rj.theshadowrising-第104部分

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ce　regardless。　And　suddenly　stepped　out　beside　Rand　into　a　peculiar　shadowless　light。
　　　　　　　The　fog　made　an　enormous　hollow　dome　hiding　the　sky；　its　bubbling　inner　surface　glowing　in　a　pale　sharp　blue。　Rhuidean　was　not　nearly　so　big　as　Tear　or　Caemlyn；　but　the　empty　streets　were　broad　as　any　he　had　ever　seen；　with　wide　strips　of　bare　dirt　down　their　centers　as　if　trees　had　grown　there　once；　and　great　fountains　with　statues。　Huge　buildings　flanked　the　streets；　odd　flat…sided　palaces　of　marble　and　crystal　and　cut　glass；　ascending　hundreds　of　feet　in　steps　or　sheer　walls。　There　was　not　a　small　building　to　be　seen；　nothing　that　might　have　been　a。　simple　tavern　or　an　inn　or　a　stable。　Only　immense　palaces；　with　gleaming　columns　fifty　feet　thick　climbing　a　hundred　paces　in　red　or　white　or　blue；　and　grand　towers；　fluted　and　spiraled；　some　piercing　the　glowing　clouds　above。
　　　　　　　For　all　its　grandeur；　the　city　had　never　been　finished。　Many　of　those　tremendous　structures　ended　in　the　sawteeth　of　abandoned　construction。　Colored　glass　made　images　in　some　huge　windows：　serenely　majestic　men　and　women　thirty　feet　tall　or　more；　sunrises　and　starry　night　skies；　others　gaped　emptily。　Unfinished　and　long　deserted。　No　water　splashed　in　any　fountain。　Silence　covered　the　city　as　pletely　as　the　dome　of　fog。　The　air　was　cooler　than　outside；　but　just　as　arid。　Dust　grated　under　foot　on　pale　smooth　paving　stones。
　　　　　　　Mat　trotted　to　the　nearest　fountain　anyway；　just　on　the　off　chance；　and　leaned　on　the　waist　high　white　rim。　Three　unclothed　women；　twice　as　tall　as　he　and　supporting　an　odd　wide…mouthed　fish　over　their　heads；　peered　down　into　a　wide　dusty　basin　no　dryer　than　his　mouth。
　　　　　　　〃Of　course；〃　Rand　said　behind　him。　〃I　should　have　thought　of　this　before。〃
　　　　　　　Mat　looked　over　his　shoulder。　〃Thought　of　what？〃　Rand　was　staring　at　the　fountain；　shaking　with　silent　laughter。　〃Get　hold　of　yourself；　Rand。　You　didn't　go　crazy　in　the　last　minute。　You　should　have　thought　of　what？〃
　　　　　　　A　hollow　gurgling　whipped　Mat's　eyes　back　to　the　fountain。　Abruptly　water　gushed　out　of　the　fish's　mouth；　a　stream　as　thick　as　his　leg。　He　scrambled　into　the　basin　and　ran　to　stand　under　the　downpour；　head　back　and　mouth　open。　Cold　sweet　water；　cold　enough　to　make　him　shiver；　sweeter　than　wine。　It　soaked　his　hair；　his　coat；　his　breeches。　He　drank　until　he　thought　he　would　drown；　finally　staggering　over　to　lean　panting　against　a　woman's　stone　leg。
　　　　　　　Rand　was　still　standing　there　staring　at　the　fountain；　face　red　and　lips　cracked；　laughing　softly。　〃No　water；　Mat。　They　said　we　couldn't　bring　water；　but　they　did　not　say　anything　about　what　was　already　here。〃
　　　　　　　〃Rand？　Aren't　you　going　to　drink？〃
　　　　　　　Rand　gave　a　start；　then　stepped　into　the　now　ankle　deep　basin　and　splashed　across　to　stand　where　Mat　had　been；　drinking　in　the　same　way；　eyes　closed　and　face　tilted　up　to　let　the　water　pour　over　him。
　　　　　　　Mat　watched　worriedly。　Not　mad；　exactly；　not　yet。　But　how　long　would　Rand　have　stood　there　laughing　while　thirst　turned　his　throat　to　stone　if　he　had　not　spoken？　Mat　left　him　there　and　climbed　out　of　the　fountain。　Some　of　the　water　drenching　his　clothes　had　seeped　down　into　his　boots。　He　ignored　the　squish　he　made　at　every　step；　he　was　not　sure　he　could　get　his　boots　back　on　if　he　pulled　them　off。　Besides；　it　felt　good。
　　　　　　　Peering　at　the　city；　he　wondered　what　he　was　doing　there。　Those　people　had　said　he　would　die；　otherwise；　but　was　just　being　in　Rhuidean　enough？　Do　I　have　to　do　something？　What？
　　　　　　　The　empty　streets　and　half…finished　palaces　were　shadowless　in　the　pale　azure　light。　A　prickling　grew　between　his　shoulder　blades。　All　those　empty　windows　looking　down　on　him；　all　those　gap…toothed　lines　of　forsaken　stonework。　Anything　could　be　hiding　in　there；　and　in　a　place　like　this；　anything　could　be。。。　Any　bloody　thing　at　all。　He　wished　he　still　had　his　boot　knives；　at　least。　But　those　women；　those　Wise　Ones；　had　stared　at　him　as　if　they　knew　he　was　holding　out　on　them。　And　they　had　channeled；　one　or　all　of　them。　It　was　not　wise　to　step　on　the　wrong　side　of　women　who　could　channel　if　you　could　avoid　it。　Burn　me；　if　I　could　get　shut　of　Aes　Sedai；　I'd　never　ask　for　another　thing。　Well；　not　for　a　good　long　while；　anyway。　Light；　I　wonder　if　anything　is　hiding　in　here。
　　　　　　　〃The　heart　has　to　be　that　way；　Mat。〃　Rand　was　climbing　out　of　the　basin；　dripping　wet。
　　　　　　　〃The　heart？〃
　　　　　　　〃The　Wise　Ones　said　I　had　to　go　to　the　heart。　They　must　mean　the　center　of　the　city。〃　Rand　looked　back　at　the　fountain　and　suddenly　the　flow　dwindled　to　a　trickle；　then　ceased。　〃There's　an　ocean　of　good　water　down　there。　Deep。　So　deep　I　nearly　didn't　find　it。　If　I　could　bring　it　up。。。　No　need　to　waste　it；　though。　We　can　get　another　good　drink　when　it's　time　to　leave。〃
　　　　　　　Mat　shifted　his　feet　unfortably。　Fool！　Where　did　you　think　it　came　from？　Of　course　he　bloody　channeled。　Did　you　think　it　just　started　flowing　again　after　the　Light　knows　how　long？　〃Center　of　the　city。　Of　course。　Lead　on。〃
　　　　　　　They　kept　to　the　middle　of　the　wide　street；　walking　along　the　edge　of　the　bare　strips　of　dirt；　past　more　dry　fountains；　some　with　only　the　stone　basin　and　a　marble　base　where　the　statues　should　have　been。　Nothing　was　broken　in　the　city；　only。。。　inplete。　The　palaces　loomed　to　either　side　like　cliffs。　There　had　to　be　things　inside。　Furniture；　maybe；　if　it　had　not　rotted。　Maybe　gold。　Knives。　Knives　would　not　rust　away　in　this　dry　air　no　matter　how　long　they　had　been　there。
　　　　　　　There　could　be　a　bloody　Myrddraal　in　there　for　all　you　know。　Light；　why　did　I　have　to　think　of　that？　If　only　he　had　thought　to　bring　a　quarterstaff　with　him　when　he　left　the　Stone。　Maybe　he　could　have　convinced　the　Wise　Ones　it　was　a　walking　staff。　No　use　thinking　of　it；　now。　A　tree　would　do；　if　he　had　a　way　to　cut　a　good　branch　and　trim　it。　If；　again。　He　wondered　whether　whoever　built　this　city　had　managed　to　grow　any　trees。　He　had　worked　on　his　father's　farm　too　long　not　to　know　good　dirt　when　he　saw　it。　These　long　ribbons　of　exposed　soil　were　poor；　no　good　for　growing　anything　besides　weeds；　and　not　many　of　those。　None；　now。
　　　　　　　After　they　had　walked　a　mile；　the　street　suddenly　ended　at　a　great　plaza；　perhaps　as　far　across　as　they　had　walked　and　surrounded　by　those　palaces　of　marble　and　crystal。　Startlingly；　a　tree　stood　in　the　huge　square；　a　good　hundred　feet　tall　and　spreading　its　thick；　leafy　limbs　over　a　hide　of　dusty　white　paving　stones；　near　what　appeared　to　be　concentric　rings　of　clear；　glittering　glass　columns；　thin　as　needles　pared　to　their　height；　nearly　as　much　as　the　tree's。　He　would　have　wondered　how　a　tree　could　grow　here；　without　sunlight；　if　he　had　not　been　too　busy　staring　at　the　astounding　jumble　filling　the　rest　of　the　square。
　　　　　　　A　clear　lane　led　from　each　street　Mat　could　see；　straight　to　the　columned　rings；　but　in　the　spaces　between；　statues　stood　haphazardly；　life…sized　down　to　half　that；　in　stone　or　crystal　or　metal；　set　right　down　on　the　pavement。　All　among　them　were。。。　He　did　not　know　what　to　call　them；　at　first。　A　flat　silvery　ring；　ten　feet　across　and　thin　as　a　blade。　A　tapering　crystal　plinth　a　pace　tall　that　might　have　held　one　of　the　smaller　statues。　A　shiny　black　metal　spire；　narrow　as　a　spear　and　no　longer；　yet　standing　on　end　as　if　rooted。　Hundreds　of　things；　maybe　thousands；　in　every　shape　imaginable；　every　material　imaginable；　dotting　the　huge　plaza　with　no　more　than　a　dozen　feet　between　any　two。
　　　　　　　It　was　the　black　metal　spear；　so　unnaturally　erect；　that　suddenly　told　him　what　they　must　be。　Ter'angreal。　Some　sort　of　things　to　do　with　the　Power；　anyway。　Some　of　them　had　to　be。　That　twisted　stone　doorway　in　the　Stone's　Great　Holding　had　resisted　falling　over；　too。
　　　　　　　He　was　ready　to　turn　around　and　go　back　right　then；　but　Rand　continued　on；　barely　looking　at　what　lined　his　way。　Once　Rand　paused；　staring　down　at　two　figurines　that　hardly　seemed　to　deserve　a　place　with　the　other　things。　Two　statuettes　maybe　a　foot　tall；　a　man　and　a　woman；　each　holding　a　crystal　sphere　aloft　in　one　hand。　He　half　bent　as　if　to　touch　them；　but　straightened　so　quickly　it　could　almost　have　been　Mat's　imagination。
　　　　　　　After　a　minute；　Mat　followed；　hurrying　to