fs.thefirstbookofswords-第55节

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　　　As　Eliade　discusses　in　his　fascinating　study　The　Forge　and　the　Crucible；　〃the　image；　the　symbol；　and　the　rite　anticipate　sometimes　even　make　possible　the　practical　applications　of　a　discovery。〃　Since　iron　fallen　from　the　sky　was　transcendent；　so　was　iron　mined　and　smelted　on　earth。　This　awe　soon　extended　to　every　aspect　of　metallurgy。
　　　But　iron's　occult　power　can　act　for　either　good　or　ill。　It　can　ward　off　demons；　spells；　poisons；　curses；　sickness；　or　bad　weather。　Faerie　folk　cannot　bear　the　touch　of　it　nor　enter　a　place　protected　by　it：　Cold　Iron　can　inhibit　magic。　However；　iron　is　also　the　symbol　of　war　and　the　agent　of　violence。　Many　primitive　cultures　…　especially　those　oppressed　by　better…armed　foes　…　fear　iron　and　all　who　work　in　it。　（The　Masai　purify　all　new　iron　objects　to　remove　the　taint　of　the　smith's　hand。）
　　　Thus；　to　some；　supernatural　smiths　may　be　wise；　civilizing　gods；　adept　at　song；　dance；　poetry；　and　healing。　（The　wondersmiths　of　the　Kalevala　excel　in　each　of　these　areas。）　But　to　others；　they　may　be　the　gods'　vicious　foes　…　dwarves；　giants；　demons；　or　Satan　himself。　（Norse　sagas　and　fairytales　abound　in　examples。）　Human　smiths　display　the　same　ambivalence。　As　Eliade　observes；　〃The　art　of　creating　tools　is　essentially　superhuman　…　either　divine　or　demoniac　（for　the　smith　also　forges　murderous　weapons）。〃　A　spiritual　aura　clings　to　the　act　of　making；　whether　homo　faber　be　godlike　or　devilish。
　　　The　smith；　like　the　shaman；　is　pre…eminently　a　master　of　fire。　Fire　was　primitive　Man's　earliest　instrument　for　controlling　the　cosmos。　As　the　initial　means　of　accelerating　natural　processes；　it　menced　the　conquest　of　time；　a　campaign　technology　has　continued　ever　since。　By　the　hand　or　through　the　spirit；　initiates　into　the　mysteries　of　fire　can　break　the　bonds　confining　other　beings　to　win　mastery　of　their　environment。
　　　Note　that　Vulcan's　first　act　in　the　opening　line　of　this　volume　is　to　grope　for　fire。　His　erupting　volcano　glows　on　the　game　board's　eastern　edge　like　a　signal　lamp。　The　smith　god　represents　the　power　to　shape　inorganic　matter　but　the　BeastLord　personifies　organic　matter's　potential　for　growth。　Unharmed　by　fire；　Draffut　can　quicken　Vulcan's　molten　lava　to　momentary　life。　Yet　Draffut's　confrontation　with　the　upstart　gods　is　only　one　episode　in　the　contest　that　begins；　proceeds；　and　will　end　via　Vulcan's　swords。
　　　The　gods　call　the　game　their　own；　but　is　it？　Their　pretentions　to　divinity　ring　hollow　yet　they　are　clearly　more　than　human。　Given　the　subtle　hint　in　the　Prologue　that　Vulcan　has　been　〃programmed〃　for　his　task；　are　they　perhaps　some　magical　equivalent　of　the　huge　robotic　god…figures　in　Berserker's　Planet？　They　could　be　automata　animated　by　quasimaterial　beings　such　as　djinni。
　　　Overshadowing　these　meddlesome；　amoral　gods　are　the　images　of　Ardneh　and　the　masked　figure　known　as　the　Dark　King。　The　Demon…Slayer　and　Hospitaller　has　bee　more　of　an　Apollo　than　an　Indra；　a　patron　of　humane　technology　opposed　to　Vulcan's　brutal　methods。　Unlike　Orcus；　the　Dark　King　is　suave　and　manlike　but　his　title　would　be　a　suitable　alias　for　Hell's　overlord。　（By　an　irony　of　history；　their　mon　antagonist　Ominor　has　been　transformed　from　a　mirthless；　plodding　tyrant　to　a　legendary　buffoon。）　But　why　are　they　here　at　all；　since　god　and　demon　presumably　destroyed　each　other　in　Empire？　（The　question　puzzles　theologically　aware　Sir　Andrew。）　Did　the　quasimaterial　beings　prove　immortal　after　all？　Or　are　these　identities；　like　the　names　of　the　gods；　idiosyncratic　choices　of　the　games　ultimate　players？
　　　Revelation　of　these　and　other　enigmas　must　await　publication　of　the　second　and　third　volumes　of　The　Book　of　Swords。　But　a　few　observations　about　Mark　are　possible　even　at　this　early　stage　in　the　contest。　His　very　name　is　packed　with　allusion　…　is　he　a　piece　of　labeled　property　or　a　symbolic　witness？　Like　Berserker　Man's　Michael；　he　is　。a　Child…Hero　begotten　under　mysterious　circumstances　and　born　into　a　web　of　contradictory　influences　which　will　surely　confound　the　evil　forces　that　plan　to　make　use　of　him。　Lake　Empire's　Rolf；　young　Mark　is　sent　off　into　epic　adventures　where　he　will　confound　both　chance　and　fate；　to　learn　through　passages　of　sword…play　that　mastery　of　self　is　the　kind　most　worth　striving　for。