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！
y to deal with the right buyer。 If you're ready to risk having your belly ripped out through your mouth should you try selling him a pig in a sack。 Not so safe as slitting the crew's throats on a trader's ship； eh； Coke？ Not so easy； wouldn't you say？〃
There was a nervous stir among the other men； and the one addressed； a stocky fellow with shifty eyes； leaned forward anxiously。 〃They are Aes Sedai； Adden。〃 She recognized that voice； the man who had made the coarse suggestions。 〃They must be； Adden。 The rings prove it； I tell you！〃 Adden picked up something from the table； a small circle that glinted gold in the lamplight。
Egwene gasped and felt at her fingers。 They took my ring！
〃I do no like it；〃 muttered the lanky man with the missing ear。 〃Aes Sedai。 Any one of them could kill us all。 Fortune prick me！ You do be a stone…carved fool； Coke； and I ought to carve your throat。 What if one of them do wake before he does e？〃
〃They'll not wake for hours。〃 That was a fat man with hoarse voice and a gap…toothed sneer。 〃My granny taught me of that stuff we fed them。 They'll sleep till sunrise； and he'll e long afore then。〃
Egwene worked her mouth around the sour wine taste and the bitterness。 Whatever it was； your granny lied to you。 She should have strangled you in your cradle！ Before this 〃he〃 came； this man who thought he could buy Aes Sedai … like a bloody Seanchan！ … she would have Nynaeve and Elayne on their feet。 She crawled to Nynaeve。
As near as she could tell； Nynaeve seemed to be sleeping； so she began with the simple expedient of shaking her。 To her surprise； Nynaeve's eyes shot open。
〃Wha…？〃
She got a hand over Nynaeve's mouth in time to stop the word。 〃We are being held prisoner；〃 she whispered。 〃There are a dozen men on the other side of that wall； and more outside。 A great many more。 They gave us something to make us sleep； but it wasn't very successful。 Do you remember； yet？〃
Nynaeve pulled Egwene's hand aside。 〃I remember。〃 Her voice was soft and grim。 She grimaced and twisted her mouth； then suddenly barked a nearly silent laugh。 〃Sleepwell root。 The fools gave us sleepwell root mixed in wine。 Wine near gone to vinegar； it tastes like。 Quick； do you remember anything of what I taught you？ What does sleepwell root do？〃
〃It clears headaches so you can sleep；〃 Egwene said just as softly。 And nearly as grimly； until she heard what she was saying。 〃It makes you a little drowsy； but that is all。〃 The fat man had not listened well to what his granny told him。 〃All they did was help clear the pain of being hit in the head。〃
〃Exactly；〃 Nynaeve said。 〃And once we wake Elayne； we'll give them a thanking they won't forget。〃 She rose； only to crouch beside the golden…haired woman。
〃I think I saw more than a hundred of them outside when they brought us in；〃 Egwene whispered to Nynaeve's back。 〃I am sure you won't mind if I use the Power as a weapon this time。 And someone is apparently ing to buy us。 I mean to do something to that fellow that will make him walk in the Light till the day he dies！〃 Nynaeve was still crouched over Elayne； but neither of them was moving。 〃What is the matter？〃
〃She is hurt badly； Egwene。 I think her skull is broken； and she is barely breathing。 Egwene； she is dying as surely as Dailin was。〃
〃Can't you do something？〃 Egwene tried to remember all the flows Nynaeve had woven to Heal the Aiel woman； but she could recall no more than every third thread。 〃You have to！〃
〃They took my herbs；〃 Nynaeve muttered fiercely； her voice trembling。 〃I can't！ Not without the herbs！〃 Egwene was shocked to realize Nynaeve was on the point of tears。 〃Burn them all； I can't do it without … ！〃 Suddenly she seized Elayne's shoulders as if she meant to lift the unconscious woman and shake her。 〃Burn you； girl；〃 she rasped； 〃I did not bring you all this way to die！ I should have left you scrubbing pots！ I should have tied you up in a sack for Mat to carry to your mother！ I will not let you die on me！ Do you hear me？ I won't allow it！〃 Saidar suddenly shone around her； and Elayne's eyes and mouth opened wide together。
Egwene got her hands over Elayne's mouth just in time to muffle any sound； she thought； but as she touched her； the eddies of Nynaeve's Healing caught her like a straw on the edge of a whirlpool。 Cold froze her to the bone； meeting heat that seared outward as if it meant to crisp her flesh； the world vanished in a sensation of rushing； falling； flying； spinning。
When it finally ended； she was breathing hard and staring down at Elayne； who stared back over the hands she still had pressed over her woman's mouth。 The last of Egwene's headache was gone。 Even the backwash of what Nynaeve had done had apparently been enough for that。 The murmur of voices from the other room was no louder； if Elayne had made any noise … or if she had … Adden and the others had not noticed。
Nynaeve was on her hands and knees； head down and shaking。 〃Light！〃 she muttered。 〃Doing it that way。。。 was like peeling off。。。 my own skin。 Oh； Light！〃 She peered at Elayne。 〃How do you feel； girl？〃 Egwene pulled her hands away。
〃Tired；〃 Elayne murmured。 〃And hungry。 Where are we？ There were some men with slings。。。〃
Hastily Egwene told her what had happened。 Elayne's face began to darken a long way before she was done。
〃And now；〃 Nynaeve added in a voice like iron； 〃we are going to show these louts what it means to meddle with us。〃 Saidar shone around her once more。
Elayne was unsteady getting to her feet； but the glow surrounded her； as well。 Egwene reached out to the True Source almost gleefully。
When they looked through the cracks again； to see exactly what they had to deal with； there were three Myrddraal in the room。
Dead…black garb hanging unnaturally still； they stood by the table； and every man but Adden had moved as far from them as he could； till they all had their backs against the walls and their eyes on the dirt floor。 Across the table from the Myrddraal； Adden faced those eyeless stares； but sweat made runnels in the dirt on his face。
The Fade picked up a ring from the table。 Egwene saw now that it was a much heavier circle of gold than the Great Serpent rings。
Face pressed against the crack between two logs； Nynaeve gasped softly and fumbled at the neck of her dress。
〃Three Aes Sedai；〃 the Halfman hissed； its amusement sounding like dead things powdering to dust； 〃and one carried this。〃 The ring made a heavy thud as the Myrddraal tossed it back on the table。
〃They are the ones I seek；〃 another of them rasped。 〃You will be well rewarded； human。〃
〃We must take them by surprise；〃 Nynaeve said softly。 〃What kind of lock holds this door？〃
Egwene could just see the lock on the outside of the door； an iron thing on a chain heavy enough to hold an enraged bull。 〃Be ready；〃 she said。
She thinned one flow of Earth to finer than a hair； hoping the Halfmen could not sense so small a channeling； and wove it into the iron chain； into the tiniest bits of it。
One of the Myrddraal lifted its head。 Another