uleg.thefarthestshore-第20节

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o　the　right；　forming　a　triangle。
　　〃Have　they　names？〃
　　〃The　Master　Namer　did　not　know。　Maybe　the　men　of　Obehol　and　Wellogy　have　names　for　them。　I　do　not　know。　We　go　now　into　strange　seas；　Arren；　under　the　Sign　of　Ending。〃
　　The　boy　did　not　answer；　looking　with　a　kind　of　loathing　at　the　bright；　nameless　stars　above　the　endless　water。
　
　　As　they　sailed　westward　day　after　day；　the　warmth　of　the　southern　spring　lay　on　the　waters；　and　the　sky　was　clear。　Yet　it　seemed　to　Arren　that　there　was　a　dullness　in　the　light；　as　if　it　fell　aslant　through　glass。　The　sea　was　lukewarm　when　he　swam；　bringing　little　refreshment。　Their　salt　food　had　no　savor。　There　was　no　freshness　or　brightness　in　anything；　unless　it　were　at　night；　when　the　stars　burned　with　a　greater　radiance　than　he　had　ever　seen　in　them。　He　would　lie　and　watch　them　till　he　slept。　Sleeping；　he　would　dream：　always　the　dream　of　the　moors　or　the　pit　or　a　valley　hemmed　round　by　cliffs　or　a　long　road　going　downward　under　a　low　sky；　always　the　dim　light；　and　the　horror　in　him；　and　the　hopeless　effort　to　escape。
　　He　never　spoke　of　this　to　Sparrowhawk。　He　did　not　speak　of　anything　important　to　him；　nothing　but　the　small　daily　incidents　of　their　sailing；　and　Sparrowhawk；　who　had　always　had　to　be　drawn　out；　was　now　habitually　silent。
　　Arren　saw　now　what　a　fool　he　had　been　to　entrust　himself　body　and　soul　to　this　restless　and　secretive　man；　who　let　impulse　move　him　and　made　no　effort　to　control　his　life；　nor　even　to　save　it。　For　now　the　fey　mood　was　on　him；　and　that；　Arren　thought；　was　because　he　dared　not　face　his　own　failure…　the　failure　of　wizardry　as　a　great　power　among　men。
　　It　was　clear　now　that　to　those　who　knew　the　secrets；　there　were　not　many　secrets　to　that　art　magic　from　which　Sparrowhawk　and　all　the　generations　of　sorcerers　and　wizards；　had　made　much　fame　and　power。　There　was　not　much　more　to　it　than　the　use　of　wind　and　weather；　the　knowledge　of　healing　herbs；　and　a　skillful　show　of　such　illusions　as　mists　and　lights　and　shape…changes；　which　could　awe　the　ignorant；　but　which　were　mere　tricks。　Reality　was　not　changed。　There　was　nothing　in　magery　that　gave　a　man　true　power　over　men；　nor　was　it　any　use　against　death。　The　mages　lived　no　longer　than　ordinary　men。　All　their　secret　words　could　not　put　off　for　one　hour　the　ing　of　their　death。
　　Even　in　small　matters　magery　was　not　worth　counting　on。　Sparrowhawk　was　always　miserly　about　employing　his　arts；　they　went　by　the　world's　wind　whenever　they　might；　they　fished　for　food；　and　they　spared　their　water；　like　any　sailors。　After　four　days　of　interminable　tacking　into　a　fitful　headwind；　Arren　asked　him　if　he　would　not　speak　a　little　following　wind　into　the　sail；　and　when　he　shook　his　head；　said；　〃Why　not？〃
　　〃I　would　not　ask　a　sick　man　to　run　a　race；〃　said　Sparrowhawk；　〃nor　lay　a　stone　on　an　overburdened　back。〃　It　was　not　clear　whether　he　spoke　of　himself　or　of　the　world　at　large。　Always　his　answers　were　grudging；　hard　to　understand。　There；　thought　Arren；　lay　the　very　heart　of　wizardry：　to　hint　at　mighty　meanings　while　saying　nothing　at　all；　and　to　make　doing　nothing　at　all　seem　the　very　crown　of　wisdom。
　　Arren　had　tried　to　ignore　Sopli；　but　it　was　impossible；　and　in　any　case　he　soon　found　himself　in　a　kind　of　alliance　with　the　madman。　Sopli　was　not　so　mad；　or　not　so　simply　mad；　as　his　wild　hair　and　fragmented　talk　made　him　appear。　Indeed　the　maddest　thing　about　him　was　perhaps　his　terror　of　the　water。　To　e　into　a　boat　had　taken　desperate　courage；　and　he　never　really　got　the　edge　worn　off　his　fear；　he　kept　his　head　down　so　much　so　that　he　would　not　have　to　see　the　water　heaving　and　lapping　about　him。　To　stand　up　in　the　boat　made　him　giddy；　he　clung　to　the　mast。　The　first　time　Arren　decided　on　a　swim　and　dived　off　the　prow；　Sopli　shouted　out　in　horror；　when　Arren　came　climbing　back　into　the　boat；　the　poor　man　was　green　with　shock。　〃I　thought　you　were　drowning　yourself；〃　he　said；　and　Arren　had　to　laugh。
　　That　afternoon；　when　Sparrowhawk　sat　meditating；　unheeding　and　unhearing；　Sopli　came　hitching　cautiously　over　the　thwarts　to　Arren。　He　said　in　a　low　voice；　〃You　don't　want　to　die；　do　you？〃
　　〃Of　course　not。〃
　　〃He　does；〃　Sopli　said；　with　a　little　shift　of　his　lower　jaw　toward　Sparrowhawk。
　　〃Why　do　you　say　that？〃
　　Arren　took　a　lordly　tone；　which　indeed　came　naturally　to　him；　and　Sopli　accepted　it　as　natural；　though　he　was　ten　or　fifteen　years　older　than　Arren。　He　replied　with　ready　civility；　though　in　his　usual　fragmentary　way；　〃He　wants　to　get　to　the　secret　place。　But　I　don't　know　why。　He　doesn't　want。。。　He　doesn't　believe　in。。。　the　promise。〃
　　〃What　promise？〃
　　Sopli　glanced　up　at　him　sharply；　something　of　his　ruined　manhood　in　his　eyes；　but　Arren's　will　was　stronger。　He　answered　very　low；　〃You　know。　Life。　Eternal　life。〃
　　A　great　chill　went　through　Arren's　body。　He　remembered　his　dreams：　the　moor；　the　pit；　the　cliffs；　the　dim　light。　That　was　death；　that　was　the　horror　of　death。　It　was　from　death　he　must　escape；　must　find　the　way。　And　on　the　doorsill　stood　the　figure　crowned　with　shadow；　holding　out　a　little　light　no　larger　than　a　pearl；　the　glimmer　of　immortal　life。
　　Arren　met　Sopli's　eyes　for　the　first　time：　light　brown　eyes；　very　clear；　in　them　he　saw　that　he　had　understood　at　last；　and　that　Sopli　shared　his　knowledge。
　　〃He；〃　the　Dyer　said；　with　his　twitch　of　the　jaw　toward　Sparrowhawk　〃he　won't　give　up　his　name。　Nobody　can　take　his　name　through。　The　way　is　too　narrow。〃
　　〃Have　you　seen　it？〃
　　〃In　the　dark；　in　my　mind。　That's　not　enough。　I　want　to　get　there；　I　want　to　see　it。　In　the　world；　with　my　eyes。　What　if　I…　what　if　I　died　and　couldn't　find　the　way；　the　place？　Most　people　can't　find　it；　they　don't　even　know　it's　there。　There's　only　some　of　us　have　the　power。　But　it's　hard；　because　you　have　to　give　the　power　up　to　get　there。。。　No　more　words。　No　more　names。　It　is　too　hard　to　do　in　the　mind。　And　when　you…　die；　your　mind…　dies。〃　He　stuck　each　time　on　the　word。　〃I　want　to　know　I　can　e　back。　I　want　to　be　there。　On　the　side　of　life。　I　want　to　live；　to　be　safe。　I　hate…　I　hate　this　water。。。〃
　　The　Dyer　drew　his　limbs　together　as　a　spider　does　when　falling；　and　hunched　his　wiry…red　head　down　between　his　shoulders；　to　shut　out　the　sight　of　the　sea。
　　But　Arren　did　not　shun　his　conversation　after　that；　knowing　that　Sopli　shared　not　only　his　vision；　but　his　fear；　and　that；　if　worse　came　to　worst；　Sopli　might　aid　him　against　Sparrowhawk。
　　Always　they　sailed；　slowly　in　the　calms　and　fitful　breezes；　to　the　west；　where　Sparrowhawk　pretended　that　Sopli　guided　them。　But　Sopli　did　not　guide　them；　he　who　knew　nothing　of　the　sea；　had　never　seen　a　chart；　never　been　in　a　boat；　dreaded　the　water　with　a　sick　dread。　It　was　the　mage　who　guided　them　and　led　them　deliberately　astray。　Arren　saw　this　now　and　saw　the　reason　of　it。　The　Archmage　knew　that　they　and　others　like　them　were　seeking　eternal　life；　had　been　promised　it　or　drawn　toward　it；　and　might　find　it。　In　his　pride；　his　overweening　pride　as　Archmage；　he　feared　lest　they　might　gain　it；　he　envied　them；　and　feared　them；　and　would　have　no　man　greater　than　himself。　He　meant　to　sail　out　onto　the　Open　Sea　beyond　all　lands　until　they　were　utterly　astray　and　could　never　e　back　to　the　world；　and　there　they　would　die　of　thirst。　For　he　would　die　himself；　to　prevent　them　from　eternal　life。
　　Every　now　and　then　there　would　e　a　moment　when　Sparrowhawk　spoke　to　Arren　of　some　small　matter　of　managing　the　boat　or　swam　with　him　in　the　warm　sea　or　bade　him　good　night　under　the　great　stars；　when　all　these　ideas　seemed　utter　nonsense　to　the　boy。　He　would　look　at　his　panion　and　see　him；　that　hard；　harsh；　patient　face；　and　he　would　think；　〃This　is　my　lord　and　friend。〃　And　it　seemed　unbelievable　to　him　that　he　had　doubted。　But　a　little　while　later　he　would　be　doubting　again；　and　he　and　Sopli　would　exchange　glances；　warning　each　other　of　their　mutual　enemy。
　　Every　day　the　sun　shone　hot；　yet　dull。　Its　light　lay　like　a　gloss　on　the　slow…heaving　sea。　The　water　was　blue；　the　sky　blue　without　change　or　shading。　The　breezes　blew　and　died；　and　they　turned　the　sail　to　catch　them　and　slowly　crept　on　toward　no　end。
　　One　afternoon　they　had　at　last　a　light　following　wind；　and　Sparrowhawk　pointed　upward；　near　sunset；　saying；　〃Look。〃　High　above　the　mast　a　line　of　seageese　wavered　like　a　black　rune　drawn　across　the　sky。　The　geese　flew　westward：　and　following；　Lookfar　came　on　the　next　day　in　sight　of　a　great　island。
　　〃That's　it；〃　Sopli　said。　〃That　land。　We　must　go　there。〃
　　〃The　place　you　seek　is　there？〃
　　〃Yes。　We　must　land　there。　This　is　as　far　as　we　can　go。
　　〃This　land　will　be　Obehol。　Beyond　it　in　the　South　Reach　is　another　island；　Wellogy。　And　in　the　West　Reach　are　islands　lying　farther　west　than　Wellogy。　Are　you　certain；　Sopli？'
　　The　Dyer　of　Lorbanery　grew　angry；　so　that　the　wincing　look　came　back　into　his　eyes；　but　he　did　not　talk　madly；　Arren　thought；　as　he　had　when　they　first　spoke　with　him　many　days　ago　on　Lorbanery。　〃Yes。　We　must　land　here。　We　have　gone　far　enough。　The　place　we　seek　is　here。　Do　you　want　me　to　swear　that　I　know　it？　Shall　I　swear　by　my　name？〃
　　〃You　cannot；〃　Sparrowhawk　said；　his　voice　hard；　looking　up　at　Sopli　who　was　taller　than　he；　Sopli　h