rj.acrownofswords-第193部分

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　　　〃No　wives；〃　Bashere　said；　knuckling　his　heavy　gray…streaked　mustaches。　〃I　will　pass　the　order。〃　Turning　to　Deira；　he　held　out　his　hand。　〃Wife；〃　he　said　mildly。　Rand　winced；　mild　tone　or　no；　and　waited　for　the　eruption。
　　　Deira's　mouth　thinned。　She　scowled　down　at　her　husband；　a　hawk　ready　to　stoop　on　a　mouse。　Not　that　Bashere　looked　anything　like　a　mouse；　of　course；　just　a　much　smaller　hawk。　She　drew　a　deep　breath；　Deira　could　make　drawing　a　deep　breath　seem　a　thing　that　should　cause　the　earth　to　tremble。　And　unhooking　her　sheathed　dagger　from　her　belt；　she　laid　it　in　her　husband's　hand。　〃We　will　talk　of　this　later；　Davram；〃　she　said。　〃At　length。〃
　　　One　day　when　he　had　time；　Rand　decided；　he　was　going　to　make　Bashere　explain　how　he　did　that。　If　there　ever　was　time。
　　　〃At　length；〃　Bashere　agreed；　grinning　through　his　mustaches　as　he　stuffed　the　dagger　behind　his　own　belt。　Maybe　the　man　was　simply　suicidal。
　　　The　rope　had　been　taken　down　outside；　and　Rand　stood　waiting　with　Dashiva　and　the　other　Asha'man　while　nine　thousand　Saldaean　light　horse　arrayed　themselves　behind　Bashere　in　a　column　of　threes。　Somewhere　behind　them；　fifteen　thousand　men　who　called　themselves　the　Legion　of　the　Dragon　would　be　gathering　afoot。　Rand　had　glimpsed　them；　every　one　in　a　blue　coat　made　to　button　up　the　side　so　the　red…and…gold　Dragon　across　the　chest　would　not　be　broken。　Most　carried　steel…armed　crossbows；　some　bore　heavy　unwieldy　shields　instead；　but　not　one　carried　a　pike。　Whatever　odd　notion　Mat　and　Bashere　had　cooked　up；　Rand　hoped　it　would　not　lead　a　lot　of　this　legion　to　death。
　　　Morr　grinned　eagerly　while　he　waited；　all　but　bouncing　on　his　toes。　Perhaps　he　was　simply　glad　to　be　back　in　his　black　coat　with　the　silver　sword　on　his　collar；　yet　Adley　and　Narishma　wore　almost　identical　grins；　and　for　that　matter；　Flinn's　was　not　far　off。　They　knew　where　they　were　going　now；　and　what　to　do　there。　Dashiva　scowled　at　nothing　as　usual；　his　lips　moving　silently。　As　usual。　Also　silent；　scowling；　were　the　Saldaean　women　gathered　behind　Deira；　watching　from　one　side。　Eagles　and　falcons；　feathers　ruffled　and　furious。　Rand　did　not　care　how　they　grimaced　and　frowned；　if　he　could　face　Nandera　and　the　rest　of　the　Maidens　after　keeping　them　back　from　this；　then　the　Saldaean　men　could　put　up　with　any　number　of　lengthy　discussions。　Today；　the　Light　willing；　no　women　would　die　because　of　him。
　　　So　many　men　could　not　be　lined　up　in　a　minute；　even　when　they　had　been　awaiting　the　order；　but　in　a　remarkably　short　time；　Bashere　raised　his　sword　and　called；　〃My　Lord　Dragon！〃
　　　A　shout　rippled　down　the　great　column　behind　him。　〃The　Lord　Dragon！〃
　　　Seizing　the　Source；　Rand　made　a　gateway　between　the　posts；　four　paces　by　four；　and　ran　through　as　he　tied　off　the　weave；　filled　with　saidin　and　the　Asha'man　on　his　heels；　into　a　great　open　square　surrounded　by　huge　white　columns；　each　topped　with　a　marble　wreath　of　olive　branches。　At　the　two　ends　of　the　square　stood　nearly　identical　purple…roofed　palaces　of　columned　walks　and　high　balconies　and　slender　spires。　Those　were　the　King's　Palace　and　the　slightly　smaller　Great　Hall　of　the　Council；　and　this　was　the　Square　of　Tammuz；　in　the　heart　of　Illian。
　　　A　skinny　man　in　a　blue　coat；　with　a　beard　that　left　his　upper　lip　bare；　stood　gaping　at　the　sight　of　Rand　and　the　black　coated　Asha'man　leaping　out　of　a　hole　in　midair；　and　a　stout　woman；　in　a　green　dress　cut　high　enough　to　show　green　slippers　and　her　ankles　in　green　stockings；　pressed　both　hands　to　her　face　and　stood　rooted　right　in　front　of　them；　her　dark　eyes　popping。　All　the　people　were　stopping　to　stare；　hawkers　with　their　trays；　carters　halting　their　oxen；　men　and　women　and　children　with　their　mouths　hanging　open。
　　　Rand　thrust　his　hands　high　and　channeled。　〃I　am　the　Dragon　Reborn！〃　The　words　boomed　across　the　square；　amplified　by　Air　and　Fire；　and　flames　shot　up　from　his　hands　a　hundred　feet。　Behind　him；　the　Asha'man　filled　the　sky　with　balls　of　fire　streaking　in　every　direction。　All　save　Dashiva；　who　made　blue　lightnings　crackle　in　a　jagged　web　above　the　square。
　　　No　more　was　needed。　A　shrieking　flood　of　humanity　fled　in　all　directions；　away　from　the　Square　of　Tammuz。　They　fled　just　in　time。　Rand　and　the　Asha'man　darted　aside　from　the　gateway；　and　Davram　Bashere　led　his　wildly　screaming　Saldaeans　into　Illian；　a　flood　of　horsemen　waving　their　swords　as　they　poured　out。　Straight　ahead　Bashere　led　the　center　line　of　the　column；　just　as　they　had　planned　what　seemed　so　long　ago；　while　the　other　two　lines　peeled　off　to　either　side。　They　streamed　away　from　the　gateway；　breaking　apart　into　smaller　groups；　galloping　into　the　streets　leading　out　of　the　square。
　　　Rand　did　not　wait　to　see　the　last　of　the　horsemen　exit。　With　well　under　a　third　out　of　the　gateway；　he　immediately　wove　another；　smaller　opening。　You　did　not　need　to　know　a　place　at　all　to　Travel　if　you　only　intended　to　go　a　very　short　distance。　Around　him　he　felt　Dashiva　and　the　rest　weaving　their　gateways；　but　he　was　already　stepping　through　his　own；　letting　it　close　behind　him　atop　one　of　the　slender　towers　of　the　King's　Palace。　Absently　he　wondered　whether　Mattin　Stepaneos　den　Balgar；　the　King　of　Illian；　was　somewhere　below　him　at　that　moment。
　　　The　top　of　the　spire　stretched　no　more　than　five　paces　across；　surrounded　by　a　wall　of　red　stone　not　quite　chest…high　on　him。　At　fifty　paces；　it　was　the　highest　point　in　all　of　the　city。　From　there　he　could　see　across　rooftops　glittering　beneath　the　afternoon　sun；　red　and　green　and　every　color；　to　the　long　earthen　causeways　that　cut　through　the　vast　tall…grass　marsh　surrounding　city　and　harbor。　A　sharp　tang　of　salt　hung　in　the　air。　Illian　had　no　need　of　walls；　with　that　all…enveloping　marsh　to　stop　an　attacker。　Any　attacker　who　could　not　make　holes　in　the　air。　But　then；　walls　would　have　done　no　good　either。
　　　It　was　a　pretty　city；　the　buildings　mainly　of　pale　dressed　stone；　a　city　crisscrossed　by　as　many　canals　as　streets；　like　traceries　of　blue…green　from　this　height；　but　he　did　not　stop　to　admire　it。　Low　across　the　roofs　of　taverns　and　shops　and　spired　palaces　he　directed　flows　of　Air　and　Water；　Fire　and　Earth　and　Spirit；　turning　as　he　did　so。　He　did　not　try　to　weave　the　flows；　simply　swept　them　out　over　the　city　and　a　good　mile　out　over　the　marsh。　From　five　other　towers　came　flows　sweeping　low；　and　where　they　touched　one　another　uncontrolled；　light　flashed　and　sparks　flared　and　clouds　of　colored　steam　burst；　a　display　any　Illuminator　might　have　envied。　A　better　way　to　frighten　people　under　their　beds　and　out　of　the　way　of　Bashere's　soldiers；　he　could　not　imagine；　though　that　was　not　the　reason　for　it。
　　　Long　ago　he　had　decided　that　Sammael　must　have　wards　woven　throughout　the　city；　set　to　give　an　alarm　should　anyone　channel　saidin。　Wards　inverted　so　no　one　except　Sammael　himself　could　find　them；　wards　that　would　tell　Sammael　exactly　where　that　man　was　channeling　so　he　could　be　destroyed　on　the　instant。　With　luck；　every　one　of　those　wards　was　being　triggered　now。　Lews　Therin　had　been　sure　Sammael　would　sense　them　wherever　he　was；　even　at　a　distance。　That　was　why　the　wardings　should　be　useless　now；　that　sort　had　to　be　remade　once　triggered。　Sammael　would　e。　Never　in　his　life　had　he　relinquished　anything　he　considered　his；　however　shaky　his　claim；　not　without　a　fight。　All　that　from　Lews　Therin。　If　he　was　real。　He　had　to　be。　Those　memories　had　too　much　detail。　But　could　not　a　madman　dream　his　fancies　in　detail；　too？
　　　Lews　Therin！　he　called　silently。　The　wind　blowing　across　Illian　answered。
　　　Below；　the　Square　of　Tammuz　stood　deserted　and　silent；　empty　except　for　a　few　abandoned　carts。　Edge…on；　the　gateway　was　invisible　except　for　the　weaves。
　　　Reaching　down　to　those　weaves；　Rand　untied　the　knot　and；　as　the　gateway　winked　from　existence；　reluctantly　released　saidin。　All　the　flows　vanished　from　the　sky。　Maybe　some　of　the　Asha'man　still　held　on　to　the　Source；　but　he　had　told　them　not　to。　He　had　told　them　that　any　man　he　felt　channeling　in　Illian　once　he　himself　stopped；　he　intended　to　kill　without　warning。　He　did　not　want　to　find　out　afterward　that　the　channeler　had　been　one　of　them。　He　leaned　o