rj.thegreathunt-第54部分
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you cannot。 I walk in the Light； and you cannot touch me！〃
Ba'alzamon leaned on his staff and looked at Rand a moment； then moved to stand over Loial and Hurin； peering down at them。 The vast shadow moved with him。 He did not disturb the fog； Rand saw … he moved； the staff swung with his steps； but the gray mist did not swirl and eddy around his feet as it did around Rand's。 That gave him heart。 Perhaps Ba'alzamon really was not there。 Perhaps it was a dream。
〃You find odd followers；〃 Ba'alzamon mused。 〃You always did。 These two。 The girl who tries to watch over you。 A poor guardian and weak； Kinslayer。 If she had a lifetime to grow； she would never grow strong enough for you to hide behind。〃
Girl？ Who？ Moiraine is surely not a girl。 〃I don't know what you are talking about； Father of Lies。 You lie； and lie； and even when you tell the truth； you twist it to a lie。〃
〃Do I； Lews Therin？ You know what you are； who you are。 I have told you。 And so have those women of Tar Valon。〃 Rand shifted； and Ba'alzamon gave a laugh； like a small thunderclap。 〃They think themselves safe in their White Tower； but my followers number even some of their own。 The Aes Sedai called Moiraine told you who you are； did she not？ Did she lie？ Or is she one of mine？ The White Tower means to use you like a hound on a leash。 Do I lie？ Do I lie when I say you seek the Horn of Valere？〃 He laughed again； calm of the void or no； it was all Rand could do not to cover his ears。 〃Sometimes old enemies fight so long that they bee allies and never realize it。 They think they strike at you； but they have bee so closely linked it is as if you guided the blow yourself。〃
〃You don't guide me；〃 Rand said。 〃I deny you。〃
〃I have a thousand strings tied to you； Kinslayer； each one finer than silk and stronger than steel。 Time has tied a thousand cords between us。 The battle we two have fought … do you remember any part of that？ Do you have any glimmering that we have fought before； battles without number back to the beginning of Time？ I know much that you do not！ That battle will soon end。 The Last Battle is ing。 The last； Lews Therin。 Do you really think you can avoid it？ You poor； shivering worm。 You will serve me or die！ And this time the cycle will not begin anew with your death。 The grave belongs to the Great Lord of the Dark。 This time if you die； you will be destroyed utterly。 This time the Wheel will be broken whatever you do； and the world remade to a new mold。 Serve me！ Serve Shai'tan； or be destroyed forever！〃
With the utterance of that name； the air seemed to thicken。 The darkness behind Ba'alzamon swelled and grew； threatening to swallow everything。 Rand felt it engulfing him； colder than ice and hotter than coals both at the same time； blacker than death； sucking him into the depths of it； overwhelming the world。
He gripped his sword hilt till his knuckles hurt。 〃I deny you； and I deny your power。 I walk in the Light。 The Light preserves us； and we shelter in the palm of the Creator's hand。〃 He blinked。 Ba'alzamon still stood there； and the great darkness still hung behind him； but it was as if all the rest had been illusion。
〃Do you want to see my face？〃 It was a whisper。
Rand swallowed。 〃No。〃
〃You should。〃 A gloved hand went to the black mask。
〃No！〃
The mask came away。 It was a man's face； horribly burned。 Yet between the black…edged； red crevices crossing those features； the skin looked healthy and smooth。 Dark eyes looked at Rand； cruel lips smiled with a flash of white teeth。 〃Look at me； Kinslayer； and see the hundredth part of your own fate。〃 For a moment eyes and mouth became doorways into endless caverns of fire。 〃This is what the Power unchecked can do； even to me。 But I heal； Lews Therin。 I know the paths to greater power。 It will burn you like a moth flying into a furnace。〃
〃I will not touch it！〃 Rand felt the void around him； felt saidin。 〃I won't。〃
〃You cannot stop yourself。〃
〃Leave…me…ALONE！〃
〃Power。〃 Ba'alzamon's voice became soft； insinuating。 〃You can have power again； Lews Therin。 You are linked to it now； this moment。 I know it。 I can see it。 Feel it； Lews Therin。 Feel the glow inside you。 Feel the power that could be yours。 All you must do is reach out for it。 But the Shadow is there between you and it。 Madness and death。 You need not die； Lews Therin； not ever again。〃
〃No；〃 Rand said； but the voice went on； burrowing into him。
〃I can teach you to control that power so that it does not destroy you。 No one else lives who can teach you that。 The Great Lord of the Dark can shelter you from the madness。 The power can be yours； and you can live forever。 Forever！ All you must do in return is serve。 Only serve。 Simple words … I am yours； Great Lord … and power will be yours。 Power beyond anything those women of Tar Valon dream of； and life eternal； if you will only offer yourself up and serve。〃
Rand licked his lips。 Not to go mad。 Not to die。 〃Never！ I walk in the Light；〃 he grated hoarsely； 〃and you can never touch me！〃
〃Touch you； Lews Therin？ Touch you？ I can consume you！ Taste it and know； as I knew！〃
Those dark eyes became fire again； and that mouth； flame that blossomed and grew until it seemed brighter than a summer sun。 Grew； and suddenly Rand's sword glowed as if just drawn from the forge。 He cried out as the hilt burned his hands； screamed and dropped the sword。 And the fog caught fire； fire that leaped； fire that burned everything。
Yelling； Rand beat at his clothes as they smoked and charred and fell in ashes； beat with hands that blackened and shriveled as naked flesh cracked and peeled away in the flames。 He screamed。 Pain beat at the void inside him； and he tried to crawl deeper into the emptiness。 The glow was there； the tainted light just out of sight。 Half mad； no longer caring what it was； he reached for saidin； tried to wrap it around him； tried to hide in it from the burning and the pain。
As suddenly as the fire began； it was gone。 Rand stared wonderingly at his hand sticking out of the red sleeve of his coat。 There was not so much as a singe on the wool。 I imagined it all。 Frantically； he looked around。 Ba'alzamon was gone。 Hurin shifted in his sleep； the sniffer and Loial were still only two mounds sticking up out of the low fog。 I did imagine it。
Before relief had a chance to grow； pain stabbed his right hand； and he turned it up to look。 There across the palm was branded a heron。 The heron from the hilt of his sword； angry and red； as neatly done as though drawn with an artist's skill。
Fumbling a kerchief from his coat pocket； he wrapped it around his hand。 The hand throbbed； now。 The void would help with that … he was aware of pain in the void； but he did not feel it … but he put the thought out of his head。 Twice now； unknowing … and once on purpose； he could not forget that … he had tried to channel the One Power while he was in the void。 It was with that that Ba'alzamon wanted to tempt him。 It was that that Moiraine and the Amyrlin Seat wanted him to do。 He would not。
Chapter 16
（Dragon's Fang）
In the Mirror of Darkness
〃You should not have done it； Lord Rand；〃 Hurin said when Rand woke the others just at daybreak。 The sun yet hid below the horizon； but there was light enough to see。 The fog had melted away while dark still held； fading reluctantly。 〃If you use yourself up to spare us； my Lord； who will see to getting us home？〃
〃I needed to think；〃 Rand said。 Nothing showed the fog had ever been； or Ba'alzamon。 He fingered the kerchief wrapped around his right hand。 There was that to prove Ba'alzamon had been there。 He wanted to be away from this place。 〃Time to be in the saddle if we are going to catch Fain's Darkfriends。 Past time。 We can eat flatbread while we ride。〃
Loial paused in the act of stretching； his arms reaching as high as Hurin could have standing on Rand's shoulders。 〃Your hand； Rand。 What happened？〃
〃I hurt it。 It's nothing。〃
〃I have a salve in my saddlebags … 〃
〃It is nothing〃 Rand knew he sounded harsh； but one look at the brand would surely bring questions he did not want to answer。 〃Time's wasting。 Let us be on our way。〃 He set about saddling Red； awkwardly because of his injured hand； and Hurin jumped to his own horse。
〃No need to be so touchy；〃 Loial muttered。
A track； Rand decided as they set out； would be something natural in that world。 There were too many unnatural things there。 Even a single hoofprint would be wele。 Fain and the Darkfriends and the Trollocs had to leave some mark。 He concentrated on the ground they passed over； trying to make out any trace that could have been made by another living thing。
There was nothing； not a turned stone； not a disturbed clod of earth。 Once he looked at the ground behind them； just to reassure himself that the land did take hoofprints； scraped turf and bent grass marked their passage plainly； yet ahead the ground was undisturbed。 But Hurin insisted he could smell the trail； faint and thin； but still heading south。
Once again the sniffer put all his attentions on the trail he followed； like a hound tracking deer； and once again Loial rode lost in his own thoughts； muttering to himself and rubbing the huge quarterstaff held across his saddle in front of him。
They had not been riding more than an hour when Rand saw the spire ahead。 He was so busy watching for tracks that the tapering column already stood thick and tall above the trees in the middle distance when he first noticed it。 〃I wonder what that is。〃 It lay directly in their path。
〃I don't know what it can be； Rand；〃 Loial said。
〃If this … if this was our own world； Lord Rand 。。。〃 Hurin shifted unfortably in his saddle。 〃Well； that monument Lord Ingtar was talking about … the one to Artur Hawkwing's victory over the Trollocs … it was a great spire。 But it was torn down a thousand years ago。 There's nothing left but a big mound； like a hill。 I saw it； when I went to Cairhien for Lord Agelmar。〃
〃According to Ingtar；〃 Loial said； 〃that is still three or four days ahead of us。 If it is her
