uleg.thefarthestshore-第41部分

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　　〃Who　are　you？〃
　　〃My　name　is　Lebannen。〃
　　Ged　spoke：　〃You　who　call　yourself　King；　do　you　not　know　who　this　is？〃
　　Again　Cob　held　utterly　still。　Then　he　said；　gasping　a　little　as　he　spoke；　〃But　he　is　dead　…　You　are　dead。　You　cannot　go　back。　There　is　no　way　out。　You　are　caught　here！〃　As　he　spoke；　the　glimmer　of　light　died　away　from　him；　and　they　heard　him　turn　in　the　darkness　and　go　away　from　them　into　it；　hastily。　〃Give　me　light；　my　lord！〃　Arren　cried；　and　Ged　held　up　his　staff　above　his　head；　letting　the　white　light　break　open　that　old　darkness；　full　of　rocks　and　shadows；　among　which　the　tall；　stooped　figure　of　the　blind　man　hurried　and　dodged；　going　upstream　from　them　with　a　strange；　unseeing；　unhesitating　gait。　After　him　Arren　came；　sword　in　hand；　and　after　him；　Ged。
　　Soon　Arren　had　outdistanced　his　panion；　and　the　light　was　very　faint；　much　interrupted　by　the　boulders　and　the　turnings　of　the　riverbed；　but　the　sound　of　Cob's　going；　the　sense　of　his　presence　ahead；　was　guide　enough。　Arren　drew　closer　slowly；　as　the　way　became　steeper。　They　were　climbing　in　a　steep　gorge　choked　with　stones；　the　Dry　River；　narrowing　to　its　head；　wound　between　sheer　banks。　Rocks　clattered　under　their　feet　and　under　their　hands；　for　they　had　to　clamber。　Arren　sensed　the　final　narrowing…in　of　the　banks；　and　with　a　lunge　forward　came　up　to　Cob　and　caught　his　arm；　halting　him　there：　at　a　kind　of　basin　of　rocks　five　or　six　feet　wide；　what　might　have　been　a　pool　if　ever　water　ran　there；　and　above　it　a　tumbled　cliff　of　rock　and　slag。　In　that　cliff　there　was　a　black　hole；　the　source　of　the　Dry　River。
　　Cob　did　not　try　to　pull　away　from　him。　He　stood　quite　still；　while　the　light　of　Ged's　approach　brightened　on　his　eyeless　face。　He　had　turned　that　face　to　Arren。　〃This　is　the　place；〃　he　said　at　last；　a　kind　of　smile　forming　on　his　lips。　〃This　is　the　place　you　seek。　See　it？　There　you　can　be　reborn。　All　you　need　do　is　follow　me。　You　will　live　immortally。　We　shall　be　kings　together。〃
　　Arren　looked　at　that　dry；　dark　springhead；　the　mouth　of　dust；　the　place　where　a　dead　soul；　crawling　into　earth　and　darkness；　was　born　again　dead：　abominable　it　was　to　him；　and　he　said　in　a　harsh　voice；　struggling　with　deadly　sickness；　〃Let　it　be　shut！〃
　　〃It　will　be　shut；〃　Ged　said；　ing　beside　them：　and　the　light　blazed　up　now　from　his　hands　and　face　as　if　he　were　a　star　fallen　on　earth　in　that　endless　night。　Before　him　the　dry　spring；　the　door；　yawned　open。　It　was　wide　and　hollow；　but　whether　deep　or　shallow　there　was　no　telling。　There　was　nothing　in　it　for　the　light　to　fall　on；　for　the　eye　to　see。　It　was　void。　Through　it　was　neither　light　nor　dark；　neither　life　nor　death。　It　was　nothing。　It　was　a　way　that　led　nowhere。
　　Ged　raised　up　his　hands　and　spoke。
　　Arren　still　held　Cob's　arm；　the　blind　man　had　laid　his　free　hand　against　the　rocks　of　the　cliff…wall。　Both　stood　still；　caught　in　the　power　of　the　spell。
　　With　all　the　skill　of　his　life's　training　and　with　all　the　strength　of　his　fierce　heart；　Ged　strove　to　shut　that　door；　to　make　the　world　whole　once　more。　And　under　his　voice　and　the　mand　of　his　shaping　hands　the　rocks　drew　together；　painfully；　trying　to　be　whole；　to　meet。　But　at　the　same　time　the　light　weakened　and　weakened；　dying　out　from　his　hands　and　from　his　face；　dying　out　from　his　yew　staff；　until　only　a　little　glimmer　of　it　clung　there。　By　that　faint　light　Arren　saw　that　the　door　was　nearly　closed。
　　Under　his　hand　the　blind　man　felt　the　rocks　move；　felt　them　e　together：　and　felt　also　the　art　and　power　giving　itself　up；　spending　itself；　spent…　And　all　at　once　he　shouted；　〃No！〃　and　broke　from　Arren's　grasp；　lunged　forward；　and　caught　Ged　in　his　blind；　powerful　grasp。　Bearing　Ged　down　under　his　weight；　he　closed　his　hands　on　his　throat　to　strangle　him。
　　Arren　raised　up　the　sword　of　Serriadh　and　brought　the　blade　down　straight　and　hard　on　the　bowed　neck　beneath　the　matted　hair。
　　The　living　spirit　has　weight　in　the　world　of　the　dead；　and　the　shadow　of　his　sword　has　an　edge。　The　blade　made　a　great　wound；　severing　Cob's　spine。　Black　blood　leapt　out；　lit　by　the　sword's　own　light。
　　But　there　is　no　good　in　killing　a　dead　man；　and　Cob　was　dead；　years　dead。　The　wound　closed；　swallowing　its　blood。　The　blind　man　stood　up　very　tall；　groping　out　with　his　long　arms　at　Arren；　his　face　writhing　with　rage　and　hatred：　as　if　he　had　just　now　perceived　who　his　true　enemy　and　rival　was。
　　So　horrible　to　see　was　this　recovery　from　a　deathblow；　this　inability　to　die；　more　horrible　than　any　dying；　that　a　rage　of　loathing　swelled　up　in　Arren；　a　berserk　fury；　and　swinging　up　the　sword　he　struck　again　with　it；　a　full；　terrible；　downward　blow。　Cob　fell　with　skull　split　open　and　face　masked　with　blood；　yet　Arren　was　upon　him　at　once；　to　strike　again；　before　the　wound　could　close；　to　strike　until　he　killed。。。
　　Beside　him　Ged；　struggling　to　his　knees；　spoke　one　word。
　　At　the　sound　of　his　voice　Arren　was　stopped；　as　if　a　hand　had　grasped　his　sword…arm。　The　blind　man；　who　had　begun　to　rise；　also　held　utterly　still。　Ged　got　to　his　feet；　he　swayed　a　little。　When　he　could　hold　himself　erect；　he　faced　the　cliff。
　　〃Be　thou　made　whole！〃　he　said　in　a　clear　voice；　and　with　his　staff　he　drew　in　lines　of　fire　across　the　gate　of　rocks　a　figure：　the　rune　Agnen；　the　Rune　of　Ending；　which　closes　roads　and　is　drawn　on　coffin　lids。　And　there　was　then　no　gap　or　void　place　among　the　boulders。　The　door　was　shut。
　　The　earth　of　the　Dry　Land　trembled　under　their　feet；　and　across　the　unchanging；　barren　sky　a　long　roll　of　thunder　ran　and　died　away。
　　〃By　the　word　that　will　not　be　spoken　until　time's　end　I　summoned　thee。　By　the　word　that　was　spoken　at　the　making　of　things　I　now　release　thee。　Go　free！〃　And　bending　over　the　blind　man；　who　was　crouched　on　his　knees；　Ged　whispered　in　his　ear；　under　the　white；　tangled　hair。
　　Cob　stood　up。　He　looked　about　him　slowly；　with　seeing　eyes。　He　looked　at　Arren　and　then　at　Ged。　He　spoke　no　word；　but　gazed　at　them　with　dark　eyes。　There　was　no　anger　in　his　face；　no　hate；　no　grief。　Slowly　he　turned；　went　off　down　the　course　of　the　Dry　River；　and　soon　was　gone　to　sight。
　　There　was　no　more　light　on　Ged's　yew　staff　or　in　his　face。　He　stood　there　in　the　darkness。　When　Arren　came　to　him　he　caught　at　the　young　man's　arm　to　hold　himself　upright。　For　a　moment　a　spasm　of　dry　sobbing　shook　him。　〃It　is　done；〃　he　said。　〃It　is　all　gone。〃
　　〃It　is　done；　dear　lord。　We　must　go。〃
　　〃Aye。　We　must　go　home。〃
　　Ged　was　like　one　bewildered　or　exhausted。　He　followed　Arren　back　down　the　river…course；　stumbling　along　slowly　and　with　difficulty　among　the　rocks　and　boulders。　Arren　stayed　with　him。　When　the　banks　of　the　Dry　River　were　low　and　the　ground　was　less　steep；　he　turned　toward　the　way　they　had　e；　the　long；　formless　slope　that　led　up　into　the　dark。　Then　he　turned　away。
　　Ged　said　nothing。　As　soon　as　they　halted；　he　bad　sunk　down；　sitting　on　a　lava…boulder；　forspent；　his　head　hanging。
　　Arren　knew　that　the　way　they　had　e　was　closed　to　them。　They　could　only　go　on。　They　must　go　all　the　way。　〃Even　too　far　is　not　far　enough；〃　he　thought。　He　looked　up　at　the　black　peaks；　cold　and　silent　against　the　unmoving　stars；　terrible；　and　once　more　that　ironic；　mocking　voice　of　his　will　spoke　in　him；　unrelenting：　〃Will　you　stop　halfway；　Lebannen？〃
　　He　went　to　Ged　and　said　very　gently；　〃We　must　go　on；　my　lord。〃
　　Ged　said　nothing；　but　he　stood　up。
　　〃We　must　go　by　the　mountains；　I　think。〃
　　〃Thy　way；　lad；〃　Ged　said　in　a　hoarse　whisper。　〃Help　me。〃
　　So　they　set　out　up　the　slopes　of　dust　and　scoria　into　the　mountains；　Arren　helping　his　panion　along　as　well　as　he　could。　It　was　black　dark　in　the　bes　and　gorges；　so　that　he　had　to　feel　the　way　ahead；　and　it　was　hard　for　him　to　give　Ged　support　at　the　same　time。　Walking　was　hard；　a　stumbling　matter；　but　when　they　had　to　climb　and　clamber　as　the　slopes　grew　steeper；　that　was　harder　still。　The　rocks　were　rough；　burning　their　hands　like　molten　iron。　Yet　it　was　cold　and　got　colder　as　they　went　higher。　There　was　a　torment　in　the　touch　of　this　earth。　It　seared　like　live　coals：　a　fire　burned　within　the　mountains。　But　the　air　was　always　cold　and　always　dark。　There　was　no　sound。　No　wind　blew。　The　sharp　rocks　broke　under　thei