rj.eyeoftheworld-第149部分

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f　Mist；　and　down　to　the　Taren　and　across　into　the　Two　Rivers。〃
　　　　　　　〃Three　springs　ago？〃　Perrin　said　slowly。　〃I　remember　that　spring。　Fain　came　later　than　usual；　but　what　was　strange　was　that　he　lingered　on。　A　whole　week　he　remained；　idle　and　gnashing　his　teeth　about　laying　out　money　for　a　room　at　the　Winespring　Inn。　Fain　likes　his　money。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　remember；　now；〃　Mat　said。　〃Everybody　was　wondering　was　he　sick；　or　had　he　fallen　for　a　local　woman？　Not　that　any　of　them　would　marry　a　peddler；　of　course。　As　well　marry　one　of　the　Traveling　People。〃　Egwene　raised　an　eyebrow　at　him；　and　he　shut　his　mouth。
　　　　　　　〃After　that；　Fain　was　taken　to　Shayol　Ghul　again；　and　his　mind　was　…　distilled。〃　Rand's　stomach　turned　over　at　the　tone　in　the　Aes　Sedai's　voice；　it　told　more　of　what　she　meant　than　the　grimace　that　flashed　across　her　face。　〃What　he　had　。。。　sensed　。。。　was　concentrated　and　fed　back。　When　he　entered　the　Two　Rivers　the　next　year；　he　was　able　to　choose　his　targets　out　more　clearly。　Indeed；　more　clearly　even　than　the　Dark　One　had　expected。　Fain　knew　for　a　certainty　that　the　one　he　sought　was　one　of　three　in　Emond's　Field。〃
　　　　　　　Perrin　grunted；　and　Mat　began　cursing　in　a　soft　monotone　that　even　Nynaeve's　glare　did　not　stop。　Agelmar　looked　at　them　curiously。　Rand　felt　only　the　faintest　chill；　and　wondered　at　it。　Three　years　the　Dark　One　had　been　hunting　him　。。。　hunting　them。　He　was　sure　it　should　have　made　his　teeth　chatter。
　　　　　　　Moiraine　did　not　allow　Mat　to　interrupt　her。　She　raised　her　voice　enough　to　be　heard　over　him。　〃When　Fain　returned　to　Lugard；　Ba'alzamon　came　to　him　in　a　dream。　Fain　abased　himself　and　performed　rites　that　would　strike　you　deaf　to　hear　the　half　of　them；　binding　himself　even　more　tightly　to　the　Dark　One。　What　is　done　in　dreams　can　be　more　dangerous　than　what　is　done　awake。〃　Rand　stirred　at　the　sharp；　warning　look；　but　she　did　not　pause。　〃He　was　promised　great　rewards；　power　over　kingdoms　after　Ba'alzamon's　victory；　and　told　that　when　he　returned　to　Emond's　Field　he　was　to　mark　the　three　he　had　found。　A　Halfman　would　be　there；　waiting　for　him　with　Trollocs。　We　know　now　how　the　Trollocs　came　to　the　Two　Rivers。　There　must　have　been　an　Ogier　grove　and　a　Waygate　at　Manetheren。〃
　　　　　　　〃The　most　beautiful　of　all；〃　Loial　said；　〃except　for　Tar　Valon。〃　He　had　been　listening　as　intently　as　everyone　else。　〃Manetheren　is　remembered　fondly　by　the　Ogier。〃　Agelmar　formed　the　name　silently；　his　eyebrows　raised　in　wonder。　Manetheren。
　　　　　　　〃Lord　Agelmar；〃　Moiraine　said；　〃I　will　tell　you　how　to　find　the　Waygate　of　Mafal　Dadaranell。　It　must　be　walled　up　and　a　guard　set；　and　none　allowed　near。　The　Halfmen　have　not　learned　all　of　the　Ways　yet；　but　that　Waygate　is　to　the　south　and　only　hours　from　Fal　Dara。〃
　　　　　　　The　Lord　of　Fal　Dara　gave　himself　a　shake；　as　if　he　were　ing　out　of　a　trance。　〃South？　Peace！　We　don't　need　that；　the　Light　shine　on　us。　It　shall　be　done。〃
　　　　　　　〃Did　Fain　follow　us　through　the　Ways？〃　Perrin　asked。　〃He　must　have　done。〃
　　　　　　　Moiraine　nodded。　〃Fain　would　follow　you　three　into　the　grave；　because　he　must。　When　the　Myrddraal　failed　at　Emond's　Field；　it　brought　Fain　with　the　Trollocs　on　our　trail。　The　Fade　would　not　let　Fain　ride　with　him；　although　he　thought　he　should　have　the　best　horse　in　the　Two　Rivers　and　ride　at　the　head　of　the　band；　the　Myrddraal　forced　him　to　run　with　the　Trollocs；　and　the　Trollocs　to　carry　him　when　his　feet　gave　out。　They　talked　so　that　he　could　understand；　arguing　about　the　best　way　to　cook　him　when　his　usefulness　was　done。　Fain　claims　he　turned　against　the　Dark　One　before　they　reached　the　Taren。　But　sometimes　his　greed　for　his　promised　rewards　seeps　into　the　open。
　　　　　　　〃When　we　had　escaped　across　the　Taren　the　Myrddraal　took　the　Trollocs　back　to　the　closest　Waygate；　in　the　Mountains　of　Mist；　and　sent　Fain　across　alone。　He　thought　he　was　free　then；　but　before　he　reached　Baerlon　another　Fade　found　him；　and　that　one　was　not　so　kind。　It　made　him　sleep　doubled　up　on　himself　in　a　Trolloc　kettle　at　night；　to　remind　him　of　the　price　of　failure。　That　one　used　him　as　far　as　Shadar　Logoth。　By　then　Fain　was　willing　to　give　the　Myrddraal　his　mother　if　it　would　free　him；　but　the　Dark　One　never　willingly　loosens　a　hold　he　has　gained。
　　　　　　　〃What　I　did　there；　sending　an　illusion　of　our　tracks　and　smell　off　toward　the　mountains；　fooled　the　Myrddraal；　but　not　Fain。　The　Halfmen　did　not　believe　him；　afterward；　they　dragged　him　behind　them　on　a　leash。　Only　when　we　seemed　to　keep　always　just　ahead；　no　matter　how　hard　they　pressed；　did　some　begin　to　credit　him。　Those　were　the　four　who　returned　to　Shadar　Logoth。　Fain　claims　it　was　Ba'alzamon　himself　who　drove　the　Myrddraal。　〃
　　　　　　　Agelmar　shook　his　head　contemptuously。　〃The　Dark　One？　Pah！　The　man's　lying　or　mad。　If　Heartsbane　were　loose；　we'd　all　of　us　be　dead　by　now；　or　worse。〃
　　　　　　　〃Fain　spoke　the　truth　as　he　saw　it；〃　Moiraine　said。　〃He　could　not　lie　to　me；　though　he　hid　much。　His　words。　'Ba'alzamon　appeared　like　a　flickering　candle　flame；　vanishing　and　reappearing；　never　in　the　same　place　twice。　His　eyes　seared　the　Myrddraal；　and　the　fires　of　his　mouth　scourged　us。'〃
　　　　　　　〃Something；〃　Lan　said；　〃drove　four　Fades　to　where　they　feared　to　go　…　a　place　they　fear　almost　as　much　as　they　fear　the　wrath　of　the　Dark　One。〃
　　　　　　　Agelmar　grunted　as　if　he　had　been　kicked；　he　looked　sick。
　　　　　　　〃It　was　evil　against　evil　in　the　ruins　of　Shadar　Logoth；〃　Moiraine　continued；　〃foul　fighting　vile。　When　Fain　spoke　of　it；　his　teeth　chattered　and　he　whimpered。　Many　Trollocs　were　slain；　consumed　by　Mashadar　and　other　things；　including　the　Trolloc　that　held　Fain's　leash。　He　fled　the　city　as　if　it　were　the　Pit　of　Doom；　at　Shayol　Ghul。
　　　　　　　〃Fain　believed　he　was　free　at　last。　He　intended　to　run　until　Ba'alzamon　could　never　find　him　again；　to　the　ends　of　the　earth　if　necessary。　Imagine　his　horror　when　he　discovered　that　the　pulsion　to　hunt　did　not　lessen。　Instead；　it　grew　stronger　and　sharper　with　every　day　that　passed。　He　could　not　eat；　except　what　he　could　scavenge　while　he　hunted　you…beetles　and　lizards　snatched　while　he　ran；　half…rotten　refuse　dug　from　midden　heaps　in　the　dark　of　night…nor　could　he　stop　until　exhaustion　collapsed　him　like　an　empty　sack。　And　as　soon　as　he　had　strength　to　stand　again；　he　was　driven　on。　By　the　time　he　reached　Caemlyn　he　could　feel　his　quarry　even　when　it　was　a　mile　away。　Here；　in　the　cells　below；　he　would　sometimes　look　up　without　realizing　what　he　was　doing。　He　was　looking　in　the　direction　of　this　room。〃
　　　　　　　Rand　had　a　sudden　itch　between　his　shoulder　blades；　it　was　as　if　he　could　feel　Fain's　eyes　on　him　then；　through　the　intervening　stone。　The　Aes　Sedai　noticed　his　uneasy　shrug；　but　she　went　on　implacably。
　　　　　　　〃If　Fain　was　half　mad　by　the　time　he　reached　Caemlyn；　he　sank　even　further　when　he　realized　that　only　two　of　those　he　sought　were　there。　He　was　pelled　to　find　all　of　you；　but　he　could　do　no　other　than　follow　the　two　who　were　there；　either。　He　spoke　of　screaming　when　the　Waygate　opened　in　Caemlyn。　The　knowledge　of　how　to　do　it　was　in　his　mind；　he　does　not　know　how　it　came　there；　his　hands　moved　of　their　own　accord；　burning　with　the　fires　of　Ba'alzamon　when　he　tried　to　stop　them。　The　owner　of　the　shop；　who　came　to　investigate　the　noise；　Fain　murdered。　Not　because　he　had　to；　but　out　of　envy　that　the　man　could　walk　freely　out　of　the　cellar　while　his　feet　carried　him　inexorably　into　the　Ways。〃
　　　　　　　〃Then　Fain　was　the　one　you　sensed　following　us；〃　Egwene　said。　Lan　nodded。　〃How　did　he　escape　the　。。。　the　Black　Wind？〃　Her　voice　shook；　she　stopped　to　swallow。　〃It　was　right　behind　us　at　the　Waygate。〃
　　　　　　　〃He　escaped；　and　he　did　not；〃　Moiraine　said。　〃The　Black　Wind　caught　him　…　and　he　claimed　to　understand　the　voices。　Some　greeted　him　as　like　to　them；　others　feared　him。　No　sooner　did　the　Wind　envelop　Fain　than　it　fled。〃
　　　　　　　〃The　Light　preserve　us。〃　Loial's　whisper　rumbled　like　a　giant　bumblebee。
　　　　　　　〃Pray　that　it　does；〃　Moiraine　said。　〃There　is　much　yet　hidden　about　Padan　Fain；　much　I　must　learn。　The　evil　goes　deeper　in　him；　and　stronger；　than　in　any　man　I　have　yet　seen。　It　may　be　that　the　Dark　One；　in　doing　what　he　did　to　Fain；　impressed　some　part　of　himself　on　the　man；　perhaps　even；　unknowing；　some　part　of　his　intent。　When　I　mentioned　the　Eye　of　the　World；　Fain　clamped　his　jaws　shut；　but　I　felt　something　knowing　behind　the　silence。　If　only　I　had　the　time　now。　But　we　cannot　wait。〃
　　　　　　　〃If　this　man　knows　something；〃　Agelmar　said；　〃I　can　get　it　out　of　him。〃　His　face　held　no　mercy　for　Darkfriends；　his　voice　promised　no　pity　for　Fain。　〃If　you　can　learn　even　a　part　of　what　you　will　face　in　the　Blight；　it's　worth　an　extra　day。　Battles　have　been　lost　for　not　knowing　what　the　enemy　intends。〃
　　　　　　　Moiraine　sighed　and　shook　her　head　ruefully。　〃My　lord；　if　we　did　not　need　at　least　one　good　night's　sleep　before　facing　the　Blight；　I　would　ride　within　the　hour；　though　it　meant　the　risk　of　meeting　a　Trolloc　raid　in　the　dark。　Consider　what　I　did　learn　from　Fain。　Three　years　ago　the　Dark　One　had　to　have　Fain　brought　to　Shayol　Ghul　to　touch　him；　despite　the　fact　that　Fain　is　a　Darkfriend　dedicated　to　his　marrow。　One　year　ago；　the　Dark　One　could　mand　Fain；　the　Darkfriend；　through　his　dreams。　This　year；　Ba'alzamon　walks　in　the　dreams　of　those　who　live　in　the　Light；　and　actually　appears；　if　with　difficulty；　at　Shadar　Logoth。　Not　in　his　own　body；　of　course；　but　even　a　projection　of　the　Dark　One's　mind；　even　a　projection　that　flickers　and　cannot　hold；　is　more　deathly　dangerous　to　the　world　than　all　the　Trolloc　hordes　bined。　The　seals　on　Shayol　Ghul　are　weakening　desperately；　Lord　Agelmar。　There　is　no　time。〃
　　　　　　　Agelmar　bowed　his　head　in　acquiescence；　but　when　he　raised　it　again　there　was　still　a　stubborn　set　to　his　mouth。　〃Aes　Sedai；　I　can　accept　that　when　I　lead　the　lances　to　Tarwin's　Gap　we　will　be　no　more　than　a　diversion；　or　a　skirmish　on　the　outskirts　of　the　real　battle。　Duty　takes　men　where　it　will　as　surely　as　does　the　Pattern；　and　neither　promises　that　what　we　do　will　have　greatness。　But　our　skirmish　will　be　useless；　even　should　we　win；　if　you　lose　the　battle。　If　you　say　your　party　must　be　small；　I　say　well　and　good；　but　I　beg　you　to　make　every　effort　to　see　that　you　can　win。　Leave　these　young　men　here；