fs.thefirstbookofswords-第44章

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heaven　like　the　fiery　sun；　as　if　the　sun　of　doomsday　had　arisen。〃）　The　malevolence　of　Orcus　is　sordid。　This　haunter　of　waterless　places　is　not　Milton's　glamorous　rebel　but　Meredith's　bully　who　cringes　away　from　starlight。　Ominor；　once　his　servant　but　now　his　master；　chained　him　away　beneath　the　earth　for　a　thousand　years。　Now　like　Satan　or　Loki；　the　fiend　bursts　forth　for　the　day　of　wrath　and　falls　like　lightning　on　his　foe。
　　　Ardneh；　like　Orcus；　has　a　substance　〃only　partially　subject　to　the　laws　of　matter。〃　But　he　was　born　of　benevolent　technology　as　the　consciousness　of　a　defense　system　that　〃damped　the　energies　of　nuclear　fire〃　and　〃freed　the　energies　of　life。〃　（His　home　base　may　have　been　SAC　Headquarters　in　Omaha。）　Although　he　is　the　actual　author　of　the　Change　that　transformed　the　world；　he　denies　being　a　god。　Perhaps　a　more　appropriate　title　for　the　Archdemon's　counterpart　is　Archangel　like　an　angelic　power；　Ardneh　〃is　where　he　works。〃　By　sacrificing　himself　to　annihilate　Orcus；　he　brings　victory　out　of　defeat　while　the　Western　army　retreats　to　win　the　day。
　　　This　paradoxical　resolution　recalls　major　triumphs　in　the　berserker　wars　and　even　the　Pascal　mystery。　It　is；　the　capstone　of　all　the　paradoxes　and　ironies　that　shape　the　story。　Draffut　destroys　Som　the　Dead　by　trying　to　heal　him。　Blows　wound　the　one　who　struck　them；　spells　rebound　on　the　one　who　cast　them。　Tiny　flaws　widen　and　small　kindnesses　expand　to　undermine　the　mightiest　citadels　of　evil。　The　weak　can　prove　surprisingly　strong　and　the　strong；　shockingly　weak。
　　　Westerners；　even　Ardneh　himself；　resist　temptation　but　Easterners　sink　ever　lower　in　depravity　by　freely　chosen　stages。　Refusing　one　shameful　order　pivots　Chup　against　the　East。　The　Western　cause　draws　persons　together　but　the　East；　that　〃society　of　essential　selfishness〃　is　hopelessly　divided　against　itself　as　each　member　scrabbles　for　more　influence。　Absolute　dominion　as　an　end　in　itself　brings　scant　satisfaction　to　him　who　wields　it。　At　best；　Ominor　finds　mild　distraction　in　sadism。
　　　The　white…clad　supreme　tyrant　is　〃the　most　ordinarylooking〃　of　the　nine　'Unworthies'　who　sit　on　his　council。　His　manner　is　as　banal　as　his　first　name　and　his　capital　on　the　site　of　Chicago　is　nothing　like　Sauron's；　its　charm　being　marred　only　by　a　few　impaling　stakes　among　the　flowerbeds。　Sheer　untiring　wickedness　has　raised　this　apparatchik　above　the　direst　demons　in　malignant　force。
　　　Exotic　Lady　Charmian；　on　the　other　hand；　is　supernally　fair　but　eventually　boring　as　she　slithers　from　bed　to　bed。　Her　monotonous　scheming　inevitably　brings　about　the　very　opposite　of　what　she　sought　to　achieve；　at　her　father　Ekuman's　court；　in　Som's　stronghold；　and　among　the　leaders　of　the　East。　Although　she　is　mired　in　her　rut　of　malice；　her　husband　Chup　still　claims　her。　The　same　stubborness　that　saved　his　own　integrity　may　yet　undo　the　effects　of　her　childhood　pledging　to　the　East。　Chup's　regeneration　stands　for　the　transformation　of　his　troubled　world。　But　the　future　of　that　world　belongs　to　Rolf　and　his　kind。　As　in　The　Lord　of　the　Rings；　the　major　figures　on　both　sides　disappear；　leaving　the　world　to　men　and　to　powers　they　can　control。　However；　magic　will　not　entirely　vanish　here；　although　technology　will　slowly　revive。　Having　won　the　contest　for　mastery；　men　can　now　make　of　their　lives　what　they　will；　whether　by　sorcery　or　science　…　or　both。
　　　But　what　happens　to　that　bright…seeming　future？　It　develops　its　own　kind　of　darkness。　Two　thousand　years　after　Empire；　power　games　continue　in　The　Book　of　Swords。　But　〃game〃　is　no　metaphor　here　for　plot　turns　are　actually　stages　in　a　formal　game　being　played　by　beings　who　call　themselves　gods　and　simultaneously　fit　into　a　wider　contest　between　entities　that　may　be　playing　through　these　gods。　That　action　begins　in　the　Ludus　（〃Game〃）　Mountains　signals　the　artificiality　of　all　that　follows。
　　　Game…oriented　sf　has　almost　bee　a　sub…genre　of　storytelling。　Saberhagen　has　written　some　himself；　such　as　those　berserker　stories　cited　earlier　and　his　novel　Octagon　（1981）　which　focusses　more　on　the　players　than　the　game　being　played。　（A　version　of　the　latter　is　now　mercially　available。）　Original　games　that　act　both　as　story　subjects　and　symbols　appear　in　Philip　K。　Dick's　Solar　Lottery　（1955）　and　The　Game　Players　of　Titan　（1963）　and　in　Samuel　R。　Delany's　Fail　of　the　Towers　（1970）　and　Triton　（1976）；　to　cite　but　a　few　examples。　Other　sf　writers　incorporate　familiar　games　such　as　chess。　In　〃The　Immortal　Game〃　by　Poul　Anderson　（1954）；　a　puter　activates　robotic　chesspieces　but　The　Squares　of　the　City　（1965）　by　John　Brunner　moves　real　human　beings　around　on　a　sociopolitical　grid。　Andre　Norton's　Quag　Keep　（1978）　is　based　on　Dungeons　and　Dragons　while　Dream　Park　by　Larry　Niven　and　Steven　Barnes　（1981）　brings　an　adventure　game　to　life　and　The　Saturn　Game　by　Poul　Anderson　（1981）　demonstrates　the　risk　in　playing　an　improvised　mental　game　too　passionately。　Many　sf　stories　have　been　converted　to　role…playing　simulation　games；　for　instance；　Starship　Troopers；　adapted　from　the　1959　novel　by　Robert　A。　Heinlein。　Several　periodicals　including　Ares；　Dragon　Magazine；　Sorcerer's　Apprentice；　and　The　Space　Garner　serve　the　sf　gaming　audience。
　　　However；　The　Book　of　Swords　intends　to　pioneer　new　territory。　Aside　from　the　reading　pleasure　it　gives；　this　trilogy　is　being　written　to　provide　the　data　base　for　an　intricate　new　puter　game　that　will　uniquely　bine　both　adventure…text　and　interactive　features　for　play　on　a　microputer。　As　of　this　writing；　the　designing　has　not　yet　begun。　Until　it　is　marketed；　interested　readers　may　amuse　themselves　by　analyzing　the　〃playable〃　elements　of　the　story。　（For　example；　the　chase　scene　in　the　Maze　of　Mirth　obviously　lends　itself　to　rendering　in　puter　graphics。）　The　quick　reversals　of　luck；　the　brisk　introductions；　removals；　and　translations　are　appropriate　for　a　game　scenario。　The　tendency　for　the　characters　to　draw　together　in　small　teams　suggests　multivalent　strategic　possibilities　in　the　war　for　possession　of　the　enchanted　swords。
　　　〃The　swords　made　by　the　gods　are　beautiful　things　in　themselves；〃　observes　one　character；　〃Whatever　the　purpose　behind　them　may　be。〃　They　are　also　wonderfully　versatile　plot　devices。　The　ease　with　which　they　can　be　confused　and　the　restrictions　on　their　use　multiply　dramatic　possibilities。　（Saberhagen　shrewdly　builds　drawbacks　as　well　as　benefits　into　his　magic。）　Although　the　full　Song　of　the　Swords　inventory　may　not　be　destined　to　actually　appear　in　the　trilogy's　text；　a　dozen　artifacts　is　an　ambitiously　large　group。　（Series　that　use　as　many　as　six　talismans　are　rare；　one　example　being　Susan　Cooper's　Dark　Is　Rising　pentalogy。）　Nevertheless；　twelve　is　the　traditional　number　of　pleteness　and　is　thus　an　appropriate　count　for　a　pantheon。
　　　Although　Saberhagen　categorically　denies　a　schematic　purpose；　by　curious　coincidence；　his　list　matches　twelve　major　divine　powers。　These　can　be　most　conveniently　discussed　under　their　classical　Greek　names。
　　　Coinspinner；　giver　of　blind　luck；　belongs　to　Tyche；　the　fickle　goddess　of　fortune。　Its　natural　opposite；　Doomgiver；　the　instrument　of　all…seeing　justice；　belongs　to　Zeus　in　his　role　as　universal　judge。
　　　Dragonslicer；　exemplifying　the　heroic　use　of　force；　fits　Apollo；　slayer　of　the　monster　Python。　（Celestial　heroes　who　kill　cthonic　dragons　are　mon　in　both　Indo…European　and　Semitic　myth；　for　instance；　Thor　versus　Midhgardhsormr　or　Baal　versus　Yam。）　But　Shieldbreaker　expresses　purely　brutal　might　and　thus　belongs　to　Ares。
　　　Farslayer　is　as　futilely　vengeful　as　Hera　raging　over　the　infidelities　of　Zeus。　On　the　other　hand；　the　Sword　of　Mercy　suits　Demeter；　the　Earth…Mother　who　presided　over　the　deathand…rebirth　mysteries　of　Eleusis。
　　　The　Mindsword　that　beguiles　the　inner　self　recalls　triple…faced　Selene/Artemis/Hecate；　stern　Lady　of　Heaven；　Earth；　and　Hell。　However；　Sightblinder's　deception　of　the　senses　is　one　effect　Dionysus　produces　while　wandering　the　world　unrecognized。　（The　ecstatic　god　is　a　more　sophisticated　version　of　the　crude；　conniving　Trickster　who　looms　so　large　in　African　and　Amerindian　myth。）
　　　Despair；　constraint；　and　utter　sterility　surround　Soulcutter　as　they　do　the　dead…god　Pluto。　But　Wayfinder　elates；　liberates；　and　enlightenment　as　does　cheerful　Hermes　in　his　capacities　as　god　of　travellers　and　master　of　occult　wisdom。
　　　Stonecutter；　the　Sword　of　Seige；　is　no　more　resistible　than　Aphrodite；　goddess　of　love。　（One　is　tempted　to　read　unwitting　double…entendres　into　this　sword's　stanza。）　Its　natural　counterpoise　is　Townsaver；　a　weapon　befitting　the　armored　virgin　Athena　Polias；　protector　of　her　city。
　　　Thus　the　swords　can　be　assigned　to　six　masculine　and　six　feminine　principles。　（Grouping　the　weapons　into　equal　positive；　negative；　and　ambiguous　sets　is　left　to　the　reader's　ingenuity。）　Since　the　above　assignments　were　not　consciously　intended　by　the　author；　there　is　no　reason　to　expect　correspondences　between　the　swords　and　deities　seen　in　this　book。　Hermes　has　nothing　to　do　with　Dragonslicer　except　deliver　it　and　Vulcan　matches　with　none　of　the　blades　he　forges。　The　supposedly　divine　players　may　have　chosen　their　roles　by　whim；　but　their　twelve　playing　tokens　represent　fundamental　categories　of　experience。
　　　The　neatness　of　these　parisons　and　the　associations　they　evoke　offer　the　strongest　possible　demonstration　of　Saberhagen's　innate　feeling　for　myth。　It　is　a　matter　of　instinct　with　him；　not　rote　learning。　（As　he　modestly　explains；　〃My　reading　in　mythology　has　been　sporadic　at　best。〃）　Nevertheless；　it　lays　a　sure　and　true　foundation　under　his　fiction。　The　great　mythologist　Mircea　Eliade　might　have　been　describing　this　situation　when　he　observed　that　mythic　images　〃act　directly　on　the　psyche　of　the　audience　even　when　consciously；　the　latter　does　not　realize　the　primal　significance　of　any　particular　symbol。〃
　　　The　most　dramatic　imagery　operating　here　centers　around　swords；　metalworking；　and　fire　…　each　a　landmark　achievement　of　homo　faber。
　　　Any　human　culture　that　makes　swords　spins　fables　about　them。　As　the　masculine　symbol　par　excellence；　swords　are　the　essence　of　the　gods　and　heroes　who　wield　them。　（The　Japanese　say　that　the　sword　is　the　soul　of　the　samurai。）　Swords　have　been　objects　of　worship　and　emblems　of　fertility。　As　prized　heirlooms；　they　fit　into　the　cult　of　dead　ancestors。　They　may　be　linked　with　the　destiny　of　one　hero　or　of　an　entire　dynasty。　They　can　confer　invincibility　…　at　a　price。　Legendary　swords　are　fashioned　by　mystic　means；　especially　through　blood　sacrifice　to　transfer　the　victim's　life　into　the　blade。　（Damascus　steel　was　reportedly　quenched　in　blood　and　bloody　offerings　are　a　normal　ponent　of　smithcraft　in　many　primitive　cultures。）　Finally；　because　swords　have　distinctive　personalities；　they　are　given　names。
　　　The　prowess　of　medieval　heroes　lay　in　their　swords。　（Arthur's　Excalibur　is；　of　course；　the　most　famous　example。）　Aragorn's　Anduril　in　The　Lord　of　the　Rings　carries　on　this　noble　tradition　in　fantasy。　Perhaps　the　most　impressive　sword　of　virtue　in　science　fiction　to　date　is　Terminus　Est　in　Gene　Wolfe's　Book　o　f　the　New　Sun　（1980…83）。
　　　But　doomswords　of　Norse　inspiration　give　sf　grimmer　drama。