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if the Despiser dared traduce even the necessary bones of the Earth。
Yet the power did nothing except grow。 Tongues of lightning leaped higher； joined together； became gradually but steadily more brilliant and wrong。 Their violence increased until Mhoram felt that the nerves of his skin and eyes could endure no more…and went on increasing。 When dawn began to bleed into the night at Satansfist's back； the individual tongues had merged into three continuous bolts striking without thunder into the deepest darkness of the clouds。
The High Lord's throat was too dry； he had to swallow roughly several times before he could muster enough moisture to speak。 〃Hear…thrall Tohrm''…still he almost gagged on the words…〃they will attack the gates。 This power will attack the gates。 Send any Gravelingases who will go to the aid of the stone。〃
Tohrm started at the sound of his name； then hurried away as if he were glad to remove himself from the baleful glare of the arc。
While gray daylight spread over the siege； the three unbroken bolts jumped and gibbered maniacally； raged at the silent clouds； drew closer to each other。 Behind them； the army began to howl as the pressure became more and more unendurable。
Lord Amatin dug her thin fingers into the flesh of Mhoram's arm。 Quaan had crossed his arms over his chest； and was straining against himself to keep from shouting。 Borillar's hands scrubbed fervidly over his features in an effort to erase the sensation of wrong。 His staff lay useless at his feet。 The High Lord prayed for them all and fought his dread。
Then； abruptly； the Raver whirled his Stone and； roaring； threw still more power into the arc。
The three great columns of lightning sprang together； became one。
The earth shook with thunder in answer to that single； prodigious bolt。 At once； the lightning vanished； though samadhi and the ur…viles did not withdraw their power from the arc。
The thunder continued； tremors jolted the ground。 In moments； the tower was trembling as if its foundations were about to crack open and swallow it。
Immensely； tortuously； the ground of the foothills began to shift。 It writhed； jerked； cracked； and through the cracks； stone shapes thrust upward。 To his horror； Mhoram saw the forms of humans and Giants and horses rip themselves out of the earth。 The forms were blunt； misshapen； insensate； they were articulated stone； the ancient fossilized remains of buried bodies。
The memory of Asuraka's cry from Revelwood echoed in Mhoram's ears： He resurrected the old death！
By hundreds and then thousands； the stone shapes heaved up out of the ground。 Amid the colossal thunder of the breaking earth； they thrust free of their millennia…long graves and lumbered blindly toward the gates of Revelstone。
〃Defend the tower！〃 Mhoram cried to Quaan。 〃But do not waste lives。 Amatin！ Fight here！ Flee if the tower falls。 I go to the gates。〃
But when he spun away from the parapet； he collided with Hearthrall Tohrm。 Tohrm caught hold of him； stopped him。 Yet in spite of the High Lord's urgency； a long moment passed before Tohrm could bring himself to speak。
At last； he wrenched out； 〃The tunnel is defended。〃
〃Who？〃 Mhoram snapped。
〃The Lord Trevor ordered all others away。 He and Trell Gravelingas support the gates。〃
〃Melenkurion！〃 Mhoram breathed。 〃Melenkurion abatha！〃 He turned back to the parapet。
Below him； the dead； voiceless shapes had almost reached the base of the tower。 Arrows flew at them from hundreds of bows； but the shafts glanced uselessly off the earthen forms and fell flaming to the ground without effect。
He hesitated； muttering to himself in extreme astonishment。 The breaking of the Law of Death had consequences beyond anything he had imagined。 Thousands of the gnarled shapes were already massed and marching； and at every moment thousands more struggled up from the ground； writhed into motion like lost souls and obeyed the mand of Sheol Satansfist's power。
But then the first shape set its hands on the gates； and High Lord Mhoram sprang forward。 Whirling his staff； he sent a blast down the side of the tower； struck the dead form where it stood。 At the impact of his Lords…fire； it shattered like sandstone and fell into dirt。
At once； he and Lord Amatin set to work with all their might。 Their staffs rang and fired； rained blue strength like hammer blows down on the marching shapes。 And every blow broke the dead into sand。 But every one that fell was replaced by a score of others。 Across all the terrain between the watchtower and Satansfist's arc； the ground heaved and buckled； pitching new forms into motion like beings dredged up from the bottommost muck of a lifeless sea。 First one by one； then by tens； scores； fifties； they reached the gates and piled against them。
Through the stone； Mhoram could feel the strain on the gates mounting。 He could feel Trevor's fire and Trell's mighty subterranean song supporting the interlocked gates； while hundreds； thousands； of the blind； mute forms pressed against them； crushed forward in lifeless savagery like an avalanche leaping impossibly up out of the ground。 He could feel the groaning retorts of pressure as if the bones of the tower were grinding together。 And still the dead came； shambling out of the earth until they seemed as vast as the Raver's army and as irresistible as a cataclysm。 Mhoram and Amatin broke hundreds of them and had no effect。
Behind the High Lord； Tohrm was on his knees； sharing the tower's pain with his hands and sobbing openly； 〃Revelstone！ Oh； Revelstone； alas！ Oh； Revelstone； Revelstone！〃
Mhoram tore himself away from the fighting； caught hold of Tohrm's tunic； hauled the Hearthrall to his feet。 Into Tohrm's broken face； he shouted； 〃Gravelingas！ Remember who you are！ You are the Hearthrall of Lord's Keep。〃
〃I am nothing！〃 Tohrm wept。 〃Ah！ the Earth…！〃
〃You are Hearthrall and Gravelingas！ Hear me…I； High Lord Mhoram； mand you。 Study this attack…learn to know it。 The inner gates must not fall。 The rhadhamaerl must preserve Revelstone's inner gates！〃
He felt the change in the attack。 Satansfist's Stone now threw bolts against the gates。 Amatin tried to resist； but the Raver brushed her efforts aside as if they were nothing。 Yet Mhoram stayed with Tohrm； focused his strength on the Hearthrall until Tohrm met the demand of his eyes and hands。
〃Who will mourn the stone if I do not？〃 Tohrm moaned。
Mhoram controlled his desire to yell。 〃No harm will receive its due grief if we do not survive。〃
The next instant； he forgot Tohrm； forgot everything except the silent screams that detonated through him from the base of the tower。 Over Trell's shrill rage and the vehemence of Trevor's fire； the gates shrieked in agony。
A shattering concussion convulsed the stone。 The people atop the tower fell； tumbled across the floor。 Huge thunder like a howl of victory crashed somewhere between earth and sky； as if the very firmament of existence had been rent asunder。
The gates split inward。
Torrents of dead stone flooded into the tunnel under the tower。
Mhoram was shouting at Qu