rj.acrownofswords-第45节

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　　　There　were　no　more　people　out　and　about　in　the　moon…shadowed　camp　than　had　been　there　before；　handfuls　slouched　wearily　around　low　fires；　exhausted　by　their　evening's　labors　after　a　hard　day's　journey。　Those　who　saw　her　rose　tiredly　to　make　their　courtesies　as　she　passed；　murmuring　〃The　Light　shine　on　you；　Mother〃　or　something　like；　occasionally　asking　her　blessing；　which　she　gave　with　a　simple　〃The　Light　bless　you；　my　child。〃　Men　and　women　old　enough　to　be　her　grandparents　sat　back　down　beaming　from　that；　yet　she　wondered　what　they　actually　believed　about　her；　what　they　knew。　All　the　Aes　Sedai　presented　an　unbroken　front　to　the　outside　world；　including　their　own　servants。　But　Siuan　said　that　if　you　believed　a　servant　knew　twice　what　he　should；　you　only　knew　half　the　truth。　Still；　those　bows　and　curtsies　and　murmurs　followed　her　from　one　clump　of　people　to　the　next；　forting　her　with　the　possibility　that　there　were　some　at　least　who　did　not　see　her　as　a　child　the　Hall　brought　out　when　they　needed　her。
　　　As　she　passed　an　open　area　surrounded　by　ropes　tied　to　posts　driven　into　the　ground；　a　gateway's　silver　slash　of　light　flashed　vivid　in　the　darkness　as　it　rotated　open。　It　was　not　really　light；　though；　it　cast　no　shadows。　She　paused　to　watch　beside　a　corner　post。　No　one　at　the　nearby　fires　even　looked　up；　they　were　used　to　this　by　now。　A　dozen　or　more　sisters；　twice　as　many　servants　and　a　number　of　Warders　bustled　out；　returning　with　messages　and　wicker　cages　of　pigeons　from　the　dovecotes　in　Salidar；　a　good　five　hundred　miles　west　and　south　as　the　goose　flew。
　　　They　began　scattering　before　the　gateway　closed；　carrying　their　burdens　to　Sitters；　to　their　Ajahs；　a　few　back　to　their　own　tents。　Most　nights；　Siuan　would　have　been　with　them；　she　seldom　trusted　anyone　else　to　fetch　messages　destined　for　her　even　if　most　were　in　codes　or　ciphers。　Sometimes　the　world　seemed　to　hold　more　networks　of　eyes…and…ears　than　it　did　Aes　Sedai；　though　most　were　severely　truncated　by　circumstance。　The　majority　of　agents　for　the　various　Ajahs　seemed　to　be　lying　low　until　the　〃difficulties〃　in　the　White　Tower　subsided；　and　a　good　many　of　the　individual　sisters'　eyes…and…ears　had　no　idea　where　the　woman　they　served　was　at　present。
　　　Several　of　the　Warders　saw　Egwene　and　made　careful　bows；　with　a　respect　proper　to　the　stole；　sisters　might　eye　her　askance；　but　the　Hall　had　raised　her　Amyrlin　and　the　Gaidin　needed　no　more。　A　number　of　the　servants　offered　bows　or　curtsies　too。　Not　one　of　the　Aes　Sedai　hurrying　away　from　the　gateway　so　much　as　glanced　in　her　direction。　Perhaps　they　did　not　notice　her。　Perhaps。
　　　In　a　way；　that　anybody　could　still　hear　from　any　of　their　eyes…and…ears　at　all　was　one　of　Moghedien's　〃gifts。〃　The　sisters　with　the　strength　to　make　gateways　had　all　been　in　Salidar　long　enough　to　know　it　well。　Those　who　could　weave　a　gateway　of　useful　size　were　able　to　Travel　almost　anywhere　from　there；　and　land　right　on　the　spot。　Trying　to　Travel　to　Salidar；　however；　would　have　meant　spending　half　of　each　night　learning　the　new　roped…off　patch　of　ground；　more　for　some；　every　time　they　made　camp。　What　Egwene　had　pried　from　Moghedien　was　a　way　to　journey　from　a　place　you　did　not　know　well　to　one　you　did。　Slower　than　Traveling；　Skimming　was　not　one　of　the　lost　Talents　…　no　one　had　ever　heard　of　it　…　so　even　the　name　was　credited　to　Egwene。　Anyone　who　could　Travel　could　Skim；　so　every　night　sisters　Skimmed　to　Salidar；　checking　the　dovecotes　for　birds　that　had　returned　to　where　they　had　been　hatched；　then　Traveled　back。
　　　The　sight　should　have　pleased　her　…　the　rebel　Aes　Sedai　had　gained　Talents　the　White　Tower　thought　lost　forever；　as　well　as　learned　new　ones；　and　those　abilities　would　help　cost　Elaida　the　Amyrlin　Seat　before　all　was　done　…　yet　instead　of　pleasure；　Egwene　felt　sourness。　Being　snubbed　had　nothing　to　do　with　it；　or　not　much；　anyway。　As　she　walked　on；　the　fires　grew　farther　between；　then　faded　behind；　all　around　her　lay　the　dark　shapes　of　wagons；　most　with　canvas　tops　stretched　over　iron　hoops；　and　tents　glowing　palely　in　the　moonlight。　Beyond；　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