rj.theshadowrising-第23部分

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d　not　much　then。　Even　the　lamps；　great　golden；　mirrored　things　on　silvered　wall　brackets；　seemed　to　add　to　the　heat。　〃What　can　be　keeping　them？〃　An　hour；　Moiraine　had　promised　them；　for　the　first　time　in　days；　and　then　she　had　left　without　explanation　after　a　bare　five　minutes。　〃Did　she　give　any　hint　of　why　they　wanted　her；　Aviendha？　Or　who　wanted　her；　for　that　matter？〃
　　　　　　　Seated　cross…legged　on　the　floor　beside　the　door；　large　green　eyes　startling　in　her　dark　tanned　face；　the　Aiel　woman　shrugged。　In　coat　and　breeches　and　soft　boots；　shoufa　looped　about　her　neck；　she　appeared　unarmed。　〃Careen　whispered　her　message　to　Moiraine　Sedai。　It　would　not　have　been　proper　to　listen。　I　am　sorry；　Aes　Sedai。〃
　　　　　　　Guiltily；　Egwene　fingered　the　Great　Serpent　ring　on　her　right　hand；　the　golden　serpent　biting　its　own　tail。　As　an　Accepted；　she　should　have　been　wearing　it　on　the　third　finger　of　her　left　hand；　but　letting　the　High　Lords　believe　that　they　had　four　full　Aes　Sedai　inside　the　Stone　kept　them　on　their　best　manners；　or　what　passed　for　manners　among　Tairen　nobles。　Moiraine　did　not　lie；　of　course；　she　never　said　they　were　more　than　Accepted。　But　she　never　said　they　were　Accepted；　either；　and　let　everyone　think　what　they　wanted　to　think；　believe　what　they　thought　they　saw。　Moiraine　could　not　lie；　but　she　could　make　truth　dance　a　fine　jig。
　　　　　　　It　was　not　the　first　time　Egwene　and　the　others　had　pretended　to　full　sisterhood　since　leaving　the　Tower；　but　more　and　more　she　felt　unfortable　deceiving　Aviendha。　She　liked　the　Aiel　woman；　thought　they　could　be　friends　if　they　could　ever　e　to　know　one　another；　but　that　hardly　seemed　possible　as　long　as　Aviendha　thought　Egwene　was　Aes　Sedai。　The　Aiel　woman　was　there　only　at　Moiraine's　order；　issued　for　unspoken　purposes　of　her　own。　Egwene　suspected　it　was　to　give　them　an　Aiel　bodyguard；　as　if　they　had　not　learned　to　protect　themselves。　Still；　even　if　she　and　Aviendha　did　bee　friends；　she　could　not　tell　her　the　truth。　The　best　way　to　keep　a　secret　was　to　make　sure　no　one　knew　who　did　not　absolutely　have　to　know。　Another　point　Moiraine　had　made。　Sometimes　Egwene　found　herself　wishing　the　Aes　Sedai　could　be　wrong；　glaring　wrong；　just　once。　In　a　way　that　would　not　mean　disaster；　of　course。　That　was　the　rub。
　　　　　　　〃Tanchico；〃　Nynaeve　muttered。　Her　dark；　wrist…thick　braid　hung　down　her　back　to　her　waist　as　she　stared　out　of　one　of　the　narrow　windows；　casements　swung　out　in　the　hope　of　catching　a　night　breeze。　On　the　broad　River　Erinin　below　bobbed　the　lanterns　of　a　few　fishing　boats　that　had　not　ventured　down　river；　but　Egwene　doubted　she　saw　them。　〃There　is　nothing　for　it　but　to　go　to　Tanchico；　it　seems。〃　Nynaeve　gave　an　unconscious　hitch　to　her　green　dress；　with　its　wide　neck　that　bared　her　shoulders；　she　did　that　a　good　deal。　She　would　have　denied　wearing　the　dress　for　Lan；　Moiraine's　Warder　…　she　would　have　if　Egwene　had　dared　make　the　suggestion　…　but　green；　blue　and　white　seemed　to　be　Lan's　favorite　colors　on　women；　and　every　dress　that　was　not　green；　blue　or　white　had　vanished　from　Nynaeve's　wardrobe。　〃Nothing　for　it。〃　She　did　not　sound　happy。
　　　　　　　Egwene　caught　herself　giving　an　upward　tug　to　her　own　dress。　They　felt　odd；　these　dresses　that　just　clung　to　the　shoulders。　On　the　other　hand；　she　did　not　believe　she　could　bear　to　be　more　covered。　Light　as　it　was；　the　pale　red　linen　felt　like　wool。　She　wished　she　could　bring　herself　to　wear　the　filmy　gowns　Berelain　wore。　Not　that　they　were　suitable　for　public　eyes；　but　they　certainly　did　appear　to　be　cool。
　　　　　　　Stop　fretting　over　fort；　she　told　herself　sternly。　Keep　your　mind　on　the　business　at　hand。　〃Perhaps；〃　she　said　aloud。　〃Myself；　I　am　not　convinced。〃
　　　　　　　A　long；　narrow　table；　polished　till　it　glistened；　ran　down　the　middle　of　the　room。　A　tall　chair　stood　at　the　end　near　Egwene；　lightly　carved　and　touched　here　and　there　with　gilt；　quite　plain　for　Tear；　while　the　sidechairs　had　progressively　lower　backs；　until　those　at　the　far　end　seemed　little　more　than　benches。　Egwene　had　no　idea　what　purpose　the　Tairens　had　put　the　room　to。　She　and　the　others　used　it　for　questioning　two　prisoners　taken　when　the　Stone　fell。
　　　　　　　She　could　not　force　herself　to　go　into　the　dungeons；　though　Rand　had　ordered　all　of　the　implements　that　had　decorated　the　guardroom　walls　melted　or　burned。　Neither　Nynaeve　nor　Elayne　had　been　eager　to　return；　either。　Besides；　this　brightly　lit　room；　with　its　clean…swept　green　tile　floor　and　its　wall　panels　carved　with　the　Three　Crescents　of　Tear；　was　a　sharp　contrast　to　the　grim；　gray　stone　of　the　cells；　all　dim　and　dank　and　dirty。　That　had　to　have　some　softening　effect　on　the　two　women　in　prisoners'　rough…woven　woolens。
　　　　　　　Only　that　drab　brown　dress；　however；　would　have　told　most　people　that　Joiya　Byir；　standing　beyond　the　table　with　her　back　turned；　was　a　prisoner　at　all。　She　had　been　Gray　Ajah；　and　had　lost　none　of　the　Grays'　cool　self…possession　on　shifting　her　allegiance　to　the　Black。　Every　line　of　her　proclaimed　that　she　stared　rigidly　at　the　far　wall　of　her　own　choice；　and　for　no　other　reason。　Only　a　woman　who　could　channel　would　have　seen　the　thumb…thick　flows　of　Air　that　held　Joiya's　arms　to　her　sides　and　lashed　her　ankles　together。　A　cage　woven　of　Air　kept　her　eyes　straight　ahead。　Even　her　ears　were　stopped　up；　so　she　could　not　hear　what　anyone　said　until　they　wanted　her　to。
　　　　　　　Once　again　Egwene　checked　the　shield　woven　from　Spirit　that　blocked　Joiya　from　touching　the　True　Source。　It　held；　as　she　knew　it　must。　She　herself　had　woven　all　the　flows　around　Joiya　and　tied　them　to　maintain　themselves；　but　she　could　not　be　easy　in　the　same　room　with　a　Darkfriend　who　had　the　ability　to　channel；　even　if　it　was　blocked。　Worse　than　just　a　Darkfriend。　Black　Ajah。　Murder　was　the　least　of　Joiya's　crimes。　She　should　have　been　bowed　down　under　her　weight　of　broken　oaths；　blasted　lives　and　blighted　souls。
　　　　　　　Joiya's　fellow　prisoner；　her　sister　in　the　Black　Ajah；　lacked　her　strength。　Standing　stoop…shouldered　at　the　far　end　of　the　table；　head　down；　Amico　Nagoyin　seemed　to　sink　in　on　herself　under　Egwene's　gaze。　There　was　no　need　to　shield　her。　Amico　had　been　stilled　during　her　capture。　Still　able　to　sense　the　True　Source；　she　would　never　again　touch　it；　never　again　channel。　The　desire　to；　the　need　to；　would　remain；　as　sharp　as　the　need　to　breathe；　and　her　loss　would　be　there　for　as　long　as　she　lived；　saidar　forever　out　of　reach。　Egwene　wished　she　could　find　in　herself　even　a　shred　of　pity。　But　she　did　not　wish　for　it　very　hard。
　　　　　　　Amico　murmured　something　at　the　tabletop。
　　　　　　　〃What？〃　Nynaeve　demanded。　〃Speak　up。〃
　　　　　　　Amico　raised　her　face　humbly　on　its　slender　neck。　She　was　still　a　beautiful　woman；　with　large；　dark　eyes；　but　there　was　something　different　about　her　that　Egwene　could　not　quite　put　her　finger　on。　Not　the　fear　that　made　her　clutch　her　coarse　prisoner's　dress　with　both　hands。　Something　else。
　　　　　　　Swallowing；　Amico　said；　〃You　should　go　to　Tanchico。〃
　　　　　　　〃You've　told　us　that　twenty　times；〃　Nynaeve　said　roughly。　〃Fifty　times。　Tell　us　something　new。　Name　names　we　do　not　already　know。　Who　still　in　the　White　Tower　is　Black　Ajah？〃
　　　　　　　〃I　do　not　know。　You　must　believe　me。〃　Amico　sounded　tired；　utterly　beaten。　Not　at　all　the　way　she　had　sounded　when　they　were　the　prisoners　and　she　the　gaoler。　〃Before　we　left　the　Tower；　I　knew　only　Liandrin；　Chesmal　and　Rianna。　No　one　knew　more　than　two　or　three　others；　I　think。　Except　Liandrin。　I　have　told　you　everything　I　know。〃
　　　　　　　〃Then　you　are　remarkably　ignorant　for　a　woman　who　expected　to　rule　part　of　the　world　when　the　Dark　One　breaks　free；〃　Egwene　said　dryly；　snapping　her　fan　shut　for　emphasis。　It　still　stunned　her；　how　easily　she　could　say　that　now。　Her　stomach　still　clenched；　and　icy　fingers　still　crawled　her　spine；　but　she　no　longer　wanted　to　scream；　or　run　weeping。　It　was　possible　to　bee　used　to　anything。
　　　　　　　〃I　overheard　Liandrin　that　once；　talking　to　Temaile；〃　Amico　said　wearily；　starting　a　tale　she　had　told　them　many　times。　In　the　first　days　of　her　captivity　she　had　tried　to　improve　her　story；　but　the　more　she　elaborated　the　more　she　had　tangled　herself　in　her　own　lies。　Now　she　almost　always　told　it　the　same　way；　word　for　word。　〃If　you　could　have　seen　Liandrin's　face　when　she　saw　me。。。。　She　would　have　murdered　me　on　the　spot　had　she　thought　I　had　heard　anything。　And　Temaile　likes　to　hurt　people。　She　enjoys　it。　I　only　heard　a　little　before　they　saw　me。　Liandrin　said　there　was　something　in　Tanchico；　something　dangerous　to。。。　to　him。〃　She　meant　Rand。　She　could　not　say　his　name；　and　a　mention　of　the　Dragon　Reborn　was　enough　to　send　her　into　tears。　〃Liandrin　said　it　was　dangerous　to　whoever　used　it；　too。　Almost　as　dangerous　as　to。。。　him。　That　is　why　she　had　not　already　gone　after　it。　And　she　said　being　able　to　channel　would　not　protect　him。　She　said；　'When　we　find　it；　his　filthy　ability　will　bind　him　for　us。'　〃　Sweat　ran　down　her　face；　but　she　shivered　almost　uncontrollably。
　　　　　　　Not　a　word　had　changed。
　　　　　　　Egwene　opened　her　mouth；　but　Nynaeve　spoke　first。　〃I've　heard　enough　of　this。　Let　us　see　if　the　other　has　anything　new　to　say。〃
　　　　　　　Egwene　glared　at　her；　and　Nynaeve　stared　back　just　as　hard；　neither　blinking。　Sometimes　she　thinks　she's　still　the　Wisdom；　Egwene　thought　grimly；　and　I'm　still　the　village　girl　to　teach　about　herbs。　She　had　better　realize　things　are　different　now。　Nynaeve　was　strong　in　the　Power；　stronger　than　Egwene；　but　only　when　she　could　actually　manage　to　channel；　unless　angry；　Nynaeve　could　not　channel　at　all。
　　　　　　　Elayne　usually　smoothed　things　over　when　it　came　to　this；　as　it　did　more　often　than　it　should。　By　the　time　Egwene　thought　of　smoothing　matters　herself；　she　had　almost　always　dug　in　her　heels　and　flared　back；　and　trying　to　be　soothing　then　would　only　be　backing　down。　That　was　how　Nynaeve　would　see　it；　she　was　sure。　She　could　not　remember　Nynaeve　ever　making　any　move　to　back　down；　so　why　should　she？　This　time　Elayne　was　not　there；　Moiraine　had　summoned　the　Daughter…Heir　with　a　word　and　a　gesture　to　follow　the　Maiden　who　had　e　for　the　Aes　Sedai。　Without　her；　the　tension　stretched；　each　of　the　Accepted　waiting　for　the　other　to　blink　first。　Aviendha　barely　breathed；　she　kept　herself　strictly　out　of　thei