rj.acrownofswords-第44部分

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　turned　necessity　to　evil。　But　even　if　that　pair　were　asleep；　locating　someone's　dreams　the　first　time　was　arduous　at　best；　without　guarantees。　Days　of　efforts　…　nights　of　it；　rather　…　were　more　likely　to　deliver　nothing。　This　was　at　least　sure。
　　　Slowly　she　moved　closer　through　everlasting　darkness；　though　once　again　it　seemed　that　she　stayed　still　and　the　pinpoint　of　light　grew；　to　a　glowing　pearl；　an　iridescent　apple；　a　full　moon；　until　it　filled　her　vision　entirely　with　brightness；　all　the　world。　She　did　not　touch　it；　though；　not　yet。　A　space　finer　than　a　hair　remained　between。　Ever　so　gently；　she　reached　across　that　gap。　With　what；　lacking　a　body；　was　as　much　a　mystery　as　how　she　knew　one　dream　from　another。　Her　will；　the　Wise　Ones　said；　but　she　still　did　not　understand　how　that　could　be。　As　though　laying　a　finger　to　a　soap　bubble；　she　kept　her　touch　very　delicate　indeed。　The　shining　wall　shimmered　like　spun　glass；　pulsed　like　a　heart；　delicate　and　alive。　A　little　firmer　touch；　and　she　would　be　able　to　〃see〃　inside；　〃see〃　what　Nynaeve　was　dreaming。　A　bit　firmer　still；　and　she　could　actually　step　inside　and　be　a　part　of　the　dream。　That　carried　hazards；　especially　with　anyone　of　a　strong　mind；　but　either　looking　in　or　stepping　in　could　be　mortifying。　For　example；　if　the　dreamer　happened　to　be　dreaming　of　a　man　she　was　particularly　interested　in。　Apologies　alone　took　half　the　night　when　you　did　that。　Or；　with　a　hooking　sort　of　motion；　like　rolling　a　fragile　bead　across　a　tabletop；　she　could　snatch　Nynaeve　out；　into　a　dream　of　her　own　making；　a　part　of　Tel'aran'rhiod　itself；　where　she　was　in　plete　control。　She　was　sure　that　would　work。　Of　course；　that　was　one　of　the　forbidden　things；　and　she　did　not　think　Nynaeve　would　appreciate　it。
　　　NYNAEVE；　THIS　IS　EGWENE。　UNDER　NO　CIRCUMSTANCES　ARE　YOU　TO　RETURN　UNTIL　YOU　FIND　THE　BOWL；　NOT　UNTIL　I　CAN　SETTLE　A　PROBLEM　WITH　AREINA　AND　NICOLA。　THEY　KNOW　YOU　WERE　PRETENDING。　I　WILL　EXPLAIN　MORE　WHEN　I　SEE　YOU　NEXT　IN　THE　LITTLE　TOWER。　BE　CAREFUL。　MOGHEDIEN　HAS　ESCAPED。
　　　The　dream　winked　out；　the　soap　bubble　pricked。　Despite　the　message；　she　would　have　giggled　had　she　possessed　a　throat。　A　disembodied　voice　in　your　dream　could　have　a　startling　effect。　Especially　if　you　were　afraid　the　speaker　might　be　peeking。　Nynaeve　was　not　one　to　forget　even　when　it　was　an　accident。
　　　That　light…spangled　sea　whirled　about　her　once　more　until　she　settled　on　another　sparkling　pinpoint。　Elayne。　The　two　women　very　likely　slept　no　more　than　a　dozen　paces　apart　in　Ebou　Dar；　but　distance　had　no　meaning　here。　Or　perhaps　it　had　a　different　meaning。
　　　This　time　when　she　delivered　her　message；　the　dream　pulsed　and　changed。　It　still　appeared　exactly　the　same　as　every　other；　but　even　so；　to　her　it　was　transformed。　Had　the　words　drawn　Elayne　into　another　dream？　They　would　remain；　however；　and　she　would　remember　on　waking。
　　　With　Nicola　and　Areina's　bowstrings　dampened　a　little　more；　it　was　time　to　turn　her　attention　to　Rand。　Unfortunately；　finding　his　dreams　would　be　as　useless　as　finding　an　Aes　Sedai's。　He　shielded　his　somewhat　as　they　did　theirs；　although　apparently　a　man's　shield　differed　from　a　woman's。　An　Aes　Sedai's　shield　was　a　crystal　carapace；　a　seamless　sphere　woven　of　Spirit；　but　however　transparent　it　appeared；　it　might　as　well　have　been　steel。　She　could　not　recall　how　many　fruitless　hours　she　had　frittered　away　trying　to　peer　through　his。　Where　a　sister's　shielded　dream　seemed　brighter；　close　up；　his　were　dimmer。　It　was　like　staring　into　muddy　water；　sometimes　you　had　the　impression　that　something　had　moved　deep　in　those　gray…brown　swirls；　but　you　could　never　tell　what。
　　　Again　the　endless　array　of　lights　spun　and　settled；　and　she　approached　a　third　woman's　dream。　Gingerly。　So　much　lay　between　her　and　Amys　that　it　seemed　akin　to　approaching　her　mother's　dreams。　In　truth；　she　had　to　admit；　she　wanted　to　emulate　Amys　in　many　ways。　She　desired　Amys'　respect　every　bit　as　greatly　as　she　did　the　Hall's。　Maybe；　if　she　had　to　choose；　she　would　choose　Amys'。　Certainly；　there　was　no　Sitter　she　esteemed　as　highly　as　she　did　Amys。　Pushing　away　a　sudden　diffidence；　she　tried　to　make　her　〃voice〃　softer；　to　no　avail。
　　　AMYS；　THIS　IS　EGWENE。　I　MUST　SPEAK　WITH　YOU。
　　　We　will　e；　a　voice　murmured　to　her。　Amys'　voice。
　　　Startled；　Egwene　backed　away。　She　felt　like　laughing　at　herself。　Perhaps　it　was　just　as　well　to　be　reminded　that　the　Wise　Ones　had　long　years'　more　experience　at　this。　There　were　times　she　was　afraid　she　might　have　been　spoiled　by　not　having　to　work　harder　for　her　abilities　with　the　One　Power。　Then　again；　as　if　to　make　up　for　it；　sometimes　everything　else　seemed　like　trying　to　climb　a　cliff　in　a　rainstorm。
　　　Abruptly　she　caught　movement　at　the　very　edge　of　her　field　of　vision。　One　of　those　points　of　light　slid　through　the　sea　of　stars；　drifting　toward　her　of　its　own　volition；　growing　larger。　Only　one　dream　would　do　that；　one　dreamer。　In　a　panic；　she　fled；　wishing　she　had　a　throat　to　scream；　or　curse；　or　just　shout。　Especially　at　the　tiny　corner　of　her　that　wanted　to　stay　where　she　was　and　wait。
　　　Not　even　the　stars　moved　this　time。　They　simply　disappeared；　and　she　was　leaning　against　a　thick　redstone　column；　panting　as　though　she　had　sprinted　a　mile；　heart　beating　fit　to　burst。　After　a　moment；　she　looked　down　at　herself　and　began　to　laugh　a　trifle　unsteadily；　trying　to　catch　her　breath。　She　had　on　a　full…skirted　gown　of　shimmering　green　silk；　worked　in　thread…of…gold　in　wide；　ornate　bands　across　the　bodice　and　along　the　hem。　That　bodice　also　showed　considerably　more　bosom　than　she　ever　would　waking；　and　a　broad　cinched　belt　of　woven　gold　made　her　waist　seem　smaller　than　it　really　was。　Then　again；　maybe　it　was　smaller。　Here　in　Tel'aran'rhiod；　you　could　be　however　you　wanted；　whatever　you　wanted。　Even　when　the　wanting　was　unconscious；　if　you　were　not　careful。　Gawyn　Trakand　had　unfortunate　effects　on　her；　very　unfortunate。
　　　That　tiny　part　of　her　still　wished　she　had　waited　to　be　overtaken　by　his　dream。　Overtaken　and　absorbed　by　it。　If　a　dreamwalker　loved　somebody　to　distraction；　or　hated　them　beyond　reason；　most　especially　if　the　emotion　was　returned；　she　could　be　pulled　into　that　person's　dream；　she　drew　the　dream；　or　it　drew　her；　as　a　lodestone　drew　iron　filings。　She　certainly　did　not　hate　Gawyn；　but　she　could　not　afford　to　be　trapped　in　his　dream；　not　tonight；　trapped　until　he　wakened；　being　as　he　saw　her。　Which　was　a　good　deal　more　beautiful　than　she　truly　was；　oddly；　he　appeared　less　beautiful　than　he　was　in　life。　There　was　no　question　of　a　strong　mind　or　concentration　when　love　or　hate　that　strong　was　involved。　Once　you　were　in　that　dream；　there　you　remained　until　the　other　person　stopped　dreaming　about　you。　Remembering　what　he　dreamed　of　doing　with　her；　what　they　had　done　in　his　dreams；　she　felt　a　fiery　blush　suffusing　her　face。
　　　〃A　good　thing　none　of　the　Sitters　can　see　me　now；〃　she　muttered。　〃They'd　never　take　me　for　anything　but　a　girl；　then。〃　Grown　women　did　not　flutter　and　moon　over　a　man　this　way；　she　was　certain　of　that。　Not　women　with　any　sense；　anyway。　What　he　dreamed　of　would　e；　but　at　a　time　of　her　choosing。　Obtaining　her　mother's　permission　might　be　difficult；　yet　surely　she　would　not　withhold　it　even　if　she　had　never　laid　eyes　on　Gawyn。　Marin　al'Vere　trusted　her　daughters'　judgment。　Now　it　was　time　for　her　youngest　daughter　to　show　a　little　of　that　judgment　and　put　these　fancies　away　until　a　better　time。
　　　Looking　around；　she　almost　wished　she　could　go　on　letting　Gawyn　fill　her　thoughts。　More　massive　columns　ran　in　every　direction；　supporting　a　soaring；　vaulted　ceiling　and　a　great　dome。　None　of　the　gilded　lamps　hanging　from　golden　chains　overhead　was　lit；　yet　there　was　light　of　a　sort；　light　that　was　just　there；　without　source；　neither　bright　nor　dim。　The　Heart　of　the　Stone；　inside　the　great　fortress　called　the　Stone　of　Tear。　Or　rather　its　image　in　Tel'aran'rhiod；　an　image　as　real　as　the　original　in　many　ways。　This　was　where　she　had　met　the　Wise　Ones　before；　their　choice。　A　strange　one　for　Aiel；　it　seemed　to　her。　She　would　have　expected　Rhuidean；　now　that　it　was　open；　or　somewhere　else　in　the　Aiel　Waste；　or　simply　wherever　the　Wise　Ones　happened　to　be。　Every　place　except　Ogier　stedding　had　its　reflection　in　the　World　of　Dreams　…　even　the　stedding　did；　really；　but　they　could　not　be　entered；　just　as　Rhuidean　had　once　been　closed。　The　Aes　Sedai　camp　was　out　of　the　question；　of　course。　A　number　of　the　sisters　now　had　access　to　ter'angreal　that　allowed　them　to　enter　the　World　of　Dreams；　and　since　none　really　knew　what　they　were　doing；　they　often　began　their　ventures　by　appearing　in　the　camp　of　Tel'aran'rhiod　as　though　setting　out　on　a　normal　journey。
　　　Like　angreal　and　sa'angreal；　by　Tower　law　ter'angreal　were　the　property　of　the　White　Tower；　no　matter　who　happened　to　possess　them　for　the　present。　Very　seldom　did　the　Tower　insist；　at　least　when　possession　lay　somewhere　like　the　so…called　Great　Holding　in　this　very　Stone　of　Tear　…　eventually　they　would　e　to　the　Aes　Sedai；　and　the　White　Tower　had　always　been　good　at　waiting　when　it　needed　to　…　but　those　actually　in　Aes　Sedai　hands　were　in　the　gift　of　the　Hall；　of　individual　Sitters。　The　loan；　really；　they　were　almost　never　given。　Elayne　had　learned　to　duplicate　dream　ter'angreal；　and　she　and　Nynaeve　had　taken　two　with　them；　but　the　rest　were　in　the　Hall's　possession　now；　along　with　the　other　sorts　Elayne　had　made。　Which　meant　that　Sheriam　and　her　little　circle　could　use　them　whenever　they　wished；　and　most　assuredly　Lelaine　and　Romanda；　though　it　was　likely　those　two　sent　others　instead　of　entering　Tel'aran'rhiod　themselves。　Until　quite　recently；　no　Aes　Sedai　had　walked　the　dream　in　centuries；　and　they　still　had　considerable　difficulties；　most　of　which　stemmed　from　a　belief　that　they　could　learn　by　themselves。　Even　so；　the　last　thing　Egwene　wanted　was　any　of　their　followers　spying　on　this　meeting　tonight。
　　　As　though　the　thought　of　spies　had　made　her　more　sensitive；　she　became　aware　of　being　watched　by　unseen　eyes。　That　sensation　was　always　present　in　Tel'aran'rhiod；　and　not　even　the　Wise　Ones　knew　why；　but　although　hidden　eyes　always　seemed　to　be　there；　actual　watchers　might　be