rj.acrownofswords-第109部分

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ted　iron　lock　on　the　door　to　the　corridor；　he　found　the　key　and　locked　it。　Then；　for　good　measure；　he　jammed　a　chair　under　the　latch　on　the　door　to　Nerim's　room。　He　could　do　well　enough　without　dinner。　Just　as　he　was　about　to　climb　into　bed；　the　lock　rattled；　out　in　the　hall；　a　woman　laughed　at　finding　the　door　secured。
　　　He　should　have　been　able　to　sleep　soundly　then；　but　for　some　reason　he　lay　there　listening　to　his　belly　grumble。　Why　was　she　doing　this？　Well；　he　knew　why；　but　why　him？　Surely　she　had　not　decided　to　toss　all　decency　over　the　barn　just　to　bed　a　ta'veren。　He　was　safe　now；　anyway。　Tylin　would　not　batter　down　the　door；　after　all。　Would　she？　Not　even　most　birds　could　get　in　through　the　wrought…iron　arabesques　screening　the　balconies。　Besides；　she　would　need　a　long　ladder　to　reach　that　high。　And　men　to　carry　it。　Unless　she　climbed　down　from　the　roof　on　a　rope。　Or　she　could。。。　The　night　passed；　his　stomach　rumbled；　the　sun　rose；　and　he　never　closed　his　eyes　or　had　a　decent　thought。　Except　that　he　did　make　a　decision。　He　thought　of　a　use　for　the　sulking　room。　He　certainly　never　sulked。
　　　At　first　light；　he　sneaked　out　of　his　rooms　and　found　another　of　the　palace　servants　he　remembered；　a　balding　fellow　named　Madic；　with　a　smug；　self…satisfied　air　and　a　shy　twist　to　his　mouth　that　said　he　was　not　satisfied　at　all。　A　man　who　could　be　bought。　Though　the　startled　look　that　flashed　across　his　square　face；　and　the　smirk　he　barely　bothered　to　hide；　said　he　knew　exactly　why　Mat　was　slipping　gold　into　his　hand。　Blood　and　ashes！　How　many　people　knew　what　Tylin　was　up　to？
　　　Nynaeve　and　Elayne　did　not　seem　to；　thank　the　Light。　Though　that　did　mean　they　chided　him　about　missing　dinner　with　the　Queen；　which　they　had　learned　about　when　Tylin　inquired　whether　he　was　ill。　And　worse。。。
　　　〃Please；〃　Elayne　said；　smiling　almost　as　if　the　word　did　not　pain　her；　〃you　must　put　your　best　foot　forward　with　the　Queen。　Don't　be　nervous。　You'll　enjoy　an　evening　with　her。〃
　　　〃Just　don't　do　anything　to　offend　her；〃　Nynaeve　muttered。　There　was　no　doubt　with　her　that　being　civil　hurt；　her　brows　drew　down　in　concentration；　her　jaw　tightened；　and　her　hands　trembled　to　pull　her　braid。　〃Be　acmodating　for　once　in　your　…　I　mean　to　say；　remember　she's　a　decent　woman；　and　don't　try　any　of　your　…　Light；　you　know　what　I　mean。〃
　　　Nervous。　Ha！　Decent　woman。　Ha！
　　　Neither　seemed　the　least　concerned　that　he　had　wasted　a　whole　afternoon。　Elayne　patted　his　shoulder　sympathetically　and　asked　him　please　to　try　another　day　or　two；　it　certainly　was　better　than　tramping　through　the　Rahad　in　this　heat。　Nynaeve　said　the　exact　same　thing；　the　way　women　did；　but　without　the　shoulder　pat。　They　admitted　right　out　that　they　intended　to　spend　the　day　trying　to　spy　on　Carridin　with　Aviendha；　though　they　evaded　his　question　of　who　it　was　they　thought　they　might　recognize。　Nynaeve　let　that　slip；　and　Elayne　gave　her　such　a　look　he　thought　he　might　see　Nynaeve's　ears　boxed　for　once。
　　　They　meekly　accepted　his　stricture　not　to　lose　sight　of　their　bodyguards；　and　meekly　let　him　see　the　disguises　they　intended　to　wear。　Even　after　Thom's　description；　seeing　the　pair　suddenly　turn　into　Ebou　Dari　women　in　front　of　his　eyes　was　almost　as　big　a　shock　as　their　meekness。　Well；　Nynaeve　made　a　sickly　stab　at　meekness；　growling　when　she　realized　he　had　meant　what　he　said　about　the　Aiel　woman　needing　no　bodyguard；　but　she　came　close。　Either　one　of　these　women　folding　her　hands　and　answering　submissively　made　him　nervous。　Both　of　them　together　…　with　Aviendha　nodding　approvingly！　…　and　he　was　happy　to　send　them　on　their　way。　Just　to　be　sure；　though；　he　ignored　their　suddenly　flat　mouths　and　made　them　demonstrate　their　disguises　for　the　men　he　was　sending　along　first。　Vanin　leaped　at　the　chance　to　be　one　of　Elayne's　guards；　knuckling　his　forehead　right　and　left　like　a　fool。
　　　The　fat　man　had　not　learned　much　watching　on　his　own。　Just　as　on　the　day　before；　a　surprising　number　of　people　had　e　to　call　on　Carridin；　including　some　in　silk；　but　that　was　not　proof　they　were　all　Darkfriends。　All　said　and　done；　the　man　was　the　Whitecloak　ambassador；　more　folk　who　wanted　to　trade　into　Amadicia　probably　went　to　him　than　to　the　Amadician　ambassador；　whoever　he　or　she　was。　Vanin　did　say　two　women　had　definitely　been　watching　Carridin's　palace；　too　…　the　look　on　his　face　when　Aviendha　suddenly　turned　into　a　third　Ebou　Dari　woman　was　a　wonder　…　and　also　an　old　man；　he　thought；　though　the　fellow　proved　surprisingly　spry。　Vanin　had　not　managed　to　get　a　good　look　at　him　despite　spotting　him　three　times。　Once　Vanin　and　the　women　left；　Mat　sent　off　Thom　and　Juilin　to　see　what　they　could　uncover　concerning　Jaichim　Carridin　and　a　bent；　white…haired　old　man　with　an　interest　in　Darkfriends。　If　the　thief…catcher　could　not　discover　a　way　to　trip　Carridin　on　his　face；　it　did　not　exist；　and　Thom　seemed　to　have　a　way　of　putting　together　all　the　gossip　and　rumor　in　a　place　and　filtering　out　the　truth。　All　that　was　the　easy　part；　of　course。
　　　For　two　days　he　sweated　on　that　bench；　with　an　occasional　stroll　down　the　alley　beside　the　dyer's；　and　the　only　thing　that　changed　was　that　the　tea　got　worse　again。　The　wine　was　so　bad；　Nalesean　began　drinking　ale。　The　first　day；　the　tavern…keeper　offered　fish　for　a　midday　meal；　but　by　the　smell　they　had　been　caught　last　week。　The　second　day；　he　offered　a　stew　of　oysters；　Mat　ate　five　bowls　of　that　despite　the　bits　of　shell。　Birgitte　declined　both。
　　　He　had　been　surprised　when　she　caught　up　to　him　and　Nalesean　hurrying　across　the　Mol　Hara　that　first　morning。　The　sun　barely　made　a　rim　above　the　rooftops；　but　already　people　and　carts　dotted　the　square。　〃I　must　have　blinked；〃　she　laughed。　〃I　was　waiting　the　way　I　thought　you'd　e　out。　If　you　don't　mind　pany。〃
　　　〃We　move　fast　sometimes；〃　he　said　evasively。　Nalesean　looked　at　him　sideways；　of　course；　he　had　no　idea　why　they　had　crept　out　through　a　tiny　side　door　near　the　stables。　It　was　not　that　Mat　thought　Tylin　would　actually　leap　on　him　in　the　halls　in　broad　daylight；　but　then　again；　it　never　hurt　to　be　careful。　〃Your　pany　is　wele　any　time。　Uh。　Thanks。〃　She　just　shrugged　and　murmured　something　he　did　not　catch　and　fell　in　on　the　other　side　of　him。
　　　That　was　the　beginning　with　her。　Any　other　woman　he　had　ever　known　would　have　demanded　to　know　thanks　for　what；　and　then　explained　why　none　were　necessary　at　such　length　that　he　wanted　to　cover　his　ears；　or　upbraided　him　at　equal　length　for　thinking　they　were；　or　sometimes　made　it　clear　she　expected　something　more　substantial　than　words。　Birgitte　just　shrugged；　and　over　the　next　two　days；　something　startling　occurred　in　his　head。
　　　Normally；　to　him；　women　were　to　admire　and　smile　at；　to　dance　with　and　kiss　if　they　would　allow；　to　snuggle　with　if　he　was　lucky。　Deciding　which　women　to　chase　was　almost　as　much　fun　as　chasing　them；　if　not　nearly　so　much　as　catching　them。　Some　women　were　just　friends；　of　course。　A　few。　Egwene；　for　one；　though　he　was　not　sure　how　that　friendship　would　survive　her　being　Amyrlin。　Nynaeve　was　sort　of　a　friend；　in　a　way；　if　she　could　forget　for　one　hour　that　she　had　switched　his　bottom　more　than　once　and　remember　he　was　not　a　boy　anymore。　But　a　woman　friend　was　different　from　a　man；　you　always　knew　her　mind　ran　along　other　paths　than　yours；　that　she　saw　the　world　with　different　eyes。
　　　Birgitte　leaned　toward　him　on　the　bench。　〃Best　be　wary；〃　she　murmured。　〃That　widow　is　looking　for　a　new　husband；　the　sheath　on　her　marriage　knife　is　blue。　Besides；　the　house　is　over　there。〃
　　　He　blinked；　losing　sight　of　the　sweetly　plump　woman　who　rolled　her　hips　so　extravagantly　as　she　walked；　and　Birgitte　answered　his　sheepish　grin　with　a　laugh。　Nynaeve　would　have　flayed　him　with　her　tongue　for　looking；　and　even　Egwene　would　have　been　coolly　disapproving。　By　the　end　of　the　second　day　on　that　bench；　he　realized　he　had　sat　all　that　time　with　his　hip　pressed　against　Birgitte's　and　never　once　thought　of　trying　to　kiss　her。　He　was　sure　she　did　not　want　to　be　kissed　by　him　…　frankly；　considering　the　dog…ugly　men　she　seemed　to　enjoy　looking　at；　he　might　have　been　insulted　if　she　had　…　and　she　was　a　hero　out　of　legend　whom　he　still　half…expected　to　leap　over　a　house　and　grab　a　couple　of　the　Forsaken　by　the　neck　on　the　way。　But　that　was　not　it：　He　would　as　soon　have　thought　of　kissing　Nalesean。　The　same　as　the　Tairen；　just　exactly　the　same　as；　he　liked　Birgitte。
　　　Two　days　on　that　bench；　up　and　down　to　trot　down　the　alley　beside　the　dyer　and　stare　at　the　tall　wall　of　bare　brick　at　the　back　of　the　house's　garden。　Birgitte　could　have　climbed　it；　but　even　she　might　have　broken　her　neck　if　she　tried　wearing　a　dress。　Three　times　he　decided　on　the　spur　of　the　moment　to　follow　a　woman　ing　out　of　the　house；　two　wearing　the　red　belt　of　a　Wise　Woman。　Random　chance　did　seem　to　invoke　his　luck。　One　of　the　Wise　Women　went　around　the　corner　and　bought　a　bunch　of　shriveled　turnips　before　going　back；　the　other　walked　two　streets　over　to　buy　a　pair　of　big；　green…striped　fish。　The　third　woman；　tall　and　dark　in　neat　gray　wool；　maybe　a　Tairen；　crossed　two　bridges　before　entering　a　large　shop　where　she　was　greeted　with　smiles　by　a　skinny　bowing　fellow　and　began　supervising　the　loading　of　lacquered　boxes　and　trays　into　sawdust…filled　baskets　that　were　then　loaded　into　a　wagon。　By　what　he　heard；　she　hoped　to　fetch　a　pretty　piece　of　silver　with　them　in　Andor。　Mat　barely　managed　to　escape　without　buying　a　box。　So　much　for　random　luck。
　　　No　one　else　had　any　either。　Nynaeve　and　Elayne　and　Aviendha　made　their　pilgrimages　to　the　streets　around　Carridin's　small　palace　without　seeing　anyone　they　recognized；　which　frustrated　them　no　end。　They　still　refused　to　say　who；　it　hardly　mattered；　since　the　people　were　not　to　be　seen。　That　was　what　they　said；　showing　him　enough　teeth　for　six　women。　The　grimaces　were　supposed　to　be　smiles；　he　thought。　It　was　a　shame　Aviendha　seemed　to　have　fallen　in　with　the　other　two　so　thoroughly；　but　there　was　a　moment　when　he　was　pressing　them　for　an　answer；　and　Elayne　snapped　at　him；　staring　down　her　nose；　and　the　Aiel　woman　whispered　something　in　her　ear。
　　　〃Forgive　me；　Mat；〃　Elayne　said　earnestly；　her　face　going　so　red　her　h