rj.acrownofswords-第107节

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　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。　She　began　wearing　such　a　face　that　even　people　who　did　not　notice　their　rings　gave　them　a　clear　path。　People　who　did　notice　usually　seemed　to　find　an　urgent　need　to　be　a　street　away。　Even　some　sedan…chair　bearers　skirted　around　her。
　　　〃How　old　did　Reanne　look　to　you？〃　Elayne　asked　suddenly。　Nynaeve　nearly　jumped。　They　were　almost　back　to　Mol　Hara。
　　　〃Fifty　years。　Maybe　sixty。　I　don't　see　it　matters。〃　She　ran　her　eyes　over　the　crowd　to　see　if　anyone　was　close　enough　to　hear。　A　passing　hawker；　her　tray　displaying　a　bitter　little　yellow　fruit　called　a　lemon；　tried　to　swallow　her　cry　in　mid…shout　when　Nynaeve's　gaze　rested　on　her　for　a　moment；　with　the　result　that　she　doubled　over　her　tray　coughing　and　choking。　Nynaeve　sniffed。　The　woman　probably　had　been　eavesdropping；　if　not　planning　to　cut　a　purse。　〃They　are　a　guild；　Elayne；　and　they　do　know　where　the　Bowl　is。　I　just　know　they　do。〃　That　was　not　what　she　had　intended　to　say　at　all。　If　she　apologized　for　dragging　Elayne　into　this　now；　maybe　it　would　not　be　so　bad。
　　　〃I　suppose　they　are；〃　Elayne　said　absently。　〃I　suppose　they　might。　How　is　it　that　she　can　have　aged　so？〃
　　　Nynaeve　stopped　dead　in　the　middle　street。　After　all　that　arguing；　after　getting　them　thrown　out；　she　supposed？　〃Well；　I　suppose　she　aged　the　same　way　as　the　rest　of　us；　a　day　at　a　time。　Elayne；　if　you　believed；　why　did　you　announce　who　you　were　like　Rhiannon　at　the　Tower？〃　She　rather　liked　that；　according　to　the　story；　what　Queen　Rhiannon　got　was　far　from　what　she　had　wanted。
　　　The　question　did　not　seem　to　register　with　Elayne；　for　all　her　education。　She　pulled　Nynaeve　to　one　side　as　a　curtained　green　carriage　rumbled　past　…　the　street　was　not　very　wide　there　…　over　to　the　front　of　a　seamstress's　shop　with　a　wide　doorway　showing　several　dressmaker's　forms　clothed　in　half…done　dresses。
　　　〃They　were　not　going　to　tell　us　anything；　Nynaeve；　not　if　you　got　down　on　your　knees　and　begged。〃　Nynaeve　opened　her　mouth　indignantly；　then　snapped　it　shut。　She　had　never　said　anything　about　begging。　Anyway；　why　should　she　have　been　the　only　one？　Better　any　woman　at　all　than　Mat　Cauthon。　Elayne　had　a　fly　up　her　nose；　though；　and　was　not　to　be　distracted。　〃Nynaeve；　she　must　have　slowed　like　everyone　else。　How　old　is　she；　to　look　fifty　or　sixty？〃
　　　〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃　Without　thinking　Nynaeve　noted　the　location　in　a　corner　of　her　mind；　the　seamstress's　work　looked　quite　good；　worth　closer　examination。　〃She　probably　doesn't　channel　any　more　than　she　can　help；　afraid　as　she　is　of　being　mistaken　for　a　sister。　She　wouldn't　have　wanted　her　face　too　smooth；　after　all。〃
　　　〃You　never　listened　in　class；　did　you？〃　Elayne　murmured。　She　saw　the　plump　seamstress　beaming　in　the　doorway；　and　drew　Nynaeve　toward　the　corner　of　the　building。　Considering　the　amount　of　lace　the　seamstress　wore　on　her　own　dress；　the　bodice　buried　in　it　and　paces　of　it　drooping　over　her　exposed　petticoats；　she　would　bear　close　watching　if　Nynaeve　did　order　anything。　〃Forget　clothes　for　one　moment；　Nynaeve。　W