rj.acrownofswords-第96部分

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er　what　you　say。　A　few　months　of　Alise's　attentions；　and　you'd　learn　to　guard　your　tongue　and　be　grateful　for　the　help　you　spit　on。〃　Nynaeve　considered　hitting　her　on　the　nose；　she　did　not　need　saidar　to　use　her　fist。
　　　〃Garenia；〃　Berowin　said　sharply。　〃Apologize！　We　do　not　hold　anyone　against　her　will；　and　you　know　it　well。　Apologize　immediately！〃
　　　And　wonder　of　wonders；　the　woman　who　would　have　stood　very　close　to　the　top　had　she　been　Aes　Sedai　looked　sideways　at　the　woman　who　would　have　stood　near　the　bottom；　and　blushed　crimson。　〃I　ask　forgiveness；〃　Garenia　mumbled　at　Nynaeve。　〃My　temper　gets　the　better　of　me　sometimes；　and　I　say　what　I　have　no　right　to。　I　humbly　ask　forgiveness。〃　Another　sidelong　glance　at　Berowin；　who　nodded；　producing　a　sigh　of　open　relief。
　　　While　Nynaeve　was　still　gaping；　the　shields　were　released；　and　she　and　Elayne　were　pushed　into　the　street；　the　door　slamming　shut　behind　them。
　　　
　　　
Chapter　24　
（Flame　of　Tar　Valon）　
The　Kin　
　　　
　　　Incredible；　Reanne　thought；　watching　from　a　window　as　the　two　strange　girls　vanished　down　the　street　among　the　tradesmen　and　beggars　and　occasional　sedan　chairs。　She　had　returned　to　the　meeting　room　as　soon　as　the　pair　was　escorted　from　it。　She　did　not　know　what　to　make　of　them；　and　their　persistent　claims　in　the　face　of　all　reason　were　only　part　of　her　confusion。
　　　〃They　did　not　perspire；〃　Berowin　whispered　at　her　shoulder。
　　　〃Yes？〃　She　would　have　arranged　for　the　news　to　reach　the　Tarasin　Place　in　the　next　hour　if　she　had　not　given　her　word。　And　if　not　for　the　danger。　Fear　bubbled　in　her　middle；　the　same　panic　that　had　overtaken　her　after　one　passage　through　the　silver　arches　when　she　went　to　test　for　Accepted。　Just　as　she　had　every　time　it　had　stirred　in　the　years　since；　she　took　a　fresh　grip　on　herself；　in　truth；　she　did　not　realize　that　the　fear　she　might　run　screaming　again　had　long　since　conquered　any　possibility　that　she　would。　She　prayed　that　those　girls　would　abandon　their　insanity。　She　prayed　that　if　they　did　not；　they　were　caught　far　from　Ebou　Dar　and　either　kept　silent　or　were　not　believed。　Precautions　would　have　to　be　taken；　safeguards　carried　out　that　had　not　been　used　in　years。　Aes　Sedai　were　as　near　omnipotent　as　made　no　difference；　though。　That；　she　knew　in　her　bones。
　　　〃Eldest；　could　it　be　possible　that　the　older　of　the　two　really　is。。。？　We　channeled；　and。。。　〃
　　　Berowin　trailed　off　miserably；　but　Reanne　did　not　need　to　consider；　not　even　setting　aside　the　younger　girl。　Why　would　any　Aes　Sedai　pretend　to　be　less；　so　much　less？　Besides；　any　real　Aes　Sedai　would　have　put　them　all　on　their　knees　begging　mercy；　not　stood　there　so　submissively。
　　　〃We　did　not　channel　in　front　of　an　Aes　Sedai；〃　she　said　firmly。　〃We　broke　no　rule。〃　Those　rules　applied　to　her　as　strictly　as　anyone　else；　the　very　first　was　that　they　were　all　one；　even　those　set　above　for　a　time。　How　could　it　have　been　otherwise；　when　those　who　were　above　must　eventually　step　down？　Only　through　movement　and　change　could　they　remain　hidden。
　　　〃But　some　of　the　rumors　do　mention　a　girl　as　Amyrlin；　Eldest。　And　she　knew　…　〃
　　　〃Rebels。〃　Reanne　put　into　that　all　the　outraged　disbelief　she　felt。　That　anyone　should　dare　to　rebel　against　the　White　Tower！　It　was　hardly　strange　for　unbelievable　tales　to　attach　to　anyone　like　that。
　　　〃What　about　Logain；　and　the　Red　Ajah？〃　Garenia　demanded；　and　Reanne　fixed　her　with　a　stare。　The　woman　had　gotten　herself　another　cup　of　tea　before　ing　back　up；　and　she　managed　to　sip　defiantly。
　　　〃Whatever　the　truth；　Garenia；　it　is　not　our　place　to　criticize　anything　Aes　Sedai　might　do。〃　Reanne's　mouth　tightened。　That　hardly　squared　with　what　she　felt　toward　the　rebels；　but　how　could　any　Aes　Sedai　do　such　a　thing？
　　　The　Saldaean　bent　her　neck　in　acquiescence；　though；　and　perhaps　to　hide　the　sullen　twist　of　her　mouth。　Reanne　sighed。　She　herself　had　given　up　dreams　of　the　Green　Ajah　long　long　ago；　but　there　were　those　like　Berowin　who　believed；　secretly　they　thought；　that　somehow　they　might　one　day　return　to　the　White　Tower；　somehow　yet　bee　Aes　Sedai。　And　then　there　were　women　like　Garenia；　almost　as　poor　at　keeping　their　wishes　secret；　though　those　wishes　were　ten　times　as　forbidden。　They　actually　would　have　accepted　wilders；　and　even　gone　out　to　find　girls　who　could　be　taught！
　　　Garenia　was　not　done；　she　always　skirted　the　edges　of　discipline；　and　frequently　stepped　over。　〃What　of　this　Setalle　Anan；　then？　Those　girls　know　about　the　Circle。　The　Anan　woman　must　have　told　them；　though　how　she　knows。。。　〃　She　shuddered　in　a　way　that　would　have　been　entirely　too　ostentatious　for　most　others；　but　she　had　never　been　able　to　conceal　her　emotions。　Even　when　she　should。　〃Whoever　betrayed　us　to　her　must　be　found；　and　her　betrayal　punished　too。　She's　an　innkeeper；　and　she　must　be　taught　to　guard　her　tongue！〃　Berowin　gasped；　wide…eyed　with　shock；　and　dropped　into　a　chair　so　hard　she　nearly　bounced。
　　　〃Remember　who　she　is；　Garenia；〃　Reanne　said　sharply。　〃If　Setalle　had　betrayed　us；　we　would　be　crawling　to　Tar　Valon；　begging　forgiveness　the　whole　way。〃　When　she　first　came　to　Ebou　Dar；　she　had　been　told　the　story　of　a　woman　made　to　crawl　to　the　White　Tower；　and　nothing　she　had　seen　since　of　Aes　Sedai　made　her　question　it　in　the　least。　〃She　has　kept　the　few　secrets　she　knows　from　gratitude；　and　I　doubt　that　has　faded。　She　would　have　died　in　her　first　childbirth　if　the　Kin　had　not　helped　her。　What　she　knows　es　from　careless　tongues；　when　it　was　thought　she　could　not　hear；　and　the　owners　of　those　tongues　were　punished　more　than　twenty　years　ago。〃　Still；　she　wished　there　was　some　way　she　could　bring　herself　to　ask　Setalle　to　be　more　circumspect。　She　must　have　spoken　carelessly　in　front　of　those　girls。
　　　The　woman　bowed　her　head　again；　but　her　mouth　was　set　stubbornly。　At　least　part　of　this　turn；　Reanne　decided；　Garenia　would　spend　at　the　retreat；　and　she　would　have　special　instructions　to　relay　with　her　own　stubborn　mouth。　Alise　seldom　required　more　than　a　week　to　make　a　woman　decide　stubbornness　did　not　pay。
　　　Before　she　could　inform　Garenia；　though；　Derys　was　curtsying　in　the　doorway；　announcing　Sarainya　Vostovan。　As　usual；　Sarainya　swept　right　in　before　Reanne　could　say　to　admit　her。　In　some　ways；　the　strikingly　handsome　woman　made　Garenia　appear　supple；　despite　keeping　the　form　of　every　rule　exactly。　Reanne　was　sure　she　would　have　worn　her　hair　in　braids　and　bells　given　the　choice；　and　never　mind　how　that　would　have　looked　with　her　red　belt。　But　then；　given　the　choice　she　would　not　have　served　even　one　turn　with　the　belt。
　　　Sarainya　did　curtsy　at　the　door；　of　course；　and　kneel　before　her；　head　lowered；　but　fifty　years　had　not　made　her　forget　that　she　would　have　been　a　woman　of　considerable　power　had　she　been　able　to　make　herself　return　home　to　Arafel。　Curtsy　and　the　rest　all　were　concessions。　When　she　spoke；　in　that　husky；　forceful　voice；　whether　the　woman　would　ever　reconcile　herself　and　the　problem　of　Garenia　left　Reanne's　mind！
　　　〃Callie　is　dead；　Eldest　Sister。　Her　throat　was　cut　and　she　apparently　had　been　robbed　even　of　her　stockings；　but　Sumeko　says　that　it　was　the　One　Power　killed　her。〃
　　　〃That　is　impossible！〃　Berowin　burst　out。　〃No　Kinswoman　would　do　such　a　thing！〃
　　　〃An　Aes　Sedai？〃　Garenia　said；　hesitant　for　once。　〃But　how？　The　Three　Oaths。　Sumeko　must　be　wrong。〃
　　　Reanne　raised　a　hand　for　silence。　Sumeko　was　never　wrong；　not　in　this　area。　She　would　have　been　Yellow　Ajah　had　she　not　broken　down　pletely　while　testing　for　the　shawl；　and　although　it　was　forbidden；　despite　countless　penances；　she　worked　to　learn　more　whenever　she　thought　no　one　was　watching。　No　Aes　Sedai　could　have　done　this；　obviously；　and　no　Kinswoman　would　have；　but。。。　Those　girls；　so　insistent；　knowing　what　they　should　not。　The　Circle　had　lasted　too　long；　offered　succor　to　too　many　women；　to　be　destroyed　now。
　　　〃This　is　what　must　be　done；〃　she　told　them。　That　flutter　of　fear　began　again；　but　for　once　she　hardly　noticed。
　　　
　　　Nynaeve　stalked　away　from　the　small　house　in　outrage。　It　was　incredible！　Those　women　did　have　a　guild；　she　knew　they　did！　Whatever　they　said；　she　was　sure　they　knew　where　the　Bowl　was；　too。　She　would　have　done　whatever　was　necessary　to　bring　them　to　tell　her。　Pretending　docility　before　them　for　a　few　hours　would　have　been　a　deal　easier　than　putting　up　with　Mat　Cauthon　for　the　Light　knew　how　many　days。
　　　I　could　have　been　as　acquiescent　as　they　wanted；　she　thought　irritably。　They'd　have　thought　I　was　a　pliable　old　slipper！　I　could　have。。。　That　was　a　lie；　and　it　did　not　take　a　foul；　remembered　taste　to　convince　her。　Given　half　a　chance；　she　would　have　shaken　every　one　of　those　women　till　they　told　her　what　she　wanted　to　know。　She　would　have　given　them　Aes　Sedai　till　they　squeaked！
　　　She　scowled　sideways　at　Elayne。　The　other　woman　seemed　lost　in　thought。　Nynaeve　wished　she　did　not　know　what　the　woman　was　thinking　about。　A　wasted　morning；　and　not　far　short　of　plete　humiliation。　She　did　not　like　being　in　the　wrong。　She　was　not　yet　used　to　admitting　she　was；　really。　And　now　she　was　going　to　have　to　apologize　to　Elayne。　She　truly　hated　apologizing。　Well；　it　would　be　bad　enough　back　in　their　rooms。　With　Birgitte　and　Aviendha　still　out；　it　was　to　be　hoped。　She　was　not　about　to　begin　in　the　street；　with　who　knew　who　streaming　by。　The　throng　had　thickened；　though　the　sun　hardly　seemed　much　higher　through　the　wheeling　clouds　of　seabirds　that　cried　overhead。
　　　Finding　their　way　was　not　easy；　after　all　those　twists　and　turns。　Nynaeve　had　to　ask　directions　half　a　dozen　times；　while　Elayne　stared　in　another　direction；　pretending　indifference。　She　stalked　along　across　bridges；　ducked　around　wagons　and　carts；　jumped　out　of　the　way　of　racing　sedan　chairs　that　wove　through　the　crowds；　wished　Elayne　would　say　something。　Nynaeve　knew　how　to　nurse　a　grudge；　and　the　longer　she　herself　kept　silent；　the　worse　it　was　when　she　spoke；　so　the　longer　Elayne　walked　without　speaking；　the　darker　became　the　image　in　her　mind　of　how　it　was　going　to　be　back　in　their　rooms。　That　made　her　furious。　She　had　admitted　she　was　wrong；　if　only　to　herself。　Elayne　had　no　right　to　make　her　suffer　this　way