rj.theshadowrising-第176节

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　　　　　　　They　did　not　hate；　but　they　saw　a　Darkfriend　when　they　saw　him。　And　Byar；　at　least；　was　capable　of　anything。
　　　　　　　He　had　had　to　do　it；　but　he　thought　maybe　it　would　not　be　such　a　bad　idea　to　let　Dannil　and　Ban　and　the　others　follow　him　around　the　way　they　wanted　to。　He　was　not　going　to　be　able　to　sleep　easy　without　somebody　guarding　his　door。　Guards。　Like　some　fool　lord。　At　least　Faile　would　be　happy。　If　only　he　could　make　them　lose　that　banner　somewhere。


Chapter　46
（Female　Silhouettes）
Veils

　　　　　　　The　crowds　were　thick　in　the　confined　winding　streets　of　the　Calpene　near　the　Great　Circle；　the　smoke　of　countless　cook　fires　rising　above　the　high　white　walls　gave　the　reason。　Sour　smells　of　smoke　and　cooking　and　long　unwashed　sweat　hung　heavy　in　the　humid　morning　air　with　the　crying　of　children　and　the　vague　murmurs　that　always　clung　to　large　masses　of　people；　together　enough　to　muffle　the　shrill　caws　of　the　gulls　sailing　overhead。　The　shops　in　this　area　had　long　since　locked　the　iron　grilles　over　their　doors　for　good。
　　　　　　　Disgusted；　Egeanin　threaded　her　way　through　the　throng　afoot。　It　was　dreadful　that　order　had　broken　down　enough　for　penniless　refugees　to　take　over　the　circles；　sleeping　among　the　stone　benches。　It　was　as　bad　as　their　rulers　letting　them　starve。　Her　heart　should　have　been　gladdened　…　this　dispirited　rabble　could　never　resist　the　Corenne；　and　then　proper　order　would　be　restored　…　but　she　hated　looking　at　it。
　　　　　　　Most　of　the　ragged　people　around　her　seemed　too　apathetic　to　wonder　at　a　woman　in　their　midst　in　a　clean；　well…tended　blue　riding　dress；　silk　if　plainly　cut。　Men　and　women　in　once　fine　garb；　soiled　and　wrinkled　now；　speckled　the　crowd；　so　perhaps　she　did　not　stand　out　enough　for　contrast。　The　few　who　seemed　to　wonder　whether　her　clothes　meant　coins　in　her　purse　were　dissuaded　by　the　petent　way　she　carried　her　stout　staff；　as　tall　as　she　was。　Guards　and　chair　and　bearers　had　had　to　be　left　behind　today。　Floran　Gelb　would　surely　have　realized　he　was　being　followed　by　that　array。　At　least　this　dress　with　its　divided　skirts　gave　her　a　little　freedom　of　movement。
　　　　　　　Keeping　the　weasely　little　man　in　sight　was　easy　even　in　this　mass　of　people；　despite　having　to　dodge　oxcarts　or　the　occasional　wagon；　hauled　by　sweating　bare…chested　men　more　often　than　animals。　Gelb　and　seven　or　eight　panions；　burly　rough…faced　men　all；　shoved　through　in　a　knot；　an　eddy　of　curses　following　them。　Those　fellows　angered　her。　Gelb　meant　to　try　kidnapping　again。　He　had　found　three　women　since　she　sent　him　the　gold　he　had　asked　for；　none　more　than　casually　resembling　any　on　her　list；　and　had　whined　over　every　one　she　rejected。　She　should　never　have　paid　him　for　that　first　woman　he　snatched　off　the　street。　Greed　and　the　memory　of　gold　had　apparently　washed　out　the　hide…flaying　tongue…lashing　she　had　given　him　along　with　the　purse。
　　　　　　　Shouts　from　behind　pulled　her　head　around　and　tightened　her　hands　on　the　staff。　A　small　space　had　opened　up；　as　it　always　did　around　trouble。　A　bellowing　man　in　a　torn；　once…fine　yellow　coat　was　on　his　knees　in　the　street；　clutching　his　right　arm　where　it　bent　the　wrong　way。　Huddling　over　him　protectively；　a　weeping　woman　in　a　tattered　green　gown　was　crying　at　a　veiled　fellow　already　melting　into　the　crowd。　〃He　only　asked　for　a　coin！　He　only　asked！〃　The　crowd　swirled　in　around　them　again。
　　　　　　　Grimacing；　Egeanin　turned　back。　And　stopped　with　an　oath　that　drew　a　few　startled　glances。　Gelb　and　his　fellows　had　vanished。　Pushing　her　way　to　a　small　stone　fountain　where　water　gushed　from　the　mouth　of　a　bronze　fish　on　the　side　of　a　flat…roofed　wineshop；　she　roughly　displaced　two　of　the　women　filling　pots　and　leaped　up　onto　the　coping；　ignoring　their　indignant　curses。　From　there　she　could　see　over　the　heads　of　the　crowd；　Cramped　streets　ran　off　in　every　direction；　twisting　around　the　hills。　Bends　and　white…plastered　buildings　cut　her　view　to　less　than　a　hundred　paces　at　best；　but　Gelb　could　not　have　gone　farther　than　that　in　those　few　moments。
　　　　　　　Abruptly　she　found　him；　hiding　in　a　deep　doorway　thirty　paces　on；　but　up　on　his　toes　to　peer　down　the　street。　The　others　were　easy　enough　to　locate　then；　leaning　against　buildings　to　either　side　of　the　street；　trying　not　to　be　noticed。　They　were　not　the　only　ones　lining　the　walls；　but　where　the　rest　huddled　dispiritedly；　their　scared；　broken…nosed　faces　held　expectation。
　　　　　　　So　it　was　to　be　here；　their　abduction。　Certainly　no　one　would　interfere；　any　more　than　people　had　when　that　fellow's　arm　was　broken。　But　who？　If　Gelb　had　finally　found　someone　on　the　list；　she　could　go　away　and　wait　for　him　to　sell　her　the　woman；　wait　her　chance　to　see　if　an　a'dam　truly　could　hold　other　sul'dam　besides　Bethamin。　However；　she　did　not　mean　to　face　again　the　choice　between　slitting　some　unfortunate　woman's　throat　and　sending　her　off　to　be　sold。
　　　　　　　There　were　plenty　of　women　climbing　up　the　street　toward　Gelb；　most　in　those　transparent　veils；　their　hair　braided。　Without　a　second　glance　Egeanin　ruled　out　two　in　sedan　chairs；　with　bodyguards　marching　alongside；　Gelb's　street　toughs　would　not　tangle　with　near　their　own　number；　nor　face　swords　with　their　fists。　Whoever　they　were　after　would　have　no　more　than　two　or　three　men　for　pany　if　that；　and　none　armed。　That　seemed　to　include　all　the　other　women　in　her　view；　whether　in　rags　of　drab　country　dresses　or　the　more　clinging　styles　Taraboner　women　favored。
　　　　　　　Suddenly　two　of　those　women；　talking　together　as　they　rounded　a　far　bend；　seized　Egeanin's　eye。　With　their　hair　in　slender　braids　and　transparent　veils　across　their　faces；　they　appeared　to　be　Taraboners；　but　they　were　out　of　place　here。　Those　thin；　scandalously　draped　dresses；　one　green；　the　other　blue；　were　silk；　not　linen　or　finespun　wool。　Women　clothed　like　that　rode　in　sedan　chairs；　they　did　not　walk；　especially　not　here。　And　they　did　not　carry　barrel　staves　on　their　shoulders　like　clubs。
　　　　　　　Dismissing　the　one　with　red…gold　hair；　she　studied　the　other。　Her　dark　braids　were　unusually　long；　nearly　to　her　waist。　At　this　distance；　the　woman　looked　very　much　like　a　sul'dam　named　Surine。　Not　Surine；　though。　This　woman　would　have　e　no　higher　than　Surine's　chin。
　　　　　　　Muttering　under　her　breath；　Egeanin　jumped　down　and　began　pushing　through　the　jostling　mass　between　her　and　Gelb。　With　luck　she　could　reach　him　in　time　to　call　him　off。　The　fool。　The　greedy；　weasel…brained　fool！
　
　　　　　　　〃We　should　have　hired　chairs；　Nynaeve；〃　Elayne　said　again；　wondering　for　the　hundredth　time　how　Taraboner　women　talked　without　catching　the　veils　in　their　mouths。　Spitting　it　out；　she　added；　〃We　are　going　to　have　to　use　these　things。〃
　　　　　　　A　weedy…faced　fellow　stopped　drifting　toward　them　through　the　crowd　when　Nynaeve　hefted　her　barrel　stave　threateningly。　〃That　is　what　they　are　for。〃　Her　glare　might　have　encouraged　the　man's　loss　of　interest。　She　fumbled　at　the　dark　braids　hanging　over　her　shoulders　and　made　a　disgusted　sound；　Elayne　did　not　know　when　she　would　bee　used　to　not　having　that　one　thick　braid　to　tug。　〃And　feet　are　for　walking。　How　could　we　look　or　ask　questions　being　carried　around　like　pigs　to　sale？　I　would　feel　a　plete　fool　in　one　of　those　idiot　chairs。　In　any　case；　I'd　rather　trust　to　my　own　wits　than　men　I　do　not　know。〃
　　　　　　　Elayne　was　sure　Bayle　Domon　could　have　provided　trustworthy　men。　The　Sea　Folk　certainly　would　have；　she　wished　Wavedancer　had　not　sailed；　but　the　Sailmistress　and　her　sister　had　been　eager　to　spread　word　of　the　Coramoor　to　Dantora　and　Cantorin。　Twenty　bodyguards　would　have　suited　her　very　well。
　　　　　　　She　sensed　as　much　as　felt　something　brushing　the　purse　at　her　belt；　clutching　at　the　purse　with　one　hand；　she　spun　around；　raising　her　own　stave。　The　throng　flowing　by　spread　a　little　around　her；　people　barely　glancing　her　way　as　they　elbowed　one　another；　but　there　was　no　sign　of　the　would…be　cutpurse。　At　least　she　could　still　feel　the　coins　inside：　She　had　taken　to　wearing　her　Great　Serpent　ring　and　the　twisted　stone　ter'angreal　on　a　cord　around　her　neck　in　imitation　of　Nynaeve　after　the　first　time　she　had　nearly　lost　a　purse。　In　their　five　days　in　Tanchico　she　had　lost　three。　Twenty　guards　would　be　just　about　right。　And　a　carriage。　With　curtains　at　the　windows。
　　　　　　　Resuming　the　slow　climb　up　the　street　beside　Nynaeve；　she　said；　〃Then　we　should　not　be　wearing　these　dresses。　I　can　remember　a　time　when　you　stuffed　me　into　a　farmgirl's　dress。〃
　　　　　　　〃They　make　a　good　disguise；〃　Nynaeve　replied　curtly。　〃We　blend　in。〃
　　　　　　　Elayne　gave　a　small　sniff。　As　if　plainer　dresses　would　not　have　blended　even　better。　Nynaeve　would　not　admit　she　had　e　to　enjoy　wearing　silks　and　pretty　dresses。　Elayne　simply　wished　she　had　not　taken　it　so　far。　True；　everyone　took　them　for　Taraboners　…　until　they　spoke；　at　least　…　but　even　with　a　lace…trimmed　neck　right　up　under　her　chin；　this　close…draped　green　silk　at　least　felt　more　revealing　than　anything　she　had　ever　worn　before。　Certainly　anything　she　had　ever　worn　in　public。　Nynaeve；　on　the　other　hand；　strode　along　the　cramped　street　as　if　no　one　was　looking　at　them　at　all。　Well；　maybe　no　one　was　…　not　because　of　how　their　dresses　fit；　anyway　…　but　it　surely　seemed　they　were。