tg.stone of tears-第3章

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　Zedd　dove　out　of　the　way；　the　gold…clad　iron　door　just　missing　him　as　it　flew　across　the　hall　and　crashed　against　the　polished　granite　wall；　sending　shards　of　metal　flying　and　stone　dust　boiling　down　the　hall。　Zedd　rolled　to　his　feet　and　ran。
　
　The　screeling　bounded　out　of　the　Garden　of　Life　and　into　the　hall。　Its　body　was　hardly　more　than　a　squat　skeleton　covered　in　a　veneer　of　dry；　crisp；　blackened　skin。　Like　a　corpse　that　had　dried　in　the　sun　for　years。　White　bone　stuck　out　in　places　where　the　skin；　hanging　in　flaps　here　and　there；　had　been　torn　in　the　fight；　but　that　didn’t　seem　to　bother　the　creature；　it　was　a　thing　of　the　underworld；　and　not　hindered　by　all　the　frailties　of　life。　There　was　no　blood。
　
　If　it　could　be　torn　up　enough；　or　hacked　apart；　maybe　it　could　be　stopped；　but　it　was　awfully　quick。　And　magic　certainly　wasn’t　doing　it　much　harm。　It　was　a　creature　of　Subtractive　Magic；　Additive　Magic　was　just　being　absorbed　into　it　like　a　sponge。
　
　Maybe　it　could　be　harmed　with　Subtractive　Magic；　but　Zedd　had　nothing　of　that　half　of　the　gift。　No　wizard　in　the　last　few　thousand　years　did。　Some　might　have　had　the　calling　for　the　Subtractive　…　Darken　Rahl　was　proof　of　that　…　but　none　had　had　the　gift　for　it。
　
　No；　his　magic　wasn’t　going　to　stop　this　thing。　At　least；　the　wizard　thought；　not　directly。　But　maybe　indirectly？
　
　Zedd　walked　backward　as　the　screeling　watched　with　blinking；　bewildered　eyes。　Now；　he　thought；　while　it’s　standing　still。
　
　Concentrating；　Zedd　gathered　the　air；　making　it　dense；　dense　enough　to　lift　the　heavy　door。　He　was　tired；　it　took　an　effort。　He　pushed　the　air　with　a　mental　grunt；　crashing　the　door　onto　the　back　of　the　screeling。　Dust　rolled　up　and　across　the　hall　as　the　door　slammed　the　creature　to　the　ground。　It　howled。　Zedd　wondered　if　it　was　howling　in　pain；　or　anger。
　
　The　door　lifted；　stone　chips　sliding　off。　The　screeling　held　the　heavy　door　up　with　one　clawed　hand　as　it　laughed；　a　woody　tendril　of　the　vine　he　had　tried　to　strangle　it　with　still　coiled　around　its　neck。
　
　‘Bags；’　Zedd　muttered。　‘Nothing　is　ever　easy。’
　
　Zedd　kept　walking　backward。　The　door　crashed　to　the　floor　as　the　screeling　stepped　out　from　underneath　it　and　followed。　It　was　starting　to　learn　that　the　people　who　walked　were　the　same　ones　who　ran　or　stood　still。　This　was　an　unfamiliar　world　to　it。　Zedd　had　to　think　of　something　before　it　learned　any　more。　If　only　he　wasn’t　so　tired。
　
　Chase　went　down　a　wide　marble　stairway。　Zedd　followed　him　at　a　quick　walk。　If　he　had　been　sure　it　wasn’t　Chase　or　Rachel　the　screeling　was　after；　he　would　have　gone　a　different　way；　drawing　the　danger　away　from　them；　but　it　could　just　as　easily　go　after　them；　and　he　didn’t　want　to　leave　Chase　to　fight　it　alone。
　
　A　man　and　a　woman；　both　in　white　robes；　were　ing　up　the　stairs。　Chase　tried　to　turn　them　around　but　they　slipped　past　him。
　
　‘Walk！’　Zedd　yelled　at　them。　‘Don’t　run！　Go　back　or　you　will　be　killed！’　They　frowned　at　him　in　confusion。
　
　The　screeling　was　shuffling　along　toward　the　stairs；　its　claws　clicking　and　scraping　on　the　marble　floor。　Zedd　could　hear　it　panting　with　that　nerve…jarring　near　laughter。
　
　The　two　people　saw　the　dark　thing　and　froze；　their　blue　eyes　going　wide。　Zedd　shoved　them；　turning　them　around；　and　forced　them　back　down　the　stairs。　They　both　suddenly　broke　into　a　run；　bounding　down　the　stairs　three　at　a　time；　their　blond　hair　and　white　robes　flying。
　
　‘Don’t　run！’　Zedd　and　Chase　yelled　at　the　same　time。
　
　The　screeling　rose　up　on　its　clawed　toes；　attracted　by　the　sudden　movement。　It　let　out　a　cackling　laugh　and　darted　to　the　stairs。　Zedd　threw　a　fist　of　air；　hitting　it　in　the　chest；　knocking　it　back　a　pace。　It　hardly　noticed。　It　peered　over　the　carved　stone　railing　at　the　top　and　saw　the　people　running。
　
　With　a　cackle；　it　grasped　the　railing　and　leapt　over；　dropping　a　good　twenty　feet　to　the　two　running；　white…robed　figures。　Chase　immediately　put　Rachel’s　face　to　his　shoulder　and　reversed　direction；　ing　back　up　the　stairs。　He　knew　what　was　going　to　happen；　and　there　was　nothing　he　could　do　about　it。
　
　Zedd　waited　at　the　top。　‘Hurry；　while　it’s　distracted。’
　
　There　was　a　very　brief　struggle；　and　screams　that　were　just　as　brief。　Howling　laughter　echoed　in　the　stairwell。　Blood　splattered　in　an　arc　up　the　white　marble；　almost　to　where　Chase　was　charging　up　the　stairs。　Rachel　hid　her　face　against　him　and　hugged　his　neck　tight；　but　didn’t　make　a　sound。
　
　Zedd　was　impressed　by　her。　He　had　never　seen　one　so　young　use　her　head　as　well　as　she　did。　She　was　smart。　Smart　and　gutsy。　He　understood　why　Giller　had　used　her　to　try　to　keep　the　last　box　of　Orden　away　from　Darken　Rahl。　The　way　of　wizards；　Zedd　thought　…　using　people　to　do　what　must　be　done。
　
　The　three　ran　down　the　hall　until　the　screeling　appeared　at　the　top　of　stairs；　then　they　slowed　to　a　backward　walk。　The　screeling　grinned　with　bloodred　teeth；　its　deathless　black　eyes　momentarily　reflecting　golden　in　the　sunlight　ing　in　a　tall；　narrow　window。　It　winced　at　the　light；　licked　the　blood　off　its　claws；　and　then　loped　after　them。　They　went　down　the　next　stairway。　The　creature　followed；　sometimes　stopping　briefly　in　confusion；　seemingly　unsure　if　it　was　them　it　was　after。
　
　Chase　held　Rachel　in　one　arm　and　a　sword　in　his　other　hand。　Zedd　stayed　between　them　and　the　screeling　as　they　backed　down　a　small　hall。　The　screeling　climbed　up　the　walls；　scratching　the　smooth　stone；　and　sprang　across　tapestries；　tearing　them　with　its　claws　as　it　followed　the　three。
　
　Polished　walnut　side　tables；　each　with　three　ornate　legs　carved　in　vines　and　dotted　with　gilded　blossoms；　tipped　over　into　the　hall　as　the　screeling　pushed　at　them　with　a　claw；　grinning　and　laughing　at　the　sound　of　cut…glass　vases　shattering　on　the　stone　floor。　Water　and　flowers　spilled　over　carpets。　The　screeling　hopped　down　and　tore　a　priceless　blue　and　yellow　Tanimuran　carpet　to　shreds　as　it　howled　in　laughter　and　then　skittered　up　the　wall　to　the　ceiling。
　
　It　advanced　along　the　ceiling　like　a　spider；　head　hanging　down；　watching　them。
　
　‘How　can　it　do　that？’　Chase　whispered。
　
　Zedd　only　shook　his　head　as　they　backed　into　the　immense　central　halls　of　the　People’s　Palace。　The　ceiling　here　was　well　over　fifty　feet　high；　a　collection　of　four…pointed　ribbed　vaults　held　up　by　a　column　at　the　corner　of　each　vault。
　
　Suddenly　the　screeling　sprang　along　the　ceiling　of　the　small　hall　it　was　in　and　leapt　at　them。
　
　Zedd　released　a　bolt　of　fire　as　the　creature　flew　through　the　air。　He　missed；　the　fire　boiling　up　the　granite　wall；　leaving　a　trail　of　black　soot　before　it　dissipated。
　
　For　the　first　time；　Chase　didn’t　miss。　With　a　solid　strike　his　sword　lopped　off　one　of　the　screeling’s　arms。　For　the　first　time　the　screeling　howled　in　pain。　It　tumbled　around　on　the　ground　and　darted　behind　a　green…veined　gray　marble　column。　The　severed　arm　lay　on　the　stone　floor；　twitching　and　grasping。
　
　Soldiers　came　running　across　the　vast　hall；　their　swords　to　hand；　the　clatter　of　their　armor　and　weapons　reverberating　off　the　vaulted　ceilings　high　overhead；　their　boot　strikes　echoing　off　the　tiles　around　the　devotion　pool　as　they　skirted　it。　D’Haran　soldiers　were　a　fierce　lot；　and　they　looked　all　the　more　so　at　finding　there　was　an　invader　in　the　palace。
　
　Zedd　felt　an　odd　sort　of　apprehension　at　the　sight　of　them。　A　few　days　ago　they　would　have　dragged　him　off　to　the　former　Master　Rahl　to　be　killed；　now　they　were　the　loyal　followers　of　the　new　Master　Rahl；　Zedd’s　grandson；　Richard。
　
　As　Zedd　saw　the　soldiers　ing；　he　realized　the　halls　were　filled　with　people。　The　afternoon　devotion　had　just　ended。　Even　if　the　screeling　did　have　only　one　arm；　this　could　be　a　bloodbath。　The　screeling　could　kill　a　few　dozen　of　them　before　they　even　thought　to　run。　And　then　it　would　kill　more　when　they　did。　They　had　to　get　all　these　people　away。
　
　The　soldiers　rushed　up　around　the　wizard；　eyes　hard；　searching；　ready；　looking　for　the　cause　of　the　motion。　Zedd　turned　to　the　mander；　a　heavily　muscled　man　in　leather　and　a　polished　breastplate　with　the　ornate　letter　R　embossed