"Jordan, Robert - Wheel of Time 10 - crossroads of twilight" - читать интересную книгу автора (Jordan Robert)

mustaches--like hairy tusks; worse than a Saldaean's!--and those
ridiculous veils, they might as well wear masks, and the poor light
from the lanterns did not help. But he had seen them veiled in mail,
and he needed them. "They have flooded onto Almoth Plain, and
moved ever north. Their intent is clear. They mean to have Arad
Doman, too. They mean to have the whole world, I fear."
"Does Lord Ituralde want to know who we will support if these
Seanchan invade us?" Wakeda demanded.
"I have true faith you will fight for Arad Doman, Lord
Wakeda," Ituralde said mildly. Wakeda went purple at having the
direct insult flung in his teeth, and his oath-men's hands went to
hilts.
"Refugees have brought word that there are Aiel on the plain,
now," Shimron put in quickly, as though he feared Wakeda might
break the White Ribbon. None of Wakeda's oath-men would draw
steel unless he did, or commanded them to. "They fight for the
Dragon Reborn, so say the reports. He must have sent them, per-
haps as an aid to us. No one has ever defeated an Aiel army, not
even Artur Hawkwing. You recall the Blood Snow, Lord Ituralde,
when we were younger? I believe you agree with me that we did
not defeat them there, whatever the histories may say, and I cannot
believe the Seanchan have the numbers we did then. I myself have

24 C R O S S R O A D S OF T W I L I G H T


heard of Seanchan moving south, away from the border. No, I sus-
pect the next we hear will be of them retreating from the plain, not
advancing on us." He was not a bad commander in the field, but he
had always been pedantic.
Ituralde smiled. Word came more swiftly from the south than
from anywhere else, but he had been afraid he would have to bring
up the Aiel, and they might have thought he was trying to trick
them. He could hardly believe it himself, Aiel on Almoth Plain.
He did not point out that Aiel sent to help the Dragonsworn were
more likely to have appeared in Arad Doman itself. "I've ques-
tioned refugees, too, and they speak of Aiel raids, not armies.
Whatever the Aiel are doing on the plain may have slowed the
Seanchan, but it hasn't turned them back. Their flying beasts have
begun scouting on our side of the border. That does not smack of
retreat."
Producing the paper from his sleeve with a flourish, he held it
up so all could see the Sword and Hand impressed in green-and-
blue wax. As always of late, he had used a hot blade to separate the
Royal Seal on one side while leaving it whole, so he could show it
unbroken to doubters. There had been plenty of those, when they
heard some of Alsalam's orders. "I have orders from King Alsalam
to gather as many men as I can, from wherever I can find them, and
strike as hard as I can at the Seanchan." He took a deep breath.
Here, he took another chance, and Alsalam might have his head on