gc.thewhiterose-第23节

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nd　death　could　not　intimidate　him。　Only　people；　and　love；　could　terrify　him。
　　　〃Habit；　I　guess；〃　he　said。　Weakly。　〃Maybe　I　could　live　in　Oar。　Maybe。　I　don't　deal　well　with　people；　Case。　I　don't　like　them　that　much。　I　couldn't　stand　the　Jewel　Cities。　Did　I　tell　you　I　was　down　there　once？〃
　　　Case　had　heard　the　story　several　times。　He　suspected　Corbie　had　been　more　than　down　there。　He　thought　one　of　the　Jewel　Cities　was　Corbie's　original　home。　〃Yeah。　When　the　big　Rebel　push　in　Forsberg　started。　You　told　me　about　seeing　the　Tower　on　the　way　up。〃
　　　〃That's　right。　I　did。　Memory's　slipping。　Cities。　I　don't　like　them；　lad。　Don't　like　them。　Too　many　people。　Sometimes　there's　too　many　of　them　here。　Was　when　I　first　came。　Nowadays　it's　about　right。　About　right。　Maybe　too　much　fuss　and　bother　because　of　the　undead　over　there。〃　He　poked　his　chin　toward　the　Great　Barrow。　〃But　otherwise　about　right。　One　or　two　of　you　guys　I　can　talk　to。　Nobody　else　to　get　in　my　way。〃
　　　Case　nodded。　He　thought　he　understood　while　not　understanding。　He　had　known　other　old　veterans。　Most　had　had　their　peculiarities。　〃Hey！　Corbie。　You　ever　run　into　the　Black　pany　when　you　was　up　here？〃
　　　Corbie　froze；　stared　with　such　intensity　the　young　soldier　blushed。　〃Uh　。　。　。　What's　the　matter；　Corbie？　I　say　something　wrong？〃
　　　Corbie　resumed　walking；　his　limp　not　slowing　a　furiously　increased　pace。　〃It　was　odd。　Like　you　were　reading　my　mind。　Yes。　I　ran　into　those　guys。　Bad　people。　Very　bad　people。〃
　　　〃My　dad　told　us　stories　about　them。　He　was　with　them　during　the　long　retreat　to　Charm。　Lords；　the　Windy　Country；　the　Stair　of　Tear；　all　those　battles。　When　he　got　leave　time　after　the　battle　at　Charm；　he　came　home。　Told　awful　stories　about　those　guys。〃
　　　〃I　missed　that　part。　I　got　left　behind　at　Roses；　when　Shifter　and　the　Limper　lost　the　battle。　Who　was　your　dad　with？　You've　never　talked　about　him　much。〃
　　　〃Nightcrawler。　I　don't　talk　about　him　because　we　never　got　along。〃
　　　Corbie　smiled。　〃Sons　seldom　get　on　with　their　fathers。　And　that's　the　voice　of　experience　speaking。〃
　　　〃What　did　your　father　do？〃
　　　Corbie　laughed。　〃He　was　a　farmer。　Of　sorts。　But　I'd　rather　not　talk　about　him。〃
　　　〃What　are　we　doing　out　here；　Corbie？〃
　　　Double…checking　Bomanz's　surveys。　But　Corbie　could　not　tell　the　lad　that。　Nor　could　he　think　of　an　adequate　lie。　〃Walking　in　the　rain。〃
　　　〃Corbie　。　。　。　〃
　　　〃Can　we　keep　it　quiet　for　a　while；　Case？　Please？〃
　　　〃Sure。〃
　　　Corbie　limped　all　the　way　around　the　Barrowland；　maintaining　a　respectful　distance；　never　being　too　obvious。　He　did　not　use　equipment。　That　would　bring　Colonel　Sweet　on　the　run。　Instead；　he　consulted　the　wizard's　chart　in　his　mind。　The　thing　blazed　with　its　own　life　there；　those　arcane　TelleKurre　symbols　glowing　with　a　wild　and　dangerous　life。　Studying　the　remains　of　the　Barrowland；　he　could　find　but　a　third　of　the　map's　referents。　The　rest　had　been　undone　by　time　and　weather。
　　　Corbie　was　no　man　to　have　trouble　with　his　nerve。　But　he　was　afraid　now。　Near　the　end　of　their　stroll　he　said；　〃Case；　I　want　a　favor。　Perhaps　a　double　favor。〃
　　　〃Sir？〃
　　　〃Sir？　Call　me　Corbie。〃
　　　〃You　sounded　so　serious。〃
　　　〃It　is　serious。〃
　　　〃Say　on；　then。〃
　　　〃Can　you　be　trusted　to　keep　your　mouth　shut？〃
　　　〃If　necessary。〃
　　　〃I　want　to　extract　a　conditional　vow　of　silence。〃
　　　〃I　don't　understand。〃
　　　〃Case；　I　want　to　tell　you　something。　In　case　something　happens　to　me。〃
　　　〃Corbie！〃
　　　〃I'm　not　a　young　man；　Case。　And　I　have　a　lot　wrong　with　me。　I've　been　through　a　lot。　I　feel　it　catching　up。　I　don't　expect　to　go　soon。　But　things　happen。　If　something　should；　there's　something　I　don't　want　to　die　with　me。〃
　　　〃Okay；　Corbie。〃
　　　〃If　I　suggested　something；　can　you　keep　it　to　yourself？　Even　if　you　think　you　maybe　shouldn't？　Can　you　do　something　for　me？〃
　　　〃You're　making　it　hard；　not　telling　me。〃
　　　〃I　know。　It's　not　fair。　The　only　other　man　I　trust　is　Colonel　Sweet。　And　his　position　wouldn't　let　him　make　such　a　promise。〃
　　　〃It's　not　illegal？〃
　　　〃Not　strictly　speaking。〃
　　　〃I　guess。〃
　　　〃Don't　guess；　Case。〃
　　　〃All　right。　You　have　my　word。〃
　　　〃Good。　Thank　you。　It　is　appreciated；　never　doubt　that。　Two　things。　First。　If　something　happens　to　me；　go　to　the　room　on　the　second　floor　of　my　home。　If　I　have　left　an　oilskin　packet　on　the　table　there；　see　that　it　gets　to　a　blacksmith　named　Sand；　in　Oar。〃
　　　Case　looked　suitably　dubious　and　baffled。
　　　〃Second；　after　you　do　that…and　only　after…tell　the　Colonel　the　undead　are　stirring。〃
　　　Case　stopped　walking。
　　　〃Case。〃　There　was　a　note　of　mand　in　Corbie's　voice　the　youth　had　not　heard　before。
　　　〃Yes。　All　right。〃
　　　〃That's　it。〃
　　　〃Corbie　。　。　。　〃
　　　〃No　questions　now。　In　a　few　weeks；　maybe　I　can　explain　everything。　All　right？〃
　　　〃Okay。〃
　　　〃Not　a　word　now。　And　remember。　Packet　to　Sand　the　blacksmith。　Then　word　to　the　Colonel。　Tell　you　what。　If　I　can；　I'll　leave　the　Colonel　a　letter；　too。〃
　　　Case　merely　nodded。
　　　Corbie　took　a　deep　breath。　It　had　been　twenty　years　since　he　had　attempted　the　simplest　divining　spell。　Never　had　he　tried　anything　on　the　order　of　what　he　now　faced。　Back　in　those　ancient　times；　when　he　was　another　man；　or　boy；　sorcery　was　a　diversion　for　wealthy　youths　who　would　rather　play　wizard　than　pursue　legitimate　studies。
　　　All　was　ready。　The　tools　of　the　sorcerer　appropriate　to　the　task　lay　on　the　table　on　the　second　floor　of　the　house　that　Bomanz　built。　It　was　fitting　that　he　follow　the　old　one。
　　　He　touched　the　oilskin　packet　left　for　Case；　the　opaque　letter　to　Sweet；　and　prayed　neither　would　touch　the　young　man's　hands。　But　if　what　he　suspected　were　true；　it　was　better　the　enemy　knew　than　the　world　be　surprised。
　　　There　was　nothing　left　to　do　but　do　it。　He　gulped　half　a　cup　of　cold　tea；　took　his　seat。　He　closed　his　eyes；　began　a　chant　taught　him　when　he　was　younger　than　Case。　His　was　not　the　method　Bomanz　had　used；　but　it　was　as　effective。
　　　His　body　would　not　relax；　would　not　cease　distracting　him。
　　　But　at　last　the　full　lethargy　closed　in。　His　ka　loosed　its　ten　thousand　anchors　to　his　flesh。
　　　Part　of　him　insisted　he　was　a　fool　for　attempting　this　without　the　skills　of　a　master。　But　he　hadn't　the　time　for　the　training　a　Bomanz　required。　He　had　learned　what　he　could　during　his　absence　from　the　Old　Forest。
　　　Free　of　the　flesh；　yet　connected　by　invisible　bonds　that　would　draw　him　back。　If　his　luck　held。　He　moved　away　carefully。　He　conformed　to　the　rule　of　bodies　exactly。　He　used　the　stairway；　the　doorway；　and　the　sidewalks　built　by　the　Guard。　Maintain　the　pretense　of　flesh　and　the　flesh　would　be　harder　to　forget。
　　　The　world　looked　different。　Each　object　had　its　unique　aura。　He　found　it　difficult　to　concentrate　on　the　grand　task。
　　　He　moved　to　the　bounds　of　the　Barrowland。　He　shuddered　under　the　impact　of　thrumming　old　spells　that　kept　the　Dominator　and　several　lesser　minions　bound。　The　power　there！　Carefully；　he　walked　the　boundary　till　he　found　the　way　that　Bomanz　had　opened；　still　not　fully　healed。
　　　He　stepped　over　the　line。
　　　He　drew　the　instant　attention　of　every　spirit；　benign　and　malign；　chained　within　the　Barrowland。　There　were　far　more　than　he　expected。　Far　more　than　the　wizard's　map　indicated。　Those　soldier　symbols　that　surrounded　the　Great　Barrow　。　。　。　They　were　not　statues。　They　were　men；　soldiers　of　the　White　Rose；　who　had　been　set　as　spirit　guards　perpetually　standing　between　the　world　and　the　monster　that　would　devour　it。　How　driven　must　they　have　been。　How　dedicated　to　their　cause。
　　　The　path　wound　past　the　former　resting　places　of　old　Taken；　outer　circle；　inner　circle；　twisting。　Within　the　inner　circle　he　saw　the　true　forms　of　several　lesser　monsters　that　had　served　the　Domination。　The　path　stretched　like　a　trail　of　pale　silver　mist。　Behind　him　that　mist　became　more　dense；　his　passage　strengthening　the　way。
　　　Ahead；　stronger　spells。　And　all　those　men　who　had　gone　into　the　earth　to　surround　the　Dominator。　And　beyond　them；　the　greater　fear。　The　dragon　thing　that；　on　Bomanz's　map；　lay　coiled　around　the　crypt　in　the　heart　of　the　Great　Barrow。
　　　Spirits　shrieked　at　him　in　TelleKurre；　in　UchiTelle；　in　languages　he　did　not　know　and　tongues　vaguely　like　some　still　current。　One　and　all；　they　cursed　him。　One　and　all；　he　ignored　them。　There　was　a　thing　in　a　chamber　beneath　the　greatest　mound。　He　had　to　see　if　it　lay　as　restless　as　he　suspected。
　　　The　dragon。　Oh；　by　all　the　gods　that　never　were；　that　dragon　was　real。　Real；　alive；　of　flesh；　yet　it　sensed　and　saw　him。　The　silver　trail　curved　past　its　jaws；　through　the　gap　between　teeth　and　tail。　It　beat　at　him　with　a　palpable　will。　But　he　would　not　be　stayed。
　　　No　more　guardians。　Just　the　crypt。　And　the　monster　man　inside　was　constrained。　He　had　survived　the　worst　。　。　。
　　　The　old　devil　should　be　sleeping。　Hadn't　the　Lady　defeated　him　in　his　attempt　to　escape　through　Juniper？　Hadn't　she　put　him　back　down？
　　　It　was　a　tomb　like　many　around　the　world。　Perhaps　a　bit　richer。　The　White　Rose　had　laid　her　opponents　down　in　style。　There　were　no　sarcophagi；　though。　There。　That　empty　table　was　where　the　Lady　would　have　lain。
　　　The　other　boasted　a　sleeping　man。　A　big　man；　and　handsome；　but　with　the　mark　of　the　beast　upon　him；　even　in　repose。　A　face　full　of　hot　h