rj.thepathofdaggers-第63部分

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a　body；　were　less　dangerous　than　one　man　trained　in　the　Black　Tower。　The　Traitor's　Tree？　Taim　was　a　great　one　for　naming　things。　But　men　needed　the　trappings；　the　symbols　and　the　names；　the　black　coats　and　the　pins；　to　help　hold　them　together。　Until　it　was　time　to　die。　〃The　next　time　I　visit　the　Black　Tower；　I　want　to　see　every　deserter's　head。〃
　　　　　　　A　second　piece　of　candied　pear；　halfway　to　Torval's　mouth；　dropped　from　his　fingers　and　streaked　the　front　of　his　fine　coat。　〃It　might　interfere　with　recruiting；　making　that　sort　of　effort；〃　he　said　slowly。　〃The　deserters；　they　do　not　announce　themselves。〃
　　　　　　　Rand　held　the　other　man's　gaze　until　it　fell。　〃How　many　losses　in　training？〃　he　demanded。　The　sharp…nosed　Asha'man　hesitated。　〃How　many？〃
　　　　　　　Narishma　leaned　forward；　staring　intently　at　Torval。　So　did　Hopwil。　The　servants　continued　their　smooth；　silent　dance；　offering　their　trays　to　men　who　no　longer　saw　them。　Boreane　took　advantage　of　Narishma's　preoccupation　to　make　sure　his　silver　mug　held　more　hot　water　than　spiced　wine。
　　　　　　　Torval　shrugged；　too　casually。　〃Fifty…one；　all　told。　Thirteen　burned　out；　and　twenty…eight　dead　where　they　stood。　The　rest。。。　The　M'Hael；　he　adds　something　to　their　wine；　and　they　do　not　wake。〃　Abruptly　his　tone　turned　malicious。　〃It　can　e　suddenly；　at　any　time。　One　man　began　screaming　that　spiders　were　crawling　beneath　his　skin　on　his　second　day。〃　He　smiled　viciously　at　Narishma　and　Hopwil；　and　nearly　so　at　Rand；　but　it　was　to　the　other　two　he　addressed　himself；　swinging　his　head　between　them。　〃You　see？　Not　to　worry　if　you　slide　into　madness。　You'll　not　hurt　yourselves　or　a　soul。　You　go　to　sleep。。。　forever。　Kinder　than　gentling；　even　if　we　knew　how。　Kinder　than　leaving　you　insane　and　cut　off；　yes？〃　Narishma　stared　back；　taut　as　a　harp…string；　his　mug　forgotten　in　his　hand。　Hopwil　was　once　more　frowning　at　something　only　he　could　see。
　　　　　　　〃Kinder；〃　Rand　said　in　a　flat　voice；　setting　the　mug　back　beside　him　on　the　table。　Something　in　the　wine。　My　soul　is　black　with　blood；　and　damned。　It　was　not　a　hard　thought；　not　biting　or　edged；　a　simple　statement　of　fact。　〃A　mercy　any　man　might　wish　for；　Torval。〃
　　　　　　　Torval's　cruel　smile　faded；　and　he　stood　breathing　hard。　The　sums　were　easy；　one　man　in　ten　destroyed；　one　man　in　fifty　mad；　and　more　surely　to　e。　Early　days　yet；　and　no　way　till　the　day　you　died　to　know　you　had　beaten　the　odds。　Except　that　the　odds　would　beat　you；　one　way　or　another；　in　the　end。　Whatever　else；　Torval　stood　under　that　threat；　too。
　　　　　　　Abruptly　Rand　became　aware　of　Boreane。　It　took　a　moment　before　he　recognized　the　expression　on　her　face；　and　when　he　did；　he　bit　back　cold　words。　How　dare　she　feel　pity！　Did　she　think　Tarmon　Gai'don　could　be　won　without　blood？　The　Prophecies　of　the　Dragon　demanded　blood　like　rain！
　　　　　　　〃Leave　us；〃　he　told　her；　and　she　quietly　gathered　the　servants。　But　she　still　carried　passion　in　her　eyes　as　she　herded　them　out。
　　　　　　　Casting　around　for　a　way　to　change　the　mood；　Rand　found　nothing。　Pity　weakened　as　surely　as　fear；　and　they　had　to　be　strong。　To　face　what　they　had　to　face；　they　all　must　be　steel。　His　making；　his　responsibility。
　　　　　　　Lost　in　his　own　thoughts；　Narishma　peered　into　the　steam　rising　from　his　wine；　and　Hopwil　still　tried　to　stare　through　the　side　of　the　tent。　Torval　cast　sideways　glances　at　Rand　and　struggled　to　put　the　scornful　twist　back　on　his　mouth。　Dashiva　alone　appeared　unaffected；　with　his　arms　folded；　studying　Torval　as　a　man　might　study　a　horse　offered　for　sale。
　　　　　　　Into　the　painfully　stretching　silence　burst　a　husky；　windblown　young　man　in　black；　with　the　Sword　and　Dragon　on　his　collar。　Of　an　age　with　Hopwil；　still　not　old　enough　to　marry　most　places；　Fedwin　Morr　wore　intensity　more　closely　than　his　shirt；　he　moved　on　his　toes；　and　his　eyes　had　the　look　of　a　hunting　cat　that　knew　itself　hunted　in　turn。　He　had　been　different；　once；　and　not　so　long　ago。　〃The　Seanchan　will　move　from　Ebou　Dar　soon；〃　he　said　as　he　saluted。　〃They　mean　to　e　against　Illian　next。〃　Hopwil　gave　a　start　and　a　gasp；　jolted　out　of　his　dark　study。　Once　again；　Dashiva's　response　was　to　laugh；　mirthlessly　this　time。
　　　　　　　Nodding；　Rand　took　up　the　Dragon　Scepter。　After　all；　he　carried　it　for　remembrance。　The　Seanchan　danced　to　their　own　tune；　not　the　song　he　wished　for。
　　　　　　　If　Rand　received　the　announcement　in　silence；　Torval　did　not。　Finding　his　sneer；　he　raised　a　contemptuous　eyebrow。　〃Did　they　tell　you　all　that；　now？〃　he　said　mockingly。　〃Or　have　you　learned　to　read　minds？　Let　me　tell　you　something；　boy。　I　have　fought；　against　Amadicians　and　Domani　both；　and　no　army　takes　a　city　then　packs　itself　up　to　march　a　thousand　miles！　More　than　a　thousand　miles！　Or　do　you　think　they　can　Travel？〃
　　　　　　　Morr　met　Torval's　derision　calmly。　Or　if　it　unsettled　him　at　all；　the　only　sign　he　gave　was　running　a　thumb　down　his　long　sword　hilt。　〃I　did　talk　to　some　of　them。　Most　were　Taraboners；　and　more　landing　by　ship　every　day；　or　near　enough。〃　Shouldering　past　Torval　to　the　table；　he　favored　the　Taraboner　with　a　level　look。　〃All　stepping　right　quick　whenever　anybody　with　a　slurring　way　of　speech　opened　a　mouth。〃　The　older　man　opened　his；　angrily；　but　the　younger　pressed　on　hurriedly；　to　Rand。　〃They're　putting　soldiers　all　along　the　Venir　Mountains。　Five　hundred；　sometimes　a　thousand　together。　All　the　way　to　Arran　Head　already。　And　they're　buying　or　taking　every　wagon　and　cart　within　twenty　leagues　of　Ebou　Dar；　and　the　animals　to　draw　them。〃
　　　　　　　〃Carts！〃　Torval　exclaimed。　〃Wagons！　Is　it　that　they　mean　to　hold　a　market　fair；　do　you　think？　And　what　fool　would　march　an　army　through　mountains　when　there　are　perfectly　good　roads？〃　He　noticed　Rand　watching　him；　and　cut　off　with　a　small　frown；　suddenly　uncertain。
　　　　　　　〃I　told　you　to　stay　low；　Morr。〃　Rand　let　anger　touch　his　voice。　The　young　Asha'man　had　to　step　back　as　he　jumped　down　from　the　table。　〃Not　to　go　asking　the　Seanchan　their　plans。　To　look　and　stay　low。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　was　careful；　I　didn't　wear　my　pins。〃　Morr's　eyes　did　not　change　for　Rand；　still　hunter　and　hunted　in　one。　He　seemed　to　be　boiling　inside。　Had　Rand　not　known　better；　he　would　have　thought　Morr　held　the　Power；　struggling　to　survive　saidin　even　as　it　gave　him　life　ten　times　over。　His　face　seemed　to　want　to　sweat。　〃If　any　of　the　men　I　talked　to　knew　where　they're　going　next；　they　didn't　say；　and　I　didn't　ask；　but　they　were　willing　to　plain　over　a　mug　of　ale　about　marching　all　the　time　and　never　standing　still。　In　Ebou　Dar；　they　were　soaking　up　all　the　ale　in　the　city　as　fast　as　they　could；　because　they　say　they　have　to　march　again。　And　they're　gathering　wagons；　just　like　I　said。〃　That　all　came　out　in　a　rush；　and　he　clamped　his　teeth　at　the　end　as　though　to　trap　more　words　that　wanted　to　fly　from　his　tongue。
　　　　　　　Smiling　suddenly；　Rand　clapped　him　on　the　shoulder。　〃You　did　well。　The　wagons　would　have　been　enough；　but　you　did　well。　Wagons　are　important；〃　he　added；　turning　to　Torval。　〃If　an　army　feeds　off　the　country；　it　eats　what　it　finds。　Or　not；　if　it　doesn't。〃　Torval　had　not　flickered　an　eyelid　at　hearing　of　Seanchan　in　Ebou　Dar。　If　that　tale　had　reached　the　Black　Tower；　why　had　Taim　not　mentioned　it？　Rand　hoped　his　smile　did　not　look　a　snarl。　〃It's　harder　to　arrange　supply　trains；　but　when　you　have　one　you　know　there's　fodder　for　the　animals　and　beans　for　the　men。　The　Seanchan　organize　everything。〃
　　　　　　　Sorting　through　the　maps；　he　found　the　one　he　wanted　and　spread　it　out；　weighted　at　one　side　with　his　sword　and　at　the　other　with　the　Dragon　Scepter。　The　coast　between　Illian　and　Ebou　Dar　stared　up　at　him；　rimmed　for　most　of　its　length　by　hills　and　mountains；　dotted　with　fishing　villages　and　small　towns。　The　Seanchan　did　organize。　Ebou　Dar　had　been　theirs　barely　more　than　a　week；　but　the　merchants'　eyes…and…ears　wrote　of　repairs　well　under　way　on　the　damage　done　to　the　city　in　its　taking；　of　clean　sickhouses　set　up　for　the　ill；　of　food　and　work　arranged　for　the　poor　and　those　driven　from　their　homes　by　troubles　inland。　The　streets　and　the　surrounding　countryside　were　patrolled　so　that　no　one　need　fear　footpads　or　bandits；　day　or　night；　and　while　merchants　were　wele；　smuggling　had　been　cut　to　a　trickle　if　not　less。　Those　honest　Illianer　merchants　had　been　surprisingly　glum　about　the　smuggling。　What　were　the　Seanchan　organizing　now？
　　　　　　　The　others　gathered　around　the　table　as　Rand　perused　the　map。　There　were　roads　hard　along　the　coast；　but　poor　straggling　things；　marked　as　little　more　than　cart　paths。　The　broad　trade　roads　lay　inland；　avoiding　the　worst　of　the　terrain　and　the　worst　of　what　the　Sea　of　Storms　had　to　offer。　〃Men　raiding　out　of　those　mountains　could　make　passage　difficult　for　anyone　trying　to　use　the　inland　roads；〃　he　said　finally。　〃By　controlling　the　mountains；　they　make　the　roads　safe　as　a　city　street。　You're　right；　Morr。　They　are　ing　to　Illian。〃
　　　　　　　Leaning　on　his　fists；　Torval　glared　at　Morr；　who　had　been　right　when　he　was　wrong。　A　grievous　sin；　perhaps；　in　Torval's　book。　〃Even　so；　it　will　be　months　before　they　can　trouble　you　here；〃　he　said　sullenly。　〃A　hundred　Asha'man；　fifty；　placed　in　Illian；　could　destroy　any　army　in　the　world　before　one　man　crosses　the　causeways。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　doubt　an　army　with　damane　is　destroyed　as　easily　as　one　kills　Aiel　mitted　to　an　attack　and　caught　by　surprise；〃　Rand　said　quietly；　and　Torval　stiffened。　〃Besides；　I　have　to　defend　all　of　Illian；　not　just　the　city。〃
　　　　　　　Ignoring　the　man；　Rand　traced　lines　across　the　map　with　a　finger。　Between　Arran　Head　and　the　city　of　Illian　lay　a　hundred　leagues　of　open　water；　across　the　mouth　of　Kabal　Deep；　where；　ship　captains　in　Illian　said；　their　longest　sounding　lines　could　find　no　bottom　just　a　mile　or　so　from　the　shore。　The　waves　there　could　overturn　ships　as　they　surged　north　to　pound　the　coast　with　breakers　fifteen　paces　high。　In　this　weather；　it　would　be　worse。　Marching　around　the　Deep　was　a　route　of　two　hundred　leagues　to　reach　the　city；　even　keeping　to　the　shortest　ways；　but　if　the　Seanchan　pressed　on　from　Arran　Head；　they　could　reach　the　border　in　two　weeks　despite　the　rainstorms。　Maybe　less。　Better　to　fight　where　he　chose；　not　where　they　did。　His　finger　slid　along　the　south　coast　of　Altara；　along　the　Venir　range；　until　the　moun