rj.thepathofdaggers-第51部分

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ople　were　ing；　even　from　the　other　side　of　so　large　a　body　of　water；　the　other　prisoners　she　had　questioned　would　have　known　of　them。　And　no　prisoner　was　questioned　without　her　present。
　　　　　　　Tion　raised　the　second　lantern　and　regarded　her　with　unblinking　gray　eyes。　Nearly　a　head　shorter　than　Someryn；　Tion　was　still　taller　than　Sevanna。　And　twice　as　wide。　Her　round　face　often　appeared　placid；　but　thinking　her　so　was　a　mistake。　〃They　are　right　to　fear；〃　she　said　in　a　stony　voice。　〃I　am　afraid；　and　take　no　shame　in　it。　The　Seanchan　are　many　if　they　are　no　more　than　took　Amador；　and　we　are　few。　You　have　your　sept　around　you；　Sevanna；　but　where　is　my　sept？　Your　wetlander　friend　Caddar　and　his　tame　Aes　Sedai　sent　us　through　his　holes　in　the　air　to　die。　Where　are　the　rest　of　the　Shaido？〃
　　　　　　　Rhiale　moved　to　stand　defiantly　beside　Tion；　and　they　were　quickly　joined　by　Alarys；　even　now　toying　with　her　black　hair　to　draw　attention　to　it。　Or　perhaps　it　was　to　avoid　meeting　Sevanna's　eyes。　After　a　moment；　a　scowling　Meira　added　herself　to　the　cluster；　and　then　Modarra。　Modarra　might　have　been　called　slim　if　she　were　not　even　taller　than　Someryn；　as　it　was；　lean　was　the　best　that　could　be　said　of　her。　Sevanna　had　thought　Modarra　as　firmly　in　her　grasp　as　any　of　the　rings　on　her　fingers。　As　firmly　in　her　grasp　as。。。　Someryn　looked　at　her　and　sighed；　looked　at　the　others。　Slowly　she　walked　over　to　stand　beside　them。
　　　　　　　Sevanna　was　left　standing　on　the　very　edge　of　the　lantern's　light。　Of　all　the　women　tied　to　her　by　the　killing　of　Desaine；　she　trusted　these　most。　Not　that　she　trusted　anyone　very　far；　of　course。　But　Someryn　and　Modarra　she　had　been　sure　were　hers　as　tightly　as　if　they　had　sworn　water　oath　to　follow　where　she　led。　And　now　they　dared　face　her　with　accusing　eyes。　Even　Alarys　looked　up　from　playing　with　her　hair。
　　　　　　　Sevanna　met　their　stares　with　a　cool　smile　just　short　of　a　sneer。　Now；　she　decided；　was　not　the　time　to　remind　them　of　the　crime　that　bound　their　fates　together。　Not　the　bludgeon；　this　time。　〃I　suspected　Caddar　might　try　to　betray　us；〃　she　said　instead。　Rhiale's　blue　eyes　widened　at　the　admission；　and　Tion　opened　her　mouth。　Sevanna　went　on；　not　leaving　them　room　to　speak。　〃Would　you　rather　have　remained　in　Kinslayer's　Dagger　to　be　destroyed？　To　be　hunted　like　animals　by　four　clans　whose　Wise　Ones　know　how　to　make　those　holes　without　the　traveling　boxes？　Instead；　we　are　in　the　heart　of　a　rich；　soft　land。　Richer　even　than　the　lands　of　the　treekillers。　Look　at　what　we　have　taken　in　only　ten　days。　How　much　more　will　we　take　in　a　wetlander　city？　You　fear　the　Seanchan　because　they　have　numbers？　Remember　that　I　brought　every　Shaido　Wise　One　who　can　channel　with　me。〃　That　she　could　not　channel　herself　seldom　occurred　to　her；　now。　Soon　that　lack　would　be　remedied。　〃We　are　as　strong　as　any　force　these　wetlanders　can　send　against　us。　Even　if　they　do　have　flying　lizards。〃　She　sniffed　forcefully　to　show　what　she　thought　of　those！　None　of　them　had　seen　one；　nor　any　of　the　scouts；　but　nearly　every　prisoner　had　been　full　of　the　ridiculous　tales。　〃After　we　find　the　other　septs；　we　will　take　this　land　for　our　own。　All　of　it！　We　will　extract　a　tenfold　repayment　from　the　Aes　Sedai。　And　we　will　find　Caddar　and　make　him　die　screaming　for　mercy。〃
　　　　　　　That　should　have　rallied　them；　restored　their　hearts　as　she　had　had　to　do　before。　Not　one　woman's　face　changed。　Not　one。
　　　　　　　〃And　there　is　the　Car'a'carn；〃　Tion　said　calmly。　〃Unless　you　have　given　up　your　plan　to　marry　him。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　have　given　up　nothing；〃　Sevanna　replied　irritably。　The　man　…　and　more　important；　the　power　that　came　with　him　…　would　be　hers　someday。　Somehow。　Whatever　it　took。　Smoothing　her　voice；　she　went　on。　〃Rand　al'Thor　is　hardly　of　consequence　now。〃　At　least　to　these　blind　simpletons。　With　him　in　her　hands；　anything　would　be　possible　for　her。　〃I　do　not　intend　to　stand　here　all　day　discussing　my　bridal　wreath。　I　have　matters　to　see　to　that　are　important。〃
　　　　　　　As　she　stalked　away　from　them　through　the　gloom；　toward　the　doors　of　the　stable；　an　unpleasant　thought　suddenly　occurred　to　her。　She　was　alone　with　these　women。　How　far　could　she　trust　them；　now？　Desaine's　death　remained　all　too　vivid　in　her　mind；　the　Wise　One　had　been。。。　butchered。。。　using　the　One　Power。　By　the　women　behind　her；　among　others。　The　thought　twisted　her　belly　tight。　She　listened　for　the　faint　rustle　of　straw　that　would　announce　feet　following　her　and　heard　nothing。　Were　they　just　standing　there　watching？　She　refused　to　look　over　her　shoulder。　Keeping　the　same　slow　pace　required　only　a　little　effort　…　she　would　not　display　fear　and　shame　herself！　…　yet　when　she　pushed　one　of　the　tall　doors　open　on　its　well…oiled　hinges　and　stepped　into　bright　midday　light；　she　could　not　stop　from　drawing　a　relieved　breath。
　　　　　　　Efalin　was　pacing　outside；　shoufa　draped　around　her　neck；　bow　cased　on　her　back；　spears　and　buckler　in　hand。　The　gray…haired　woman　turned　abruptly；　the　worry　on　her　face　fading　only　a　little　at　sight　of　Sevanna。　The　leader　of　all　the　Shaido　Maidens；　and　she　let　her　distress　show！　She　was　not　Jumai；　but　she　had　e　with　Sevanna　using　the　excuse　that　Sevanna　spoke　as　the　chief　until　a　new　chief　of　the　Shaido　could　be　chosen。　Sevanna　was　sure　that　Efalin　suspected　that　would　never　happen。　Efalin　knew　where　the　power　lay。　And　when　to　keep　her　mouth　closed。
　　　　　　　〃Bury　him　deeply　and　hide　the　grave；〃　Sevanna　told　her。
　　　　　　　Efalin　nodded；　signaling　the　Maidens　ringing　the　stable　to　their　feet；　and　they　vanished　inside　behind　her。　Sevanna　studied　the　building；　with　its　sharp…peaked　red　roof　and　blue　walls；　then　turned　to　the　field　in　front　of　it。　A　low　stone　fence　with　a　single　opening；　right　before　the　stable；　enclosed　a　circle　of　hard…packed　dirt　perhaps　a　hundred　paces　across。　The　wetlanders　had　used　it　for　training　horses。　Why　it　had　been　placed　so　far　from　everything　else；　surrounded　by　trees　so　tall　that　Sevanna　still　sometimes　stared　at　them；　she　had　not　thought　to　ask　the　former　owners；　but　the　isolation　served　her　purposes。　The　Maidens　with　Efalin　were　those　who　had　captured　the　Seanchan。　No　one　not　here　knew　he　existed。　Or　would　know。　Were　the　other　Wise　Ones　talking　in　there？　About　her？　In　front　of　the　Maidens？　What　were　they　saying？　She　would　not　wait　on　them　or　anyone！
　　　　　　　They　came　out　of　the　stable　just　as　she　started　off　toward　the　forest；　Someryn　and　the　others；　and　followed　her　into　the　trees　arguing　among　themselves　about　the　Seanchan；　and　Caddar；　and　where　the　rest　of　the　Shaido　had　been　sent。　Not　about　her；　but　then；　they　would　not　where　she　could　listen。　What　she　did　hear　made　her　grimace。　There　were　over　three　hundred　Wise　Ones　with　the　Jumai；　and　it　was　the　same　whenever　three　or　four　started　talking。　Where　were　the　rest　of　the　septs；　and　had　Caddar　been　a　spear　hurled　by　Rand　al'Thor；　and　how　many　Seanchan　were　there；　and　even　did　they　really　ride　lizards？　Lizards！　These　women　had　been　with　her　from　the　first。　She　had　guided　their　feet　step　by　step；　but　they　believed　they　had　helped　plan　every　move；　believed　they　knew　the　destination。　If　she　was　losing　them　now。。。
　　　　　　　The　forest　gave　way　to　a　huge　clearing　that　could　have　swallowed　the　circle　back　at　the　stable　fifty　times　over；　and　Sevanna　felt　ill　temper　slipping　away　as　she　stopped　to　look。　Low　hills　rose　to　the　north；　and　mountains　a　few　leagues　beyond　them　were　capped　with　clouds；　great　masses　of　white　streaked　with　dark　gray。　She　had　never　seen　so　many　clouds　in　her　life。　Closer　at　hand；　thousands　of　Jumai　went　about　the　day's　work。　The　ring　of　hammer　on　anvil　rose　from　blacksmiths；　and　sheep　and　goats　were　being　slaughtered　for　the　evening　meal；　their　bleating　mixed　with　the　laughter　of　the　children　as　they　ran　at　play。　Given　more　time　to　prepare　for　their　flight　from　Kinslayer's　Dagger　than　the　other　septs；　the　Jumai　had　brought　the　flocks　gathered　in　Cairhien；　and　added　to　them　here。
　　　　　　　Many　people　had　set　up　their　tents；　but　there　was　no　need。　Colorful　structures　nearly　filled　the　clearing　like　a　large　wetlander　village；　tall　barns　and　stables；　a　large　forge　and　the　squat　roofs　that　had　sheltered　servants；　all　painted　red　and　blue；　surrounding　the　great　roof　itself。　The　manor　house　that　was　called；　three　floors　high　beneath　a　dark　green　tile　roof；　all　of　it　a　paler　green　trimmed　with　yellow；　atop　a　broad　man…made　stone　hill　ten　paces　tall。　Jumai　and　gai'shain　climbed　the　long　ramp　that　led　to　the　great　building's　door　and　walked　the　ornately　carved　balconies　that　ringed　it。
　　　　　　　The　stone　walls　and　palaces　she　had　seen　in　Cairhien　had　not　impressed　her　half　so　much。　This　one　was　painted　like　a　wagon　of　the　Lost　Ones；　but　even　so；　marvelous。　She　should　have　realized　that　with　so　many　trees；　these　people　could　afford　to　build　anything　of　wood。　Could　no　one　but　she　see　how　fat　this　land　was？　More　white…clad　gai'shain　scurried　about　their　tasks　than　any　twenty　septs　had　ever　had　before；　nearly　half　as　many　as　there　were　Jumai！　No　one　plained　about　making　wetlanders　gai'shain　anymore。　They　were　so　docile！　A　wide…eyed　young　man　in　rough…sewn　white　hurried　past　clutching　a　basket；　gaping　at　the　people　around　him　and　stumbling　over　the　hem　of　his　robe。　Sevanna　smiled。　That　one's　father　had　called　himself　the　lord　of　this　place　and　blustered　that　she　and　her　people　would　be　hunted　down　…　by　children；　of　all　things！　…　for　this　outrage；　yet　now　he　wore　white　and　worked　as　hard　as　his　son；　as　did　his　wife　and　his　daughters　and　his　other　sons。　The　women　had　possessed　many　fine　gems　and　beautiful　silks；　and　Sevanna　had　only　taken　the　first　pick　for　herself。　A　fat　land；　so　soft　it　oozed　rich　oils。
　　　　　　　The　women　behind　her　had　stopped　short　to　talk　among　themselves　at　the　edge　of　the　trees。　She　caught　what　they　were　saying；　and　it　turned　her　mood　again。
　　　　　　　〃。。。　how　many　Aes　Sedai　fight　for　these　Seanchan；〃　Tion　was　saying。　〃We　must　learn　that。〃　Someryn　and　Modarra　murmured　agreement。
　　　　　　　〃I　do　not　think　it　matters；〃　Rhiale　put　in。　At　least　her　contrariness　extended　to　the　others；　too。　〃I　do　not　think　they　will　fight　unless　we　attack　them。　Remember；　they　did　nothing　until　we　moved　against　them；　not　even　to　defend　themselves。〃
　　　　　　　〃And　when　they　did；〃　Meira　said　sourly；　〃twenty…three　of