rj.eyeoftheworld-第128部分

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more　I　read；　the　more　I　knew　that　I　had　to　go　Outside；　go　to　those　places　we　had　been；　and　see　the　groves　for　myself。〃
　　　　　　　Rand　blinked。　〃Groves？〃
　　　　　　　〃Yes；　the　groves。　The　trees。　Only　a　few　of　the　Great　Trees；　of　course；　towering　to　the　sky　to　keep　memories　of　the　stedding　fresh。〃　His　chair　groaned　as　he　shifted　forward；　gesturing　with　his　hands；　one　of　which　still　held　the　book。　His　eyes　were　brighter　than　ever；　and　his　ears　almost　quivered。　〃Mostly　they　used　the　trees　of　the　land　and　the　place。　You　cannot　make　the　land　go　against　itself。　Not　for　long；　the　land　will　rebel。　You　must　shape　the　vision　to　the　land；　not　the　land　to　the　vision。　In　every　grove　was　planted　every　tree　that　would　grow　and　thrive　in　that　place；　each　balanced　against　the　next；　each　placed　to　plement　the　others；　for　the　best　growing；　of　course；　but　also　so　that　the　balance　would　sing　in　the　eye　and　the　heart。　Ah；　the　books　spoke　of　groves　to　make　Elders　weep　and　laugh　at　the　same　time；　groves　to　remain　green　in　memory　forever。〃
　　　　　　　〃What　about　the　cities？〃　Rand　asked。　Loial　gave　him　a　puzzled　look。　〃The　cities。　The　cities　the　Ogier　built。　Here；　for　instance。　Caemlyn。　Ogier　built　Caemlyn；　didn't　you？　The　stories　say　so。〃
　　　　　　　〃Working　with　stone。。。〃　His　shoulders　gave　a　massive　shrug。　〃That　was　just　something　learned　in　the　years　after　the　Breaking；　during　the　Exile；　when　we　were　still　trying　to　find　the　stedding　again。　It　is　a　fine　thing；　I　suppose；　but　not　the　true　thing。　Try　as　you　will　…　and　I　have　read　that　the　Ogier　who　built　those　cities　truly　did　try　…　you　cannot　make　stone　live。　A　few　still　do　work　with　stone；　but　only　because　you　humans　damage　the　buildings　so　often　with　your　wars。　There　were　a　handful　of　Ogier　in　。。。　ah　。。。　Cairhien；　it's　called　now　。。。　when　I　passed　through。　They　were　from　another　stedding；　luckily；　so　they　didn't　know　about　me；　but　they　were　still　suspicious　that　I　was　Outside　alone　so　young。　I　suppose　it's　just　as　well　there　was　no　reason　for　me　to　linger　there。　In　any　case；　you　see；　working　with　stone　is　just　something　that　was　thrust　on　us　by　the　weaving　of　the　Pattern；　the　groves　came　from　the　heart。〃
　　　　　　　Rand　shook　his　head。　Half　the　stories　he　had　grown　up　with　had　just　been　stood　on　their　heads。　〃I　didn't　know　Ogier　believed　in　the　Pattern；　Loial。〃
　　　　　　　〃Of　course；　we　believe。　The　Wheel　of　Time　weaves　the　Pattern　of　the　Ages；　and　lives　are　the　threads　it　weaves。　No　one　can　tell　how　the　thread　of　his　own　life　will　be　woven　into　the　Pattern；　or　how　the　thread　of　a　people　will　be　woven。　It　gave　us　the　Breaking　of　the　World；　and　the　Exile；　and　Stone；　and　the　Longing；　and　eventually　it　gave　us　back　the　stedding　before　we　all　died。　Sometimes　I　think　the　reason　you　humans　are　the　way　you　are　is　because　your　threads　are　so　short。　They　must　jump　around　in　the　weaving。　Oh；　there；　I've　done　it　again。　The　Elders　say　you　humans　don't　like　to　be　reminded　of　how　short　a　time　you　live。　I　hope　I　didn't　hurt　your　feelings。〃
　　　　　　　Rand　laughed　and　shook　his　head。　〃Not　at　all。　I　suppose　it'd　be　fun　to　live　as　long　as　you　do；　but　I　never　really　thought　about　it。　I　guess　if　I　live　as　long　as　old　Cenn　Buie；　that'll　be　long　enough　for　anybody。〃
　　　　　　　〃He　is　a　very　old　man？〃
　　　　　　　Rand　just　nodded。　He　was　not　about　to　explain　that　old　Cenn　Buie　was　not　quite　as　old　as　Loial。
　　　　　　　〃Well；〃　Loial　said；　〃perhaps　you　humans　do　have　short　lives；　but　you　do　so　much　with　them；　always　jumping　around；　always　so　hasty。　And　you　have　the　whole　world　to　do　it　in。　We　Ogier　are　bound　to　our　stedding。〃
　　　　　　　〃You're　Outside。〃
　　　　　　　〃For　a　time；　Rand。　But　I　must　go　back；　eventually。　This　world　is　yours；　yours　and　your　kind's。　The　stedding　are　mine。　There's　too　much　hurly…burly　Outside。　And　so　much　is　changed　from　what　I　read　about。〃
　　　　　　　〃Well；　things　do　change　over　the　years。　Some；　anyway。〃
　　　　　　　〃Some？　Half　the　cities　I　read　about　aren't　even　there　any　longer；　and　most　of　the　rest　are　known　by　different　names。　You　take　Cairhien。　The　city's　proper　name　is　Al'cair'rahienallen；　Hill　of　the　Golden　Dawn。　They　don't　even　remember；　for　all　of　the　sunrise　on　their　banners。　And　the　grove　there。　I　doubt　if　it　has　been　tended　since　the　Trolloc　Wars。　It's　just　another　forest；　now；　where　they　cut　firewood。　The　Great　Trees　are　all　gone；　and　no　one　remembers　them。　And　here？　Caemlyn　is　still　Caemlyn；　but　they　let　the　city　grow　right　over　the　grove。　We're　not　a　quarter　of　a　mile　from　the　center　of　it　right　where　we　sit　…　from　where　the　center　of　it　should　be。　Not　a　tree　of　it　left。　I've　been　to　Tear　and　Illian；　too。　Different　names；　and　no　memories。　There's　only　pasture　for　their　horses　where　the　grove　was　at　Tear；　and　at　Illian　the　grove　is　the　King's　park；　where　he　hunts　his　deer；　and　none　allowed　inside　without　his　permission。　It　has　all　changed；　Rand。　I　fear　very　much　that　I　will　find　the　same　everywhere　I　go。　All　the　groves　gone；　all　the　memories　gone；　all　the　dreams　dead。〃
　　　　　　　〃You　can't　give　up；　Loial。　You　can't　ever　give　up。　If　you　give　up；　you　might　as　well　be　dead。〃　Rand　sank　back　in　his　chair　as　far　as　he　could　go；　his　face　turning　red。　He　expected　the　Ogier　to　laugh　at　him；　but　Loial　nodded　gravely　instead。
　　　　　　　〃Yes；　that's　the　way　of　your　kind；　isn't　it？〃　The　Ogier's　voice　changed；　as　if　he　were　quoting　something。　〃Till　shade　is　gone；　till　water　is　gone；　into　the　Shadow　with　teeth　bared；　screaming　defiance　with　the　last　breath；　to　spit　in　Sightblinder's　eye　on　the　Last　Day。〃　Loial　cocked　his　shaggy　head　expectantly；　but　Rand　had　no　idea　what　it　was　he　expected。
　　　　　　　A　minute　went　by　with　Loial　waiting；　then　another；　and　his　long　eyebrows　began　to　draw　down　in　puzzlement。　But　he　still　waited；　the　silence　growing　unfortable　for　Rand。
　　　　　　　〃The　Great　Trees；〃　Rand　said　finally；　just　for　something　to　break　that　silence。　〃Are　they　like　Avendesora？〃
　　　　　　　Loial　sat　up　sharply；　his　chair　squealed　and　cracked　so　loudly　Rand　thought　it　was　going　to　e　apart。　〃You　know　better　than　that。　You；　of　all　people。〃
　　　　　　　〃Me？　How　would　I　know？〃
　　　　　　　〃Are　you　playing　a　joke　on　me？　Sometimes　you　Aielmen　think　the　oddest　things　are　funny。　〃
　　　　　　　〃What？　I'm　not　an　Aielman！　I'm　from　the　Two　Rivers。　I　never　even　saw　an　Aielman！〃
　　　　　　　Loial　shook　his　head；　and　the　tufts　on　his　ears　drooped　outward。　〃You　see？　Everything　is　changed；　and　half　of　what　I　know　is　useless。　I　hope　I　did　not　offend　you。　I'm　sure　your　Two　Rivers　is　a　very　fine　place；　wherever　it　is。〃
　　　　　　　〃Somebody　told　me；〃　Rand　said；　〃that　it　was　once　called　Manetheren。　I'd　never　heard　it；　but　maybe　you　。。。　〃
　　　　　　　The　Ogier's　ears　had　perked　up　happily。　〃Ah！　Yes。　Manetheren。〃　The　tufts　went　down　again。　〃There　was　a　very　fine　grove　there。　Your　pain　sings　in　my　heart；　Rand　al'Thor。　We　could　not　e　in　time。〃
　　　　　　　Loial　bowed　where　he　sat；　and　Rand　bowed　back。　He　suspected　Loial　would　be　hurt　if　he　did　not；　would　think　he　was　rude　at　the　least。　He　wondered　if　Loial　thought　he　had　the　same　sort　of　memories　the　Ogier　seemed　to。　The　corners　of　Loial's　mouth　and　eyes　were　certainly　turned　down　as　if　he　were　sharing　the　pain　of　Rand's　loss；　just　as　if　the　destruction　of　Manetheren　were　not　something　that　happened　two　thousand　years　ago；　near　enough；　something　that　Rand　only　knew　about　because　of　Moiraine's　story。
　　　　　　　After　a　time　Loial　sighed。　〃The　Wheel　turns；〃　he　said；　〃and　no　one　knows　its　turning。　But　you　have　e　almost　as　far　from　your　home　as　I　have。　A　very　considerable　distance；　as　things　are　now。　When　the　Ways　were　freely　open；　of　course　…　but　that　is　long　past。　Tell　me；　what　brings　you　so　far？　Is　there　something　you　want　to　see；　too？〃
　　　　　　　Rand　opened　his　mouth　to　say　that　they　had　e　to　see　the　false　Dragon　…　and　he　could　not　say　it。　Perhaps　it　was　because　Loial　acted　as　if　he　were　no　older　than　Rand；　ninety　years　old　or　no　ninety　years　old。　Maybe　for　an　Ogier　ninety　years　was　not　any　older　than　he　was。　It　had　been　a　long　time　since　he　had　been　able　to　really　talk　to　anyone　about　what　was　happening。　Always　the　fear　that　they　might　be　Darkfriends；　or　think　he　was。　Mat　was　so　drawn　in　on　himself；　feeding　his　fears　on　his　own　suspicions；　that　he　was　no　good　for　talking。　Rand　found　himself　telling　Loial　about　Winternight。　Not　a　vague　story　about　Darkfriends；　the　truth　about　Trollocs　breaking　in　the　door；　and　a　Fade　on　the　Quarry　Road。
　　　　　　　Part　of　him　was　horrified　at　what　he　was　doing；　but　it　was　almost　as　if　he　were　two　people；　one　trying　to　hold　his　tongue　while　the　other　only　felt　the　relief　at　being　able　to　tell　it　all　finally。　The　result　was　that　he　stumbled　and　stuttered　and　jumped　around　in　the　story。　Shadar　Logoth　and　losing　his　friends　in　the　night；　not　knowing　if　they　were　alive　or　dead。　The　Fade　in　Whitebridge；　and　Thom　dying　so　they　could　escape。　The　Fade　in　Baerlon。　Darkfriends　later；　Howal　Gode；　and　the　boy　who　was　afraid　of　them；　and　the　woman　who　tried　to　kill　Mat。　The　Halfman　outside　the　Goose　and　Crown。
　　　　　　　When　he　started　babbling　about　dreams；　even　the　part　of　him　that　wanted　to　talk　felt　the　hackles　rising　on　the　back　of　his　neck。　He　bit　his　tongue　clamping　his　teeth　shut。　Breathing　heavily　through　his　nose；　he　watched　the　Ogier　warily；　hoping　he　thought　he　had　meant　nightmares。　The　Light　knew　it　all　sounded　like　a　nightmare；　or　enough　to