rj.acrownofswords-第114部分

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for　its　use　were　under　way。　〃You　propose　to　punish　me　for　endangering　a　secret　apparently　known　only　to　sisters；　but　no　one　bothered　to　tell　me　this　secret　when　I　attained　the　shawl。　You　suggest　punishing　me　like　a　novice　or　Accepted；　but　I　am　Aes　Sedai。　I　was　raised　to　the　shawl　by　Egwene　al'Vere；　the　Amyrlin　you　claim　to　serve。　If　you　deny　that　Nynaeve　and　I　are　Aes　Sedai；　then　you　deny　the　Amyrlin　Seat　who　sent　me　to　find　the　Bowl　of　the　Winds；　which　we　have　done。　I　will　not　have　it！　I　call　you　to　account；　Merilille　Ceandevin。　Submit　to　the　will　of　the　Amyrlin　Seat；　or　I　will　call　judgment　on　you　as　a　rebellious　traitor！〃
　　　Merilille's　eyes　bulged；　and　her　mouth　hung　open；　but　she　appeared　posed　beside　Careane　or　Sareitha；　who　looked　about　to　choke　to　death　on　incredulity。　Vandene　seemed　mildly　taken　aback；　a　thoughtful　finger　pressed　to　her　lips　beneath　slightly　widened　eyes；　while　Adeleas　sat　forward；　studying　Elayne　as　if　seeing　her　for　the　first　time。
　　　Channeling；　Elayne　floated　one　of　the　tall　armchairs　to　her　and　sat；　posing　her　skirts。　〃You　may　as　well　sit；　too；　Merilille。〃　She　still　used　the　voice　of　mand　…　apparently　it　was　the　only　way　to　make　them　listen　…　but　she　was　startled　when　Merilille　actually　sank　back　down　slowly；　staring　at　her　pop…eyed。
　　　Outside；　she　maintained　a　calm；　cool　fa？ade；　but　inside；　anger　bubbled。　No；　it　boiled。　Secrets。　She　had　always　thought　Aes　Sedai　kept　too　many　secrets；　even　from　each　other。　Especially　from　each　other。　True；　she　kept　some　herself；　but　only　at　necessity；　and　not　from　anyone　who　needed　to　know。　And　these　women　had　thought　to　punish　her！　〃Your　authority　es　from　the　Hall　of　the　Tower；　Merilille；　Nynaeve's　and　mine　from　the　Amyrlin　Seat。　Ours　supersedes　yours。　From　now　on；　you　will　take　your　instructions　from　Nynaeve　or　me。　We　will　of　course　listen　carefully　to　any　advice　you　might　offer。〃　She　had　thought　Merilille's　eyes　bulged　before；　but　now。。。
　　　〃Impossible；〃　the　Gray　spluttered。　〃You　are　…　〃
　　　〃Merilille！〃　Elayne　said　sharply；　leaning　forward。　〃Do　you　still　deny　the　authority　of　your　Amyrlin？　Do　you　still　dare？〃　Merilille's　mouth　worked　soundlessly。　She　wet　her　lips。　She　shook　her　head　jerkily。　Elayne　felt　a　thrill　of　exultation；　all　that　about　Merilille　taking　direction　was　stuff　and　nonsense；　of　course；　but　she　would　be　acknowledged。　Thom　and　her　mother　both　said　you　must　begin　by　asking　for　ten　to　get　one。　Still；　that　was　not　enough　to　damp　her　anger。　She　had　half　a　mind　to　fetch　a　slipper　herself　and　see　how　far　she　could　push　this。　Except；　that　would　shatter　everything。　They　would　remember　her　age　fast　enough　then；　and　how　short　a　time　ago　she　had　put　off　a　novice　dress；　they　might　even　begin　thinking　of　her　as　a　foolish　child　again。　Which　thought　stoked　her　fury　anew。　But　she　contented　herself　with；　〃While　you　think　quietly　on　what　else　I　should　be　told　as　Aes　Sedai；　Merilille；　Adeleas　and　Vandene　will　instruct　me　in　this　secret　I　endangered。　Do　you　mean　to　tell　me　the　Tower　has　known　of　the　Circle　…　these　Kin；　as　you　call　them　…　all　along？〃　Poor　Reanne　and　her　hopes　to　avoid　Aes　Sedai　notice。
　　　〃As　near　as　they　could　make　themselves　e　to　sisters；　I　suppose；〃　Vandene　replied。　Carefully。　She　studied　Elayne　as　intently　as　her　sister　did；　now。　Though　a　Green；　she　had　many　of　the　same　mannerisms　as　Adeleas。　Careane　arid　Sareitha　looked　stunned；　disbelieving　eyes　swinging　from　a　silent；　red…cheeked　Merilille　to　Elayne　and　back。
　　　〃Even　during　the　Trolloc　Wars；　women　failed　their　tests；　or　lacked　the　strength；　or　were　sent　away　from　the　Tower　for　any　of　the　usual　reasons。〃　Adeleas　had　adopted　a　lecturing　tone；　but　not　offensively。　Browns　often　did　when　expounding。　〃Under　the　circumstances；　it　is　hardly　surprising　that　a　number　feared　to　go　off　into　the　world　alone；　nor　that　they　might　flee　to　Barashta；　as　the　city　that　existed　here　then　was　called。　Though　the　main　part　of　Barashta　was；　of　course；　where　the　Rahad　now　stands。　Not　that　a　stone　of　Barashta　remains。　The　Trolloc　Wars　did　not　truly　envelope　Eharon　until　late；　but　in　the　end；　Barashta　fell　as　pletely　as　Barsine；　or　Shaemal；　or。。。　〃
　　　〃The　Kin。。。　〃　Vandene　broke　in　gently；　Adeleas　blinked　at　her；　then　nodded。　〃。。。　The　Kin　persisted　even　after　Barashta　fell；　in　the　same　way　they　had　before；　taking　in　wilders　and　women　put　out　of　the　Tower。〃　Elayne　frowned；　Mistress　Anan　had　said　the　Kin　took　in　wilders；　too；　but　Reanne's　biggest　anxiety　had　seemed　to　be　making　her　and　Nynaeve　prove　they　were　not。
　　　〃None　ever　remained　long；〃　Adeleas　added。　〃Five　years；　perhaps　ten；　then；　I　suppose；　as　now。　Once　they　realize　that　their　little　group　is　no　replacement　for　the　White　Tower；　they　go　off　and　bee　village　Healers　or　Wisdoms　or　the　like；　or　sometimes　simply　forget　the　Power；　stop　channeling；　and　take　up　a　craft　or　trade。　In　any　case；　they　vanish；　so　to　speak。〃　Elayne　wondered　how　anyone　could　forget　the　One　Power　that　way；　the　urge　to　channel；　the　temptation　of　the　Source；　was　always　there；　once　you　learned　how。　Aes　Sedai　did　seem　to　believe　some　women　could　just　put　it　behind　them；　though；　once　they　found　out　they　would　not　be　Aes　Sedai。
　　　Vandene　took　up　the　explanation　again；　the　sisters　frequently　spoke　almost　in　alternating　sentences；　each　carrying　on　smoothly　where　the　other　left　off。　〃The　Tower　has　known　of　the　Kin　from　nearly　the　beginning；　perhaps　from　the　very　beginning。　At　first；　no　doubt；　the　Wars　took　precedence。　And　despite　calling　themselves　the　Kin；　they　have　done　just　what　we　want　such　women　to　do。　They　remain　hidden；　even　the　fact　that　they　can　channel；　draw　no　attention　whatsoever　to　themselves。　Over　the　years；　they　have　even　passed　along　word　…　secretly；　of　course；　carefully　…　when　one　of　them　found　a　woman　falsely　claiming　the　shawl。　You　said　something？〃
　　　Elayne　shook　her　head。　〃Careane；　is　there　any　tea　in　that　pot？〃　Careane　gave　a　small　start。　〃I　think　Adeleas　and　Vandene　might　like　to　wet　their　throats。〃　The　Domani　woman　did　not　quite　look　at　a　still…staring　Merilille　before　going　to　the　table　where　the　silver　teapot　and　cups　were。　〃That　doesn't　explain　why；〃　Elayne　went　on。　〃Why　is　knowledge　of　them　such　a　deep　secret？　Why　haven't　they　been　scattered　long　ago？〃
　　　〃Why；　the　runaways；　of　course。〃　Adeleas　made　it　sound　the　most　obvious　thing　in　the　world。　〃It　is　a　fact　that　other　gatherings　have　been　broken　up　as　soon　as　found　…　the　last　about　two　hundred　years　ago　…　but　the　Kin　do　keep　themselves　small；　and　quiet。　That　last　group　called　themselves　the　Daughters　of　Silence；　yet　they　were　hardly　silent。　Only　twenty…three　of　them　altogether；　wilders　gathered　and　trained　after　a　fashion　by　a　pair　of　former　Accepted；　but　they　…　〃
　　　〃Runaways；〃　Elayne　prompted；　taking　a　cup　from　Careane　with　a　smile　of　thanks。　She　had　not　asked　one　for　herself；　but　she　realized　absently　that　the　woman　had　offered　her　the　first。　Vandene　and　her　sister　had　talked　quite　a　bit　about　runaways　on　the　way　to　Ebou　Dar。
　　　Adeleas　blinked；　and　pulled　herself　back　to　the　topic。　〃The　Kin　help　runaways。　They　always　have　two　or　three　women　in　Tar　Valon　keeping　watch。　For　one　thing；　they　approach　almost　every　woman　put　out；　in　a　very　circumspect　way；　and　for　another；　they　manage　to　find　every　runaway；　whether　novice　or　Accepted。　At　least；　none　has　made　it　off　the　island　without　their　help　since　the　Trolloc　Wars。〃
　　　〃Oh；　yes；〃　Vandene　said　as　Adeleas　paused　to　take　a　cup　from　Careane。　It　had　been　offered　to　Merilille　first；　but　Merilille　sat　slumped　and　staring　bleakly　at　nothing。　〃If　anyone　does　manage　to　escape；　why；　we　know　right　where　to　look；　and　she　nearly　always　ends　up　back　in　the　Tower　wishing　her　feet　had　never　itched。　As　long　as　the　Kin　don't　know　we　know；　anyway。　Once　that　happens；　it　will　be　back　to　the　days　before　the　Kin；　when　a　woman　running　from　the　Tower　might　go　in　any　direction。　The　numbers　were　larger　then　…　Aes　Sedai；　Accepted；　novices　and　runaways　…　and　some　years　two　out　of　three　escaped　clean；　others　three　out　of　four。　Using　the　Kin；　we　retake　at　least　nine　of　ten。　You　can　see　why　the　Tower　has　preserved　the　Kin　and　their　secret　like　precious　jewels。〃
　　　Elayne　could。　A　woman　was　not　done　with　the　White　Tower　until　it　was　done　with　her。　Besides；　it　could　not　hurt　the　Tower's　reputation　for　infallibility　that　it　always　caught　runaways。　Almost　always。　Well；　now　she　knew。
　　　She　stood；　and　to　her　astonishment；　Adeleas　did　also；　and　Vandene；　waving　away　Careane's　offered　tea；　and　Sareitha。　Even　Merilille；　after　a　moment。　They　all　looked　at　her　expectantly；　even　Merilille。
　　　Vandene　noticed　her　surprise；　and　smiled。　〃Another　thing　you　might　not　know。　We　are　a　contentious　lot　in　many　ways；　we　Aes　Sedai；　each　jealous　of　her　place　and　prerogatives；　but　when　someone　is　placed　above　us　or　stands　above　us；　we　tend　to　follow　her　fairly　meekly　for　the　most　part。　However　we　might　grumble　about　her　decisions　in　private。〃
　　　〃Why；　so　we　do；〃　Adeleas　murmured　happily；　as　if　she　had　just　discovered　something。
　　　Merilille　took　a　deep　breath；　absorbing　herself　for　a　moment　in　straightening　her　skirts。　〃Vandene　is　right；〃　she　said。　〃You　stand　above　us　in　yourself；　and　I　must　admit；　you　apparently　have　been　placed　above　us。　If　our　behavior　calls　for　penance。。。　Well；　you　will　tell　us　if　it　does。　Where　are　we　to　follow　you？　If　I　may　ask？〃　There　was　no　sarcasm　in　any　of　that；　if　anything；　her　tone　was　more　polite　than　Elayne　had　heard　out　of　her　before。
　　　She　thought　any　Aes　Sedai　who　ever　lived　would　have　been　proud　to　control　her　features　as　well　as　she　did　right　then。　All　she　had　wanted　was　for　them　to　admit　she　really　was　Aes　Sedai。　She　fought　a　momentary　urge　to　protest　that　she　was　too　young；　too　inexperienced。　〃You　can　never　put　honey　back　in　the　b；〃　so　Lini　used　to　say　when　she　was　a　girl。　Egwene　was　no　older。
　　　Drawing　breath；　she　smiled　warmly。　〃The　first　thing　to　recall　is　that　we　are　all　sisters；　in　every　meaning　of　the　word。　We　must　work　together；　the　Bowl　of　the　Winds　is　too　important　for　anything　less。〃　She　hoped　they　would　all　nod　so　enthusiastically　when　she　told　them　what　Egwene　intended。　〃Perhaps　we　should　sit　again。〃　They　waited　for　her　before　folding　themselves　back　into　their　seats。　She　hoped　Nynaeve　was　getting　on　a　tenth