 |
 |
|
|
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] "Yes," said Eshan, "it has been a long, long time. I have been weary. We have all been weary& " The voice began to fade. "But now, at last& we will rest& " The voice of Eshan fell silent. There was nothing to mark his dying; but to Jim it was almost as if he could feel the life passing away from the armor below him. Suddenly it was only so much jumbled metal. Slowly, Jim and Dafydd got to their feet. Carolinus was standing beside them. "Now they are gone, indeed," said Carolinus. He turned away, and Jim and Dafydd turned with him. They started to walk back toward Herrac and his sons, just a short distance away. Page 246 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html "The last of them dead, then?" asked Herrac. "He died as we listened to his final words," said Jim. "I think they were all tired of what they called life all the Hollow Men. Perhaps all like Eshan, who died here, are grateful to us." There was a long moment of silence, not only by those around Jim, but among the Little Men and the Borderers who were still at the edge of the field. A strange stillness as well as silence; then Jim suddenly realized that the evil wind had ceased blowing. Unexpectedly, Carolinus chuckled, breaking that silence. Jim turned to look at him, surprised. "The Accounting Office!"Carolinus explained fiercely. "They've been trying to get through to me for some time!Now , I'll let them reach me soon!" He rubbed his hands together, almost as gleefully as Brian looking forward to a battle. "But not just yet.Onemore small thing to do. I suppose you want to get back to Castle de Mer and see how your friend Brian is?" "Yes!" said Jim, suddenly conscience-stricken. He had completely forgotten Brian for the moment. "Is he all right? I mean ?" He did not want to put into words his fear that Brian might have been somehow more badly hurt than they thought, and now be dead. "No, no," said Carolinus testily. "Go see for yourself.Back to Brian's sick-room with you!" There was a blink and Jim found himself standing in Brian's room in the Castle de Mer. A couple of servants were standing waiting in the corner, and Liseth was hovering over the bed. Brian was not only not dead, he was propped up and talking. " Andwine!" he said. "As well as some meat and bread at least! I could eat a horse!" "I don't know whether Sir James would approve " Liseth started to answer, but found herself broken into by Brian's interruption as his glance went past her to see Jim. "James!" he said. "You're here. You're back from the battle! What happened? What of the Worm " "The Worm is dead," said Jim flatly. "How?How?" cried Brian excitedly, looking as if he would clamber out of the bed unless he got an answer right away. "Well," said Jim, "he was killed. I was lucky with the lance " "You killed it!" shouted Brian gleefully."And with a lance? I knew you would!" "In spite of knowing how poor my lance-work was?" Jim could not resist the dig. Page 247 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html "James!" said Brian reproachfully. "Well, you're right," Jim relented. "I put my lance through it, but had to do the real killing with my sword." "Oh, I knew you'd find a way," said Brian. "Now we must have wine, you and I. We must drink together; and, Liseth, you must drink with us. The Worm is dead!" A change suddenly came over his face. "And the Hollow Men " he said anxiously. "Are they all dead?" "Yes," said Jim."They, too. Dafydd put an arrow through their leader, Eshan, while I was fighting the Worm; and he was the last Hollow Man alive. Dafydd and I watched him finally die, a little later. They will not rise again." "Well, we must celebrate. We really must celebrate!" Brian turned to Liseth. "How can you delay ordering someone down to the kitchen, m'Lady, on such an occasion as this?" But Liseth had already turned to the servants. "You, Humbert," she said."Down to the kitchen with you; and back with a pitcher of wine and cups, plus bread and meat for Sir Brian." She did not have to add "run." Humbert left the room with the suddenness of an arrow discharged from Dafydd's bow. It may have been,Jim thought, that he was just as eager to carry the news to the kitchen as he was to perform the service. But all that would matter to Brian was that he went and came back with the necessary items as fast as possible. When he did come back, Brian helped himself hugely to the wine, meat and bread; meanwhile asking Jim further questions about his encounter with the Worm. "& And you remembered my instructions, all the time, didn't you?" Brian interrupted when Jim was describing his attack with his lance, after circling the creature until he was in a good position to make that attack. "A wise move, that circling," said Brian thoughtfully, over the rim of his wine cup. "I own freely I would not have thought of it, myself." But he went on to question Jim closely about his techniques of using the weapon. "You kept your point low as you went in?" he asked."The way I've showed you? A lancepoint cannot simply be aimed directly at its target, the way a bowman aims his arrow at a stationary mark. It must be kept pointed loosely, in balance with the horse's movements. Only at the last moment do you grip it tightly. But you did keep the point low?" "Yes," said Jim. Then Brian began to question Jim about his use of sword and shield when he was in close to the Worm. Brian was interested in the fact that Jim had been battered by the forepart of the creature, even though it was blind with its two eyestalks cut off. "My Worm did that to me," he said. "Somehow the damned thing knows, at least, Page 248 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html about where you are." "Not surprising," said Jim. "Close your eyes and see if you can touch the tip of your nose with the tip of your left thumb." Brian tried it. And, somewhat tohis own surprise, succeeded. "There's something in all our bodies that lets us know where the rest of the body parts are," said Jim. "It must be no different with the Worm." "Well, well," said Brian. "No doubt you're right " He interrupted himself to yawn hugely. "I know not what it is," he said, "but I am of a sudden very tired and sleep-hungry." Jim thought to himself that this was not surprising, seeing that Brian had been exhausted to start off with; and now was undoubtedly being hit by fatigue like an avalanche, with the alcohol in the wine, and the food and meat inside him. Brian would need a lot of sleep before he was ready to get back on his feet again. "Best we let you rest," said Jim. He looked at Liseth, who nodded. Brian was already settling down in the bed; and, as they watched, his eyes closed and he was asleep. "Watch him carefully now!" said Liseth to the servants, sharply, as she and Jim went out the door into the corridor. The door closed behind them and they started off down the corridor toward the stairs and returned to the Great Hall below. For the first time Jim noticed how drawn and unhappy her face looked, now that they were away from Brian. "Is there something wrong, Liseth?" he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. She stopped, he stopped with her; and she suddenly clung to him, burying her face in his chest and bursting into tears. "Oh, Sir James!" she sobbed. "I love him so!" Jim's heart sank.All that was needed to complete Brian's awkward falling in love with Liseth, was for Liseth to fall back in love with Brian. But Liseth was going on talking. " Andit is fated that I must marry Ewen MacDougall, whom I detest. Really detest!" Her words came out chokingly. Jim, who had put his arms comfortingly around her out of pure reflex, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |