rj.acrownofswords-第163节

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might　have　read　all　day；　had　I　allowed　it　…　and　did　his　numbers；　so　I　let　him　go。　Why　are　you　in　such　a　bother？　He　promised　to　return　by　sunset；　and　he　seems　to　set　a　great　store　by　his　promises。〃
　　　Propping　the　ashandarei　in　its　old　corner；　Mat　told　the　other　men　to　drop　their　burdens　and　go　find　Vanin　and　the　remaining　Redarms。　Then　he　left　Riselle's　spectacular　bosom　and　ran　all　the　way　to　the　rooms　Nynaeve　and　the　other　women　shared。　They　were　all　there；　in　the　sitting　room；　and　so　was　Lan；　with　his　Warder's　cloak　already　draped　down　his　back　and　saddlebags　on　his　shoulders。　His　saddlebags　and　Nynaeve's；　it　seemed。　A　good　many　bundles　of　dresses　and　not…so…small　chests　stood　about　the　floor。　Mat　wondered　if　they　would　make　Lan　carry　those；　too。
　　　〃Of　course　you　have　to　go　find　him；　Mat　Cauthon；〃　Nynaeve　said。　〃Do　you　think　we　would　just　abandon　the　child？〃　To　hear　her；　you　would　have　thought　that　was　exactly　what　he　had　intended。
　　　Suddenly　he　was　deluged　with　offers　of　help；　not　just　Nynaeve　and　Elayne　proposing　to　put　off　going　to　the　farm；　but　Lan　and　Birgitte　and　Aviendha　offering　to　join　the　search。　Lan　was　stone　cold　about　it；　grim　as　ever；　but　Birgitte　and　Aviendha。。。
　　　〃My　heart　would　break　if　anything　happened　to　that　boy；〃　Birgitte　said；　and　Aviendha　added；　just　as　warmly；　〃I　have　always　said　you　do　not　care　for　him　properly。〃
　　　Mat　ground　his　teeth。　In　the　streets　of　the　city；　Olver　might　well　elude　eight　men　until　he　appeared　back　at　the　palace　at　sunset。　He　did　keep　his　promises；　but　small　chance　he　would　give　up　one　moment　of　freedom　he　did　not　have　to。　More　eyes　would　mean　a　quicker　search；　especially　if　all　of　the　Wise　Women　were　brought　into　it。　For　the　space　of　three　heartbeats　he　hesitated。　He　had　his　own　promises　to　keep；　though　he　was　wise　enough　not　to　put　it　that　way。
　　　〃The　Bowl　is　too　important；〃　he　told　them。　〃That　gholam　is　still　out　there；　and　maybe　Moghedien；　and　the　Black　Ajah　for　sure。〃　The　dice　thundered　in　his　head。　Aviendha　would　not　appreciate　being　lumped　in　with　Nynaeve　and　Elayne；　but　he　did　not　care　right　then。　He　addressed　Lan　and　Birgitte。　〃Keep　them　safe　until　I　can　reach　you。　Keep　all　of　them　safe。〃
　　　Startlingly；　Aviendha　said；　〃We　will。　I　promise。〃　She　fingered　the　hilt　of　her　knife。　Apparently　she　did　not　understand　she　was　one　of　those　to　be　kept　safe。
　　　Nynaeve　and　Elayne　did。　Nynaeve's　sudden　glare　tried　to　bore　a　hole　through　his　skull；　he　expected　her　to　yank　on　her　braid；　but　strangely；　her　hand　only　fluttered　toward　it　before　being　put　firmly　to　her　side。　Elayne　contented　herself　with　raising　her　chin；　those　big　blue　eyes　frosty。　No　dimple　here。
　　　Lan　and　Birgitte　understood；　too。
　　　〃Nynaeve　is　my　life；〃　Lan　said　simply；　putting　a　hand　on　her　shoulder。　The　odd　thing　was；　she　suddenly　looked　very　sad；　and　then　just　as　suddenly；　her　jaw　set　as　though　she　was　preparing　to　walk　through　a　stone　wall　and　make　a　large　hole。
　　　Birgitte　gave　Elayne　a　fond　look；　but　it　was　to　Mat　she　spoke。　〃I　will；〃　she　said。　〃Honor's　truth。〃
　　　Mat　tugged　at　his　coat　unfortably。　He　still　was　not　sure　how　much　he　had　told　her　while　drunk。　Light；　but　the　woman　could　soak　it　up　like　dry　sand。　Even　so；　he　gave　the　proper　response　for　a　Barashandan　lord；　accepting　her　pledge。　〃The　honor　of　blood；　the　truth　of　blood。〃　Birgitte　nodded；　and　from　the　startled　looks　he　received　from　Nynaeve　and　Elayne；　she　still　kept　his　secrets　close。　Light；　if　any　Aes　Sedai　ever　found　out　about　those　memories；　they　might　as　well　know　he　had　blown　the　Horn　as　well；　foxhead　or　no　foxhead；　they　would　stretch　him　out　till　they　dug　out　every　last　why　and　how。
　　　As　he　was　turning　to　go；　Nynaeve　caught　his　sleeve。　〃Remember　the　storm；　Mat。　It's　going　to　break　soon；　I　know　it。　You　take　care　of　yourself；　Mat　Cauthon。　Do　you　hear　me？　Tylin　has　directions　for　the　farm；　when　you　get　back　with　Olver。〃
　　　Nodding；　he　made　his　escape；　the　dice　in　his　head　like　echoes　of　his　running　boots。　Was　it　during　the　search　that　he　was　supposed　to　take　care　of　himself；　or　while　getting　the　directions　from　Tylin？　Nynaeve　and　her　Listening　to　the　Wind。　Did　she　think　a　little　rain　was　going　to　melt　him？　e　to　think；　once　they　used　the　Bowl　of　the　Winds；　it　would　rain　again。　It　seemed　years　since　rain　last　fell。　Something　tugged　at　his　thoughts；　something　about　the　weather；　and　Elayne；　which　made　no　sense；　but　he　shrugged　it　off。　One　thing　at　a　time；　and　the　one　thing　right　now　was　Olver。
　　　The　men　were　all　waiting　in　the　Redarms'　long　room　near　the　stables；　everyone　on　their　feet　except　Vanin；　who　lay　sprawled　on　one　of　the　beds　with　his　fingers　laced　over　his　belly。　Vanin　said　a　man　had　to　take　rest　when　he　could。　He　swung　his　boots　over　and　sat　up　when　Mat　entered；　though。　He　cared　about　Olver　as　much　as　any　of　the　others；　Mat　was　just　afraid　the　man　was　going　to　start　teaching　him　how　to　steal　horses　and　poach　pheasants。　Seven　sets　of　eyes　focused　on　Mat　intently。
　　　〃Riselle　said　Olver's　wearing　his　red　coat；〃　he　told　them。　〃He　gives　them　away；　sometimes；　but　any　urchin　you　see　in　a　good　red　coat　probably　knows　where　Olver　last　was。　Everybody　goes　in　a　different　direction。　Make　loops　out　from　the　Mol　Hara；　and　try　to　be　back　after　about　an　hour。　Wait　till　everybody　is　back　before　you　go　out　again。　That　way；　if　somebody　finds　him；　the　rest　of　us　won't　still　be　looking　tomorrow。　Does　everybody　understand？〃　They　nodded。
　　　Sometimes　it　amazed　him。　Lanky　Thom　with　his　white　hair　and　mustaches；　who　had　been　a　Queen's　lover　once；　and　more　willingly　than　himself；　not　to　mention　more　than　a　lover；　if　you　believed　half　he　said。　Square…jawed　Harnan　with　that　tattoo　on　his　cheek　and　more　elsewhere；　who　had　been　a　soldier　all　his　life。　Juilin　with　his　bamboo　staff　and　his　sword…breaker　on　his　hip；　who　thought　himself　as　good　as　any　lord　even　if　the　idea　of　carrying　a　sword　himself　still　made　him　uneasy；　and　fat　Vanin；　who　made　Juilin　look　a　bootlicker　by　parison。　Skinny　Fergin；　and　Gorderan；　nearly　as　wide　in　the　shoulders　as　Perrin；　and　Metwyn；　whose　pale　Cairhienin　face　still　looked　like　a　boy's　despite　being　years　older　than　Mat。　Some　of　them　followed　Mat　Cauthon　because　they　thought　he　was　lucky；　because　his　luck　might　keep　them　alive　when　the　swords　were　out；　and　some　for　reasons　he　was　not　really　sure　of；　but　they　followed。　Not　even　Thom　had　ever　more　than　protested　an　order　of　his。　Maybe　Renaile　had　been　more　than　luck。　Maybe　his　being　ta'veren　did　more　than　dump　him　in　the…middle　of　trouble。　Suddenly　he　felt。。。　responsible。。。　for　these　men。　It　was　an　unfortable　feeling。　Mat　Cauthon　and　responsibility　did　not　go　together。　It　was　unnatural。
　　　〃Take　care　of　yourselves；　and　look　sharp；〃　he　said。　〃You　know　what's　out　there。　There's　a　storm　ing。〃　Now　why　had　he　said　that？　〃Move。　We're　wasting　light。〃
　　　The　wind　still　blew　strongly；　sweeping　dust　across　the　Mol　Hara　Square　with　its　statue　of　a　long…dead　queen　posing　above　the　fountain；　but　there　was　no　other　sign　of　a　storm。　Nariene　had　been　noted　for　her　honesty；　but　not　enough　to　have　been　depicted　pletely　bare…chested。　The　afternoon　sun　burned　high　in　a　sky　without　a　cloud；　but　people　rushed　through　the　square　as　quickly　as　they　had　in　the　morning　cool。　That　was　gone；　wind　or　no；　down　here　on　the　ground。　The　paving　stones　seemed　a　griddle　under　his　boots。
　　　Glaring　across　the　square　at　The　Wandering　Woman；　Mat　headed　toward　the　river。　Olver　had　not　gone　off　with　the　street　urchins　half　as　often　while　they　were　staying　at　the　inn；　he　had　been　too　content　ogling　the　serving　girls　and　Setalle　Anan's　daughters。　So　much　for　the　dice　telling　him　he　had　to　move　into　the　palace。　Anything　he　had　done　since　leaving　…　anything　he　wanted　to　do；　he　amended；　thinking　of　Tylin　and　her　eyes；　and　her　hands　…　any　of　it　could　have　been　done　just　as　well　from　there。　Those　dice　spun　now；　and　he　wished　they　would　just　go　away。
　　　He　tried　to　move　quickly；　dodging　impatiently　around　trundling　carts　and　wagons；　cursing　at　lacquered　sedan　chairs　and　coaches　that　nearly　ran　him　down；　eyes　darting　in　search　of　a　red　coat　close　to　the　ground；　but　the　bustle　in　the　streets　slowed　him　to　a　meander。　Which　was　just　as　well；　in　truth。　No　point　dashing　by　the　boy　without　seeing　him。　Wishing　he　had　brought　Pips　out　of　the　palace　stables；　he　frowned　at　the　people　streaming　past；　a　man　on　horseback　could　have　moved　no　faster　in　the　throng；　but　up　in　the　saddle；　he　could　have　seen　farther。　Then　again；　asking　questions　from　a　saddle　would　have　been　awkward；　not　many　folk　actually　rode　inside　the　city；　and　some　people　had　a　tendency　to　shy　away　from　anyone　on　a　horse。
　　　Always　the　same　question。　The　first　time　he　asked　was　at　a　bridge　just　below　the　Mol　Hara；　of　a　fellow　selling　honey…baked　apples　from　a　tray　hanging　from　a　strap　around　his　neck。　〃Have　you　seen　a　boy；　about　so　high；　in　a　red　coat？〃　Olver　liked　sweets。
　　　〃Boy；　my　Lord？〃　the　fellow　said；　sucking　his　few　remaining　teeth。　〃Seen　a　thousand　boys。　Don't　remember　no　coat；　though。　Would　my　Lord　like　one　apple；　or　two？〃　He　scooped　up　two　with　bony　fingers　and　pushed　them　at　Mat；　the　way　they　gave　under　his　fingers；　they　were　softer　than　any　baking　could　account　for。　〃Did　my　Lord　hear　about