按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ond his prehension。 He had already found out how little he understood when he had embarked upon an attempt at escape； soon after being sentenced to a lifetime's imprisonment among these gentle captors。
He had waited three full days after his sentence had been delivered by Shima'onari。 Such patience； Simon had felt sure； demonstrated a cold…blooded subtlety of maneuver worthy of the great Camaris。 Looking back a fortnight later； such ignorance was already laughable。 What had he thought he was doing。。。？
On the fourth day of his sentence； in late afternoon while the prince was away； Simon walked out of Jiriki's house。 He crossed the river quickly but…he hoped…unobtrusively； clambering over a narrow bridge； then headed back toward the spot where Aditu had first brought him to the valley。 The cloth…knotted mural that led to Jiriki's house continued on the river's far side as well； spanning from tree to tree。 The sections Simon passed seemed to show the survivors of some great disaster bringing their boats to a new land…the Sithi ing to Osten Ard？…and building great cities； empires in the forests and mountains。 There were other details； too； signs woven into the tapestry that suggested strife and sorrow had not been left behind in the blighted homeland； but Simon was in too much of a hurry to stop and look closely。
After making his way down the river path for some distance he turned off at last and headed for the heavy undergrowth at the base of the hills； where he hoped to make up in stealth what he lost in time。 There were not many Sithi about； but he was certain that any one of them would sound the alarm at the sight of their prisoner traveling toward the boundaries of Jao e…Tinukai'i； so he slid through the trees as carefully as he could； keeping away from the mon paths。 Despite the exhilaration of escape； he felt more than a pang of guilt： Jiriki would doubtless suffer some punishment for letting the mortal captive slip away。 Still； Simon owed a responsibility to his other friends that outweighed even the multimillennial laws of the Sithi。
No one saw him； or at lease no one made an attempt to stop him。 By the time several hours had passed； he had moved into what seemed a wilder； less tamed section of the old forest； and was certain he had made his escape。 His entire trip with Aditu； from the Pools to Jiriki's door； had taken less than two hours。 He had now gone easily twice that； straight back along the river。
But when Simon crept down from the cover of the thickest vegetation； it was to find himself still in Jao e…Tinukai'i； albeit in a part he had not yet seen。
He stood in the middle of a shadowed； dusky clearing。 The trees all around were draped with fine； silky streamers like spiderwebs； the afternoon sun set them gleaming； so that the forest seemed wound in a fiery net。 In the middle of the clearing an oval door of moss…matted white wood had been built into the trunk of a huge oak； around which the silk hung so thickly that the tree itself was barely visible。 He paused for a moment； wondering what undersized hermit would live here； in a tree on the outskirts of the city。 Next to the beautiful； rippling folds of Jiriki's house or the other graceful constructions of Jao e…Tinukai'i； let alone the living magnificence of the Yasira； this place seemed backward； as though whoever dwelled here hid himself from even the slow pace of the Sithi。 But despite its aura of age and isolation； the spidersilk house seemed in no way menacing。 The clearing was empty and peaceful； fortable in its unimportance。 The air was dusty but pleasant； like the pockets of a beloved aunt。 Here the rest of Jao e…Tinukai'i seemed only a memory of vibrant life。 A person could linger here beneath the silk…draped trees while the very world crumbled away outside。。。
As Simon stood watching the undulating strands； a mourning dove hooted softly。 He abruptly remembered his mission。 How long had he stood here； staring like a fool？ What if the owner of this strange house had e out； or returned from some errand？ Then the hue and cry would go up and he would be caught like a rat。
Frustrated by this first error in reckoning； Simon hurried back into the forest。 He had misjudged his time； that was all。 Another hour's hiking would carry him beyond the city's fringe and back through the Summer Gate。 Then； with the hoarded provisions he had quietly stolen from the prince's generous table； he would head due south until he reached the edge of the forest。 He might die in the attempt； but that was what heroes did。 This he knew。
Simon's willingness to bee a dead hero seemed to have little effect on the subtleties of Jao e…Tinukai'i。 When he emerged at last from the dense brush； the sun now far across the sky toward evening； it was to find himself up to his knees in the golden grass of open woodland before the mighty Yisira； where he stood dumbstruck before the shimmering； shifting wings of the butterflies。
How could this be？ He had followed the river carefully。 It had never been out of his sight for more than a few steps； and always it had flowed in the same direction。 The sun had seemed to move correctly across the sky。 His journey into this place with Aditu would be printed on his heart forever…he could not forget a single detail！…but nevertheless； he had walked more than half the afternoon to travel a distance of a few hundred paces。
With this realization； the strength flowed from his body。 He fell to the warm； damp ground and lay with his face against the turf； as though he had been struck a blow。
Jiriki's house had many rooms； one of which he had given to Simon to be his own； but the prince seemed to spend most of his own time in the open…sided chamber where Simon had first met him on arriving in Jao e…Tmukai'i。 As the earliest weeks of his confinement passed it became Simon's habit to spend each evening there with Jiriki； sitting on the gentle slope above the water while the light gradually dimmed from the sky； watching the shadows lengthen and the glassy pond grow darker。 As the last gleam of the sunset vanished from between the branches the pond became a somber mirror； stars blooming in its violet depths。
Simon had never really listened to the sounds of oning night； but Jiriki's often silent pany encouraged him to give ear to the songs of cricket and frog； to begin to hear the sighing of wind in the trees as something other than a warning to pull his hat down tightly over his ears。 At times； as he sank into the swelling evening； he felt he was on the verge of some great understanding。 A sense of being more than himself stole over him； of what it felt like to live in a world that cared little for cities or castles or the worries of the folk who built them。 Sometimes he was frightened by the size of this world； by the limitless depths of the evening sky salted with cold stars。
But for all these unfamiliar insights； he still remained Simon； most of the time he was merely frustrated。
〃Surely he didn't mean it。〃 He licked the juice of a just…devoured pear from his fingers； then peevishly flung the core across the grassy verge。 Beside him； Jiriki was toying with the stem that remained from his o