There was the sickening sound of a blow from the blade of the Sword, wielded not heavily but with deliberate malice. Groiznath fell to the ground stunned. But, true to Murnag’s promise, the dragonhide garment that covered his head and body warded off any wound.
All the onlookers, with the exception of Slungandi, looked on with surprise. No icecloud erupted around them. Groiznath’s body was not covered instantly with the whiteness of frozen death. He lay stunned, but not wounded.
The Angantyîr Dreygan-Negobith placed the sword on the anvil Nolgon with a crash. It gathered its great shadow robes as it sat upon the highseat Fâlagidhron. It seemed to radiate a force, not of anger, but of scornful malevolence, that troubled the hearts of all assembled, even the stony Falakkazri.
But Prámiz, as if suddenly released from a trance, leapt up. His face was flushed with anger. Murungyaldi stepped forward and caught him by the arm, saying:
He whom Gantzor smites sure icedeath bites!
No dragonhide could damp that force.
What traitor’s hand has traded swords
To cheat cheaply the Chief of Night?
Then she stiffened and stood still as the voice of Negobith in darkspeech addressed her mind from Fâlagidhron. Then she said:
Hear now Nightlord ne’er deceived:
‘We wielded Gantzor one time before,
When we felled Ingos with frozen death.
Ere we gave this knock we knew at heart
That a cunning copy had been counterfeited.
This slave is stunned, but is skin-hardy.
When his sense returns, you shall trace the thief.’
Even as Negobith finished, Groiznath staggered to his feet and fell back gasping against the wall of the cavern. The cold knowledge came to him that he had been tricked: the precious sword he had cherished and fought for was not Gantzor. He cried out:
That sword was sent by the scented hands
Of a young Hyûvanya — but who yielded it her?
In Farangrim’s nooks was never its home.
I deem the deed was the Drumster’s ruse
Who was sent to serve when my slavery ceased.
At this, everyone in the cavern turned towards Slungandi. But his place was empty.
Then the voice of the Angantyîr Dreygan-Negobith sounded through the heads of all gathered in the cavern:
The white hand waits to wield Gantzor.
Fetch that Sword straightway or my slaves will find
Ways to trouble tardy servants!
The Drumster damn to the Deep’s torments!
Now to Night’s throne Negobith returns.
The dark figure sitting in Fâlagidhron gathered the huge shadow cloak about itself, and seemed to fold its arms and diminish, though still remaining huge and grim. The brilliance of the white hand died down to a ghastly pallid glow. The fell light went out if the eyes and they closed. The Angantyîr remained still, brooding, enwrapped in thought, and gave no further heed to the goings-on in the cavern.
Immediately the people remaining in Onskabâ regained their senses. The brothers Prámiz and Groiznath remembered their fury at the trick played upon them by the Drumster of the Deep. But much more were they deeply troubled by the ghastly being that they had helped to bring to life in the cavern. Prámiz took Murungyaldi aside into the antechamber of Onskabâ and whispered urgently to her:
Speak, Ûthéga! What spirit came
To fill the form of the Frostgiant?
This fell phantom was our father never!
For flesh and blood all affection lost.
Murungyaldi replied:
Negobith Nightlord knows kindred not!
Your bone and blood have borne him back
But all debt of kin does the Deep destroy.
Loyalty bare his lordship bids.
So go your ways to gain Gantzor
Or taste trouble in torment drear.
Groiznath said:
In evil hour we oaths plighted
To bring being to this baleful wight.
We are the Sword’s servants, though it savours ill,
And must seek to snare Slungandi straight.
Yet in token of truth I will take this blade.
Then Groiznath took up Daganarth from the anvil Nolgon where the white hand had lain it, and said to the sword:
Though thou be counterfeit thou hast keen edges
For the trickster to taste, and to test the point!
Take for thy title, true Hlabulan,
For a sword nameless surely thou art!
Hlabulan means Nameless in the Common Tongue.
But Prámiz, eager to recapture the true Gantzor before his brother, and thereby gain favour from Negobith, conferred eagerly with Murungyaldi. These two then sent out the Falakkazri to guard all the known exits from Hogunoth (though there were not a few unknown to them) and went forth to carry out Negobith’s commands.
No comments:
Post a Comment