rj.acrownofswords-第24部分

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　The　pair　even　winced　alike。　Two　fingers　rose　to　scratch　worriedly　at　mustaches；　and　Perrin　jerked　his　hand　away　from　his　chin。　A　man　looked　as　if　he　had　fleas　when　he　did　that。
　　　The　camp　was　abustle　in　no　time。　Everyone　had　been　expecting　to　move　soon；　yet　everyone　had　things　left　undone。　The　captive　Aes　Sedai's　servants　and　wagon　drivers　hurriedly　loaded　the　last　items　into　the　wagons　and　began　hitching　teams　with　a　jingle　of　harness。　Cairhienin　and　Mayeners　seemed　to　be　everywhere；　checking　saddles　and　bridles。　Unclothed　gai'shain　went　running　every　which　way；　though　there　did　not　seem　to　be　much　for　the　Aiel　to　ready。
　　　Flashes　of　light　outside　the　wagons　announced　the　departure　of　Taim　and　the　Asha'man。　That　made　Perrin　feel　better。　Of　the　nine　who　remained；　another　besides　Dashiva　was　in　his　middle　years；　a　stocky　fellow　with　a　farmer's　face；　and　one；　with　a　limp　and　a　fringe　of　white　hair；　might　easily　have　been　a　grandfather。　The　rest　were　younger；　some　little　more　than　boys；　yet　they　watched　all　the　hubbub　with　the　self…possession　of　men　who　had　seen　as　much　a　dozen　times。　They　did　keep　to　themselves；　though；　and　together　except　for　Dashiva；　who　stood　a　few　paces　apart　staring　at　nothing。　Remembering　Taim's　caution　about　the　fellow；　Perrin　hoped　he　was　daydreaming。
　　　He　found　Rand　seated　on　a　wooden　crate　with　his　elbows　on　his　knees。　Sulin　and　Nandera　squatted　easily　to　either　side　of　Rand；　both　studiously　avoiding　looking　at　the　sword　at　his　hip。　Holding　their　spears　and　bull…hide　bucklers　casually；　here　in　the　midst　of　people　loyal　to　Rand；　they　kept　a　watch　on　anything　that　moved　near　him。　Min　sat　on　the　ground　at　his　feet　with　her　legs　tucked　under；　smiling　up　at　him。
　　　〃I　hope　you　know　what　you're　doing；　Rand；〃　Perrin　said；　shifting　the　axe　haft　so　he　could　drop　to　his　heels。　No　one　was　close　enough　to　hear　except　for　Rand　and　Min　and　the　two　Maidens。　If　Sulin　or　Nandera　went　running　to　the　Wise　Ones；　so　be　it。　Without　more　preamble　he　launched　into　what　he　had　seen　so　far　this　morning。　What　he　had　smelled；　too；　though　he　did　not　say　that。　Rand　was　not　among　the　few　who　knew　about　him　and　wolves；　he　made　it　all　seem　what　he　had　seen　and　heard。　The　Asha'man　and　the　Wise　Ones。　The　Asha'man　and　the　Aes　Sedai。　The　Wise　Ones　and　the　Aes　Sedai。　The　whole　tangle　of　tinder　that　might　burst　into　flame　any　moment。　He　did　not　spare　the　Two　Rivers　men。　〃They're　worried；　Rand；　and　if　they　are　sweating；　you　can　be　sure　some　Cairhienin　is　thinking　about　doing　something。　Or　a　Tairen。　Maybe　just　helping　the　prisoners　escape；　maybe　something　worse。　Light；　I　could　see　Dannil　and　Ban　and　fifty　more　besides　helping　them　get　away；　if　they　knew　how。〃
　　　〃You　think　something　else　would　be　that　much　worse？〃　Rand　said　quietly；　and　Perrin's　skin　prickled。
　　　He　met　Rand's　gaze　directly。　〃A　thousand　times；〃　he　said　in　just　as　quiet　a　voice。　〃I　won't　be　part　of　murder。　If　you　will　be；　I'll　stand　in　your　way。〃　A　silence　stretched；　unblinking　blue…gray　eyes　meeting　unblinking　golden。
　　　Frowning　at　each　of　them　in　turn；　Min　made　an　exasperated　sound　in　her　throat。　〃You　two　woolheads！　Rand；　you　know　you'll　never　give　an　order　like　that；　or　let　anyone　else　give　it；　either。　Perrin；　you　know　he　won't。　Now　the　pair　of　you　stop　acting　like　two　strange　roosters　in　a　pen。〃
　　　Sulin　chuckled；　but　Perrin　wanted　to　ask　Min　how　certain　she　was；　although　that　was　not　a　question　he　could　voice　here。　Rand　scrubbed　his　fingers　through　his　hair；　then　shook　his　head；　for　all　the　world　like　a　man　disagreeing　with　somebody　who　was　not　there。　The　sort　of　voice　that　madmen　heard。
　　　〃It's　never　easy；　is　it？〃　Rand　said　after　a　time；　looking　sad。　〃The　bitter　truth　is；　I　can't　say　which　would　be　worse。　I　don't　have　any　good　choices。　They　saw　to　that　themselves。〃　His　face　was　despondent；　but　rage　boiled　in　his　scent。　〃Alive　or　dead；　they're　a　millstone　on　my　back；　and　either　way；　they　could　break　it。〃
　　　Perrin　followed　his　gaze　to　the　Aes　Sedai　prisoners。　They　were　on　their　feet　now；　and　all　together；　though　even　so　they　managed　to　put　a　little　distance　between　the　three　who　had　been　stilled　and　the　rest。　The　Wise　Ones　around　them　were　being　curt　with　their　orders；　by　the　gestures　they　made　and　the　tight　faces　on　the　sisters。　Maybe　the　Wise　Ones　were　better　than　Rand　keeping　them；　too。　If　only　he　could　be　sure。
　　　〃Did　you　see　anything；　Min？〃　Rand　said。
　　　Perrin　gave　a　start　and　directed　a　warning　glance　at　Sulin　and　Nandera；　but　Min　laughed　softly。　Leaning　against　Rand's　knee；　she　really　did　look　the　Min　he　knew；　for　the　first　time　since　finding　her　at　the　wells。　〃Perrin；　they　know　about　me。　The　Wise　Ones；　the　Maidens；　maybe　all　of　them。　And　they　don't　care。〃　She　had　a　talent　she　kept　hidden　much　as　he　did　the　wolves。　Sometimes　she　saw　images　and　auras　around　people；　and　sometimes　she　knew　what　they　meant。　〃You　can't　know　what　that's　like；　Perrin。　I　was　twelve　when　it　started；　and　I　didn't　know　to　make　a　secret　of　it。　Everybody　thought　I　was　just　making；　things　up。　Until　I　said　a　man　on　the　next　street　was　going　to　marry　a　woman　I　saw　him　with；　only　he　was　already　married。　When　he　ran　off　with　her；　his　wife　brought　a　mob　to　my　aunts'　house　claiming　I　was　responsible；　that　I'd　used　the　One　Power　on　her　husband　or　given　the　two　of　them　some　kind　of　potion。〃　Min　shook　her　head。　〃She　wasn't　too　clear。　She　just　had　to　blame　somebody。　There　was　talk　of　me　being　a　Darkfriend；　too。　There　had　been　some　Whitecloaks　in　town　earlier；　trying　to　stir　people　up。　Anyway；　Aunt　Rana　convinced　me　to　say　I　had　just　overheard　them　talking；　and　Aunt　Miren　promised　to　spank　me　for　spreading　tales；　and　Aunt　Jan　said　she'd　dose　me。　They　didn't；　of　course　…　they　knew　the　truth　…　but　if　they　hadn't　been　so　matter…of…fact　about　it；　about　me　just　being　a　child；　I　could　have　been　hurt；　or　even　killed。　Most　people　don't　like　somebody　knowing　things　about　their　future；　most　people　don't　really　want　to　know　it　themselves；　not　unless　it's　good　anyway。　Even　my　aunts　didn't。　But　to　the　Aiel；　I　am　sort　of　a　Wise　One　by　courtesy。〃
　　　〃Some　can　do　things　others　cannot；〃　Nandera　said；　as　if　that　was　enough　explanation。
　　　Min　laughed　again　and　reached　out　to　touch　the　Maiden's　knee。　〃Thank　you。〃　Settling　her　feet　beneath　her；　she　looked　up　at　Rand。　Now　that　she　was　laughing　again；　she　seemed　radiant。　That　held　even　after　she　became　serious。　Serious；　and　not　very　pleased。　〃As　for　your　question；　nothing　of　any　use。　Taim　has　blood　in　his　past　and　blood　in　his　future；　but　you　could　guess　that。　He's　a　dangerous　man。　They　seem　to　be　gathering　images　like　Aes　Sedai。〃　A　sidelong　look　through　lowered　eyelashes　at　Dashiva　and　the　other　Asha'man　said　who　she　meant。　Most　people　had　few　images　around　them；　but　Min　said　Aes　Sedai　and　Warders　always　did。　〃The　problem　is；　what　I　can　see　is　all　blurry。　I　think　it's　because　they're　holding　the　Power。　That　often　seems　true　with　Aes　Sedai；　and　it's　worse　when　they're　actually　channeling。　Kiruna　and　that　lot　have　all　sorts　of　things　around　them；　but　they　stay　so　close　together　that　it　all。。。　well。。。　jumbles　together　most　of　the　time。　It's　even　muddier　with　the　prisoners。〃
　　　〃Never　mind　the　prisoners；〃　Rand　told　her。　〃That's　what　they'll　stay。〃
　　　〃But　Rand；　I　keep　feeling　there　is　something　important；　if　I　could　only　pick　it　out。　You　need　to　know。〃
　　　〃'If　you　don't　know　everything；　you　must　go　on　with　what　you　do　know；'〃　Rand　quoted　wryly。　〃It　seems　I　never　do　know　everything。　Hardly　enough；　most　of　the　time。　But　there's　no　choice　but　to　go　on；　is　there。〃　That　was　not　at　all　a　question。
　　　Loial　strode　up；　bubbling　with　energy　despite　his　obvious　weariness。　〃Rand；　they　say　they're　ready　to　go；　but　you　promised　to　talk　to　me　while　it's　fresh。〃　Abruptly　his　ears　twitched　with　embarrassment；　and　that　booming　voice　became　plaintive。　〃I　am　sorry；　I　know　it　can't　be　enjoyable。　But　I　must　know。　For　the　book。　For　the　Ages。〃
　　　Laughing；　Rand　got　to　his　feet　and　tugged　at　the　Ogier's　open　coat。　〃For　the　Ages？　Do　writers　all　talk　like　that？　Don't　worry；　Loial。　It　will　still　be　fresh　when　I　tell　you。　I　won't　forget。〃　A　grim；　sour　scent　flashed　from　him　despite　the　smile；　and　was　gone。　〃But　back　in　Cairhien；　afte