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！
〃We have captured several trespassers who walked the Feluwelt without your leave； March…thane： six men； two women； and a child。 〃
The March…thane stared the prisoners up and down。 His face split in a wide； crooked…toothed grin。 〃Prince Josua Lackhand；〃 he said； without the least trace of surprise in his voice。 〃Now that your stone house is fallen； have you e to live beneath the sky like men do？〃 He took a long swallow from his bowl； draining it dry； then handed it to the girl and waved her away。
〃Fikolmij；〃 Josua said； bleakly amused。 〃So you are March…thane now。〃 〃When the Choosing came； of all the chieftains there was only Blehmunt who would stand against me。 I broke his head like an egg。〃 Fikolmij laughed； patting at his new…braided beard； then stopped； lowering his eyebrows like a nettled bull。 〃Where is my daughter？〃
〃If that young one was yours； you just sent her away；〃 Josua said。 Fikolmij clenched a fist in anger； then laughed again。 〃Stupid tricks； Josua。 You know who I mean。 Where is she？〃
〃I will tell you the truth；〃 Josua said。 〃I do not know where Vorzheva is。〃 The March…thane looked him over speculatively。 〃So；〃 he said at last。 〃You are not so high in the world today； stone…dweller。 You are a trespasser in the Free Thrithings now； as well as a daughter…stealer。 Perhaps you will seem better to me with your other hand cut off； too。 I will think on it。〃 He lifted his hairy paw and gestured carelessly to Hotvig。 〃Put them in one of the bull runs until I decide which ones to cut up and which to keep。〃
〃Merciful Aedon preserve us；〃 Father Strangyard murmured。 The March…thane chuckled； flicking a wind…blown curl of hair from his eye。 〃And give these city…rats a blanket or two and some food； Hotvig。 Otherwise； the night air may kill them and rob my sport。〃
As Josua and the others were led away at spearpomt； Fikolmij turned and shouted for the girl to bring him more wine。
14
A Crown of Fire
IT was a dream； Simon knew even as he dreamed it。 It started in an ordinary enough fashion： he was lying in the Hayholt's great loft； hidden in tickling hay； watching the familiar figures of Shem Horsegroom and castle smith Ruben the Bear talking quietly below。 Ruben； his broad arms glimmering with sweat； was hammering clankingly away at a scarlet…hot horseshoe。
Suddenly the dream took on a strange cast。 Ruben's and Shem's voices changed； until they sounded nothing like their real selves。 Simon could now hear the conversation perfectly well； but the smith's hammer was silent as it struck the gleaming iron。
〃。。。But I have done all you asked for；〃 Shem abruptly said in a queer； rasping tone。 〃I brought King Elias to you。〃
〃You presume too much；〃 Ruben replied。 His voice was like nothing Simon had ever heard； cold and remote as the wind in a high mountain pass。 〃You know nothing of what we want。。。 of what He wants。〃 There was more wrong with the blacksmith than just his voice： a feeling of wrongness emanated from him； a black and bottomless lake hidden beneath a crust of thin ice。 How could Ruben seem so evil； even m a dream…kind； slow…talking Ruben？
Shem's lined face smiled cheerfully； but his words sounded strained。 〃I do not care。 I will do anything He wishes。 I ask little in return。〃
〃You ask a great deal more than any other mortal would；〃 Ruben replied。 〃Not only do you dare to call on the Red Hand； you have the temerity to demand favors。〃 He was chill and uncaring as graveyard dirt。 〃You do not even know what you ask。 You are a child； priest； and you grasp at gleaming things because they seem pretty。 You may cut yourself on something jagged and find that you bleed to death。〃
〃I don't care。〃 Shem spoke with a lunatic firmness。 〃I don't care。 Teach me the Words of Changing。 The Dark One owes me。。。 he is obligated 。。。〃
Ruben threw back his head in wild laughter。 A crown of flames seemed to blaze about his head。 〃Obligated？〃 he gasped。 The sound of his amusement was terrifying。 〃Our master？ To you？〃 He laughed again； and suddenly the blacksmith's skin began blistering。 Little gouts of smoke jetted into the air as Ruben's flesh burned away； peeling back to reveal a shifting kernel of flame beneath； pulsating with reddish light like a coal fanned by wind。 〃You will live to see His final triumph。 That is more reward than most mortals can expect！〃
〃Please！〃 Even as Ruben flared； Shem had begun to shrink； being small and gray as a charred parchment。 His tiny arm waved； crumbling。 〃Please； undying one； please。〃 His voice was oddly light； fraught with a kind of slyness。 〃I will ask nothing further…I will not speak of the Dark One again。 Forgive a mortal fool。 Teach me the Word！〃
Where Ruben had stood； a living flame glowed。 〃Very well； priest。 There is； perhaps； little risk in giving you this dangerous but final toy。 The Lord of All will be taking this world back soon enough…there is nothing you can do that He cannot make undone。 Very well。 I will teach you the Word； but the pain will be great。 No Change is without some cost。〃 Laughter bubbled again in the unearthly voice。 〃You will scream 。。。〃
〃I don't care！〃 Shem said； his ashy form swirling away now into darkness； as did the shadowed smith's and then the hayloft itself。 〃I don't care！ I must know！。。。〃 Finally； even the glowing thing that had been Ruben became only a bright point in the blackness 。。。 a star。 。 。 。
Simon awakened； breathless as a drowning man； his heart thudding in his chest。 There was a single star overhead； peeping through the hole in the top of their sleeping shelter like a blue…white eye。 He gasped。
Binabik lifted his head from Qantaqa's shaggy neck。 The troll was half…asleep； but struggling toward full wakefulness。 〃What is wrong； Simon？〃 he asked。 〃Were you having a dream that frightened？〃
Simon shook his head。 The tide of fear was ebbing a little； but he was sure it had been more than just a night fantasy。 It had seemed that an actual conversation was taking place nearby； a conversation that his sleeping mind had woven neatly into the stuff of his dream…a mundane happening that he had experienced many times。 What was strange and frightening was that there were no other speakers anywhere about： Sludig was snoring； Binabik obviously new…wakened。
〃It's nothing；〃 Simon said； struggling to speak evenly。 He crawled to the front of their lean…to； mindful of the bruises from the evening's stave…practice； and pushed his head out to look around。 The first star he had seen had a great deal of pany…a spatter of tiny white lights across the night sky。 The clouds had been driven away by the brisk wind； the night was clear and cold； and the unrelieved monotony of the White Waste stretched away on every side。 There was not another living thing to be seen anywhere beneath the ivory moon。
So it had only been a dream； a dream of how old Shem Horsegroom might speak with Pryrates' croaking tongue； and how Ruben the Bear might speak with the sepulchral tones of nothing on God's living earth。。。
〃Simon？〃 Binabik asked sleepily。 〃Are you。 。 。 ？〃
He was frightened； but if he was to be a man he could not run to cry on someone's shoulder every time