Chapter 6 Chapter Two: The Vortex in Karma
The sultry evening winds kept blowing inland from the south, over the great delta to the south known as the Dragonfinger.It is a maze of wide and narrow waterways, some of which are blocked by wedge-shaped sandbars covered with sedge.On the low-lying islands, there are large areas of reeds and trees with roots stretching out like spider legs. This kind of landscape can't be seen at all in other places.Countless runoff in the delta traces upwards, all from the Ireni River.Many fishing boats lit with oil lamps are sporadically scattered on the wide river, and the shadows of the boats and the lights are swaying and flickering wildly, which is so abrupt that it makes one's heart palpitate.Some old people are coming by the night muttering evil things; the young people laugh at the old people, but drag the fishing nets with greater strength, trying to get out of this darkness and go home as soon as possible.The story goes that evil cannot cross the threshold of your home unless you invite it in.That's what the stories say, but if it's outside in the dark...
When the sea-breeze reached the great city of Tyre, the last saltiness was gone from the wind.Tiled-roofed inns and shops stood near the river's banks, tall and pointed palaces still gleaming in the moonlight, but none half as tall as the mountainous castle.A gigantic rock wall stretches from the center of the city to the river - the Rock of Tyr, the fabled stronghold, the oldest surviving fortress of human architecture, standing from the days after the Fall of the World to the present day.The kingdoms are in turmoil and dynasties are changing, only the Rock of Tyre will not fall.For three thousand years, countless armies fell into the sand here and dissipated sadly.The Rock of Tyr will not be captured by invaders, until now.
The streets, taverns and inns of the city were deserted on this sweltering night, and people were cautiously confined to their homes.The Rock of Tyre is owned by the lords of the city of Tyre and the country of Tyre. This has always been a rule, and it is also a fact that people have always accepted.By day they cheered loudly for the new lord, as they had done for the old;Strange new hopes danced in their minds, hopes they had dared not dream of in a hundred generations, hopes mixed with fears as old as the world falling apart.
On the top of the castle, the strong wind rolled up the white banner reflecting the moonlight, as if trying to tear it away.A sinuous figure was embroidered on the long flag, like a serpent with legs, with a golden lion's mane, scarlet and gold scales, as if it was walking against the wind.This is the banner in the prophecy, it represents hope and fear - the true dragon banner - the symbol of the reincarnated true dragon, the harbinger of the world's salvation, and the herald of another collapse.The strong wind slammed against the solid walls of the castle, as if angry at the scourge.The real dragon flag fluttered high, ignoring the surrounding night.It is waiting for a bigger storm.
In an upper room south of the Rock of Tyr, Perrin sat on a chest of drawers at the foot of a high canopy bed, watching the dark-haired young girl pace the room, a cautious twinkle in her golden eyes. look.Mayfair would often make good-natured jokes about his thoughtful ways.And tonight, since walking through Perrin's door, she hadn't said more than ten words.Palin could smell the rose petals that had been folded into the girl's dress after washing, and her own body odor.The slight smell of sweat made Perrin feel her nervousness.Mayfair almost never showed a nervous expression, so the current appearance made him feel a little strange.Along with this curiosity mingled with worry, Perrin felt a tingle up his spine, a feeling not caused by the sweltering night.Mayfair's narrow slit skirt rustled as she walked.
Perrin scratched irritably at his two-week-old beard, which was even more frizzy than his hair, and made him feel even hotter.He'd tried to shave them off more than a hundred times.
"You look suitable for a beard." Mayfair stopped suddenly and said to him.
Perrin shrugged uncomfortably.He has very thick shoulders because he has worked by the furnace for a long time.Mayfair sometimes knew what was going on in his mind without speaking. "Itches," Perrin muttered, wishing he could have said it more emphatically.It was his beard, and he could shave it off whenever he wanted.
Faile turned her head to one side, studying him.Her high nose and the lines on her pretty face added a bit of sternness to her, which contrasted with her soft voice, "You look good like this."
Perrin sighed and shrugged again.She didn't ask him to grow a beard, nor would she say so.But he knew that this time he still couldn't shave.He would like to know how his friend Matt handles the situation.Maybe a light pinch, a kiss, or a few jokes could get her to accept his ideas.But Perrin knew he didn't have what Mat had with girls, Mat would never let himself sweat over a beard just because a girl thought he should have some hair on his face.But Perrin wondered if things would have been different if Mat had faced Faile.Faile said her father was the biggest fur merchant in Saldaea, and Perrin had never seen her lose a bargain.He wondered if Mayfair's father would feel very sorry for her running away from home, not just because she was his daughter.
"There's something bothering you, Mayfair, and it's not my beard. What is it?"
Her expression became wary, and she looked around the room except for Perrin, leaving contemptuous glances at the furniture around her.
Tall wardrobes, bedposts as thick as Palin's calves, a marble fireplace with no fire, and an upholstered chair in front of it.All these places are carved with leopards and lions, crouching eagles and hunting scenes, some with garnet eyes set into the animal statues.
Perrin had tried to explain to the castle steward that he only wanted a simple room, but the steward didn't seem to understand him.This is by no means because of her poor comprehension or execution ability. The army of servants led by the chief executive is more powerful than the guardians of the Rock of Tire.No matter who is the owner of this castle, she is the one who is really calling the shots in the castle so that the people in it can live a normal life every day.Her arrangement for Perrin can only be said that she understands Perrin's request from the perspective of a Tyrian.Even though Perrin was plainly dressed, he was certainly more than just a countryman. In the Rock of Tyre, besides guards and servants, there were only nobles and lords.What's more, he was with Rand, whether he was a friend or an entourage, he was the person next to the reincarnated dragon.To the lord of the castle, Perrin must have been no less than a local lord, if not as noble as a maharaja.Even having Palin in such a room, she was already quite unhappy. This room didn't even have a living room.But Perrin believed that if he insisted on a more modest room, she might faint in front of him.Except for the chambers of servants or guardians, there is probably no more modest dwelling in the Rock of Tyre, at least there is no gilded place here except candlesticks.
However, Mayfair's opinion is different from his: "You should have a much better room than here, so it suits you. You can bet your last copper that Matt's room is better than yours." .”
"Mat likes flashy things." Palin simply said this.
"You don't think for yourself."
Perrin didn't answer. The uneasiness that Faile smelled had nothing to do with his room any more than his beard.
After a while, she said, "Lord Zhenlong seems to have lost interest in you, and now he spends all his time with those maharajas."
The itching on her back got worse, and he knew the reason for her troubles.Perrin tried to sound lighter. "My lord? You speak like a Tyrian. His name is Rand."
"He's your friend, Perrin Albaya, not mine. If a man like that could have friends." She took a deep breath to soften her voice, "I'm already thinking about leaving this castle , leaving Tire, I don't think Moiraine will stop me. Word of... Rand came out of this city two weeks ago, and she can no longer keep his secrets back."
Perrin almost sighed again: "I don't think she will stop you anymore, I think she should see you as a nuisance. She might give you money to get you out of here."
With her hands on her hips, Faile walked up to Perrin and stared at him: "Is that what you want to say?"
"Otherwise what do you want me to say? Say I want you to stay?" The annoyance in the voice shocked him.
He was annoyed with himself, not with her.He didn't expect things to turn out like this, he didn't know how to deal with the situation, so he was angry with himself.He likes to think things through, and it's easy to hurt people unintentionally by acting in a hurry.He hurt Mayfair right now, and the girl's black eyes widened in surprise.
He hastily softened his voice: "I really want you to stay, Faile, but maybe you should go. I know you're not for the faint of heart, it's just the Dragon Reborn... and the Forsaken... "There's no real security anywhere—there isn't, and there won't be—but there's always a place that's safer than in the Rock of Tyr.For the time being, anyway, he wasn't stupid enough to put her in such a predicament.
But Mayfair didn't seem to care what he said, "Stay? May the light guide me! Anything is better than sitting here like a stone, but..." She knelt down in front of him lightly, putting her hands on the on his lap, "Perrin, I don't like to keep worrying about when a Forsaken will come across the corner and stand in front of me, and I don't like to think about when the Dragon Reborn will kill all of us." People. After all, that's what he did the last time the world fell apart, he killed everyone around him."
"Rand is not Lews Therin Kinslayer," Perrin objected. "I mean, he's the Dragon Reborn, but he's not...he won't..." Perrin's voice dropped. Go on, he didn't know how to go on.Rand is the reincarnation of Lews Therin Telamon, the reincarnated dragon, but does this mean that Rand will definitely repeat Lews Therin's fate?Not just going mad—a doom that no man who can channel escapes, and the ensuing rot to death—but killing everyone who loves him?
"I've spoken to Bane and Ziad, Perrin."
This is not surprising, Faile spent a considerable amount of time with those Aiel women, and their friendship caused her some troubles, but she seemed to like the Aiel girls, and Tyr The female nobles of Tire in the Rock can only get a supercilious look from her.But Perrin didn't know what their conversation had to do with what they were talking about now, and a skeptical look appeared on his face.
"They say Moiraine sometimes asks where you and Mat are. Don't you understand? If she could spy on you with the Power, she wouldn't."
"Spy on me with the Power?" Perrin said weakly.He never thought about it.
"She can't. Come with me, Perrin. We'll be twenty miles across the river before she knows."
"I can't," Perrin said gloomily.He tried to please her with a kiss, but Faile jumped out of his face, nearly knocking Perrin to the ground.This kiss was impossible, and the girl had folded her arms in front of her chest in a gesture of resistance.
"Don't tell me you're afraid of her. I know she's an Aes Sedai, and she's been pulling strings to make you dance like puppets. Maybe she's got hold of that...Rand...so he can't get out of her fingertips .Only the Light knows if Egwene and Elayne, and even Nynaeve, want to get rid of her. But you can break free of her if you want to."
"This has nothing to do with Moiraine, this is what I have to do, I..."
The girl interrupted him: "Don't you tell me that men have to fulfill their responsibilities or something like that, it's just nonsense from you guys with chest hair. I don't understand responsibilities any worse than you do, you have no responsibilities here .Maybe you are a time axis, although I haven't seen it yet, but the Dragon Reborn is him, not you."
"Listen to me!" Perrin yelled, staring at her.Faile jumped. Perrin had never yelled at her like that before.The girl raised her chin and straightened her waist, but she didn't speak, and Perrin continued: "I think, in a way, I am a part of Rand's fate, and so is Mat. I think, unless we Doing our part or he won't be able to do what he has to do, that's the responsibility. How can I just walk away if my actions threaten to fail Rand?"
"It's possible?" Mayfair's voice showed a hint of inquiry, just a little bit.Perrin wondered if he could bring himself to yell at her like that more often. "Did Moiraine tell you that, Perrin? By now, you should know that you must be careful listening to the Aes Sedai."
"This is my own opinion, I think the timelines should be pulling each other, or maybe Rand is pulling me and Matt. He should be the most powerful timeline after Artur Hawkwing, maybe the world Strongest since Crash. Matt won't even admit he's a timeline, but no matter how hard he tries to escape, he'll always be pulled back by Rand. Royal says he's never heard of three The timelines will be the same age and come from the same place."
Mayfair snorted heavily: "Roial won't know everything, he's not too old for an Ogier."
"He's over ninety years old," Perrin argued, and Faile just gave him a tight smile.Ninety years was not much older for an Ogier than Perrin's age among Men, perhaps even younger, and Perrin didn't know much about Ogiers.In any case, Royal had read more books than Palin had ever seen or heard of, and there were times when Perrin felt that Royal must have read them all. "He knows more than you and I. He believes that I should have such a responsibility. Moiraine also believes. I really haven't asked her, but if not, why should she pay attention to me? Do you think she Want me to build a kitchen knife for her?"
Faile was silent for a moment, and when she spoke, her voice was full of sympathy: "Poor Perrin! I left Saldaea for adventure, and now I am at the heart of an adventure, the greatest adventure since the collapse of a world .And I just want to leave and go somewhere else. You just wanted to be a blacksmith, and now you're going to end up in this story, whether you want to or not."
Perrin looked away, but the girl's breath still filled his mind.He doesn't think there will be any stories about him in the future, unless the secrets about him known to only a few people are widely spread.Faile thought she knew everything about him, she was wrong.
Leaning against the wall opposite him was an ax and a hammer, simple and functional, with handles as long as Perrin's forearm.The half-moon-shaped ax blade is superbly crafted. On the back of the ax blade is a thick spike, and the whole ax is full of violence.With a hammer, Perrin can forge things, and he's already used the tool to create quite a few things at the furnace.The hammer was more than twice as heavy as the axe, but Perrin always felt that the ax was much heavier than the hammer.With this ax he had... Perrin scowled, and he didn't want to recall those things.She was right, he just wanted to be a blacksmith, go back to his hometown, see his family again, and work in the smithy.But it was impossible, he knew very well.
Perrin stood up, picked up the hammer, and sat back down, holding it in a way that gave Perrin some comfort. "Master Luhan always said that you can't leave before the duties you have to complete." He found that this was too similar to the nonsense of the long-chested guy that Mayfair said, so he hurried on, "He is my hometown. blacksmith, in whose shop I was apprenticed, as I told you."
To his surprise, Faile didn't take this opportunity to tease him about the hairy-chested guy's nonsense. In fact, she didn't say anything, but just looked at him fixedly, as if waiting for something.A moment later, Perrin spoke again.
"So, you're leaving?" he asked.
She stood up and dusted her skirt.For a long time, she remained silent, as if deciding how to answer. "I don't know," she said finally, "that you brought me into this mess."
"Me? What did I do?"
"Well, if you don't know, I certainly won't tell you."
Scratching his beard again, Perrin stared at the hammer in his hand.Mat might know what she meant, or old Tom Merrylin would.The white-haired walker kept saying no one could understand women, but every time he walked out of his room in the castle, several girls young enough to be his granddaughters sighed for him, listened to him play the harp, and told A magnificent story of adventure and love.Faile was the only girl Perrin wanted, but sometimes he felt to her like a fish trying to understand a bird.
He knew that she wanted him to ask her, and he knew very well that she might not answer, but he should ask.But he stubbornly closed his lips.This time, he will wait for her to speak.
In the darkness outside, a rooster crowed.
Mayfair trembled, and hugged herself tightly: "My nanny often said that this means a death is coming. Of course, I don't believe her words."
Palin opened his mouth to agree with her, declaring that the nanny was stupid for saying so, though he too was trembling.But suddenly his head was turned aside, and there was a grinding sound and a hard thud, and the ax fell to the floor.He had just frowned, wondering what made it slip, when the ax was up again, flying straight at him.
Perrin swung the hammer involuntarily, and Faile screamed with the clang of metal.The ax flew across the room, slamming into the opposite wall, only to snap back, the blade forward, toward Perrin.Perrin felt like every hair on his body stood on end.
As the ax flew past Faile, Faile jumped up and grabbed the handle with both hands.The handle of the ax twisted in her hands, and the blade slashed hard at the girl's wide-eyed face.Perrin dropped the hammer hastily, grabbed the handle, and pulled the half-moon blade away from her face.He felt that if the ax—his ax—had hurt her, he would die too.He pulled the ax so hard that the spike on the back nearly drove into his chest.If it would stop the ax from hurting her, he would, but with a sense of desperation, Perrin decided that driving the ax nail into his body would not stop it.
The weapon seemed to become a living thing, a creature of evil.It wanted Perrin, and Perrin knew it, as if it was shouting that desire out to him, and its tactics were cunning.When Perrin pulled it away from Faile, it used his strength to turn on him; Stop pushing it outward.No matter how hard Perrin gripped the handle, it twisted in his hand, threatening the two opposing men with spike and blade.Perrin's hands were already aching from clenching, the thick muscles in his arms were strained, and sweat was rolling down his face.He wasn't sure how long he would be able to control the axe, everything had gone crazy, utterly crazy, and he didn't have time to think about it.
"Go!" He squeezed the words through clenched teeth, "Get out of the room, Mayfair!"
Her face was pale and bloodless, but she shook her head desperately, and her hands were fighting against the ax: "No! I will not leave you!"
"It's going to kill us both!"
She was still shaking her head.
Roaring from the back of his throat, Perrin let go of his hand from the handle of the axe.His other arm was trembling, and the turning handle of the ax rubbed against the palm of his hand, and the heat from it burned the flesh on the palm.He pushed Faile away with his free hand, and the girl screamed and was pushed toward the door.Ignoring her yelling and her fists on him, Perrin shoved her against the wall with his shoulders, pulled the door open, and pushed her into the hallway.
Slamming the door shut, Perrin pressed his back against the door, regained his grip on the handle of the ax with both hands, and pushed the latch into its slot with his waist.The ax blade was heavy and sharp, gleaming coldly, quivering not inches away in front of him.Perrin barely pushed it to an arm's length.Faile's low voice kept coming from the other side of the heavy door, and Perrin could feel the girl pounding on the door, but he didn't have the energy to think about her.His yellow eyes shone like they reflected every light in the room!
"Now, it's just you and me," he snarled at the axe, "blood and ashes, how I hate you!" Inside him, a part of him laughed hysterically.Rand should be the one who would go mad, and here I am talking to an axe!rand!Burn him!
He pushed the ax a step away from the door, his teeth bared from the force.The weapon trembled, rushing toward his body incessantly, and he could almost feel its thirst for blood.With a roar, he jerked the curved blade of the ax toward himself, stepping back at the same time.If the ax had been alive, Perrin was sure he would have heard a howl of triumph as it struck Perrin's head.At the last moment, Perrin turned away, letting the ax fly past him.With a heavy blow, the ax blade was buried in the door panel.
Perrin felt that life—he couldn't imagine what else it could be called—going away from the axe.Slowly, he moved his hand away.The ax stayed where it was, and all that remained was steel and hardwood.It looks like the door is now a good place to put it.Perrin wiped the sweat from his face with a trembling hand.Crazy, crazy to go where Rand is.
Suddenly, he realized that Faile wasn't shouting and banging anymore.Unbolting the latch, he hastily opened the door.A curved steel blade pierced through the thick wooden door, shining coldly in the light of the brocade corridor.
Mayfair stood there, with her raised hands still in a posture of knocking on the door panel, her wide-open eyes showed a look of surprise.Slowly, she reached out and touched the tip of her nose. "One more inch," she said weakly, "just..."
Suddenly shivering, she threw herself into Palin's arms, hugging him tightly, and kisses rained down on Palin's neck and beard.The girl muttered incoherently as she kissed, but almost in an instant she pushed Perrin away again, running her hands anxiously over his chest and arms. "Are you hurt? Are you hurt? Did it..."
"I'm fine," Perrin said, grabbing her. "And you? I didn't mean to scare you."
She stared at him: "Really? Are you not hurt? "
"Not at all, I..." The girl slapped him hard on the face, making him think he heard the sound of a hammer hitting an anvil.
"You hairy fool! I thought you were dead! I was afraid it was going to kill you! I thought..." She stopped talking, and the hand she drew towards Perrin's cheek was also caught in Perrin's mid-air.
"Please don't do it again," he said quietly.Perrin's cheeks burned like fire from the girl's blow, and he thought his jaw would ache all night.
He hugged her waist tenderly, as if she was a bird in his arms; she wanted to break free from his arms, but his hands didn't move a bit.Compared to swinging a hammer around a furnace all day, it was easy for Perrin to hold her, even after a full-on fight with that axe.Suddenly, she seemed to decide to ignore his arm and just stare into his eyes, both black and gold, without blinking. "I could have helped you, you have no right to..."
"I have that right," Perrin said firmly. "You can't help me. If you stay, we'll both die. I can't fight the way I have to and keep you safe at the same time." She opened her mouth, but he raised his voice and continued, "I know you hate that and I'll try not to treat you like a piece of china, but if you want me to watch you die, I'll take you Bound like a lamb for the mall, take you to Mrs. Lujan, she won't stand your nonsense."
Perrin licked the tooth Faile had just hit with the tip of his tongue to see if it was loose.He almost wanted to see what Mayfair would look like if she wanted to bully Madam Luhan.The blacksmith's wife managed her husband as easily as she managed the house, and even Nynaeve had to guard her fiery temper with Lady Luhan.Finally, he was sure that the tooth was still firmly in the gum.
Faile suddenly laughed, a low, deep-throat laugh: "You'll do it, won't you? But if you do, don't think you won't go to the dark God dances."
Perrin let go of his hand in surprise. He couldn't see any difference between what he said this time and what he said before, but Faile always got angry because of these words before, but this time she was very... kind.Perrin didn't think her threat to kill him was a joke, though. Faile always kept a good number of pocket knives hidden with her, and she knew how to use them.
She rubbed her back exaggeratedly and muttered something under her breath, but Perrin heard "hairy bull."He decides to shave off every stupid beard, and he will.
She raised her voice. "The ax, it was him, wasn't it? The Dragon Reborn wanted to kill us."
"That must be Rand," Perrin said, emphasizing the name.He didn't like to think of Rand that way, he liked to think of the Rand he had grown up with in Emond's Village. "But he didn't want to kill us, he wouldn't."
She gave him a wry smile: "If he won't, I hope he never will."
"I don't know what he did, but I'm going to tell him to stop, I'm going now."
"I don't know why I should care about a man who is so worried about his own safety," she muttered.
Perrin frowned at her in bewilderment. He didn't know what she meant, but she just slipped her arm into his.He was still full of doubts as they walked through the Rock of Tyr.The ax is still embedded in the door panel, and it can't hurt anyone now.
Gritting his long pipe between his teeth, Mat opened his coat a little more, trying to concentrate on the cards in front of him and the coins piled in the middle of the table.His custom-made bright red tunic was of the Andor style, sewn from the finest wool, with gold embroidery all over the cuffs and high collar, but day after day he began to see that Tyr was in Andor. How far to the south.Sweat trickled down his face, his shirt clinging to his back.
The others around the table didn't seem to notice the heat at all, though their coats all looked heavier than his, with fat lantern sleeves embroidered with ribbons of silk, brocade, and satin.Two men in red and gold squires poured wine into silver cups beside the gamblers, bringing out shiny silver platters filled with olives, cheese and nuts.The heat didn't seem to affect the servants either, except that they would cover their mouths with their hands and yawn from time to time when they thought no one was looking.The night is already very deep.
Mat picked up the cards more than once to check them out.They don't change, and with three heads, a five-card deck already has the three highest-ranked cards, and that's enough to win most games.
He prefers to play dice.In the places where he played against each other, he rarely saw a table of cards; in those places, there were often fifty different dice games, and silver coins could be passed quickly.But these young Tyrian lords would rather wear sackcloth than play dice, which only lowfarmers do, though they were careful not to let Mat hear them.They were not afraid of Mat, but of his friends.They fell in love with this method of playing called "cutting," hour after hour, night after night.They used a kind of hand-painted playing cards, and the man who drew the cards in the city, because of these noble boys, had to live a fairly rich life.Only women and horses distracted them temporarily, but not for long.
Matt got used to the game quickly, and his luck might not have been as good as in the craps, but it was good enough.A bulky purse sat next to his cards, and a larger one was tucked into his waist pocket.If he had been in Emond's Village, he would have considered it a fortune, enough to allow him to live a life of luxury.But since leaving Two Rivers, his views on luxury have changed. For example, the gold and silver coins of these young lords are piled on the table indifferently.Still, there were some old habits Mat didn't want to change, such as in taverns and inns, where it was sometimes necessary to get up early and leave, especially when his good fortune was with him.
After he got enough money, he would also leave the castle as soon as possible, and before Moiraine knew what he was thinking.If it had been according to his wishes, he would have left a few days ago, and it was only because there was gold to take here that he delayed his steps.He could make more money in one night here than he could have spent playing dice in a tavern for a week, and as long as his luck lasted, he could say anything.
He frowned slightly, and puffed out his cigarette worriedly, not sure if his cards were good enough to win the hand.Two other young lords were also smoking pipes, but their pipes were trimmed with silver and had amber holders.In the hot, stagnant air, their tobacco smelled like a fire had been lit in a noblewoman's dressing room.Mat couldn't remember a lady's dressing room he'd been in, and a previous illness had nearly killed him and left a hole in his mind like a wire-mesh hole.But he was sure he remembered the situation.Even the Dark Emperor couldn't make me forget what I was like at that time.
"A seaman's ship docked today," Leimen muttered with a cigarette in his mouth.The burly young lord has his beard oiled and combed into a flat point, a recent trend among young lords.Kaminarimon chased fads as hard as he chased women, only a little more slack than gambling.He tossed another silver coin into the middle of the table and asked for the next card, "It's a wind-scissors, and they say that's the fastest kind of boat, faster than the wind. I'm going to see it, burn me I'm going to take a look." He didn't look at what cards he got, and he never looked at the color of his cards until he got five cards.
Between Kaminarimon and Matt was a fat man with pink cheeks, and he gave a mocking laugh: "You want to see that ship, Kaminarimon? You want to see those girls, don't you?" Those women, those exotic sea folk beauties, look at the way they wiggle around with bells and other little things, don't you?" he said, tossing a silver coin, picking up a card, and looking at the The card showed a bitter face.It didn't make sense to have that look on his face, Edron's cards were always badly suited and poorly matched, but he always won more money than he lost. "Well, maybe I'll have better luck with the sea folk girl."
The dealer sat across from Matt, a tall and thin man with a pointed beard that looked thicker and darker than Kaminarimon's.He put a finger on his nose: "You think you'll have good luck with them, Edron? With their conservative style, it's nice if you can smell a little bit of their perfume." He did He made a fluttering gesture, took another deep breath, and then sighed. The other nobles and young masters all burst into laughter, even Edron laughed too.
Estin was a plain-looking young man who had the biggest laugh of all.While laughing, he kept brushing the straight hair that fell on his forehead with his hands.If instead of his well-crafted yellow tunic he looked like an ordinary farmer, he was the son of the richest Maharaja of Tyre, and the present The richest man at the poker table.He also drank a lot more than the others.
艾斯丁摇摇晃晃地走过身边那个人（那个人叫巴兰，是个满身浮华味道的家伙，他看上去总是用鼻孔看着人似的），然后用一根同样摇晃的手指捅了捅庄家。巴兰向后靠去，咬住烟斗的嘴撇向一边，仿佛是害怕艾斯丁会吐在他身上。
“很好，卡罗明，”艾斯丁咯咯地笑着说，“你也这么想，对不对，巴兰？艾德隆连闻也闻不到。如果他想试试他的运气……赌一把……他应该去追追那些艾伊尔娘儿们，就像麦特一样。瞧瞧那些枪和刀。烧了我的灵魂吧！那就像邀请一只狮子跳舞。”一阵死寂落在桌子周围，屋中只剩下艾斯丁的笑声。他眨眨眼，又用手指拨了一下头发：“怎么了？我说了什么？哦！哦，是的，她们。”
麦特很难掩饰脸上的怒容。这个傻瓜提到了艾伊尔人，只有关于两仪师的话题比这个更糟糕。他们宁愿让艾伊尔人在这些走廊中穿行，瞪视每一个挡住他们去路的提尔人，也不愿意见到一位两仪师，而这些男人认为他们至少有四位两仪师。麦特从口袋里拿出一枚安多银币，把它放在桌上，推进赌注堆里。卡罗明缓缓地发出了一张牌。
麦特用拇指指甲小心地将那张牌掀起，眼睛眨也没眨一下。圣杯统治者，牌面是一张提尔大君。一副牌里的元首牌在不同的地方会有不同的图案，而圣杯统治者一定会是那个国家自己的统治者，它是最高阶的牌。这些牌的年代相当久远了，麦特已经见过用兰德的头像或者类似的图案当圣杯统治者的牌，那种牌的背景就是飘扬的真龙旗。兰德——提尔的统治者，即使是现在，麦特听到这种说法时也得竭力克制自己大笑的冲动。兰德是名牧羊人，一个不错的家伙，一个好玩伴，只要他不那么严肃，没有那么多责任。现在，他变成了转生真龙，麦特知道，这只是意味着兰德成为一个石雕的傻瓜，沐瑞可以随时把手放在他身上，等着观看兰德下一步会做什么。也许汤姆会跟他一起走，或者是佩林。只是，汤姆自从住进提尔之岩后，似乎就不想再离开了；而除非菲儿勾勾手指，否则佩林哪儿也不会去。至少，麦特已经准备好了单独上路，如果有必要的话。
不过现在麦特更关心的是桌子正中央的那堆银币，还有那些贵族少爷们面前的金币。如果他拿到第五张元首，就没有人能赢他了，不过他也许并不真的需要那张牌。恍惚之间，他能感觉到好运在轻敲他的神经。当然，不是玩骰子时那种麻痒的感觉，但他已经能确定，没有人能赢过他的四张元首。这些提尔人彻夜豪赌，足以买下十座农场的钱在牌桌上眨眼间就转手了。
但卡罗明只是盯着手里的牌，并没有继续下注。巴兰猛吸着他的烟斗，将面前的钱币一一叠放好，仿佛是准备将它们塞进口袋。雷门在胡子后面堆起了怒容。艾德隆皱起眉，看着他的指甲。只有艾斯丁还是一副无所谓的样子，他漫不经心地朝桌边的众人嘻嘻地笑，也许已经忘记他说过些什么。平时提到艾伊尔人的时候，他们还会努力装出些和善的神色，但现在已经很晚了，而且他们都喝了不少的酒。
麦特飞快地在脑子里搜寻着方法，好阻止他们的金子从他的牌上溜走。只是瞥了他们的表情一眼，麦特就可以确定，光改变一下话题并不能解除他们的忧虑。不过办法倒是有一个，如果他让他们因为艾伊尔人而发笑……让他们笑话我也值得吗？咬着烟嘴，他决定再想一个方法。
巴兰用两只手各拿起一叠金币，将它们塞进口袋。
“我也许应该去试试那些海民女人。”麦特急忙说道，他将烟斗从嘴里拿下来，比了个手势，“你在追艾伊尔女孩的时候，总会发生古怪的事情，非常古怪的事情，比如那个被她们称作枪姬吻的游戏。”这些话立刻吸引了他们的注意力，但巴兰并没有放下手中的硬币，卡罗明也依旧没下注。
艾斯丁发出一阵酒醉后的狂笑：“我猜应该是用钢铁吻你的肋骨吧！你知道，枪姬众只有钢铁，她们会把矛尖刺进你的肋骨缝里，烧了我的灵魂吧！”没有人笑，但他们都在听。
“不完全对。”麦特装出笑容。烧了我吧，我已经说了这么多，把剩下的说出来也没什么。“鲁拉克说，如果我想和枪姬众在一起，就应该问问她们如何玩枪姬吻，他说这是了解她们最好的办法。”那时，麦特觉得这就像是在家乡的接吻游戏，比如吻雏菊，他从没想过艾伊尔的部族首领会是一个爱恶作剧的人。不过，下次他会机警些了。他又让自己的笑容灿烂一些，“于是，我去找贝恩和……”雷门不耐烦地皱起眉头，这些人只知道一个艾伊尔人的名字——鲁拉克，他们也不想知道更多。麦特略过名字，继续说道：“……那时我就像是个不会说话的傻瓜，我要她们展示一下什么是枪姬吻。”他当时应该从她们开心的笑容里猜到些什么的，那种样子就像是一群被邀请和老鼠跳舞的猫。“还没等我知道出了什么事，已经有一堆枪尖像领子般把我的脖子团团围住，如果我打个喷嚏，我的脖子一定会马上被刺破许多洞。”
桌子周围的人们爆出一阵哄笑，还有雷门喘息不止的笑声和艾斯丁的酒后狂嚎。
麦特没有再说话，他几乎又感觉到了那些矛尖，仿佛如果他动一下手指，它们就会刺进他的喉咙。贝恩一直在笑，她告诉麦特，她从没听过会有男人主动要求玩枪姬吻的。
卡罗明捋着自己的胡子，对还在犹豫的麦特说：“你不能话只说一半，继续说啊！那是什么时候发生的事？我打赌是两天前的晚上，那天你没来，没人知道你去哪里。”
“我那晚正在和汤姆下棋，”麦特急忙说，“那是好几天前的事情了。”他很高兴自己能面不改色地说出这段谎话，“她们每个人都吻了我，就是这样，如果吻我的人认为那是一个美好的吻，她们就把矛拿开一点；如果不是，她们就把矛向前推一点。也许你会说，这算是对我的激励，就是这样了。最后，我受了伤，不过可没有我在刮胡子时受的伤厉害。”
他将烟斗插回嘴里用牙齿咬着。如果他们想知道更多，他们可以自己去要求玩这个游戏，麦特几乎希望他们之中会有人蠢到这种地步。该死的艾伊尔女人和她们该死的矛枪，那天他直到黎明时分才爬上自己的床。
“我可受不了这个。”卡罗明毫不在意地说，“如果我想试试，就让光明烧了我的灵魂吧！”他将一枚银币扔进桌子中央的钱堆里，给自己发了一张牌。“枪姬吻。”他笑得直打哆嗦，另一轮大笑开始在桌子周围掀起。
巴兰为自己的第五张牌下注，艾斯丁从散堆在他面前的金银币中摸出一枚硬币，瞥了一眼它的颜色。他们现在是不会停止了。
“野蛮人，”巴兰咬着烟斗嘟囔着，“没教养的野蛮人，他们就是这样。烧了我的灵魂吧！住在荒漠的山洞里，山洞里！除了野蛮人，没有人能在荒漠里生存。”
雷门点点头：“至少他们效忠于真龙大人，如果不是这样，我会召集一百名守卫者，将他们统统扫出提尔之岩。”巴兰和卡罗明都大声吼叫着表示赞同。
在这样的叫嚣面前维持表情自然对麦特来说并不困难，他已经听过太多这种话，只要不真正去做，随口胡诌是很轻松的事。一百名守卫者？即使兰德不管，城堡里的几百名艾伊尔人也足以对抗提尔所能组建的任何规模的军队。只不过这些艾伊尔人似乎并不真的想得到提尔之岩，麦特怀疑他们在这里惟一的原因就是兰德在这里。他不认为这些贵族少爷们也会这么想——他们都尽可能对这些艾伊尔人视而不见——但他怀疑这样是否能让他们感觉好一些。
“麦特。”艾斯丁在手里展开他的牌，不停地将它们排来排去，仿佛是无法决定应该采取什么样的组合，“麦特，你会对真龙大人说的，对不对？”
“说什么？”麦特小心地问，有太多提尔人都知道他和兰德是一起长大的朋友，这让麦特觉得很不自在。而且他们似乎以为，只要不在他们的视线里，他就会和兰德手牵手地在一起。如果他们的兄弟有导引能力，他们也不会去靠近，麦特不明白，为什么他们以为他会比他们更傻。
“我没说过？”这个相貌平庸的男人斜眼瞧着他的牌，抓了抓脑袋，立刻又变得兴致勃勃，“喔，是的，他的敕令，麦特，真龙大人的敕令。就是上次，他说平民有权在地方官员面前传唤贵族，有谁听说过贵族被地方官传唤？而且还是为了乡下鬼！”
麦特的手紧握住他的钱袋，直到里面的硬币互相挤压得咯咯作响。“这会是非常羞耻的事，”他平静地说，“如果你受到审问和判决，只因你不顾一个渔夫女儿的意愿，强占了她，或者是当你因为某个农夫将泥巴溅在你的斗篷上就痛打他一顿。”
感觉到麦特的情绪，其他人都不安地向后靠去，但艾斯丁只是点了点头，他的头无力地晃荡着，看上去倒像是垂落在胸前。“没错，然而情况当然不会变成这样，一位贵族在地方官面前接受审问？当然不会，不会是真的。”他看着手里的牌，醉醺醺地笑着，“不会是渔夫的女儿，你知道，她们浑身都是鱼腥味，你怎么洗也没办法把她们洗干净，一个农家胖女孩还比较好些。”
麦特告诉自己，他是来这里赌钱的，他告诉自己不要在乎这傻瓜的胡说，并提醒自己能从艾斯丁的口袋里掏出多少金子，但他的舌头并不听话：“有谁知道会发生什么？绞刑？也许。”
艾德隆斜睨了他一眼，眼里充满了警觉和不安：“我们一定要谈论……平民吗，艾斯丁？老亚斯特瑞的女儿们怎么样？你还没决定要和哪一个结婚吗？”
“什么？哦，哦，我想，我还得扔个子儿。”艾斯丁看着自己的牌皱了皱眉，换了一张，又皱了皱眉，“麦道尔有两三个漂亮的侍女，也许我会娶麦道尔。”
麦特从银酒杯里狠狠喝了一口酒，压抑住自己想一拳打在这张农夫脸上的欲望。他的第一杯还没喝完，那两名仆人已经放弃了为他添酒的尝试。如果他打艾斯丁，在座没有人会抬起一只手阻拦他，连艾斯丁自己也不会，因为麦特是真龙大人的朋友。但麦特只希望自己是在城中的某个酒馆里，在那里，会有一些水手质疑他的运气，只有手脚和舌头够快，他才能离开时不至于体无完肤。而现在，这只是一个愚蠢的想法。
艾德隆又瞥了麦特一眼，揣测了一下麦特的心情：“今天，我听说一个传闻，我听说真龙大人会带我们去和伊利安打仗。”
麦特被酒呛了一下。“打仗？”他仓促地问了一声。
“打仗。”雷门咬着烟斗，欢快地表示赞同。
“你确定？”卡罗明说。
巴兰也说道：“我没听说过这种讯息。”
“我今天才听说的，而且已经有三四个人都这么说。”艾德隆的眼睛似乎完全盯住手里的牌，“有谁能确定这是真的还是假的？”
“一定是真的！”雷门说，“有真龙大人率领我们，有他手里的凯兰铎，我们甚至不需要战斗，他会让对方的军队四散奔逃，我们只要直接向伊利安城进军就行了。不过，这样也太糟了，烧了我的灵魂吧！我真喜欢和伊利安人比比剑。”
“你没机会接受真龙大人的统率，”巴兰说，“他们一看见真龙旗，就会双膝跪倒。”
“如果他们不这么做，”卡罗明笑了一声，“真龙大人会用闪电炸碎他们。”
“首先是伊利安，”雷门说，“然后……然后我们就为真龙大人征服世界。你告诉他，我是这么说的，麦特，整个世界。”
麦特摇着头。一个月前，他们一想到能够导引的男人都会惊骇不已，那种男人必然会陷入疯狂，并恐怖地死去，而现在他们已经准备好跟随兰德投身战场，并坚信兰德的力量能为他们带来胜利。他们相信的是至上力，虽然他们可能并不这么想，麦特觉得他们是必须找到某种精神的支柱。不可能被征服的提尔之岩，现在落入了艾伊尔人的手里，转生真龙就在他们头顶三百尺的房间里，手里握着凯兰铎，三千年的提尔信念和历史都化成了一堆泡影，这个世界彻底被打翻了。麦特想知道，自己的境况是否更好一些，他自己的世界也在一年多一点的时间里，发生了天翻地覆的变化。他让一枚提尔金币在手指间滚过。无论他做得多么好，他也回不去了。
“我们什么时候进军，麦特？”巴兰问。
“我不知道。”麦特缓缓地说，“我不认为兰德会发起一场战争。”除非他疯了。想到这一点总是让麦特感到心烦意乱。
其他人看上去仿佛是麦特刚刚向他们保证，太阳不会在明天升起。
“我们都是真龙大人忠诚的追随者。”艾德隆皱起眉看着自己的牌，“不过，在外面……我听说有少数几个大君，他们密谋组建军队，欲夺回提尔之岩。”突然间，没有人再看麦特了。不过艾斯丁似乎仍然在努力想组出一套好牌。“当然，只要真龙大人率领我们作战，这一切就会消散于无形了。不管怎样，在提尔之岩里的我们是忠诚的。我敢肯定，那些大君也是忠诚的，只有几个在地方上的怀有异心。”
他们维持忠诚的时间不会比他们害怕转生真龙的时间更长久。片刻之间，麦特觉得自己似乎正打算将兰德遗弃在一坑毒蛇之中，随后，他想起了兰德是什么，那种感觉立刻变成了把一只黄鼠狼留在鸡窝里。兰德曾经是他的朋友，但，他是转生真龙……谁能是转生真龙的朋友？我不是在抛弃任何人，如果他想要的话，他也许能让这座城堡砸在他们的头上，当然，也会砸在我的头上。他再次告诉自己，是离开的时候了。
“不是渔夫的女儿。”艾斯丁还在嘟囔，“你会和真龙大人说吗？”
“该你了，麦特。”卡罗明焦虑地说。他看起来有些害怕，至于他到底是害怕艾斯丁会再次惹恼麦特，还是害怕他们会重新提到忠诚的问题，麦特无法判断。“你要下注第五张牌吗？或者弃牌？”
麦特发现自己并没有注意牌局，除了他和卡罗明之外，局中的每个人都已经有五张牌了，只有雷门将他的牌整齐地扣叠在钱堆旁边，表明他已经弃牌。麦特犹豫着，假装自己在思考，然后叹了一口气，将一枚硬币扔向钱堆。
当那枚银币碰到钱堆时，他突然感觉好运从几股细流变成了汹涌的洪涛。银币和桌面的每一次碰撞都清晰地回响在他的脑海中，他能够说出银币每次弹起是正面朝上还是背面朝上，知道它会以什么样的状态落下，就像他已经知道他的下一张牌是什么，而不必等到卡罗明把它放到他面前。
将牌在桌面上整理好，又放在一只手里展开，圣焰统治者和其他四位元首一同望着他，这张牌的图案是玉座手捧一簇火焰，不过她看上去一点也不像史汪·桑辰。无论提尔人对两仪师有什么样的看法，他们承认塔瓦隆的力量，即使圣焰统治者被他们安排成元首牌里最小的一张。
拿到所有五张元首的机会有多大？他的运气在完全随机的事情中是最好的，比如骰子，但也许现在在牌上也多了一些好运。“如果不是这样，就让光明把我的骨头烧成灰吧！”麦特喃喃地说，或者他的话是这样的意思。
“你看，”艾斯丁差点喊了起来，“这次你无法否认了，你说了古语，是关于什么烧，什么骨头的。”他笑着趴在桌上，“我的老师应该为我感到骄傲，我应该送给他一件礼物，如果我能找到他去了哪里。”
贵族在理论上都应该会说古语，而实际上没有几个贵族对古语知道得比艾斯丁更多。这些年轻的领主开始争论麦特到底说了些什么，他们似乎认为麦特是在说天气太热了。
麦特起了一身鸡皮疙瘩，他拼命回想刚才到底脱口说出了些什么。那是一连串模糊的字眼，但他似乎应该明白其中的意思。烧了沐瑞吧！如果她没有带我离开家乡，我就不会在记忆里留下大到能通过马车队的窟窿，我也不会胡乱说出……那该死的什么东西！但那样的话，他现在只能给父亲的乳牛挤奶，而不是带着满口袋的黄金周游世界，但他努力不去想到这一点。
“你们来这里到底是为了赌博，”麦特生气地说，“还是为了像做编织的老太太一样唠叨个不停！”
“为了赌博。”巴兰匆匆说道，“三枚，金的！”他将硬币扔在赌注上。
“再加三枚。”艾斯丁打了个嗝，将六枚金币放进钱堆里。
克制住大笑的冲动，麦特忘记了古语的事。他不愿意去想那种事，这很容易，而且，如果他们现在赌得够狠，他也许能在这一把就赢够钱，这样他明早就能离开了。如果他已经疯狂到要发动战争，我就是走路也要离开。
在外面的黑暗中，一只公鸡在啼叫。
麦特不安地动了一下身体，告诉自己不要犯傻。没有人会死。
他望着手里的牌，眨了眨眼。玉座手中的圣焰变成了一把匕首。当他告诉自己，他累了，视线已经模糊的时候，玉座将那把细小的利刃刺进了他的手背。
随着一声沙哑的呼喊，麦特扔掉手里的牌，向后倒去。他撞翻了椅子，在跌倒时，双脚踢在桌子上。空气黏稠得如同蜂蜜，所有事物的移动都变得缓慢无比，仿佛时间本身变慢了，但所有事情似乎又在同一刻发生。其他人在他耳边喊叫，空洞的喊声如同巨洞里的回音。他和椅子向后向下飘落而去，桌子则向上飘去。
圣焰统治者悬吊在空中，愈来愈大，她盯着麦特，嘴边挂着一丝残酷的微笑。当她大到接近活人的大小时，她从牌中走了出来。她的形体仍然只是一片绘图，没有厚度，但她手中的利刃再次伸向了麦特，那上面沾满了他的鲜血，仿佛是刚刚刺进了他的心脏。在她旁边，圣杯统治者也在长大，提尔大君正抽出他的剑。
麦特飘在空中，但他还是伸手握住了左袖里的匕首，毫不犹豫地将它抛了出去，匕首笔直地射向玉座的心脏，如果这东西有心脏的话。第二把匕首顺畅地进入了他的左手，更加顺畅地飞了出去。两把尖刀如同蓟花毛一般飘过空气。麦特想要尖叫，带着震惊和愤怒的喊声却堵在了喉咙里。令牌统治者在前两张牌旁边渐渐变大，安多女王抓住令牌，如同抓住一根大头棒，她的金红色头发如疯妇一般散乱。
他仍然在坠落，仍然在努力吐出那声喊叫。玉座已经彻底离开了牌面，大君正握着剑向外迈步，那些扁平的形体几乎像他一样缓慢。几乎。事实已经证明，他们手里的钢刃能够伤害他，毫无疑问，那根令牌也能够打碎颅骨，他的颅骨。
麦特扔出的匕首只能缓缓向前飘飞，仿佛是陷在果冻里。他现在确信，那只公鸡是在为他而叫的，无论他父亲是怎么说的，这个预兆已经实现了。但他不能就此放弃，不明不白地死掉，他又从外衣里抽出两把匕首，一手一把。挣扎着在半空中调整身体的位置，让自己回复到头上脚下的状态，他将一把匕首掷向挥舞大头棒的金发女人。另一把匕首被他握在手里。他转动身体，准备落到地面上，面对……
整个世界在瞬间转回到正常的状态，麦特笨拙地侧身跌在地上，强大的撞击力将他肺里的空气完全挤了出去。他拼命想站起来，从外衣里再抽出一把匕首。你不能携带太多的匕首，汤姆曾经这样对他说，而且也不需要。
片刻之间，麦特觉得那些牌和图像都消失了。也许那些都是他的想象，也许他也疯了，然后，他看见了那些牌，它们回复到正常的大小，被他的匕首射穿在一块乌木壁板上，匕首还在震颤不止。麦特哆嗦着，深深地吸了一口气。
桌子侧翻在地，硬币还在地板上旋转，贵族和仆人们都蜷伏在散乱的纸牌中间。他们张大了嘴，盯着麦特和他的匕首，两把握在麦特手里和钉在墙上的三把匕首都令他们害怕得圆睁双眼。艾斯丁抓住了一只大银壶，它奇迹似的没在混乱中被打翻，艾斯丁将其中的酒往自己的喉咙里猛灌，溢出的酒水在他的下巴和胸膛上到处都是。
“就算你没牌可赢，”艾德隆沙哑地说，“也不必……”他哆嗦了一下，嘴里的话停在了半截。
“你也看见了。”麦特将匕首收回鞘里，一股涓细的血流从他手背上的小伤口汩汩而出，“不要假装你是瞎的！”
“我什么都没看见，”雷门不带表情地说，“什么都没有！”他开始在地板上来回爬动，将金币和银币收集在一起，他把全部注意力都集中在这些硬币上，仿佛它们是世界上最重要的东西。其他人也开始做相同的事，只有艾斯丁除外，他也在来回爬动，只是为了寻找还有残酒的壶子。两名仆人之中的一个将脸埋在双手之间，另一个紧闭着眼睛，显然是在一边气喘吁吁地祈祷，一边小声地抽泣。
低声咒骂了一句，麦特走到被匕首钉在壁板上的三张牌前。它们又变成了游戏纸牌，只是硬纸和上面的漆皮都碎裂了，但玉座的绘像手里仍然是一把匕首，而不是圣焰。麦特的舌头感觉到了血的味道，这才意识到自己正在吮吸手背上的伤口。
他匆忙地从壁板上拔下匕首，不等将匕首收起，他就将钉在上面的牌撕成两半。过了一会儿，他又在地板上散乱的纸牌中找到了钱币统治者和劲风统治者，也把它们拦腰撕断。他觉得自己有一点愚蠢——一切都结束了，现在这些牌只是纸牌而已——但他没办法克制自己的冲动。
那些在地板上手脚并用爬来爬去的年轻领主们，没有一个试图阻止麦特，他们都竭力躲开他，甚至不敢看他一眼。今晚不会再有什么赌局了，也许未来的几个晚上也不会有了，至少，不会有人和麦特赌了。无论发生什么事，问题的焦点显然是在麦特身上，更加显而易见的是，这一定和至上力有关，他们不想被卷进来。
“烧了你，兰德！”麦特低声嘟囔着，“如果你一定要发疯，也不要把我扯进去吧！”他的烟斗已经摔断成两截。他恼怒地从地板上抓起钱袋，走出房间。
在黑暗的卧室里，兰德不停地在可以睡五个人的大床上翻来覆去，他正在做梦。
在一座遍布阴影的森林里，沐瑞用一根尖利的手杖抽打他，将他赶至玉座面前。玉座坐在一个树桩上，手里拿着一根绳子，绳子的另一头是要拴在他的脖子上。模糊的形体在树丛中闪动，隐约可见，他们穿行在树林里，正在猎捕他，一把匕首在暗弱下去的光线中闪烁着寒芒，他瞥见了准备进行绑缚的绳子。沐瑞的身材苗条可人，头顶还不到他的肩膀，她的脸上有一种他以前从不曾在她身上见过的情绪——恐惧。她汗流满面，更用力地抽打他，让他尽快走向玉座为他准备的缰绳。阴影中是暗黑之友和弃光魔使，白塔的缰绳在前方，后面是沐瑞。避开沐瑞的手杖，他逃走了。
“太迟了！”她在他身后高喊。他必须回家去，回去。
兰德发出昏乱的呓语，在床上来回翻滚，随后又静止不动，呼吸也暂时顺畅了许多。
他回到了家乡的水林，阳光从树缝间洒下，在他面前的池塘里绽放出点点金星。在池塘这一端，岩石上生满绿色的苔藓。三十步之外的另一端有一片扇形分布的野花，这是他孩提时学习游泳的地方。
“你现在应该游泳了。”
他飞快地转过身，明站在他面前，正朝着他微笑，依然穿着男孩的外衣和长裤。在她身边，金红色卷发的伊兰穿着宫廷里应该穿的绿丝长袍。
刚才说话的是明，这时伊兰又说道：“这里的水看起来很动人，兰德，没有人会来打扰我们。”
“我不知道。”兰德缓缓地说。明不等他说完，就用双手搂住他的脖子，踮起脚尖，吻了他。
她用轻柔的呢喃重复着伊兰的话：“没有人会来这里打扰我们。”她向后退去，脱下身上的外衣，又开始松解衬衫的系带。
兰德瞪视着面前的景象，当他发觉伊兰的长袍已经散落在青苔地面上时，目光中就出现了更多的惊愕。王女正弯下腰，双臂交叉，双手抓住了内衣的下沿。
“你们在做什么？”兰德窒息般地说。
“准备和你一起游泳。”明回答。
伊兰向他一笑，将内衣掀过头顶。
兰德急忙转身背对着她们，心中却有些许的不情愿。他发现自己正看着艾雯，她黑色的大眼睛也在悲伤地看着他。没说一个字，她转过身，消失在树林里。
“等一等！”兰德在她背后喊道，“我可以解释。”
他开始奔跑，他一定要找到她。但当他跑到树林边上的时候，明的声音让他停住了脚步。
“不要走，兰德。”
她和伊兰已经走进了水里，当她们慵懒地在池塘中游动时，只有头还露在水面上。
“回来，”伊兰呼唤着，举起一只纤细的胳膊向他招手，“难道你不应该改变一下吗？这不也是你想要的吗？”
兰德抬起腿，想要移动，却不知道该朝哪里迈步。他想要的，这句话听起来很奇怪。What does he want?他抬手抚过面颊，想擦去感觉上像是汗的东西。溃烂的皮肉几乎让他手掌上的苍鹭疤痕消失殆尽，白色的骨头从红色边缘的伤口里显露出来。
猛地一阵抽搐，他惊醒过来，发现自己正躺在黑暗与闷热中。汗水湿透了他的紧身短裤，和他身下的亚麻布床单，他的肋下传来火烧一般的疼痛，这处旧伤一直都没有真正痊愈过。他伸手摸了摸那粗糙的伤疤，那是一个几乎有一寸直径的圆斑，里面的皮肉至今也没有长好。就连沐瑞的医疗能力也无法让这个伤口完全愈合。但我还不会腐烂，我也不会发疯，还不会，还不会。他所清楚的也只有这些。他想大笑，又想知道这是否意味着他已经有一点疯了。
关于明和伊兰的梦，梦到她们……至少，这不算是疯狂，但这肯定是愚蠢。在他清醒的时候，她们从不曾用那种眼光看过他。他只有艾雯，他们从小就是彼此相属的，只是除了最终的誓言，他们还没有在妇议团面前立下婚约，但伊蒙村里和周围的人们都知道他们总有一天会结婚的。
当然，那一天永远也不会到来了，这是一个能够导引的男人的宿命。艾雯一定也明白这件事，她必须明白，而且，她是那么热衷于成为一位两仪师。不过，无论她们是否有导引的能力，女人总是很奇怪，也许她认为成为两仪师之后还可以和他结婚。他该如何告诉她，他不再想和她结婚了，他爱她，就如同爱一位姐妹。但他相信，他不需要跟她说这种事了，他可以用他的身份隐藏自己。她必须明白现在的状况。如果一个男人很快就会陷入疯狂，腐烂至死，就算运气好也撑不过几年时间，他又怎么能要求一个女人和他结婚？虽然空气依旧闷热不堪，他还是止不住身体的颤栗。
我需要睡眠。大君们到了早上就会回来，用尽办法讨他欢心——转生真龙的欢心。这一次，也许我不会做梦。兰德翻了个身，想在床单上寻找一块干燥的地方，却蓦然僵住了身体。他听见黑暗中传来微弱的