rj.acrownofswords-第3部分

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sent　sketches；〃　she　said　blandly；　proffering　the　pages。　〃He　is　no　artist；　but　Elayne　and　Nynaeve　are　recognizable。〃　After　a　moment；　when　Elaida　did　not　take　the　drawings；　she　slipped　them　under　the　rest。
　　　Elaida　felt　the　color　of　anger　and　embarrassment　rising　in　her　cheeks。　Alviarin　had　led　her　down　this　path　deliberately　by　not　bringing　out　those　sketches　at　the　first。　She　ignored　that　…　anything　else　would　only　be　more　embarrassing　still　…　but　her　voice　became　cold。　〃I　want　them　taken；　and　brought　to　me。〃
　　　The　lack　of　curiosity　on　Alviarin's　face　made　Elaida　wonder　again　how　much　the　woman　knew　that　she　was　not　supposed　to。　The　al'Meara　girl　might　well　provide　a　handle　on　al'Thor；　ing　from　the　same　village。　All　the　sisters　knew　that；　just　as　they　knew　that　Elayne　was　Daughter…Heir　of　Andor；　and　that　her　mother　was　dead。　Vague　rumors　linking　Morgase　to　the　Whitecloaks　were　so　much　nonsense；　for　she　would　never　have　gone　to　the　Children　of　the　Light　for　help。　She　was　dead；　leaving　not　even　a　corpse　behind；　and　Elayne　would　be　Queen。　If　she　could　be　wrested　away　from　the　rebels　before　the　Andoran　Houses　put　Dyelin　on　the　Lion　Throne　instead。　It　was　not　widely　known　what　made　Elayne　more　important　than　any　other　noble　with　a　strong　claim　to　a　throne。　Aside　from　the　fact　that　she　would　be　Aes　Sedai　one　day；　of　course。
　　　Elaida　had　the　Foretelling　sometimes；　a　Talent　many　thought　lost　before　her；　and　long　ago　she　had　Foretold　that　the　Royal　House　of　Andor　held　the　key　to　winning　the　Last　Battle。　Twenty…five　years　gone　and　more；　as　soon　as　it　became　clear　that　Morgase　Trakand　would　gain　the　throne　in　the　Succession；　Elaida　had　fastened　herself　to　the　girl；　as　she　was　then。　How　Elayne　was　crucial；　Elaida　did　not　know；　but　Foretelling　never　lied。　Sometimes　she　almost　hated　the　Talent。　She　hated　things　she　could　not　control。
　　　〃I　want　all　four　of　them；　Alviarin。〃　The　other　two　were　unimportant；　certainly；　but　she　would　take　no　chances。　〃Send　my　mand　to　Teslyn　immediately。　Tell　her　…　and　Joline　…　that　if　they　fail　to　send　regular　reports　from　now　on；　they　will　wish　they　had　never　been　born。　Include　the　information　from　the　Macura　woman。〃　Her　mouth　twisted　around　that　last。
　　　The　name　made　Alviarin　shift　uneasily；　too；　and　no　wonder。　Ronde　Macura's　nasty　little　infusion　was　something　to　make　any　sister　unfortable。　Forkroot　was　not　lethal　…　at　least　you　woke；　if　you　drank　enough　to　sleep　…　but　a　tea　that　deadened　a　woman's　ability　to　channel　seemed　aimed　too　directly　at　Aes　Sedai。　A　pity　the　information　had　not　been　received　before　Galina　went；　if　forkroot　worked　on　men　as　well　as　it　seemed　to　on　women；　it　would　have　made　her　task　considerably　easier。
　　　Alviarin's　ill　ease　lasted　only　a　moment；　a　mere　instant　and　she　was　all　self…possession　again；　unyielding　as　a　wall　of　ice。　〃As　you　wish；　Mother。　I　am　sure　they　will　leap　to　obey；　as　of　course　they　should。〃
　　　A　sudden　flash　of　irritation　swept　Elaida　like　fire　in　dry　pasture。　The　fate　of　the　world　in　her　hands；　and　petty　stumbling　blocks　kept　rising　beneath　her　feet。　Bad　enough　that　she　had　rebels　and　recalcitrant　rulers　to　handle；　but　too　many　Sitters　still　brooded　and　grumbled　behind　her　back；　fertile　ground　for　the　other　woman　to　plow。　Only　six　were　firmly　under　her　own　thumb；　and　she　suspected　as　many　at　least　listened　closely　to　Alviarin　before　they　voted。　Certainly　nothing　of　importance　passed　through　the　Hall　unless　Alviarin　agreed　to　it。　Not　open　agreement；　not　with　any　acknowledgment　that　Alviarin　bore　a　shred　more　influence　or　power　than　a　Keeper　should；　but　if　Alviarin　opposed。。。　At　least　they　had　not　gone　so　far　as　to　reject　anything　Elaida　sent　them。　They　simply　dragged　their　feet　and　too　often　let　what　she　wanted　starve　on　the　floor。　A　pitifully　small　thing　for　which　to　be　happy。　Some　Amyrlins　had　bee　little　more　than　puppets　once　the　Hall　acquired　a　taste　for　rejecting　what　they　put　forward。
　　　Her　hands　clenched；　and　a　tiny　crackle　came　from　the　strip　of　paper。
　　　
　　　The　ring　has　been　placed　in　the　bull's　nose。
　　　
　　　Alviarin　looked　as　posed　as　a　marble　statue；　but　Elaida　no　longer　cared。　The　shepherd　was　on　his　way　to　her。　The　rebels　would　be　crushed　and　the　Hall　cowed；　Alviarin　forced　to　her　knees　and　every　fractious　ruler　brought　to　heel；　from　Tenobia　of　Saldaea；　who　had　gone　into　hiding　to　avoid　her　emissary；　to　Mattin　Stepaneos　of　Illian；　who　was　trying　to　play　all　sides　at　once　again；　trying　to　agree　with　her　and　the　Whitecloaks；　and　with　al'Thor　for　all　she　knew。　Elayne　would　be　placed　on　the　throne　in　Caemlyn；　without　her　brother　to　get　in　the　way　and　with　a　full　knowledge　of　who　had　set　her　there。　A　little　time　back　in　the　Tower　would　make　the　girl　damp　clay　in　Elaida's　hands。
　　　〃I　want　those　men　rooted　out；　Alviarin。〃　There　was　no　need　to　say　who　she　meant；　half　the　Tower　could　talk　of　nothing　but　those　men　in　their　Black　Tower；　and　the　other　half　whispered　about　them　in　corners。
　　　〃There　are　disturbing　reports；　Mother。〃　Alviarin　looked　through　her　papers　once　more；　but　Elaida　thought　it　was　only　for　something　to　do。　She　did　not　pluck　out　any　more　pages；　and　if　nothing　else　disturbed　the　woman　for　long；　this　unholy　midden　outside　Caemlyn　must。
　　　〃More　rumors？　Do　you　believe　the　tales　of　thousands　flocking　to　Caemlyn　in　answer　to　that　obscene　amnesty？〃　Not　the　least　of　what　al'Thor　had　done；　but　hardly　cause　for　worry。　Just　a　pile　of　filth　that　must　be　safely　cleared　before　Elayne　was　crowned　in　Caemlyn。
　　　〃Of　course　not；　Mother；　but　…　〃
　　　〃Toveine　is　to　lead；　this　task　belongs　properly　to　the　Red。〃　Toveine　Gazal　had　been　fifteen　years　away　from　the　Tower；　until　Elaida　summoned　her　back。　The　other　two　Red　Sitters　who　had　resigned　and　gone　into　a　〃voluntary〃　retreat　at　the　same　time　were　nervous…eyed　women　now；　but　unlike　Lirene　and　Tsutama；　Toveine　had　only　hardened　in　her　solitary　exile。　〃She　is　to　have　fifty　sisters。〃　There　could　not　be　more　than　two　or　three　men　at　this　Black　Tower　actually　able　to　channel；　Elaida　was　certain。　Fifty　sisters　could　overwhelm　them　easily。　Yet　there　might　be　others　to　deal　with。　Hangers…on；　camp　followers；　fools　full　of　futile　hopes　and　insane　ambitions。　〃And　she　is　to　take　a　hundred　…　no；　two　hundred　…　of　the　Guard。〃
　　　〃Are　you　certain　that　is　wise？　The　rumors　of　thousands　are　certainly　madness；　but　a　Green　agent　in　Caemlyn　claims　there　are　over　four　hundred　in　this　Black　Tower；　A　clever　fellow。　It　seems　he　counted　the　supply　carts　that　go　out　from　the　city。　And　you　are　aware　of　the　rumors　Mazrim　Taim　is　with　them。〃
　　　Elaida　fought　to　keep　her　features　smooth；　and　barely　succeeded。　She　had　forbidden　mention　of　Taim's　name；　and　it　was　bitter　that　she　did　not　dare　…　did　not　dare！　…　impose　the　penalty　on　Alviarin。　The　woman　looked　her　straight　in　the　eyes；　the　absence　of　so　much　as　a　perfunctory　〃Mother〃　this　time　was　marked。　And　the　temerity　of　asking　whether　her　actions　were　wise！　She　was　the　Amyrlin　Seat！　Not　first　among　equals；　the　Amyrlin　Seat！
　　　Opening　the　largest　of　the　lacquered　boxes　revealed　carved　ivory　miniatures　laid　out　on　gray　velvet。　Often　just　handling　her　collection　soothed　her；　but　more；　like　the　knitting　she　enjoyed；　it　let　whoever　was　attending　her　know　their　place；　if　she　seemed　to　give　more　attention　to　the　miniatures　than　to　what　they　had　to　say。　Fingering　first　an　exquisite　cat；　sleek　and　flowing；　then　an　elaborately　robed　woman　with　a　peculiar　little　animal；　some　fantasy　of　the　carver；　almost　like　a　man　covered　in　hair；　crouched　on　her　shoulder；　at　length　Elaida　chose　out　a　curving　fish；　so　delicately　carved　that　it　seemed　nearly　real　despite　the　aged　yellow　of　the　ivory。
　　　〃Four　hundred　rabble；　Alviarin。〃　She　felt　calmer　already；　for　Alviarin's　mouth　had　thinned。　Just　a　fraction；　but　she　savored　any　crack　in　the　woman's　fa？ade。　〃If　there　are　that　many。　Only　a　fool　could　believe　that　more　than　one　or　two　can　channel。　At　most！　In　ten　years；　we　have　found　only　six　men　with　the　ability。　Just　twenty…four　in　the　last　twenty　years。　And　you　know　how　the　land　has　been　scoured。　As　for　Taim。。。　〃　The　name　burned　her　mouth；　the　only　false　Dragon　ever　to　escape　being　gentled　once　in　the　hands　of　Aes　Sedai。　Not　a　thing　she　w