rj.theshadowrising-第195部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


f　it。　In　the　back　of　her　mind　a　tiny　voice　gibbered　at　her。　Oh；　Light；　don't　let　her。　Don't　let　her！　Light；　please；　not　that！
　　　　　　　For　a　moment　she　considered　letting　go　her　own　attempt　to　cut　Moghedien　off　…　for　one　thing；　she　had　to　keep　forcing　it　back　to　a　razor　edge；　the　woven　flows　did　not　want　to　hold　the　keenness　…　letting　go　and　using　that　strength　to　force　Moghedien's　attack　further　back；　maybe　sever　it。　But　if　she　tried；　the　other　woman　would　not　need　to　defend；　she　could　add　that　strength　to　her　own　attack。　And　she　was　one　of　the　Forsaken。　Not　just　a　Black　sister。　A　woman　who　had　been　Aes　Sedai　in　the　Age　of　Legends；　when　Aes　Sedai　had　been　able　to　do　things　undreamed　of　now。　If　Moghedien　threw　her　whole　strength　at　her。。。
　　　　　　　A　man　who　came　in　then；　or　any　woman　unable　to　channel；　would　have　seen　only　two　women　facing　each　other　across　the　white　silk　rope　from　a　distance　of　less　than　ten　feet。　Two　women　staring　at　one　another　in　a　vast　hall　full　of　strange　things。　They　would　have　seen　nothing　to　say　it　was　a　duel。　No　leaping　about　and　hacking　with　swords　as　men　would　do；　nothing　smashed　or　broken。　Just　two　women　standing　there。　But　a　duel　all　the　same；　and　maybe　to　the　death。　Against　one　of　the　Forsaken。
　　　　　　　〃All　my　careful　planning　ruined；〃　Moghedien　said　abruptly　in　a　tight；　angry　voice；　white…knuckled　hands　gripping　her　skirts。　〃At　the　very　least　I　shall　have　to　go　to　untold　effort　to　put　everything　back　as　it　was。　It　may　not　be　possible。　Oh；　I　do　mean　to　make　you　pay　for　that；　Nynaeve　al'Meara。　This　has　been　such　a　cozy　hiding　place；　and　those　blind　women　have　a　number　of　very　useful　items　in　their　possession　even　if　they　do　not　…〃　She　shook　her　head；　lips　peeling　back　to　bare　her　teeth　in　a　snarl。　〃I　think　I　will　take　you　with　me　this　time。　I　know。　I　shall　keep　you　for　a　live　mounting　block。　You　will　be　brought　out　to　kneel　on　all　fours　so　I　can　step　from　your　back　to　my　saddle。　Or　perhaps　I　shall　give　you　to　Rahvin。　He　always　repays　favors。　He　does　have　a　pretty　little　queen　to　amuse　him　now；　but　pretty　women　were　always　Rahvin's　weakness。　He　likes　to　have　two　or　three　or　four　at　once　dancing　attendance　on　him。　How　will　you　like　that？　To　spend　the　rest　of　your　life　peting　for　Rahvin's　favors。　You　will　want　to；　once　he　has　his　hands　on　you；　he　has　his　little　tricks。　Yes；　I　do　believe　Rahvin　shall　have　you。〃
　　　　　　　Anger　welled　up　in　Nynaeve。　Sweat　streamed　down　her　face；　and　her　legs　shook　as　if　they　might　give　way；　but　anger　gave　her　strength。　Furious；　she　managed　to　push　her　weapon　of　Spirit　a　hair　closer　to　severing　Moghedien　from　the　Source　before　the　woman　halted　it　again。
　　　　　　　〃So　you　discovered　that　little　gem　behind　you；〃　Moghedien　said　in　a　moment　of　precarious　balance。　Surprisingly；　her　voice　was　almost　conversational。　〃I　wonder　how　you　did　that。　It　does　not　matter。　Did　you　e　to　take　it　away？　Perhaps　to　destroy　it？　You　cannot　destroy　it。　That　is　not　metal；　but　a　form　of　cuendillar。　Even　balefire　cannot　destroy　cuendillar。　And　if　you　mean　to　use　it；　it　does　have。。。　drawbacks；　shall　we　say？　Put　the　collar　on　a　man　who　channels；　and　a　woman　wearing　the　bracelets　can　make　him　do　whatever　she　wishes；　true；　but　it　will　not　stop　him　going　mad；　and　there　is　a　flow　the　other　way；　too。　Eventually　he　will　begin　to　be　able　to　control　you；　too；　so　you　end　with　a　struggle　at　every　hour。　Not　very　palatable　when　he　is　going　mad。　Of　course；　you　can　pass　the　bracelets　around；　so　no　one　has　too　much　exposure；　but　that　does　mean　trusting　someone　else　with　him。　Men　are　always　so　good　at　violence；　they　make　wonderful　weapons。　Or　two　women　can　each　wear　one　bracelet；　if　you　have　someone　you　trust　enough；　that　slows　the　seepage　considerably；　I　understand；　but　it　also　lessens　your　control；　even　if　you　work　in　perfect　unison。　Eventually；　you　will　find　yourselves　in　a　struggle　for　control　with　him；　each　of　you　needing　him　to　remove　your　bracelet　as　surely　as　he　needs　you　to　remove　the　collar。〃　She　tilted　her　head；　lifted　a　quizzical　eyebrow。　〃You　are　following　this；　I　trust？　Controlling　Lews　Therin　…　Rand　al'Thor　as　he　is　called　now　…　would　be　most　useful；　but　is　it　worth　the　price？　You　can　see　why　I　have　left　the　collar　and　bracelets　where　they　are。〃
　　　　　　　Trembling　to　contain　the　Power；　to　hold　her　woven　flows；　Nynaeve　frowned。　Why　was　the　woman　telling　her　all　of　this？　Did　she　think　it　did　not　matter　because　she　was　going　to　win？　Why　her　sudden　change　from　rage　to　talk？　There　was　sweat　on　Moghedien's　face；　too。　Quite　a　lot　of　sweat；　beading　on　her　broad　forehead；　running　down　her　cheeks。
　　　　　　　Suddenly　everything　changed　in　Nynaeve's　mind。　Moghedien's　was　not　a　voice　tight　with　anger；　it　was　a　voice　tight　with　strain。　Moghedien　was　not　suddenly　going　to　hurl　all　of　her　strength　at　her；　she　already　was。　The　woman　was　putting　out　as　much　effort　as　she。　She　was　facing　one　of　the　Forsaken；　and　far　from　being　plucked　like　a　goose　for　supper；　she　had　not　lost　a　feather。　She　was　meeting　one　of　the　Forsaken；　strength　for　strength！　Moghedien　was　trying　to　distract　her；　to　gain　an　opening　before　her　own　strength　gave　out！　If　only　she　could　do　the　same。　Before　her　strength　went。
　　　　　　　〃Do　you　wonder　how　I　know　all　this？　The　collar　and　bracelets　were　made　after　I　was。。。　Well；　we　will　not　talk　of　that。　Once　I　was　free；　the　first　thing　I　did　was　seek　information　about　those　last　days。　Last　years；　really。　There　are　a　good　many　fragments　here　and　there　that　make　no　sense　to　anyone　who　does　not　have　some　idea　to　begin　with。　The　Age　of　Legends。　Such　a　quaint　name　you　have　given　my　time。　Yet　even　your　wildest　tales　no　more　than　hint　at　the　half。　I　had　lived　over　two　hundred　years　when　the　Bore　was　opened；　and　I　was　still　young；　for　an　Aes　Sedai。　Your　'legends'　are　but　pale　imitations　of　what　we　could　do。　Why。。。〃
　　　　　　　Nynaeve　stopped　listening。　A　way　to　distract　the　woman。　Even　if　she　could　think　of　something　to　say；　Moghedien　would　be　on　her　guard　against　the　method　she　herself　was　using。　She　could　not　spare　effort　for　as　much　as　a　thread…thin　weave；　any　more　than。。。　any　more　than　Moghedien　could。　A　woman　from　the　Age　of　Legends；　a　woman　long　used　to　wielding　the　One　Power。　Perhaps　used　to　doing　almost　everything　with　the　Power　before　she　was　imprisoned。　In　hiding　since　being　freed；　how　used　to　doing　things　without　the　Power　had　she　bee？
　　　　　　　Nynaeve　let　her　legs　sag。　Dropping　the　feather　duster；　she　caught　hold　of　the　pedestal　to　support　herself。　There　was　very　little　fakery　needed。
　　　　　　　Moghedien　smiled　and　took　a　step　nearer。　〃。。。travel　to　other　worlds；　even　worlds　in　the　sky。　Do　you　know　that　the　stars　are。。。〃　So　sure；　that　smile。　So　triumphant。
　　　　　　　Nynaeve　seized　the　collar；　ignoring　the　joltingly　pained　emotions　that　spilled　into　her；　and　hurled　it；　all　in　one　motion。
　　　　　　　The　Forsaken　had　only　begun　to　gape　when　the　wide　black　circlet　struck　her　between　the　eyes。　Not　a　hard　blow；　certainly　not　enough　to　stun；　but　not　expected；　either。　Moghedien's　control　over　her　woven　flows　faltered；　just　slightly；　only　for　an　instant。　Yet　for　that　instant　the　balance　between　them　shifted。　The　shield　of　Spirit　slid　between　Moghedien　and　the　Source；　the　halo　surrounding　her　winked　out。
　　　　　　　The　woman's　eyes　bulged。　Nynaeve　expected　her　to　leap　for　her　throat；　that　was　what　she　would　have　done。　Instead；　Moghedien　jerked　her　skirts　to　her　knees　and　ran。
　　　　　　　With　no　need　to　defend　herself；　it　took　only　a　little　effort　for　Nynaeve　to　weave　Air　around　the　fleeing　woman。　The　Forsaken　froze　in　midstride。
　　　　　　　Hurriedly　Nynaeve　tied　her　weaving。　She　had　done　it。　I　faced　one　of　the　Forsaken　and　beat　her；　she　thought　incredulously。　Looking　at　the　woman　held　from　the　neck　down　by　air　with　the　consistency　of　stone；　even　seeing　her　leaning　forward　on　one　foot；　it　was　hard　to　believe。　Examining　what　she　had　done；　she　saw　it　had　not　been　as　plete　a　victory　as　she　had　wanted。　The　shield　had　blurred　its　sharp　edge　before　it　slid　home。　Moghedien　was　captured　and　shielded；　but　not　stilled。
　　　　　　　Trying　not　to　totter；　she　walked　around　in　front　of　the　other　woman。　Moghedien　still　looked　queenly；　but　like　a　very　frightened　queen；　licking　her　lips；　eyes　darting　wildly。　〃If。。。　if　you　f…free　me；　we　can　c…e　to　s…some　arrangement。　There　is　m…much　I　can　t…teach　you　…〃
　　　　　　　Ruthlessly　Nynaeve　cut　her　off；　weaving　a　gag　of　Air　that　held　the　woman's　jaws　gaping。　〃A　live　mounting　block。　Wasn't　that　what　you　said？　I　think　that　is　a　very　good　idea。　I　like　to　ride。〃　She　smiled　at　the　woman；　whose　eyes　looked　to　be　ing　out　of　her　head。
　　　　　　　Mounting　block　indeed！　Once　Moghedien　had　been　put　on　trial　in　the　Tower　and　stilled　…　there　could　be　no　doubt　of　the　sentence　for　one　of　the　Forsaken　…　she　would　surely　be　put　to　some　useful　work　in　kitchens　or　gardens　or　stables；　except　when　she　was　brought　out　to　show　that　even　the　Forsaken　could　not　escape　justice；　and　treated　no　differently　from　any　other　servant；　beyond　being　watched。　But　let　her　think　Nynaeve　was　as　cruel　as　she。　Let　her　think　it　until　she　was　actually　put　on。。。
　　　　　　　Nynaeve's　mouth　twisted。　Moghedien　was　not　going　to　be　put　on　trial。　Not　now；　anyway。　Not　unless　she　could　figure　out　some　way　to　get　her　out　of　the　Panarch's。　Palace。　The　woman　seemed　to　believe　the　grimace　portended　something　ill　for　her；　tears　leaked　from　her　eyes；　and　her　mouth　worked；　trying　to　force　words　past　the　gag。
　　　　　　　Disgusted　with　herself；　Nynaeve　walked　unsteadily　back　to　where　the　black　collar　lay；　stuffing　it　quickly　into　her　belt　pouch　before　the　stark　emotions　in　it　could　do　more　than　touch　her。　The　bracelets　followed；　with　the　same　feelings　of　suffering　and　sorrow。　I　was　ready　to　torture　her　by　letting　her　think　I　would！　She　deserves　it　surely；　but　that　is　not　me。　Or　is　it？　Am　I　no　better　than　Egeanin？
　　　　　　　She　jerked　around；　furious　that　she　could　even　consider　such　a　question；　and　stalked　past　Moghedien　to　the　glass…walled　table。　There　had　to　be　some　way　to　bring　the　woman　to　justice。
　　　　　　　There　were　seven　figurines　in　the　case。　Seven；　and　no　seal。
　　　　　　　For　a　moment　she　could　only　stare。　One　of　the　figures；　an　odd　animal　shaped　roughly　like　a　pig　but　with　a　large　round　snout　and　feet　as　wide　as　its　thick　legs；　stood　where　the　seal　had；　in　the　center　of　the　table。　Suddenly　her　eyes　narrowe