rj.thepathofdaggers-第18部分

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olored　and　reined　her　mount　around。
　　　　　　　Merilille　joined　Elayne　only　moments　after　Reanne　left；　and　the　Gray　sister　made　a　much　better　pretense　at　simple　chat　than　the　Kinswoman　had。　In　her　manner　of　speaking；　at　least；　she　was　poise　itself。　What　she　had　to　say　was　another　matter。　〃I　wonder　how　trustworthy　those　women　are；　Elayne。〃　Her　lips　pursed　in　distaste　as　she　brushed　dust　from　her　divided　blue　skirts　with　a　gloved　hand。　〃They　say　they　do　not　take　in　wilders；　but　Reanne　herself　may　well　be　a　wilder；　whatever　she　claims　about　failing　her　test　for　Accepted。　Sumeko；　as　well；　and　certainly　Kirstian。〃　A　slight　frown　for　Kirstian；　a　dismissive　shake　of　her　head。　〃You　must　have　noticed　how　she　leaps　at　any　mention　of　the　Tower。　She　knows　no　more　than　she　might　have　picked　up　in　conversation　with　someone　who　really　was　put　out。〃　Merilille　sighed；　regretting　what　she　had　to　say；　she　really　was　very　good。　〃Have　you　considered　that　they　may　be　lying　about　other　things？　They　could　be　Darkfriends；　for　all　we　know；　or　dupes　of　Darkfriends。　Perhaps　not；　but　they　are　hardly　to　be　trusted　very　far。　I　believe　there　is　a　farm；　whether　they　really　use　it　for　a　retreat　or　not；　or　I　would　not　have　agreed　to　this；　but　I　will　not　be　surprised　to　find　a　few　ramshackle　buildings　and　a　dozen　or　so　wilders。　Well；　not　ramshackle　…　they　do　seem　to　have　coin　…　but　the　principle　is　the　same。　No；　they　are　simply　not　trustworthy。〃
　　　　　　　Elayne　began　a　slow　burn　as　soon　as　she　realized　the　direction　Merilille　was　taking；　and　it　grew　hotter。　As　this　slipping　around；　all　this　〃may〃　and　〃could〃　so　the　woman　could　insinuate　things　she　herself　did　not　believe。　Darkfriends？　The　Knitting　Circle　had　fought　Darkfriends。　Two　had　died。　And　without　Sumeko　and　Ieine；　Nynaeve　might　be　dead　instead　of　Ispan　a　prisoner。　No；　the　reason　they　were　not　to　be　trusted　was　not　because　Merilille　feared　they　were　sworn　to　the　Shadow；　or　she　would　have　said　so。　They　were　not　to　be　trusted　because　if　they　were　not　trusted；　then　they　could　not　be　allowed　to　hold　Ispan。
　　　　　　　She　swatted　a　big　green　fly　that　had　settled　on　Lioness's　neck；　punctuating　Merilille's　last　word　with　a　loud　crack；　and　the　Gray　sister　jerked　in　surprise。　〃How　dare　you？〃　Elayne　breathed。　〃They　faced　Ispan　and　Falion　in　the　Rahad；　and　the　gholam；　not　to　mention　two　dozen　or　more　toughs　with　swords。　You　weren't　there。〃　That　was　hardly　fair。　Merilille　and　the　rest　had　been　left　behind　because　Aes　Sedai　in　the　Rahad；　obvious　Aes　Sedai；　might　as　well　be　trumpets　and　drums　for　the　attention　they　attracted。　She　did　not　care。　Her　anger　grew　by　the　moment；　and　her　voice　rose　by　the　word。　〃You　will　never　suggest　such　a　thing　to　me　again。　Never！　Not　without　hard　evidence！　Not　without　proof！　If　you　do；　I'll　set　you　a　penance　that　will　make　your　eyes　pop！〃　No　matter　how　high　she　stood　above　the　other　woman；　she　had　no　authority　to　set　her　any　penance　at　all；　but　she　did　not　care　about　that；　either。　I'll　make　you　walk　the　rest　of　the　way　to　Tar　Valon！　Eating　nothing　but　bread　and　water　the　entire　way！　I'll　put　you　in　their　charge；　and　tell　them　to　slap　you　down　if　you　say　boo　to　a　goose！〃
　　　　　　　It　dawned　on　her　that　she　was　shouting。　Some　sort　of　gray…and…white　birds　went　flittering　past　overhead　in　a　broad　band；　and　she　was　drowning　out　their　cries。　Drawing　a　deep　breath；　she　tried　to　calm　herself。　She　did　not　have　a　voice　for　shouting；　it　always　came　out　as　a　shriek。　Everyone　was　looking　at　her；　most　in　astonishment。　Aviendha　nodded　approvingly。　Of　course；　she　have　done　the　same　had　Elayne　plunged　a　knife　into　Merilille's　heart。　Aviendha　stood　beside　her　friends　no　matter　what。　Merilille's　Cairhienin　paleness　had　bee　dead　white。
　　　　　　　〃I　mean　what　I　say；〃　Elayne　told　her；　in　a　much　cooler　tone。　It　seemed　to　make　even　more　blood　leave　Merilille's　face。　She　did　mean　every　word；　they　could　not　afford　that　sort　of　rumor　floating　among　them。　One　way　or　another　she　would　see　it　done；　though　the　Knitting　Circle　very　likely　would　faint。
　　　　　　　She　hoped　that　was　the　end　of　it。　It　should　have　been。　But　when　Chilares　left；　Sareitha　replaced　her；　and　she　too　had　a　reason　the　Kinswomen　were　not　to　be　trusted。　Their　ages。　Even　Kirstian　claimed　to　be　older　than　any　living　Aes　Sedai；　while　Reanne　was　over　a　hundred　years　more　than　that　and　not　even　the　oldest　of　the　Kin。　Her　title　of　Eldest　went　to　the　oldest　of　them　in　Ebou　Dar；　and　the　rigid　schedule　they　followed　to　avoid　notice　had　a　number　of　still　older　women　off　in　other　places。　It　was　obviously　impossible；　Sareitha　maintained。
　　　　　　　Elayne　did　not　shout；　she　very　carefully　did　not　shout。　〃We　will　learn　the　truth　eventually；〃　she　told　Sareitha。　She　did　not　doubt　the　Kinswomen's　word；　but　there　had　to　be　a　reason　why　the　Kinswomen　looked　neither　ageless　nor　anything　near　the　ages　they　claimed。　If　she　could　only　puzzle　it　out。　Something　told　her　it　was　obvious；　but　nothing　leaped　up　said　what。　〃Eventually；〃　she　added　firmly　when　the　Brown　opened　her　mouth　again。　〃That　will　be　enough；　Sareitha。〃　Sareitha　nodded　uncertainly　and　fell　back。　Not　ten　minutes　later；　Sibella　replaced　her。
　　　　　　　Every　time　one　of　the　Kinswomen　came　to　make　her　roundabout　plea　to　be　relieved　of　Ispan；　one　of　the　sisters　came　soon　after　to　offer　the　same　plea。　All　save　Merilille；　who　still　blinked　whenever　Elayne　looked　at　her。　Perhaps　shouting　did　have　its　uses。　Certainly　no　one　else　tried　to　be　so　straightforward　in　attacking　the　Kin。
　　　　　　　For　instance；　Vandene　began　with　discussing　the　Sea　Folk　and　how　to　counter　the　effects　of　the　bargain　made　with　them；　why　it　was　necessary　to　counter　them　as　much　as　possible。　She　was　quite　matter…of…fact；　with　never　a　word　or　gesture　to　lay　any　blame。　Not　that　she　needed　any；　the　subject　did　that；　however　delicately　handled。　The　White　Tower；　she　said；　maintained　its　influence　in　the　world　not　by　force　of　arms；　or　persuasion；　or　even　by　plotting　or　manipulation；　though　those　two　she　brushed　past　lightly。　Rather　the　White　Tower　controlled　or　influenced　events　to　whatever　extent　they　did　because　everyone　saw　the　Tower　as　standing　apart　and　above；　as　more　even　than　kings　or　queens。　That　in　turn　depended　on　every　Aes　Sedai　being　seen　that　way；　as　mysterious　and　apart；　different　from　everyone　else。　A　different　flesh。　Historically；　Aes　Sedai　who　could　not　manage　that　…　and　there　were　a　few　…　were　kept　out　of　public　view　as　much　as　possible。
　　　　　　　It　took　Elayne　a　little　while　to　realize　that　the　thrust　of　the　conversation　had　shifted　away　from　the　Sea　Folk；　and　to　see　where　it　was　headed。　A　different　flesh；　mysterious　and　apart；　could　not　have　a　sack　thrust　over　its　head　and　be　tied　across　a　saddle。　Not　where　anyone　who　was　not　Aes　Sedai　could　see；　anyway。　In　truth；　the　sisters　would　be　rougher　on　Ispan　than　the　Knitting　Circle　could　possibly　make　themselves　be；　just　not　in　public。　The　argument　might　have　borne　more　weight　had　it　e　first；　but　as　it　was；　Elayne　sent　Vandene　packing　as　quickly　as　she　did　anyone　else。　And　saw　her　replaced　by　Adeleas；　right　after　Sibella　was　told　that　if　none　of　the　Knitting　Circle　could　understand　what　Ispan　was　mumbling；　then　none　of　the　sisters　was　likely　to　either。　Mumbling！　Light！　The　Aes　Sedai　took　their　repeated　turns；　and　even　knowing　what　they　were　up　to；　sometimes　it　was　hard　to　see　the　connection　at　first。　By　the　time　Careane　began　by　telling　her　that　those　boulders　really　had　been　toes　once；　supposedly　on　a　statue　of　some　warrior　queen　nearly　two　hundred　feet　high。。。
　　　　　　　〃Ispan　stays　where　she　is；〃　she　told　Careane　coolly　without　waiting　for　more。　〃Now；　unless　you　really　want　to　tell　me　why　the　Shiotans　thought　of　putting　up　a　statue　like　that。。。　〃　The　Green　said　ancient　records　claimed　it　had　worn　little　more　than　armor；　and　not　a　great　deal　of　that！　A　queen！　〃No？　Then；　if　you　don't　mind；　I'd　like　to　talk　with　Aviendha　alone。　Thank　you　so　much。〃　Even　being　curt　did　not　stop　them；　of　course。　She　was　surprised　they　did　not　send　Merilille's　maid　to　take　a　turn。
　　　　　　　None　of　this　would　have　happened　had　Nynaeve　been　where　she　was　meant　to　be。　At　least；　Elayne　was　sure　that　Nynaeve　could　have　quelled　the　Knitting　Circle　and　the　sisters　both；　in　short　order。　She　was　a　great　one　for　quelling。　The　problem　was　that　Nynaeve　had　glued　herself　tight　to　Lan's　side　before　they　left　the　first　clearing。　The　Warders　scouted　ahead　and　to　both　sides　of　their　path；　and　sometimes　to　the　rear；　only　riding　back　to　the　column　long　enough　to　report　what　they　had　seen　or　give　directions　on　how　to　avoid　a　farm　or　a　shepherd。　Birgitte　ranged　far；　never　spending　more　than　moments　with　Elayne。　Lan　ranged　farther。　And　where　Lan　went；　Nynaeve　went。
　　　　　　　〃No　one's　making　any　trouble；　are　they？〃　she　demanded　with　a　dark　stare　for　the　Sea　Folk；　the　first　time　she　followed　Lan　back。　〃Well；　that's　all　right；　then；〃　she　said　before　Elayne　had　a　chance　to　open　her　mouth。　Spinning　her　round…bellied　mare　like　a　racer；　she　nicked　the　reins　and　galloped　after　Lan　holding　her　hat　on　with　one　hand；　catching　up　to　him　just　as　he　vanished　around　the　flank　of　the　hill　ahead。　Of　course；　then　there　really　was　nothing　to　plain　about。　Reanne　had　made　her　visit；　and　Merilille　hers；　and　everything　seemed　settled。
　　　　　　　By　the　next　time　Nynaeve　appeared；　Elayne　had　suffered　through　a　number　of　disguised　attempts　to　have　Ispan　turned　over　to　the　sisters；　Aviendha　had　spoken　to　Kurin；　and　the　Windfinders　were　on　a　slow　boil；　but　when　Elayne　explained；　Nynaeve　simply　looked　around；　frowning。　Of　course；　right　at　that　moment　everyone　had　to　be　where　they　belonged。　The　Atha'an　Miere　wore　glares；　true；　but　the　Knitting　Circle　were　all　behind　them；　and　as　for　the　other　sisters；　no　group　of　novices　could　have　appeared　more　well…behaved　and　innocent。　Elayne　wanted　to　shriek！
　　　　　　　〃I'm　sure　you　can　handle　everything；　Elayne；〃　Nynaeve　said。　〃You　have　had　all　that　training　to　be　a　queen。　This　can't　be　anywhere　near　so　…　Drat　the　man！　He's　going　again！　You　can　handle　it。〃　And　off　she　went；　galloping　that　poor　mare　as　though　it　were　a　warhorse。
　　　　　　　That　was　when　Aviendha　chose　to　discuss　how　Rand　seemed　to　like　kissing　the　sides　of　her　neck。　And　incidentally　how　much　she　had　liked　it。　Elayne　had　liked　that　when　he　did　it　to　her；　too；　but　however　used　to　discussing　this　sort　of