tg.wizardfirstrule-第119章

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　behind；　carrying　bolts　of　pretty；　pink　cloth。　Rachel　looked　quick　for　a　place　to　hide；　but　the　Princess　had　already　seen　her。
　
　〃Oh　good；　Rachel；〃　the　Princess　said。　〃e　here。〃
　
　Rachel　went　and　curtsied。　〃Yes；　Princess　Violet？〃
　
　〃What　are　you　doing？〃
　
　〃I　was　doing　my　errands。　I　was　just　going　to　the　kitchen　now。〃
　
　〃Well　。　。　。　don't　bother。〃
　
　〃But　Princess　Violet；　I　have　to！〃
　
　The　Princess　frowned。　〃Why？　I　just　said　you　didn't。〃
　
　Rachel　bit　her　lip；　the　Princess's　frown　scared　her。　She　tried　to　think　of　how　Giller　would　answer。　〃Well；　if　you　don't　want　me　to；　I　won't；〃　she　said。　〃But　your　lunch　was　simply　dreadful；　and　I　would　hate　to　see　you　eating　another　dreadful　meal。　You　must　be　starving　for　something　good。　But　if　you　don't　want　me　to　go　tell　them；　I　won't。〃
　
　The　Princess　thought　this　over　a　minute。　〃On　second　thought；　go　ahead；　it　was　dreadful。　Just　be　sure　to　tell　them　how　angry　I　am；　too！〃
　
　〃Yes；　Princess　Violet。〃　She　curtsied。　She　turned　and　started　to　leave。
　
　〃I'm　going　for　a　fitting。〃　Rachel　turned　back　to　her。　〃Then　I　want　to　go　to　the　jewel　room；　and　try　on　some　things；　to　go　with　my　new　dress。　When　you're　finished　with　the　cooks；　go　get　the　key　and　wait　for　me　in　the　jewel　room。〃
　
　Rachel's　mouth　felt　as　if　it　were　stuck　together。　〃But　Princess；　wouldn't　you　rather　wait　until　tomorrow；　when　the　dress　is　finished；　to　see　how　pretty　the　jewelry　will　look　with　the　dress？〃
　
　Princess　Violet　looked　surprised。　〃Well；　yes；　that　would　be　good；　to　see　the　jewels　with　the　dress。〃　She　thought　another　minute；　then　started　up　the　steps。　〃I'm　glad　I　thought　of　that。〃
　
　Rachel　let　out　a　breath；　then　headed　off　to　the　servants'　stairs。　The　Princess　called　down　to　her。
　
　〃On　second　thought；　Rachel；　I　need　to　pick　out　something　for　tonight's　dinner；　so　I　need　to　go　to　the　jewel　room　anyway。　Meet　me　there　in　a　little　while。〃
　
　〃But；　Princess　。。　。
　
　〃But　nothing。　After　you　deliver　my　message　to　the　cooks；　go　get　the　key　and　wait　for　me　in　the　jewel　room。　I'll　be　there　as　soon　as　I'm　done　with　the　fitting。〃
　
　The　Princess　went　up　the　grand　stairs　and　disappeared。
　
　What　was　she　going　to　do　now？　Giller　was　going　to　meet　her　in　the　jewel　room；　too。　She　was　breathing　hard；　as　if　she　was　going　to　cry。　What　was　she　going　to　do？
　
　She　was　going　to　do　as　Giller　said；　that's　what。　She　was　going　to　be　brave。　So　those　people　didn't　get　their　heads　chopped　off。　She　stopped　herself　from　crying　and　went　down　the　steps　to　the　kitchen。　She　wondered　what　Giller　wanted　a　big　loaf　of　bread　for。
　
　…＋
　
　〃Well；　what　do　you　think？〃　he　whispered。　〃Any　ideas？〃
　
　Kahlan　was　lying　close；　next　to　him　on　the　ground；　frowning　while　she　looked　over　the　edge　to　the　scene　below。
　
　〃I　can't　even　imagine；〃　she　whispered　back。　〃I　have　never　seen　so　many　short…tailed　gars　together　in　one　place。〃
　
　〃What　could　they　be　burning？〃
　
　〃They're　not　burning　anything。　The　smoke　is　ing　from　the　ground。　This　place　is　called　Fire　Spring。　Those　are　vents　where　steam　es　up　from　the　ground；　and　from　other　openings　water　boils　up　from　below；　and　more　over　there　where　other　things　boil；　foul…smelling　yellow　liquid　and　thick　mud。　The　fumes　keep　people　away　from　this　place。　I　have　no　idea　what　gars　would　be　doing　here。〃
　
　〃Well；　look　there；　near　the　back　where　the　hill　rises　up；　where　the　biggest　vent　is。　There's　something　on　top　of　it；　something　egg…shaped；　with　steam　ing　out　around　it。　They　keep　going　up　to　look　at　it；　to　touch　it。〃
　
　She　shook　her　head。　〃Your　eyes　are　better　than　mine。　I　can't　tell　what　it　is；　or　even　that　it's　round。〃
　
　Richard　could　hear　and　feel　rumbles　from　the　ground；　some　followed　by　great　belches　of　steam　roaring　from　the　vents。　The　awful　suffocating　smell　of　sulfur　wafted　up　to　where　they　hid　in　the　stunted　trees　of　the　high　ridge。
　
　〃Maybe　we　should　go　have　a　closer　look；〃　he　whispered；　half　to　himself；　as　he　watched　the　gars　moving　about　below。
　
　〃That　would　be　beyond　foolhardy；〃　she　whispered　harshly。　〃It　would　be　just　plain　stupid。　One　gar　would　be　trouble　enough；　or　have　you　forgotten　so　quickly。　There　must　be　dozens　down　there。〃
　
　〃I　guess；〃　he　plained。　〃What's　that　behind　them；　just　above；　on　the　side　of　the　hill？　A　cave？〃
　
　Her　eyes　went　to　the　dark　maw。　〃Yes。　It's　called　the　Shadrin's　Cave。　Some　say　it　goes　all　the　way　through　the　mountain；　to　the　valley　on　the　other　side。　But　I　don't　know　of　anyone　who　knows　for　sure；　or　who　would　want　to　find　out。〃
　
　He　watched　the　gars　tearing　an　animal　apart；　fighting　over　it。　〃What's　a　Shadrin？〃
　
　〃The　Shadrin　is　a　beast　that　is　supposed　to　live　in　the　caves。　Some　say　it's　just　a　myth；　others　swear　it　is　real；　but　nobody　wants　to　go　find　out　for　sure。〃
　
　He　looked　over　at　her　as　she　watched　the　gars。　〃And　what　do　you　think？〃
　
　Kahlan　shrugged。　〃I　don't　know。　There　are　many　places　in　the　Midlands　where　there　are　supposed　to　be　beasts。　I　have　been　to　many；　and　found　no　beasts。　Most　of　these　stories　are　just　that；　stories。　But　not　all。〃
　
　Richard　was　glad　she　was　talking。　It　was　the　most　she　had　said　in　days。　The　odd　behavior　of　the　gars　seemed　to　have　over　whelmed　her　with　curiosity；　and　brought　her；　for　the　moment；　out　of　her　withdrawal。　But　they　couldn't　lie　there　talking；　they　were　wasting　time。　Besides；　if　they　stayed　too　long；　the　gars'　flies　would　find　them。　They　both　crawled　backward；　clear　of　the　edge；　then　crept　farther　away；　keeping　their　heads　down　and　their　movements　quiet。　Kahlan　withdrew　once　again　into　silence。
　
　Once　away　from　the　gars；　they　started　down　the　road　again；　to　Tamarang；　the　border　land　of　the　Wilds；　the　land　ruled　by　Queen　Milena。　Before　they　had　gone　far；　they　came　to　a　divide　in　the　road。　Richard　assumed　they　would　go　to　the　right；　as　Kahlan　had　said　that　Tamarang　lay　to　the　east。　The　gars　and　Fire　Spring　had　been　off　to　their　left。　Kahlan　went　down　the　left　road。
　
　〃What're　you　doing？〃　He　had　had　to　watch　her　like　a　hawk　since　leaving　Agaden　Reach。　He　couldn't　trust　her　anymore。　All　she　wanted　to　do　was　die；　and　he　knew　she　would　manage　it　if　he　didn't　watch　her　every…　move。
　
　She　looked　back　at　him　with　the　same　blank　expression　she　had　worn　for　days。　〃This　is　called　an　inverted　fork。　Up　ahead；　where　it's　hard　to　see　because　of　the　lay　of　the　land　and　the　heavy　woods；　the　roads　cross　over　each　other　and　switch　directions。　Because　of　the　thick　trees；　it's　hard　to　tell　where　the　sun　is；　which　direction　you　are　going。　If　we　take　the　right　fork　here；　we　will　end　up　with　the　gars。　This　one；　to　the　left；　goes　to　Tamarang。〃
　
　He　frowned。　〃Why　would　anyone　go　to　the　trouble　to　build　a　road　like　that？〃
　
　〃It's　just　one　little　way　the　old　rulers　of　Tamarang　used　to　help　confuse　invaders　from　the　Wilds。　Sometimes　it　slowed　them　down　a　little；　gave　the　defenders　time　to　retreat　and　regroup　if　they　needed　to；　then　to　fall　on　the　attackers　again。〃
　
　He　studied　her　face　a　moment；　trying　to　judge　if　she　was　telling　the　truth。　It　infuriated　him　that　he　had　to　worry　about　whether　Kahlan　was　telling　him　the　truth。
　
　〃You're　the　guide；〃　he　said　at　last。　〃Lead　on。〃
　
　At　his　word；　she　turned　without　ment　and　walked　on。　Richard　didn't　know　how　much　more　of　this　he　could　take。　She　would　only　talk　when　it　was　required；　wouldn't　listen　when　he　tried　to　make　conversation；　and　backed　away　whenever　he　got　close。　She　acted　as　if　his　touch　would　be　poison；　but　he　knew　it　was　really　her　touch　she　worried　about。　He　had　hoped　that　the　way　she　was　talking　when　they　had　spotted　the　gars　signaled　a　change；　but　he　was　wrong。　She　had　quickly　reverted　to　her　dark　mood。
　
　She　had　reduced　herself　to　a　prisoner　on　a　forced　march；　had　reduced　him　to　a　reluctant　jailer。　He　kept　her　knife　in　his　belt。　He　knew　what　would　happen　if　he　gave　it　back　to　her。　With　every　step；　she　was　drifting　farther　and　farther　from　him。　He　knew　he　was　losing　her；　but　didn't　have　the　slightest　idea　what　to　do　about　it。
　
　At　night；　when　it　was　time　for　her　watch；　for　him　to　sleep；　he　had　to　tie　her　hands　and　feet　to　prevent　her　from　killing　herself　when　he　wasn't　watching。　When　he　bound　her；　she　endured　it　limply。