rj.theshadowrising-第95节

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　　　　　　　Turning　slowly；　he　frowned　at　the　pedestals。　Surely　someone　should　be　up　on　them；　whoever　was　supposed　to　answer　his　questions。　He　was　being　cheated。　If　he　could　e　here；　he　should　be　able　to　get　answers。
　　　　　　　Suddenly　he　spun　in　a　circle；　searching　not　the　pedestals　but　the　smooth　gray　walls。　The　doorway　was　gone；　there　was　no　way　out。
　　　　　　　Yet　before　he　pleted　a　second　turn　there　was　someone　standing　on　each　pedestal；　people　like　his　guide；　but　dressed　differently。　Four　were　men；　the　others　women；　their　stiff　hair　rising　in　a　crest　before　spilling　down　their　backs。　All　wore　long　white　skirts　that　hid　their　feet。　The　women　had　on　white　blouses　that　fell　below　their　hips；　with　high　lace　necks　and　pale　ruffles　at　their　wrists。　The　men　wore　even　more　straps　than　the　guide；　wider　and　studded　with　gold。　Each　harness　supported　a　pair　of　bare　bladed　knives　on　the　wearer's　chest。　Bronze　blades；　Mat　judged　from　the　color；　but　he　would　have　given　all　the　gold　in　his　possession　for　just　one　of　them。
　　　　　　　〃Speak；〃　one　of　the　women　said　in　that　growling　voice。　〃By　the　ancient　treaty；　here　is　agreement　made。　What　is　your　need？　Speak。〃
　　　　　　　Mat　hesitated。　That　was　not　what　the　snaky　people　had　said。　They　were　all　staring　at　him　like　foxes　staring　at　dinner。　〃Who　is　the　Daughter　of　the　Nine　Moons　and　why　do　I　have　to　marry　her？〃　He　hoped　they　would　count　that　as　one　question。
　　　　　　　No　one　answered。　None　of　them　spoke。　They　just　continued　to　stare　at　him　with　those　big　pale　eyes。
　　　　　　　〃You　are　supposed　to　answer；〃　he　said。　Silence。　〃Burn　your　bones　to　ash；　answer　me！　Who　is　the　Daughter　of　the　Nine　Moons　and　why　do　I　have　to　marry　her？　How　will　I　die　and　live　again？　What　does　it　mean　that　I　have　to　give　up　half　the　light　of　the　world？　Those　are　my　three　questions。　Say　something！〃
　　　　　　　Dead　silence。　He　could　hear　himself　breathing；　hear　the　blood　throbbing　in　his　ears。
　　　　　　　〃I　have　no　intention　of　marrying。　And　I　have　no　intention　of　dying；　either；　whether　I　am　supposed　to　live　again　or　not。　I　walk　around　with　holes　in　my　memory；　holes　in　my　life；　and　you　stare　at　me　like　idiots。　If　I　had　my　way；　I　would　want　those　holes　filled；　but　at　least　answers　to　my　questions　might　fill　some　in　my　future。　You　have　to　answer…！〃
　　　　　　　〃Done；〃　one　of　the　men　growled；　and　Mat　blinked。
　　　　　　　Done？　What　was　done？　What　did　he　mean？　〃Burn　your　eyes；〃　he　muttered。　〃Burn　your　souls！　You　are　as　bad　as　Aes　Sedai。　Well；　I　want　a　way　to　be　free　of　Aes　Sedai　and　the　Power；　and　I　want　to　be　away　from　you　and　back　to　Rhuidean；　if　you　will　not　answer　me。　Open　up　a　door；　and　let　me　…〃
　　　　　　　〃Done；〃　another　man　said；　and　one　of　the　women　echoed；　〃Done。〃
　　　　　　　Mat　scanned　the　walls；　then　glared；　turning　to　take　them　all　in；　standing　up　there　on　their　pedestals　staring　down　at　him。　〃Done？　What　is　done？　I　see　no　door。　You　lying　goat…fathered　…〃
　　　　　　　〃Fool；〃　a　woman　said　in　a　whispered　growl；　and　others　repeated　it。　Fool。　Fool。　Fool。
　　　　　　　〃Wise　to　ask　leavetaking；　when　you　set　no　price；　no　terms。〃
　　　　　　　〃Yet　fool　not　to　first　agree　on　price。〃
　　　　　　　〃We　will　set　the　price。〃
　　　　　　　They　spoke　so　quickly　he　could　not　tell　which　said　what。
　　　　　　　〃What　was　asked　will　be　given。〃
　　　　　　　〃The　price　will　be　paid。〃
　　　　　　　〃Burn　you；〃　he　shouted；　〃what　are　you　talking！？〃
　　　　　　　Utter　darkness　closed　around　him。　There　was　something　around　his　throat。　He　could　not　breathe。　Air。　He　could　not。。。。
　
Chapter　25
（Serpent　and　Wheel）
The　Road　to　the　Spear

　　　　　　　Not　hesitating　at　the　first　row　of　columns；　Rand　made　himself　walk　in　among　them。　There　could　be　no　turning　back　now；　no　looking　back。　Light；　what　is　supposed　to　happen　in　here？　What　does　it　really　do？
　　　　　　　Clear　as　the　finest　glass；　perhaps　a　foot　thick　and　standing　three　paces　or　more　apart；　the　columns　were　a　forest　of　dazzling　light　filled　with　cascading　ripples　and　glares　and　odd　rainbows。　The　air　was　cooler　here；　enough　to　make　him　wish　he　had　a　coat；　but　the　same　gritty　dust　covered　the　smooth　white　stone　under　his　boots。　Not　a　breeze　stirred；　yet　something　made　each　hair　on　his　body　shift；　even　under　his　shirt。
　　　　　　　Ahead　and　to　the　right　he　could　just　see　another　man；　in　the　grays　and　browns　of　Aiel；　stiff　and　statue…still　in　the　changing　lights。　That　must　be　Muradin；　Couladin's　brother。　Stiff　and　still；　something　was　happening。　Strangely；　considering　the　brilliance；　Rand　could　make　out　the　Aiel's　face　clearly。　Eyes　wide　and　staring；　face　tight；　mouth　quivering　on　the　brink　of　a　snarl。　Whatever　he　was　seeing；　he　did　not　like　it。　But　Muradin　had　survived　that　far；　at　least。　If　he　could　do　it；　Rand　could。　The　man　was　six　or　seven　paces　ahead　of　him　at　best。　Wondering　why　he　and　Mat　had　not　seen　Muradin　go　in；　he　took　another　step。　
　　　　　　　He　rode　behind　a　set　of　eyes；　feeling　but　not　controlling　a　body。　The　owner　of　those　eyes　crouched　easily　among　boulders　on　a　barren　mountainside；　beneath　a　sun　blasted　sky；　peering　down　at　strange　half…made　stone　structures　…　No！　Less　than　half…made。　That's　Rhuidean；　but　without　any　fog；　and　only　just　begun　…　peering　down　contemptuously。　He　was　Mandein；　young　for　a　sept　chief　at　forty。　Separateness　faded；　acceptance　came。　He　was　Mandein。
　　　　　　　〃You　must　agree；〃　Sealdre　said；　but　for　the　moment　he　ignored　her。
　　　　　　　The　Jenn　had　made　things　to　draw　up　water　and　spill　it　into　great　stone　basins。　He　had　fought　battles　over　less　water　than　one　of　those　tanks　held；　with　people　walking　by　as　though　water　was　of　no　consequence。　A　strange　forest　of　glass　rose　in　the　center　of　all　their　activity；　glittering　in　the　sun；　and　near　it　the　tallest　tree　he　had　ever　seen；　at　least　three　spans　high。　Their　stone　structures　looked　as　if　each　was　meant　to　contain　an　entire　hold；　an　entire　sept；　when　done。　Madness。　This　Rhuidean　could　not　be　defended。　Not　that　anyone　would　attack　the　Jenn；　of　course。　Most　avoided　the　Jenn　as　they　avoided　the　accursed　Lost　Ones；　who　wandered　searching　for　the　songs　they　claimed　would　bring　back　lost　days。
　　　　　　　A　procession　snaked　out　of　Rhuidean　toward　the　mountain；　a　few　dozen　Jenn　and　two　palanquins；　each　carried　by　eight　men。　There　was　enough　wood　in　each　of　those　palanquins　for　a　dozen　chief's　chairs。　He　had　heard　there　were　still　Aes　Sedai　among　the　Jenn。
　　　　　　　〃You　must　agree　to　whatever　they　ask；　husband；〃　Sealdre　said。
　　　　　　　He　looked　at　her　then；　wanting　for　a　moment　to　run　his　hands　through　her　long　golden　hair；　seeing　the　laughing　girl　who　had　laid　the　bridal　wreath　at　his　feet　and　asked　him　to　marry　her。　She　was　serious　now；　though；　intent　and　worried。　〃Will　the　others　e？〃　he　asked。
　　　　　　　〃Some。　Most。　I　have　talked　to　my　sisters　in　the　dream；　and　we　have　all　dreamed　the　same　dream。　The　chiefs　who　do　not　e；　and　those　who　do　not　agree。。。　Their　septs　will　die；　Mandein。　Within　three　generations　they　will　be　dust；　and　their　holds　and　cattle　belong　to　other　septs。　Their　names　will　be　lost。〃
　　　　　　　He　did　not　like　her　talking　to　the　Wise　Ones　of　other　septs；　even　in　dreams。　But　the　Wise　Ones　dreamed　true。　When　they　knew；　it　was　true。　〃Stay　here；〃　he　told　her。　〃If　I　do　not　return；　help　our　sons　and　daughters　to　hold　the　sept　together。〃
　　　　　　　She　touched　his　cheek。　〃I　will；　shade　of　my　life。　But　remember。　You　must　agree。〃
　　　　　　　Mandein　motioned；　and　a　hundred　veiled　shapes　followed　him　down　the　slope；　ghosting　from　boulder　to　boulder；　bows　and　spears　ready；　grays　and　browns　blending　with　the　barren　land；　vanishing　even　to　his　eyes。　They　were　all　men；　he　had　left　all　the　women　of　the　sept　who　carried　the　spear　with　the　men　around　Sealdre。　If　anything　went　wrong　and　she　decided　on　something　senseless　to　save　him；　the　men　would　probably　follow　her　in　it；　the　women　would　see　her　back　to　the　hold　whatever　she　wanted；　to　protect　the　hold　and　the　sept。　He　hoped　they　would。　Sometimes　they　could　be　fiercer　than　any　man；　and　more　foolish。
　　　　　　　The　procession　from　Rhuidean　had　stopped　on　the　cracked　clay　flat　by　the　time　he　reached　the　lower　slope。　He　motioned　his　men　to　ground　and　went　on　alone；　lowering　his　veil。　He　was　aware　of　other　men　moving　out　from　the　mountain　to　his　right　and　left；　ing　across　the　baked　ground　from　other　directions。　How　many？　Fifty？　Maybe　a　hundred？　Some　faces　he　had　expected　to　see　were　missing。　Sealdre　was　right　as　usual；　some　had　not　listened　to　their　Wise　Ones'　dream。　There　were　faces　he　had　never　seen　before；　and　faces　of　men　he　had　tried　to　kill；　men　who　had　tried　to　kill　him。　At　least　none　were　veiled。　Killing　in　front　of　a　Jenn　was　almost　as　bad　as　killing　a　Jenn。　He　hoped　the　others　remembered　that。　Treachery　from　one；　and　the　veils　would　be　donned；　the　warriors　each　chief　had　brought　would　e　down　from　the　mountains；　and　this　dry　clay　would　be　muddied　with　blood。　He　half…expected　to　feel　a　spear　through　his　ribs　any　moment。
　　　　　　　Even　trying　to　watch　a　hundred　possible　sources　of　death；　it　was　hard　not　to　stare　at　the　Aes　Sedai　as　the　bearers　lowered　their　ornately　carved　chairs　to　the　ground。　Women　with　hair　so　white　it　almost　seemed　transparent。　Ageless　faces　with　skin　that　looked　as　if　the　wind　might　tear　it。　He　had　heard　the　years　did　not　touch　Aes　Sedai。　How　old　must　these　two　be？　What　had　they　seen？　Could　they　remember　when　his　greatfather　ran　first　found　Ogier　stedding　in　the