rj.acrownofswords-第173节

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le　of　the　ceiling　two　feet　across　fell　in　stone　chips　and　plaster　dust。
　　　Only　after　he　had　done　it　did　he　think　that　there　might　be　someone　between　him　and　Sammael。　He　intended　to　see　Sammael　dead　this　day；　but　if　he　could　do　it　without　killing　anyone　else。。。　The　weaves　vanished　as　he　pulled　himself　to　his　feet　once　more　and　limped　hurriedly　to　the　doors　in　the　side　of　the　hall；　tall　things　with　every　panel　set　with　nine　golden　bees　the　size　of　his　fist。
　　　A　small　flow　of　Air　pushed　one　door　open　before　he　reached　it；　too　small　to　be　detected　at　any　distance。　Hobbling　into　the　corridor；　he　sank　to　one　knee。　That　other　man's　side　was　fire；　his　heel　agony。　Rand　pulled　his　sword　up　and　leaned　on　it；　waiting。　A　clean…shaven　fellow　with　plump　pink　cheeks　peered　around　a　corner　down　the　way；　enough　of　his　coat　showed　to　name　him　a　servant。　At　least；　a　coat　green　on　one　side　and　yellow　on　the　other　looked　like　livery。　The　fellow　saw　Rand　and；　very　slowly；　as　though　he　might　not　be　noticed　if　he　moved　slowly　enough；　slid　back　out　of　sight。　Sooner　or　later；　Sammael　would　have　to。。。
　　　〃Illian　belongs　to　me！〃　The　voice　boomed　in　the　air；　from　every　direction；　and　Rand　cursed。　That　had　to　be　the　same　weave　he　himself　had　used　in　the　square；　or　something　very　like；　it　required　so　little　of　the　Power　he　might　not　have　felt　the　actual　flows　had　he　been　within　ten　paces　of　the　man。　〃Illian　is　mine！　I　won't　destroy　what　belongs　to　me　killing　you；　and　I　won't　let　you　destroy　it；　either。　You　had　the　nerve　to　e　after　me　here？　Do　you　have　the　courage　to　follow　me　again？〃　A　sly　mocking　tone　entering　that　thundering　voice。　〃Do　you　have　the　courage？〃　Somewhere　above；　a　gateway　opened　and　closed；　Rand　had　no　doubt　that　was　what　it　was。
　　　The　courage？　Did　he　have　the　courage？　〃I'm　the　Dragon　Reborn；〃　he　muttered；　〃and　I'm　going　to　kill　you。〃　Weaving　a　gateway；　he　stepped　through；　to　a　place　floors　above。
　　　It　was　another　hallway；　lined　with　wall　hangings　showing　ships　at　sea。　At　the　far　end；　the　last　crimson　sliver　of　the　sun　shone　through　a　colonnaded　walk。　The　residue　of　Sammael's　gateway　hung　in　the　air；　the　dissipating　flows　like　faintly　glowing　ghosts。　Not　so　faint　Rand　could　not　make　them　out；　though。　He　began　to　weave；　then　stopped。　He　had　leaped　up　here　without　a　thought　of　a　trap。　If　he　copied　what　he　saw　exactly；　he　would　step　out　wherever　Sammael　had；　or　so　close　as　made　no　difference。　But　with　just　a　slight　alteration；　no　way　to　be　sure　whether　the　change　was　fifty　feet　or　five　hundred；　yet　either　was　close　enough。
　　　The　vertical　silver　slash　began　to　rotate　open；　revealing　the　shadow…cloaked　ruins　of　greatness；　not　quite　as　dark　as　the　hallway。　Seen　through　the　gateway；　the　sun　was　a　slightly　thicker　slice　of　red；　half…hidden　by　a　shattered　dome。　He　knew　that　place。　The　last　time　he　had　gone　there；　he　had　added　a　name　to　that　list　of　Maidens　in　his　head；　the　first　time；　Padan　Fain　had　followed　and　bee　more　than　a　Darkfriend；　worse　than　a　Darkfriend。　That　Sammael　had　fled　to　Shadar　Logoth　seemed　like　ing　full　circle　in　more　ways　that　one。　There　was　no　time　to　waste　now　that　he　was　opening　the　way。　Before　the　gateway　stopped　widening；　he　ran　through　into　the　ravaged　city　that　once　had　been　called　Aridhol；　ran　limping；　letting　the　weave　go　as　he　ran；　boots　crunching　on　broken　paving　stones　and　dead　weeds。
　　　The　first　corner　he　came　to；　he　ducked　around。　The　ground　shook　under　his　feet　as　roars　sounded　back　the　way　he　had　e；　light　flashing　atop　flash　in　the　twilight　darkness；　he　felt　the　wash　of　Earth　and　Fire　and　Air。　Shrieks　and　bellows　rose　through　the　thunderous　crashes。　Saidin　pulsing　inside　him；　he　hobbled　away　without　looking　back。　He　ran；　and　with　the　Power　filling　him；　even　in　the　dark　shadows　he　could　see　clearly。
　　　All　around　the　great　city　lay；　huge　marble　palaces　each　with　four　and　five　domes　of　different　shapes　painted　crimson　by　the　setting　sun；　bronze　fountains　and　statues　at　every　intersection；　great　stretches　of　columns　running　to　towers　that　soared　across　the　sun。　They　soared　when　intact；　at　least；　more　ended　in　abrupt　jaggedness　than　not。　For　every　dome　that　stood　whole；　ten　were　broken　eggshells　with　the　top　hacked　off　or　one　side　gone。　Statues　lay　toppled　in　fragments；　or　stood　with　missing　arms；　or　heads。　Swiftly　deepening　darkness　raced　across　sprawling　hills　of　rubble；　the　few　stunted　trees　clinging　to　their　slopes　twisted　shapes　like　broken　fingers　against　the　sky。
　　　A　fan　of　bricks　and　stone　spread　across　the　way　from　what　might　have　been　a　small　palace；　half　its　front　missing；　the　rest　of　the　columned　fa？ade　leaned　drunkenly　toward　the　street。　He　stopped　in　the　middle　of　the　street；　just　short　of　the　fan；　waiting；　feeling　for　another　to　use　saidin。　Clinging　to　the　sides　of　the　street　was　not　a　good　idea；　and　not　simply　because　any　building　might　fall　at　any　time。　A　thousand　unseen　eyes　seemed　to　watch　from　windows　like　gouged　eye　sockets；　to　watch　with　a　nearly　palpable　sense　of　anticipation。　Distantly　he　felt　the　new　wound　in　his　side　throbbing；　a　slash　of　flame；　echoing　the　evil　that　clung　to　the　very　dust　of　Shadar　Logoth。　The　old　scar　clenched　like　a　fist。　The　pain　of　his　foot　seemed　very　distant　indeed。　Closer；　the　Void　itself　pulsated　around　him；　the　Dark　One's　taint　on　saidin　beating　in　time　with　the　knife　slash　across　his　ribs。　A　dangerous　place　by　daylight；　Shadar　Logoth。　By　night。。。
　　　Down　the　street；　beyond　a　spired　monument　miraculously　standing　straight；　something　moved；　a　shadowed　shape　darting　across　the　way　in　the　darkness。　Rand　almost　channeled；　but　he　could　not　believe　Sammael　would　go　scuddling　that　way。　When　he　first　stepped　into　the　city；　when　Sammael　tried　to　destroy　everything　around　his　gateway；　he　had　heard　horrible　screams。　They　had　barely　registered；　then。　Nothing　lived　in　Shadar　Logoth；　not　even　rats。　Sammael　must　have　brought　henchmen；　fellows　he　did　not　mind　killing　in　an　attempt　to　reach　Rand。　Maybe　one　of　them　could　lead　Rand　to　Sammael。　He　hurried　forward　as　fast　as　he　could；　as　soundlessly　as　he　could。　Shattered　pavement　crunched　under　his　boots　with　a　sound　like　bones　snapping。　He　hoped　it　was　loud　only　to　his　saidin…enhanced　ears。
　　　Stopping　at　the　base　of　the　spire；　a　thick　stone　needle　covered　with　flowing　script；　he　peered　ahead。　Whoever　had　moved　was　gone；　only　fools　or　the　madly　brave　went　inside　in　Shadar　Logoth　at　night。　The　evil　that　stained　Shadar　Logoth；　the　evil　that　had　murdered　Aridhol；　had　not　died　with　Aridhol。　Farther　along　the　street；　a　tendril　of　silver…gray　fog　wavered　out　of　a　window；　creeping　toward　another　that　came　to　meet　it　from　a　wide　gap　in　a　high　stone　wall。　The　depths　of　that　gap　shone　as　though　a　full　moon　lay　inside。　With　the　night；　Mashadar　roamed　its　city　prison；　a　vast　presence　that　could　appear　in　a　dozen　places　at　once；　a　hundred。　Mashadar's　touch　was　not　a　pleasant　way　to　die。　Inside　Rand；　the　taint　on　saidin　beat　harder；　the　distant　fire　in　his　side　flickered　like　ten　thousand　lightnings；　one　on　top　of　the　last。　Even　the　ground　seemed　to　pound　beneath　his　boots。
　　　He　turned；　half…thinking　to　leave　now。　Very　likely；　Sammael　had　gone；　now　that　Mashadar　was　out。　Very　likely　the　man　had　lured　him　here　in　the　hope　he　would　search　the　ruins　until　Mashadar　killed　him。　He　turned；　and　stopped；　crouching　against　the　spire。　Two　Trollocs　were　creeping　down　that　street；　bulky　shapes　in　black　mail；　half　again　as　tall　as　he；　or　more。　Spikes　stood　out　on　the　shoulders　and　elbows　of　their　armor；　and　they　carried　spears　with　long　black　points　and　wicked　hooks。　To　his　saidin…filled　eyes；　their　faces　stood　out　clearly；　one　distorted　by　an　eagle's　beak　where　mouth　and　nose　should　have　been；　the　other　by　a　boar's　tusked　snout。　Every　line　of　their　creeping　shouted　fear；　Trollocs　loved　killing；　loved　blood；　but　Shadar　Logoth　terrified　them。　There　would　be　Myrddraal　about；　no　Trolloc　would　have　entered　this　city　without　Myrddraal　to　drive　it。　No　Myrddraal　would　have　entered　without　Sammael　driving。　All　of　which　meant　Sammael　must　still　be　here；　or　these　Trollocs　would　be　running　for　the　gates；　not　hunting。　And　they　were　hunting。　That　boar's　snout　was　snuffling　the　air　for　a　scent。
　　　Abruptly　a　figure　in　rags　leaped　from　a　window　above　the　Trollocs；　falling　on　them　with　spear　already　stabbing。　An　Aiel；　a　woman；　shoufa　wrapped　around　her　head　but　veil　hanging。　The　eagle…beaked　Trolloc　shrieked　as　her　spearpoint　stabbed　deep　into　its　side；　stabbed　again。　As　its　panion　fell；　kicking；　boar…snout　spun　with　snarl；　thrusting　viciously；　but　she　ducked　low　under　the　black　hooked　point　and　stabbed　up　into　the　creature's　stomach；　and　it　went　down　in　a　thrashing　heap　with　the　other。
　　　Rand　was　on　his　feet　and　running　before　he　thought。　〃Liah！〃　he　shouted。　He　had　thought　her　dead；　abandoned　here　by　him；　dead　for　him。　Liah；　of　the　Cosaida　Chareen；　that　name　blazed　on　the　list　in　his　head。
　　　She　whirled　to　confront　him；　spear　ready　in　one　hand；　round　bull…hide　buckler　in　the　other。　The　face　he　remembered　as　pretty　despite　scars　on　both　cheeks　was　contorted　with　rage。　〃Mine！〃　she　hissed　threateningly　through　her　teeth。　〃Mine！　No　one　may　e　here！　No　one！〃
　　　He　stopped　in　his　tracks。　That　spear　waited；　eager　to　seek　his