PROLOGUE Deceptive Appearances

最艰巨的任务开始。最不喜欢的一本，这本坚持下来就没问题了。
去年十一就在看这本，时隔一年一点进步也没有。
上次看得特别赶，一直在想，快到下一本吧，快到下一本吧。这回到不那么着急，反而有点失落。再过几本就是最后一个高潮，KoD，接下来就不是乔丹了。

开场诗：
Who would sup with the mighty must climb the path of daggers.
—Anonymous notation found inked in the
margin of a manuscript history (believed
to date to the time of Artur Hawkwing)
of the last days of the Tovan Conclaves

On the heights, all paths are paved with daggers.
—Old Seanchan saying

对英文中的xx of xx和日文中的xx の xx 一概翻译成xx之xx 不太满意，太懒惰了。
Path of Daggers在文中的意思是插满匕首的路，但匕首之路完全没有这个感觉。我也不知道怎么翻更好。台版好像是匕之道，听起来也挺别扭的，也许匕首路好些？听起来又像个街名。
Ethenielle 的POV：
这段POV曾经给我巨大的打击。虽说那时候看得不算仔细，总算也看了七本，第一次看英文版一上来就所有的人都不认识，完全想不起来是谁，觉得自己真是太没用了。
不是我的问题，是乔丹不好。这章中的多数人在前面只是略微提到或者根本没提到，只有一个角色在过去正式出过场并说过话。就算老外读者，看到这章也得骂一句这都TM谁。
这些人都是边境国家的国王和重臣，他们聚在黑山开会，计划找到Rand，然后做点什么。
Kindor：
Queen Ethenielle Cosaru Noramaga：中年女王，他死去的丈夫叫Brys
Serailla：淡定的女大臣
Baldhere：她的Swordbearer，奉剑。这个人叫秃子在这儿。他捧的剑叫：sword of Kirukan，Kirukan是以前Aramaelle的武士女王。
Lomas：斥候

Arafel：
King Paitar Neramovni Nachiman：国王，年轻时是个大帅哥，现在不行了。他的妻子叫Menuki Nachiman。他也是想Rand效忠的绿宗——Kiruna Nachiman的哥哥。
Ishigari Terasian：大臣
Kyril Shianri：大臣
Coladara：Paitar的沙袋顾问，还有七个沙袋和他在一起
Shienar：
King Easar of House Togita：国王
Lord Agelmar of House Jagad：呜呜，终于有个认识的人了，Fal Dara的城主，在第一卷中接待过沐姐和五个主角的，他是和真龙有过接触的人，但在这章一直没怎么说话。
Alesune Chulin：皇家shatayan（类似女管家）

Saldaea：
Queen Tenobia si Bashere Kazadi：女王，Faile的堂姐
Kalyan Ramsin：将军，女王的舅舅。Tenobia想撮合他与Ethenielle。

Nianh：Etheniell的沙袋顾问，大概在白塔出事之后不见了。
Aisling Noon：Easar的沙袋顾问，也不见了。
Memara：Elaidar派给Tenobia的顾问，Tenobia似乎不喜欢她，没带她来。

Surasa：Kindor女王，Ethenielle的祖先。
Tall for a woman, she managed to be pretty if not beautiful despite a nose that was overbold at best.
您也承认Saldaea的鼻子很丑啊。
Ethenielle had never considered the girl for any of her own sons.
明智，Saldaea女人碰不得。
Which meant her uncle Davram would succeed, if she left him alive after this, or else Davram’s heir.
从Perrin的破裂王冠预视来看，恐怕这位女王不是很快就死了，就是一辈子结不了婚。
“And I have five more,” Tenobia put in as if announcing she had a new pair of slippers. “They found me just before I left Saldaea. By chance, I’m sure
她也带了五个沙袋，凑齐十三人了。想干啥？
“Farther south,” Easar added, “it may be well to have thirteen Aes Sedai with us.” 
他们知道这个数字的意义。
This meeting had only one real purpose, a simple and ancient ceremony of the Borderlands that had been recorded only seven times in all the years since the Breaking.
血盟，但不知道这帮二货究竟想做什么。
以前没意识到，这段POV还是非常不错的，POD也有优点啊。
可以说完全用沙袋体写成，句句真话，但不是你以为的真相，Verin的善恶黑白，她的目的，她的过去。

这段POV的时间，应该是Rand进攻Illian的同一天，Verin在艾伊尔营帐询问被俘的沙袋。


Turanna Norill：白宗，刚被”询问“完。
Coiren Saeldain：灰宗，在抓到Rand前，曾经是白塔使团的头领。在做Da'tsang的苦工。
Sarene Nemdahl：白宗。
Sorilea had demanded to know what shamed wetlanders most.
一直觉着da'tsang的风俗恶心极了，不能霄晨那边就是邪恶，艾伊尔这边就是风俗，我觉着都是邪恶。
They still struggled to justify taking the path fate had pushed them down, but Verin already had reasons for the path she followed, and purpose.
又是在暗指，而且表面上看是暗指...，实际上是...
 She also had a list in her pouch, ready to hand to Sorilea when they were alone. 
还真要帮艾伊尔羞辱沙袋啊。

Coram
Mendan
两个看门的艾伊尔。
Keeping secrets from your Warder was far more difficult than keeping them from strangers.
又是怎样的隐瞒呢？
 Seventy-one years had passed since she had last made a serious mistake.
又是怎样的错误？七十一年，对普通人来说可能就是一生了，可怕的折磨。

Irgain Fatamed：被Rand Still的绿宗，她不是da'tsang，为什么呢。Verin怀疑艾伊尔是故意让她看到Irgain。
One of Irgain’s two apparently had fallen over dead from the shock, and the other had died trying to kill thousands of Aiel without making any effort to escape.
Still对护法的形象好可怕。
“There is always a way if you only look for it,” Verin said, absently patting the woman’s shoulder. “You must always look.”
这个不是空话。

Daviena
Losaine
两个智者。
Verin forced her face into a smile to keep from frowning. Where had they learned that? She would have wagered all she possessed that they had not known how only a few days ago.
智者们也会linking了，可能是Eg教的。这样Rand不害怕吗？
 “Some pretty drawings and a great deal about plants and flowers,” Aeron said coldly.
Verin笔记上的暗语。
One day she would have to write out the cipher she used in her notebooks—a lifetime’s worth of them filled cupboards and chests in her rooms above the White Tower library—one day, but she hoped not soon. 
唉...

Aeron：傲慢的智者，因为傲慢，地位很高。
Tialin：智者。名字混淆家族又添新丁。
Beldeine Nyram：年轻绿宗，还没找到第一个护法。她的长相是Saldaean恐怖相貌的轻度版，所以大概挺有风情。
“Katerine Alruddin escaped last night,”
黑宗逃走了，毒死了看守，杀死了gai'shain。是怎么回事呢，艾伊尔黑暗之友的接应，还是别的什么，完全不记得了。
 “Forgive me, Wise One,” she said humbly. 
看见智者在Verin面前趾高气扬，就非常厌恶，比起Verin丫们算个屁啊。
 A pity she had no way to make sure Katerine met with a fatal accident.
她知道Katerine的身份吗？
Aeron did not go, however, not immediately. “You will not speak of Katerine Alruddin to the Car’a’carn,” she said. “He has enough to occupy his thoughts without giving him trifles to worry over.”
这帮人和白塔一点区别没有，高贵冷艳个什么劲儿呢。
If they ever learned they had been guided to that decision. . . . It was a worry for another day. She seemed to be piling up a great many of those.
Verin的推动技巧。
 “I suppose if you didn’t shy at that, you’ll stop at nothing! What else have you and the others taught them besides linking?”
Beldeine认为linking是Verin教的。
 “Break us, and you know it! Make us swear oaths to al’Thor, the way you did. Oh, Verin, how could you? Swearing fealty! And worse, to a man, to him!
这样倒没那么邪恶了，艾伊尔人想的只是单纯的羞辱。
 “They let you keep the ring to remind you of who you were, and increase your shame. I don’t know whether they would let you swear to Master al’Thor if you begged. It would take something incredible on your part, I think.”
真是可怕啊。
Verin put on a warm smile. A fellow had once told her that her smile made him think of his dear mother. She hoped he had not been lying about that, at least. He had tried to slide a dagger between her ribs a little later, and her smile had been the last thing he ever saw. 
这又是个什么故事。
But they won’t let you go, not ever, until they’re sure the shame is so deep in you there’s nothing else left. Not if it takes the rest of your life.
上一卷好一点，这下又开始憎恶艾伊尔人了。
carved-flower angreal in her pouch
Verin的angreal。
The woman might die inside the year, or in ten, as a result of this, but the weave itself would not harm her.
Verin版的Compulsion，Delving，很可怕。
Curiosity, she thought wryly, working at the weave on Beldeine, has made me climb into more than one pickling kettle. 
能理解。
They had all said the world had to be kept safe from him; what was interesting was those who thought he needed protection, too. Some who had said that, surprised her.
这个some who 是谁呢？
In a firm, low voice, Verin gave her instructions. More like suggestions, though she phrased them as commands.
让她做什么？
Why, once a man had even remembered the weaves being woven on him, if not the instructions she had given him. Such a lot of bother that caused! Not something she would risk again.
好像又是一个有趣的故事。
Handling that much of saidar took it out of you, especially when you had already done it four times today. 
给四个人洗过脑。
She still had a task. Somehow, she had to keep young Rand alive until it was time for him to die.
听起来好阴险似的。
他手里有两个Soultrap，一个是Moghedien，一个是...
这时的时间，应该是在上卷结尾之前，Rand还没有醒来的时候。
sha'rah：一种棋，好像在现实中找不到对应。 Fisher King我也不太懂。http://wotfaq.dragonmount.com/node/156
tcheran：不知道是什么
no'ri：Stones，围棋
Only nine people living even remembered the game.
Moridin
Aran'gar
Osan'gar
Cyndane
Graendal
Mesaana
Semirhage
Demandred
这时候还没有死的Sammael。
Perhaps the Fisher did come from some dim remnant of a memory of Rand al’Thor, the shadow of a shadow.
这句话是什么意思呢。Fisher好像是个一再受伤的国王，但为什么是memory of Rand呢，即是说循环中传说Rand对传说实际来说其实是遥远的过去，正是这个理论让Moridin堕入黑暗。
忽然想起在论坛上看到过一种有趣的说法，整部书，都是LTT在自爆时脑中闪过的，关于自己的前世，Rand al'Thor的回忆。