uleg.thetombsofatuan-第9节

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w　them　perfectly。　For　it　would　not　do　to　get　lost　in　the　Labyrinth。　In　the　Undertomb　and　the　short　passages　around　it；　Kossil　or　Thar　might　find　her；　or　Manan　e　seeking　for　her；　for　she　had　taken　him　there　several　times。　Here；　none　of　them　had　ever　been：　only　she　herself。　Little　good　it　would　do　her　if　they　came　to　the　Undertomb　and　called　aloud；　and　she　was　lost　in　some　spiraling　tangle　of　tunnels　half　a　mile　away。　She　imagined　how　she　might　hear　the　echo　of　voices　calling　her；　echoing　down　every　corridor；　and　she　would　try　to　e　to　them；　but；　lost；　would　only　bee　farther　lost。　So　vividly　did　she　imagine　this　that　she　stopped；　thinking　she　heard　a　distant　voice　calling。　But　there　was　nothing。　And　she　would　not　get　lost。　She　was　very　careful；　and　this　was　her　place；　her　own　domain。　The　powers　of　the　dark；　the　Nameless　Ones；　would　guide　her　steps　here；　just　as　they　would　lead　astray　any　other　mortal　who　dared　enter　the　Labyrinth　of　the　Tombs。
　　She　did　not　go　far　into　it　that　first　time；　but　far　enough　that　the　strange；　bitter；　yet　pleasurable　certainty　of　her　utter　solitude　and　independence　there　grew　strong　in　her；　and　led　her　back；　and　back　again；　and　each　time　farther。　She　came　to　the　Painted　Room；　and　the　Six　Ways；　and　followed　the　long　Outmost　Tunnel；　and　penetrated　the　strange　tangle　that　led　to　the　Room　of　Bones。
　　〃When　was　the　Labyrinth　made？〃　she　asked　Thar；　and　the　stern；　thin　priestess　answered；　〃Mistress；　I　do　not　know。　No　one　knows。〃
　　〃Why　was　it　made？〃
　　〃For　the　hiding　away　of　the　treasures　of　the　Tombs；　and　for　the　punishment　of　those　who　tried　to　steal　those　treasures。〃
　　〃All　the　treasures　I've　seen　are　in　the　rooms　behind　the　Throne；　and　the　basements　under　it。　What　lies　in　the　Labyrinth？〃
　　〃A　far　greater　and　more　ancient　treasure。　Would　you　look　on　it？〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃None　but　you　may　enter　the　Treasury　of　the　Tombs。　You　may　take　your　servants　into　the　Labyrinth；　but　not　into　the　Treasury。　If　even　Manan　entered　there；　the　anger　of　the　dark　would　waken；　he　would　not　leave　the　Labyrinth　alive。　There　you　must　go　alone；　forever。　I　know　where　the　Great　Treasure　is。　You　told　me　the　way；　fifteen　years　ago；　before　you　died；　so　that　I　would　remember　and　tell　you　when　you　returned。　I　can　tell　you　the　way　to　follow　in　the　Labyrinth；　beyond　the　Painted　Room；　and　the　key　to　the　treasury　is　that　silver　one　on　your　ring；　with　a　figure　of　a　dragon　on　the　haft。　But　you　must　go　alone。〃
　　〃Tell　me　the　way。〃
　　Thar　told　her；　and　she　remembered；　as　she　remembered　all　that　was　told　her。　But　she　did　not　go　to　see　the　Great　Treasure　of　the　Tombs。　Some　feeling　that　her　will　or　her　knowledge　was　not　yet　plete　held　her　back。　Or　perhaps　she　wanted　to　keep　something　in　reserve；　something　to　look　forward　to；　that　cast　a　glamor　over　those　endless　tunnels　through　the　dark　that　ended　always　in　blank　walls　or　bare　dusty　cells。　She　would　wait　awhile　before　she　saw　her　treasures。
　　After　all；　had　she　not　seen　them　before？
　　It　still　made　her　feel　strange　when　Thar　and　Kossil　spoke　to　her　of　things　she　had　seen　or　said　before　she　died。　She　knew　that　indeed　she　had　died；　and　had　been　reborn　in　a　new　body　at　the　hour　of　her　old　body's　death：　not　only　once；　fifteen　years　ago；　but　fifty　years　ago；　and　before　that；　and　before　that；　back　down　the　years　and　hundreds　of　years；　generation　before　generation；　to　the　very　beginning　of　years　when　the　Labyrinth　was　dug；　and　the　Stones　were　raised；　and　the　First　Priestess　of　the　Nameless　Ones　lived　in　this　Place　and　danced　before　the　Empty　Throne。　They　were　all　one；　all　those　lives　and　hers。　She　was　the　First　Priestess。　All　human　beings　were　forever　reborn；　but　only　she；　Arha；　was　reborn　forever　as　herself。　A　hundred　times　she　had　learned　the　ways　and　turnings　of　the　Labyrinth　and　had　e　to　the　hidden　room　at　last。
　　Sometimes　she　thought　she　remembered。　The　dark　places　under　the　hill　were　so　familiar　to　her；　as　if　they　were　not　only　her　domain；　but　her　home。　When　she　breathed　in　the　drug…fumes　to　dance　at　dark　of　the　moon；　her　head　grew　light　and　her　body　was　no　longer　hers；　then　she　danced　across　the　centuries；　barefoot　in　black　robes；　and　knew　that　the　dance　had　never　ceased。
　　Yet　it　was　always　strange　when　Thar　said；　〃You　told　me　before　you　died。。。〃
　　Once　she　asked；　〃Who　were　those　men　that　came　to　rob　the　Tombs？　Did　any　ever　do　so？〃　The　idea　of　robbers　had　struck　her　as　exciting；　but　improbable。　How　would　they　e　secretly　to　the　Place？　Pilgrims　were　very　few；　fewer　even　than　prisoners。　Now　and　then　new　novices　or　slaves　were　sent　from　lesser　temples　of　the　Four　Lands；　or　a　small　group　came　to　bring　some　offering　of　gold　or　rare　incense　to　one　of　the　temples。　And　that　was　all。　Nobody　came　by　chance；　or　to　buy　and　sell；　or　to　sightsee；　or　to　steal；　nobody　came　but　under　orders。　Arha　did　not　even　know　how　far　it　was　to　the　nearest　town；　twenty　miles　or　more；　and　the　nearest　town　was　a　small　one。　The　Place　was　guarded　and　defended　by　emptiness；　by　solitude。　Anybody　crossing　the　desert　that　surrounded　it；　she　thought；　would　have　as　much　chance　of　going　unseen　as　a　black　sheep　in　a　snowfield。
　　She　was　with　Thar　and　Kossil；　with　whom　much　of　her　time　was　spent　now　when　she　was　not　in　the　Small　House　or　alone　under　the　hill。　It　was　a　stormy；　cold　night　in　April。　They　sat　by　a　tiny　fire　of　sage　on　the　hearth　in　the　room　behind　the　Godking's　temple；　Kossil's　room。　Outside　the　doorway；　in　the　hall；　Manan　and　Duby　played　a　game　with　sticks　and　counters；　tossing　a　bundle　of　sticks　and　catching　as　many　as　possible　on　the　back　of　the　hand。　Manan　and　Arha　still　sometimes　played　that　game；　in　secret；　in　the　inner　courtyard　of　the　Small　House。　The　rattle　of　dropped　sticks；　the　husky　mumbles　of　triumph　and　defeat；　the　small　crackle　of　the　fire；　were　the　only　sounds　when　the　three　priestesses　fell　silent。　All　around　beyond　the　walls　reached　the　profound　silence　of　the　desert　night。　From　time　to　time　came　the　patter　of　a　sparse；　hard　shower　of　rain。
　　〃Many　came　to　rob　the　Tombs；　long　ago；　but　none　ever　did　so；〃　said　Thar。　Taciturn　as　she　was；　she　liked　now　and　then　to　tell　a　story；　and　often　did　so　as　part　of　Arha's　instruction。　She　looked　tonight　as　if　a　story　might　be　gotten　out　of　her。
　　〃How　would　any　man　dare？〃
　　〃They　would　dare；〃　Kossil　said。　〃They　were　sorcerers；　wizardfolk　from　the　Inner　Lands。　That　was　before　the　Godkings　ruled　the　Kargad　Lands；　we　were　not　so　strong　then。　The　wizards　used　to　sail　from　the　west　to　Karego…At　and　Atuan　to　plunder　the　towns　on　the　coast；　loot　the　farms；　even　e　into　the　Sacred　City　Awabath。　They　came　to　kill　dragons；　they　said；　but　they　stayed　to　rob　towns　and　temples。〃
　　〃And　their　great　heroes　would　e　among　us　to　test　their　swords；〃　Thar　said；　〃and　work　their　ungodly　spells。　One　of　them；　a　mighty　sorcerer　and　dragonlord；　the　greatest　of　them　all；　came　to　grief　here。　It　was　long　ago；　very　long　ago；　but　the　tale　is　still　remembered；　and　not　only　in　this　place。　The　sorcerer　was　named　Erreth…Akbe；　and　he　was　both　king　and　wizard　in　the　West。　He　came　to　our　lands；　and　in　Awabath　he　joined　with　certain　Kargish　rebel　lords；　and　fought　for　the　rule　of　the　city　with　the　High　Priest　of　the　Inmost　Temple　of　the　Twin　Gods。　Long　they　fought；　the　man's　sorcery　against　the　lightning　of　the　gods；　and　the　temple　was　destroyed　around　them。　At　last　the　High　Priest　broke　the　sorcerer's　witching…staff；　broke　in　half　his　amulet　of　power；　and　defeated　him。　He　escaped　from　the　city　and　from　the　Kargish　lands；　and　fled　clear　across　Earthsea　to　the　farthest　west；　and　there　a　dragon　slew　him；　because　his　power　was　gone。　And　since　that　day　the　power　and　might　of　the　Inner　Lands　has　ever　waned。　Now　the　High　Priest　was　named　Intathin；　and　he　was　the　first　of　the　house　of　Tarb；　that　lineage　from　which；　after　the　fulfillment　of　the　prophecies　and　the　centuries；　the　Priest…Kings　of　Karego…At　were　descended；　and　from　them；　the　Godkings　of　all　Kargad。　So　it　is　that　since　the　day　of　Intathin　the　power　and　might　of　the　Kargish　lands　has　ever　grown。　Those　who　came　to　rob　the　Tombs；　they　were　sorcerers；　trying　and　trying　to　get　back　the　broken　amulet　of　Erreth…Akbe。　But　it　is　still　here；　where　the　High　Priest　put　it　for　safekeeping。　And　so　are　their　bones。。。〃　Thar　pointed　at　the　ground　under　her　feet。
　　〃Half　of　it　is　here；〃　Kossil　said。
　　〃And　the　other　half　lost　forever。〃
　　〃How　lost？〃　asked　Arha。
　　〃The　one　half；　in　Intathin's　hand；　was　given　by　him　to　the　Treasury　of　the　Tombs；　where　it　should　lie　safe　forever。　The　other　remained　in　the　sorcerer's　hand；　but　he　gave　it　before　he　fled　to　a　petty　king；　one　of　the　rebels；　named　Thoreg　of　Hupun。　I　do　not　know　why　he　did　so。〃
　　〃To　cause　strife；　to　make　Thoreg　proud；〃　Kossil　said。　〃And　so　it　did。　The　descendants　of　Thoreg　rebelled　again　when　the　house　of　Tarb　ruled；　and　yet　again　they　took　arms　against　the　first　Godking；　refusing　to　acknowledge　him　as　either　king　or　god。　They　were　an　accursed；　ensorcelled　race。　They　are　all　dead　now。〃
　　Thar　nodded。　〃The　father　of　our　present　Godking；　the　Lord　Who　Has　Arisen；　put　down　that　family　of　Hupun；　and　destroyed　their　palaces。　When　that　was　done；　the　half…amulet；　which　they　had　kept　ever　since　the　days　of　Erreth…Akbe　and　Intathin；　was　lost。　No　one　knows　what　became　of　it。　And　that　was　a　life