rj.acrownofswords-第72节

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he　Spear　and　the　peculiar　woman　Elayne　had　taken　as　a　Warder　were　the　last　he　would　have　expected　to　gush　with　maternal　feelings；　yet　they　had　already　tried　to　move　the　boy　out　of　The　Wandering　Woman　behind　his　back　and　into　the　Tarasin　Palace。　Anywhere　with　so　many　Aes　Sedai　was　the　last　place　for　Olver；　or　for　anybody；　but　one　bump　and　instead　of　telling　Birgitte　and　Aviendha　they　had　no　right　to　take　the　boy；　Setalle　Anan　would　likely　hustle　him　off　there　herself。　Olver　would　probably　cry　himself　to　sleep　if　he　was　not　allowed　to　race　anymore；　but　women　never　understood　these　things。　For　about　the　thousandth　time；　Mat　cursed　Nalesean　for　sneaking　Olver　and　Wind　to　those　first　races。　Of　course；　they　had　to　find　something　to　fill　all　the　idle　hours　on　their　hands；　but　they　could　have　found　something　else。　Cutting　purses　could　have　been　no　worse　in　the　women's　eyes。
　　　〃Here's　the　thief…catcher；〃　Nalesean　said；　stuffing　the　token　into　his　coat。　He　did　not　quite　sneer。　〃Much　good　he's　done　so　far。　We'd　have　done　better　to　bring　another　fifty　soldiers　instead。〃
　　　Juilin　strode　though　the　crowd　purposefully；　a　dark；　hard　man　using　a　slender　bamboo　staff　as　tall　as　himself　for　a　walking　stick。　With　a　flat…topped　conical　red　Taraboner　cap　on　his　head　and　a　plain　coat；　tight　to　the　waist　then　flaring　to　his　boot　tops；　well…worn　and　plainly　not　the　coat　of　someone　rich；　he　normally　would　not　have　been　allowed　below　the　ropes；　but　he　made　out　to　study　the　horses　and　ostentatiously　bounced　a　fat　coin　on　his　palm。　Several　of　the　bookers'　guards　looked　at　him　suspiciously；　but　the　gold　crown　let　him　pass。
　　　〃Well？〃　Mat　said　sourly；　tugging　his　hat　low；　once　the　thief…catcher　reached　him。　〃No；　let　me　tell　you。　They　slipped　out　of　the　palace　again。　No　one　saw　them　go；　again。　Nobody　has　any　bloody　idea　where　they　are；　again。〃
　　　Juilin　tucked　the　coin　carefully　into　his　coat　pocket。　He　would　make　no　wager；　he　seemed　to　save　every　copper　that　came　into　his　hands。　〃All　four　of　them　took　a　closed　coach　from　the　palace　to　a　landing　on　the　river；　where　they　hired　a　boat。　Thom　hired　another　to　follow　and　see　where　they're　going。　Nowhere　dark　or　unpleasant；　I'd　say；　by　their　clothes。　But　it　is　true；　nobles　wear　silk　to　crawl　in　the　mud。〃　He　grinned　at　Nalesean；　who　folded　his　arms　and　pretended　to　be　engrossed　in　the　horses。　The　grin　was　a　mere　baring　of　teeth。　They　were　both　Tairen；　but　the　gap　between　noble　and　mon　stood　wide　in　Tear；　and　neither　man　liked　the　other's　pany。
　　　〃Women！〃　Several　finely　dressed　specimens　nearby　turned　to　eye　Mat　askance　from　beneath　bright　parasols。　He　frowned　right　back；　though　two　were　pretty；　and　they　set　to　laughing　and　chattering　among　themselves　as　though　he　had　done　something　amusing。　A　woman　would　do　a　thing　until　you　were　sure　she　always　would；　then　do　something　else　just　to　fuddle　you。　But　he　had　promised　Rand　to　see　Elayne　safely　to　Caemlyn；　and　Nynaeve　and　Egwene　with　her。　And　he　had　promised　Egwene　to　see　the　other　two　safe　on　this　trip　to　Ebou　Dar；　not　to　mention　Aviendha；　that　was　the　price　of　getting　Elayne　to　Caemlyn。　Not　that　they　had　told　him　why　they　needed　to　be　here；　oh；　no。　Not　that　they　had　spoken　twenty　words　to　him　since　arriving　in　the　bloody　city！
　　　〃I'll　see　them　safe；〃　he　muttered　under　his　bream；　〃if　I　have　to　stuff　them　into　barrels　and　haul　them　to　Caemlyn　in　a　cart。〃　He　might　be　the　only　man　in　the　world　who　could　say　that　about　Aes　Sedai　without　looking　over　his　shoulder；　maybe　even　including　Rand　and　those　fellows　he　was　gathering。　He　touched　the　foxhead　medallion　hanging　under　his　shirt　to　make　sure　it　was　there；　though　he　never　took　it　off；　even　to　bathe。　It　did　have　flaws；　but　a　man　liked　to　be　reminded。
　　　〃Tarabon　must　be　terrible　now　for　a　woman　not　used　to　taking　care　of　herself；〃　Juilin　murmured。　He　was　watching　three　veiled　men　in　tattered　coats　and　baggy　once…white　trousers　scramble　up　the　bank　ahead　of　a　pair　of　bookmen's　guards　waving　their　clubs。　No　rule　said　the　poor　could　not　e　below　the　ropes；　but　the　bookers'　guards　did。　The　two　pretty　women　who　had　eyed　Mat　appeared　to　be　making　a　private　wager　on　whether　the　Taraboners　would　outrun　the　guards。
　　　〃We've　more　than　enough　women　right　here　without　sense　to　e　in　out　of　the　rain；〃　Mat　told　him。　〃Go　back　to　that　boat　landing　and　wait　for　Thorn。　Tell　him　I　need　him　as　soon　as　possible。　I　want　to　know　what　those　fool　bloody　women　are　up　to。〃
　　　Juilin's　look　did　not　quite　call　him　a　fool。　They　had；　after　all；　been　trying　to　find　out　exactly　that　for　over　a　month　now；　ever　since　ing　here。　With　a　last　glance　at　the　fleeing　men；　he　sauntered　back　the　way　he　had　e；　once　more　bouncing　the　coin　in　his　hand。
　　　Frowning；　Mat　peered　across　the　racecourse。　It　was　barely　fifty　paces　to　the　crowd　on　the　other　side；　and　faces　leaped　out　at　him　…　a　bent；　white…haired　old　man　with　a　hooked　nose；　a　sharp…faced　woman　under　a　hat　that　seemed　mostly　plumes；　a　tall　fellow　who　looked　like　a　stork　in　green　silk　and　gold　braid；　a　nicely　plump；　full…mouthed　young　woman　who　appeared　about　to　e　out　of　her　dress　at　the　top。　The　longer　the　heat　continued；　the　fewer　and　thinner　garments　women　in　Ebou　Dar　wore；　but　for　once　he　hardly　gave　them　any　notice。　Weeks　had　gone　by　since　he　so　much　as　glimpsed　the　women　who　concerned　him　now。
　　　Birgitte　certainly　needed　no　one　to　hold　her　hand；　a　Hunter　for　the　Horn；　anyone　who　troubled　her　would　be　in　a　deep　hole　by　his　estimation。　And　Aviendha。。。　All　she　needed　was　someone　to　keep　her　from　stabbing　everybody　who　looked　at　her　crossways。　As　far　as　he　was　concerned；　she　could　knife　whoever　she　wanted　so　long　as　it　was　not　Elayne。　For　all　the　bloody　Daughter…Heir　walked　about　with　her　nose　in　the　air；　she　turned　moon…eyed　around　Rand；　and　for　all　Aviendha　behaved　as　if　she　would　stab　any　man　who　glanced　her　way；　she　did　the　same。　Rand　usually　knew　how　to　deal　with　women；　but　he　had　jumped　into　a　bear　pit　letting　that　pair　e　together。　It　was　a　short　road　to　disaster；　and　why　ruin　had　not　happened　was　beyond　Mat。
　　　For　some　reason　his　eyes　drifted　back　to　the　sharp…faced　woman。　She　was　pretty；　if　vulpine。　About　Nynaeve's　age；　he　estimated；　it　was　hard　to　tell　at　the　distance；　but　he　could　judge　women　as　well　as　he　could　horses。　Of　course；　women　could　fool　you　faster　than　any　horse。　Slim。　Why　did　she　make　him　think　of　straw？　What　he　could　see　of　her　hair　beneath　the　plumed　hat　was　dark。　No　matter。
　　　Birgitte　and　Aviendha　could　do　without　his　shepherding；　and　normally　he　would　have　said　the　same　of　Elayne　and　Nynaeve；　however　wrongheaded；　conceited　and　downright　pushy　they　could　be。　That　they　had　been　sneaking　out　all　this　time　said　differently；　though。　Wrongheadedness　was　the　key。　They　were　the　sort　who　berated　a　man　for　meddling　and　chased　him　away；　then　berated　him　again　for　not　being　there　when　he　was　needed。　Not　that　they　would　admit　he　was　needed；　even　then；　not　them。　Raise　a　hand　to　help　and　you　were　interfering；　do　nothing　and　you　were　an　untrustworthy　wastrel。
　　　The　fox…faced　woman　across　the　way　popped　into　his　view　again。　Not　straw；　a　stable。　Which　made　no　more　sense。　He　had　had　fine　times　in　stables　with　many　a　young　woman　and　some　not　so　young；　but　she　wore　modestly　cut　blue　silk　with　a　high　neck　right　under　her　chin　trimmed　in　snowy　lace；　and　more　spilling　over　her　hands。　A　lady；　and　he　avoided　noblewomen　like　death。　Playing　haughty　like　a　harp；　expecting　a　man　always　to　be　at　their　beck　and　call。　Not　Mat　Cauthon。　Strangely；　she　was　fanning　herself　with　a　spray　of　white　plumes。　Where　was　her　maid？　A　knife。　Why　should　she　make　him　think　of　a　knife？　And。。。　fire？　Something　burning；　anyway。
　　　Shaking　his　head；　he　tried　to　focus　on　what　was　important。　Other　men's　memories；　of　battles　and　courts　and　lands　vanished　centuries　ago；　filled　holes　in　his　own；　places　where　his　own　life　suddenly　went　thin　or　was　not　there　at　all。　He　could　remember　fleeing　the　Two　Rivers　with　Moiraine　and　Lan　quite　clearly　for　example；　but　almost　nothing　more　until　reaching　Caemlyn；　and　there　were　gaps　before　and　after；　as　well。　If　whole　years　of　his　own　growing　up　lay　beyond　recall；　why　should　he　expect　to　recollect　every　woman　he　had　met？　Maybe　she　reminded　him　of　some　woman　dead　a　thousand　years　or　more；　the　Light　knew　that　happened　often　enough。　Even　Birgitte　sometimes　tickled　his　memory。　Well；　there　were　four　women　here　and　now　who　had　his　brain　tied　in　knots。　They　were　what　was　important。
　　　Nynaeve　and　the　others　were　avoiding　him　as　if　he　had　fleas。　Five　times　he　had　been　to　the　palace；　and　the　once　they　would　see　him；　it　was　to　say　they　were　too　busy　for　him　and　send　him　away　like　an　errand　boy。　It　all　added　up　to　one　thing。　They　thought　he　would　interfere　with　whatever　they　were　up　to；　and　the　only　reason　he　would　do　that　was　if　they　were　putting　themselves　in　danger。　They　were　not　plete　fools；　idiots　often；　but　not　plete　fools。　If　they　saw　danger；　there　was　danger。　Some　places　in　this　city；　being　a　stranger　or　showing　a　coin　could　bring　a　knife　in　your　ribs；　and　not　even　channeling　would　stop　it　if　they　did　not　see　in　time。　And　here　he　was；　with　Nalesean　and　a　dozen　good　men　from　the　Band；　not　to　mention　Thom　and　Juilin；　who　actually　had　rooms　in　the　servants