rj.acrownofswords-第127节

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the　end；　Barashta　fell　as　pletely　as　Barsine；　or　Shaemal；　or。。。　〃
　　　〃The　Kin。。。　〃　Vandene　broke　in　gently；　Adeleas　blinked　at　her；　then　nodded。　〃。。。　The　Kin　persisted　even　after　Barashta　fell；　in　the　same　way　they　had　before；　taking　in　wilders　and　women　put　out　of　the　Tower。〃　Elayne　frowned；　Mistress　Anan　had　said　the　Kin　took　in　wilders；　too；　but　Reanne's　biggest　anxiety　had　seemed　to　be　making　her　and　Nynaeve　prove　they　were　not。
　　　〃None　ever　remained　long；〃　Adeleas　added。　〃Five　years；　perhaps　ten；　then；　I　suppose；　as　now。　Once　they　realize　that　their　little　group　is　no　replacement　for　the　White　Tower；　they　go　off　and　bee　village　Healers　or　Wisdoms　or　the　like；　or　sometimes　simply　forget　the　Power；　stop　channeling；　and　take　up　a　craft　or　trade。　In　any　case；　they　vanish；　so　to　speak。〃　Elayne　wondered　how　anyone　could　forget　the　One　Power　that　way；　the　urge　to　channel；　the　temptation　of　the　Source；　was　always　there；　once　you　learned　how。　Aes　Sedai　did　seem　to　believe　some　women　could　just　put　it　behind　them；　though；　once　they　found　out　they　would　not　be　Aes　Sedai。
　　　Vandene　took　up　the　explanation　again；　the　sisters　frequently　spoke　almost　in　alternating　sentences；　each　carrying　on　smoothly　where　the　other　left　off。　〃The　Tower　has　known　of　the　Kin　from　nearly　the　beginning；　perhaps　from　the　very　beginning。　At　first；　no　doubt；　the　Wars　took　precedence。　And　despite　calling　themselves　the　Kin；　they　have　done　just　what　we　want　such　women　to　do。　They　remain　hidden；　even　the　fact　that　they　can　channel；　draw　no　attention　whatsoever　to　themselves。　Over　the　years；　they　have　even　passed　along　word　…　secretly；　of　course；　carefully　…　when　one　of　them　found　a　woman　falsely　claiming　the　shawl。　You　said　something？〃
　　　Elayne　shook　her　head。　〃Careane；　is　there　any　tea　in　that　pot？〃　Careane　gave　a　small　start。　〃I　think　Adeleas　and　Vandene　might　like　to　wet　their　throats。〃　The　Domani　woman　did　not　quite　look　at　a　still…staring　Merilille　before　going　to　the　table　where　the　silver　teapot　and　cups　were。　〃That　doesn't　explain　why；〃　Elayne　went　on。　〃Why　is　knowledge　of　them　such　a　deep　secret？　Why　haven't　they　been　scattered　long　ago？〃
　　　〃Why；　the　runaways；　of　course。〃　Adeleas　made　it　sound　the　most　obvious　thing　in　the　world。　〃It　is　a　fact　that　other　gatherings　have　been　broken　up　as　soon　as　found　…　the　last　about　two　hundred　years　ago　…　but　the　Kin　do　keep　themselves　small；　and　quiet。　That　last　group　called　themselves　the　Daughters　of　Silence；　yet　they　were　hardly　silent。　Only　twenty…three　of　them　altogether；　wilders　gathered　and　trained　after　a　fashion　by　a　pair　of　former　Accepted；　but　they　…　〃
　　　〃Runaways；〃　Elayne　prompted；　taking　a　cup　from　Careane　with　a　smile　of　thanks。　She　had　not　asked　one　for　herself；　but　she　realized　absently　that　the　woman　had　offered　her　the　first。　Vandene　and　her　sister　had　talked　quite　a　bit　about　runaways　on　the　way　to　Ebou　Dar。
　　　Adeleas　blinked；　and　pulled　herself　back　to　the　topic。　〃The　Kin　help　runaways。　They　always　have　two　or　three　women　in　Tar　Valon　keeping　watch。　For　one　thing；　they　approach　almost　every　woman　put　out；　in　a　very　circumspect　way；　and　for　another；　they　manage　to　find　every　runaway；　whether　novice　or　Accepted。　At　least；　none　has　made　it　off　the　island　without　their　help　since　the　Trolloc　Wars。〃
　　　〃Oh；　yes；〃　Vandene　said　as　Adeleas　paused　to　take　a　cup　from　Careane。　It　had　been　offered　to　Merilille　first；　but　Merilille　sat　slumped　and　staring　bleakly　at　nothing。　〃If　anyone　does　manage　to　escape；　why；　we　know　right　where　to　look；　and　she　nearly　always　ends　up　back　in　the　Tower　wishing　her　feet　had　never　itched。　As　long　as　the　Kin　don't　know　we　know；　anyway。　Once　that　happens；　it　will　be　back　to　the　days　before　the　Kin；　when　a　woman　running　from　the　Tower　might　go　in　any　direction。　The　numbers　were　larger　then　…　Aes　Sedai；　Accepted；　novices　and　runaways　…　and　some　years　two　out　of　three　escaped　clean；　others　three　out　of　four。　Using　the　Kin；　we　retake　at　least　nine　of　ten。　You　can　see　why　the　Tower　has　preserved　the　Kin　and　their　secret　like　precious　jewels。〃
　　　Elayne　could。　A　woman　was　not　done　with　the　White　Tower　until　it　was　done　with　her。　Besides；　it　could　not　hurt　the　Tower's　reputation　for　infallibility　that　it　always　caught　runaways。　Almost　always。　Well；　now　she　knew。
　　　She　stood；　and　to　her　astonishment；　Adeleas　did　also；　and　Vandene；　waving　away　Careane's　offered　tea；　and　Sareitha。　Even　Merilille；　after　a　moment。　They　all　looked　at　her　expectantly；　even　Merilille。
　　　Vandene　noticed　her　surprise；　and　smiled。　〃Another　thing　you　might　not　know。　We　are　a　contentious　lot　in　many　ways；　we　Aes　Sedai；　each　jealous　of　her　place　and　prerogatives；　but　when　someone　is　placed　above　us　or　stands　above　us；　we　tend　to　follow　her　fairly　meekly　for　the　most　part。　However　we　might　grumble　about　her　decisions　in　private。〃
　　　〃Why；　so　we　do；〃　Adeleas　murmured　happily；　as　if　she　had　just　discovered　something。
　　　Merilille　took　a　deep　breath；　absorbing　herself　for　a　moment　in　straightening　her　skirts。　〃Vandene　is　right；〃　she　said。　〃You　stand　above　us　in　yourself；　and　I　must　admit；　you　apparently　have　been　placed　above　us。　If　our　behavior　calls　for　penance。。。　Well；　you　will　tell　us　if　it　does。　Where　are　we　to　follow　you？　If　I　may　ask？〃　There　was　no　sarcasm　in　any　of　that；　if　anything；　her　tone　was　more　polite　than　Elayne　had　heard　out　of　her　before。
　　　She　thought　any　Aes　Sedai　who　ever　lived　would　have　been　proud　to　control　her　features　as　well　as　she　did　right　then。　All　she　had　wanted　was　for　them　to　admit　she　really　was　Aes　Sedai。　She　fought　a　momentary　urge　to　protest　that　she　was　too　young；　too　inexperienced。　〃You　can　never　put　honey　back　in　the　b；〃　so　Lini　used　to　say　when　she　was　a　girl。　Egwene　was　no　older。
　　　Drawing　breath；　she　smiled　warmly。　〃The　first　thing　to　recall　is　that　we　are　all　sisters；　in　every　meaning　of　the　word。　We　must　work　together；　the　Bowl　of　the　Winds　is　too　important　for　anything　less。〃　She　hoped　they　would　all　nod　so　enthusiastically　when　she　told　them　what　Egwene　intended。　〃Perhaps　we　should　sit　again。〃　They　waited　for　her　before　folding　themselves　back　into　their　seats。　She　hoped　Nynaeve　was　getting　on　a　tenth　so　well。　When　she　found　out　about　this；　Nynaeve　was　going　to　faint　from　shock。　〃I　have　something　of　my　own　to　tell　you　about　the　Kin。〃
　　　Fairly　soon　it　was　Merilille　who　looked　ready　to　faint　from　shock；　and　even　Adeleas　and　Vandene　were　not　far　from　it。　But　they　went　right　on　saying；　〃Yes；　Elayne；〃　and　〃If　you　say　so；　Elayne。〃　Perhaps　it　would　all　go　smoothly　from　now　on。
　　　
　　　The　sedan　chair　was　rocking　through　the　crowds　of　revelers　along　the　quay　when　Moghedien　spotted　the　woman。　She　was　being　handed　down　from　a　coach　at　one　of　the　boat　landings　by　a　footman　in　green　and　white。　A　wide　feathered　mask　covered　her　face　more　pletely　than　Moghedien's　did；　but　she　would　have　known　that　determined　stride；　known　that　woman；　from　any　angle　in　any　light。　The　carved　screens　that　served　as　windows　in　the　closed　chair　were　certainly　no　hindrance。　Two　fellows　with　swords　on　their　hips　scrambled　from　the　coach　roof　to　follow　the　masked　woman。
　　　Moghedien　thumped　a　fist　against　the　side　of　the　chair；　shouting；　〃Stop！〃　The　bearers　halted　so　quickly　she　was　almost　flung　forward。
　　　The　crowd　jostled　past；　some　shouting　curses　at　her　bearers　for　blocking　the　way；　some　shouting　more　good　naturedly。　Down　here　by　the　river；　the　throng　ran　thin　enough　for　her　to　watch　through　the　gaps。　The　boat　that　pulled　away　from　the　landing　seemed　quite　distinctive；　the　roof　of　the　low　cabin　in　the　rear　was　painted　red；　she　did　not　see　that　affectation　on　any　of　the　others　waiting　at　the　long　stone　dock。
　　　She　wet　her　lips；　shivering。　Moridin's　instructions　had　been　explicit；　the　price　of　disobedience　made　excruciatingly　clear。　But　a　slight　delay　would　not　hurt。　Not　if　he　never　learned　of　it；　anyway。
　　　Flinging　open　the　door；　she　climbed　out　into　the　street　and　looked　about　hastily。　There；　that　inn；　right　overlooking　the　docks。　And　the　river。　Lifting　her　skirts；　she　hurried　away　without　the　slightest　fear　anyone　might　take　her　chair；　until　she　untied　the　webs　of　pulsion　on　them；　the　bearers　would　tell　anyone　who　asked　that　they　were　engaged；　and　stand　there　until　they　died　of　hunger。　A　path　opened　ahead　of　her；　men　and　women　in　feathered　masks　leaping　aside　before　she　reached　them；　leaping　with　squeals　and　cries　as　they　clutched　where　they　thought　they　had　been　stabbed。　As　they　had；　there　was　no　time　to　spin　subtle　webs　on　so　many　minds；　but　a　flurry　of　needles　woven　of　Air　did　as　well　here。
　　　The　stout　innkeeper　at　The　Oarsman's　Pride　nearly　leaped；　too；　at　the　sight　of　Moghedien　striding　into　her　mon　room　in　gloriously　scarlet　silk　worked　with　thread…of…gold　and　black　silk　that　glistened　as　richly　as　the　gold。　Her　mask　was　a　great　spray　of　pitch　black　feathers　with　a　sharp　black　beak；　a　raven。　That　was　Moridin's　joke；　his　mand；　as　was　the　dress；　in　fact。　His　colors　were　black　and　red；　he　said；　and　she　would　wear　them　while　she　served　him。　She　was　in　livery；　however　elegant；　and　she　could　have　killed　everyone　who　saw　her。
　　　Instead；　she　spun　a　hasty　web　on　the　round…cheeked　innkeeper　that　jerked　her　up　s