms　of　his　bargain。　He　finished　what　he
　was　eating；　and　tried　to　brace　himself　for　whatever　Amok　had　in　mind。
　Gripping　the　Staff　of　Law　firmly；　Elena　turned　to　her　guide。　〃Amok；　we　are　ready。　What　should　be　done　with　the　Ranyhyn？　Will　you　have　us　ride　or