rj.theshadowrising-第201部分

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！


er　power　equals　his　now；　and　is　no　longer　as　pliant　as　before。　Nothing　to　say　what　her　allegiances　are。〃　With　a　glance　at　the　dark…haired　woman　in　the　chair；　he　added；　〃I　am　grateful　for　the　aid　Mistress　Egeanin　gave　you　with　those　robbers；　but　to　now　I　have　thought　she　was　a　casually　met　friend。　May　I　ask　who　she　is　to　be　brought　into　this？　I　seem　to　recall　you　threatening　to　tie　a　knot　in　any　careless　tongues；　Nynaeve。〃
　　　　　　　〃She's　Seanchan；〃　Nynaeve　told　him。　〃Close　your　mouth　before　you　swallow　a　moth；　Thom；　and　sit　down。　We　can　eat　while　we　try　to　figure　out　what　to　do。〃
　　　　　　　〃In　front　of　her？〃　Thom　said。　〃Seanchan？〃　He　had　heard　some　of　the　story　of　Falme　from　Elayne　…　some　of　it　…　and　he　had　certainly　heard　the　rumors　here；　he　studied　Egeanin　as　if　wondering　where　she　hid　her　horns。　Juilin　seemed　to　be　strangling；　if　his　bulging　eyes　were　any　indication；　he　must　have　heard　the　Tanchican　rumors；　too。
　　　　　　　〃Do　you　suggest　I　ask　Rendra　to　lock　her　in　a　storeroom？〃　Nynaeve　asked　calmly。　〃That　would　cause　ment；　wouldn't　it？　I'm　fairly　certain　three　big；　hairy　men　can　protect　Elayne　and　me　if　she　pulls　a　Seanchan　army　out　of　her　pouch。　Sit；　Thom；　or　else　eat　standing　up；　but　stop　staring。　All　of　you；　sit。　I　mean　to　eat　before　it　grows　cold。〃
　　　　　　　They　did；　Thom　looking　as　ill…contented　as　Juilin　and　Domon。　Sometimes　Nynaeve's　bullying　manner　did　seem　to　work。　Perhaps　Rand　would　respond　to　occasional　bullying。
　　　　　　　Putting　Rand　out　of　her　mind；　Elayne　decided　it　was　time　to　add　something　of　worth。　〃I　cannot　see　how　the　Black　sisters　can　be　in　the　Panarch's　Palace　without　Amathera's　knowledge；〃　she　said；　pulling　her　chair　under　her。　〃As　I　see　it；　that　makes　for　three　possibilities。　One；　Amathera　is　a　Darkfriend。　Two；　she　thinks　they　are　Aes　Sedai。　And　three；　she　is　their　prisoner。〃　For　some　reason；　Thom's　approving　nod　made　her　feel　warm　inside。　Silly。　Even　if　he　did　know　the　Game　of　Houses；　he　was　just　a　foolish　bard　who　had　thrown　it　all　away　to　bee　a　gleeman。　〃In　any　case；　she　will　help　them　look　for　what　they　seek；　but　it　seems　to　me　that　if　she　thinks　they　are　Aes　Sedai；　we　might　be　able　to　gain　her　help　with　the　truth。　And　if　she　is　a　prisoner；　we　could　gain　it　by　freeing　her。　Even　Liandrin　and　her　panions　could　not　hold　on　to　the　palace　if　the　Panarch　ordered　it　cleared；　and　that　would　give　us　a　free　hand　to　search。〃
　　　　　　　〃The　problem　is　discovering　whether　she　is　ally；　dupe　or　captive；〃　Thom　said；　gesturing　with　his　pair　of　sursa。　He　knew　how　to　use　the　things　perfectly！
　　　　　　　Juilin　shook　his　head。　〃The　real　problem　is　to　reach　her；　whatever　her　situation。　Jaichim　Carridin　has　five　hundred　Whitecloaks　around　the　palace　like　fisher…birds　around　the　docks。　The　Panarch's　Legion　has　nearly　twice　that；　and　the　Civil　Watch　almost　as　many。　Few　of　the　ring　forts　are　held　half　so　well。〃
　　　　　　　〃We　are　not　going　to　fight　them；〃　Nynaeve　said　dryly。　〃Stop　thinking　with　the　hair　on　your　chest。　This　is　a　time　for　wits；　not　muscle。　As　I　see　it。。。〃
　　　　　　　The　discussion　went　on　through　the　meal；　continuing　after　the　last　small　bowl　was　emptied。　Egeanin　even　offered　a　few　cogent　ments　after　a　while　spent　silently；　not　eating　and　not　seeming　to　listen。　She　had　a　sharp　mind　and　Thom　readily　accepted　any　of　her　suggestions　he　agreed　with；　though　he　stubbornly　rejected　out　of　hand　those　he　did　not；　just　the　way　he　treated　everyone　else。　Even　Domon；　rather　surprisingly；　supported　Egeanin　when　Nynaeve　wanted　her　to　keep　quiet。　〃She　do　make　sense；　Mistress　al'Meara。　Only　a　fool　do　reject　sense；　wherever　it　do　e　from。〃
　　　　　　　Unfortunately；　knowing　where　the　Black　sisters　were　did　little　good　without　knowing　whether　or　not　Amathera　was　with　them；　that；　or　what　they　were　after。　In　the　end；　almost　two　hours　of　discussion　came　to　not　much　more　than　that　and　a　few　suggestions　as　to　how　to　find　out　about　Amathera。　All　of　which；　it　seemed；　were　to　be　used　by　the　men　with　their　spiderweb　of　contacts　crisscrossing　Tanchico。
　　　　　　　None　of　the　fool　men　wanted　to　leave　them　alone　with　one　of　the　Seanchan　…　until　Nynaeve　became　angry　enough　to　wrap　them　all　three　in　flows　of　Air　while　they　dithered　before　the　door。　〃Do　you　not　think；〃　she　said　icily；　surrounded　by　the　glow　of　saidar；　〃that　one　of　us　might　be　able　to　do　the　same　to　her　if　she　says　boo？〃　She　would　not　release　any　of　them　until　they　all　nodded　their　heads；　the　only　bits　they　could　move。
　　　　　　　〃You　keep　a　taut　crew；〃　Egeanin　said　as　soon　as　the　door　closed　behind　them。
　　　　　　　〃Be　quiet；　Seanchan！〃　Nynaeve　folded　her　arms　tightly；　she　seemed　to　have　given　up　trying　to　pull　at　those　braids　when　she　was　angry。　〃Sit　down；　and…be…quiet！〃
　　　　　　　It　was　frustrating　waiting　there；　staring　at　the　plum　trees　and　falling　blossoms　painted　on　the　windowless　walls；　pacing　the　floor　or　watching　Nynaeve　pace；　while　Thom　and　Juilin　and　Domon　were　out　actually　doing　something。　Yet　it　was　worse　when　each　man　came　back　at　intervals；　to　report　another　trail　faded　away　to　nothing；　another　thread　snapped；　hear　what　the　others　had　learned；　and　hurry　out　again。
　　　　　　　The　first　time　Thom　returned　…　with　a　second　purple　bruise；　on　the　other　cheek　…　Elayne　said；　〃Wouldn't　you　do　better　here；　Thom；　where　you　could　hear　whatever　Juilin　and　Master　Domon　report？　You　could　evaluate　much　better　than　Nynaeve　or　I。〃
　　　　　　　He　shook　his　foolish　shaggy　white　head　while　Nynaeve　sniffed　loudly　enough　to　be　heard　in　the　hallway。　〃I've　a　lead　to　a　house　on　the　Verana；　where　Amathera　supposedly　went　sneaking　some　nights　before　she　was　raised　Panarch。〃　And　he　was　gone　before　she　could　say　another　word。
　　　　　　　When　he　next　returned　…　limping　distinctly　more；　reporting　that　the　house　was　the　home　of　Amathera's　old　nurse　…　Elayne　spoke　in　her　firmest　voice。　〃Thom；　I　want　you　to　sit　down。　You　will　stay　here。　I　will　not　have　you　getting　yourself　hurt。〃
　　　　　　　〃Hurt？〃　he　said。　〃Child；　I　never　felt　better　in　my　life。　Tell　Juilin　and　Bayle　there　is　supposedly　a　woman　named　Cerindra　somewhere　in　this　city　who　claims　to　know　all　sorts　of　dark　secrets　about　Amathera。〃　And　off　he　hobbled；　cloak　swirling　behind　him。　He　had　another　tear　in　that；　too。　Stubborn；　stubborn；　foolish　old　man。
　　　　　　　Once　a　clamor　penetrated　the　thick　walls；　brutal　shouts　and　cries　from　the　street。　Rendra　bustled　into　the　room　just　when　Elayne　had　decided　to　go　down　and　see　for　herself　what　it　was。　〃Some　little　trouble　outside。　Do　not　disturb　yourself。　Bayle　Domon's　men；　they　keep　it　away　from　us；　yes。　I　did　not　want　you　to　worry。〃
　　　　　　　〃A　riot　here？〃　Nynaeve　said　sharply。　The　immediate　neighborhood　of　the　inn　had　been　one　of　the　few　calm　areas　in　the　city。
　　　　　　　〃Not　to　worry；〃　Rendra　said　soothingly。　〃Perhaps　they　want　food。　I　will　tell　them　where　Bayle　Domon's　soup　kitchen　is；　and　they　will　go　away。〃
　　　　　　　The　noise　did　die　down　after　a　while；　and　Rendra　sent　up　some　wine。　Not　until　the　serving　man　was　leaving；　with　a　sulky　look　on　his　face；　did　Elayne　realize　it　was　the　young　man　with　the　beautiful　brown　eyes。　The　man　had　begun　reacting　to　her　coldest　stares　as　if　they　were　smiles。　Did　the　fool　think　she　had　time　to　notice　him　now？
　　　　　　　Waiting　and　pacing；　pacing　and　waiting。　Cerindra　turned　out　to　be　a　tirewoman　dismissed　for　theft；　not　at　all　grateful　for　not　being　imprisoned；　she　would　make　any　accusation　against　Amathera　that　was　suggested　to　her。　A　fellow　who　claimed　to　have　proof　that　Amathera　was　Aes　Sedai　and　Black　Ajah　also　claimed　that　the　same　documents　proved　King　Andric　the　Dragon　Reborn。　The　group　of　women　whom　Amathera　used　to　meet　in　secret　were　friends　Andric　despised；　and　the　shocking　discovery　that　she　financed　several　smuggling　craft　led　nowhere。　Almost　every　noble　but　the　King　himself　had　a　finger　in　smuggling。　Every　trail　ended　that　way。　The　worst　Thom　could　discover　was　that　Amathera　had　convinced　two　handsome　young　lords　that　each　was　the　true　love　of　her　life　and　Andric　only　a　means　to　an　end。　On　the　other　hand；　she　had　given　audiences　in　the　Panarch's　Palace　to　various　lords；　both　alone　and　in　pany　with　various　women　recognizable　as　Liandrin　and　others　on　the　list；　and　reportedly　asked　and　accepted　their　advice　for　her　decisions。　Ally；　or　captive？
　　　　　　　When　Juilin　came　back；　a　good　three　hours　after　sunset；　spinning　a　thumb…thick　staff　of　ridged　wood　and　muttering　about　some　pale…haired　fellow　who　had　tried　to　rob　him；　Thom　and　Domon　were　already　slumped　disconsolately　at　the　table　with　Egeanin。
　　　　　　　〃This　will　be　Falme　again；〃　Domon　growled　at　the　air。　The　stout　cudgel　he　had　acquired　somewhere　lay　in　front　of　him；　and　he　wore　a　short　sword　at　his　belt　now。　〃Aes　Sedai。　The　Black　Ajah。　Meddling　with　the　Panarch。　If　we　do　no　find　something　tomorrow；　I　do　mean　to　take　myself　out　of　Tanchico。　The　next　day　for　certain；　if　my　own　sister　do　ask　me　to　stay！〃
　　　　　　　〃Tomorrow；〃　Thom　said　wearily；　elbows　on　the　table　and　chin　on　fists。　〃I　am　too　tired　to　think　straight　any　longer。　I　found　myself　listening　to　a　laundryman　from　the　Panarch's　Palace　who　claims　he　has　heard　Amathera　singing　bawdy　songs；　the　sort　you　hear　in　the　roughest　taverns　on　the　docks。　I　actually　listened　to　him。〃
　　　　　　　〃For　me；〃　Juilin　said；　reversing　a　chair　to　straddle　it；　〃I　mean　to　look　on　tonight。　I　found　a　roofman　who　says　the　woman　he