Donaldson, Stephen - Thomas Covenant 07 - The Runes of the Earth by Donaldson Stephen

Author:Donaldson, Stephen [Donaldson, Stephen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy
ISBN: 9780441013043
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2005-08-16T07:00:00+00:00

Dusk had entered the vale while she counted her dilemmas. Behind the mountains, the sun declined from the Land, and their shadows filled the air with omens. Cold

drifted furtively down from the heights. Soon the Ramen would be ready to share their meal, and the challenges would begin.

Sighing, Linden forced her stiff body upright and walked across the open ground to meet Anele among the grass.

As soon as she drew near, he reached for her with both hands; took hold of her shoulders and pulled her closer as if he meant to fling his arms around her. “Linden,” he breathed in a voice suffused with weeping. “Oh, Linden. I’m so glad to see you:’

A voice she knew.

Tears streamed from his moonstone eyes, shocking her as sharply as the sound of that voice in his mouth. She had seen him weep often; but this was different. Until this moment, she had never seen him shed tears of sympathy.

Sympathy and pleasure.

“I didn’t think I would ever see you again.” He spoke quickly, almost babbling, as if he had too much to say, and too little time. “I wouldn’t have believed it. But it fits. It’s right. You’re the only one who can do this.”

Thomas Covenant’s voice.

She knew it as well as she knew her own, and loved it more. Through his madness, Anele spoke Covenant’s words to her in Covenant’s voice.

Her lungs heaved for air and found none. Covenant, she panted, nearly fainting. Oh, my love. The sound of him struck the whole vale to stillness. In an instant, the Ramen and all their doings had ceased to exist; lapsed to dreaming. Stave and Liand occupied the clearing in some other world, a dimension of reality which no longer impinged on hers. Her beloved did not speak to them.

Anele embraced her, a hard clasp with all the strength of Covenant’s heart. Then he held her at arm’s length so that he could gaze at her blindly. His eyes were awash in yearning.

“Linden,” he said, “listen to me,” still hurrying. “I don’t have time. There’s so little I can tell you.”

Covenant was dead, here and in the world they had once shared. She had spent ten years grieving for him. But this was the Land, and the Laws governing Life and Death had been broken.

She faced him mutely through her own tears, helpless to find words for her sorrow and rue. If she had opened her mouth, she would have sobbed like a child. his only

“The Law binds me in so many ways.” Anele was Covenant’s surrogate, voice. “If it didn’t, it wouldn’t be worth fighting for.

It he opposes me. Here, like this, he’s stronger than I am. Poor Anele cant hold me. I’m already fading.”

As he said so, she saw that it was true. The old man remained palpable before her. ht have hurt His fingers gripped her shoulders urgently: in some other life, they mig

her But within him another form of lunacy struggled against Covenant’s presence. In spite of Covenant’s desire, and Anele’s rapt submission, a rabid force gathered loathing to expel her love.

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