cspector.worldwithoutend-第13部分

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aks　colored　the　sky　to　the　east。　
　〃Why　did　you　do　that？〃　I　asked。
　〃I　just　now　found　you。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃You　went　running　off；　and　I　couldn't　find　you　for　three　days；〃　he　said　angrily。　〃Do　you　think　I　enjoyed　tramping　all　over　this　jerkwater　place？　I　used　up　a　hell　of　a　lot　of　goodwill　trying　to　figure　out　where　they　took　you。　Not　to　mention　the　energy。〃
　〃Thanks；〃　I　said。
　〃Thanks？　Thanks。　She　said；　'Thanks。'　Is　that　it？〃
　
　He　was　beginning　to　annoy　me。　I　was　searching　the　ground　trying　to　see　if　they'd　left　anything　behind　for　me　to　go　on。　And　all　he　was　doing　was　blathering　away。
　
　〃Yes；　thanks　for　ing　after　me。　What　do　you　want。　Harlequin？〃
　〃Perhaps　some　gratitude；〃　he　said。　〃I've　been　all　over　Connaught　looking　for　you。　It's　taken　a　hell　of　a　lot　of　casting　to　locate　you。〃
　〃I　hope　you're　up　to　some　more；〃　I　said。
　〃Why？〃　A　suspicious　look　crossed　his　face。
　〃Because　the　only　way　I　know　now　to　reach　the　Court　is　by　calling　up　the　Hunt。〃
　
　He　looked　a　little　pale。　I　was　glad　to　see　he　still　had　some　respect　for　the　old　ways。
　
　〃The　Chasse　Artu？〃
　〃Yes；〃　I　said；　feeling　a　little　happier　at　the　thought。　〃The　Wild　Hunt。　It's　been　so　long　since　I've　called　one；　let　alone　two。　We　really　must　make　preparations。〃
　〃Are　you　mad？　You　can't　possibly　call　up　the　Hunt　yourself；〃　he　said。　There　was　a　frightened　look　in　his　eye。　〃It　would　take　more　power　than　you　or　I　possess；　even　bined；　not　to　mention　the　time　involved。〃
　
　I　smiled。　〃Of　course　I　can't　call　up　the　entire　Hunt　myself。　No　one　could。　But　I　can　bring　up　the　steeds。　e　along。　I'll　sleep　while　you　drive。　By　the　way；　where　are　we？〃
　
　There　is　a　barren　plain。　No　grass　grows　here。　No　tree　mars　the　vastness　of　land。　Only　the　long　unbroken　earth　stretching　out　beneath　the　sickly　yellow　sky。
　
　A　moon　hangs　large　and　low。　It　casts　a　green　glow　and　turns　her　skin　the　color　of　illness。
　Of　death。
　
　When　I　woke；　it　was　getting　near　dark。　The　sun　rested　low　on　the　horizon；　showing　its　face　for　the　first　time　since　we'd　e　to　the　Tir。　Caimbeui　had　turned　the　vid　to　some　music　station　as　he　drove。　The　vid　flickered　and　changed；　turning　his　pale　face　a　rainbow　of　colors。
　
　It　took　me　a　moment　to　orient　myself。　I　felt　groggy　and　irritated　at　the　sensation。　My　scalp　itched　and　my　eyes　felt　gritty。　A　few　hours　of　sleep　to　make　up　for　the　three　days　I'd　missed　weren't　enough。
　
　〃Where　are　we？〃　I　asked。
　〃Just　south　of　Galway　City；〃　he　replied。
　〃Has　it　changed　much？〃　I　asked。
　〃Has　what　changed？〃
　〃Galway　City。〃
　〃pared　to　what？〃
　〃pared　to　what　it　was　before　the　Awakening。〃　〃A　bit；〃　he　said。　〃The　old　ways　have　taken　hold　pretty　firmly　there。〃
　
　I　pulled　my　bag　out　from　under　the　front　seat　and　began　rummaging　through　it。　Gum　wrappers；　cigs…rates；　shoelaces…then　I　found　it：　a　small　tin　whistle。　It　rode　on　a　thin　copper　necklace　that　I　slipped　over　my　head　and　nestled　down　between　my　breasts。　I　looked　out　at　the　passing　countryside。
　
　It　had　gone　wild　here。　No　fences　marked　property　lines。　The　roads　were　mostly　unpaved；　little　more　than　dirt　ruts。　It　reminded　me　of　a　time　long　ago；　long　before　this　world。　Back　when　another　world　was　young。　No；　it　was　me　who　was　young　then。
　
　I　remembered　what　happened　in　that　place　so　long　ago。　How　could　I　ever　forget？　And　now　it　seemed　that　the　mistakes　of　the　past　would　be　repeated。　This　world　would　be　torn　apart　unless　I　stopped　them。　Unless　I　stopped　him。
　
　Just　as　the　sun　was　setting；　I　saw　the　place。　Stone　tombs　silhouetted　against　the　red　sky。
　
　〃Pull　over　here；〃　I　said。
　Caimbeui　slowed　the　car。
　〃Are　you　sure？〃　he　asked。　〃I　can't　feel　anything。。。〃
　〃It'll　do。　This　place　is　lousy　with　caims。　The　whole　area　is　Awakened。〃
　
　
　
　
　A　blast　of　cool　air　hit　me　when　I　opened　the　car　door。　The　magic　was　heavy　here。　It　made　the　hair　on　the　back　of　my　neck　stand　on　end。　Then　I　noticed　a　strange　feeling　I　hadn't　had　in　a　time　out　of　mind：　excitement。　Things　couldn't　be　worse；　yet　I　felt　alive　for　the　first　time　in　years。　Had　the　centuries　finally　worn　me　down？　I　knew　they　had　for　some　of　the　others。　Some　until　they　resorted　to　terrible　means　to　stop　the　emptiness。
　
　'But　I　had　a　reason　to　live。　I　knew　my　purpose。　It　was　a　sacred　task。　To　keep　the　world　safe。　To　protect　it。　To　protect　the　people　in　it。　Or　so　I'd　told　myself。
　
　As　I　started　for　the　tombs；　Caimbeui　grabbed　my　arm。
　〃Are　you　certain　this　is　the　only　way？〃　he　asked。
　
　I　turned　and　looked　at　him。　In　the　flat　red　twilight　his　face　looked　like　the　very　vision　of　Lucifer。　A　dark；　yet　beautiful；　angel。
　
　〃Why；　Caimbeui；　I　almost　think　you　care；〃　I　said。
　He　frowned。　〃Don't　be　flip；〃　he　said。　〃If　Ysrthgrathe　has　found　you。。。　how　can　you　be　safe？〃
　
　I　reached　up　and　touched　his　face。　I　can't　describe　how　it　felt；　only　that　it　felt　like　him。　Like　Caimbeui。　My　flesh　remembered　his　as　surely　as　it　might　remember　the　smoothness　of　velvet　or　the　scratch　of　sandpaper。
　
　〃Nothing　is　safe　anymore；〃　I　replied。　〃Besides；　I've　been　alive　for　so　long；　it　might　be　good　to　rest。　Don't　you　ever　want　to　just。。。　stop？〃
　〃No；〃　he　said。　An　angry　look　crossed　his　face；　and　he　pulled　away　from　me。　〃It's　always　better　to　be　alive。　Life　is　better　than　death。〃
　
　I　wanted　to　stay　and　argue　with　him；　but　there　was　no　time。　It　almost　made　me　laugh。　After　so　many　years；　to　have　no　time。
　
　Instead；　I　turned　and　began　walking　to　the　caims。　
　The　sun　had　disappeared　and　the　sky　was　fading　from　scarlet　into　plum。　The　wind　had　died　down；　and　the　air　was　still。　No　birds　sang。　No　leaves　rustled。　No　animal　noises　carried　to　me。
　
　Once　I　reached　the　cairns；　I　turned　to　see　if　Caimbeui　had　followed　me。　He　was　a　shadow　against　the　fading　light。　I　held　my　hands　out　to　him　and；　after　a　moment；　he　took　them。　Though　I　didn't　need　him　to　call　up　the　Hunt；　I　wanted　him　to　be　there　with　me。
　
　I　closed　my　eyes　and　relaxed。　In　my　youth；　I　had　learned　magic　as　part　of　the　fabric　of　life。　I　saw　it　not　as　a　force　to　be　manipulated；　but　as　integral　to　life　itself。　A　thread　broken　here　could　cause　something　there　to　unravel。　Pulling　threads　together　could　create　something　where　there　had　been　nothing。
　
　But　the　mages　today　saw　magic　as　something　else。　Their　way　of　seeing　the　world　was　strange　and　alien　to　me。　I　objected　to　any　kind　of　cybernetic　enhancement。　Machines　can't　create。　They　can　only　do　what　they're　told。
　
　As　I　began　to　chant　the　words　to　the　spell；　I　opened　my　eyes。　The　moon　was　dark　and　the　stars　had　yet　to　appear。　I　couldn't　see　Caimbeui's　face；　but　could　just　make　out　the　shape　of　him　before　me。
　
　My　eyes　adjusted；　and　gradually　I　could　see　again。　The　granite　of　the　cairns　glowed　ghostly　pale。　Caimbeul's　face　looked　as　though　it　floated　in　the　air；　unattached　to　his　body。　He　joined　me　in　saying　the　words　to　the　spell。　It　was　a　strange　duet；　our　words　conjuring　up　the　Hunt。　I　blew　the　whistle；　and　it　made　no　sound　that　either　I　or　anyone　else　in　this　world　could　hear。
　
　
　At　first　there　was　nothing　but　our　voices　breaking　the　silence。　Then　the　wind　began。　It　howled　across　the　open　fields　and　whistled　through　the　tombs。　Caimbeui's　hair　was　pulled　free　of　his　ponytail　and　whipped　across　his　face。　The　ground　began　to　tremble。
　
　The　magic　flowed　through　me。　Into　me。　It　filled　me　and　shook　me。　My　muscles　screamed　with　the　agony　of　trying　to　hold　this　power。　To　mold　it　to　my　will。　Sweat　broke　out　across　my　face。　It　ran　down　my　back　and　streamed　over　my　breasts。
　
　It　was　terrible；　this　force。　This　chaos　and　madness　which　threatened　to　engulf　me。　It　wracked　my　muscles。　I　felt　as　though　it　would　rip　me　apart。　Tear　from　me　my　soul。　That　it　would　allow　the　insanity　of　the　past　to　e　and　claim　me　again。
　
　In　the　distance　I　could　hear　the　thundering　of　hooves。　I　raised　my　voice；　barely　able　to　hear　myself。　Barely　able　to　force　the　words　from　my　throat。　Caimbeul's　words　were　snatched　away　by　the　wind　as　he　uttered　them。
　
　The　magic　trembled　in　me；　flew　around　me；　pulled　at　the　world　and　drew　things　from　me。　Terrible　things。　Apparitions　from　the　past。　Nightmares　from　the　future。　We　stood　there；　trembling；　and　chanted　the　old　words。　Words　of　power