魔兽争霸官方小说:仇恨之轮-Cycle of Hatred(英文版)-第7部分

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Jaina　s　tone　grew　frosty；　again；　she　tightly　gripped　the　staff。　What　do　you　mean？　Can　men　and　women　not　be
equals　in　your　world？　　

Of　course　not。　Nor　would　I　say；　　he　added　quickly　before　Jaina　could　interrupt；　that　they　are　unequal　any　more　
than　I　would　say　that　an　insect　and　a　flopletely　different　purposes。　　

Grateful　for　the　opening；　Jaina　said　the　same　thing　to　Thrall　that　she　had　said　to　Antonidas　when　as　a　brash　young　
woman　she　had　insisted　on　being　his　apprentice。　Back　then；　the　archmage　had　said　to　her；　It　is　no　more　
women　s　nature　to　bee　wizards　than　it　is　a　dog　s　nature　to　pose　an　aria。　　
　
As　then；　she　now　said　to　Thrall：　Is　not　what　separates　us　from　animals　that　we　can　change　our　nature？　After　all；
there　are　those　who　would　argue　that　an　orc　s　nature　was　to　be　a　slave。　　Then　Jaina　shook　her　head。　However；
there　are　many　who　think　as　you　do。　It　is　why　women　have　to　work　twice　as　hard　to　achieve　the　same　position　as　a　
man　which　is　why　I　trust　Lorena　more　than　any　of　my　other　colonels。　She　will　learn　the　truth。　　

At　that；　Thrall　threw　his　massive　head　back　and　laughed　heartily。　You　are　a　fine　woman；　Jaina　Proudmoore。　You
remind　me　how　much　I　still　have　to　learn　about　humans；　despite　having　been　raised　by　them。　　

Given　who　raised　you；　I　d　say　that　was　more　because　you　were　raised　by　them。　　

Thrall　nodded。　A　fine　point。　Have　your　female　colonel　investigate　the　matter。　We　will　speak　again　when　she　is
done。　　He　moved　toward　the　rope　ladder　that　still　dangled　from　the　hovering　airship。　

Thrall。　　He　stopped　and　turned　to　face　her。　She　gave　him　as　encouraging　a　look　as　she　could。　We　will　not　let　this
alliance　fail。　　

Again；　he　nodded。　No；　we　shall　not。　　With　that；　he　climbed　the　rope。　

Jaina；　for　her　part；　muttered　an　incantation　in　a　language　known　only　to　mages；　then　took　a　deep　breath。　Her
stomach　felt　as　if　it　were　being　sucked　out　through　her　nose；　as　the　butte；　the　airship；　Thrall；　and　Razor　Hill　shifted
and　altered　around　her；　growing　indistinct　and　hazy。　A　moment；　and　then　everything　coalesced　into　the　familiar
surroundings　of　her　chambers　on　the　top　floor　of　the　largest　of　the　castles　that　made　up　the　tallest　structures　in
Theramore。　

She　did　most　of　the　work　of　state　here；　in　this　small　room　with　its　desk　and　thousands　of　scrolls；　rather　than　in　the　
throne　room；　an　ostentatious　title　for　a　like　space。　Jaina　sat　in　that　throne　as　little　as　possible　even　during　the
weekly　occasions　when　she　saw　petitioners；　she　generally　paced　in　front　of　the　embarrassingly　large　chair　rather　
than　actually　park　herself　in　it　and　used　the　room　sparingly。　These　chambers　felt　more　like　Antonidas　s　study；
where　she　learned　her　craft；　plete　with　disanized　desk　and　badly　sorted　scrolls。　That　made　it　feel　like　home。　

Something　else　the　throne　room　had　that　the　chambers　didn　t　was　a　window　with　a　view。　Jaina　knew　she　d　never
get　any　work　done　if　there　was　a　view　of　Theramore　she　would　be　distracted　alternately　by　wonder　at　what　they　d
built　here　and　fright　at　her　responsibility　for　it。　

Teleporting　was　always　an　intense；　draining　process；　and　while　Jaina　s　training　allowed　her　to　be　battleready　
instantly　upon　pleting　a　teleport；　all　things　being　equal；　she　preferred　to　give　herself　a　little　time　to　recover。　She　
gave　herself　those　moments　now　before　calling　out　to　her　secretary。　Duree！　　

The　old　widow　came　in　through　the　main　entrance。　The　chambers　had　three　entrances。　Two　of　them　were　known　to
all：　the　one　Duree　had　just　used；　and　the　one　to　the　hallway　and　staircase　that　led　to　Jaina　s　private　apartments。　The
third　was　a　secret　passageway　meant　to　be　an　escape　route。　Only　six　other　people　knew　of　it；　and　five　of　those　were　
the　workers　who　had　built　it。　

Duree　glared　at　Jaina　through　her　spectacles。　No　need　to　shout；　I　m　sitting　right　outside　the　door　like　I　always　am。
How　d　your　meeting　with　the　orc　go？　　

Sighing；　Jaina　said；　not　for　the　first　time；　His　name　is　Thrall。　　

Duree　waved　her　arms　about　so　much　that　the　frail　woman　almost　lost　her　balance。　Her　spectacles　fell　off　her　nose　
and　dangled　from　their　string　around　her　neck。　I　know；　but　it　s　such　a　stupid　name。　I　mean；　orcs　have　names　like　
Hellscream　and　Doomhammer　and　Drek　Than　and　Burx　and　the　like；　and　he　calls　himself　Thrall？　What　self
respecting　orc　would　call　himself　that？　　

Not　bothering　to　explain　that　Thrall　was　more　selfrespecting　than　any　orc　she　d　known　since　the　explanation　had
never　worked　the　previous　hundred　times　she　d　tried　it　Jaina　said　instead；　It　s　Drek　Thar；　not　Drek　Than。　　
　
Either　way。　　Duree　put　her　spectacles　back　on　her　nose。　Those　are　good　orc　names。　Not　Thrall。　Anyhow；　how　d　it
go？　　

We　have　a　problem。　Get　Kristoff　in　here；　and　have　one　of　the　boys　find　Colonel　Lorena　and　tell　her　to　put　a　detail
together　that　s　traveling　to　Northwatch；　and　then　to　report　to　me。　　Jaina　sat　at　her　desk　and　started　sorting　through
the　scrolls；　trying　to　find　the　shipping　reports。　

Why　Lorena？　Shouldn　t　you　get　Lothar　or　Pierce？　Someone　less　I　don　t　know；　feminine？　They　re　a　rough　bunch
in　Northwatch。　　

Wondering　if　she　was　going　to　have　this　conversation　every　time　Lorena　s　name　came　up；　Jaina　said；　Lorena　s
tougher　than　Lothar　and　Pierce　bined。　She　ll　be　fine。　　

Duree　pouted；　a　poor　sight　on　such　an　old　woman。　It　ain　t　right。　Military　ain　t　women　s　work。　　

Giving　up　on　finding　the　shipping　records；　she　instead　glared　at　her　secretary。　　Neither　is　running　a　citystate。　　

Well；　that　s　different；　　Duree　said　weakly。　

How？　　

It　just　is。　　

Jaina　shook　her　head。　Three　years；　and　Duree　had　yet　to　e　up　with　a　better　answer　than　that。　Just　go　get
Kristoff　and　send　for　Lorena　before　I　turn　you　into　a　newt。　　

You　turn　me　into　a　newt；　you　ll　never　find　anything　again。　　

Throwing　up　her　hands　in　frustration。　I　can　t　find　anything　now。　Where　are　the　damn　shipping　records？　　

Smiling；　Duree　said；　Kristoff　has　em。　I　ll　tell　him　to　bring　　em　when　he　es；　shall　I？　　

Please。　　

Duree　bowed；　which　caused　her　spectacles　to　fall　off　again。　Then　she　left　the　chambers。　Jaina　briefly　considered
throwing　a　fireball　after　her；　but　decided　against　it。　Duree　was　right　without　her；　Jaina　never　would　be　able　to　find
anything。　

Moments　later；　Kristoff　arrived；　several　scrolls　in　hand。　Duree　said　you　wanted　to　see　me；　milady。　Or　did　you　just
want　these？　　He　indicated　the　scrolls。　

Both；　actually。　Thank　you；　　she　added　as　she　took　the　scrolls　from　him。　

Kristoff　was　Jaina　s　chamberlain。　While　she　ruled　Theramore；　Kristoff　was　the　one　who　ran　it。　His　capacity　for
irritating　minutiae　made　him　ideal　for　the　job；　and　had　been　the　primary　thing　keeping　Jaina　from　indulging　in　a
homicidal　rage　when　being　leader　became　too　much　for　her　notverybroad　shoulders　to　bear。　He　had　been　the　clerk
to　Highlord　Garithos　before　the　war；　when　his　anizational　skills　had　bee　legendary。　

Certainly；　he　did　not　advance　in　the　military　due　to　any　physical　prowess。　Kristoff　was　tall　but　rail　thin；　seeming　
almost　as　fragile　as　Duree；　who　at　least　had　old　age　to　blame。　His　straight；　dark；　justpastshoulderlength　hair
framed　an　angular　face　and　hawk　nose；　a　visage　that　seemed　to　wear　a　perpetual　scowl。　

Jaina　shared　Thrall　s　story　of　the　attack　on　ath　ar　and　the　nearby　vessel　doing　nothing　to　help。　

Raising　a　thin　eyebrow；　Kristoff　said；　The　story　does　not　seem　credible。　Half　a　league　off　Ratchet；　you　said？　　
　
Jaina　nodded。　

There　were　no　military　boats　assigned　to　that　region；　milady。　　

The　fog　was　thick　it　s　possible　that　the　boat　Captain　Bolik　saw　was　off　course。　　

Kristoff　nodded；　conceding　the　point。　However；　milady；　it　is　also　possible　that　Captain　Bolik　was　mistaken。　　

It　seems　unlikely。　　Jaina　walked　around　to　the　other　side　of　her　desk　and　sat　in　the　chair；　placing　the　shipping　
records　on　the　only　open　space。　Orcs　have　keener　eyesight　than　we　do；　remember；　and　they　tend　to　use　the　most　
gifted　in　eyesight　as　lookouts。　　

We　must　also　consider　the　possibility　that　the　orcs　are　lying。　　Before　Jaina　could　object　to　this　notion　which　she　
very　much　intended　to　do　Kristoff　held　up　a　longfingered　hand。　I　do　not　speak　of　Thrall；　now；　milady。　The　orcs　　
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