tg.wizardfirstrule- 第25节

　
　〃Cat！　e　here；　I　want　you。〃　The　cat　came　running　in　and　rubbed　himself　against　Zedd's　legs；　swishing　his　tail　up。　Zedd　bent　down　and　scratched　him　behind　the　ears。　〃Go　in　and　sleep　on　the　young　woman's　lap。　Keep　her　warm。〃　The　cat　padded　off　to　the　bedroom　as　the　old　man　stepped　out　into　the　cold　night　air。
　
　…＋
　
　The　wind　whipped　Zedd's　robes　as　he　walked　the　narrow　path　through　the　tall　grass。　The　clouds　were　thin；　illuminated　by　the　moon；　which　gave　enough　light　to　see　by；　even　though　he　didn't　need　it；　he　had　walked　the　same　route　thousands　of　times。
　
　〃Nothing　is　ever　easy；〃　he　muttered　as　he　went。
　
　Near　a　stand　of　trees　he　stopped；　listening。　Slowly；　he　turned　about；　peering　into　the　shadows；　watching　the　branches　bend　and　sway　in　the　breeze；　testing　the　air　with　his　nose。　He　searched　for　an　alien　movement。
　
　A　fly　bit　his　neck。　He　swatted　it　angrily；　picked　the　offender　off　his　neck；　and　glared　at　it。　〃Blood　fly。　Bags。　I　thought　as　much；〃　he　plained。
　
　From　the　brush　near　by；　something　came　toward　him　in　a　terrible　rush。　Wings　and　fur　and　teeth　came　charging。　Hands　on　his　hips；　Zedd　waited。　Just　before　it　was　on　him；　he　held　up　his　hand；　bringing　the　short…tailed　gar　to　a　lurching　halt。　It　was　half　again　as　tall　as　he；　full　grown；　and　twice　as　fierce　as　a　long…tailed　gar。　The　beast　growled　and　blinked；　its　great　muscles　flexing　as　it　fought　against　the　force　that　kept　it　from　reaching　out　and　grabbing　the　old　man。　It　was　furious　that　it　had　not　yet　killed　him。
　
　Zedd　reached　up　and　with　a　crooked　finger　beckoned　it　to　lean　closer。　The　gar；　panting　in　rage；　bent　toward　him。　Zedd　jammed　his　finger　hard　under　its　chin。
　
　〃What　is　your　name？〃　he　hissed。　The　beast　grunted　twice　and　made　a　sound　from　deep　in　its　throat。　Zedd　gave　a　nod。　〃I　will　remember　it。　Tell　me；　do　you　wish　to　live；　or　to　die？〃　The　gar　struggled　to　back　away；　but　was　unable　to。　〃Good。　Then　you　will　do　exactly　as　I　say。　Somewhere　between　here　and　D'Hara；　a　quad　es　this　way。　Hunt　them　and　kill　them。　When　you　have　done　so；　go　back　to　D'Hara；　to　where　you　came　from。　Do　these　things　and　I　will　let　you　live；　but　I　will　remember　your　name；　and　if　you　fail　to　kill　the　quad；　or　ever　e　back　after　your　task　is　done；　I　will　kill　you　and　feed　you　to　your　flies。　Do　you　agree　to　my　terms？〃　The　gar　grunted　an　acknowledgment。　〃Good。　Then　be　gone。〃　Zedd　removed　his　finger　from　under　the　gar's　chin。
　
　Scrambling　to　get　away；　the　beast　flapped　its　wings　frantically；　beating　down　the　grass　as　it　stumbled　along。　At　last　the　gar　was　airborne。　Zedd　watched　it　as　it　circled；　searching　for　the　quad。　As　the　hunt　moved　steadily　east；　the　circles　seemed　to　get　smaller　until　the　old　man　could　no　longer　see　the　beast。　Only　then　did　he　continue　on　to　the　top　of　the　hill。
　
　Standing　next　to　his　cloud　rock；　Zedd　pointed　down　at　it　and　began　turning　his　bony　finger　in　a　circle　as　if　stirring　a　stew。　The　massive　rock　grated　against　the　ground　as　it　tried　to　revolve　with　the　movement　of　Zedd's　finger。　The　rock　shuddered；　trying　to　rotate　its　own　weight。　Popping　and　snapping；　it　fractured；　sending　hairline　cracks　shooting　across　its　surface。　Its　trembling　bulk　struggled　against　the　force　being　applied。　The　granular　structure　of　the　stone　began　to　soften。　Unable　to　maintain　its　state　any　longer；　the　texture　of　the　rock　liquefied　enough　to　allow　its　mass　to　rotate　with　the　movement　of　the　finger　above　it。　Gradually　the　speed　of　Zedd's　stirring　increased　until　light　erupted　from　the　rotating　liquid　rock。
　
　The　light　built　in　intensity　with　the　speed　of　Zedd's　hand。　As　colors　and　sparkles　of　light　spun；　shadows　and　forms　came　into　the　center　of　the　light　and　vanished　as　the　fog　of　brightness　increased。　Light　threatened　to　ignite　the　air　about　him。　A　dull　roar；　like　the　sound　of　wind　rushing　through　a　fissure；　came　forth。　The　smells　of　autumn　changed　to　winter　clarity；　then　spring's　new　plowed　ground；　summer's　flowers；　and　back　to　autumn　again。　Clean；　pure　illumination　chased　the　colors　and　sparkles　away。
　
　The　rock　abruptly　solidified　and　Zedd　stepped　atop　it；　into　the　light。　The　brightness　faded　to　a　faint　glow　that　swirled　like　smoke。　Before　him　stood　two　apparitions；　mere　shadows　of　form。　Where　sharpness　should　have　been；　their　shapes　softened　like　a　dim　memory；　yet　they　were　still　recognizable；　and　the　sight　of　them　brought　a　quickness　to　Zedd's　heart。
　
　His　mother's　voice　came　hollow　and　distant。　〃What　troubles　you；　son？　Why　have　you　called　us　after　so　many　years？〃　Her　arms　stretched　out　to　him。
　
　Zedd's　arms　reached　out；　but　could　not　touch　her。　〃I　am　troubled　by　what　the　Mother　Confessor　tells　me。〃
　
　〃She　speaks　the　truth。〃
　
　He　closed　his　eyes　and　nodded　as　his　arms　lowered　with　hers。　〃It's　true；　then；　all　my　students；　save　Giller；　are　dead。〃
　
　〃You　are　the　only　one　left　to　protect　the　Mother　Confessor。〃　She　drifted　closer。　〃You　must　appoint　the　Seeker。〃
　
　〃The　High　Council　sowed　these　seeds；〃　he　protested；　frowning。　〃Now　you　want　me　to　help？　They　turned　my　advice　away。　Let　them　live　and　die　by　their　own　greed。〃
　
　Zedd's　father　floated　closer。　〃My　son；　why　were　you　angry　with　your　students？〃
　
　Zedd　scowled。　〃Because　they　put　themselves　before　their　duty　to　help　their　people。〃
　
　〃I　see。　And　how　is　this　different　from　what　you　do　now？〃　The　echo　of　his　voice　hung　in　the　air。
　
　Zedd's　fists　tightened。　〃My　help　was　offered；　but　turned　away。〃
　
　〃And　when　has　it　not　been　so；　that　there　would　be　those　who　were　blind；　or　foolish；　or　greedy？　Would　you　let　them　have　their　way　over　you　so　easily？　Would　you　let　them　so　simply　prevent　you　from　helping　those　who　would　be　helped？　Your　abandonment　of　the　people　may　have　a　reason　that　seems　just　to　you；　unlike　the　actions　of　your　students；　but　the　results　are　the　same。　In　the　end　they　saw　their　mistake；　and　did　the　right　things；　the　things　you　taught　them。　Learn　from　your　students；　son。〃
　
　〃Zeddicus；〃　his　mother　said；　〃would　you　let　Richard　die　too；　and　all　the　other　innocents？　Appoint　the　Seeker。〃
　
　〃He's　too　young。〃
　
　She　shook　her　head　with　a　gentle　smile。　〃He　will　not　get　the　chance　to　grow　older。〃
　
　〃He　has　not　passed　my　final　test。〃
　
　〃Darken　Rahl　hunts　Richard。　The　cloud　that　shadows　him　was　sent　by　Rahl　to　track　him。　The　snake　vine　was　put　in　the　jar　by　Darken　Rahl；　in　the　expectation　that　Richard　would　search　for　it；　and　it　would　bite　him。　The　snake　vine　wasn't　meant　to　kill；　Rahl　sought　to　have　him　put　to　sleep　by　the　fever　until　he　could　e　for　him。〃　Her　form　drifted　closer；　her　voice　being　more　loving。　〃You　know　in　your　heart　you　have　been　watching　him；　hoping　he　would　show　himself　to　be　the　one。〃
　
　〃To　what　avail？〃　Zedd　closed　his　eyes；　his　chin　sinking　to　his　chest。　〃Darken　Rahl　has　the　three　boxes　of　Orden。〃
　
　〃No；〃　his　father　said；　〃he　has　only　two。　He　still　seeks　the　third。〃
　
　Zedd's　eyes　snapped　open；　his　head　jerked　up。　〃What！　He　doesn't　have　them　all？〃
　
　〃No；〃　his　mother　said；　〃but　he　soon　will。〃
　
　〃And　the　book？　Surely　he　must　have　the　Book　of　Counted　Shadows？〃
　
　〃No。　He　searches　for　it。〃
　
　Zedd　put　a　finger　to　his　chin；　thinking。　〃Then　there's　a　chance；〃　he　whispered。　〃What　sort　of　fool　would　put　the　boxes　of　Orden　in　play　before　he　had　all　three；　and　the　book？〃
　
　His　mother's　features　sharpened　into　a　look　of　ice。　〃A　very　dangerous　one。　He　travels　the　underworld。〃　Zedd　stiffened；　and　his　breath　caught　in　his　throat。　His　mother's　eyes　seemed　to　pierce　him。　〃That　is　how　he　was　able　to　cross　the　boundary　and　recover　the　first　box：　by　traveling　the　underworld。　That　is　how　he　was　able　to　begin　the　undoing　of　the　boundary：　from　within　the　underworld。　He　mands　some　in　it；　more　with　his　every　ing。　If　you　choose　to　help；　be　warned：　do　not　go　through　the　boundary；　or　send　the　Seeker　through。　Rahl　expects　it。　If　you　enter；　he　will　have　you。　The　Mother　Confessor　came　through　only　because　he　did　not　expect　it。　He　will　not　make　the　same　mistake　again。〃
　
　〃But　then　how　am　I　to　get　us　to　the　Midlands？　I　can't　help　if　I　can't　get　to　the　Midlands。〃　Zedd's　voice　was　tense　with　frustration。
　
　〃We're　sorry；　but　we　don't　know。　We　believe　there　must　be　a　way；　but　it　is　not