rj.eyeoftheworld-第137节

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d　turns　he　had　taken　along　those　curving　streets。　Poised　to　run　again；　he　looked　back　the　way　he　had　e。　Only　one　person　moved　on　the　street；　a　woman　walking　placidly　along　with　her　shopping　basket。　Almost　everyone　in　the　city　was　gathered　for　a　glimpse　of　the　false　Dragon。　He　can't　have　followed　me。　I　must　have　left　him　behind。
　　　　　　　The　beggar　would　not　give　up；　he　was　sure　of　it；　though　he　could　not　say　why。　That　ragged　shape　would　be　working　its　way　through　the　crowds　at　that　very　minute；　searching；　and　if　Rand　returned　to　see　Logain　he　ran　the　risk　of　a　meeting。　For　a　moment　he　considered　going　back　to　The　Queen's　Blessing；　but　he　was　sure　he　would　never　get　another　chance　to　see　a　Queen；　and　he　hoped　he　would　never　have　another　to　see　a　false　Dragon。　There　seemed　to　be　something　cowardly　in　letting　a　bent　beggar；　even　a　Darkfriend；　chase　him　into　hiding。
　　　　　　　He　looked　around；　considering。　The　way　the　Inner　City　was　laid　out；　buildings　were　kept　low；　if　there　were　buildings　at　all；　so　that　someone　standing　at　a　particular　spot　would　have　nothing　to　interrupt　the　planned　view。　There　had　to　be　places　from　where　he　could　see　the　procession　pass　with　the　false　Dragon。　Even　if　he　could　not　see　the　Queen；　he　could　see　Logain。　Suddenly　determined；　he　set　off。
　　　　　　　In　the　next　hour　he　found　several　such　places；　every　last　one　already　packed　cheek…to…cheek　with　people　avoiding　the　crush　along　the　procession　route。　They　were　a　solid　front　of　white　cockades　and　armbands。　No　red　at　all。　Thinking　what　the　sight　of　his　sword　might　do　in　a　crowd　like　that；　he　slipped　away　carefully；　and　quickly。
　　　　　　　Shouting　floated　up　from　the　New　City；　cries　and　the　blaring　of　trumpets；　the　martial　beat　of　drums。　Logain　and　his　escort　were　already　in　Caemlyn；　already　on　their　way　to　the　Palace。
　　　　　　　Dispirited；　he　wandered　the　all　but　empty　streets；　still　halfheartedly　hoping　to　find　some　way　to　see　Logain。　His　eyes　fell　on　the　slope；　bare　of　buildings；　rising　above　the　street　where　he　was　walking。　In　a　normal　spring　the　slope　would　be　an　expanse　of　flowers　and　grass；　but　now　it　was　brown　all　the　way　to　the　high　wall　along　its　crest；　a　wall　over　which　the　tops　of　trees　were　visible。
　　　　　　　This　part　of　the　street　had　not　been　designed　for　any　grand　view；　but　just　ahead；　over　the　rooftops；　he　could　see　some　of　the　Palace　spires；　topped　by　White　Lion　banners　fluttering　in　the　wind。　He　was　not　sure　exactly　where　the　curve　of　the　street　ran　after　it　rounded　the　hill　beyond　his　sight；　but　he　suddenly　had　a　thought　about　that　hilltop　wall。
　　　　　　　The　drums　and　trumpets　were　drawing　nearer；　the　shouting　growing　louder。　Anxiously　he　scrambled　up　the　slope。　It　was　not　meant　to　be　climbed；　but　he　dug　his　boots　into　the　dead　sod　and　pulled　himself　up　using　leafless　shrubs　as　handholds。　Panting　as　much　with　desire　as　effort；　he　scrambled　the　last　yards　to　the　wall。　It　reared　above　him；　easily　twice　his　height　and　more。　The　air　thundered　with　the　drumbeat；　rang　with　trumpet　blasts。
　　　　　　　The　face　of　the　wall　had　been　left　much　in　the　natural　state　of　the　stone；　the　huge　blocks　fitted　together　so　well　that　the　joins　were　nearly　invisible；　the　roughness　making　it　seem　almost　a　natural　cliff。　Rand　grinned。　The　cliffs　just　beyond　the　Sand　Hills　were　higher；　and　even　Perrin　had　climbed　those。　His　hands　sought　rocky　knobs；　his　booted　feet　found　ridges。　The　drums　raced　him　as　he　climbed。　He　refused　to　let　them　win。　He　would　reach　the　top　before　they　reached　the　Palace。　In　his　haste；　the　stone　tore　his　hands　and　scraped　his　knees　through　his　breeches；　but　he　flung　his　arms　over　the　top　and　heaved　himself　up　with　a　sense　of　victory。
　　　　　　　Hastily　he　twisted　himself　around　to　a　seat　on　the　flat；　narrow　top　of　the　wall。　The　leafy　branches　of　a　towering　tree　stuck　out　over　his　head；　but　he　had　no　thought　for　that。　He　looked　across　tiled　rooftops；　but　from　the　wall　his　line　of　sight　was　clear。　He　leaned　out；　just　a　little；　and　could　see　the　Palace　gate；　and　the　Queen's　Guards　drawn　up　there；　and　the　expectant　crowd。　Expectant。　Their　shouts　drowned　out　by　the　thunder　of　drums　and　trumpets；　but　waiting　still。　He　grinned。　I　won。
　　　　　　　Even　as　he　settled　in　place；　the　first　part　of　the　procession　rounded　the　final　curve　before　the　Palace。　Twenty　ranks　of　trumpeters　came　first；　splitting　the　air　with　peal　after　triumphant　peal；　a　fanfare　of　victory。　Behind　them；　as　many　drummers　thundered。　Then　came　the　banners　of　Caemlyn；　white　lions　on　red；　borne　by　mounted　men；　followed　by　the　soldiers　of　Caemlyn；　rank　on　rank　on　rank　of　horsemen；　armor　gleaming；　lances　proudly　held；　crimson　pennants　fluttering。　Treble　rows　of　pikemen　and　archers　flanked　them；　and　came　on　and　on　after　the　horsemen　began　passing　between　the　waiting　Guards　and　through　the　Palace　gates。
　　　　　　　The　last　of　the　foot　soldiers　rounded　the　curve；　and　behind　them　was　a　massive　wagon。　Sixteen　horses　pulled　it　in　hitches　of　four。　In　the　center　of　its　flat　bed　was　a　large　cage　of　iron　bars；　and　on　each　corner　of　the　wagonbed　sat　two　women；　watching　the　cage　as　intently　as　if　the　procession　and　the　crowd　did　not　exist。　Aes　Sedai；　he　was　certain。　Between　the　wagon　and　the　footmen；　and　to　either　side；　rode　a　dozen　Warders；　their　cloaks　swirling　and　tangling　the　eye。　If　the　Aes　Sedai　ignored　the　crowd；　the　Warders　scanned　it　as　if　there　were　no　other　guards　but　they。
　　　　　　　With　all　of　that；　it　was　the　man　in　the　cage　who　caught　and　held　Rand's　eyes。　He　was　not　close　enough　to　see　Logain's　face；　as　he　had　wanted　to；　but　suddenly　he　thought　he　was　as　close　as　he　cared　for。　The　false　Dragon　was　a　tall　man；　with　long；　dark　hair　curling　around　his　broad　shoulders。　He　held　himself　upright　against　the　sway　of　the　wagon　with　one　hand　on　the　bars　over　his　head。　His　clothes　seemed　ordinary；　a　cloak　and　coat　and　breeches　that　would　not　have　caused　ment　in　any　farming　village。　But　the　way　he　wore　them。　The　way　he　held　himself。　Logain　was　a　king　in　every　inch　of　him。　The　cage　might　as　well　not　have　been　there。　He　held　himself　erect；　head　high；　and　looked　over　the　crowd　as　if　they　had　e　to　do　him　honor。　And　wherever　his　gaze　swept；　there　the　people　fell　silent；　staring　back　in　awe。　When　Logain's　eyes　left　them；　they　screamed　with　redoubled　fury　as　if　to　make　up　for　their　silence；　but　it　made　no　difference　in　the　way　the　man　stood；　or　in　the　silence　that　passed　along　with　him。　As　the　wagon　rolled　through　the　Palace　gates；　he　turned　to　look　back　at　the　assembled　masses。　They　howled　at　him；　beyond　words；　a　wave　of　sheer　animal　hate　and　fear；　and　Logain　threw　back　his　head　and　laughed　as　the　Palace　swallowed　him。
　　　　　　　Other　contingents　followed　behind　the　wagons；　with　banners　representing　more　who　had　fought　and　defeated　the　false　Dragon。　The　Golden　Bees　of　Illian；　the　three　White　Crescents　of　Tear；　the　Rising　Sun　of　Cairhien；　others；　many　others；　of　nations　and　of　cities；　and　of　great　men　with　their　own　trumpets；　their　own　drums　to　thunder　their　grandeur。　It　was　anticlimactic　after　Logain。
　　　　　　　Rand　leaned　out　a　bit　further　to　try　to　catch　one　last　sight　of　the　caged　man。　He　was　defeated；　wasn't　he？　Light；　he　wouldn't　be　in　a　bloody　cage　if　he　wasn't　defeated。
　　　　　　　Overbalanced；　he　slipped　and　grabbed　at　the　top　of　the　wall；　pulled　himself　back　to　a　somewhat　safer　seat。　With　Logain　gone；　he　became　aware　of　the　burning　in　his　hands；　where　the　stone　had　scraped　his　palms　and　fingers。　Yet　he　could　not　shake　free　of　the　images。　The　cage　and　the　Aes　Sedai。　Logain；　undefeated。　No　matter　the　cage；　that　had　not　been　a　defeated　man。　He　shivered　and　rubbed　his　stinging　hands　on　his　thighs。
　　　　　　　〃Why　were　the　Aes　Sedai　watching　him？〃　he　wondered　aloud。
　　　　　　　〃They're　keeping　him　from　touching　the　True　Source；　silly。〃
　　　　　　　He　jerked　to　look　up；　toward　the　girl's　voice；　and　suddenly　his　precarious　seat　was　gone。　He　had　only　time　to　realize　that　he　was　toppling　backward；　falling；　when　something　struck　his　head　and　a　laughing　Logain　chased　him　into　spinning　darkness。

Chapter　40
The　Web　Tightens
　
　　　　　　　It　seemed　to　Rand　that　he　was　sitting　at　table　with　Logain　and　Moiraine。　The　Aes　Sedai　and　the　false　Dragon　sat　watching　him　silently；　as　if　neither　knew　the　other　was　there。　Abruptly　he　realized　the　walls　of　the　room　were　being　indistinct；　fading　off　into　gray。　A　sense　of　urgency　built　in　him。　Everything　was　going；　blurring　away。　When　he　looked　back　to　the　table；　Moiraine　and　Logain　had　vanished；　and　Ba'alzamon　sat　there　instead。　Rand's　whole　body　vibrated　with　urgency；　it　hummed　inside　his　head；　louder　and　louder。　The　hum　became　the　pounding　of　blood　in　his　ears。
　　　　　　　With　a　jerk　he　sat　up；　and　immediately　groaned　and　clutched　his　head；　swaying。　His　whole　skull　hurt；　his　left　hand　found　sticky　dampness　in　his　hair。　He　was　sitting　on　the　ground；　on　green　grass。　That　troubled　him；　vaguely；　but　his　head　spun　and　everything　he　looked　at　lurched；　and　all　he　could　think　of　was　lying　down　until　it　stopped。
　　　　　　　The　wall！　The　girl's　voice！
　　　　　　　Steadying　himself　with　one　hand　flat　on　the　grass；　he　looked　around　slowly。　He　had　to　do　it　slowly；　when　he　tried　to　turn　his　head　quickly　everything　started　whirling　again。　He　was　in　a　garden；　or　a　park；　a　slate…paved　walk　meandered　by　through　flowering　bushes　not　six　feet　away；