rj.acrownofswords-第2部分

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　respect　and　more　an　address　to　an　equal。
　　　Alviarin's　presence　was　enough　to　dent　Elaida's　good　mood。　That　the　Keeper　of　Chronicles　came　from　the　White；　not　the　Red；　always　served　as　a　biting　reminder　of　her　weakness　when　she　was　first　raised。　Some　of　that　had　been　dispelled；　true；　but　not　all。　Not　yet。　She　was　tired　of　regretting　that　she　had　so　few　personal　eyes…and…ears　outside　Andor。　And　that　her　predecessor　and　Alviarin's　had　escaped　…　been　helped　to　escape；　they　must　have　had　help！　…　escaped　before　the　keys　to　the　Amyrlin's　great　network　could　be　wrested　out　of　them。
　　　She　more　than　wanted　the　network　that　was　hers　by　right。　By　strong　tradition　the　Ajahs　sent　to　the　Keeper　whatever　dribbles　from　their　own　eyes…and…ears　they　were　willing　to　share　with　the　Amyrlin；　but　Elaida　was　convinced　the　woman　kept　back　some　of　even　that　trickle。　Yet　she　could　not　ask　the　Ajahs　for　information　directly。　Bad　enough　to　be　weak　without　going　begging　to　the　world。　The　Tower；　anyway；　which　was　as　much　of　the　world　as　really　counted。
　　　Elaida　kept　her　own　face　every　bit　as　cool　as　the　other　woman's；　acknowledging　her　only　with　a　nod　while　she　pretended　to　examine　papers　from　the　lacquered　box。　Slowly　she　turned　them　over　one　by　one；　returned　them　to　the　box　slowly。　Without　really　seeing　a　word。　Making　Alviarin　wait　was　bitter；　because　it　was　petty；　and　petty　ways　were　all　she　had　to　strike　at　one　who　should　have　been　her　servant。
　　　An　Amyrlin　could　issue　any　decree　she　wished；　her　word　law　and　absolute。　Yet　as　a　practical　matter；　without　support　from　the　Hall　of　the　Tower；　many　of　those　decrees　were　wasted　ink　and　paper。　No　sister　would　disobey　an　Amyrlin；　not　directly　at　least；　yet　many　decrees　required　a　hundred　other　things　ordered　to　implement　them。　In　the　best　of　times　that　could　e　slowly；　on　occasion　so　slowly　it　never　happened；　and　these　were　far　from　the　best。
　　　Alviarin　stood　there；　calm　as　a　frozen　pond。　Closing　the　Altaran　box；　Elaida　kept　out　the　strip　of　paper　that　announced　her　sure　victory。　Unconsciously　she　fingered　it；　a　talisman。　〃Has　Teslyn　or　Joline　finally　deigned　to　send　more　than　word　of　their　safe　arrival？〃
　　　That　was　meant　to　remind　Alviarin　that　no　one　could　consider　herself　immune。　Nobody　cared　what　happened　in　Ebou　Dar；　Elaida　least　of　all；　the　capital　of　Altara　could　fall　into　the　sea；　and　except　for　the　merchants；　not　even　the　rest　of　Altara　would　notice。　But　Teslyn　had　sat　in　the　Hall　nearly　fifteen　years　before　Elaida　had　manded　her　to　resign　her　chair。　If　Elaida　could　send　a　Sitter　…　a　Red　Sitter　…　who　had　supported　her　rise　off　as　ambassador　to　a　flyspeck　throne　with　no　one　sure　why　but　a　hundred　rumors　flowering；　then　she　could　e　down　on　anyone。　Joline　was　a　different　matter。　She　had　held　her　chair　for　the　Green　only　a　matter　of　weeks；　and　everyone　was　sure　the　Greens　had　selected　her　to　show　they　would　not　be　cowed　by　the　new　Amyrlin；　who　had　handed　her　a　fearsome　penance。　That　bit　of　insolence　could　not　be　allowed　to　pass；　of　course；　and　had　not　been。　Everyone　knew　that；　too。
　　　It　was　meant　to　remind　Alviarin　that　she　was　vulnerable；　but　the　slim　woman　merely　smiled　her　cool　smile。　So　long　as　the　Hall　remained　as　it　was；　she　was　immune。　She　riffled　through　the　papers　in　her　hand；　plucking　one　out。　〃No　word　from　Teslyn　or　Joline；　Mother；　no；　though　with　the　news　you　have　received　so　far　from　the　thrones。。。　〃　That　smile　deepened　into　something　dangerously　close　to　amusement。　〃They　all　mean　to　try　their　wings；　to　see　if　you　are　as　strong　as。。。　as　your　predecessor。〃　Even　Alviarin　had　enough　sense　not　to　speak　the　Sanche　woman's　name　in　her　presence。　It　was　true；　though；　every　king　and　queen；　even　mere　nobles；　seemed　to　be　testing　the　limits　of　her　power。　She　must　make　examples。
　　　Glancing　at　the　paper；　Alviarin　went　on。　〃There　is　word　from　Ebou　Dar；　however。　Through　the　Gray。〃　Had　she　emphasized　that；　to　drive　the　splinter　deeper？　〃It　appears　Elayne　Trakand　and　Nynaeve　al'Meara　are　there。　Posing　as　full　sisters；　with　the　blessings　of　the　rebel。。。　embassy。。。　to　Queen　Tylin。　There　are　two　others；　not　identified；　who　may　be　doing　the　same。　The　lists　of　who　is　with　the　rebels　are　inplete。　Or　they　may　just　be　panions。　The　Grays　are　uncertain。〃
　　　〃Why　under　the　Light　would　they　be　in　Ebou　Dar？〃　Elaida　said　dismissively。　Certainly　Teslyn　would　have　sent　news　of　that。　〃The　Gray　must　be　passing　along　rumors；　now。　Tarna's　message　said　they　are　with　the　rebels　in　Salidar。〃　Tarna　Feir　had　reported　Siuan　Sanche　there；　too。　And　Logain　Ablar；　spreading　those　vicious　lies　no　Red　sister　could　lower　herself　to　acknowledge；　much　less　deny。　The　Sanche　woman　had　a　hand　in　that　obscenity；　or　the　sun　would　rise　in　the　west　tomorrow。　Why　could　she　not　simply　have　crawled　away　and　died；　decently　out　of　sight；　like　other　stilled　women？
　　　It　required　effort　not　to　draw　a　deep　breath。　Logain　could　be　hanged　quietly　as　soon　as　the　rebels　were　dealt　with；　most　of　the　world　thought　him　dead　long　since。　The　filthy　slander　that　the　Red　Ajah　had　set　him　up　as　a　false　Dragon　would　die　with　him。　When　the　rebels　were　dealt　with；　the　Sanche　woman　could　be　made　to　hand　over　the　keys　to　the　Amyrlin's　eyes…and…ears。　And　name　the　traitors　who　had　helped　her　escape；　A　foolish　hope　to　wish　that　Alviarin　would　be　named　among　them。　〃I　can　hardly　see　the　al'Meara　girl　running　to　Ebou　Dar　claiming　to　be　Aes　Sedai；　much　less　Elayne；　can　you？〃
　　　〃You　did　order　Elayne　found；　Mother。　As　important　as　putting　a　leash　on　al'Thor；　you　said。　When　she　was　among　three　hundred　rebels　in　Salidar；　it　was　impossible　to　do　anything；　but　she　will　not　be　so　well　protected　in　the　Tarasin　Palace。〃
　　　〃I　have　no　time　for　gossip　and　rumors。〃　Elaida　bit　off　each　word　with　contempt。　Did　Alviarin　know　more　than　she　should；　mentioning　al'Thor；　and　leashing？　〃I　suggest　you　read　Tarna's　report　again；　then　ask　yourself　whether　even　rebels　would　allow　Accepted　to　pretend　to　the　shawl。〃
　　　Alviarin　waited　with　visible　patience　for　her　to　finish；　then　examined　her　sheaf　again　and　pulled　out　four　more　sheets。　〃The　Gray　agent　sent　sketches；〃　she　said　blandly；　proffering　the　pages。　〃He　is　no　artist；　but　Elayne　and　Nynaeve　are　recognizable。〃　After　a　moment；　when　Elaida　did　not　take　the　drawings；　she　slipped　them　under　the　rest。
　　　Elaida　felt　the　color　of　anger　and　embarrassment　rising　in　her　cheeks。　Alviarin　had　led　her　down　this　path　deliberately　by　not　bringing　out　those　sketches　at　the　first。　She　ignored　that　…　anything　else　would　only　be　more　embarrassing　still　…　but　her　voice　became　cold。　〃I　want　them　taken；　and　brought　to　me。〃
　　　The　lack　of　curiosity　on　Alviarin's　face　made　Elaida　wonder　again　how　much　the　woman　knew　that　she　was　not　supposed　to。　The　al'Meara　girl　might　well　provide　a　handle　on　al'Thor；　ing　from　the　same　village。　All　the　sisters　knew　that；　just　as　they　knew　that　Elayne　was　Daughter…Heir　of　Andor；　and　that　her　mother　was　dead。　Vague　rumors　linking　Morgase　to　the　Whitecloaks　were　so　much　nonsense；　for　she　would　never　have　gone　to　the　Children　of　the　Light　for　help。　She　was　dead；　leaving　not　even　a　corpse　behind；　and　Elayne　would　be　Queen。　If　she　could　be　wrested　away　from　the　rebels　before　the　Andoran　Houses　put　Dyelin　on　the　Lion　Throne　instead。　It　was　not　widely　known　what　made　Elayne　more　important　than　any　other　noble　with　a　strong　claim　to　a　throne。　Aside　from　the　fact　that　she　would　be　Aes　Sedai　one　day；　of　course。
　　　Elaida　had　the　Foretelling　sometimes；　a　Talent　many　thought　lost　before　her；　and　long　ago　she　had　Foretold　that　the　Royal　House　of　Andor　held　the　key　to　winning　the　Last　Battle。　Twenty…five　years　gone　and　more；　as　soon　as　it　became　clear　that　Morgase　Trakand　would　gain　the　throne　in　the　Succession；　Elaida　had　fastened　herself　to　the　girl；　as　she　was　then。　How　Elayne　was　crucial；　Elaida　did　not　know；　but　Foretelling　never　lied。　Sometimes　she　almost　hated　the　Talent。　She　hated　things　she　could　not　control。
　　　〃I　want　all　four　of　them；　Alviarin。〃　The　other　two　were　unimportant；　certainly；　but　she　would　take　no　chances。　〃Send　my　mand　to　Teslyn　immediately。　Tell　her　…　and　Joline　…　that　if　they　fail　to　send　regular　reports　from　now　on；　they　will　wish　they　had　never　been　born。　Include　the　information　from　the　Macura　woman。〃　Her　mouth　twisted　around　that　last。
　　　The　name　made　Alviarin　shift　uneasily；　too；　and　no　wonder。　Ronde　Macura's　nasty　little　infusion　was　something　to　make　any　sister　unfortable。　Forkroot　was　not　lethal　…　at　least　you　woke；　if　you　drank　enough　to　sleep　…　but　a　tea　that　deadened　a　woman's　ability　to　channel　seemed　aimed　too　directly　at　Aes　Sedai。　A　pity　the　information　had　not　been　received　before　Galina　went；　if　forkroot　worked　on　men　as　well　as　it　seemed　to　on　women；　it　would　have　made　her　task　considerably　easier。
　　　Alviarin's　ill　ease　lasted　only　a　moment；　a　mere　instant　and　she　was　all　self…possession　again；　unyielding　as　a　wall　of　ice。　〃As　you　wish；　Mother。　I　am　sure　they　will　leap　to　obey；　as　of　course　they　should。〃
　　　A　sudden　flash　of　irritation　swept　Elaida　like　fire　in　dry　pasture。　The　fate　of　the　world　in　her　hands；　and　petty　stumbling　blocks　kept　rising　beneath　her　feet。　Bad　enough　that　she　had　rebels　and　recalcitrant　rulers　to　handle；　but　too　many　Sitters　still　brooded　and　grumbled　behind　her　back；　fertile　ground　for　the　other　woman　to　plow。　Only　six　were　firmly　under　her　own　thumb；　and　she　suspected　as　many　at　least　listened　closely　to　Alviarin　before　they　voted。　Certainly　nothing　of　importance　passed　through　the　Hall　unless　Alviarin　agreed　to　it。　Not　open　agreement；　not　with　any　acknowledgment　that　Alviarin　bore　a　shred　more　influence　or　power　than　a　Keeper　should；　but　if　Alviarin　opposed。。。　At　least　they　had　not　gone　so　far　as　to　reject　anything　Elaida　sent　them。　They　simply　dragged　their　feet　and　too　often　let　what　she　wanted　starve　on　the　floor。　A　pitifully　small　thing　for　which　to　be　happy。　Some　Amyrlins　had　bee　little　more　than　puppets　once　the　Hall　acquired　a　taste　for　rejecting　what　they　put　forward。
　　　Her　hands　clenched；　and　a　tiny　crackle　came　from　the　strip　of　paper。
　　　
　　　The　ring　has　been　placed　in　the　bull's　nose。
　　　
　　　Alviarin　looked　as　posed　as　a　marble　statue；　but　Elaida　no　longer　cared。　The　shepherd　was