rj.eyeoftheworld-第155节

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　　　　　　　He　looked　back　the　way　the　Ogier　pointed；　thinking　to　see　the　same　dull　shimmer。　Instead　he　could　see　into　the　cellar；　as　if　through　a　large　piece　of　smoked　glass　set　in　the　blackness。　Disturbingly　the　darkness　around　the　window　into　the　cellar　gave　a　sense　of　depth；　as　though　the　opening　stood　alone　with　nothing　around　or　behind　it　but　the　dark。　He　said　as　much　with　a　shaky　laugh；　but　Loial　took　him　seriously。
　　　　　　　〃You　could　walk　all　the　way　around　it；　and　you　would　not　see　a　thing　from　the　other　side。　I　would　not　advise　it；　though。　The　books　aren't　very　clear　about　what　lies　behind　the　Waygates。　I　think　you　could　bee　lost　there；　and　never　find　your　way　out。〃
　　　　　　　Rand　shook　his　head　and　tried　to　concentrate　on　the　Waygate　itself　rather　than　what　lay　behind　it；　but　that　was　just　as　disturbing　in　its　own　fashion。　If　there　had　been　anything　to　look　at　in　the　darkness　besides　the　Waygate；　he　would　have　looked　at　it。　In　the　cellar；　through　the　smoky　dimness；　Moiraine　and　the　others　were　plain　enough；　but　they　moved　as　if　in　a　dream。　Every　blink　of　an　eye　seemed　a　deliberate；　exaggerated　gesture。　Mat　was　making　his　way　to　the　Waygate　as　though　walking　through　clear　jelly；　his　legs　seeming　to　swim　forward。
　　　　　　　〃The　Wheel　turns　faster　in　the　Ways；〃　Loial　explained。　He　looked　at　the　darkness　surrounding　them；　and　his　head　sunk　in　between　his　shoulders。　〃None　alive　know　more　than　fragments。　I　fear　what　I　don't　know　about　the　Ways；　Rand。　〃
　　　　　　　〃The　Dark　One；〃　Lan　said；　〃cannot　be　defeated　without　chancing　risks。　But　we　are　alive　at　this　moment；　and　before　us　is　the　hope　of　remaining　alive。　Do　not　surrender　before　you　are　beaten；　Ogier。〃
　　　　　　　〃You　would　not　speak　so　confidently　if　you　had　ever　been　in　the　Ways。〃　The　normal　distant　thunder　of　Loial's　voice　was　muted。　He　stared　at　the　blackness　as　if　he　saw　things　there。　〃I　never　have　before；　either；　but　I've　seen　Ogier　who　have　been　through　a　Waygate　and　e　out　again。　You　would　not　speak　so　if　you　had。〃
　　　　　　　Mat　stepped　through　the　gate　and　regained　normal　speed。　For　an　instant　he　stared　at　the　seemingly　endless　darkness；　then　came　running　to　join　them；　his　lantern　bobbing　on　its　pole；　his　horse　leaping　behind　him；　almost　sending　him　sprawling。　One　by　one　the　others　passed　through；　Perrin　and　Egwene　and　Nynaeve；　each　pausing　in　shocked　silence　before　hurrying　to　join　the　rest。　Each　lantern　enlarged　the　pool　of　light；　but　not　as　much　as　it　should　have。　It　was　as　if　the　dark　became　denser　the　more　light　there　was；　thickening　as　it　fought　against　being　diminished。
　　　　　　　That　was　not　a　line　of　reasoning　Rand　wanted　to　follow。　It　was　bad　enough　just　being　there　without　giving　the　darkness　a　will　of　its　own。　Everyone　seemed　to　feel　the　oppressiveness；　though。　There　were　no　wry　ments　from　Mat　here；　and　Egwene　looked　as　if　she　wished　she　could　rethink　her　decision　to　e。　They　all　silently　watched　the　Waygate；　that　last　window　into　the　world　they　knew。
　　　　　　　Finally　only　Moiraine　was　left　in　the　cellar；　dimly　lit　by　the　lantern　she　had　taken。　The　Aes　Sedai　still　moved　in　that　dreamlike　way。　Her　hand　crept　as　it　found　the　leaf　of　Avendesora。　It　was　located　lower　in　the　stonework　on　this　side；　Rand　saw；　just　where　she　had　placed　it　on　the　other。　Plucking　it　free；　she　put　it　back　in　the　original　position。　He　wondered　suddenly　if　the　leaf　on　the　other　side　had　moved　back；　too。
　　　　　　　The　Aes　Sedai　came　through；　leading　Aldieb；　as　the　stone　gates　slowly；　slowly　began　closing　behind　her。　She　came　to　join　them；　the　light　of　her　lantern　leaving　the　gates　before　they　were　shut。　Blackness　swallowed　the　narrowing　view　of　the　cellar。　In　the　constrained　light　of　their　lanterns；　blackness　surrounded　them　totally。
　　　　　　　Suddenly　it　seemed　as　if　the　lanterns　were　the　only　light　left　in　the　world。　Rand　realized　that　he　was　jammed　shoulder…to…shoulder　in　between　Perrin　and　Egwene。　Egwene　gave　him　a　wide…eyed　look　and　pressed　closer；　and　Perrin　made　no　move　to　give　him　room。　There　was　something　forting　about　touching　another　human　being　when　the　whole　world　had　just　been　swallowed　up　by　dark。　Even　the　horses　seemed　to　feel　the　Ways　pushing　them　into　a　tighter　and　tighter　knot。
　　　　　　　Outwardly　unconcerned；　Moiraine　and　Lan　swung　into　their　saddles；　and　the　Aes　Sedai　leaned　forward；　arms　resting　on　her　carved　staff　across　the　high　pommel　of　her　saddle。　〃We　must　be　on　our　way；　Loial。〃
　　　　　　　Loial　gave　a　start；　and　nodded　vigorously。　〃Yes。　Yes；　Aes　Sedai；　you　are　right。　Not　a　minute　longer　than　need　be。〃　He　pointed　to　a　broad　strip　of　white　running　under　their　feet；　and　Rand　stepped　away　from　it　hastily。　All　the　Two　Rivers　folk　did。　Rand　thought　the　floor　had　been　smooth　once；　but　the　smoothness　was　pitted　now；　as　if　the　stone　had　the　pox。　The　white　line　was　broken　in　several　places。　〃This　leads　from　the　Waygate　to　the　first　Guiding。　From　there　。。。　〃　Loial　looked　around　anxiously；　then　scrambled　onto　his　horse　with　none　of　the　reluctance　he　had　shown　earlier。　The　horse　wore　the　biggest　saddle　the　head　groom　had　been　able　to　find；　but　Loial　filled　it　from　pommel　to　cantle。　His　feet　hung　down　on　either　side　almost　to　the　animal's　knees。　〃Not　a　minute　longer　than　need　be；〃　he　muttered。　Reluctantly　the　others　mounted。
　　　　　　　Moiraine　and　Lan　rode　on　either　side　of　the　Ogier；　following　the　white　line　through　the　dark。　Everyone　else　crowded　in　behind　as　close　as　they　could　get；　the　lanterns　bobbing　over　their　heads。　The　lanterns　should　have　given　enough　light　to　fill　a　house；　but　ten　feet　away　from　them　it　stopped。　The　blackness　stopped　it　as　if　it　had　struck　a　wall。　The　creak　of　saddles　and　click　of　horseshoes　on　stone　seemed　to　travel　only　to　the　edge　of　light。
　　　　　　　Rand's　hand　kept　drifting　to　his　sword。　It　was　not　that　he　thought　there　was　anything　out　there　against　which　he　could　use　the　sword　to　defend　himself；　it　did　not　seem　as　if　there　was　anywhere　for　something　to　be。　The　bubble　of　light　around　them　could　as　well　have　been　a　cave　surrounded　by　stone；　pletely　surrounded；　with　no　way　out。　The　horses　might　have　been　walking　a　treadmill　for　the　change　around　them。　He　gripped　the　hilt　as　if　the　pressure　of　his　hand　there　could　press　away　the　stone　he　felt　weighing　down　on　him。　Touching　the　sword；　he　could　remember　Tam's　teaching。　For　a　little　while　he　could　find　the　calm　of　the　void。　But　the　weight　always　returned；　pressing　the　void　until　it　was　only　a　cavern　inside　his　mind；　and　he　had　to　start　over　again；　touching　Tam's　sword　to　remember。
　　　　　　　It　was　a　relief　when　something　did　change；　even　if　it　was　only　a　tall　slab　of　stone；　standing　on　end；　that　appeared　out　of　the　dark　before　them；　the　broad　white　line　stopping　at　its　base。　Sinuous　curves　of　metal　inlaid　the　wide　surface；　graceful　lines　that　vaguely　reminded　Rand　of　vines　and　leaves。　Discolored　pocks　marked　stone　and　metal　alike。
　　　　　　　〃The　Guiding；〃　Loial　said；　and　leaned　out　of　his　saddle　to　frown　at　the　cursive　metal　inlays。
　　　　　　　〃Ogier　script；〃　Moiraine　said；　〃but　so　broken　I　can　barely　make　out　what　it　says。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　hardly　can；　either；〃　Loial　said；　〃but　enough　to　know　we　go　this　way。〃　He　turned　his　horse　aside　from　the　Guiding。
　　　　　　　The　edges　of　their　light　caught　other　stoneworks；　what　appeared　to　be　stone…walled　bridges　arcing　off　into　the　darkness；　and　gently　sloping　ramps；　without　railings　of　any　kind；　leading　up　and　down。　Between　the　bridges　and　the　ramps　ran　a　chest…high　balustrade；　however；　as　though　falling　was　a　danger　there　at　any　rate。　Plain　white　stone　made　the　balustrade；　in　simple　curves　and　rounds　fitted　together　in　plex　patterns。　Something　about　all　of　it　seemed　almost　familiar　to　Rand；　but　he　knew　it　had　to　be　his　imagination　groping　for　anything　familiar　where　everything　was　strange。
　　　　　　　At　the　foot　of　one　of　the　bridges　Loial　paused　to　read　the　single　line　on　the　narrow　column　stone　there。　Nodding；　he　rode　up　onto　the　bridge。　〃This　is　the　first　bridge　of　our　path；〃　he　said　over　his　shoulder。
　　　　　　　Rand　wondered　what　held　the　bridge　up。　The　horses'　hooves　made　a　gritty　sound；　as　if　bits　of　stone　flaked　off　at　every　step。　Everything　he　could　see　was　covered　with　shallow　holes；　some　tiny　pinpricks；　others　shallow；　rough…edged　craters　a　stride　across；　as　if　there　had　been　a　rain　of　acid；　or　the　stone　was　rotting。　The　guardwall　showed　cracks　and　holes；　too。　In　places　it　was　gone　altogether　for　as　much　as　a　span。　For　all　he　knew　the　bridge　could　be　solid　stone　all　the　way　to　the　center　of　the　earth；　but　what　he　saw　made　him　hope　it　would　stand　long　enough　for　them　to　reach　the　other　end。　Wherever　that　is。
　　　　　　　The　bridge　did　end；　eventually；　in　a　place　that　looked　no　different　from　its　beginning。　All　Rand　could　see　was　what　their　little　pool　of　light　touched；　but　he　had　the　impression　that　it　was　a　large　space；　like　a　flat…topped　hill；　with　bridges　and　ramps　leaving　all　around　it。　An　Island；　Loial　called　it。　There　was　another　script…covered　Guiding　…　Rand　placed　it　in　the　middle　of　the　Island；　with　no　way　of　knowing　if　he　was　right　or　not。　Loial　read；　then　took　them　up　one　of　the　ramps；　curving　up　and　up。
　　　　　　　After　an　interminable　climb；　curving　continuously；　the　ramp　let　off　onto　another　Island　just　like　the　one　where　it　had　begun。　Rand　tried　to　imagine　the　curve　of　the　ramp　and　gave　up。　T