fs.thesecondbookofswords-第47节

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ce　was　announcing　itself。　Just　as　light　had　spread　throughout　the　cave　upon　Hermes'　entrance；　so　now　it　was　with　shade。　The　wizard　Mitspieler；　sensing　the　new　presence；　raised　his　head；　and　the　beam　from　his　headlamp　was　engulfed　and　blotted　out　by　the　intensity　of　shadow　gathering　inside　the　unguarded　door。
　　　Mark；　still　on　his　feet；　could　see　the　dim　form　of　the　newer；　roughly　human；　standing　within　the　pall　of　blackness。　The　voice　issuing　from　the　shadowed　manlike　face　was　strangely　reverberant；　it　seemed　to　swell　up　out　of　the　rocks；　out　of　the　earth　itself。
　　　〃The　underworld　is　my　domain。　What　are　you　doing　here；　Hermes　Messenger？　What　is　there　in　my　world　that　you　seek　to　change？〃
　　　Hermes　Messenger　did　not　appear　to　be　disturbed。　〃I　am　collecting　Swords　…　as　you　ought　to　realize；　Hades。　I　am　going　about　the　business　of　the　gods。〃
　　　〃What　gods？〃
　　　〃Why；　all　of　us。　You　too。　All　of　us　who　know　what's　going　on；　at　least。　I　only　carry　out　the　gods'　collective　will。〃
　　　〃Hah！〃　The　sound　was　more　like　a　stony　impact　than　a　syllable　of　speech。　〃Since　when　have　all　of　us　agreed　to　that　extent　on　anything？　Say　rather　that　you　are　determined　to　cheat　in　the　game。　That's　how　I　interpret　your　behavior。〃
　　　Hermes　stood　up　very　tall。　It　seemed　to　Mark　that　the　ceiling　of　the　cave　must　be　bending　a　little　to　make　room　for　his　head。　〃The　game　has　been　suspended。　At　least　for　the　time　being。　There　are　certain　dangers　in　it　that　at　first　were　not　fully　appreciated：〃
　　　〃Oh；　has　it；　indeed？　By　whose　decision？〃
　　　Now　both　gods；　as　if　by　mon　agreement；　were　starting　to　move　toward　the　low　cave　exit；　as　if　their　argument　would　be　better　carried　out　elsewhere。　Hades　was　already　stooping　his　tall　figure　to　go　out。
　　　But　Hermes　paused；　arrested　by　the　sight　of　Doon　still　moaning　at　his　feet。　He　prodded　the　helpless　form　with　the　end　of　his　great　staff。
　　　〃Well；　man；　what　treatment　shall　I　give　your　pride　before　I　go？　Perhaps　I'll　give　you　a　loadbeast's　head　to　wear　from　now　on。　What　say　you　to　that　idea？　Hey？　Answer　me！〃
　　　Hades　at　the　doorway　was　bored　by　this　distraction；　and　stood　waiting　for　it　to　be　over。
　　　〃No…no；　don't。　Spare　me。。。　please。〃　Doon's　voice　was　almost　inaudible；　and　almost　unrecognizable；　too。
　　　Hades　in　his　impatience　grumbled　something；　in　a　bass　voice　pitched　too　low　for　Mark　to　understand。　Hermes　on　hearing　it　forgot　his　human　toy；　and　both　gods　went　on　out　of　the　cave。　Just　as　they　emerged　into　the　corridor　outside；　Mark　heard　the　sound　of　the　demon　out　there　again。　Hades　spoke　again；　and　then　did　something；　and　Dactylartha　fled；　yapping　and　bounding　like　a　kicked　cur。
　　　And　with　that　the　gods　were　gone。　Inside　the　cave　the　humans　were　stirring；　shakily；　as　if　each　and　all　of　them　were　trying　to　recover　from　an　illness。
　　　Even　as　others　were　getting　to　their　feet；　Mark　sat　down；　his　knees　suddenly　shakier　than　before。　Why；　he　realized；　I　have　just　looked　upon　the　face　of　Pluto　himself。。。　and　here　I　am。　Mitspieler；　or　Indosuaros；　one　of　them；　told　us　once　that　no　man　can　do　that　and　live。　And　here　I　am。。。　Mechanically　he　picked　up　his　quiver　and　slung　it　on　his　back。　He　picked　up　his　bow　What　was　he　going　to　do　with　it　now？
　　　When　Doon　sat　up；　the　first　thing　he　did　was　to　look　around　him　suspiciously；　to　see　who　might　have　been　a　witness　to　his　weakness。　Mark　noticed　this　vaguely　but　his　own　thoughts　were　elsewhere。　Dmitry　had　emerged　from　hiding；　and　was　calling　out　all　demons　and　gods　to　witness　that　Daghur　was　dead。
　　　〃Look　at　that；　a　rock　got　him；　it　looks　like。　Who　uses　a　sling？〃　All　Mark　could　see　of　Daghur　was　a　limp　arm　as　Dmitry　raised　it。
　　　Ben　was　calling　out　too；　calling　for　help；　from　where　he　stood　bending　over　Ariane。　Mark　rushed　to　them。　The　girl　was　sitting　up；　but　blood　from　a　head　injury　was　streaking　down　one　side　of　her；　face。　Either　a　stone　from　the　other　side　had　hit　her；　or　she　had　fallen　during　the　scrambling　in　the　dark。
　　　And　now　Mitspieler　was　on　his　feet。　He　pointed；　with　a　shaking　arm；　to　where　the　doorway　of　the　cave　yawned　unprotected。　〃The　demon！〃　he　choked　out　the　words。　〃。。。　is　stunned。　Run！　Run　for　it　now！〃
　　　Ben　scooped　up　Ariane；　disdaining　any　help　from　Mark。　With　Mark　running　as　a　rear　guard；　the　big　man　hurried　out　of　the　cave。　He　moved　quickly　but　the　others　were　already　gone　ahead　of　him。　Outside；　they　could　see　headlamps　bobbing　on　the　downward　path。　Doon's　Sword　might　have　been　taken　from　him；　but　his　determination　was　not　yet　dead。　And　if　he　had　had　any　thought　of　running　back　instead　toward　the　upper　levels　of　the　cave；　it　had　probably　been　squelched　by　the　sound　of　human　yells　that　now　came　drifting　down　from　that　direction。　The　alarms　were　louder　and　closer　than　before。
　　　The　demon　had　retreated　or　fallen　into　the　chasm　of　the　ravine。　Mark　could　see　multicolored　lights　flash　up　from　those　dark　depths；　and　could　feel　the　waves　of　hatred；　as　distinct　as　spoken　curses。
　　　Doon　was　running　in　the　lead；　gaining　with　every　stride。　After　him　came　Mitspieler；　who　looked　back　to　find　his　son；　then　increased　his　pace　again　as　both　Dmitry　and　Willem　rushed　past　him　at　top　speed。　Radulescu；　who　supposedly　knew　better　than　anyone　else　the　best　place　to　seek　safety；　was　running　in　the　same　direction。　Ben　with　Ariane　in　his　arms　pounded　in　the　same　direction　with　surprising　fleetness；　Mark　keeping　right　behind　them。
　　　They　passed　the　curve　of　the　path　where　the　demon　had　first　sent　them　dashing　back。　Mark　had　a　quick　look　at　the　body　of　the　first　warbeast　to　die。　It　was　draped　limply　over　the　low　wall　beside　the　path；　dropped　there　like　a　chewed　fruit…rind；　shrunken；　still　steaming　or　smoking。
　　　Just　as　animals　that　were　natural　enemies　might　flee　together　from　some　disaster；　so　did　the　humans　overtake　and　pass　each　other　on　the　path；　taking　no　more　notice　than　did　strangers　in　a　crowded　city。
　　　Ariane　had　partially　regained　consciousness；　and　was　struggling　to　get　Ben　to　put　her　down。
　　　And　now　the　demon　had　recovered；　from　whatever　the　gods　had　done　to　it　in　passing。　The　lights　of　it　again　spun　and　flickered　in　the　air；　the　noise　and　sickness　of　it　came　trampling；　hurtling　in　pursuit。
　　　Mitspieler；　now　fallen　to　last　place　among　the　racing　humans；　unable　to　run　faster；　was　now　unable　to　run　any　more　at　all。　He　turned　and　struck　with　desperate　magic　against　the　flying　thing。　Mark；　looking　back　with　some　remnant　of　a　wish　to　help　the　man；　saw　bolts　of　fire　shoot　from　the　wizard's　fingertips；　to　splash　into　the　light　that　roiled　in　midair　and　represented　Dactylartha。　And　then　Mark　saw　the　stronger　fire　strike　back；　along　the　pathway　of　the　first；　and　he　saw　what　happened　to　Mitspieler　when　it　engulfed　him。
　　　The　demon　now　flashed　throught　the　air；　easily　overtaking　and　passing　Mark　and　Ben；　and　Ariane；　who　now　moved　on　her　own　feet　supported　between　them。　It　was　obviously　trying　to　cut　off　the　leaders　of　the　human　rout；　who　now　fled　down　the　last　section　of　the　path　toward　a　dark　doorway。　It　failed。　The　last　man　of　the　advanced　group　vanished　into　that　portal　just　before　it　got　there。
　　　Balked；　it　turned　back。　Three　living　victims　yet　remained　to　it。
　　　It　spewed　its　sickness　at　them。　Blue　immaterial　flames　burst　around　Ben；　and　he　fell；　choking　and　gasping。　Mark　felt　the　pain。。。
　　　Ariane　pushed　herself　erect　against　the　wall　of　rock　beside　the　path；　and　faced　the　thing　directly。　Her　girlish　voice　rang　out；　in　what　must　have　been　the　charm　learned　in　her　childhood：
　　　〃In　the　Emperor's　name；　forsake　this　game；　and　let　us　pass！〃
　　　There　was　a　burbling　and　a　shrieking　in　the　air。　Dactylartha's　substance　boiled　and　spurted。　It　struck　at　the　three　humans　but　it　could　no　longer　reach　them。　A　wall　as　of　glass；　invulnerable　and　invisible；　was　outlined　along　the　path；　imaged　in　midair　by　the　demon's　fire　that　splashed　against　it　harmlessly。　The　pathway；　just　to　one　side；　was　clear。
　　　The　flames　had　disappeared　from　Ben's　body；　leaving　no　signs　of　physical　damage。　Mark　with　an　effort　got　the　big　man　back　on　his　feet　and　shoved　him　forward。　Then　Mark　took　Ariane　by　the　arm　and　pulled　her　along；　he　realized　that　he　was　in　better　shape　than　either　of　the　others；　but　at　the　same　time　he　knew　he　was　half…dazed　himself。
　　　Supporting　themselves　and　each　other　as　best　they　could；　the　three　of　them　limped　and　hobbled　forward；　passing　shielded　just　under　the　storm　of　the　demon's　wrath。　It　deafened　and　blinded　but　could　not　touch　them。　Now　the　dark　doorway　was　close　ahead；　and　now　they　were　entering　it；　and　now；　with　a　shock　of　sudden　silence；　the　domain　of　the　demon　had　been　left　behind。
　　　They　stood　in　a　quiet　place；　of　stone　and　friendly　darkness；　a　little　light　was　ing　from　somewhere　ahead　of　them　and　below。
　　　〃This　looks　like　a　drainpipe；〃　Ben　muttered　dazedly。　〃Or　a　sewer。〃
　　　Maybe　it　did；　thought　Mark。　But　it　was　a　passage　to　where　they　wanted　to　go；　and　even　reasonably　clean。　As　they　moved　forward　and　the　descent　steepened；　there　were　steps　and　grips　to　use。
　　　Ben　was　starting　to　e　out　of　his　confusion。　〃What　happened　back　there？〃　was　the　next　thing　he　asked。　〃I　thought　it　had　us　for　a　moment。　Did　Mitspieler　fight　it　off