fs.thesecondbookofswords- 第52节

　　　Now　there　were　stumbling　footsteps　in　the　darkness；　those　of　one　person　moving；　careless　of　being　heard。　And　now　Mitspieler　had　turned　his　headlamp　on　again；　deliberately；　as　if　he　had　decided　or　divined　that　the　time　for　fighting　was　now　over；　or　else　that　fighting　had　bee　irrelevant。　The　back　reflection　of　his　light　revealed　his　own　face；　aged；　untidily　bearded　as　were　the　faces　of　all　the　men；　and　slack　jawed　now　with　fear　or　awe。
　　　The　wizard　stood　in　the　middle　of　the　cave。　He　was　looking　at　the　sealed　doorway；　the　translucent　barrier　that　he　had　himself　erected。　Again　he　spoke；　and　yet　again　his　voice　was　changed。
　　　〃Wait。　This　is　no　ruse。　The　demon　is　gone。　Gone　somewhere。。。　I　don't　know　how　far；　but。。。　〃
　　　Suddenly　Mitspieler　slumped　to　his　knees；　still　staring　at　the　fragile…looking　barrier　of　magic。
　　　Now　Mark　could　hear　a　new　kind　of　movement　just　outside；　different　from　the　demon's。　And　there　was　a　change　in　the　faint　light；　a　brightening　out　in　the　tunnel。　And　now　something　appeared　in　the　center　of　the　barrier。　It　was　a　hand；　not　armored；　and　quite　human…looking；　except　that　it　was　larger　than　the　hand　of　any　normal　human　being。　But　it　had　neither　the　Whitehands'　deformity　nor　the　armor　of　the　giant　fist　of　the　demon。　The　hand；　whomever　it　belonged　to；　brushed　Mitspieler's　blocking　spells　out　of　its　way　just　as　a　man　might　have　flicked　aside　a　cobweb。
　　　Now　the　owner　of　the　hand　entered　the　cave　behind　it；　bringing　with　him　his　own　kind　of　alteration。　A　giant　human　figure；　male；　youthful…looking　and　lightly　clad；　wearing　a　Phrygian　cap　and　carrying　in　one　hand　a　staff。　Mark　understood　that　for　the　first　time　in；　his　life　he　was　looking　at　a　god。　And　in　the　next　moment　he　recognized　the　god　as　Hermes。
　　　Most　of　the　cave　was　now　not　lighted　so　much　as　revealed；　by　Hermes'　presence。　The　beam　of　Mitspieler's　headlamp　had　bee　irrelevant。　Mark's　own　vision　was　now　able　to　peer　into　the　far　recesses　of　the　cave；　and　it　seemed　to　him　that　he　could　almost　see　behind　the　rocks。　Hermes　had　e　here　seeking　something；　and　in　the　face　of　that　seeking　any　kind　of　human　concealment　seemed　to　have　bee　impossible。
　　　None　of　the　humans　moved　or　spoke。　All　of　them　remained　sitting；　crouching；　kneeling；　just　as　they　had　been。　Casually　Hermes　looked　around。　Then；　with　the　matter…of…fact　movements　of　a　strong　man　who　had　to　interrupt　some　toddlers'　squabble　in　the　course　of　business　of　his　own；　Hermes　approached　Ben。
　　　Ben　was　down　on　his　backside；　the　Sword　still　in　his　right　hand；　quaking　as　the　god　approached　him。　At　the　last　moment　he　was　unable　to　keep　his　eyes　open；　and　had　to　raise　one　hand　to　hide　his　face。　When　Hermes　reached　out　and　took　Dragonslicer　away　from　him；　Ben's　huge　frame　quaked　in　a　spasm　that　might　have　been　meant　as　resistance　…　but　it　came　too　late；　and　in　any　case　would　have　been　hopeless。
　　　The　god　dropped　something　small　into　the　sand　in　front　of　Ben　…　Mark　caught　the　flash　of　gold。　Then　Hermes　turned　away；　already　seating　Dragonslicer　in　one　of　the　empty　scabbards　at　his　belt。　Only　now　did　Mark　notice　that　Hermes　was　wearing　perhaps　a　dozen　empty　sheaths　in　all；　hanging　like　a　fringe　around　his　waist。
　　　And　now　Mark　found　himself　getting　to　his　feet；　he　was　not　sure　why。　He　was　standing　straight　up；　even　though　his　knees　were　shaking　with　the　fear　of　it。
　　　Hermes　observed　this　movement。　The　god　paused　in　mid…stride；　on　his　way　back　across　the　cave。　He　turned　his　head　and　looked　at　Mark。　It　was　a　brief　look　but　expressive　…　even　though　Mark　was　not　quite　sure　what　it　expressed。　Recognition　…　what；　you　here？　…　seemed　to　be　at　the　start　of　it；　with　unreadable　plexities　trailing　off　from　there。
　　　But　the　pause　and　the　look　were　only　momentary。　Hermes　had　e　here　on　his　own　business；　in　pursuit　of　which　he　now　approached　the　Baron。
　　　Doon；　finding　himself　in　the　path　of　this　advance；　made　a　great　effort　and　struggled　to　his　feet。　With　both　hands　he　raised　Wayfinder　to　guard　position。
　　　Hermes　halted　in　front　of　him；　and　spoke　for　the　first　time。　His　voice　was　huge；　remote；　aloof。　〃Give　it　me。　That　Sword　that　you　are　holding。〃
　　　〃Never。　It　is　mine　by　right。〃　The　words　were　barely　understandable；　but　Doon　managed　to　get　them　out。　He　was　shaking　almost　as　badly　as　Ben　had　been；　as　Mark's　knees　still　were。　Shaking　with　what　must　have　been　fear；　pounded　by　anger　and　helplessness。
　　　The　deity　deigned　to　speak　to　him　once　more。　〃I　suppose　you're　going　to　argue　that　you've　been　using　it　properly；　unlike　some　of　the　others。　In　accordance　with　the　game。　Well；　perhaps　you　have。　But　that　no　longer　matters。〃　〃I　am。　I　have。　It's　mine；　it's　mine。〃
　　　The　god　reached　out　impatiently。　Doon　struck　at　him。　The　stroke　would　have　been　a　killing　blow　against　a　human；　but　appeared　now　as　no　more　than　some　child's　petulant　protest　against　authority。　Then　the　Sword　was　in　the　hand　of　Hermes　Messenger；　who　with　a　flick　of　his　staff；　more　a　gesture　than　anything　else；　stretched　Doon　out　on　the　floor　of　the　cave。　The　man　lay　there　in　agony；　crying　with　pain　and　frustrated　rage。
　　　〃Unseemly　pride；〃　the　god　remarked；　sliding　Wayfinder　into　a　sheath。　〃In　one　as　mortal　as　yourself。〃
　　　The　only　human　being　standing　now　was　Mark　and　why　he　should　be　standing　was　something　that　he　hardly　knew　himself；　though　it　was　costing　him　a　tremendous　effort。　He　could　see　that　the　great　wizard　Mitspieler　was　down　on　his　face　in　the　sand。　Doon　sprawled；　groaning。　Ariane　was　somewhere　out　of　sight。　Ben　was　sitting　up；　but　with　his　face　still　buried　in　his　hands。　And　Mark　was　thinking：　This　is　what　my　father　had　to　face；　some　small　part　of　what　he　endured；　when　Vulcan　took　him　to　help　create　the　Swords。　Always　until　now　Mark　had　felt　for　his　father　some　faint　buried　touch　of　shame；　for　the　implied　weakness；　for　Jord's　letting　himself　be　used；　letting　his　right　arm　be　taken。　But　no　more。　Now　Mark　had　some　idea；　some　appreciation　of　what　Jord　must　have　felt。
　　　Only　a　moment　had　passed　since　Hermes　had　last　spoken。　But　something　else　was　happening　now；　a　new　presence　was　announcing　itself。　Just　as　light　had　spread　throughout　the　cave　upon　Hermes'　entrance；　so　now　it　was　with　shade。　The　wizard　Mitspieler；　sensing　the　new　presence；　raised　his　head；　and　the　beam　from　his　headlamp　was　engulfed　and　blotted　out　by　the　intensity　of　shadow　gathering　inside　the　unguarded　door。
　　　Mark；　still　on　his　feet；　could　see　the　dim　form　of　the　newer；　roughly　human；　standing　within　the　pall　of　blackness。　The　voice　issuing　from　the　shadowed　manlike　face　was　strangely　reverberant；　it　seemed　to　swell　up　out　of　the　rocks；　out　of　the　earth　itself。
　　　〃The　underworld　is　my　domain。　What　are　you　doing　here；　Hermes　Messenger？　What　is　there　in　my　world　that　you　seek　to　change？〃
　　　Hermes　Messenger　did　not　appear　to　be　disturbed。　〃I　am　collecting　Swords　…　as　you　ought　to　realize；　Hades。　I　am　going　about　the　business　of　the　gods。〃
　　　〃What　gods？〃
　　　〃Why；　all　of　us。　You　too。　All　of　us　who　know　what's　going　on；　at　least。　I　only　carry　out　the　gods'　collective　will。〃
　　　〃Hah！〃　The　sound　was　more　like　a　stony　impact　than　a　syllable　of　speech。　〃Since　when　have　all　of　us　agreed　to　that　extent　on　anything？　Say　rather　that　you　are　determined　to　cheat　in　the　game。　That's　how　I　interpret　your　behavior。〃
　　　Hermes　stood　up　very　tall。　It　seemed　to　Mark　that　the　ceiling　of　the　cave　must　be　bending　a　little　to　make　room　for　his　head。　〃The　game　has　been　suspended。　At　least　for　the　time　being。　There　are　certain　dangers　in　it　that　at　first　were　not　fully　appreciated：〃
　　　〃Oh；　has　it；　indeed？　By　whose　decision？〃
　　　Now　both　gods；　as　if　by　mon　agreement；　were　starting　to　move　toward　the　low　cave　exit；　as　if　their　argument　would　be　better　carried　out　elsewhere。　Hades　was　already　stooping　his　tall　figure　to　go　out。
　　　But　Hermes　paused；　arrested　by　the　sight　of　Doon　still　moaning　at　his　feet。　He　prodded　the　helpless　form　with　the　end　of　his　great　staff。
　　　〃Well；　man；　what　treatment　shall　I　give　your　pride　before　I　go？　Perhaps　I'll　give　you　a　loadbeast's　head　to　wear　from　now　on。　What　say　you　to　that　idea？　Hey？　Answer　me！〃
　　　Hades　at　the　doorway　was　bored　by　this　distraction