fs.thesecondbookofswords-第40节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　　〃I　went　around；　invisible。。。　tried　to　wake　up　everybody。。。　thought　if　we　got　the　whole　garrison。。。　escape　in　the　confusion。〃　He　glared　at　Ben　as　if　he　thought　Ben　were　to　blame　for　the　scheme's　failure。　〃Then　I　lost　invisibility。〃
　　　〃You　tried　your　best。〃
　　　Part　of　the　wizard's　reply　was　lost　in　the　ambient　noise。　〃。。。　tried　m'best。　Tried　hard；　for　a　hundred　years　and　more。　And　there　he　is。　There　he　stands。　So　why　bother？　Never　bee　a　father；　lad。　Never　bee　a　parent。　It's　a　great。。。　a　great　sorcery；　that's　what。　Turns　your　whole　life　inside　out。〃
　　　Mark；　who　had　managed　to　get　near　the　leaders　at　the　other　end　of　the　head　table；　now　came　working　his　way　along　to　Ben；　ing　close　enough　to　municate　through　the　uproar。　〃We're　not　yet　disarmed。　Doon　says　to　bide　our　time；　wait　for　his　signal。〃
　　　〃To　do　what？〃
　　　〃That's　all　he　had　a　chance　to　say。　I'm　going　back；　and　stay　near　him　for　a　little；　if　I　can：〃
　　　〃And　I'm　going　to　Ariane。〃　Ben　pushed　himself　away　from　the　dais；　into　the　press。
　　　The　Amazons　by　now　were　widely　dispersed　among　the　general　population。　They　were　heavily　outnumbered；　but　even　so　there　was　not　really　that　much　direct　petition　for　their　favor。　In　truth　most　of　the　male　garrison　seemed　more　interested　in　drinking；　falling　down；　and　bellowing　about　their　prowess　sexual　and　otherwise；　than　they　did　in　actually　ing　to　grips　with　the　women。　Great　bragging　songs　were　going　up　toward　the　invisible　ceiling；　but　some　of　the　singers　were　already　flat　on　their　backs。
　　　Between　the　dais　and　the　place　where　Ben　had　last　glimpsed　Ariane；　the　floor　was　even　thicker　than　before　with　bodies。　Mitspieler's　tactic　might　be　working；　or　at　least　it　might　help　when　Doon　moved　to　implement　his　own　plan；　whatever　that　might　prove　to　be。　Of　course　Doon　himself　might　have　a　hard　time　getting　away　from　the　head　table　without　rousing　suspicion。　In　that　regard；　one　urgency　was　always　possible　to　plead　when　a　drinking　bout　was　on　…　there；　a　few　meters　past　the　partitions；　away　from　the　center　of　revelry；　floor　stones　had　been　taken　up　to　improvise　a　cesspit；　soldiers　standing　round　it　in　a　ring　and　others　waiting　for　their　turn。
　　　A　drink　was　thrust　into　Ben's　hand；　and　to　be　a　good　fellow　he　sampled　it　before　moving　on。　The　taste　was　horrible；　whatever　it　was　supposed　to　be；　but　the　potency　was　certainly　above　reproach。
　　　Ariane　was　not　really　hard　to　locate。　It　seemed　she　had　a　persistent　suitor；　a　garrison　man　who　was　not　to　be　discouraged　by　smiling　appeal；　either　from　her　or　from　Ben；　and　who　went　for　his　dagger　when　Ben　put　a　hand　on　his　arm　a　second　time。　Ben　twisted　the　arm　enough　to　hold　the　fellow　still；　then　clubbed　him　on　the　temple　with　a　fist。　Distastefully　he　lowered　the　limp　body　into　a　sticky　mess　below　a　bench；　Ben　disliked　fighting　all　the　more　when　it　had　a　personal　basis。
　　　〃I've　lost　my　pack；〃　Ariane　told　him　distractedly；　shouting　so　that　he　could　hear。
　　　〃That's　all　right。　Never　mind。　We're　going　to　try　to　get　out　soon。　Doon　will　give　us　a　signal。〃　And　somehow　she　was　sheltering　in　the　curve　of　his　arm；　though　normally　she　was　a　centimeter　or　two　taller　than　he　was。
　　　Now　she　was　shouting　something　else　at　him。　〃I'll　knife　the　next　one；　if　he　won't　listen。〃
　　　〃Not　yet。　Hold　back。　Start　no　blood…fights　in　here；　if　you　can　help　it。　I'll　stay　with　you。　Better　yet；　you　e　with　me。〃
　　　With　Ariane　still　muffled　part　of　the　time　in　Ben's　protective　grip；　they　struggled　back　to　a　place　close　to　the　head　table。　The　floor　just　below　the　dais　was　newly　awash　with　booze；　maybe；　quite　likely　in　fact；　at　least　one　more　barrel　had　been　dropped　and　broken。　One　at　least　must　have　been　mead。　And　it　was　like　walking　in　glue。　If　they　ever　did　succeed　in　getting　away；　thought　Ben；　it　would　be　impossible　for　anyone　to　lose　their　trail。　If　there　was　anyone　in　shape　to　try　to　follow　it。。。
　　　The　leaders　were　sitting　pretty　much　as　before。　Doon　looked　up　haggardly；　but　his　glance　at　Ben　conveyed　nothing　of　import。　At　the　Baron's　side；　d'Albarno　was　at　the　moment　boasting　loudly　about　his　capacity　for　drink；　and　how　he　was　today　going　to　demonstrate　it　as　never　before。　In　mid…sentence　he　lost　first　his　train　of　thought　and　then　his　consciousness；　few　around　him　paid　much　attention　as　he　released　his　grip　upon　his　destiny；　and　slid　already　snoring　to　join　a　cadre　of　old　rades　who　were　already　nested　beneath　the　table。　Ben；　Mark；　and　Ariane　quickly　gathered　around　Doon；　who　passed　the　word　succinctly：　〃Leave　here；　but　separately。　We'll　meet　two　hundred　strides　away；　in　this　direction。〃　And　inside　the　cupped　fingers　of　one　hand；　held　close　against　the　table's　edge；　the　Baron　pointed　with　one　finger　of　the　other；　indicating　a　direction　that　Ben　assumed　he　had　somehow　managed　to　determine　with　the　Sword。
　　　The　small　group　split　up　immediately。　Doon　himself　worked　his　way　along　the　table　to　speak　to　Mitspieler。　The　others　pushed　themselves　away　in　various　directions　through　the　crush。　Ben　parted　from　Ariane　with　a　fierce　hand…squeeze；　and　from　Mark　with　an　expressive　look。
　　　Ben　worked　his　way　through　a　gradually　thinning　crowd　out　to　the　cesspit。　From　thence　he　moved　on　a　curve　that　took　him　gradually　farther　from　the　celebration。　Stumbling　as　if　with　drink；　he　lurched　along　from　one　barracks…bed　to　another。　A　few　of　these　were　tenanted　by　collapsed　celebrants；　the　others　empty。
　　　He　paused　now　and　then　to　try　to　see　if　anyone　was　watching　him。　As　far　as　he　could　tell；　nobody　was。　He　continued　moving　in　his　erratic　curve；　aiming　to　reach　the　rendezvous　point　from　a　direction　at　right　angles　to　the　party。　After　a　while　he　dropped　to　all　fours。　He　was　far　from　being　the　only　one　in　that　condition；　and　he　hoped　to　progress　even　less　conspicuously　in　that　mode。
　　　Now　all　the　couches　that　he　passed　were　empty；　and　still　more　garrison　troops　came　streaming　and　straggling　in　from　the　outer　reaches　of　the　cave　toward　the　uproar　near　the　center。　Of　course　the　noise　alone；　he　thought；　ought　to　be　enough　to　wake　anyone　within　a　kilometer；　be　they　asleep；　dead；　or　enchanted。　No　one　paid　Ben　any　attention；　and　he　crawled　on。
　　　He　was　beginning　to　wonder　if　he　might　have　misjudged　the　distance；　or　the　direction　of　Doon's　pointing　finger；　when　he　came　upon　Mark　and　Ariane；　sitting　huddled　under　an　empty　barracks…bed。　From　underneath　the　next　bed　the　bearded　head　of　Doon　protruded　fiercely；　and　the　Baron　motioned　Ben　to　take　shelter　also　and　lie　low。
　　　He　did　so　and　waited。　Presently　Mitspieler　came　into　view；　not　crawling　but　stumbling　along　in　a　way　that　gave　an　even　more　convincing　portrait　of　defeat。　Approaching　together；　some　meters　behind　Mitspieler；　were　Dmitry；　Willem；　and　Daghur。　The　wizard　of　course　had　not　been　able　to　leave　without　telling　his　son。　The　son　and　his　two　friends　were　proceeding　with　exaggerated　gestures　of　caution；　preserving　a　silence　that　now　and　then　erupted　with　half…smothered　drunken　giggles。
　　　Doon's　face；　as　he　emerged　from　his　hiding　place　to　survey　them；　was　a　study。　But；　Ben　realized；　there　was　not　much　that　the　Baron　could　do。　He　was　still　determined　on　going　on　…　he　would　not　have　e　this　far　without　a　truly　fanatical　determination　…　and　he　had　to　have　the　wizard；　some　kind　of　wizard；　with　him　on　the　next　level　down　when　it　would　be　necessary　to　confront　at　least　one　demon。　And　Ben　was　ready　to　go　on。　Now；　when　he　was　directly　faced　with　the　prospect　of　unending　slavery　in　the　garrison；　he　himself　could　not　find　any　distant　and　still　unseen　demon　all　that　terrifying。　He　was　not　only　ready；　he　was　eager。
　　　Almost　no　words　were　exchanged。　The　reunited　party　slunk　off　in　the　direction　indicated　by　Doon；　moving　directly　away　from　the　noise　and　the　crowd；　and　into　regions　empty　of　waking　people。　Some　of　the　party　had　lost　their　packs　during　their　captivity　…　Mitspieler；　Ben　noted；　had　somehow　retained　his　…　but　all　were　still　armed。　And　all　had　their　headlamps；　though　Doon　ordered　that　they　not　be　used　for　the　present。
　　　Little　by　little；　as　the　scene　of　celebration　fell　farther　behind　them；　they　stood　up　straighter　in　their　march；　and　became　more　an　advancing　group；　less　a　collection　of　individuals　sneaking　along　in　the　same　direction。　Still　there　was　little　said　among　them。
　　　Presently　Doon　paused；　evidently　intending　to　have　out　his　difficulties　with　Mitspieler；　but　the　wizard　urged　him　on。
　　　〃Not　here；　not　now。　I　know　what　you　want　to　say；　and　I　am　sorry　for　it。　But　we　must　reach　the　next　level　before　we　can　pause　to　talk　or　argue。　And　then　I　must　rest；　before　we　can　go　on。〃
　　　Doon；　after　a　brief　silent　struggle　with　himself；　had　to　agree。　The　small　procession　went　on　quietly。　Even　Dmitry　and　his　friends　were　quiet；　for　the　time　being。　Perhaps；　thought　Ben；　they　were　all　sick　with　drink。
　　　Now　Ben　became　aware　that　the　cave　was　narrowing　in　around　them　as　they　progressed。　The　change　was　gradual　at　first；　then　swift。　Doon　continued　to　forbid　the　use　of　headlamps；　but　still　it　became　possible　to　see　that　they　were　headed　straight　toward　a　wall；　a　wall　formed　not　far　ahead　by　the　ceiling　of　the　cave　ing　down　in　a　great　curve。　Now　the　side　walls　closed　in　even　more　drastically；　and　at　the　same　time　t