rj.thegreathunt-第48部分

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cramble！　You　should　be　aboard；　yourself。　Find　a　boat　going　out　to　the　River　Queen。　You　two　will　be　traveling　with　the　Amyrlin　Seat；　so　mind　yourself　once　you're　on　board。　No　scenes　or　tantrums。〃
　　　　　　　〃Which　ship　is　Moiraine　Sedai's？〃
　　　　　　　〃Moiraine　isn't　on　a　ship；　girl。　She's　gone；　two　days　gone；　and　the　Amyrlin　is　in　a　taking　over　it。〃　Anaiya　grimaced　and　shook　her　head；　though　most　of　her　attention　was　still　on　the　workers。　〃First　Moiraine　vanishes　with　Lan；　then　Liandrin　right　on　Moiraine's　heels；　and　then　Verin；　none　of　them　with　so　much　as　a　word　for　anyone。　Verin　did　not　even　take　her　Warder；　Tomas　is　chewing　nails　with　worry　over　her。〃　The　Aes　Sedai　glanced　at　the　sky。　The　waxing　moon　shone　without　the　hindrance　of　clouds。　〃We　will　have　to　call　the　wind　again；　and　the　Amyrlin　will　not　be　pleased　with　that；　either。　She　says　she　wants　us　on　our　way　to　Tar　Valon　within　an　hour；　and　she　will　brook　no　delays。　I　would　not　want　to　be　Moiraine；　or　Liandrin；　or　Verin；　when　she　sees　them　next。　They'll　wish　they　were　novices　again。　Why；　child；　what's　the　matter？〃
　　　　　　　Egwene　drew　a　deep　breath。　Moiraine　gone？　She　can't　be！　I　have　to　tell　somebody；　somebody　who　won't　laugh　at　me。　She　imagined　Anaiya　back　in　Emond's　Field；　listening　to　her　daughter's　problems；　the　woman　fit　the　picture。　〃Anaiya　Sedai；　Rand　is　in　trouble。〃
　　　　　　　Anaiya　gave　her　a　considering　look。　〃That　tall　boy　from　your　village？　Missing　him　already；　are　you？　Well；　I　shouldn't　be　surprised　if　he　it　in　trouble。　Young　men　his　age　usually　are。　Though　it　was　the　other　one　…　Mat？　…　who　had　the　look　of　trouble。　Very　well；　child。　I　don't　mean　to　mock　you　or　make　light。　What　kind　of　trouble；　and　how　do　you　know？　He　and　Lord　Ingtar　must　have　the　Horn　and　be　back　in　Fal　Dara　by　now。　Or　else　they've　had　to　follow　it　into　the　Blight；　and　there's　nothing　to　do　about　that。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　…　I　don't　think　they're　in　the　Blight；　or　back　in　Fal　Dara。　I　had　a　dream。〃　She　said　it　half　defiantly。　It　sounded　silly　when　she　said　it；　but　it　had　seemed　so　real。　A　nightmare　for　true；　but　real。　First　there　had　been　a　man　with　a　mask　over　his　face；　and　fire　in　place　of　his　eyes。　Despite　the　mask；　she　had　thought　he　was　surprised　to　see　her。　His　look　had　frightened　her　till　she　thought　her　bones　would　break　from　shivering；　but　suddenly　he　vanished；　and　she　saw　Rand　sleeping　on　the　ground；　wrapped　in　a　cloak。　A　woman　had　been　standing　over　him；　looking　down。　Her　face　was　in　shadow；　but　her　eyes　seemed　to　shine　like　the　moon；　and　Egwene　had　known　she　was　evil。　Then　there　was　a　flash　of　light；　and　they　were　gone。　Both　of　them。　And　behind　it　all；　almost　like　another　thing　altogether；　was　the　feel　of　danger；　as　if　a　trap　was　just　beginning　to　snap　shut　on　an　unsuspecting　lamb；　a　trap　with　many　jaws。　As　though　time　had　slowed；　and　she　could　watch　the　iron　jaws　creep　closer　together。　The　dream　had　not　faded　with　waking；　the　way　dreams　did。　And　the　danger　felt　so　strong　she　still　wanted　to　look　over　her　shoulder　…　only　somehow　she　knew　that　it　was　aimed　at　Rand；　not　at　her。
　　　　　　　She　wondered　if　the　woman　had　been　Moiraine；　and　upbraided　herself　for　the　thought。　Liandrin　fit　that　part　better。　Or　perhaps　Alanna；　she　had　been　interested　in　Rand；　too。
　　　　　　　She　could　not　bring　herself　to　tell　Anaiya。　Formally；　she　said；　〃Anaiya　Sedai；　I　know　it　sounds　foolish；　but　he　is　in　danger。　Great　danger。　I　know　it。　I　could　feel　it。　I　still　can。〃
　　　　　　　Anaiya　wore　a　thoughtful　look。　〃Well；　now；〃　she　said　softly；　〃that's　a　possibility　I'll　wager　no　one　has　considered。　You　may　be　a　Dreamer。　It　is　a　small　chance；　child；　but　。。。　We　haven't　had　one　of　those　in　…　oh　…　four　or　five　hundred　years。　And　Dreaming　is　close　linked　to　Foretelling。　If　you　really　can　Dream；　it　may　be　that　you　can　Foretell；　as　well。　That　would　be　a　finger　in　the　Reds'　eye。　Of　course；　it　could　be　just　an　ordinary　nightmare；　brought　on　by　a　late　night；　and　cold　food；　and　us　traveling　so　hard　since　we　left　Fal　Dara。　And　you　missing　your　young　man。　Much　more　likely。　Yes；　yes；　child；　I　know。　You　are　worried　about　him。　Did　your　dream　indicate　what　kind　of　danger？〃
　　　　　　　Egwene　shook　her　head。　〃He　just　vanished；　and　I　felt　danger。　And　evil。　I　felt　it　even　before　he　vanished。〃　She　shivered　and　rubbed　her　hands　together。　〃I　can　still　feel　it。〃
　　　　　　　〃Well；　we　will　talk　about　it　more　on　the　River　Queen。　If　you　are　a　Dreamer；　I　will　see　you　have　the　training　Moiraine　should　be　here　to　。。。　You　there！〃　the　Aes　Sedai　barked　suddenly；　and　Egwene　jumped。　A　tall　man；　who　had　just　sat　down　on　a　cask　of　wine；　jumped；　too。　Several　others　quickened　their　step。　〃That's　for　loading　aboard；　not　resting　on！　We　will　talk　on　the　boat；　child。　No；　you　fool！　You　can't　carry　it　by　yourself！　Do　you　want　to　hurt　yourself？〃　Anaiya　went　striding　off　down　the　dock；　giving　the　unfortunate　villagers　a　rougher　side　of　her　tongue　than　Egwene　would　have　suspected　she　had。
　　　　　　　Egwene　peered　into　the　dark；　toward　the　south。　He　was　out　there；　somewhere。　Not　in　Fal　Dara；　not　in　the　Blight。　She　was　sure　of　it。　Hold　on；　you　wool…headed　idiot。　If　you　get　yourself　killed　before　I　can　get　you　out　of　this；　I　will　skin　you　alive。　It　did　not　occur　to　her　to　ask　how　she　was　going　to　get　him　out　of　anything；　going　to　Tar　Valon　as　she　was。
　　　　　　　Snugging　her　cloak　around　her；　she　set　out　to　find　a　boat　to　the　River　Queen。
　　　　　　　　
Chapter　13
（Portal　Stone）
From　Stone　to　Stone

　　　　　　　The　light　of　the　rising　sun　woke　Rand；　and　he　wondered　if　he　were　dreaming。　He　sat　up　slowly；　staring。　Everything　had　changed；　or　almost　everything。　The　sun　and　the　sky　were　as　he　expected　to　see；　if　pallid　and　all　but　cloudless。　Loial　and　Hurin　still　lay　on　either　side　of　him；　wrapped　in　their　cloaks　asleep；　and　their　horses　still　stood　hobbled　a　pace　away；　but　everyone　else　was　gone。　
　　　　　　　Soldiers；　horses；　his　friends；　everyone　and　everything　gone。
　　　　　　　The　hollow　itself　had　changed；　too；　and　they　were　in　the　middle　of　it　now；　no　longer　on　the　edge。　At　Rand's　head　rose　a　gray　stone　cylinder；　every　bit　of　three　spans　high　and　a　full　pace　thick；　covered　with　hundreds；　perhaps　thousands；　of　deeply　incised　diagrams　and　markings　in　some　language　he　did　not　recognize。　White　stone　paved　the　bottom　of　the　hollow；　as　level　as　a　floor；　polished　so　smooth　it　almost　glistened。　Broad；　high　steps　rose　to　the　rim　in　concentric　rings　of　different　colored　stone。　And　about　the　rim；　the　trees　stood　blackened　and　twisted　as　if　a　firestorm　had　roared　through　them。　Everything　seemed　paler　than　it　should　be；　just　like　the　sun；　more　subdued；　as　if　seen　through　mist。　Only　there　was　no　mist。　Just　the　three　of　them　and　the　horses　appeared　truly　solid。　But　when　he　touched　the　stone　under　him；　it　felt　solid　enough。
　　　　　　　He　reached　out　and　shook　Loial　and　Hurin。　〃Wake　up！　Wake　up　and　tell　me　I'm　dreaming。　Please　wake　up！〃
　　　　　　　〃Is　it　morning　already？〃　Loial　began；　sitting　up；　then　his　mouth　fell　open；　and　his　big；　round　eyes　grew　wider　and　wider。
　　　　　　　Hurin　woke　with　a　start；　then　leaped　to　his　feet；　jumping　like　a　flea　on　a　hot　rock　to　look　this　way；　then　that。　〃Where　are　we？　What's　happened？　Where　is　everybody？　Where　are　we；　Lord　Rand？〃　He　sank　to　his　knees；　wringing　his　hands；　but　his　eyes　still　darted。　〃What's　happened？〃
　　　　　　　〃I　don't　know；〃　Rand　said　slowly。　〃I　was　hoping　it　was　a　dream；　but　。。。　Maybe　it　is　a　dream。〃　He　had　had　experience　of　dreams　that　were　not　dreams；　experience　he　wanted　neither　to　repeat　nor　to　remember。　He　stood　up　carefully。　Everything　stayed　as　it　was。
　　　　　　　〃I　do　not　think　so；〃　Loial　said。　He　was　studying　the　column；　and　he　did　not　appear　happy。　His　long　eyebrows　sagged　across　his　cheeks；　and　his　tufted　ears　seemed　to　have　wilted。　〃I　think　this　is　the　same　stone　we　went　to　sleep　beside　last　night。　I　think　I　know　what　it　is；　now。〃　For　once；　he　sounded　miserable　about　knowing。
　　　　　　　〃That's　。。。〃　No。　That　being　the　same　stone　was　no　more　crazy　than　what　he　could　see　around　him；　Mat　and　Perrin　and　the　Shienarans　gone；　and　everything　changed。　I　thought　I'd　escaped；　but　it's　started　again；　and　there's　no　such　thing　as　crazy　anymore。　Unless　I　am。　He　looked　at　Loial　and　Hurin。　They　were　not　acting　as　if　he　were　mad；　they　saw　it；　too。　Something　about　the　steps　caught　his　eye；　the　different　colors；　seven　rising　from　blue　to　red。　〃One　for　each　Ajah；〃　he　said。
　　　　　　　〃No；　Lord　Rand；〃　Hurin　moaned。　〃No。　Aes　Sedai　would　not　do　this　to　us。　They　wouldn't！　I　walk　in　the　Light。〃
　　　　　　　〃We　all　do；　Hurin；〃　Rand　said。　〃The　Aes　Sedai　won't　hurt　you。〃　Unless　you　get　in　the　way。　Could　this　be　Moiraine's　doing　somehow？　〃Loial；　you　said　you　know　what　the　stone　is。　What　is　it？〃
　　　　　　　〃I　said　I　think　I　know；　Rand。　There　was　a　piece　of　an　old　book；　just　a　few　pages；　but　one　of　them　had　a　drawing　of　this　stone；　this　Stone〃　…　there　was　a　distinct　difference　in　the　way　he　said　it　that　marked　importance　…　〃or　one　very　like　it。　And　underneath；　it　said；　'From　Stone　to　Stone　run　the　lines　of　〃if；〃　between　the　worlds　that　might　be。〃'
　　　　　　　〃What　does　that　mean；　Loial？　It　doesn't　make　any　sense。〃
　　　　　　　The　Ogier　shook　his　massive　head　sadly。　〃It　was　only　a　few　pages。　Part　of　it　said　Aes　Sedai　in　the　Age　of　Legends；　some　of　those　who　could　Travel；　the　most　powerful　of　them；　could　use　these　Stones。　It　did　not　say　how；　but　I　think；　from　what　I　could　puzzle　out；　that　perhaps　those　Aes　Sedai　used　the　Stones　somehow　to　journey　to　those　worlds。〃　He　glanced　up　at　the　seared　trees　and　pulled　his　eyes　down　again　quickly；　as　he　did　not　want　to　think　about　what　lay　beyond　the　rim。　〃Yet　even　if　Aes　Sedai　can　use　them；　or　could；　we　had　no　Aes　Sedai　with　us　to　channel　the　Power；　so　I　don't　see　how　it　can　be。〃
　　　　　　　Rand's　skin　prickled。　Aes　Sedai　used　them。　In　the　Age　of　Legends；　when　there　were　male　Aes　Sedai。　He　had　a　vague　memory　of　the　void　closing　round　him　as　he　fell　asleep；　filled　with　that　uneasy　glow。　And　he　remembered　the　room　in　the　village；　and　the　light　he　had　reached　for　to　escape。　If　that　was　the　male　half　of　True　Source　。。。　No；　it　can't　be。　But　what　if　it　is？　Light；　I　was　wondering　whether　to　run　or　not；　and　all　the　time　it's　right　inside　my　head。　Maybe　I　brought　us　here。　He　did　not　want　to　think　about　it。　〃Worlds　that　might　be？　I　don't　understand；　Loial。〃
　　　　　　　The　Ogier　shrugged　massively；　and　uneasily。　〃Ne