rj.acrownofswords-第41部分

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nd；　the　army's　campfires　climbed　the　surrounding　hills　all　around；　the　stars　brought　to　ground。　The　silence　from　Caemlyn　tied　her　middle　into　knots；　whatever　anyone　else　thought。
　　　The　very　day　they　left　Salidar　a　message　had　arrived；　though　Sheriam　had　not　bothered　to　show　it　to　her　until　a　few　days　ago；　and　then　with　repeated　warnings　on　the　need　to　keep　the　contents　secret。　The　Hall　knew；　but　no　one　else　must。　More　of　the　ten　thousand　secrets　that　infested　the　camp。　Egwene　was　sure　she　never　would　have　seen　it　if　she　had　not　kept　going　on　about　Rand。　She　could　recall　every　carefully　chosen　word；　written　in　a　tiny　hand　on　paper　so　thin　it　was　a　wonder　the　pen　had　not　torn　through。
　　　
　　　We　are　well　settled　at　the　inn　of　which　we　spoke；　and　we　have　met　with　the　wool　merchant。　He　is　a　very　remarkable　young　man；　everything　that　Nynaeve　told　us。　Still；　he　was　courteous。　I　think　he　is　somewhat　afraid　of　us；　which　is　to　the　good。　It　will　go　well。
　　　You　may　have　heard　rumors　about　men　here；　including　a　fellow　from　Saldaea。　The　rumors　are　all　too　true；　I　fear；　but　we　have　seen　none　of　them　and　will　avoid　them　if　we　can。　If　you　pursue　two　hares；　both　will　escape　you。
　　　Verin　and　Alanna　are　here；　with　a　number　of　young　women　from　the　same　region　as　the　wool　merchant。　I　will　try　to　send　them　on　to　you　for　training。　Alanna　has　formed　an　attachment　to　the　wool　merchant　which　may　prove　useful；　though　it　is　troubling　too。　All　will　go　well；　I　am　sure。
　　　
　　　Merana
　　　
　　　Sheriam　emphasized　the　good　news；　as　she　saw　it。　Merana；　an　experienced　negotiator；　had　reached　Caemlyn　and　been　well　received　by　Rand；　the　〃wool　merchant。〃　Wonderful　news；　to　Sheriam。　And　Verin　and　Alanna　would　be　bringing　Two　Rivers　girls　to　bee　novices。　Sheriam　was　sure　they　must　be　ing　down　the　same　road　they　themselves　were　headed　up。　She　seemed　to　think　Egwene　would　be　all　aglow　at　the　expectation　of　seeing　faces　from　home。　Merana　would　handle　everything。　Merana　knew　what　she　was　doing。
　　　〃That's　a　bucket　of　horse　sweat；〃　Egwene　muttered　at　the　night。　A　gap…toothed　fellow　carrying　a　large　wooden　bucket　gave　a　start　and　gaped　at　her；　so　amazed　he　forgot　to　bow。
　　　Rand；　courteous？　She　had　seen　his　first　meeting　with　Coiren　Saeldain；　Elaida's　emissary。　〃Overbearing〃　summed　it　up　nicely。　Why　should　he　be　different　with　Merana？　And　Merana　thought　he　was　afraid；　thought　that　was　good。　Rand　was　seldom　afraid　even　when　he　should　be；　and　if　he　was　now；　Merana　should　remember　that　fear　could　make　the　mildest　man　dangerous；　remember　that　Rand　was　dangerous　just　being　who　he　was。　And　what　was　this　attachment　Alanna　had　formed？　Egwene　did　not　entirely　trust　Alanna。　The　woman　did　extremely　odd　things　at　times；　maybe　impetuously　and　maybe　with　some　deeper　motive。　Egwene　would　not　put　it　past　her　to　find　a　way　into　Rand's　bed；　he　would　be　clay　in　the　hands　of　a　woman　like　her。　Elayne　would　break　Alanna's　neck　if　that　was　so；　but　that　was　the　least　of　it。　Worst　of　all；　no　more　of　the　pigeons　Merana　had　taken　with　her　had　appeared　in　the　Salidar　dovecotes。
　　　Merana　should　have　had　some　word　to　send；　if　only　that　she　and　the　rest　of　the　embassy　had　gone　to　Cairhien。　Lately　the　Wise　Ones　did　little　more　than　acknowledge　Rand　was　alive；　yet　it　seemed　he　was　there；　sitting　on　his　hands　as　far　as　she　could　make　out。　Which　should　have　been　a　warning　beacon。　Sheriam　saw　it　differently。　Who　could　say　why　any　man　did　what　he　did？　Probably　not　even　the　man　himself；　most　of　the　time；　and　when　it　came　to　one　who　could　channel。。。　Silence　proved　all　was　well；　Merana　surely　would　have　reported　any　real　difficulty。　She　must　be　on　her　way　to　Cairhien；　if　not　there　already；　and　there　was　no　need　to　report　further　until　she　could　send　word　of　success。　For　that　matter；　Rand　in　Cairhien　was　success　of　a　sort。　One　of　Merana's　goals；　if　not　the　most　important；　had　been　to　ease　him　out　of　Caemlyn　so　that　Elayne　could　return　there　safely　and　take　the　Lion　Throne；　and　the　dangers　of　Cairhien　had　dissipated。　Incredible　as　it　seemed；　the　Wise　Ones　said　Coiren　and　her　embassy　had　left　the　city　on　their　way　back　to　Tar　Valon。　Or　maybe　not　so　incredible。　It　all　made　a　sort　of　sense；　given　Rand；　given　the　way　Aes　Sedai　did　things。　Even　so；　to　Egwene；　it　all　felt。。。　wrong。
　　　〃I　have　to　go　to　him；〃　she　muttered。　One　hour；　and　she　could　straighten　everything　out。　Underneath；　he　was　still　Rand。　〃That's　all　there　is　to　it。　I　have　to　go　to　him。〃
　　　〃That　isn't　possible；　and　you　know　it。〃
　　　If　Egwene　had　not　had　herself　on　a　tight　rein；　she　would　have　jumped　a　foot。　As　it　was；　her　heart　pounded　even　after　she　made　out　Leane　by　the　light　of　the　moon。　〃I　thought　you　were。。。〃　she　said　before　she　could　stop　herself；　and　only　just　managed　not　to　say　Moghedien's　name。
　　　The　taller　woman　fell　in　beside　her；　keeping　a　careful　watch　for　other　sisters　as　they　walked。　Leane　did　not　have　Siuan's　excuse　for　spending　time　with　her。　Not　that　being　seen　together　once　should　cause　any　harm；　but。。。
　　　〃Should　not〃　isn't　always　〃will　not；〃　Egwene　reminded　herself。　Slipping　the　stole　from　her　shoulders；　she　folded　it　to　carry　in　one　hand。　At　a　glance；　from　a　distance；　Leane　might　well　be　taken　for　an　Accepted　despite　her　dress；　many　Accepted　lacked　enough　of　the　banded　white　dresses　to　wear　one　all　the　time。　From　a　distance；　Egwene　might　be　taken　for　one；　too。　Not　the　most　pacifying　thought。
　　　〃Theodrin　and　Faolain　are　asking　around　near　Marigan's　tent；　Mother。　They　weren't　especially　pleased。　I　did　a　fine　sulk　over　carrying　messages；　if　I　do　say　so。　Theodrin　had　to　stop　Faolain　dressing　me　down　for　it。〃　Leane's　laughter　was　quiet　and　breathy。　Situations　that　grated　Siuan's　teeth　usually　amused　her。　She　was　cosseted　by　most　of　the　other　sisters　for　how　well　she　had　adjusted。
　　　〃Good；　good；〃　Egwene　said　absently。　〃Merana　misstepped　somehow；　Leane；　or　he　wouldn't　be　staying　in　Cairhien；　and　she　wouldn't　be　keeping　quiet。〃　Off　in　the　distance；　a　dog　bayed　at　the　moon；　then　others；　until　they　were　abruptly　silenced　by　shouts　that；　perhaps　luckily；　she　could　not　quite　understand。　A　number　of　the　soldiers　had　dogs　tagging　along；　there　were　none　in　the　Aes　Sedai　camp。　Any　number　of　cats；　but　no　dogs。
　　　〃Merana　does　know　what　she　is　doing；　Mother。〃　It　sounded　very　like　a　sigh。　Leane　and　Siuan　both　agreed　with　Sheriam。　Everyone　did；　except　her。　〃When　you　give　someone　a　task；　you　have　to　trust　it　to　them。〃
　　　Egwene　sniffed　and　folded　her　arms。　〃Leane；　that　man　could　strike　sparks　from　a　damp　cloth；　if　it　wore　the　shawl。　I　don't　know　Merana；　but　I've　never　seen　an　Aes　Sedai　who　qualified　as　a　damp　cloth。〃
　　　〃I've　met　one　or　two；〃　Leane　chuckled。　This　time　her　sigh　was　plain。　〃But　not　Merana；　true。　Does　he　really　believe　he　has　friends　inside　the　Tower？　Alviarin？　That　might　make　him　difficult　for　Merana；　I　suppose；　but　I　can　hardly　see　Alviarin　doing　anything　to　risk　her　place。　She　was　always　ambitious　enough　for　three。〃
　　　〃He　has　a　letter　supposedly　from　her。〃　She　could　still　see　Rand　gloating　over　receiving　letters　from　Elaida　and　Alviarin　both；　back　before　she　herself　left　Cairhien。　〃Maybe　her　ambitions　make　her　think　she　can　replace　Elaida　with　him　on　her　side。　That's　if　she　really　wrote　it。　He　thinks　he's　clever；　Leane　…　maybe　he　is　…　but　he　doesn't　believe　he　needs　anyone。〃　Rand　would　go　on　thinking　he　could　handle　anything　by　himself　right　up　until　one　of　those　anythings　crushed　him。　〃I　know　him　inside　and　out；　Leane。　Being　around　the　Wise　Ones　seems　to　have　infected　him；　or　maybe　he　infected　them。　Whatever　the　Sitters　think；　whatever　any　of　you　think；　an　Aes　Sedai's　shawl　doesn't　impress　him　any　more　than　it　does　the　Wise　Ones。　Sooner　or　later　he'll　exasperate　a　sister　until　she　does　something　about　it；　or　one　of　them　will　push　him　the　wrong　way；　not　realizing　how　strong　he　is；　and　what　his　temper　is　now。　After　that　there　might　be　no　going　back。　I'm　the　only　one　who　can　deal　with　him　safely。　The　only　one。〃
　　　〃He　can　hardly　be　as。。。　irritating。。。　as　those　Aiel　women；〃　Leane　murmured　wryly。　Even　she　found　it　difficult　to　be　amused　by　her　experiences　with　the　Wise　Ones。　〃But　it　hardly　matters。　'The　Amyrlin　Seat　being　valued　with　the　White　Tower　itself。。。　'　〃
　　　A　pair　of　women　appeared　between　the　tents　ahead；　moving　slowly；　as　they　talked。　Distance　and　shadows　obscured　their　faces；　yet　it　was　clear　they　were　Aes　Sedai　from　the　way　they　carried　themselves；　an　assurance　that　nothing　hiding　in　any　darkness　could　harm　them。　No　Accepted　on　the　brink　of　the　shawl　could　manage　quite　that　degree　of　confidence。　A　queen　with　an　army　at　her　back　might　not。　They　were　ing　toward　her　and　Leane。　Leane　quickly　turned　in　to　the　deeper　dimness　between　two　wagons。
　　　Scowling　with　frustration；　Egwene　nearly　pulled　her　out　again　and　marched　on。　Let　it　all　e　into　the　open。　She　would　stand　before　the　Hall　and　tell　them　it　was　time　they　realized　the　Amyrlin's　stole　was　more　than　a　pretty　scarf。　She　would。。。　Following　Leane；　she　motioned　the　other　woman　to　walk　on。　What　she　would　not　do　was　throw　everything　on　the　midden　heap　in　a　fit　of　pique。
　　　Only　one　Tower　law　specifically　limited　the　power　of　the　Amyrlin　Seat。　A　fistful　of　irritating　customs　and　a　barrel　full　of　inconvenient　realities；　but　only　one　law；　yet　it　could　not　have　been　a　worse　for　her　purposes。　〃The　Amyrlin　Seat　being　valued　with　the　White　Tower　itself；　as　the　very　heart　of　the　White　Tower；　she　must　not　be　endangered　without　dire　necessity；　therefore　unless　the　White　Tower　be　at　war　by　declaration　of　the　Hall　of　the　Tower；　the　Amyrlin　Seat　shall　seek　the　lesser　consensus　of　the　Hall　of　the　Tower　before　deliberately　placing　herself　in　the　way　of　any　danger；　and　she　shall　abide　by　the　consensus　that　stands。〃　What　rash　incident　by　an　Amyrlin　had　inspired　that；　Egwene　did　not　know；　but　it　had　been　law　for　something　over　two　thousand　years。　To　most　Aes　Sedai；　any　law　that　old　attained　an　aura　of　holiness；　changing　it　was　unthinkable。
　　　Romanda　had　quoted　that。。。　that　bloody　law　as　though　lecturing　a　half…wit。　If　the　Daughter…Heir　of　Andor　could　not　be　allowed　within　a　hundred　miles　of　the　Dragon　Reborn；　how　much　more　they　must　preserve　the　Amyrlin　Seat。　Lelaine　sounded　almost　regretful；　most　likel