rj.acrownofswords-第141部分
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He did not realize he was on his feet until Beslan spoke。 〃I just。。。 need to clear my head。〃
〃But you're drinking tea； Mat。〃
Dodging around a green sedan chair； he half saw the door of the house open and a woman with a blue…feathered cloak over her dress slip out。 Unthinkingly … his head was spinning too much to think clearly … he fell in behind her。 Beslan knew！ He approved。 His own mother； and he。。。
〃Mat？〃 Nalesean shouted behind him。 〃Where are you going？〃
〃If I'm not back by tomorrow；〃 Mat shouted back absently over his shoulder； 〃tell them they'll have to find it for themselves！〃 He walked on after the woman in a daze； not hearing if Nalesean or Beslan shouted again。 The man knew！ He remembered once thinking that Beslan and his mother were both mad。 They were worse！ All of Ebou Dar was mad！ He was hardly aware of the dice still spinning inside his skull。
From a window of the meeting room； Reanne watched Solain disappear down the street toward the river。 Some fellow in a bronze coat followed in her wake； but if he tried to impede her； he would find out soon enough that Solain had no time for men； and no patience with them。
Reanne was not sure why the urge had grown so strong today。 For days it had e on almost with the morning and faded with the sun； and for days she had fought … by the strict rules they did not quite dare call laws； that order was given at the half moon； still six nights off … but today。。。 She had spoken the order before she thought and been unable to make herself retract until the proper time。 It would be well。 No one had seen any sign of those two young fools calling themselves Elayne and Nynaeve anywhere in the city； thank the Light； there had been no need to take dangerous chances。
Sighing； she turned to the others； who waited until she took her chair before seating themselves。 It would be well； as it always had been。 Secrets would be kept； as they always had been。 But； still。。。 She had no touch of Foretelling or anything of that sort； yet perhaps that overwhelming urge had been telling her something。 Twelve women watched her expectantly。 〃I think we should consider moving everyone who does not wear the belt to the farm for a little while。〃 There was little discussion； they were the Elders； but she was the Eldest。 In that； at least； there was no harm in behaving as Aes Sedai did。
Chapter 30
（Snakey Square）
The First Cup
〃I do not understand this；〃 Elayne protested。 She had not been offered a chair； in fact； when she started to sit； she had been told curtly to remain standing。 Five sets of eyes were focused on her； five women with set； grim faces。 〃You are behaving as if we've done something terrible when what we have done is find the Bowl of the Winds！〃 At least they were on the brink of it； she hoped； the message Nalesean had e running back with was none too clear。 Mat had gone off shouting that he had found it。 Or something very like； Nalesean allowed； the longer he talked； the more he bounced between absolute certainty and doubt。 Birgitte had remained watching Reanne's house； she seemed to be sweaty and bored。 In any case； matters were in motion。 Elayne wondered how Nynaeve was getting on。 Better than herself； she hoped。 She had certainly never expected this when she revealed their success。
〃You have endangered a secret kept close by every woman to wear the shawl for over two thousand years。〃 Merilille sat stiff…backed； serenity almost abandoned on the tight…lipped brink of apoplexy。 〃You must have been insane！ Only madness could excuse this！〃
〃What secret？〃 Elayne demanded。
Vandene； flanking Merilille with her sister； adjusted pale green silk skirts irritably and said； 〃Time enough for that when you've been properly raised； child。 I thought you had some sense。〃 Adeleas； in a dark gray wool with deep brown trim； nodded； mirroring Vandene's disapproval。
〃The child cannot be faulted for revealing a secret she did not know；〃 Careane Fransi said from Elayne's left； shifting her bulk in her green…and…gilt armchair。 She was not stout； but almost； with shoulders as wide and arms as thick as most men。
〃Tower law does not allow for excuses；〃 Sareitha put in quickly； in somewhat self…important tones； her normally inquisitive brown eyes stern。 〃Once mere excuses are allowed； inevitably lesser and lesser excuses will bee acceptable； until law itself is gone。〃 Her high…backed chair stood to the right。 Only she wore her shawl； but Merilille's sitting room had been arranged as a court； though no one called it that。 So far； no one had。 Merilille； Adeleas and Vandene confronted Elayne like judges； Sareitha's chair was placed where the Seat of Rebuke would be； and Careane's the Seat of Pardon； but the Domani Green who would have been her defender nodded thoughtfully as the Tairen Brown who would have been her prosecutor continued。 〃She has admitted guilt from her own mouth。 I remend that the child be confined to the palace until we leave； with some good hard work to occupy her mind and her hands。 I also remend a firm dose of the slipper at regular intervals to remind her not to go behind sisters' backs。 And the same for Nynaeve； as soon as she can be found。〃
Elayne swallowed。 Confined？ Perhaps they did not need to name this a trial for it to be one。 Sareitha might not yet have achieved the ageless face； but the weight of the other women's years pressed at Elayne。 Adeleas and Vandene with their hair nearly all white； even their ageless faces echoing years。 Merilille's hair was glossy black； yet Elayne would not have been surprised to learn she had worn the shawl as long or longer than most women not Aes Sedai lived。 For that matter； Careane might have； as well。 Not one of them approached her own strength in the Power； but。。。 All that experience as Aes Sedai； all that knowledge。 All that。。。 authority。 A heavy reminder that she was only eighteen and had been in novice white a year ago。
Careane made no move to rebut Sareitha's suggestions。 Perhaps she best go on defending herself。 〃Plainly this secret you speak of has something to do with the Circle； but … 〃
〃The Kin are no concern of yours； child；〃 Merilille broke in sharply。 Drawing a deep breath； she smoothed gold…slashed skirts of silvery gray。 〃I propose to pass sentence；〃 she said in a cold voice。
〃I concur； and defer to your decision；〃 Adeleas said。 She gave Elayne a disappointed frown and shook her head。
Vandene waved her hand dismissively。 〃I concur and defer。 But I agree with the Seat of Rebuke。〃 Careane's look might have contained a sliver of sympathy。 Maybe a sliver。
Merilille opened her mouth。
The timid knock at the door sounded quite loud in the momentary； thunderous silence。
〃What under the Light？〃 Merilille muttered angrily。 〃I told Pol not to let anyone disturb us。 Careane？〃
Not the youngest； but the lowest in strength； Careane stood and glided to the door。 Despite her heft； she always moved like a swan。
It was Pol herself； Merilille's maid； who popped in curtsying left and right。 A slender； gray…haired woman usually possessed of a dignity to rival that of her mistress； she wore an anxious frown now； as well she might； barging in after Merilille's instructions。 Elayne had not been so glad to see anyone since。。。 since Mat Cauthon appeared in the Stone of Tear。 A horrendous thought。 If Aviendha did not say she had met toh sufficiently soon； she might just see if asking the man to beat her after all could end the agony。
〃The Queen brought this herself；〃 Pol announced breathily； proffering a letter sealed with a large red lump of wax。 〃She said if I didn't give it to Elayne right away； she'd bring it in herself。 She said it's about the child's mother。〃 Elayne almost ground her teeth。 The sisters' serving women had all picked up their mistresses' way of talking about Nynaeve and her； if seldom where they could hear。
Furious； she snatched the letter without waiting for Merilille to say she could … if that was what she would have said … and broke the seal with her thumb。
My Lady Elayne；
I greet the Daughter…Heir of Andor with joyous
