rj.acrownofswords-第46节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　　〃Should　not〃　isn't　always　〃will　not；〃　Egwene　reminded　herself。　Slipping　the　stole　from　her　shoulders；　she　folded　it　to　carry　in　one　hand。　At　a　glance；　from　a　distance；　Leane　might　well　be　taken　for　an　Accepted　despite　her　dress；　many　Accepted　lacked　enough　of　the　banded　white　dresses　to　wear　one　all　the　time。　From　a　distance；　Egwene　might　be　taken　for　one；　too。　Not　the　most　pacifying　thought。
　　　〃Theodrin　and　Faolain　are　asking　around　near　Marigan's　tent；　Mother。　They　weren't　especially　pleased。　I　did　a　fine　sulk　over　carrying　messages；　if　I　do　say　so。　Theodrin　had　to　stop　Faolain　dressing　me　down　for　it。〃　Leane's　laughter　was　quiet　and　breathy。　Situations　that　grated　Siuan's　teeth　usually　amused　her。　She　was　cosseted　by　most　of　the　other　sisters　for　how　well　she　had　adjusted。
　　　〃Good；　good；〃　Egwene　said　absently。　〃Merana　misstepped　somehow；　Leane；　or　he　wouldn't　be　staying　in　Cairhien；　and　she　wouldn't　be　keeping　quiet。〃　Off　in　the　distance；　a　dog　bayed　at　the　moon；　then　others；　until　they　were　abruptly　silenced　by　shouts　that；　perhaps　luckily；　she　could　not　quite　understand。　A　number　of　the　soldiers　had　dogs　tagging　along；　there　were　none　in　the　Aes　Sedai　camp。　Any　number　of　cats；　but　no　dogs。
　　　〃Merana　does　know　what　she　is　doing；　Mother。〃　It　sounded　very　like　a　sigh。　Leane　and　Siuan　both　agreed　with　Sheriam。　Everyone　did；　except　her。　〃When　you　give　someone　a　task；　you　have　to　trust　it　to　them。〃
　　　Egwene　sniffed　and　folded　her　arms。　〃Leane；　that　man　could　strike　sparks　from　a　damp　cloth；　if　it　wore　the　shawl。　I　don't　know　Merana；　but　I've　never　seen　an　Aes　Sedai　who　qualified　as　a　damp　cloth。〃
　　　〃I've　met　one　or　two；〃　Leane　chuckled。　This　time　her　sigh　was　plain。　〃But　not　Merana；　true。　Does　he　really　believe　he　has　friends　inside　the　Tower？　Alviarin？　That　might　make　him　difficult　for　Merana；　I　suppose；　but　I　can　hardly　see　Alviarin　doing　anything　to　risk　her　place。　She　was　always　ambitious　enough　for　three。〃
　　　〃He　has　a　letter　supposedly　from　her。〃　She　could　still　see　Rand　gloating　over　receiving　letters　from　Elaida　and　Alviarin　both；　back　before　she　herself　left　Cairhien。　〃Maybe　her　ambitions　make　her　think　she　can　replace　Elaida　with　him　on　her　side。　That's　if　she　really　wrote　it。　He　thinks　he's　clever；　Leane　…　maybe　he　is　…　but　he　doesn't　believe　he　needs　anyone。〃　Rand　would　go　on　thinking　he　could　handle　anything　by　himself　right　up　until　one　of　those　anythings　crushed　him。　〃I　know　him　inside　and　out；　Leane。　Being　around　the　Wise　Ones　seems　to　have　infected　him；　or　maybe　he　infected　them。　Whatever　the　Sitters　think；　whatever　any　of　you　think；　an　Aes　Sedai's　shawl　doesn't　impress　him　any　more　than　it　does　the　Wise　Ones。　Sooner　or　later　he'll　exasperate　a　sister　until　she　does　something　about　it；　or　one　of　them　will　push　him　the　wrong　way；　not　realizing　how　strong　he　is；　and　what　his　temper　is　now。　After　that　there　might　be　no　going　back。　I'm　the　only　one　who　can　deal　with　him　safely。　The　only　one。〃
　　　〃He　can　hardly　be　as。。。　irritating。。。　as　those　Aiel　women；〃　Leane　murmured　wryly。　Even　she　found　it　difficult　to　be　amused　by　her　experiences　with　the　Wise　Ones。　〃But　it　hardly　matters。　'The　Amyrlin　Seat　being　valued　with　the　White　Tower　itself。。。　'　〃
　　　A　pair　of　women　appeared　between　the　tents　ahead；　moving　slowly；　as　they　talked。　Distance　and　shadows　obscured　their　faces；　yet　it　was　clear　they　were　Aes　Sedai　from　the　way　they　carried　themselves；　an　assurance　that　nothing　hiding　in　any　darkness　could　harm　them。　No　Accepted　on　the　brink　of　the　shawl　could　manage　quite　that　degree　of　confidence。　A　queen　with　an　army　at　her　back　might　not。　They　were　ing　toward　her　and　Leane。　Leane　quickly　turned　in　to　the　deeper　dimness　between　two　wagons。
　　　Scowling　with　frustration；　Egwene　nearly　pulled　her　out　again　and　marched　on。　Let　it　all　e　into　the　open。　She　would　stand　before　the　Hall　and　tell　them　it　was　time　they　realized　the　Amyrlin's　stole　was　more　than　a　pretty　scarf。　She　would。。。　Following　Leane；　she　motioned　the　other　woman　to　walk　on。　What　she　would　not　do　was　throw　everything　on　the　midden　heap　in　a　fit　of　pique。
　　　Only　one　Tower　law　specifically　limited　the　power　of　the　Amyrlin　Seat。　A　fistful　of　irritating　customs　and　a　barrel　full　of　inconvenient　realities；　but　only　one　law；　yet　it　could　not　have　been　a　worse　for　her　purposes。　〃The　Amyrlin　Seat　being　valued　with　the　White　Tower　itself；　as　the　very　heart　of　the　White　Tower；　she　must　not　be　endangered　without　dire　necessity；　therefore　unless　the　White　Tower　be　at　war　by　declaration　of　the　Hall　of　the　Tower；　the　Amyrlin　Seat　shall　seek　the　lesser　consensus　of　the　Hall　of　the　Tower　before　deliberately　placing　herself　in　the　way　of　any　danger；　and　she　shall　abide　by　the　consensus　that　stands。〃　What　rash　incident　by　an　Amyrlin　had　inspired　that；　Egwene　did　not　know；　but　it　had　been　law　for　something　over　two　thousand　years。　To　most　Aes　Sedai；　any　law　that　old　attained　an　aura　of　holiness；　changing　it　was　unthinkable。
　　　Romanda　had　quoted　that。。。　that　bloody　law　as　though　lecturing　a　half…wit。　If　the　Daughter…Heir　of　Andor　could　not　be　allowed　within　a　hundred　miles　of　the　Dragon　Reborn；　how　much　more　they　must　preserve　the　Amyrlin　Seat。　Lelaine　sounded　almost　regretful；　most　likely　because　she　was　agreeing　with　Romanda。　That　had　nearly　curdled　both　their　tongues。　Without　them；　both　of　them；　the　lesser　consensus　lay　as　far　out　of　reach　as　the　greater。　Light；　even　that　declaration　of　war　only　required　the　lesser　consensus！　So　if　she　could　not　obtain　permission。。。
　　　Leane　cleared　her　throat。　〃You　can　hardly　do　much　if　you　go　in　secret；　Mother；　and　the　Hall　will　find　out；　soon　or　late。　I　think　you　would　find　it　difficult　to　have　an　hour　to　yourself　after　that。　Not　that　they'd　dare　put　a　guard　on　you；　precisely；　but　there　are　ways。　I　can　quote　examples　from。。。　certain　sources。〃　She　never　mentioned　the　hidden　records　directly　unless　they　were　behind　a　ward。
　　　〃Am　I　so　transparent？〃　Egwene　asked　after　a　moment。　There　were　only　wagons　around　them　here；　and　beneath　the　wagons　the　dark　mounds　of　sleeping　wagon　drivers　and　horse　handlers　and　all　the　rest　needed　to　keep　so　many　vehicles　moving。　It　was　remarkable　just　how　many　conveyances　over　three　hundred　Aes　Sedai　required；　when　few　would　condescend　to　ride　even　a　mile　in　wagon　or　cart。　But　there　were　tents　and　furnishings　and　foodstuffs；　and　a　thousand　things　needed　to　keep　the　sisters　and　those　who　served　them。　The　loudest　sounds　here　were　snores；　a　chorus　of　frogs。
　　　〃No；　Mother；〃　Leane　laughed　softly。　〃I　just　thought　what　I　would　do。　But　it's　well　known　I've　lost　all　my　dignity　and　sense；　the　Amyrlin　Seat　can　hardly　take　me　for　a　model。　I　think　you　must　let　young　Master　al'Thor　go　as　he　will；　for　a　time　anyway；　while　you　pluck　the　goose　that's　in　front　of　you。〃
　　　〃His　way　may　lead　us　all　to　the　Pit　of　Doom；〃　Egwene　muttered；　but　it　was　not　an　argument。　There　had　to　be　a　way　to　pluck　that　goose　and　still　keep　Rand　from　making　dangerous　mistakes；　but　she　could　not　see　it　now。　Not　frogs；　those　snores　sounded　like　a　hundred　saws　cutting　logs　full　of　knots。　〃This　is　as　bad　a　spot　for　a　soothing　walk　as　I've　ever　visited。　I　think　I　might　as　well　go　to　bed。〃
　　　Leane　tilted　her　head。　〃In　that　case；　Mother；　if　you　will　forgive　me；　there's　a　man　in　Lord　Bryne's　camp。。。　After　all；　whoever　heard　of　a　Green　without　even　one　Warder？〃　From　the　sudden　quickening　in　her　voice；　you　might　have　thought　she　was　off　to　meet　a　lover。　Considering　what　Egwene　had　heard　about　Greens；　perhaps　there　was　not　that　much　difference。
　　　Back　among　the　tents；　the　last　of　the　fires　had　been　doused　with　dirt；　no　one　took　risks　with　fire　when　the　countryside　was　tinder　dry。　A　few　tendrils　of　smoke　rose　lazily　in　the　moonlight　where　the　job　had　not　been　well　done。　A　man　murmured　drowsily　in　his　sleep　inside　a　tent；　and　here　and　there　a　cough　drifted　out　or　a　rasping　snore；　but　otherwise　the　camp　lay　silent　and　still。　Which　was　why　Egwene　was　surprised　when　someone　stepped　from　the　shadows　in　front　of　her；　especially　someone　wearing　the　simple　white　dress　of　a　novice。
　　　〃Mother；　I　need　to　speak　to　you。〃
　　　〃Nicola？〃　Egwene　had　made　a　point　of　fixing　name　to　face　for　every　novice；　no　easy　chore　given　how　sisters　hunted　all　along　the　army's　path　for　girls　and　young　women　who　could　learn。　Active　search　was　still　not　well　thought　of　…　custom　was　to　wait　for　the　girl　to　ask；　best　of　all　to　wait　for　her　to　e　to　the　Tower　…　but　ten　times　as　many　novices　studied　in　the　camp　now　as　the　White　Tower　had　held　in　years。　Nicola　was　one　to　be　remembered；　though；　and　besides；　Egwene　had　often　noticed　the　young　woman　staring　at　her。　〃Tiana　won't　be　pleased　if　she　finds　you　up　this　late。〃　Tiana　Noselle　was　the　Mistress　of　Novices；　known　equally　for　a　forting　shoulder　when　a　novice　needed　to　cry　and　an　unyielding　stance　when　it　came　to　rules。
　　　The　other　woman　shifted　as　if　to　hurry　away；　then　straightened　her　back。　Sweat　glistened　on　her　cheeks。　The　darkness　was　cooler　than　the　light　had　been；　but　not　what　anyone　would　call　cool；　and　the　simple　trick　of　ignoring　heat　or　cold　came　only　with　the　shawl。　〃I　know　I'm　supposed　to　ask　to　see　Tiana　Sedai　and　then　ask　her　to　see　you；　Mother；　but　she'd　never　l