Chapter 57 Chapter Fifty-One A Message Arrives at Cairhien

A thin puff of blue smoke rose from the plain stub between the teeth, and Rand rested a hand on the stone terrace railing, looking down at the garden.The black shadows were gradually stretching, and the sun was a red ball, setting slowly from the cloudless sky.He had been in Cairhien for ten days, and this seemed to be the first time he could stand still.Seranti was standing next to him, looking up at him instead of the garden with her fair face up.Her hair is not as intricate as the high-ranking female nobleman's, but it also adds half a foot to her height.Rand tried not to look at her, but it was not easy to ignore a woman who had been squeezing her breasts against his arms.This meeting has been going on for a long time, and Rand originally wanted to take a break, but he knew he was wrong when Seranti followed him out.

"I know a secluded pool," she whispered, "where it may not be so hot, a secluded pool where no one will bother us." Asmodean's harps sang in the square vaulted hall behind them It was a light and refreshing music. Rand exhaled a puff of smoke forcefully.The weather is very hot, although it cannot be compared with the desert, but... Autumn should have come, but at this twilight, the heat is blowing like a midsummer.A rainless summer.Men wearing only shirts are watering the flowers and plants with buckets in the garden. They deliberately avoid watering at noon to avoid excessive evaporation of water, but there is still too much yellowing and withering in the garden.This couldn't be a natural climate, the scorching sun seemed to be mocking him.Moiraine and Asmodean agreed with him, but like him, there was nothing they could do about it.Sammael.At least he could do something about Sammael now.

"Cool water," Selanti murmured, "just you and me." She hugged Rand even tighter, although Rand felt he couldn't get any tighter. Rand wondered when Sammael's next taunt would come.No matter what the Forsaken is going to do, he can't be in a hurry, as long as his deployment in Tyr is completed, it's time for him to release the lightning.He was going to finish Sammael with a decisive blow and take Illian into his pocket.With Illian, Tyr, and Cairhien, plus an army of Aiel strong enough to take over any country in a matter of weeks, he... "Don't you like swimming? I can't swim very well myself, but you can certainly teach me."

Rand sighed, wishing suddenly that Aviendha was by his side.No, the last thing he wants to happen now is for Seranti to run away screaming with a bruised face and half of her clothes torn off. Rand looked down at Seranti, still biting his pipe, and said calmly, "I can channel." Seranti blinked without moving a muscle, but the distance between them seemed to be a little farther.These people don't understand why Rand always brings up this matter. For them, this should be something that they try their best to cover up and ignore. "They say I'm going to be crazy, but I'm not crazy, not yet." He let out a laugh from his chest, then cut it off suddenly, and scowled: "Teach you to swim? I can use the supreme The Force is holding you up in the water. You know, the Said Force is tainted, it's been touched by the Dark Lord, but you don't feel it. It's all around you, but you don't feel anything." He Laughing again, accompanied by a low gasp, Seranti's black eyes widened, and her smile turned into a sickly grin. "Then, wait for later! I want to think alone..." Rand bent down, as if he wanted to kiss her, but Serendi screamed and curtseyed abruptly. Rand felt that the woman might be I can't hold my body anymore.

Seranti stepped back, took a step back and curtseyed, talking nonsense that she would serve him faithfully, and that her deepest wish was to be loyal to him.She became more hysterical as she talked, until at last she jumped into a square archway. Rand's face contorted for a moment, and he turned to look out of the terrace again.Scary women!If Rand asked or ordered her to leave, she would definitely find all kinds of excuses to delay, and besides... maybe this time, the rumors would spread.He had to control his temper, it was too easy to lose control recently.There was nothing he could do about the drought, and problems were growing like weeds.He stood for a while longer with his pipe in his mouth.Who wants to rule a country when they can do something as simple as carrying water through a sieve to the top of a mountain?

On the other side of the garden, between the two stepped towers of the palace, Rand had a panoramic view of Cairhien.The city is full of strictly straight ridges and angles, and the hills covered by the city have also been precisely cut, not just covered by one-story houses and streets.His scarlet banner bearing the ancient Aes Sedai crest hung limply from the top of one of the towers, while a replica of the long ribbon of the true dragon hung from the other.This true dragon flag was still hung in more than a dozen places in the city, including the tallest one on the top of a huge unfinished tower, which was directly in front of him.For this matter, his orders and reprimands were of no avail.Neither the Tyrians nor the Cairhien believed that he really wanted to hoist a true dragon banner, and the Aiel didn't care how it was hoisted.

Even now, in the depths of the palace, he could still hear the din of the city that was so crowded it was about to explode.Refugees come here from every corner of the country.Even if the reincarnated dragon is by their side, they are unwilling to go back to their hometown.Merchants haunted the refugees, selling everything they could buy and buying what they could no longer afford to keep.Here came nobles and men in arms, assembled under his banner, or that of others.The horn hunters believed that they would definitely find the holy horns by his side, and there were dozens or even hundreds of chiefs who wanted to sell the holy horns to those hunters.Ogier stonemasons from the settlement of Tsao Fu look for opportunities here to demonstrate their legendary skills.Adventurers (some of whom might have been bandits a week ago) come here to see if there is anything to be gained.There were even more than a hundred white robes in the city, but as soon as the siege was over, they immediately ran away on horseback.Did Petra Nan'ol have anything to do with calling the Whitecloaks?Egwene had given him some clues, but Egwene could only see things from the Tower's point of view, and the Aes Sedai's point of view was different from his.

At least the food wagons from Tire were somewhat regular. Hunger would trigger a series of riots. He only hoped that when he left these people, they would not be so hungry.There were fewer robbers than before, and the civil war had ceased, but he needed more good news.He had to make sure everything was in order here before he left to deal with Sammael, and for that, he had a hundred things to deal with.Now, among the chiefs of the clan whom Rudion had followed him and trusted by him, only Rurak and Beor remained in Cairhien.But if he couldn't trust the four tribes that later turned to him to go to Tyre, could he trust them to stay in Cairhien?The four chiefs recognized him as Kayaken, but they knew him no more than he knew them.The news that came this morning may be troublesome. Berelain, the lord of Maine, has arrived more than a hundred miles south of Cairhien. She is leading a small army to join his camp. He doesn't know how she Bring this army over Tyre.Oddly, Berelain had written to him asking if Perrin was with him.No doubt Berelain was afraid that Rand would forget her little country.It will probably be very interesting to see how she will intrigue with the Cairhien. Historically, the Lords of the Maine used noble games to prevent Tyr from swallowing Maine.Maybe, if he let Berelain run the place... he'll take Melange and wait for the Tyrians when the time comes, if that time comes.

Thinking about it couldn't be more pleasant than going indoors to get down to business.He tapped the remaining tobacco in the pipe lightly, and stomped out the sparks in the tobacco.If left unattended, this spark has the potential to set the entire garden on fire.Such drought, such unnatural weather!He realized that he gritted his teeth and wanted to finish what he could do first.It took some effort for him to regain his normal expression before entering the room. Asmodean was dressed luxuriously like an aristocrat, with a few layers of lace on his neckline. He was leaning against the dark wall in the corner, playing a soft and melodious melody with his harp, as if to pass the boring time.The others in the chairs jumped up when they saw Rand come in.Rand waved vigorously, and they immediately sat back in their chairs.Mellen, Thrun, and Arakorn occupied three gilded and carved chairs on one side of the deep red embroidered gilt carpet, with a young nobleman standing behind each, and the other side of the carpet was entirely Cairhien.There is also a young nobleman behind Dobran and Malinkin. The two young men are all like Dobran, with the hair on the top of their heads shaved and powdered.The pale Seranti stood behind Clavall's shoulder, and she shivered when Rand looked at her.

Rand adjusted the expression on his face as he strode toward his chair.Just his chair required him to control his expression well. This was a new gift from Kraval and the other two nobles.They had made the chair in the style of Tyre they imagined, thinking that Rand would love the splendor of Tyre, since he ruled Tyre and sent the Tyrians here.The four legs and the two armrests of the chair were carved in the shape of dragons, and each dragon had golden red scales inlaid with enamel and gold, and the golden eyes were carved out of huge sunstones.The high back of the chair is also completely carved in the shape of a dragon.In order to make this chair, there must be countless craftsmen who have been working day and night since entering the city. He feels like a fool sitting on it.The music played by Asmodean became solemn and grand, like a triumphal march.

But there was more alertness and caution in the eyes of those Cairhien looking at him, and so did the Tyrians.This had been the case before he went out.Perhaps they are only now gradually realizing that it was actually a mistake to flatter him like this.They all tried not to care what he was, pretending that he was just a young king who had conquered them, someone who could be tricked and controlled.But the chair in front of them—the throne—clearly proclaimed his identity. "Are the soldiers marching as planned, Lord Dobran?" As soon as Rand spoke, the sound of the harp disappeared immediately, and Asmodean seemed to be paying attention to the harp. The wrinkled nobleman showed a cold smile: "Yes, Lord Dragon." That's it, Rand didn't think that Dobran could have more affection for him than any other nobleman, and less Greed, but on the surface, Dobran did appear to be faithful to his oath.Fray marks were visible on the colored stripes on the chest of his tunic, from the breastplate he wore. Malinkin leaned forward in his chair, thin as a whip, but tall for a Cairhien.His white hair almost reached his shoulders, but the forehead was left unshaved.The colorful stripes on his tunic, which ran almost to his knees, showed no signs of fraying either. "We need those troops to stay here, Lord True Dragon." He blinked at the gold-plated throne, then immediately turned his gaze to Rand, "Now there are still many large-scale bandit groups in this country." He said He moved again so that he would not have to see the Tyrians.Mai Lang and the three of them all showed slight smiles. "I've sent the Aiel to kill the bandits," Rand said.The Aiel had indeed been ordered to mop up any bandits along the way, but he hadn't ordered them to leave the marching route in search of bandits, and even the Aiel couldn't have marched at such a high speed while doing so. "Three days ago I received a report that the rock dogs killed two hundred bandits near Morelle." That was almost the southernmost point of the border claimed by Cairhien in recent years, almost equivalent to the distance from Cairhien to Ayla. The place in the middle of the river.There was no need for these people to know that the Aiel should be close to the river by now, and the Aiel marched faster than cavalry over long distances. Ma Linkin frowned uncomfortably, but still insisted: "There is another reason, half of our land west of the Aoguanya River is in the hands of Ando." He hesitated.They all knew that Rand grew up in Andor, and there were rumors that he was a descendant of an Andor family, and even that he was the son of Morgase himself, who was discarded because he could channel, or was being The Aes Sedai absconded before capturing and taming him.The tall and thin old man looked trembling, as if he was blindfolded, his shoes were stripped off, and he was pushed onto the ground where many daggers were erected. "Morgs doesn't seem to have any intention of continuing the aggression, but the place she occupied must be taken back, and her emissary even declared that she deserved—" Malinkin stopped suddenly.No one knew what Rand was going to do with the Sun Throne, maybe he really wanted Morgasse. Clavall's black eyes brought Rand back to a stable state of mind. This woman hardly spoke today. She probably wouldn't speak until she knew why Seranti's face was so pale. Rand suddenly felt tired. He was tired of the stubbornness of the nobles, and the scheming and conspiracy of Darth Damar. "When I'm ready, the Andoran's demands on Cairhien will be dealt with. Those soldiers are going to Tyre. You should learn the spirit of obedience from Maharaja Melange. I don't want to hear any more arguments about this matter. He waved his hand to the Tyrian side. "You're a good example, aren't you, Myron? And you, Aracon. If I ride out of town tomorrow, I'm sure I won't find out what should have happened two days ago. The 1,000 Guardians of the Rock and the 2,000 guards of Tyre's nobles who have already set out for Tyre are stationed ten miles to the south, right?" The thin smiles on the Maharajas' faces faded with every word Rand uttered.Mai Lang's body was stiff, and his black eyes kept flickering.Arakon's narrow face turned pale, whether from anger or fear, Rand could not tell.Thrun kept pulling a silk handkerchief from his sleeve and wiping his face.Rand is the real ruler of Tyre, as evidenced by the Kailandor inserted in the center of the Heart of Stone Hall, so they did not object to Rand sending Cairhien soldiers into Tyre.Here they planned to claim new territory, and perhaps establish their kingdom there, far from Rand's dominion. "You won't see such a thing, Master Zhenlong," Mai Lang finally said, "Tomorrow I will accompany you to see it in person." Rand didn't doubt his answer.A cavalryman would be sent south at once, and tomorrow the soldiers would be on their way to Tyre, and the matter was settled for now. "Then I'm relieved, you can leave." Surprise flashed in a few pairs of eyes, but it was quickly masked, as if it were only Rand's imagination.The nobles stood up, bowing or curtseying to Rand.Seranti and the young nobles backed away, expecting more opportunities.The meeting with the reincarnated true dragon will always be a long and tortuous process, and the true dragon will always try his best to force them to submit, such as prohibiting the Tyrians from announcing their love for Cairhien without entering into the Cairhien family through marriage. Ownership of land; banning the expulsion of headmen; or making laws to be observed by nobles and commoners alike. Rand's eyes lingered on Seranti for a moment.In the past ten days, she was not the first, nor the tenth, or even the twentieth.He was indeed tempted, at least at first.He rejected slender women, and plump women immediately appeared beside him; tall ones were replaced by short ones; dark skinned ones were replaced by fair skinned ones.The Maidens chased away the women who tried to sneak into his bedroom at night, firmly, but more gently than Aviendha.Aviendha clearly regarded Elayne's ownership of him as a matter of life and death, and her Aiel humor allowed her to take great pleasure in tormenting Rand.That night, as Aviendha handled the woman she had grabbed and undressed for bed, he covered his face with a sigh and saw the contented expression on Aviendha's face.Rand might already be resenting Aviendha if he hadn't soon understood what lay behind this string of beauties. "Ms. Clavall." Hearing Lord Zhenlong call his name, Clavall immediately stopped in place, under the towering bun of black curly hair, a pair of eyes showed coldness and composure.Seranti had no choice but to stop with her, although Seranti obviously didn't like staying here, just as the others didn't want to leave.Mai Lang and Malin Jin were the last to bow and leave. They focused all their attention on Klaval, trying to figure out why she was stopped by Rand, so that they didn't realize that they were standing side by side.Their eyes are strikingly similar, with the cruelty and greed of a carnivorous beast hidden in the black pupils. The darkly paneled door closed. "Selanti is very pretty," Rand said, "but one would prefer a more mature...more intellectual...woman. I look forward to seeing you dine with me tonight after the second ringing of the evening bell." Have a good time." Before Clavall had a chance to speak, he had already waved her to back off.Clearly, Clavall hadn't thought about what to say, and the lady's expression didn't change, but her curtsy showed a hint of instability.Seranti's face was full of shock and a great sigh of relief. When the door was closed for the second time, Rand threw back his head and let out a laugh, a harsh, ironic laugh.He was tired of the noble game, so he played it without thinking.He hated himself for scaring one woman, only to end up scaring another.For these things, he should totally laugh.Clavall was the mastermind behind that string of beauties, finding a bedmate for Lord Dragon—a young girl she could control, so that Clavall could keep a string firmly on Rand, but It was another woman she wanted to put on the Dragon Reborn bed, or even marry the Dragon Reborn.Her sweat would probably soak her clothes before the evening bell struck the second.Clavall must have known that he was attractive, if not glamorous, and if Rand turned down all the young women she sent, it might be because he wanted a woman who was a teenager older than them.And Kraval knew very well that she didn't have the guts to refuse a man who held Cairhien in his hands. Tonight, she should know how to obey and stop that idiotic behavior.Aviendha would probably kill any woman who showed up in Rand's bed, and besides, he didn't have time for pigeons who thought they were sacrificing for Cairhien and Klavar and were easily frightened.There were too many problems to solve and he didn't have time. Light, what if Kraval decides the sacrifice is worth it?It's possible that Clavall could easily make himself cold-blooded enough.Then I'll just have to make her blood run cold with fear.This is not an easy task.He could feel theo, as if there was something just at the edge of his field of vision, and he could feel the pollution on it, and sometimes, he thought it was the pollution that existed within himself.Said has left dross in his body. He found himself glaring at Asmodean, who was also looking at him, expressionless.The music has resumed, like water gliding over rocks, giving a sense of relief.He needs reassurance, doesn't he? There was no knock, and the door opened, and there stood Moiraine, Egwene, and Aviendha, two young women in their Aiel outfits against the pale blue dresses of the Aes Sedai.Anyone else, not even Rurak, or another chieftain who remained near Cairhien, or any wise man, would have a Maiden of the Maiden come in first if they wanted to see him.And these three people, even when he was taking a shower, Maiden of Spears would let them in directly.Ai Wen glanced at Jassin, frowned, and the tune of the harp immediately lowered, and after a complex modulation that seemed to be a dance music, it weakened into a thin tone like a sigh.The man had a wry smile on his face, his eyes fixed on the harp in his hand. "I'm surprised to see you, Egwene," said Rand, lifting one leg over the arm of his chair. "You've been avoiding me for... six days? Have you brought more Good news? Did Mahema put Amador in my name? Or did those Aes Sedai you said would support me turn out to be just a bunch of Black sects? You noticed, I didn't ask who they were, Somewhere, I didn't even ask how you knew about them. I didn't ask you to reveal Aes Sedai's secrets, or Wise Men's secrets, or anyone else's secrets. What you will tell me, I will Listen to what, and if what you don't want to tell me will stab me in the night, I'll just worry about it myself." Aiwen looked at him calmly: "You will know what you need to know, and I won't tell you what you shouldn't know." She also said this sentence six days ago. Ray was the same Aes Sedai, though one wore an Aiel dress and the other a pale blue silk dress. Aviendha did not look calm at all, she and Aiwen stood side by side, her green eyes were shining, and her eyes were as hard as cast iron.He was surprised that Moiraine didn't join the two of them, who could stare at him together.Moiraine's oath of obedience actually left a lot to be desired, and the three of them had grown very close ever since he and Egwene quarreled.In fact, that wasn't even a quarrel, and any negotiation with a woman who had cold eyes, never raised her voice, and only gave him a refusal before listening to his questions could hardly be regarded as a quarrel. a quarrel. "What do you want?" he asked. "This was brought to you just now." Moiraine said, her voice in perfect harmony with Asmodean's accompaniment.She produced two letters that were still intact. Rand stood up and took the two letters suspiciously. "If it was for me, how could it be in your hands?" "Rand Arthur" was written in precise, angular handwriting on one letter, and "Rand Arthur" on the other in smooth but equally The precise handwriting reads "Lord Reincarnated True Dragon".The seals of both letters are intact.He looked again, and he blinked. It seemed that the two wax seals were made of the same red wax paint. One of the seals was the flame of Tar Valon, and the other was a map of a high tower stacked on an island. He recognized the island as Tar Valon. "Maybe it's where the letter was sent," Moiraine answered, "or it's the person who sent it." That wasn't an explanation, but that was all he could get if he didn't press on.He could only pry some information out of Moiraine's mouth bit by bit.Moiraine kept her vow, but in her own way. "There is no needle in wax, nor weaving of traps." He pressed his thumb to the Flame of Tar Valon, paused for a moment (he hadn't considered the danger at all), and broke it.Next to the signature was another red seal of Tar Valon's Flames - Elaida de Avelini Aloyhan, signed in rather scrawled handwriting, with Elaida's title underneath.The rest of the letter is neatly written. It is undeniable that you are the person in the prophecy, but there are many people who will do their best to destroy you because of this. For the sake of this world, these people must not be allowed to succeed.Two nations have bowed their knees before you, and the barbarians of Aiel have become your servants, but the power of the Throne is but dust compared to the One Power.The White Tower will protect you against those who refuse to accept their inevitable fate.The White Tower will guarantee you to survive the Doomsday War.No one can do this except the White Tower.A bodyguard of Aes Sedai will come to take you to Tar Valon, and they will give you the honor and respect you deserve, I assure you of that. "She didn't even ask what I meant," he said wryly.He still clearly remembered this Elaida whom he had only met once, a woman who was severe enough to make Moiraine look like a kitten.To his due "honor and respect"—he wagered that this escort of Aes Sedai happened to be thirteen. He handed Elaida's letter to Moiraine, and opened another envelope. The writing in the letter was the same as the writing on the envelope: He read it carefully again, blinked, and handed it to Moiraine.Moiraine glanced at it and handed it to Egwene.Egwene was now poking her head over to Aviendha, reading Elaida's letter with her.Perhaps Moiraine already knew what the letters contained? "It's a good thing you've taken your vows," he said, "and with the way you've been hiding everything, I might really doubt you now. It's good that you're more open than ever." Moiraine didn't In response, he asked, "What do you think about this?" "She must have heard of your arrogance," Egwene whispered.He didn't think Egwene wanted him to hear that.Egwene shook her head, and said in a louder voice, "That doesn't sound like Owaline's tone at all." "The handwriting is hers," said Moiraine. "What do you think, Rand?" "I think there is a crack inside the White Tower, but Elaida doesn't necessarily know it. I don't think Aes Sedai lie any more easily when they write than when they speak?" He didn't wait for Moiraine. Nodding, "If Ovalin's letter hadn't been written in such a fancy way, maybe I could still think that they wanted to work together to drag me into the White Tower. I can't imagine that Elaida would have any of the same thoughts as Ovalin's letter, and I wouldn't It is inconceivable that she would have arranged for a historian to write such a letter, if she had known." "You can't do something like that," Aviendha said.Elaida's letter was crumpled up by her, and there was no question in her tone. "I'm not a fool." "Sometimes you're not," Aviendha said reluctantly, and to make matters worse, she raised an eyebrow at Egwene questioningly.Egwene considered for a moment, then shrugged. "What else do you see?" Moiraine asked. "I saw spies from the White Tower," he said coldly, "and they know I control the city." For at least two or three days after that battle, Shaido Aiel still cut off all but the pigeons. any means of communication.Judging from the time of the letter's arrival, even a courier who knew where to change horses could not have traveled to and from Cairhien and the White Tower in such a short time. Moiraine smiled: "You learn quickly, and you will do well." For a moment, she even showed affection, "What are you going to do about it?" "Do nothing but make sure Elaida's 'escort' doesn't come within a mile of me." Even the thirteen weakest Aes Sedai would have overwhelmed him after the fusion Sexual advantage, and he didn't think Elaida would place her weakest men in this escort. "Be careful not to let the White Tower know what I have done soon. Until we get more news, this matter can only be shelved temporarily. Is Ovalin one of your mysterious friends, Egwene ?” Egwene hesitated.He suddenly wondered if Egwene had told Moiraine more than he had told him?Was it the Aes Sedai's secret she was hiding, or the Wise One's?Finally Egwene said, "I don't know." There was a knock on the door, and the fair-haired Somaila poked his head into the room, "Mat Cawthorne is here, Kayakon, he said you asked him to come." Four hours ago, as soon as Rand learned that Mat was back in the city, he sent someone to look for him.What's Matt's excuse for going out of town this time?It was time for him to put an end to Matt's dodging. "Wait a minute," he said to the women in front of him.The Wise Ones unsettled Mat almost as much as the Aes Sedai, and the presence of these three in front of them would unsettle Mat as well.He was using them without thinking, and he was using Mat the same way. "Let him in, Somaila." Mat walked into the room smiling as if it were just a tavern hall, his green coat unbuttoned, his shirt half-buttoned, the silver fox's head hanging on his sweaty chest.Although the weather was hot, the dark silk scarf used to hide the scar was still wrapped around his neck. "Sorry for the long delay, there are a few Cairhien who think they are good at playing cards. Can't he play some happy tunes?" he asked, turning his head sharply to Asmodean. "I heard," said Rand, "that now every young man who can pick up a sword wants to join the Red Hands, and that Tamani and Nalesin had to drive them away, that Daired had sent his infantry The number has doubled." Mat was about to sit in the chair prepared for Arakon just now, but he was stunned when he heard this: "It's true, there are many young... young people who want to be heroes." "The Red Hands," Murray murmured, "the old saying is called 'Shen'an Kahan', a legendary army of heroes, although in the war that lasted for more than three hundred years, its members must have had Countless replacements. Some say that after Manetheran was destroyed, they stood guard over Aymon himself, the last warriors to fall in the Trolloc onslaught. Legends sprang from where they fell A spring commemorates their sacrifice, but I prefer to think that the spring was already there." "I don't know that." Matt touched the fox head badge, and his voice regained strength. "Some fools know this name from somewhere, and they all use it." Moiraine glanced contemptuously at the fox head, and the sapphire hanging on her forehead flickered a few times, but its angle should not reflect the light. "You look brave, Mat." Moiraine said without any emotion, but the ensuing silence made Mat's face gradually stiffen. "Very brave," she said at last, "to lead the Shenan Kahan across the Oguanya and southwards against the Andor, even braver than this. Rumor has it that you scout the way alone, Tamani I ran with all my strength with Nalesin to catch up with you." Egwene snorted heavily as a foil to Moiraine. "But it's not wise for a young nobleman to lead an army." Matt's lips twisted: "I'm not an aristocrat, I have my self-esteem." "But it was brave indeed," Mouriel seemed not to have heard what Mat was saying. "Andor's supply convoy was burned, the outpost was destroyed, and three battles broke out. Three battles, three victories, although Your people are outnumbered, but you have nothing to lose." Moiraine stroked a tear in Mat's shoulder with his finger, and Mat retracted as far as possible into the chair. "Are you drawn to the wars, or did you cause them? I'm almost surprised to see you come back. Rumor has it that if you stay there, you'll drive the Andors back to Eri Go to the Ni River." "You think that's funny?" Mat said, almost growling. "If you have something to say, say it! You can play a cat all you want, but I'm not a mouse." He glanced at Egwene Glancing at Avienda, seeing the two women staring at him with folded arms, they touched the silver fox's head with their fingers.He must have reckoned in his heart that the silver fox head could prevent one woman from guiding him, but what if there were three? Rand just watched it all.Watching his friend retreat made it easier for Rand to play tricks on him.What choice do I have for myself?The thought flashed through his mind that he was going to do what he had to do. The Aes Sedai's voice was frosted, and Rand almost felt that she was echoing his thoughts. "We are all doing what we have to do, it's what we're meant to do. Some people are less free than others, it doesn't matter whether we choose or we're chosen, it's a matter of destiny , is bound to happen.” Mat wasn't softening at all, yes, he was alert, even angry, but still tough.他就像是一只被三条猎犬逼到角落里的公猫，很可能在下一个瞬间就会猛烈地反扑过来。除了他自己和这三个女人之外，他似乎已经忘记了这个房间里还有别人。 “你总是不得不将一个男人推到你计划中的某个位置上，对不对？如果他不愿意被你牵着鼻子走，就把他踢到那里去。血和该死的灰啊！不要瞪着我，艾雯，我爱怎么说话是我的事。烧了我吧！现在就差奈妮薇站在这里拉自己的辫子，还有伊兰的趾高气扬了。好吧，听到那个讯息的时候，我很高兴她不在这里，但即使奈妮薇在这里，我也不会任由——” “什么讯息？”兰德厉声问道，“什么讯息伊兰不能知道？” 麦特看了沐瑞一眼：“也就是说，有些事情你还没刺探出来？” “什么讯息，麦特？”兰德又问道。 “摩格丝死了。” 艾雯张大了嘴，将双手捂在嘴上。沐瑞悄声说着什么，仿佛是在祈祷。亚斯莫丁的手指依然流畅地拨弄着琴弦。 兰德觉得自己的肠胃几乎都被翻出来了。伊兰，原谅我。在他的心底响起了一个微弱的回音。伊琳娜，原谅我。 "you sure?" “我没见到尸体，但我可以确定，加贝瑞似乎已经被立为安多国王了。当然，他也宣称自己是凯瑞安的国王，这会是摩格丝做的事情吗？难道她认为，在这个非常时刻，需要一个强硬的男人来力挽狂澜？会有什么人比她更强硬吗？只不过，南方的安多人中传出了谣言，人们已经有几个星期没看见过她了。你告诉过我，没有单纯的谣言。安多从不曾有过男性国王，但现在它有了一个，而女王却消失了。加贝瑞就是那个想要伊兰命的人，我曾经想要提醒她这件事，但你知道，她总是自以为比乡下农夫懂得更多。我不觉得那个加贝瑞在割开一位女王的喉咙时会有什么犹豫。” 兰德发现自己正坐在麦特对面的椅子上，但他并不记得自己曾经移动过。艾玲达的一只手按在他的肩膀上，眼里流露出关切的神情。“我还好，”他粗声说道，“不需要叫索麦莱进来。”艾玲达的脸变红了，但他并没有注意到。 伊兰绝不会原谅他，他早就知道加贝瑞是雷威辛，知道摩格丝成了弃光魔使的囚徒，但他对此一直没有任何反应，因为弃光魔使也许会算到他要帮助摩格丝，他要按照自己的想法去做，采取他们预料不到的行动。但是他却沦落到必须追逐库莱丁，而不是按部就班实行自己的计划。他早就知道了，但他却将注意力集中在沙马奥身上，因为这名弃光魔使羞辱了他。他认为摩格丝的事可以再等一等，等他粉碎了沙马奥的部队和沙马奥本人之后再处置。现在摩格丝死了，伊兰的母亲死了，伊兰一直到死都会诅咒他的。 “我告诉你一件事，”麦特还在说着，“南方那边有许多忠于女王的安多人，他们对于为男性国王作战并不怎么热情。只要你找到伊兰，他们中会有一半人聚集在你的旗下，将伊兰推上——” “闭嘴！”兰德吼道，愤怒让他剧烈颤抖。艾雯不由得向后退了一步，就连沐瑞也在小心地看着他。艾玲达的手紧紧地握住他的肩头，但他将那只手甩开，挺身从椅子里站起来。摩格丝因为他的无所作为而死，也就是说，他像雷威辛一样握着刺死她的匕首，而伊兰……“要为她复仇，麦特，加贝瑞就是雷威辛，即使现在不做任何其他事情，我也要先捆住他的手脚！” “哦，血和该死的灰啊！”麦特呻吟了一声。 “这太疯狂了。”艾雯哆嗦了一下，似乎是意识到她说了什么，但仍然保持着坚定而平静的声音，“现在凯瑞安还有许多事情需要你去处理，更不要说向北方流窜的沙度艾伊尔和你对于提尔的计划——不管那计划到底是什么。你是想挑起另一场战争吗？在另外两场战争还没有结束、一个荒废的国家急需修复的时候？” “不是战争，我可以在一个小时之内到达凯姆林。一次奇袭，对不对，麦特？一次奇袭，不是一场战争，我会把雷威辛的心掏出来。”他的声音如同一把铁锤，他觉得酸液已经充满了自己的血管。“我倒真希望能带上爱莉达的那十三名两仪师，用至上力淹没他，让他得到公正的审判。他要被判决，然后以谋杀罪被吊死，这才是公正。但无论是用什么办法，我一定要他死。” “明天。”沐瑞低声说。 兰德瞪了她一眼，但她是对的，明天会更好一些。他需要一个晚上让怒火冷静下来，他需要冷静地面对雷威辛。现在他一心只想抓住至上力，将雷威辛轰成碎片。亚斯莫丁的音乐再一次改变了，这次是本城的街头音乐家们在国家爆发内战时演奏的音乐，有时候他也会在凯瑞安贵族面前演奏这个曲子——“自以为是国王的傻瓜”。“出去，杰辛，出去！” 亚斯莫丁轻松地站起身，鞠了个躬，但面孔已经变得像雪一样白。他快步走过房间，仿佛不知道如果多停留一秒会招致什么样的结果。亚斯莫丁总是找机会刺激兰德，只是这次的刺激也许太过分了一些。当他推开房门的时候，兰德又说道： “今晚我要见到你，否则我就要见到你的尸体。” 这次亚斯莫丁鞠躬的姿势已经不那么优雅了。“听从真龙大人的命令。”他用沙哑的声音一说完，立刻就走出去，把门紧紧关上了。 房里的三个女人看着兰德，脸上毫无表情，也完全不眨一下眼。 “你们也离开。” 麦特向门口跳去。 “不包括你，我还有话要跟你说。” 麦特定在原地，大声地叹了口气，下意识地拨弄着胸前的徽章。他是房里惟一挪动脚步的人。 “你没有十三名两仪师，”艾玲达说，“但你有两名，还有我。也许我并不像两仪师沐瑞那样博学多闻，但我像艾雯一样强，而且我对舞蹈并不陌生。”艾伊尔人嘴里的舞蹈指的就是战斗。 “雷威辛是我的。”兰德平静地对艾玲达说。如果他能为伊兰的母亲复仇，也许她会稍微原谅他。也许不会，但至少他可以稍微原谅自己。他强迫自己的双手留在身侧，不让它们紧握成拳头。 “你会在地上画一条线，让他不得越过吗？”艾雯问，“你在激动什么？你有没有想过，雷威辛现在已经是安多的国王，时刻有人随侍在侧。是不是当一名卫兵用箭射穿你的心脏时，你就满意了？” 兰德还记得自己暗暗祈祷艾雯不要对他大嚷大叫的时光，但现在的艾雯比那时棘手多了。“你以为我要一个人去？”他原来确实是这么想的，他从没考虑过要有人护卫他的背后，但现在他能听见一个微弱的声音在脑海中响起：他喜欢袭击你的背后和侧翼。他几乎想不清那是什么，他的怒火似乎自有生命，正在体内愈来愈炽烈地燃烧。“但和我去的人不是你，这很危险。如果沐瑞愿意的话，她可以跟我去。” 艾雯和艾玲达毫不停顿地走了过来，直到艾玲达扬起的面孔几乎贴到兰德的下巴。她们并没有看对方一眼，却行动如一。 “沐瑞如果愿意的话，就可以去。”艾雯说。 艾雯的声音仿佛是一把冰刀，艾玲达的则像是能熔化岩石的烈焰，“但对于我们却很危险。” “你变成我父亲了吗？你的名字是不是变成了布朗·艾威尔？” “如果你有三根矛，你会因为其中的两根比较新而把它们放到一边去吗？” “我不想让你们冒险。”兰德僵硬地说。 艾雯扬起了双眉：“哦？”她没有再开口。 “我不是你的奉义徒。”艾玲达咬牙切齿，“你不能为我们选择该冒什么样的险，兰德·亚瑟，绝不能。现在开始明白这一点。” 他能……什么？将她们包覆在阳极力中，把她们留在这里？他还不能屏障她们，所以她们也许会反而将他抓住。真是一团混乱，这全都是因为她们的顽固。 “你想到了卫兵，”沐瑞说，“但如果在雷威辛身边的是色墨海格，或者是古兰黛，那又该怎么办？如果是兰飞儿呢？如果兰飞儿和雷威辛在一起，你能单独战胜他们吗？” 沐瑞在说到兰飞儿的名字时，声音中包含着某种特别的情绪。难道她害怕兰飞儿会在那里吗？她害怕他最终会投向兰飞儿？如果兰飞儿真的在那里，他又该怎么做？他能怎么做？“她们爱跟就跟吧！”他咬着牙说，“现在你可以离开了吗？” “听从你的命令。”沐瑞说，但并没有立即照命令去做。艾玲达和艾雯故意仔细地整理着她们的披巾，缓慢地向门口走去。贵族们也许会以最快的速度去执行他的命令，但她们永远都不可能这样。 “你完全没有阻止我。”他突然说道。 他说话的对象是沐瑞，但开口的是艾雯，虽然她是带着微笑在和艾玲达聊天，“阻止一个男人去做他想做的事，就像是把糖从孩子的手里夺走，有时候你只能这么做，但有时候没必要去惹这种麻烦。”艾玲达点了点头。 “时光之轮按照自己的意愿编织。”沐瑞这样回答道。她站在门口，看上去比兰德记忆中的任何时刻都更像一位两仪师。不受岁月侵蚀的面容，黑色的眼睛似乎正要将他吞没，苗条单薄的身躯却充满了帝王气质，仿佛即使她无法导引一个火花，也能指使站满一整个房间的君王。她额前的那颗蓝宝石再次闪烁起来。“你能做好的，兰德。” 大门在三名女人背后关上，兰德盯着门口，看了很久。 一阵轻微的脚步声才让他想起麦特还在房里，麦特正悄悄地向门口走去，显然是不想让他发现。 “我需要和你谈一谈，麦特。” 麦特的面孔扭曲了一下，又碰了碰那枚狐狸头，仿佛那是他的护身符。他转过身看着兰德：“如果你认为我会像那些蠢女人一样一头栽进这个漩涡里，那你可以把这个念头忘掉了，我不是什么该死的英雄，我也不想当。摩格丝是个漂亮的女人，我甚至有些喜欢她，就像喜欢一位女王一样，但雷威辛就是雷威辛，烧了你吧，我——” “闭嘴听着，你必须停止逃跑。” “如果要我放弃逃跑，那就烧了我吧！这不是我选择的游戏，我不会——” “我说了，闭上嘴！”兰德用手指狠狠地将银狐狸头按在麦特的胸口上，“我知道你是在什么地方得到它的，我也在那里，不记得了？我割断了那根勒住你脖子的绳子。我不知道有什么东西被塞进了你的脑袋，但无论那是什么，我需要它。部族首领们了解战争，但不知为什么，你对这项技艺的掌握也许比他们更加精深。我需要你的能力！所以这就是你的任务，你和红手队……” “明天要小心。”沐瑞说。 艾雯在她房间的门口停住了脚步，“当然，我们要小心。”她的肠胃有些抽搐，但仍能保持声音的稳定，“我们知道面对一名弃光魔使会有什么样的危险。”看艾玲达的表情，她们就像是在谈论晚餐该吃什么，但话说回来，她从没害怕过什么事情。 “是吗？”沐瑞喃喃地说道，“不管怎样都要小心，无论你们是不是认为弃光魔使就在附近。兰德会在未来需要你们两个，你们善于控制他的脾气——虽然我要说，你们的手段并不寻常。他需要不会因为他的怒恼而疏远他、奉承他的人，只有你们能告诉他逆耳之言，而不是揣测他的心意，告诉他顺耳的话。” “你正在做这件事，沐瑞。”艾雯对她说。 “当然，但他以后仍然会需要你们。好好休息吧，明天对我们将是……很艰难的一天。”沐瑞向走廊深处走去，身影在墙壁上油灯昏暗的灯光中时隐时现，夜幕在走廊中涂上了一层阴郁的色彩，油灯里的油不多了。 “愿意和我一起待一会儿吗，艾玲达？”艾雯问，“我不想吃饭，只想说说话。” “我必须告诉艾密斯我明天的约定，而且我必须在兰德·亚瑟去睡觉的时候在他的卧室里。” “伊兰绝不会抱怨你没有时刻紧盯着兰德的。你真的揪着博薇恩女士的头发，把她一路拖到走廊？” 艾玲达的脸上浮起了一层淡淡的红色：“你认为那些在……沙力达？……的两仪师会帮他？” “小心这个名字，艾玲达，没有准备好的话，不能让兰德找到她们。”以兰德现在的状况，她们很有可能会驯御他，或者至少会派出十三位两仪师。她将不得不在特·雅兰·瑞奥德中面对这些两仪师，她、奈妮薇和伊兰。她希望能在她们察觉到他的威胁之前，说服她们做出忠于他的承诺。 “我会小心的，好好休息一下，今晚多吃一些。早晨就不要吃东西了，带着一肚子食物舞蹈没有好处。” 艾雯看着艾玲达大步向远处走去，用双手按住了肚子，她不觉得今晚或明早她能吃下什么东西。雷威辛，也许还有兰飞儿，或者是另外一名弃光魔使。奈妮薇曾经战胜过魔格丁，但奈妮薇在能够导引的时候，比她和艾玲达都要强大。也许雷威辛不会有帮手。兰德说过，弃光魔使彼此之间不存在信任。她几乎希望兰德是错的，或者至少不那么确定。她有时能察觉另一个人正从兰德的眼睛里望着他，正用兰德的嘴说着话，每次想到这个，她都会不寒而栗。不该是这样的，随着时光之轮的转动，每个人都会转生，但转生真龙只有一个。沐瑞从不谈论这样的事。如果兰飞儿在那里，兰德会怎么做？兰飞儿爱过路斯·瑟林·特拉蒙，但当时的真龙对她又有什么感觉？兰德还有多少是兰德？ “再这样下去，你就要把自己逼疯了。”她坚定地对自己说，“你不是孩子了，要像个成年人。” 一名女仆为她送来作为晚餐的豌豆、马铃薯和新鲜的烤面包，艾雯强迫自己将它们都吃下去。她觉得自己好像是嚼了满嘴的灰。 麦特走过灯光昏黄的宫殿走廊，猛地打开为战胜沙度艾伊尔的年轻英雄准备的套房大门。他并不常待在这里，事实上很少会来这里。仆人们已经在房里点亮了两架油灯。hero!他根本不是英雄！英雄能得到什么？在派你出去完成任务之前，两仪师会像爱抚猎犬一样拍拍你的脑袋；贵族女子会纡尊降贵地赏你一个吻，或者在你的墓前放一束花。麦特在套房的前厅里来回踱步，竟然没有去为绣花的伊利安地毯和桌椅上的镀金和象牙雕刻装饰估个价码。 与兰德暴风雨般的会面一直持续到了日落时分，他一直在躲避、拒绝，兰德却像鹰翼在库勒隘口时一样执拗地追逐着他。What should he do?如果他再次骑马出城，塔曼尼和拿勒辛一定会聚集所有能上马的人随他而去，他们会期待着在他的率领下投入另一场战斗。而且他大概真的会碰上战斗，所以他现在才会不由自主地感到颤栗。虽然他不愿承认，但两仪师是对的，不是他被战争所吸引，就是那些战争因他而起。在澳关雅河另一侧，没有人像他一样竭力要躲过任何发生战斗的可能，就连塔曼尼也对此颇有微辞。这种状况一直持续到他第二次小心地躲过一群安多人，却无可避免地撞上另一群安多人的时候，那之后，他也就不再试图避开战斗了。每一次，他都能感觉到骰子在他的脑海中翻滚，在警告他战斗正在下一座山丘后面等着他。 在码头上那些谷物驳船旁总会出现一艘船，而在河中心的一艘船上是不会有战斗爆发的，除非安多人完全控制了凯瑞安城下游的河岸。他的运气伴随着他，他的船一定能绕过安多军队驻扎的河西岸。 剩下的就是兰德想让他做的事了，他能应付。 “明天见维蓝芒大君，还有其他那些大君们。我是个赌徒，一个乡下人，我来接受你们该死的军队！该死的转生真龙大人处理完他那些该死的小麻烦之后就会来我们这里！” 他从房间角落里抓起黑杆长矛，将它向房间对面掷去，矛锋刺穿了一幅绘有狩猎场景的壁挂，被后面的石墙撞落到地面上，发出一声巨响，那些猎人们被割裂成两片。他咒骂着跑过去捡起长矛，两尺长的矛刃没有任何缺损。当然不会有，这是两仪师的作品。 他用手指摩搓着矛刃上的乌鸦图案：“我能摆脱两仪师吗？” “你在说什么？”门口传来梅琳达的声音。 麦特回头看了她一眼，将长矛靠在墙上。他觉得这名金发碧眼、身体强健的女子和以前有些不同了。似乎每一名艾伊尔迟早都会去澳关雅河边，一言不发地盯着那么多水汇聚在同一个地方，但梅琳达现在每天都会去那里。“哈当还没找到船？”哈当不会乘坐运粮船去塔瓦隆的。 “那名卖货郎的马车还在，我不知道有没有……船。”梅琳达有些笨拙地说出那个依然让她感到陌生的词汇，“为什么你对这件事感兴趣？” “我要离开一段时间，是为了兰德。”后半句话是他匆忙加上去的。梅琳达的面孔在他说第一句话的时候变得十分僵硬。 “如果可以，我会带你一起走，但你不会想离开枪姬众的。”一艘船，还是他的马？where to go这才是真正的问题。如果有一艘快船，他到达提尔的速度就会比骑着果仁更快，他不知道自己是否会愚蠢地选择那里，他不知道自己能有什么选择。 梅琳达的嘴唇绷紧了一下，让麦特惊讶的是，她不悦的原因并不是他的离开。“那就是说，你又回到了兰德·亚瑟的阴影里。你已经得到了许多荣耀，无论是艾伊尔人还是湿地人都认同这一点，这荣耀是你的，不是卡亚肯照射在你身上的。” “他可以拥有他的荣耀，带着它去凯姆林或者是末日深渊，我不在乎。你不用担心，我会得到足够的荣耀，我会从提尔给你写信，把我得到的荣耀告诉你。”提尔？如果他这样选择，那他将永远也无法逃离兰德或两仪师了。 “他要去凯姆林？” 麦特强压住瑟缩的冲动，他不该说出来的，无论他对别的事情会怎样决定，他绝不该把这件事说出口。“我只是恰巧想到那个地方而已，我想，是因为安多人就在南边，我不知道他要去哪里——” 没有任何预兆，梅琳达刚刚还站在门口，转瞬间脚已经踹在麦特的肚子上。一阵窒息让麦特不由自主地弯下了腰，他觉得自己的眼睛已经凸出了眼眶。他挣扎着想要稳住步伐，站直身体，竭力思考到底出了什么事。梅琳达如同舞蹈般旋转身体，向后退去，另一只脚踢在麦特的头侧，让麦特又连续踉跄了几步。没有丝毫停顿，梅琳达沿直线向前跳去，软靴的靴底让麦特的面孔猛然充血成紫红色。 当麦特的眼睛重新可以看清东西的时候，他已经躺在了地上，梅琳达站在距离他几步以外的地方。他能感觉到脸上的血液，脑袋里似乎塞满了羊毛，房间在他眼前不停地摇摆。这时，他看见梅琳达从腰带中抽出了匕首，细长的刀刃反射着灯光，比手掌长不了多少。她飞快地将束发巾围在头上，拉起了黑色的面纱。 麦特摇摆着身体，却又迅速地、不假思索地开始了行动。小刀从袖子里窜出来，飞离手掌，仿佛是在果冻中漂浮，直到此时他才意识到自己正在做什么。他拼命地伸出手，想要将那把小刀拉回来。 刀柄在梅琳达的胸口之间激起一团血花，她蹒跚着跪在地上，身子软倒下去。 麦特手脚颤抖地支起身体，即使现在这个房间里着了大火，他也站不起来。但他拼尽全力向梅琳达爬过去，嘴里狂乱地说着：“为什么？为什么？” 他拉掉梅琳达的面纱，那双清澈的蓝眼睛正望着他，梅琳达甚至还在微笑。他没有去看那把属于自己的匕首，他的匕首，他知道那匕首正插在她的心脏。“为什么，梅琳达？” “我总是很喜欢你漂亮的眼睛。”梅琳达虚弱地喘着气，麦特必须仔细倾听才能知道她在说什么。 "why?" “一些誓言比另外一些更重要，麦特·考索恩。”细刃匕首疾速刺出，残存在她体内所有的力量都集中在这把匕首上，匕尖刺中了在麦特胸前来回摇晃的银狐狸头，将它紧紧抵在麦特的胸口上。徽章上的纹路凹槽卡住了匕首的尖锋，让麦特有时间抓住她的手。“你真是有至尊暗主的运气。” “为什么？”麦特问，“烧了你，为什么？”他知道自己已经得不到答案了，梅琳达依然张着嘴，仿佛还要再说些什么，但她的眼睛已经失去了神采。 麦特重新用面纱覆盖住她的面孔，然后任由自己的手落下。他杀死过男人、兽魔人，但他从没杀死过女人，从没有过，直到现在。女人们都会因为他的出现而高兴，这可不是吹牛，女人们总是向他微笑，甚至在他离开她们的时候，她们也会微笑着，仿佛是在欢迎他再回来。他只想从女人那里得到微笑、舞蹈、亲吻，还有甜美的回忆。 他意识到自己正在胡思乱想，他从梅琳达手中抽出那把折断了锋刃的刀柄，这是一把用翡翠雕成的刀柄，上面镶嵌着金蜂。他将刀柄扔进大理石壁炉，希望它会在那里被砸得粉碎。他想哭，想号叫。我不杀女人！我只亲吻她们，我不…… 他必须理清思路。Why?不是因为他要离开，肯定不是，梅琳达对此并没有什么反应，而且，她会认为他是在寻求光荣。她一直都是赞成他这样做的。他想起梅琳达刚刚说的一句话，不由得打了个哆嗦。至尊暗主的运气，他不止一次听过与此类似的话——暗帝的运气。 “暗黑之友。”这是疑问还是确认？他希望这个想法能让自己的内心轻松一些，他在进入坟墓的时候也不会忘记她的脸。 提尔，他告诉了梅琳达自己要去提尔。那把匕首——镶嵌金蜂的翡翠，不必再看第二眼，他也能确定那上面有九只金蜂。翠绿底色上的九只金蜂，这是伊利安的徽记，现在统治那里的是沙马奥。沙马奥会害怕他吗？沙马奥怎么会知道这里的状况？只是在几个小时之前，兰德才要求他，不，是向他下达了命令，而且他还不知道自己到底会不会听从。也许沙马奥不愿意冒这种风险？是啊，弃光魔使之一会害怕一名赌徒，虽然也许是一名脑子里被塞满战争知识的赌徒，这太荒谬了。 当然，他可以相信梅琳达根本不是暗黑之友，只是因为一时心血来潮才要杀掉他。那个嵌着金蜂的翡翠匕首和他要去提尔率领军队与伊利安作战没有任何关系。如果他是一头蠢牛的话，也许他可以这样认为。贸然行动也比坐以待毙好，他总是这样说，弃光魔使已经注意到了他，他现在绝对不再是躲在兰德的阴影里了。 他向后退去，背靠着门板坐在地上，用膝盖支住下巴，盯着梅琳达的脸，开始用力思索该做些什么。当一名为他送晚餐来的仆人敲门的时候，他叫喊着让仆人离开，现在他最不想要的就是食物。What is he going to do?他希望自己没有感觉到有骰子在脑海中旋转。