tw.togreenangeltower2-第135节

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without　light。
　　　　　　　The　cat　padded　silently　ahead；　turning　at　intervals　to　rub　against　him　before　moving　on；　leading　him　slowly　through　the　twisting　tunnels。　He　had　long　since　given　his　safety　over　into　the　animal's　care。　There　was　nothing　else　to　do；　and　no　use　worrying　about　it。
　　　　　　　Something　was　happening　around　him；　although　he　could　not　tell　exactly　what　that　something　was。　The　ghostly　presences　and　strange　distortions　were　even　stronger　than　before；　and　seemed　to　e　now　as　regularly　as　waves　dashing　themselves　upon　a　beach；　sweeping　all　before　them；　then　ebbing　away　again。　He　hardened　himself　to　the　sensations　as　he　had　hardened　himself　to　his　own　aches。
Simon　felt　his　way　along　the　black　corridors；　Bright…Nail　scraping　the　walls　like　a　beetle's　feeler；　his　fingers　trailing　through　dust　and　dank　moss　and　cobwebs　and　other　things　less　pleasant。　He　could　do　nothing　but　what　he　was　doing。　He　had　faced　the　ice…dragon　and　shouted　his　name　at　it；　had　wandered　the　emptiness　beyond　dreams　and　clung　to　himself。　He　could　not　turn　back　from　the　task　that　was　before　him；　and　he　would　not。
Bright…Nail　seemed　to　change　along　with　his　lightless　surroundings。　One　moment　it　was　a　simple　blade　slapping　against　his　hip；　then　a　moment　later　it　seemed　to　throb　in　time　with　the　convulsions　of　the　castle　depths；　being　for　a　moment　a　living　thing；　at　those　times；　it　was　hard　to　tell　whether　one　of　them　was　master；　or　whether　Simon　and　the　sword　were；　as　he　and　the　cat　were；　two　creatures　traveling　the　darkness　together　in　strange　partnership。
　　　　　　　At　such　times；　he　could　begin　to　hear　its　call　in　his　thoughts；　it　was　a　faint　presence；　only　a　hint　of　the　song　that　Guthwutf　had　seemed　to　hear；　but　it　was　growing　steadily　stronger。　For　brief　moments　he　could　almost　understand　it；　as　though　it　spoke　to　him　in　a　language　he　had　forgotten　long　ago；　but　which　was　slowly　surfacing　from　the　place　in　his　memory　where　it　had　been　buried。　But　Simon　did　not　think　he　wanted　to　understand　what　the　blade　sang。　Perhaps　if　he　wandered　long　enough；　he　thought；　he　would　indeed　bee　like　Guthwulf；　and　hear　almost　nothing　but　the　sword's　pelling　music。
　　　　　　　He　hoped　he　would　not　be…in　darkness　that　long。　
　　　　　　　There　came　a　time　when　the　cat　stopped　and　did　not　go　on。　It　wreathed　itself　around　his　shins　as　though　it　wished　to　be　stroked；　when　he　bent　to　touch　it；　it　pushed　at　his　fingers　with　its　muzzle；　but　did　not　continue　on　its　way。　He　waited；　finally　wondering　if　he　had　not　put　far　too　much　trust　in　a　mere　beast。
　　　　　　　〃Where　next？〃　he　said。　His　voice　scarcely　echoed：　they　were　still　in　one　of　the　narrower　passages。　〃Go　on；　now。　I'm　waiting。〃
　　　　　　　The　cat　rubbed　against　him；　purring。　After　a　few　moments；　Simon　put　his　hands　out　and　began　searching　carefully　along　the　walls；　looking　for　something…perhaps　a　doorway　of　some　kind　that　did　not　reach　the　floor…which　might　have　stopped　their　progress。　Instead；　on　a　shelf　of　rock　set　into　the　wall；　nearly　head　high；　he　found　a　plate　and　a　covered　bowl。
　　　　　　　I've　been　here　before；　he　realized。　Unless　some　madman　is　leaving　food　all　across　the　tunnels。　But　if　so；　bless　him；　bless　him　anyway。
　　　　　　　Simon　said　a　prayer　of　thanks　as　he　took　the　bread　and　dried　meat　and　small　wedge　of　cheese　from　the　plate；　then　sat　down　and　ate　enough　of　each　to　feel　happier　and　more　prosperous　than　he　had　in　a　long　while。　He　drank　half　the　bowl　of　water；　then　after　a　moment's　consideration；　finished　it　off。　He　regretted　the　lack　of　a　water　skin；　but　if　he　had　to　carry　the　water　without　one；　it　might　as　welt　be　inside　him。
The　cat　was　at　him　again；　butting　and　purring。　Simon　broke　off　a　sizable　piece　of　the　jerked　meat　to　share　with　his　guide…the　cat　took　it　so　quickly　its　sharp　teeth　scraped　his　fingers…then　put　the　remainder　in　the　pocket　of　his　shirt。　He　stood。
　　　　　　　P　'raps　he　won't　want　to　lead　me　anymore；　he　thought。　This　may　have　been　all　the　little　creature　wanted。
But　the　cat；　as　though　some　ritual　had　been　successfully　observed；　slithered　in　and　out　between　his　ankles　for　a　few　moments；　then　started　off　again。　Simon　bent　and　felt　first　its　head；　then　its　back；　then　its　tail　pass　beneath　his　fingers。　He　smiled　an　invisible　smile　and　followed　it。
　　　　　　　It　was　so　faint　at　first　as　to　be　almost　unnoticeable；　but　gradually　Simon　realized　that　the　walls　around　him　were　slowly　being　visible。　The　light　was　so　dim　that　for　hundreds　of　paces　he　thought　it　was　only　his　eyes　playing　tricks　on　him；　but　eventually　he　realized　that　he　was　seeing　the　rough　surfaces　across　which　he　dragged　his　hands。　The　cat；　too；　had　bee　a　real　thing　instead　of　just　an　idea；　a　hint　of　movement　on　the　tunnel　floor　before　him。
　　　　　　　He　followed　the　shadow…cat　up　through　the　coiling　tunnels。　These　were　rougher　hewn　than　those　which　traversed　the　ruins　of　Asu'a；　and　he　felt　a　growing　certainty　that　he　was　back　in　the　mortal　castle　once　more。　As　he　turned　another　bend；　the　dim　netherlight　became　a　torch　in　a　wall　bracket　at　the　far　end　of　a　long　passageway。　
　　　　　　　Light！　Back　again！　He　fell　to　his　knees；　unmindful　for　a　moment　of　his　aching　limbs；　and　pressed　his　forehead　against　the　stone　floor。　He　stayed　there；　trembling。　Light！　He　was　in　the　world　again。
Thank　you；　Maegwin。　Bless　you。　Thank　you；　Guthwulf。　
　　　　　　　The　cat　was　a　gray　shape　against　the　gray　stone。　Something　else　tugged　at　his　memory。
I've　seen　that　cat　before…or　have　I？　The　Hayholt　was　full　of　cats。
　　　　　　　The　air　abruptly　contracted　and　the　walls　shivered　and　then　bowed　inward　as　though　to　trap　him。　An　image　passed　before　his　mind's　eye；　a　great　tree　shivering　in　storm　winds；　its　branches　torn　loose　and　spinning　away。　For　a　moment　Simon　felt　as　though　he　had　been　turned　inside…out。　Even　when　the　vision　had　gone　and　all　was　as　it　had　been；　he　remained　on　his　knees　for　long　moments；　panting。
His　four…footed　guide　stopped　and　looked　around　to　see　if　he　was　still　following；　then　continued　on；　as　though　the　strange　slippage　was　beneath　a　cat's　notice。　Simon　clambered　to　his　feet。
　　　　　　　The　creature　paused　in　an　archway。　Simon　saw　a　narrow　staircase　climbing　up　into　darkness。　The　cat　bumped　his　shin　but　did　not　move　on。
　　　　　　　〃Should　I　go　up　here？〃　he　whispered。　He　poked　his　head　into　the　entranceway。　High　above；　hidden　by　the　twisting　stairwell；　another　source　of　light　glowed　faintly。　
　　　　　　　He　stared　at　the　cat　for　a　moment。　The　cat　stared　back；　yellow　eyes　wide。
　　　　　　　〃Very　well；　then。〃　He　touched　Bright…Nail；　making　sure　the　hilt　was　not　tangled　in　the　rags　of　his　belt；　then　began　to　climb。　After　a　few　steps　he　turned　and　looked　back。　The　cat　still　sat　in　the　middle　of　the　tunnel　floor；　watching。　〃Aren't　you　ing？〃
　　　　　　　The　gray　cat　stood　and　slowly　sauntered　away　down　the　corridor。　Even　if　it　had　possessed　the　gift　of　speech；　it　could　not　more　clearly　have　told　him　that　from　this　point　he　was　on　his　own。
　　　　　　　Simon　smiled　grimly。
I　suppose　there's　no　cat　in　the　world　stupid　enough　to　go　where　I'm　going。
He　turned　and　made　his　way　up　the　shadowed　stairs。　The　stairwell　opened　at　last　into　a　broad　windowless　room　imperfectly　lit　by　an　open　hatch　door　in　the　ceiling。　As　he　stepped　out　from　behind　the　wooden　screen　that　hid　the　stairway；　he　realized　that　he　was　in　one　of　the　storage　rooms　below　the　refectory。　He　had　been　in　this　place　before　as　well；　on　the　momentous；　horrible　day　when　he　had　discovered　Prince　Josua　in　Pryrates'　prison　cell　。。。　but　that　time　the　storeroom　had　been　packed　to　the　ceilings　with　all　manner　of　food　and　other　goods。　Now　the　barrels　that　remained　lay　empty；　many　in　splinters。　Dusty　mantles　of　spiderweb　covered　the　remains；　and　the　few　spatters　of　flour　left　on　the　floor　were　crisscrossed　with　the　tracks　of　mice。　It　looked　as　though　no　one　had　entered　the　room　for　some　time。
Up　above　him；　he　knew；　stood　the　refectory；　and　the　hundreds　of　other　close…huddled　buildings　of　the　Inner　Bailey。　Looming　over　them　all　was　the　ivory　spike　of　Green　Angel　Tower。
As　he　thought　of　it；　he　felt　Bright…Nail's　song　grow　a　little　more　insistent。
。。。　go　there。。。。　It　was　a　whisper　at　the　farthest　edge　of　his　thoughts。
　　　　　　　Simon　found　and　replaced　the　hatchway　ladder；　which　had　toppled　to　the　floor；　then　began　to　climb。　It　creaked　ominously；　but　held。　Beneath　its　plaining　he　could　hear　a　faint　murmur；　as　though　the　hissing　voices　of　the　tunnels　were　following　him　up　from　the　dark。
The　only　illumination　in　the　refectory　hall　was　the　weak　and　unevenly　pulsing　gray　light　that　leaked　in　through　the　high　windows。　The　remaining　tables　and　benches　were　scattered；　some　smashed　to　flinders；　but　most　were　gone　entirely；　perhaps　taken　to　be　burned　as　firewood。　A　bleak　layer　of　dust　lay　everywhere；　even　on　those　things　which　had　suffered　a　violent　end；　as　though　the　destruction　had　happened　a　century　before。　A　pair　of　rats　scurried　across　one　of　the　broken　tables；　paying　Simon　no　heed。
The　murmuring　noise　he　had　heard　was　louder　here。　The　greatest　part　of　it　was　the　wind　moaning　outside　the　windows；　but　there　were　still　hints　of　voices　crying　out　in　pain　or　anger　or　fear。　Simon　looked　up　and　saw　tiny　flecks　of　snow　whirling　in　past　the　broken　shutters。　He　thought　he　could　feel　Bright…Nail　stir；　like　a　hunting　beast　catching　the　scent　of　blood。