rj.theshadowrising-第75部分

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ame。　Boyish　fancies　had　no　place　in　his　life　now。　There　was　not　much　room　for　anything　but　what　he　had　to　do。
　　　　　　　〃A　fine　name；〃　she　said　absently。　He　knew　she　had　read　the　book；　too；　and　half　expected　her　to　recognize　the　name；　but　she　seemed　to　be　mulling　over　something　else；　chewing　her　lower　lip　pensively。
　　　　　　　He　was　content　with　silence。　The　last　dregs　of　the　city　gave　way　to　country　and　pitiful　scattered　farms。　Not　even　a　Congar　or　a　Coplin；　Two　River　folk　notorious　for　laziness　among　other　things；　would　keep　a　place　as　run　down　and　ramshackle　as　these　rough　stone　houses；　walls　slanting　as　if　about　to　topple　over　on　the　chickens　scratching　in　the　dirt。　Sagging　barns　leaned　against　laurels　or　spicewoods。　Roofs　of　cracked　and　broken　slates　all　looked　as　if　they　leaked。　Goats　bleated　disconsolately　in　stone　pens　that　might　have　been　thrown　together　hastily　that　morning。　Barefoot　men　and　women　hoed　stoop　shouldered　in　unfenced　fields；　not　looking　up　even　when　the　large　party　was　passing。　Redbeaks　and　thrushes　warbling　in　the　small　thickets　were　not　enough　to　lighten　the　feel　of　oppressive　gloom。
　　　　　　　I　have　to　do　something　about　this。　I。。。　No；　not　now。　First　things　first。　I've　done　what　I　could　for　them　in　a　few　weeks。　I　can't　do　anything　more　now。　He　tried　not　to　look　at　the　tumbledown　farms。　Were　the　olive　groves　in　the　south　as　bad？　The　people　who　worked　those　did　not　even　own　the　land；　it　all　belonged　to　High　Lords。　No。　The　breeze。　Nice；　the　way　it　cuts　the　heat。　I　can　enjoy　it　a　bit　longer。　I　have　to　tell　them；　soon　now。
　　　　　　　〃Rand；〃　Egwene　said　abruptly；　〃I　want　to　talk　to　you。〃　Something　serious　by　her　expression；　those　big　dark　eyes；　fixed　on　him；　held　a　light　reminiscent　of　Nynaeve's　when　she　was　about　to　lecture。　〃I　want　to　talk　about　Elayne。〃
　　　　　　　〃What　about　her？〃　he　asked　warily。　He　touched　his　pouch；　where　two　letters　crinkled　against　a　small　hard　object。　If　they　had　not　both　been　in　the　same　elegantly　flowing　hand；　he　would　not　have　believed　they　came　from　the　same　woman。　And　after　all　that　kissing　and　snuggling。　The　High　Lords　were　easier　to　understand　than　women。
　　　　　　　〃Why　did　you　let　her　go　in　that　way？〃
　　　　　　　Puzzled；　he　stared　at　her。　〃She　wanted　to　go。　I'd　have　had　to　tie　her　up　to　stop　her。　Besides；　she'll　be　safer　in　Tanchico　than　near　me　…　or　Mat　…　if　we　are　going　to　attract　bubbles　of　evil　the　way　Moiraine　says。　You　would　be；　too。〃
　　　　　　　〃That　isn't　what　I　mean　at　all。　Of　course　she　wanted　to　go。　And　you　had　no　right　to　stop　her。　But　why　didn't　you　tell　her　you　wished　she　would　stay？〃
　　　　　　　〃She　wanted　to　go；〃　he　repeated；　and　grew　more　confused　when　she　rolled　her　eyes　as　if　he　were　speaking　gibberish。　If　he　had　no　right　to　stop　Elayne；　and　she　wanted　to　go；　why　was　he　supposed　to　try　to　talk　her　out　of　it？　Especially　when　she　was　safer　gone。
　　　　　　　Moiraine　spoke；　right　behind　him。　〃Are　you　ready　to　tell　me　the　next　secret？　It　has　been　clear　you　were　keeping　something　from　me。　At　the　least　I　might　be　able　to　tell　you　if　you　are　leading　us　over　a　cliff。〃
　　　　　　　Rand　sighed。　He　had　not　heard　her　and　Lan　closing　up　on　him。　And　Mat　as　well；　although　still　holding　a　distance　between　himself　and　the　Aes　Sedai。　Mat's　face　was　a　study；　doubt　and　reluctance　and　grim　determination　all　running　across　it　by　turns；　especially　when　he　glanced　at　Moiraine。　He　never　looked　at　her　directly；　only　from　the　edge　of　his　eye。
　　　　　　　〃Are　you　sure　you　want　to　e；　Mat？〃　Rand　asked。
　　　　　　　Mat　shrugged　and　affected　a　grin；　not　a　very　confident　one。　〃Who　could　pass　up　a　chance　to　see　bloody　Rhuidean？〃　Egwene　raised　her　eyebrows　at　him。　〃Oh；　pardon　my　language；　Aes　Sedai。　I've　heard　you　say　as　bad；　and　for　less　cause；　I'll　wager。〃　Egwene　stared　at　him　indignantly；　but　spots　of　color　in　her　cheeks　said　he　had　scored　a　hit。
　　　　　　　〃Be　glad　Mat　is　here；〃　Moiraine　said　to　Rand；　her　voice　cool；　and　not　pleased。　〃You　made　a　grave　error　letting　Perrin　run　off；　hiding　his　going　from　me。　The　world　rests　on　your　shoulders；　but　they　must　both　support　you　or　you　will　fall；　and　the　world　with　you。〃　Mat　flinched；　and　Rand　thought　he　very　nearly　turned　his　gelding　and　rode　away　on　the　spot。
　　　　　　　〃I　know　my　duty；〃　he　told　her。　And　I　know　my　fate；　he　thought；　but　he　did　not　say　that　aloud；　he　was　not　asking　sympathy。　〃One　of　us　had　to　go　back；　Moiraine；　and　Perrin　wanted　to。　You're　willing　to　let　anything　go　to　save　the　world。　I。。。　I　do　what　I　have　to。〃　The　Warder　nodded；　though　he　said　nothing；　Lan　would　not　disagree　with　Moiraine　in　front　of　others。
　　　　　　　〃And　the　next　secret？〃　she　said　insistently。　She　would　not　give　up　until　she　had　ferreted　it　out；　and　he　had　no　reason　to　keep　it　secret　any　longer。　Not　this　part　of　it。
　　　　　　　〃Portal　Stones；〃　he　said　simply。　〃If　we　are　lucky。〃
　　　　　　　〃Oh；　Light！〃　Mat　groaned。　〃Bloody　flaming　Light！　Don't　grimace　at　me；　Egwene！　Lucky？　Isn't　once　enough；　Rand？　You　almost　killed　us；　remember？　No；　worse　than　killed。　I　would　rather　ride　back　to　one　of　those　farms　and　ask　for　a　job　slopping　pigs　the　rest　of　my　life。〃
　　　　　　　〃You　can　go　your　own　way　if　you　want；　Mat；〃　Rand　told　him。　Moiraine's　calm　face　was　a　mask　over　fury；　but　he　ignored　the　icy　stare　that　tried　to　still　his　tongue。　Even　Lan　looked　disapproving；　for　all　his　hard　face　did　not　change　very　much；　the　Warder　believed　in　duty　before　anything　else。　Rand　would　do　his　duty；　but　his　friends。。。　He　did　not　like　making　people　do　things；　he　would　not　do　it　to　his　friends。　That　much　he　could　avoid；　surely。　〃You've　no　reason　to　e　to　the　Waste。〃
　　　　　　　〃Oh；　yes　I　do。　At　least。。。　Oh；　burn　me！　I've　one　life　to　give　away；　don't　I？　Why　not　like　this？〃　Mat　laughed　nervously；　and　a　bit　wildly。　〃Bloody　Portal　Stones！　Light！〃
　　　　　　　Rand　frowned；　he　was　the　one　they　all　said　was　supposed　to　go　mad；　but　Mat　was　the　one　who　seemed　on　the　edge　of　it　now。
　　　　　　　Egwene　blinked　at　Mat　worriedly；　but　it　was　Rand　she　leaned　toward。　〃Rand；　Verin　Sedai　told　me　a　little　about　Portal　Stones。　She　told　me　about　the。。。　journey　you　took。　Do　you　really　mean　to　do　this？〃
　　　　　　　〃It's　what　I　have　to　do；　Egwene。〃　He　had　to　move　quickly；　and　there　was　no　quicker　way　than　Portal　Stones。　Remnants　of　an　Age　older　than　the　Age　of　Legends；　even　Aes　Sedai　of　the　Age　of　Legends　had　not　understood　them；　it　seemed。　But　there　was　no　quicker　way。　If　it　worked　the　way　he　hoped。
　　　　　　　Moiraine　had　listened　to　the　exchange　patiently。　Especially　to　Mat's　part　of　it；　though　Rand　could　not　see　why。　Now　she　said；　〃Verin　also　told　me　of　your　journey　using　Portal　Stones。　That　was　only　a　few　people　and　horses；　not　hundreds；　and　if　you　did　not　almost　kill　everyone　as　Mat　says；　it　yet　sounded　an　experience　no　one　would　wish　to　repeat。　Nor　did　it　turn　out　as　you　expected。　It　also　required　a　great　deal　of　the　Power；　almost　enough　to　kill　you　at　least；　Venn　said。　Even　if　you　leave　most　of　the　Aiel　behind；　do　you　dare　risk　the　attempt？〃
　　　　　　　〃I　have　to；〃　he　said；　feeling　at　his　belt　pouch；　at　the　small　hard　shape　behind　the　letters；　but　she　went　right　on　as　if　he　had　not　spoken。
　　　　　　　〃Are　you　even　certain　there　is　a　Portal　Stone　in　the　Waste？　Verin　certainly　knows　more　of　them　than　I；　but　I　have　never　heard　of　one。　If　there　is；　will　it　place　us　any　closer　to　Rhuidean　than　we　are　right　now？〃
　　　　　　　〃Some　six　hundred　or　so　years　ago；〃　he　told　her；　〃a　peddler　tried　to　get　a　look　at　Rhuidean。〃　Another　time　it　would　have　been　a　pleasure　to　be　able　to　lecture　her　for　a　change。　Not　today。　There　was　too　much　he　did　not　know。　〃This　fellow　apparently　didn't　see　anything　of　it；　he　claimed　to　have　seen　a　golden　city　up　in　the　clouds；　drifting　over　the　mountains。〃
　　　　　　　〃There　are　no　cities　in　the　Waste；〃　Lan　said；　〃in　the　clouds　or　on　the　ground。　I've　fought　the　Aiel。　They　have　no　cities。〃
　　　　　　　Egwene　nodded。　〃Aviendha　told　me　she　had　never　seen　a　city　until　she　left　the　Waste。〃
　　　　　　　〃Maybe　so；〃　Rand　said。　〃But　the　peddler　also　saw　something　sticking　out　of　the　side　of　one　of　those　mountains。　A　Portal　Stone。　He　described　it　perfectly。　There　isn't　anything　else　like　a　Portal　Stone。　When　I　described　one　to　the　chief　librarian　in　the　Stone。。。〃　Without　naming　what　he　was　after；　he　did　not　add。　〃。。。he　recognized　it；　even　if　he　didn't　know　what　it　was；　enough　to　show　me　four　on　an　old　map　of　Tear　…　〃
　　　　　　　〃Four？〃　Moiraine　sounded　startled。　〃All　in　Tear？　Portal　Stones　are　not　so　mon　as　that。〃
　　　　　　　〃Four；〃　Rand　said　definitely。　The　bony　old　librarian　had　been　certain；　even　digging　out　a　tattered　yellowed　manuscript　telling　of　efforts　to　move　the　〃unknown　artifacts　of　an　earlier　Age〃　to　the　Great　Holding。　Every　attempt　had　failed；　and　the　Tairens　had　finally　given　up。　That　was　confirmation　to　Rand；　Portal　Stones　resisted　being　moved。　〃One　lies　not　an　hour's　ride　from　where　we　are；〃　he　continued。　〃The　Aiel　allowed　the　peddler　to　leave；　since　he　was　a　peddler。　With　one　of　his　mules　and　as　much　water　as　he　could　carry　on　his　back。　Somehow　he　made　it　as　far　as　a　stedding　in　the　Spine　of　the　World；　where　he　met　a　man　named　Soran　Milo；　who　was　writing　a　book　called　The　Killers　of　the　Black　Veil。　The　librarian　brought　me　a　battered　copy　when　I　asked　for　books　on　the　Aiel。　Milo　apparently　based　it　all　on　Aiel　who　came　to　trade　at　the　stedding；　and　he　got　almost　everything　wrong　anyway；　according　to　Rhuarc；　but　a　Portal　Stone　can't　be　anything　but　a　Portal　Stone。〃　He　had　examined　other　maps　and　manuscripts；　dozens　of　them；　supposedly　studying　Tear　and　its　history；　learning　the　land；　no　one　could　have　had　a　clue　what　he　intended　before　a　few　minutes　ago。
　　　　　　　Moiraine　sniffed；　and　her　white　mare；　Aldieb；　frisked　a　few　steps；　picking　up　her　irritation。　〃A　supposed　story　told　by　a　supposed　peddler　who　claimed　to　have　seen　a　golden　city　floating　in　the　clouds。　Has　Rhuarc　seen　this　Portal　Stone？　He　has　actually　been　to　Rhuidean。　Even　if　this　peddler　did　go　into　the　Waste；　and　did　see　a　Portal　Stone；　it　could　have　been　anywhere。　A　man　telling　a　story　usually　tries　to　better　what　really　happened。　A　city　floating　in　the　clouds？〃
　　　　　　　〃How　do　you　know　it　doesn't？〃　he　said。　Rhuarc　had　been　willing　to　laugh　at　all　the　wrong　things　Milo　had　written　about　Aiel；　but　he　had　not　been　very　forthing　about　Rhuidean。　No；　more　than　that；　or　less；　rather。　The　Aielman　had　refused　even　to　ment　on　the　parts　of　t