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！
Twice more the bell tolled； or the palace did。 Everything shook as in an earthquake； the walls rang with deafening reverberations； each louder than the last。 Mat's captors stumbled on； nearly falling but never stopping their pell…mell race。 He did not even see where they were taking him until they suddenly stopped short； heaving him into the air。 Then he saw the twisted doorway； the ter'angreal； as he flew toward it。
White light blinded him； the roar filled his head till it drove thought away。
He fell heavily onto a dusty floor in dim light and rolled up against the barrel holding his lamp in the Great Hold。 The barrel rocked； packets and figurines toppling to the floor in a crash of breaking stone and ivory and porcelain。 Bounding to his feet； he threw himself back at the stone doorframe。 〃Burn you； you can't throw me …！〃
He hurtled through … and stumbled against the crates and barrels on the other side。 Without a pause； he turned and leaped at it again。 With the same result。 This time he caught himself on the barrel holding his lamp； which nearly fell onto the already shattered things littering the floor under his boots。 He grabbed it in time； burning his hand； and fumbled it back to a steadier perch。
Burn me if I want to be down here in the dark； he thought； sucking his ringers。 Light； the way my luck is running； it probably would have started a fire and I'd have burned to death！
He glared at the ter'angreal。 Why was it not working？ Maybe the folk on the other side had shut it off somehow。 He understood practically nothing of what had happened。 That bell； and their panic。 You would have thought they were afraid the roof would e down on their heads。 e to think of it； it very nearly had。 And Rhuidean； and all the rest of it。 The Waste was bad enough； but they said he was fated to marry somebody called the Daughter of the Nine Moons。 Marry！ And to a noblewoman； by the sound of it。 He would sooner marry a pig than a noblewoman。 And that business about dying and living again。 Nice of them to add the last bit！ If some black…veiled Aielman killed him on the way to Rhuidean； he would find out how true it was。 It was all nonsense； and he did not believe a word of it。 Only。。。 The bloody doorway had taken him somewhere； and they had only wanted to answer three questions； just the way Egwene had said。
〃I won't marry any bloody noblewoman！〃 he told the ter'angreal。 〃I'll marry when I'm too old to have any fun； that's what！ Rhuidean my bloody …！〃
A boot appeared； backing out of the twisted stone doorway； followed by the rest of Rand； with that fiery sword in his hands。 The blade vanished as he stepped clear； and he heaved a sigh of relief。 Even in the dim light； Mat could see he was troubled； though。 He gave a start when he saw Mat。 〃Just poking around； Mat？ Or did you go through； too？〃
Mat eyed him warily for a moment。 At least that sword was gone。 He did not seem to be channeling … though how was anybody to tell？ … and he did not look particularly like a madman。 In fact； he looked very much as Mat remembered。 He had to remind himself they were not back home any longer； and Rand was not what he remembered。 〃Oh； I went through； all right。 A bunch of bloody liars； if you ask me！ What are they？ Made me think of snakes。〃
〃Not liars； I think。〃 Rand sounded as if he wished they were。 〃No； not that。 They were afraid of me； right from the first。 And when that tolling started。。。 The sword kept them back； they wouldn't even look at it。 Shied away。 Hid their eyes。 Did you get your answers？〃
〃Nothing that makes sense；〃 Mat muttered。 〃What about you？〃
Suddenly Moiraine appeared from the ter'angreal； seeming to step gracefully out of thin air； flowing out。 She would be a fine one to dance with if she were not Aes Sedai。 Her mouth tightened at the sight of them。
〃You！ You were both in there。 That is why。。。 ！〃 She made a vexed hiss。 〃One of you would have been bad enough； but two ta'veren at once … you might have torn the connection entirely and been trapped there。 Wretched boys playing with things you do not know the danger of。 Perrin！ Is Perrin in there； too？ Did he share your。。。 exploit？〃
〃The last I saw of Perrin；〃 Mat said； 〃he was getting ready to go bed。〃 Maybe Perrin would give him the lie by being the next to step out of the thing； but he might as well deflect the Aes Sedai's anger if he could。 No need for Perrin to face it； too。 Maybe he'll make it clear of her； at least； if he gets away before she knows what he's doing。 Bloody woman！ I'll wager she was noble born。
That Moraine was angry there was no doubt。 The blood had drained out of her cheeks； and her eyes were dark augers boring into Rand。 〃At least you escaped with your lives。 Who told you of this？ Which one of them？ I will make her wish I had peeled off her hide like a glove。〃
〃A book told me；〃 Rand said calmly。 He sat down back on the edge of a crate that creaked alarmingly under his weight and crossed his arms。 All very cool； Mat wished he could emulate it。 〃A pair of books； in fact。 Treasures of the Stone and Dealings with the Territory of Mayene。 Surprising what you can dig out of books if you read long enough； isn't it？〃
〃And you？〃 She shifted that drilling gaze to Mat。 〃Did you read it in a book； too？ You？〃
〃I do read sometimes；〃 he said dryly。 He would not have been averse to a little hide…peeling for Egwene and Nynaeve after what they had done to make him tell where he had hidden the Amyrlin's letter … tying him up with the Power was bad enough； but the rest！ … yet it was more fun to tweak Moiraine's nose。
〃Treasures。 Dealings。 Lots of things in books。〃 Luckily； she did not insist that he repeat the titles； he had not paid attention once Rand brought up books。
Instead she swung back to Rand。 〃And your answers？〃
〃Are mine；〃 Rand replied； then frowned。 〃It wasn't easy； though。 They brought a。。。 woman。。。 to interpret； but she talked like an old book。 I could hardly understand some of the words。 I never considered they might speak another language。〃
〃The Old Tongue；〃 Moiraine told him。 〃They use the Old Tongue… a rather harsh dialect of it … for their dealings with men。 And you； Mat？ Was your interpreter easily understood？〃
He had to work moisture back into his mouth。 〃The Old Tongue？ Is that what it was？ They didn't give me one。 In fact； I never got to ask any questions。 That bell started shaking the walls down； and they hustled me out like I was tracking cow manure on the rugs。〃 She was still staring； her eyes still digging into his head。 She knew about the Old Tongue slipping out of him； sometimes。 〃I。。。 almost understood a word here and there； but not to know it。 You and Rand got answers。 What do they get out of it？ The snakes with legs。 We aren't going upstairs to find ten years gone； are we； like Bili in the story？〃
〃Sensations；〃 Moiraine replied with a grimace。 〃Sensations； emotions； experiences。 They rummage through them； you can feel them doing it； making your skin crawl。 Perhaps they feed on them in some manner。 The Aes Sedai who studied this ter'angreal when it was in Mayene wrote of a