rj.eyeoftheworld-第74部分

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　　　　　　　For　the　first　day　or　two　Gelb's　wiry　figure　could　almost　always　be　found　addressing　any　crewman　he　could　corner；　telling　his　version　of　the　night　Rand　and　the　others　came　on　board。　Gelb's　manner　slid　from　bluster　to　whines　and　back　again；　and　his　lip　always　curled　when　he　pointed　to　Thom　or　Mat；　or　especially　Rand；　trying　to　lay　the　blame　on　them。
　　　　　　　〃They're　strangers；〃　Gelb　pleaded；　quietly　and　with　an　eye　out　for　the　captain。　〃What　do　we　know　of　them？　The　Trollocs　came　with　them；　that's　what　we　know。　They're　in　league。〃
　　　　　　　〃Fortune；　Gelb；　stow　it；〃　growled　a　man　with　his　hair　in　a　pigtail　and　a　small　blue　star　tattooed　on　his　cheek。　He　did　not　look　at　Gelb　as　he　coiled　a　line　on　deck；　working　it　in　with　his　bare　toes。　All　the　sailors　went　barefoot　despite　the　cold；　boots　could　slip　on　a　wet　deck。　〃You'd　call　your　mother　Darkfriend　if　it'd　let　you　slack。　Get　away　from　me！〃　He　spat　on　Gelb's　foot　and　went　back　to　the　line。
　　　　　　　All　the　crew　remembered　the　watch　Gelb　had　not　kept；　and　the　pigtailed　man's　was　the　politest　response　he　got。　No　one　even　wanted　to　work　with　him。　Gelb　found　himself　relegated　to　solitary　tasks；　all　of　them　filthy；　such　as　scrubbing　the　galley's　greasy　pots；　or　crawling　into　the　bilges　on　his　belly　to　search　for　leaks　among　years　of　slime。　Soon　he　stopped　talking　to　anyone。　His　shoulders　took　on　a　defensive　hunch；　and　injured　silence　became　his　stance　…　the　more　people　watching；　the　more　injured；　though　it　earned　him　no　more　than　a　grunt。　When　Gelb's　eyes　fell　on　Rand；　however；　or　on　Mat　or　Thom；　murder　flashed　across　his　long…nosed　face。
　　　　　　　When　Rand　mentioned　to　Mat　that　Gelb　would　cause　them　trouble　sooner　or　later；　Mat　looked　around　the　boat；　saying；　〃Can　we　trust　any　of　them？　Any　at　all？〃　Then　he　went　off　to　find　a　place　where　he　could　be　alone；　or　as　alone　as　he　could　get　on　a　boat　less　than　thirty　paces　from　its　raised　bow　to　the　sternpost　where　the　steering　oars　were　mounted。　Mat　had　spent　too　much　time　alone　since　the　night　at　Shadar　Logoth；　brooding；　as　Rand　saw　it。
　　　　　　　Thom　said；　〃Trouble　won't　e　from　Gelb；　boy；　if　it　es。　Not　yet；　at　least。　None　of　the　crew　will　back　him；　and　he　hasn't　the　nerve　to　try　anything　alone。　But　the　others；　now　。。。　？　Domon　almost　seems　to　think　the　Trollocs　are　chasing　him；　personally；　but　the　rest　are　beginning　to　think　the　danger　is　past。　They　might　just　decide　they　have　had　enough。　They're　on　the　edge　of　it；　as　it　is。〃　He　hitched　his　patch…covered　cloak；　and　Rand　had　the　feeling　he　was　checking　his　hidden　knives　…　his　second…best　set。　〃If　they　mutiny；　boy；　they　won't　leave　passengers　behind　to　tell　the　tale。　The　Queen's　Writ　might　not　have　much　force　this　far　from　Caemlyn；　but　even　a　village　mayor　will　do　something　about　that。〃　That　was　when　Rand；　too；　began　trying　not　to　be　noticed　when　he　watched　the　
crewmen。
　　　　　　　Thom　did　his　part　in　diverting　the　crew　from　thoughts　of　mutiny。　He　told　stories；　with　all　the　flourishes；　every　morning　and　every　night；　and　in　between　he　played　any　song　they　requested。　To　support　the　notion　that　Rand　and　Mat　wanted　to　be　apprentice　gleemen；　he　set　aside　a　time　each　day　for　lessons；　and　that　was　an　entertainment　for　the　crew；　as　well。　He　would　not　let　either　of　them　touch　his　harp；　of　course；　and　their　sessions　with　the　flute　produced　pained　winces；　in　the　beginning；　at　least；　and　laughter　from　the　crew　even　while　they　were　covering　their　ears。
　　　　　　　He　taught　the　boys　some　of　the　easier　stories；　a　little　simple　tumbling；　and；　of　course；　juggling。　Mat　plained　about　what　Thom　demanded　of　them；　but　Thom　blew　out　his　mustaches　and　glared　right　back。
　　　　　　　〃I　don't　know　how　to　play　at　teaching；　boy。　I　either　teach　a　thing；　or　I　don't。　Now！　Even　a　country　bumpkin　ought　to　be　able　to　do　a　simple　handstand。　Up　you　go。〃
　　　　　　　Crewmen　who　were　not　working　always　gathered；　squatting　in　a　circle　around　the　three。　Some　even　tried　their　hand　at　the　lessons　Thom　taught；　laughing　at　their　own　fumblings。　Gelb　stood　alone　and　watched　it　all　darkly；　hating　them　all。
　　　　　　　A　good　part　of　each　day　Rand　spent　leaning　on　the　railing；　staring　at　the　shore。　It　was　not　that　he　really　expected　to　see　Egwene　or　any　of　the　others　suddenly　appear　on　the　riverbank；　but　the　boat　traveled　so　slowly　that　he　sometimes　hoped　for　it。　They　could　catch　up　without　riding　too　hard。　If　they　had　escaped。　If　they　were　still　alive。
　　　　　　　The　river　rolled　on　without　any　sign　of　life；　nor　any　boat　to　be　seen　except　the　Spray。　But　that　was　not　to　say　there　was　nothing　to　see；　and　wonder　at。　In　the　middle　of　the　first　day；　the　Arinelle　ran　between　high　bluffs　that　stretched　for　half　a　mile　on　either　side。　For　that　whole　length　the　stone　had　been　cut　into　figures；　men　and　women　a　hundred　feet　tall；　with　crowns　proclaiming　them　kings　and　queens。　No　two　were　alike　in　that　royal　procession；　and　long　years　separated　the　first　from　the　last。　Wind　and　rain　had　worn　those　at　the　north　end　smooth　and　almost　featureless；　with　faces　and　details　being　more　distinct　as　they　went　south。　The　river　lapped　around　the　statues'　feet；　feet　washed　to　smooth　nubs；　those　that　were　not　gone　pletely。　How　long　have　they　stood　there；　Rand　wondered。　How　long　for　the　river　to　wear　away　so　much　stone？　None　of　the　crew　so　much　as　looked　up　from　their　work；　they　had　seen　the　ancient　carvings　so　many　times　before。
　　　　　　　Another　time；　when　the　eastward　shore　had　bee　flat　grassland　again；　broken　only　occasionally　by　thickets；　the　sun　glinted　off　something　in　the　distance。　〃What　can　that　be？〃　Rand　wondered　aloud。　〃It　looks　like　metal。〃
　　　　　　　Captain　Domon　was　walking　by；　and　he　paused；　squinting　toward　the　glint。　〃It　do　be　metal；〃　he　said。　His　words　still　ran　together；　but　Rand　had　e　to　understand　without　having　to　puzzle　it　out。　〃A　tower　of　metal。　I　have　seen　it　close　up；　and　I　know。　River　traders　use　it　as　a　marker。　We　be　ten　days　from　Whitebridge　at　the　rate　we　go。〃
　　　　　　　〃A　metal　tower？〃　Rand　said；　and　Mat；　sitting　cross…legged　with　his　back　against　a　barrel；　roused　from　his　brooding　to　listen。
　　　　　　　The　captain　nodded。　〃Aye。　Shining　steel；　by　the　look　and　feel　of　it；　but　no　spot　of　rust。　Two　hundred　feet　high；　it　be；　as　big　around　as　a　house；　with　no　a　mark　on　it　and　never　an　opening　to　be　found。〃
　　　　　　　〃I'll　bet　there's　treasure　inside；〃　Mat　said。　He　stood　up　and　stared　toward　the　far　tower　as　the　river　carried　the　Spray　beyond　it。　〃A　thing　like　that　must　have　been　made　to　protect　something　valuable。〃
　　　　　　　〃Mayhap；　lad；〃　the　captain　rumbled。　〃There　be　stranger　things　in　the　world　than　this；　though。　On　Tremalking；　one　of　the　Sea　Folk's　isles；　there　be　a　stone　hand　fifty　feet　high　sticking　out　of　a　hill；　clutching　a　crystal　sphere　as　big　as　this　vessel。　There　be　treasure　under　that　hill　if　there　be　treasure　anywhere；　but　the　island　people　want　no　part　of　digging　there；　and　the　Sea　Folk　care　for　naught　but　sailing　their　ships　and　searching　for　the　Coramoor；　their　Chosen　One。〃
　　　　　　　〃I'd　dig；〃　Mat　said。　〃How　far　is　this　。。。　Tremalking？〃　A　clump　of　trees　slid　in　front　of　the　shining　tower；　but　he　stared　as　if　he　could　see　it　yet。
　　　　　　　Captain　Domon　shook　his　head。　〃No；　lad；　it　no　be　the　treasure　that　makes　for　seeing　the　world。　If　you　find　yourself　a　fistful　of　gold；　or　some　dead　king's　jewels；　all　well　and　good；　but　it　be　the　strangeness　you　see　that　pulls　you　to　the　next　horizon。　In　Tanchico　…　that　be　a　port　on　the　Aryth　Ocean　…　part　of　the　Panarch's　Palace　were　built　in　the　Age　of　Legends；　so　it　be　said。　There　be　a　wall　there　with　a　frieze　showing　animals　no　man　living　has　ever　seen。〃
　　　　　　　〃Any　child　can　draw　an　animal　nobody's　ever　seen；〃　Rand　said；　and　the　captain　chuckled。
　　　　　　　〃Aye；　lad；　so　they　can。　But　can　a　child　make　the　bones　of　those　animals？　In　Tanchico　they　have　them；　all　fastened　together　like　the　animal　was。　They　stand　in　a　part　of　the　Panarch's　Palace　where　any　can　enter　and　see。　The　Breaking　left　a　thousand　wonders　behind；　and　there　been　half　a　dozen　empires　or　more　since；　some　rivaling　Artur　Hawkwing's；　every　one　leaving　things　to　see　and　find。　Lightsticks　and　razorlace　and　heartstone。　A　crystal　lattice　covering　an　island；　and　it　hums　when　the　moon　is　up。　A　mountain　hollowed　into　a　bowl；　and　in　its　center；　a　silver　spike　a　hundred　spans　high；　and　any　who　es　within　a　mile　of　it；　dies。　Rusted　ruins；　and　broken　bits；　and　things　found　on　the　bottom　of　the　sea；　things　not　even　the　oldest　books　know　the　meaning　of。　I've　gathered　a　few；　myself。　Things　you　never　dreamed　of；　in　more　places　than　you　can　see　in　ten　lifetimes。　That　be　the　strangeness　that　will　draw　you　on。〃
　　　　　　　〃We　used　to　dig　up　bones　in　the　Sand　Hills；〃　Rand　said　slowly。　〃Strange　bones。　There　was　part　of　a　fish　…　I　think　it　was　a　fish　…　as　big　as　this　boat；　once。　Some　said　it　was　bad　luck；　digging　in　the　hills。〃
　　　　　　　The　captain　eyed　him　shrewdly。　〃You　thinking　about　home　already；　lad；　and　you　just　set　out　in　the　world？　The　world　will　put　a　hook　in　your　mouth。　You'll　set　off　chasing　the　sunset；　you　wait　and　see　。。。　and　if　you　ever　go　back；　your　village'll　no　be　big　enough　to　hold　you。〃
　　　　　　　〃No！〃　He　gave　a　start。　How　long　had　it　been　since　he　had　thought　of　home；　of　Emond's　Field？　And　what　of　Tam？　It　had　to　be　days。　It　felt　like　months。　〃I　will　go　home；　one　day；　when　I　can。　I'll　raise　sheep；　like。。。　like　my　father；　and　if　I　never　leave　again　it　will　be　too　soon。　Isn't　that　right；　Mat？　As　soon　as　we　can　we're　going　home　and　forget　all　this　even　exists。　〃
　　　　　　　With　a　visible　effort　Mat　pulled　away　from　staring　upriver　after　the　vanished　tower。　〃What？　Oh。　Yes；　of　course。　We'll　go　home。　Of　course。〃　As　he　turned　to　go；　Rand　heard　him　muttering　under　his　breath。　〃I'll　bet　he　just　doesn't　want　anybody　else　going　after　the　treasure。〃　He　did　not　seem　to　realize　he　had　spoken　aloud。
　　　　　　　Four　days　into　their　trip　downriver　found　Rand　atop　the　mast；　sitting　on　the　blunt　end　with　his　legs　wrapped　in　the　stays。　The　Spray　rolled　gently　on　the　river；　but　fifty　feet　above　the　water　that　easy　roll　made　the　top　of　the　mast　sway　back　and　forth　through　wide　arcs。　He　threw　back　his　head　and　laughed　into　the　wind　that　blew　in　his　face。
　　　　　　　The　oars　were　out；　and　from　here　the　boat　looked　like　some　twelve…legged　spider　creeping　down　the　Arinelle。　He　had　been　as　high　as　this　before；　in　tr