srdonaldson.thepowerthatpreserves-第19部分

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e　south　wall　from　a　position　out　of　Loerya's　reach。　Yet　this　assault　was　defeated　also。　In　a　moment　of　inspiration；　the　Haft　manding　the　archers　ordered　them　to　direct　their　shafts　at　the　acid　as　it　arced　toward　the　Keep。　The　archers　fired　a　dozen　shafts　in　rapid　succession　into　the　gout　of　fluid；　and　succeeded　in　breaking　it　apart；　so　that　it　spattered　against　the　stone　in　weaker　pieces　and　did　little　harm。
　　　　Fortunately；　there　were　no　more　attacks　that　night。　All　the　new　Gildenlode　arrows　had　been　used；　and　the　process　of　making　more　was　slow　and　difficult。　Throughout　the　next　day　also　there　were　no　attacks；　though　the　sentries　could　see　ur…viles　building　catapults　in　the　distance。　No　move　was　made　against　Revelstone　until　deep　in　the　chattering　darkness　of　midnight。　Then　alarms　rang　through　the　Keep；　calling　all　its　defenders　from　their　work　or　rest。　In　the　wind…torn　light　of　arrows　aflame　like　torches　in　the　frozen　earth；　the　Lords　and　Hirebrands　and　Gravelingases　and　warriors　and　Lorewardens　saw　ten　catapults　being　cranked　into　position　beyond　the　range　of　the　archers。
　　　　Orders　hummed　through　the　stone　of　the　Keep。　Men　and　women　dashed　to　take　their　places。　In　moments；　a　Lord　or　a　team　of　defenders　stood　opposite　each　catapult。　As　the　cups　were　filled；　Revelstone　braced　itself　for　the　onslaught　of　power。
　　　　At　the　flash　of　a　dank　green　signal　from　Satansfist；　the　ten　catapults　threw。
　　　　The　defense　outlined　Revelstone　in　light；　cast　so　much　bright　orange；　yellow；　and　blue　fire　from　the　walls　that　the　whole　plateau　blazed　in　the　darkness　like　a　conflagration　of　defiance。　Working　together　from　the　tower；　Mhoram　and　Amatin　threw　bolts　of　power　which　cast　down　two　of　the　vitriol　attacks。　From　the　plateau　atop　Revelstone；　the　Lords　Trevor　and　Loerya　used　their　advantage　of　height　to　help　them　each　deflect　one　cupful　of　corrosion　into　the　ground。
　　　　Two　of　the　remaining　attacks　were　torn　apart　by　Hearthrall　Borillar's　arrows。　Using　a　piece　of　orcrest　given　to　them　by　Hearthrall　Tohrm；　and　a　lomillialor　rod　obtained　from　Lord　Amatin；　teams　of　Lorewardens　erected　barriers　which　consumed　most　of　the　virulence　in　two　assaults；　prevented　them　from　doing　any　irrecoverable　damage。
　　　　Gravelingases　met　the　last　two　throws　of　the　ur…viles。　With　one　partner；　Tohrm　had　positioned　himself　on　a　balcony　directly　in　front　of　one　catapult。　They　stood　on　either　side　of　a　stone　vat　of　graveling；　and　sang　a　deep　rhadhamaerl　song　which　slowly　brought　their　mortal　flesh　into　harmony　with　the　mounting　radiance　of　the　fire…stones。　While　the　ur…viles　filled　the　cup　of　the　machine；　Tohrm　and　his　panion　thrust　their　arms　into　the　graveling；　pushed　their　lore…preserved　hands　deep　among　the　fire…stones　near　the　sides　of　the　vat。　There　they　waited　in　the　golden　heat；　singing　their　earthish　song　until　the　catapult　threw　and　the　vitriol　sprang　toward　them。
　　　　In　the　last　instant；　they　heaved　a　double　armful　of　graveling　up　at　the　black　gout。　The　two　powers　collided　scant　feet　above　their　heads；　and　the　force　of　the　impact　knocked　them　flat　on　the　balcony。　The　wet　corrosion　of　the　acid　turned　the　graveling　instantly　to　cinders；　but　in　turn　the　rhadhamaerl　might　of　the　fire…stones　burned　away　the　acid　before　the　last　drop　of　it　touched　Tohrm　or　Revelstone。
　　　　The　other　pair　of　Gravelingases　were　not　so　successful。　They　mistimed　their　countering　heave；　and　as　a　result　their　graveling　only　stopped　half　the　vitriol。　Both　men　died　in　fluid　fire　which　destroyed　a　wide　section　of　the　balcony。
　　　　But　instead　of　striking　again；　launching　more　attacks　to　wear　down　the　defenses　of　the　Keep；　the　ur…viles　abandoned　their　catapults　and　withdrew…apparently　satisfied　with　what　they　had　learned　about　Revelstone's　mettle。
　　　　High　Lord　Mhoram　watched　them　go　with　surprise　in　his　face　and　cold　dread　in　his　heart。　Surely　the　ur…viles　had　not　been　intimidated　by　the　defense。　If　Satansfist　chose　now　to　change　his　tactics；　it　was　because　he　had　measured　the　weakness　of　Revelstone；　and　knew　a　better　way　to　capitalize　on　it。
　　　　The　next　morning；　Mhoram　saw　the　mencement　of　Satansfist's　new　strategy；　but　for　two　days　after　that　he　did　not　prehend　it。　The　Raver's　hordes　moved　closer　to　Revelstone；　placed　themselves　hardly　a　hundred　yards　from　the　walls；　and　faced　the　plateau　as　if　they　expected　its　defenders　to　leap　willingly　into　their　jaws。　The　ur…viles　moved　among　the　slavering　creatures　and　Cavewights；　and　formed　scores　of　wedges　which　seemed　to　point　toward　the　very　heart　of　Revelstone。　And　behind　them　Satansfist　stood　in　a　broad　piece　of　open　ground；　openly　wielding　his　Stone　for　the　first　time。　But　he　launched　no　physical　onslaught；　offered　the　Keep　no　opportunity　to　strike　or　be　stricken。　Instead；　his　creatures　dropped　to　their　hands　and　knees；　and　glared　hungrily　at　Revelstone　like　crouching　preyers。　The　ur…vile　loremasters　set　the　tips　of　their　staves　in　the　ground；　began　a　barking　ululation　or　invocation　which　carried　in　shreds　to　the　Keep　through　the　tearing　wind。　And　samadhi　Raver；　Sheol　and　Satansfist；　squeezed　his　fragment　of　the　Illearth　Stone　so　that　it　ran　with　steam　like　boiling　ice。
　　　　As　Mhoram　watched；　he　could　feel　the　upsurge　of　power　on　all　sides；　the　exertion　of　might　radiated　at　him　until　the　skin　of　his　cheeks　stung　under　it　despite　the　raw　chill　of　the　wind。　But　the　besiegers　took　no　other　action。　They　held　their　positions　in　fierce　concentration；　scowling　murderously　as　if　they　were　envisioning　the　blood　of　their　victims。
　　　　Slowly；　tortuously；　they　began　to　have　an　effect　upon　the　ground　of　the　foothills。　From　the　unflickering　green　blaze　of　the　Stone；　a　rank　emerald　hue　spread　to　the　dirt　around　Satansfist's　feet　and　throbbed　in　the　soil　It　encircled　him；　pulsing　like　a　fetid　heart；　then　sent　crooked　offshoots　like　green　veins　through　the　ground　toward　Revelstone。　These　grew　with　each　savage　throb；　branched　out　until　they　reached　the　backs　of　the　crouching　hordes。　At　that　point；　red　pain　sickly　tinged　with　green　blossomed　from　the　embedded　tips　of　the　loremasters'　staves。　Like　Satansfist's　emerald；　the　ill　red　grew　in　the　ground　like　arteries　or　roots　of　hurt。　It　shone　through　the　gray　ice　on　the　earth　without　melting　it；　and　expanded　with　each　throb　of　samadhi's　central　power　until　all　of　Revelstone　was　ringed　in　pulsing　veins。
　　　　The　process　of　this　growth　was　slow　and　deadly；　by　nightfall；　the　red…green　harm　was　not　far　past　the　feet　of　the　ur…viles；　and　after　a　long；　lurid　darkness；　dawn　found　the　veins　just　halfway　to　the　walls。　But　it　was　implacable　and　sure。　Mhoram　could　conceive　no　defense　against　it　because　he　did　not　know　what　it　was。
　　　　During　the　next　two　days；　the　dread　of　it　spread　over　Lord's　Keep。　People　began　to　talk　in　whispers。　Men　and　women　hurried　from　place　to　place　as　if　they　feared　that　the　city　stone　were　turning　against　them。　Children　whimpered　inexplicably；　and　winced　at　the　sight　of　well…known　faces。　A　thick　atmosphere　of　fear　and　inprehension　hovered　in　Revel…stone　like　the　spread　wings　of　an　alighting　vulture。　Yet　Mhoram　did　not　grasp　what　was　being　done　to　the　city　until　the　evening　of　the　third　day。　Then　by　chance　he　approached　Warmark　Quaan　unseen　and　unheard；　and　at　the　touch　of　his　hand　on　Quaan's　shoulder；　the　Warmark　reeled　away　in　panic；　clawing　at　his　sword。　When　his　eyes　finally　recognized　the　High　Lord；　his　face　filled　with　a　gray　ash　of　misery；　and　he　trembled　like　an　overwhelmed　novice。
　　　　With　a　groan　of　insight；　Mhoram　understood　Revelstone's　plight。　Dread　of　the　unknown　was　only　the　surface　of　the　peril。　As　he　threw　his　arms　around　Quaan's　trembling；　he　saw　that　the　red…green　veins　of　power　in　the　ground　were　not　a　physical　danger；　rather；　they　were　a　vehicle　for　the　raw　emotional　force　of　the　Despiser's　malice…a　direct　attack　on　the　Keep's　will；　a　corrosive　hurled　against　the　moral　fabric　of　Revelstone's　resistance。
　　　　Fear　was　growing　like　a　fatal　disease　in　the　heart　of　Lord's　Keep。　Under　the　influence　of　those　lurid　veins；　the　courage　of　the　city　was　beginning　to　rot。
　　　　It　had　no　defense。　The　lillianrill　and　rhadhamaerl　could　build　vast　warming　fires　within　the　walls。　The　Lorewardens　could　sing　in　voices　that　shook　helplessly　brave　songs　of　encouragement　and　victory。　The　Warward　could　drill　and　train　until　the　warriors　had　neither　leisure　nor　stamina　for　fear。　The　Lords　could　flit　throughout　the　city　like　blue　ravens；　carrying　the　light　of　courage　and　support　and　intransigence　wherever　they　went；　from　gray　day　to　blind　night　to　gray　day　again。　The　Keep　was　not　idle。　As　time　dragged　its　dread…aggravated　length　along；　moved　through　its　skeletal　round　with　an　almost　audible　clatter　of　fleshless　bones；　everything　that　could　be　done　was　done。　The　Lords　took　to　moving　everywhere　with　their　staffs　alight；　so　that　their　bright　azure　could　resist　the　erosion　of　Revel…stone's　spirit。　But　still　the　veined；　bloody　harm　in　the　ground　multiplied　its　aegis　over　the　city。　The　malignance　of　tenscore　thousand　evil　hearts　stifled　all　opposition。
　　　　Soon　even　the　mountain　rock　of　the　plateau　seemed　to　be　whimpering　in　silent　fear。　Within　five　days；　some　families　locked　themselves　in　their　rooms　and　refused　to　e　out；　they　feared　to　be　abroad　in　the　city。　Others　fled　to　the　appare