rj.theshadowrising-第149部分

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　　　　　　　〃Then　you　saw　Rhuidean　just　begun　building；　too；〃　he　said。　〃And　the　two　Aes　Sedai。　You。。。　heard　what　the　one　of　them　said。〃　He　will　destroy　you。
　　　　　　　〃I　heard。〃　Rhuarc　looked　resigned；　like　a　man　who　had　learned　his　leg　had　to　be　cut　off。　〃I　know。〃
　　　　　　　Rand　changed　the　subject。　〃What　was　'the　sharing　of　water'？〃
　　　　　　　The　clan　chief's　eyebrows　lifted　in　surprise。　〃You　did　not　recognize　it？　But　then；　I　do　not　see　why　you　should；　you　have　not　grown　up　with　the　histories。　According　the　oldest　stories；　from　the　day　the　Breaking　of　the　World　began　until　the　day　we　first　entered　the　Three…fold　Land；　only　one　people　did　not　attack　us。　One　people　allowed　us　water　freely　when　it　was　needed。　It　took　us　long　to　discover　who　they　were。　That　is　done　with；　now。　The　pledge　of　peace　was　destroyed；　the　treekillers　spat　in　our　faces。〃
　　　　　　　〃Cairhien；〃　Rand　said。　〃You're　talking　about　Cairhien；　and　Avendoraldera；　and　Laman　cutting　down　the　Tree。　〃
　　　　　　　〃Laman　is　dead　for　his　punishment；〃　Rhuarc；　said　in　a　flat　voice。　〃The　oathbreakers　are　done　with。〃　He　looked　at　Rand　sideways。　〃Some；　such　as　Couladin；　take　it　for　proof　we　can　trust　no　one　who　is　not　Aiel。　That　is　a　part　of　why　he　hates　you。　A　part　of　it。　He　will　take　your　face　and　blood　for　lies。　Or　claim　he　does。〃
　　　　　　　Rand　shook　his　head。　Moiraine　sometimes　talked　of　the　plexity　of　Age　Lace；　the　Pattern　of　an　Age；　woven　by　the　Wheel　of　Time　from　the　thread　of　human　lives。　If　the　ancestors　of　the　Cairhienin　had　not　allowed　the　Aiel　to　have　water　three　thousand　years　ago；　then　Cairhien　would　never　have　been　given　the　right　to　use　the　Silk　Path　across　the　Waste；　with　a　cutting　from　Avendesora　for　a　pledge。　No　pledge；　and　King　Laman　would　have　had　no　Tree　to　cut　down；　there　would　have　been　no　Aiel　War；　and　he　could　not　have　been　born　on　the　side　of　Dragonmount　to　be　carried　off　and　raised　in　the　Two　Rivers。　How　many　more　points　like　that　had　there　been；　where　a　single　decision　one　way　or　another　affected　the　weave　of　the　Pattern　for　thousands　of　years？　A　thousand　times　a　thousand　tiny　branching　points；　a　thousand　times　that　many；　all　twitching　the　Pattern　into　a　different　design。　He　himself　was　a　walking　branching　point；　and　maybe　Mat　and　Perrin；　too。　What　they　did　or　did　not　do　would　send　ripples　ahead　through　the　years；　through　the　Ages。
　　　　　　　He　looked　at　Mat；　hobbling　up　the　slope　with　the　aid　of　his　spear；　head　down　and　eyes　squinted　in　pain。　The　Creator　could　not　have　been　thinking；　to　set　the　future　on　the　shoulders　of　three　farmboys。　I　can't　drop　it。　I　have　to　carry　the　load；　whatever　the　cost。
　　　　　　　At　the　Wise　Ones'　low；　wall…less　tents；　the　women　ducked　inside　with　murmurs　about　water　and　shade。　They　all　but　pulled　Mat　with　them；　as　evidence　of　how　his　head　and　throat　hurt；　he　not　only　obeyed；　he　did　so　silently。
　　　　　　　Rand　started　to　follow；　but　Lan　laid　a　hand　on　his　shoulder。　〃Did　you　see　her　in　there？〃　the　Warder　asked。
　　　　　　　〃No；　Lan。　I'm　sorry；　I　did　not。　She'll　e　out　safe　if　anyone　can。〃
　　　　　　　Lan　grunted　and　took　his　hand　away。　〃Watch　out　for　Couladin；　Rand。　I　have　seen　his　kind　before。　Ambition　burns　in　his　belly。　He　would　sacrifice　the　world　to　achieve　it。〃
　　　　　　　〃Aan'allein　speaks　the　truth；〃　Rhuarc　said。　〃The　Dragons　on　your　arms　will　not　matter　if　you　are　dead　before　the　clan　chiefs　learn　of　them。　I　will　make　sure　some　of　Heirn's　Jindo　are　always　near　you　until　we　reach　Cold　Rocks。　Even　then；　Couladin　will　probably　try　to　make　trouble；　and　the　Shaido；　at　least；　will　follow　him。　Perhaps　others；　too。　The　Prophecy　of　Rhuidean　said　you　would　be　raised　by　those　not　of　the　blood；　yet　Couladin　may　not　be　the　only　one　to　see　only　a　wetlander。　〃
　　　　　　　〃I　will　try　to　watch　my　back；〃　Rand　said　dryly。　In　the　stories；　when　somebody　fulfilled　a　prophecy；　everyone　cried　〃Behold！〃　or　some　such；　and　that　was　that　except　for　dealing　with　the　villains。　Real　life　did　not　seem　to　work　that　way。
　　　　　　　When　they　entered　the　tent；　Mat　was　already　seated　on　a　gold…tasseled　red　cushion　with　his　coat　and　shirt　off。　A　woman　in　a　cowled　white　robe　had　finished　washing　the　blood　from　his　face　and　was　just　beginning　on　his　chest。　Amys　gripped　a　stone　mortar　between　her　knees；　blending　some　ointment　with　a　pestle；　while　Bair　and　Seana　had　their　heads　together　over　herbs　brewing　in　a　pot　of　hot　water。
　　　　　　　Melaine　grimaced　at　Lan　and　Rhuarc　then　fixed　Rand　with　cool　green　eyes。　〃Strip　to　the　waist；〃　she　said　curtly。　〃The　cuts　on　your　head　do　not　seem　too　bad；　but　let　me　see　what　has　you　hunched　over。〃　She　struck　a　small　brass　gong；　and　another　white…robed　woman　ducked　in　at　the　back　of　the　tent；　a　steaming　silver　basin　in　her　hands　and　cloths　over　her　arm。
　　　　　　　Rand　took　a　seat　on　a　cushion；　making　himself　sit　up　straight。　〃That's　nothing　to　worry　yourself　about；〃　he　assured　her。　The　second　woman　in　white　knelt　gracefully　by　his　side　and；　resisting　his　efforts　to　take　the　damp　cloth　she　wrung　out　in　the　basin；　began　gently　washing　his　face。　He　wondered　who　she　was。　She　looked　Aiel；　but　she　certainly　did　not　act　it。　Her　gray　eyes　held　a　determined　meekness。
　　　　　　　〃It　is　an　old　injury；〃　Egwene　told　the　sun…haired　Wise　One。　〃Moiraine　has　never　been　able　to　Heal　it　properly。〃　The　look　she　gave　Rand　said　mon　courtesy　should　have　made　him　tell　as　much。　From　the　glances　that　passed　among　the　Wise　Ones；　though；　he　thought　she　had　said　more　than　enough　already。　A　wound　Aes　Sedai　could　not　Heal；　that　was　a　puzzle　to　them。　Moiraine　seemed　to　know　more　about　him　than　he　knew　about　himself；　and　he　had　a　hard　time　dealing　with　her。　Maybe　it　would　go　easier　with　the　Wise　Ones　if　they　had　to　guess　about　him。
　　　　　　　Mat　winced　as　Amys　began　rubbing　her　ointment　into　the　slashes　on　his　chest。　If　it　felt　anything　like　it　smelled；　Rand　thought　he　had　cause　to　wince。　Bair　shoved　a　silver　cup　at　Mat。　〃Drink；　young　man。　Timsin　root　and　silverleaf　will　help　your　headaches　if　anything　can。〃
　　　　　　　He　did　not　hesitate　before　gulping　it　down；　a　shudder　and　a　twisted　face　followed。　〃Tastes　like　the　inside　of　my　boots。〃　But　he　gave　her　a　seated　bow；　formal　enough　for　a　Tairen　except　for　his　being　shirtless；　and　only　spoiled　a　bit　by　his　sudden　grin。　〃I　thank　you；　Wise　One。　And　I　won't　ask　if　you　added　anything　just　to　give　it　that。。。　memorable。。。　taste。〃　Bair　and　Seana's　soft　laughter　might　have　e　because　they　had　or　because　they　had　not；　but　it　seemed　that　as　usual　Mat　had　found　a　way　to　get　on　the　good　of　side　of　the　women。　Even　Melaine　gave　him　a　brief　smile。
　　　　　　　〃Rhuarc；〃　Rand　said；　〃if　Couladin　thinks　to　make　difficulties；　I　need　to　jump　ahead　of　him。　How　do　I　go　about　telling　the　other　clan　chiefs？　About　me。　About　these。〃　He　shifted　his　Dragon…twined　arms。　The　white…robed　woman　at　his　side；　cleaning　the　long　gash　in　his　hair　now；　deliberately　avoided　looking　at　them。
　　　　　　　〃There　is　no　set　formality；〃　Rhuarc　said。　〃How　could　there　be；　for　a　thing　that　will　happen　only　once？　When　there　must　be　a　meeting　between　clan　chiefs；　there　are　places　where　something　like　the　Peace　of　Rhuidean　holds。　The　closest　to　Cold　Rocks；　the　closest　to　Rhuidean；　is　Alcair　Dal。　You　could　show　proofs　to　the　clan　and　sept　chiefs　there。〃
　　　　　　　〃Al'cair　Dal？〃　Mat　said；　giving　it　a　subtly　different　sound。　〃The　Golden　Bowl？〃
　　　　　　　Rhuarc　nodded。　〃A　round　canyon；　though　there　is　nothing　golden　about　it。　There　is　a　ledge　at　one　end；　and　a　man　who　stands　there　can　be　heard　by　anyone　in　the　canyon　without　raising　his　voice。〃
　　　　　　　Rand　frowned　at　the　Dragons　on　his　forearms。　He　was　not　the　only　one　to　have　been　marked　in　some　way　in　Rhuidean。　Mat　no　longer　spoke　a　few　words　of　the　Old　Tongue　now　and　then　without　knowing　what　he　was　saying。　He　understood；　since　Rhuidean；　though　he　did　not　appear　to　realize　it。　Egwene　was　watching　Mat。　Thoughtfully。　She　had　spent　too　much　time　with　Aes　Sedai。
　　　　　　　〃Rhuarc；　can　you　send　messengers　out　to　the　clan　chiefs？〃　he　said。　〃How　long　will　it　take　to　ask　them　all　to　Alcair　Dal？　What　will　it　take　to　make　sure　they　e？〃
　　　　　　　〃Messengers　will　take　weeks；　and　more　weeks　for　everyone　to　gather。〃　Rhuarc's　gesture　took　in　all　four　Wise　Ones。　〃They　can　speak　to　every　clan　chief　in　his　dreams　in　one　night；　to　every　sept　chief。　And　every　Wise　One；　to　make　sure　no　man　takes　it