rj.acrownofswords-第123部分

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　　　〃Do　you　know　who　I　am？〃　she　demanded。　〃I　am　Moghedien！〃　That　eyeless　gaze　watched　her　as　it　might　an　insect；　she　had　often　seen　Myrddraal　look　at　ordinary　humans　that　way。
　　　MOGHEDIEN。　That　voice　inside　her　head　flushed　away　all　thought　of　the　Myrddraal；　it　nearly　flushed　away　all　thought。　Beside　this；　any　human　lover's　deepest　embrace　was　a　drop　of　water　beside　the　ocean。　HOW　DEEP　IS　YOUR　FAILURE；　MOGHEDIEN？　THE　CHOSEN　ARE　ALWAYS　THE　STRONGEST；　BUT　YOU　LET　YOURSELF　BE　CAPTURED。　YOU　TAUGHT　THOSE　WHO　WOULD　OPPOSE　ME；　MOGHEDIEN。
　　　Eyelids　fluttering；　she　fought　for　coherence。　〃Great　Lord；　I　taught　them　only　small　things；　and　I　fought　them　as　I　could。　I　taught　them　a　supposed　way　to　detect　a　man　channeling。〃　She　managed　to　laugh。　〃Practicing　it　gives　them　such　headaches　they　cannot　channel　for　hours。〃　Silence。　Perhaps　as　well。　They　had　given　up　trying　to　learn　that　long　before　her　rescue；　but　the　Great　Lord　did　not　need　to　know　that。　〃Great　Lord；　you　know　how　I　have　served　you。　I　serve　in　the　shadows；　and　your　enemies　never　feel　my　bite　until　my　venom　is　working。〃　She　did　not　quite　dare　say　she　had　deliberately　let　herself　be　captured；　to　work　from　within；　but　she　could　suggest。　〃Great　Lord；　you　know　how　many　of　your　enemies　I　brought　down　in　the　War　of　Power。　From　the　shadows；　unseen；　or　if　seen；　ignored　because　I　could　not　possibly　be　a　threat。〃　Silence。　And　then。。。
　　　MY　CHOSEN　ARE　ALWAYS　THE　STRONGEST。　MY　HAND　MOVES。
　　　That　voice　reverberating　in　her　skull　turned　her　bones　to　boiling　honey　and　her　brain　to　fire。　The　Myrddraal　had　her　chin　in　its　hand；　forcing　her　head　up　before　her　vision　cleared　enough　to　see　the　knife　in　its　other　hand。　All　her　dreams　were　to　end　here　in　a　slit　throat；　her　body　going　to　feed　the　Trollocs。　Perhaps　Shaidar　Haran　would　save　a　choice　cut　for　itself。　Perhaps。。。
　　　No。　She　knew　she　was　going　to　die；　but　this　Myrddraal　would　not　eat　one　shred　of　her！　She　reached　to　embrace　saidar；　and　her　eyes　bulged。　There　was　nothing　there。　Nothing！　It　was　as　if　she　had　been　severed！　She　knew　she　had　not　…　it　was　said　that　tearing　was　the　deepest　pain　anyone　could　know；　beyond　any　power　to　deaden　…　but　…　！
　　　In　those　stunned　moments；　the　Myrddraal　forced　her　mouth　open；　scraped　the　blade　along　her　tongue；　then　nicked　her　ear。　And　as　it　straightened　with　her　blood　and　saliva；　she　knew；　even　before　it　produced　what　appeared　to　be　a　tiny；　fragile　cage　of　gold　wire　and　crystal。　Some　things　could　only　be　done　here；　some　only　to　those　who　could　channel；　and　she　had　brought　a　number　of　men　and　women　for　this　very　purpose。
　　　〃No；〃　she　breathed。　Her　eyes　could　not　leave　the　cour'souvra。　〃No；　not　me！　NOT　ME！〃
　　　Ignoring　her；　Shaidar　Haran　scraped　the　fluids　from　the　knife　onto　the　cour'souvra。　The　crystal　turned　a　milky　pink；　the　first　setting。　With　a　flick　of　its　wrist；　it　tossed　the　mindtrap　out　over　the　lake　of　molten　stone　for　the　second。　The　gold…and…crystal　cage　arched　through　the　air　and　suddenly　stopped；　floating　at　the　very　spot　where　it　seemed　the　Bore　was；　the　place　where　the　Pattern　lay　thinnest　of　all。
　　　Moghedien　forgot　the　Myrddraal。　She　flung　out　her　hands　toward　the　Bore。　〃Mercy；　Great　Lord！〃　She　had　never　noticed　that　the　Great　Lord　of　the　Dark　possessed　any　mercy；　but　had　she　been　bound　in　a　cell　with　rabid　wolves　or　with　a　darath　in　moult；　she　would　have　begged　the　same。　In　the　right　circumstances；　you　begged　even　for　the　impossible。　The　cour'souvra　hung　in　midair；　turning　slowly；　glittering　in　the　light　of　leaping　fires　below。　〃I　have　served　you　with　all　my　heart；　Great　Lord。　I　beg　mercy。　I　beg！　MERCYYYYYYY！〃
　　　YOU　MAY　SERVE　ME　STILL
　　　The　voice　flung　her　into　ecstasy　beyond　knowing；　but　at　the　same　instant　the　sparkling　mindtrap　suddenly　glowed　like　the　sun；　and　in　the　midst　of　rapture；　she　knew　pain　as　if　she　had　been　immersed　in　the　fiery　lake。　They　blended；　and　she　howled；　thrashing　like　a　mad　thing；　thrashing　in　endless　pain；　endless；　until　after　Ages；　after　nothing　remained　but　agony　and　the　memory　of　agony；　the　tiny　mercy　of　darkness　overwhelmed　her。
　　　Moghedien　stirred　on　the　pallet。　Not　again。　Please。
　　　She　barely　recognized　the　woman　who　entered　the　tent　where　she　was　held　prisoner。
　　　Please；　she　shrieked　in　the　depths　of　her　mind。
　　　The　woman　channeled　to　make　a　light；　and　Moghedien　saw　only　the　light。
　　　Deep　in　sleep；　she　quivered；　vibrating　from　head　to　toe。　Please！
　　　The　woman　named　herself　Aran'gar　and　called　Moghedien　by　name；　she　gave　summons　to　the　Pit　of　Doom　and　…
　　　〃Wake；　woman；〃　said　a　voice　like　rotted　bone　crumbling；　and　Moghedien's　eyes　popped　open。　She　almost　wished　for　the　dream　back。
　　　No　door　or　window　broke　the　featureless　stone　walls　of　her　small　prison；　and　there　were　no　glowbulbs　or　even　lamps；　but　light　came　from　somewhere。　She　did　not　know　how　many　days　she　had　been　there；　only　that　tasteless　food　appeared　at　irregular　intervals；　that　the　single　bucket　serving　for　sanitation　was　emptied　at　even　more　irregular　times；　and　soap　and　a　bucket　of　perfumed　water　were　somehow　left　for　her　to　clean　herself。　She　was　not　sure　whether　that　was　a　mercy　or　not；　the　glad　thrill　at　seeing　a　bucket　of　water　reminded　her　how　far　she　had　fallen。　Shaidar　Haran　was　in　the　cell　with　her　now。
　　　Hurriedly　rolling　from　her　pallet；　she　knelt　and　put　her　face　to　the　bare　stone　floor。　She　had　always　done　whatever　was　necessary　for　survival；　and　the　Myrddraal　had　been　all　too　glad　to　teach　her　what　was　necessary。　〃I　greet　you　eagerly；　Mia'cova。〃　The　lashed…together　title　burned　on　her　tongue。　〃One　Who　Owns　Me；〃　it　meant；　or　simply；　〃My　Owner。〃　The　strange　shield　Shaidar　Haran　had　used　on　her　…　Myrddraal　could　not；　but　it　did　…　the　shield　was　not　in　evidence；　yet　she　did　not　consider　channeling。　The　True　Power　was　denied　her；　of　course　…　that　could　be　drawn　only　with　the　Great　Lord's　blessing　…　but　the　Source　tantalized；　though　the　glow　just　beyond　sight　seemed　somehow　odd。　She　still　did　not　consider　it。　Every　time　the　Myrddraal　visited；　it　displayed　her　mindtrap。　Channeling　too　near　your　own　cour'souvra　was　extremely　painful；　the　nearer；　the　more　the　pain；　this　close；　she　did　not　think　she　would　survive　a　simple　touch　on　the　Source。　And　that　was　the　least　of　the　mindtrap's　dangers。
　　　Shaidar　Haran　chuckled；　a　rasp　of　dried；　cracked　leather。　That　was　another　difference　about　this　Myrddraal。　Far　more　cruel　than　Trollocs；　who　were　merely　bloodthirsty；　Myrddraal　were　cold　and　dispassionate　in　it。　Shaidar　Haran　often　showed　amusement；　though。　So　far　she　felt　lucky　to　have　only　bruises。　Most　women　would　have　been　on　the　brink　of　madness　by　now；　if　not　beyond。
　　　〃And　are　you　eager　to　obey？〃　that　rustling；　grating　voice　asked。
　　　〃Yes；　I　am　eager　to　obey；　Mia'cova。〃　Whatever　was　necessary　to　survive。　But　she　still　gasped　when　cold　fingers　suddenly　tangled　in　her　hair。　She　scrambled　to　her　feet　on　her　own　as　much　as　possible；　but　still　was　hauled　up。　At　least　this　time　her　feet　remained　on　the　floor。　The　Myrddraal　studied　her；　expressionless。　Remembering　past　visits；　it　required　an　effort　not　to　flinch；　or　scream；　or　simply　reach　for　saidar　and　make　an　end。
　　　〃Close　your　eyes；〃　it　told　her；　〃and　keep　them　closed　until　you　are　manded　to　open　them。〃
　　　Moghedien's　eyes　snapped　shut。　One　of　Shaidar　Haran's　lessons　had　been　instant　obedience。　Besides；　with　her　eyes　closed；　she　could　try　to　pretend　that　she　was　somewhere　else。　Whatever　was　necessary。
　　　Abruptly　the　hand　in　her　hair　rushed　her　forward；　and　she　screamed　in　spite　of　herself。　The　Myrddraal　meant　to　run　her　into　the　wall。　Her　hands　went　up　for　protection；　and　Shaidar　Haran　released　her。　She　staggered　at　least　ten　steps　…　but　her　cell　was　not　ten　paces　corner　to　corner。　Wood　smoke；　she　smelled　a　faint　touch　of　wood　smoke。　She　kept　her　eyelids　firmly　closed；　though。　She　meant　to　continue　with　no　more　than　bruises；　and　as　few　bruises　as　possible；　for　as　long　as　she　could　manage。
　　　〃You　can　look　now；〃　a　deep　voice　said。
　　　She　did；　cautiously。　The　speaker　was　a　tall；　broad…shouldered　young　man　in　black　boots　and　breeches　and　a　flowing　white　shirt　unlaced　at　the　top；　who　watched　her　with　startlingly　blue　eyes　from　a　deep；