srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第62部分

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　The　vegetation　of　the　Sarangrave　gave　way　to　different　kinds　of　growths：　tall；　dark　trees　with　limbs　that　spread　out　widely　above　bare　trunks；　hanging　mosses；　ferns　of　all　kinds；　bushes　that　clung　to　naked　rock　with　thin　root…fingers　and　seemed　to　drink　from　the　river　through　leaves　and　branches。　Water　snakes　swam　out　of　the　path　of　the　raft。　And　the　stench　of　the　Course　slowly　faded　into　a　smell　of　accumulated　wet　decay　and　stagnation。
　Thus　the　mission　entered　Lifeswallower；　the　Great　Swamp。
　As　they　moved；　Korik　kept　the　raft　in　the　northern　passages。　In　this　way；　he　was　able　to　begin　traveling　northeastward…toward　Seareach…and　to　avoid　the　heart　of　Lifeswallower。
　When　night　came；　they　were　fortunate　that　the　sky　was　clear；　in　that　tortuous　channel；　starless　darkness　would　have　halted　the　mission　altogether。
　Yet　they　were　still　in　one　of　the　less　difficult　regions　of　Lifeswallower；　water　still　flowed　over　the　deep　mud　and　silt。　Eastward；　in　the　heart　of　the　Great　Swamp；　the　water　slowly　sank　into　the　ground；　creating　one　continuous　quagmire　for　scores　of　leagues　in　all　directions；　where　the　mud　flowed　and　seethed　almost　imperceptibly。
　But　in　other　things　they　were　not　so　fortunate。　The　fever　now　raged　in　Lord　Hyrim。　Though　Sill　had　fed　him　with　aliantha；　and　on　water　boiled　clean；　he　was　failing。　Already　he　looked　thinner；　and　he　shook　as　if　there　were　a　palsy　in　his　bones。
　And　without　him…without　the　power　of　his　staff　the　mission　could　not　escape　Lifeswallower。　The　steersmen　were　forced　to　keep　the　raft　where　the　water　was　deepest　because　the　mud　of　the　Swamp　sucked　at　their　poles。　If　the　logs　touched　that　clinging　mud；　the　Bloodguard　would　be　unable　to　pull　the　raft　free。
　Even　in　the　center　of　the　channel；　their　progress　was　threatened　by　the　peculiar　trees　of　Lifeswallower。　These　trees　the　Giants　called　marshwaders。　Despite　their　height；　and　the　wide　stretch　of　their　limbs；　their　roots　were　not　anchored　in　solid　ground。　Rather　they　held　themselves　；erect　in　the　mud；　and　they　seemed　to
　move　with　the　submerged；　subtle　currents　of　the　Swamp。　Passages　that　looked　open　from　a　distance　were　closed　when　the　raft　reached　them；　channels　appeared　which　had　been　invisible　earlier。　More　than　once　trees　moved　toward　each　other　as　the　raft　passed　between　them；　as　if　they　sought　to　capture　it。
　All　these　things　grew　worse　as　the　days　passed。　The　level　of　the　water　in　the　channel　was　declining。　As　the　mission　moved　north　and　east；　more　and　more　of　the　river　was　swallowed　into　the　mire；　and　the　raft　sank　toward　the　mud。
　The　Bloodguard　could　find　no　escape。　Lifeswallower　allowed　them　no　opportunity　to　work　their　way　northward　to　solid　ground。　Although　they　were　always　within　half　a　league　of　the　simple　marsh　which　bordered　the　Swamp；　they　could　not　reach　it。　They　thrust　the　raft　along；　labored　tirelessly　day　and　night；　paused　only　to　collect　aliantha　and　firewood。　But　they　could　not　escape。　They　needed　Lord　Hyrim's　power…and　he　was　lost　in　delirium。　His　eyes　were　crusted　as　if　with　dried　foam；　and　only　the　treasure…berries　and　boiled　water　which　Sill　forced　into　him　kept　him　alive。
　During　the　afternoon　of　the　eighteenth　day　of　the　mission；　the　logs　of　the　raft　touched　mud。　Though　thin　water　still　gleamed　among　the　trees；　the　raft　no　longer　floated。　The　bog　held　it　despite　the　best　efforts　of　the　steersmen；　and　drew　it　eastward　deeper　into　the　Swamp；　moving　with　the　slow　current　of　the　mire。
　Korik　could　not　see　any　hope。　But　Sill　disagreed。　He　insisted　that　within　Lord　Hyrim's　ill　flesh　an　unquenched　spirit　survived。　He　felt　it　with　his　hand　on　the　Lord's　brow；　something　in　Hyrim　still　resisted　the　fever。　Through　the　long　watch　of　the　day；　he　nourished　that　spirit　with　treasure…berries　and　boiled；　brackish　water。　And　in　the　evening　the　Lord　rallied。　Some　of　the　dry　flush　left　his　face；　he　began　to　sweat。　As　his　chills　faded；　his　breathing　became　easier。　By　nightfall　he　was　sleeping　quietly。
　But　it　appeared　that　he　had　begun　to　recover　too　late。　Deep　in　the　dark　night；　the　grip　of　the　mud　bore　the　raft　into　an　open　flat　devoid　of　trees。　There　the　current　eddied；　turned　back　on　itself；　formed　a　slow
　whirlpool　just　broad　enough　to　catch　all　four　sides　of　the　raft　and　start　sucking　it　down。
　And　the　Bloodguard　could　do　nothing。　Here　all　strength　and　fidelity　lost　their　worth；　here　no　Vow　had　meaning。　The　mission　was　in　Lord　Hyrim's　hands；　and　he　was　weak。
　But　when　Korik　wakened　him；　the　Lord's　eyes　were　lucid。　He　listened　as　Korik　told　him　of　the　mission's　plight。　Then　after　a　time　he　said；　〃How　far　must　we　go　to　escape？〃
　〃A　league；　Lord。〃　Korik　indicated　the　direction　with　a　nod。
　〃So　far？　Friend　Korik；　someday　you　must　tell　me　how　we　came　to　these　straits。〃　Sighing；　he　pulled　himself　close　to　the　fire　and　began　eating　the　mission's　store　of　aliantha。　He　made　no　attempt　to　rise　until　he　had　eaten　it　all。
　Then；　with　Sill's　help；　he　climbed　to　his　feet　on　the　slowly　revolving　raft；　and　moved　into　position。　Bracing　himself　against　the　Bloodguard；　he　thrust　his　staff　between　the　logs　into　the　mud。
　A　snatch　of　song　broke　through　his　teeth；　the　staff　began　to　pulse　in　his　hands。
　For　a　time；　his　exertions　had　no　effect。　Power　mounted　in　his　staff；　grew　higher　at　the　mand　of　his　uncertain　strength；　but　the　raft　still　sank　deeper　into　the　Swamp。　The　stench　of　decay　and　death　thickened。　Lord　Hyrim　groaned　at　the　strain；　and　summoned　more　of　his　strength。　He　began　to　sing　aloud。
　Blue　sparks　burst　from　the　wood　of　his　staff；　ran　down　into　the　muck。　With　a　loud　sucking　noise；　the　raft　pulled　free　of　the　eddy；　lumbered　away。　Swinging　around　the　whirlpool；　it　started　northward。
　For　a　long　time；　Lord　Hyrim　kept　the　raft　moving。　Then　he　reached　the　marshwaders　on　the　north　side　of　the　eddy。　There　the　Bloodguard　threw　out　clingor　lines　to　the　trees　ahead；　used　the　ropes　to　pull　the　raft　along。　At　once；　Hyrim　dropped　his　power　and　slumped　forward。　Sill　bore　him　back　to　the　center　of　the　raft。　As　soon　as　he　lay　down　by　the　embers　of　the　fire；　he　was　asleep。
　But　now　the　Bloodguard　no　longer　needed　his　help。

　They　cast　out　the　clingor　ropes　and　heaved　on　them；　hauled　the　raft　between　the　trees。　Their　progress　was　slow；　but　they　did　not　falter。　And　when　the　mud　became　so　thick　that　their　ropes　broke　under　the　strain；　they　strung　lines　between　the　trees　and　left　the　raft。　Sill　carried　Lord　Hyrim　lashed　to　his　back；　and　moved　through　the　mire　by　pulling　himself　along　the　lines　while　the　other　Bloodguard　strung　new　ropes　ahead　and　released　the　ones　behind。　Then；　at　last；　in　the　light　of　dawn；　the　mud　changed　to　soft　wet　clay；　the　trees　gave　way　to　stands　of　cane　and　marshgrass；　and　the　Bloodguard　began　to　feel　solid　ground　with　their　bare　toes。
　Thus　they　came　out　into　the　wide　belt　of　marsh　that　bordered　Lifeswallower。
　In　the　distance　ahead；　they　could　see　the　steep　hills　which　formed　the　southern　edge　of　Seareach。
　The　mission　had　lost　three　days。
　Yet　the　Bloodguard　did　not　begrudge　Lord　Hyrim　the　time　to　cook　a　hot　meal　from　the　last　supplies。　The　Lord　was　worn　and　wasted；　his　once…round　face　had　bee　as　lean　as　a　wolfs。　He　needed　food　and　rest。　And　the　mission　would　make　good　speed　across　Seareach　toward　Coercri。　If　necessary；　the　Bloodguard　could　carry　Lord　Hyrim。
　When　he　had　eaten；　the　Lord　groaned　to　his　feet；　and　started　toward　the　hills。　He　set　a　slow　pace；　he　was　forced　to　rest　long　and　often。　The　Bloodguard　soon　saw　that　at　this　rate　they　would　need　all　day　to　cross　the　five　leagues　to　the　hills。　But　the　Lord　refused　their　offer　of　aid。　〃Haste？〃　he　said。　〃I　have　no　heart　for　haste。〃　And　his　voice　had　a　bitterness　which　surprised　them　until　Korik　reminded　them　of　what　they　had　heard　from　Warhaft　Hoerkin；　and　of　what　the　Lord's　response　had　been。　Hyrim　apparently　believed　Hoerkin's　prophecy　concerning　the　downfall　of　the　Giants。
　Yet　the　Lord　labored　throughout　the　day　to　reach　the　hills；　and　the　next　day　he　strove　to　climb　the　hills　as　if　he　had　changed　during　the　night；　recovered　his　sense　of　urgency。　Rolling　his　eyes　at　the　arduous
　slope；　he　pushed　himself；　labored　upward　at　the　limit　of　his　returning　strength。
　When　at　last…　he　crested　the　hill；　he　and　all　the　Bloodguard　paused　to　look　at　Seareach。
　The　land　which　the　Old　Lords　had　given　to　the　Giants　for　a　home　was　wide　and　fair。　Enclosed　by　hills　on　the　south；　mountains　on　the　west；　and　the　Sunbirth　Sea　on　the　east；　it　was　a　green　haven　for　the　shipwrecked　voyagers。　But　although　they　used　the　Land…cultivated　the　rolling　countryside　with　crops　of　all　kinds；　planted　immense　vineyards；　grew　whole　forests　of　the　special　redwood　and　teak　trees　from　which　they　crafted　their　huge　ships…they　did　not　people　it。　They　were　lovers　of　the　sea；　and。　preferred　to　make　their　dwelling　places　in　the　cliffs　of　the　rocky　coast；　forty　leagues　east　from　where　the　mission　now　stood。
　During　the　age　of　Damelon　Giantfriend；　when　the　Unhomed　were　more　numerous；　they　had　spread　out　along　the　coast；　building　homes　and　villages　across　the　whole　eastern　side　of　Seareach。　But　their　numbers　had　slowly　declined；　until　now　they　were　only　a　third　of　what　they　had　once　been。　Yet　they　were　a　long…lived；　story…loving；　gay　people　and　the　lack　of　children　hur