rj.theshadowrising-第34部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　What　do　you　mean　to　do　to　him？〃　An　image　flashed　in　her　mind　of　seizing　Moiraine　and　shaking　the　truth　out　of　her　if　need　be。
　　　　　　　〃Do　to　him？　Nothing。　Oh；　very　well。　There　is　no　reason　you　should　not　know。　You　have　seen　what　the　Tairens　call　the　Great　Holding？〃
　　　　　　　Oddly　for　a　people　that　feared　the　Power　so；　the　Tairens　held　in　the　Stone　a　collection　of　objects　connected　to　the　Power　second　only　to　that　in　the　White　Tower。　Elayne；　for　one；　thought　it　was　because　they　had　been　forced　to　guard　Callandor　so　long；　whether　they　wanted　or　not。　Even　the　Sword　That　Is　Not　a　Sword　might　seem　less　than　what　it　was　when　it　was　one　among　many。　But　the　Tairens　had　never　been　able　to　make　themselves　display　their　prizes。　The　Great　Holding　was　kept　in　a　filthy　series　of　crowded　rooms　buried　even　deeper　than　the　dungeons。　When　Elayne　had　first　seen　them　the　locks　on　the　doors　had　long　since　rusted　shut；　where　the　doors　had　not　simply　collapsed　from　dry　rot。
　　　　　　　〃We　spent　an　entire　day　down　there；〃　Nynaeve　said。　〃To　see　if　Liandrin　and　her　friends　took　anything。　I　don't　think　they　did。　Everything　was　buried　in　dust　and　mold。　It　will　take　ten　riverboats　to　transport　all　of　it　to　the　Tower。　Perhaps　they　can　make　some　sense　of　it　there；　I　surely　could　not。〃　The　temptation　to　prod　Moiraine　was　apparently　too　great　to　avoid；　for　she　added；　〃You　would　know　all　this　if　you　had　given　us　a　little　more　of　your　time。〃
　　　　　　　Moiraine　took　no　notice。　She　seemed　to　be　looking　inward；　examining　her　own　thoughts；　and　she　spoke　almost　to　herself。　〃There　is　one　particular　ter'angreal　in　the　Holding；　a　thing　like　a　redstone　doorframe；　subtly　twisted　to　the　eye。　If　I　cannot　make　him　reach　some　decision；　I　may　have　to　step　through。〃　The　small　blue　stone　on　her　forehead　trembled；　sparkling。　Apparently　she　was　not　eager　to　take　that　step。
　　　　　　　At　the　mention　of　ter'angreal；　Egwene　instinctively　touched　the　bodice　of　her　dress。　She　had　sewn　a　small　pocket　there　herself；　to　hide　the　stone　ring　it　now　held。　That　ring　was　a　ter'angreal；　powerful　in　its　way　if　small；　and　Elayne　was　one　of　only　three　women　who　knew　she　had　it。　Moiraine　was　not　one　of　the　three。
　　　　　　　They　were　strange　things；　ter'angreal；　fragments　of　the　Age　of　Legends　like　angreal　and　sa'angreal；　if　more　numerous。　Ter'angreal　used　the　One　Power　instead　of　magnifying　it。　Each　had　apparently　been　made　to　do　one　thing　and　one　thing　alone；　but　though　some　were　used　now；　no　one　was　sure　if　those　uses　were　anything　like　what　they　had　been　made　for。　The　Oath　Rod；　on　which　a　woman　took　the　Three　Oaths　on　being　raised　Aes　Sedai；　was　a　ter'angreal　that　made　those　oaths　a　part　of　her　flesh　and　bone。　The　last　test　a　novice　took　on　being　raised　to　Accepted　was　inside　another　ter'angreal　that　ferreted　out　her　most　heartfelt　fears　and　made　them　seem　real　…　or　perhaps　took　her　to　a　place　where　they　were　real。　Odd　things　could　happen　with　ter'angreal。　Aes　Sedai　had　been　burned　out　or　killed；　or　had　simply　vanished；　in　studying　them。　And　in　using　them。
　　　　　　　〃I　saw　that　doorway；〃　Elayne　said。　〃In　the　last　room　at　the　end　of　the　hall。　My　lamp　went　out；　and　I　fell　three　times　before　I　made　it　to　the　door。〃　A　slight　flush　of　embarrassment　reddened　her　cheeks。　〃I　was　afraid　to　channel　in　there；　even　to　relight　the　lamp。　Much　of　it　looks　rubbish；　to　me　…　I　think　the　Tairens　simply　grabbed　anything　that　anyone　hinted　might　be　connected　to　the　Power　…　but　I　thought　if　I　channeled；　I　might　accidentally　empower　something　that　wasn't　rubbish；　and　who　knows　what　it　might　do。〃
　　　　　　　〃And　if　you　had　stumbled　in　the　dark　and　fallen　through　the　twisted　doorway？〃　Moiraine　said　wryly。　〃That　needs　no　channeling；　only　to　step　through。〃
　　　　　　　〃To　what　purpose？〃　Nynaeve　asked。
　　　　　　　〃To　gain　answers。　Three　answers；　each　true；　about　past；　present　or　future。〃
　　　　　　　Elayne's　first　thought　was　for　the　children's　tale；　Bili　Under　the　Hill；　but　only　because　of　the　three　answers。　A　second　thought　came　on　its　heels；　and　not　to　her　alone。　She　spoke　while　Nynaeve　and　Egwene　were　still　opening　their　mouths。　〃Moiraine；　this　solves　our　problem。　We　can　ask　whether　Joiya　or　Amico　is　telling　the　truth。　We　can　ask　where　Liandrin　and　the　others　are。　The　names　of　the　Black　Ajah　still　in　the　Tower　…〃
　　　　　　　〃We　can　ask　what　this　thing　is　that　is　dangerous　to　Rand；〃　Egwene　put　in；　and　Nynaeve　added；　〃Why　haven't　you　told　us　of　this　before？　Why　have　you　let　us　go　on　listening　to　the　same　tales　day　after　day　when　we　could　have　settled　it　all　by　now？〃
　　　　　　　The　Aes　Sedai　winced　and　threw　up　her　hands。　〃You　three　rush　in　blindly　where　Lan　and　a　hundred　Warders　would　tread　warily。　Why　do　you　think　I　have　not　stepped　through？　Days　ago　I　could　have　asked　what　Rand　must　do　to　survive　and　triumph；　how　he　can　defeat　the　Forsaken　and　the　Dark　One；　how　he　can　learn　to　control　the　Power　and　hold　off　madness　long　enough　to　do　what　he　must。〃　She　waited；　hands　on　hips；　while　it　sank　in。　None　of　them　spoke。　〃There　are　rules；〃　she　went　on；　〃and　dangers。　No　one　may　step　through　more　than　once。　Only　once。　You　may　ask　three　questions；　but　you　must　ask　all　three　and　hear　the　answers　before　you　may　leave。　Frivolous　questions　are　punished；　it　seems；　but　it　also　seems　what　may　be　serious　for　one　can　be　frivolous　ing　from　another。　Most　importantly；　questions　touching　the　Shadow　have　dire　consequences。〃If　you　asked　about　the　Black　Ajah；　you　might　be　returned　dead；　or　e　out　a　gibbering　madwoman；　if　you　came　out　at　all。　As　for　Rand。。。。　I　am　not　certain　it　is　possible　to　ask　a　question　about　the　Dragon　Reborn　that　does　not　touch　the　Shadow　in　some　way。　You　see？　Sometimes　there　are　reasons　for　caution。〃
　　　　　　　〃How　do　you　know　all　this？〃　Nynaeve　demanded。　Planting　fists　on　hips　she　confronted　the　Aes　Sedai。　〃The　High　Lords　surely　never　let　Aes　Sedai　study　anything　in　the　Holding。　From　the　filth　down　there；　none　of　it　has　seen　sunlight　in　a　hundred　years　or　more。〃
　　　　　　　〃More；　I　should　think；〃　Moiraine　told　her　calmly。　〃They　ceased　their　collecting　nearly　three　hundred　years　gone。　It　was　just　before　they　stopped　pletely　that　they　acquired　this　ter'angreal。　Up　until　then　it　was　the　possession　of　the　Firsts　of　Mayene；　who　used　its　answers　to　help　keep　Mayene　out　of　Tear's　grasp。　And　they　allowed　Aes　Sedai　to　study　it。　In　secret；　of　course；　Mayene　has　never　dared　anger　Tear　too　openly。〃
　　　　　　　〃If　it　was　so　important　to　Mayene；〃　Nynaeve　said　suspiciously；　〃why　is　it　here；　in　the　Stone？〃
　　　　　　　〃Because　Firsts　have　made　bad　decisions　as　well　as　good　in　trying　to　keep　Mayene　free　of　Tear。　Three　hundred　years　ago　the　High　Lords　were　planning　to　build　a　fleet　to　follow　Mayener　ships　and　find　the　oilfish　shoals。　Halvar；　the　then　First；　raised　the　price　of　Mayener　lamp　oil　well　above　that　of　oil　from　Tear's　olives；　and　to　further　convince　the　High　Lords　that　Mayene　would　always　put　its　own　interests　behind　those　of　Tear；　made　them　a　gift　of　the　ter'angreal。　He　had　already　used　it；　so　it　was　no　further　good　to　him；　and　he　was　almost　as　young　as　Berelain　is　now；　apparently　with　a　long　reign　ahead　of　him　and　many　years　of　needing　Tairen　goodwill。〃
　　　　　　　〃He　was　a　fool；〃　Elayne　muttered。　〃My　mother　would　never　make　such　a　mistake。〃
　　　　　　　〃Perhaps　not；〃　Moiraine　said。　〃But　then；　Andor　is　not　a　small　nation　cornered　by　a　much　larger　and　stronger。　Halvar　was　a　fool　as　it　turned　out　…　the　High　Lords　had　him　assassinated　the　very　next　year　…　but　his　foolishness　does　present　me　with　an　opportunity；　if　I　need　it。　A　dangerous　one；　yet　better　than　none。〃
　　　　　　　Nynaeve　muttered　to　herself；　perhaps　disappointed　that　the　Aes　Sedai　had　not　tripped　herself　up。
　　　　　　　〃It　leaves　the　rest　of　us　right　where　we　were。〃　Egwene　sighed。　〃Not　knowing　who　is　lying；　or　whether　they　both　are。〃
　　　　　　　〃Question　them　again；　if　you　wish；〃　Moiraine　said。　〃You　have　until　they　are　put　on　the　ship；　though　I　very　much　doubt　either　will　change　her　tale　now。　My　advice　is　to　concentrate　on　Tanchico。　If　Joiya　speaks　truly；　it　will　take　Aes　Sedai　and　Warders　to　guard　Mazrim　Taim；　not　just　the　three　of　you。　I　sent　a　warning　to　the　Amyrlin　by　pigeon　when　I　first　heard　Joiya's　story。　In　fact；　I　sent　three　pigeons；　to　make　sure　one　reaches　the　Tower。〃
　　　　　　　〃So　kind　of　you　to　keep　us　informed；〃　Elayne　murmur