rj.theshadowrising-第211章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


rap　of　decency。　〃No；　I　would　not　say　that。〃
　　　　　　　On　the　driver's　seat　of　the　second　wagon；　fat　Keille　and　the　gleeman；　Natael；　were　arguing　again。　Natael　had　the　reins；　though　he　did　not　drive　as　well　as　the　man　who　usually　did　the　job。　Sometimes　they　looked　at　Rand；　too；　quick　glances　before　diving　back　into　their　quarrel。　But　then；　everyone　did。　The　long　column　of　Jindo　on　the　other　side　of　him；　the　Wise　Ones　beyond　them；　with　Moiraine　and　Egwene　and　Lan。　Among　the　more　distant；　thicker　line　of　Shaido　he　thought　heads　turned　toward　him；　too。　It　did　not　surprise　him　now　any　more　than　it　ever　had。　He　was　He　Who　es　With　the　Dawn。　Everyone　wanted　to　know　what　he　would　do。　They　would　find　out　soon　enough。
　　　　　　　〃Soft；〃　Aviendha　grunted。　〃Elayne　is　not　soft。　You　belong　to　Elayne；　you　should　not　be　caressing　eyes　with　this　milk…skinned　wench。〃　She　shook　her　head　fiercely；　muttering　half　to　herself；　〃Our　ways　shock　her。　She　could　not　accept　them。　Why　should　I　care　if　she　can？　I　want　no　part　of　this！　It　cannot　be！　If　I　could；　I　would　take　you　gai'shain　and　give　you　to　Elayne！〃
　　　　　　　〃Why　should　Isendre　accept　Aiel　ways？〃
　　　　　　　The　wide…eyed　look　she　gave　him　was　so　startled　he　almost　laughed。　Immediately　she　scowled　as　if　he　had　done　something　infuriating。　Aiel　women　were　surely　no　easier　to　understand　than　any　others。
　　　　　　　〃You　are　certainly　not　soft；　Aviendha。〃　She　should　take　it　for　a　pliment；　the　woman　was　as　rough　as　a　honing　stone　sometimes。　〃Explain　to　me　about　the　roofmistress　again。　If　Rhuarc　is　clan　chief　of　the　Taardad　and　chief　of　Cold　Rocks　Hold；　how　is　it　that　the　hold　belongs　to　his　wife　and　not　him？〃
　　　　　　　She　glowered　at　him　a　moment　longer；　lips　working　as　she　muttered　under　her　breath；　before　answering。　〃Because　she　is　roofmistress；　you　stone…headed　wetlander。　A　man　cannot　own　a　roof　any　more　than　he　can　own　land！　Sometimes　you　wetlanders　sound　like　savages。〃
　　　　　　　〃But　if　Lian　is　roofmistress　of　Cold　Rocks　because　she　is　Rhuarc's　wife　…〃
　　　　　　　〃That　is　different！　Will　you　never　understand？　A　child　understands！〃　Taking　a　deep　breath；　she　adjusted　the　shawl　around　her　face。　She　was　a　pretty　woman；　except　for　looking　at　him　most　of　the　time　as　if　he　had　mitted　some　crime　against　her。　What　it　might　be；　he　did　not　know。　White…haired　Bair；　leathery…faced　and　as　reluctant　to　speak　of　Rhuidean　as　ever；　had　finally；　unwillingly　told　him　that　Aviendha　had　not　visited　the　glass　columns：　she　would　not　do　that　until　she　was　ready　to　bee　a　Wise　One。　So　why　did　she　hate　him？　It　was　a　mystery　he　would　have　liked　an　answer　to。
　　　　　　　〃I　will　attack　it　from　another　direction；〃　she　grumbled　at　him。　〃When　a　woman　is　to　marry；　if　she　does　not　already　own　a　roof；　her　family　builds　one　for　her。　On　her　wedding　day　her　new　husband　carries　her　away　from　her　family　across　his　shoulder；　with　his　brothers　holding　off　her　sisters；　but　at　the　door　he　puts　her　down　and　asks　her　permission　to　enter。　The　roof　is　hers。　She　can。。。〃
　　　　　　　These　lectures　had　been　the　most　pleasant　thing　in　the　eleven　days　and　nights　since　the　Trolloc　attack。　Not　that　she　had　been　willing　to　talk　at　first；　beyond　one　more　tirade　on　his　supposed　ill…treatment　of　Elayne　and　later　another　embarrassing　lecture　meant　to　convince　him　Elayne　was　the　perfect　woman。　Not　until　he　mentioned　to　Egwene　in　passing　that　if　Aviendha　would　not　even　speak　to　him；　he　wished　she　would　at　least　stop　staring　at　him。　Within　the　hour　a　white…robed　gai'shain　man　came　for　Aviendha。
　　　　　　　Whatever　the　Wise　Ones　had　to　say　to　her；　she　returned　in　a　quivering　fury　to　demand　…　demand！　…　that　he　let　her　teach　him　about　Aiel　ways　and　customs。　No　doubt　in　hope　he　would　reveal　something　of　his　plans　by　the　questions　he　asked。　After　the　viperish　subtleties　of　Tear；　the　openness　of　the　Wise　Ones'　spying　was　refreshing。　Still；　it　was　doubtless　wise　to　learn　what　he　could；　and　talking　with　Aviendha　could　actually　be　enjoyable；　especially　on　those　occasions　when　she　seemed　to　forget　she　despised　him　for　whatever　reason。　Of　course；　whenever　she　realized　they　had　begun　to　talk　like　two　people　instead　of　captor　and　captive；　she　did　have　a　tendency　to　throw　one　of　her　white…hot　outbursts；　as　though　he　had　lured　her　into　a　trap。
　　　　　　　Yet　even　with　that　their　conversations　were　pleasurable；　certainly　by　parison　with　the　rest　of　the　journey。　He　was　even　beginning　to　find　her　tantrums　amusing；　though　he　was　wise　enough　not　to　let　her　know。　If　she　saw　a　man　she　hated；　at　least　she　was　too　wrapped　up　in　that　to　see　He　Who　es　With　the　Dawn；　or　the　Dragon　Reborn。　Just　Rand　al'Thor。　At　any　rate；　she　knew　what　she　thought　of　him。　Not　like　Elayne；　with　one　letter　that　made　his　ears　grow　hot　and　another　written　the　same　day　that　made　him　wonder　if　he　had　grown　fangs　and　horns　like　a　Trolloc。
　　　　　　　Min　was　just　about　the　only　woman　he　had　ever　met　who　had　not　tangled　his　wits　into　a　ball。　But　she　was　off　in　the　Tower　…　safe　there；　at　least　…　and　that　was　one　place　he　meant　to　avoid。　Sometimes　he　thought　life　would　be　simpler　if　he　could　just　forget　women　altogether。　Now　Aviendha　had　started　creeping　into　his　dreams；　as　if　Min　and　Elayne　were　not　bad　enough。　Women　tied　his　emotions　in　knots；　and　he　had　to　be　clearheaded　now。　Clearheaded　and　cold。
　　　　　　　He　realized　he　was　looking　at　Isendre　again。　She　wriggled　slender　fingers　at　him　past　Kadere's　ear；　he　was　sure　those　full　lips　curved　into　a　smile。　Oh；　yes。　Dangerous。　I　have　to　be　cold　and　hard　as　steel。　Sharp　steel。
　　　　　　　Eleven　days　and　nights　into　the　twelfth；　and　nothing　else　had　changed。　Days　and　nights　of　odd　rock　formations　and　flat…topped　stone　spires　and　buttes　thrusting　up　from　a　broken；　blistered　land　crisscrossed　by　mountains　seemingly　stuck　in　at　random。　Days　of　baking　sun　and　searing　winds；　nights　of　bone…shaking　cold。　Whatever　grew　seemed　to　have　thorns　or　spines；　or　else　a　touch　itched　like　fury。　Some　Aviendha　said　were　poisonous；　that　list　seemed　longer　than　the　one　of　those　edible。　The　only　water　was　in　hidden　springs　and　tanks；　though　she　pointed　out　plants　that　meant　a　deep　hole　would　fill　with　slow　seepage；　enough　to　keep　one　or　two　men　alive；　and　others　that　could　be　chewed　for　a　sour；　watery　pulp。
　　　　　　　One　night　lions　killed　two　of　the　Shaido　packhorses；　roaring　in　the　darkness　as　they　were　driven　from　their　prey　to　vanish　into　the　gullies。　A　wagon　driver　disturbed　a　small　brown　snake　as　they　were　making　camp　the　fourth　evening。　A　two…step；　Aviendha　called　it　later；　and　it　proved　its　name。　The　fellow　screamed　and　tried　to　run　for　the　wagons　despite　seeing　Moiraine　hurrying　toward　him；　he　fell　on　his　face　at　his　second　stride；　dead　before　the　Aes　Sedai　could　dismount　from　her　white　mare。　Aviendha　listed　venomous　snakes；　spiders　and　lizards。　Poisonous　lizards！　Once　she　found　one　for　him；　two　feet　long　and　thick；　with　yellow　stripes　running　down　its　bronze　scales。　Casually　pinning　it　under　a　soft…booted　foot；　she　drove　hey　knife　into　the　thing's　wide　head；　then　held　it　up　where　he　could　see　the　clear；　oily　fluid　oozing　over　sharp　bony　ridges　in　its　mouth。　A　gara；　she　explained；　could　bite　through　a　boot；　it　could　also　kill　a　bull。　Others　were　worse；　of　course。　The　gara　was　slow；　and　not　really　dangerous　unless　you　were　stupid　enough　to　step　on　it。　When　she　flung　the　huge　lizard　off　of　her　blade；　the　yellow　and　bronze　faded　right　into　the　cracked　clay。　Oh；　yes。　Just　do　not　be　stupid　enough　to　step　on　it。
　　　　　　　Moiraine　divided　her　time　between　the　Wise　Ones　and　Rand；　usually　attempting；　in　that　Aes　Sedai　way；　to　bully　him　into　revealing　his　plans。　〃The　Wheel　weaves　as　the　Wheel　wills；〃　she　had　told　him　just　that　morning；　voice　coolly　calm；　ageless　face　serene；　but　dark　eyes　hot　as　she　stared　at　him　over　Aviendha's　head；　〃but　a　fool　can　strangle　himself　in　the　Pattern。　Have　a　care　you　do　not　weave　a　noose　for　your　neck。〃　She　had　acquired　a　pale　cloak；　almost　gai'shain　white；　that　shimmered　in　the　sun　and　beneath　the　wide　hood　she　wore　a　damp；　snowy　scarf　folded　around　her　forehead。
　　　　　　　〃I　make　no　nooses　for　my　neck。〃　He　laughed；　and　she　wheeled　Aldieb　so　quickly　the　mare　nearly　knocked　Aviendha　down；　galloping　back　to　the　Wise　Ones'　party；　cloak　streaming　behind　her。
　　　　　　　〃It　is　stupid　to　anger　Aes　Sedai；〃　Aviendha　mutter