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1、KJParker[Fencer03]-TheProofHouseTheProofHouseKJPARKERCHAPTERONEIt’scustomarytodiefirst;butinyourcasewe’llmakeanexception.BardasLoredanwasinthenewspurwhenthemaingallerycavedin.Heheardthesquealofstrainingtimbers,avolleyofcracksandsnaps,abluntthumpthatknockedhimoffhisk
2、neesintothelooseclay,andthennothingatall.Helaystillandlistened.Ifthespurwasgoingtocaveinaswell,itmightnothappenimmediately.Italldependedonwhetherthearchatthejunctionofthegalleryandthespurhadsurvived.Ifithadn’t,theloadofthespurroofwouldhavenothingtosupportitexceptfor
3、ceofhabitandtheplankstrutsthatlinedthewalls;itmightcomedownallatonce,oritmightthinkaboutit,slowlyandpainfullycalculatingthestressesandforceslikeabackwardschoolboyandfinallycomingtotheconclusionthatithadnorighttobethere.Ifthatwashowitwasgoingtobe,thefirstsignwouldbet
4、heharassedgroaningofthetimbers,afewhandfulsofsoildroppingdownastheroof-boardsbowedundertheweightandopenedupthecracksbetweenthem.Itwas,ofcourse,academic;withthegalleryblockedbehindhimandasolidwallofclayinfront,hehadnowheretogoinanyevent.Unlesssomeonemanagedtodigthrou
5、ghtheobstructioninthegallery,reprop,cartoutthespoilandfindthemouthofthespurbeforethegoodairranout,hewasasgoodasburied.It’scustomarytodiefirst;butinyourcase,we’vemadeanexception.Forthefirsttimeinmonthshewasawareofthedarkness.Afterthreeyearsinthesaps,theendlessmazeoft
6、unnelsdugbybesiegersandbesiegedunderthewallsofthecityofAp’Escatoy,hecouldgoweeksatatimewithoutseeingalightandnotrealiseit;itwasonlyinmomentsofcoldterrorlikethisthattheinstinctiveneedtoseereasserteditself.Youwantlight?Tough.Hishandswerefullofloose,crumbledclay;hecoul
7、dfeelitagainsthischeek,coldanddead,andthetexturedisgustedhim.Curious;threeyearsintheminesandhecouldstillfeelthatstronglyaboutsomething.Hecouldhaveswornhe’dgrownoutofthatsortofthing.Well;nogoingback.Ataguess,hehadenoughairforthebestpartofashift,somethingofamixedbless
8、ingunderthecircumstances.Menwho’dlongsincelostthecapacitytofearanythingelsewerestillterrifiedofdeathbysuffocationintheaftermathofacave-in.