rj.theshadowrising-第26部分

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a　woman　who　could　channel　would　have　seen　the　thumb…thick　flows　of　Air　that　held　Joiya's　arms　to　her　sides　and　lashed　her　ankles　together。　A　cage　woven　of　Air　kept　her　eyes　straight　ahead。　Even　her　ears　were　stopped　up；　so　she　could　not　hear　what　anyone　said　until　they　wanted　her　to。
　　　　　　　Once　again　Egwene　checked　the　shield　woven　from　Spirit　that　blocked　Joiya　from　touching　the　True　Source。　It　held；　as　she　knew　it　must。　She　herself　had　woven　all　the　flows　around　Joiya　and　tied　them　to　maintain　themselves；　but　she　could　not　be　easy　in　the　same　room　with　a　Darkfriend　who　had　the　ability　to　channel；　even　if　it　was　blocked。　Worse　than　just　a　Darkfriend。　Black　Ajah。　Murder　was　the　least　of　Joiya's　crimes。　She　should　have　been　bowed　down　under　her　weight　of　broken　oaths；　blasted　lives　and　blighted　souls。
　　　　　　　Joiya's　fellow　prisoner；　her　sister　in　the　Black　Ajah；　lacked　her　strength。　Standing　stoop…shouldered　at　the　far　end　of　the　table；　head　down；　Amico　Nagoyin　seemed　to　sink　in　on　herself　under　Egwene's　gaze。　There　was　no　need　to　shield　her。　Amico　had　been　stilled　during　her　capture。　Still　able　to　sense　the　True　Source；　she　would　never　again　touch　it；　never　again　channel。　The　desire　to；　the　need　to；　would　remain；　as　sharp　as　the　need　to　breathe；　and　her　loss　would　be　there　for　as　long　as　she　lived；　saidar　forever　out　of　reach。　Egwene　wished　she　could　find　in　herself　even　a　shred　of　pity。　But　she　did　not　wish　for　it　very　hard。
　　　　　　　Amico　murmured　something　at　the　tabletop。
　　　　　　　〃What？〃　Nynaeve　demanded。　〃Speak　up。〃
　　　　　　　Amico　raised　her　face　humbly　on　its　slender　neck。　She　was　still　a　beautiful　woman；　with　large；　dark　eyes；　but　there　was　something　different　about　her　that　Egwene　could　not　quite　put　her　finger　on。　Not　the　fear　that　made　her　clutch　her　coarse　prisoner's　dress　with　both　hands。　Something　else。
　　　　　　　Swallowing；　Amico　said；　〃You　should　go　to　Tanchico。〃
　　　　　　　〃You've　told　us　that　twenty　times；〃　Nynaeve　said　roughly。　〃Fifty　times。　Tell　us　something　new。　Name　names　we　do　not　already　know。　Who　still　in　the　White　Tower　is　Black　Ajah？〃
　　　　　　　〃I　do　not　know。　You　must　believe　me。〃　Amico　sounded　tired；　utterly　beaten。　Not　at　all　the　way　she　had　sounded　when　they　were　the　prisoners　and　she　the　gaoler。　〃Before　we　left　the　Tower；　I　knew　only　Liandrin；　Chesmal　and　Rianna。　No　one　knew　more　than　two　or　three　others；　I　think。　Except　Liandrin。　I　have　told　you　everything　I　know。〃
　　　　　　　〃Then　you　are　remarkably　ignorant　for　a　woman　who　expected　to　rule　part　of　the　world　when　the　Dark　One　breaks　free；〃　Egwene　said　dryly；　snapping　her　fan　shut　for　emphasis。　It　still　stunned　her；　how　easily　she　could　say　that　now。　Her　stomach　still　clenched；　and　icy　fingers　still　crawled　her　spine；　but　she　no　longer　wanted　to　scream；　or　run　weeping。　It　was　possible　to　bee　used　to　anything。
　　　　　　　〃I　overheard　Liandrin　that　once；　talking　to　Temaile；〃　Amico　said　wearily；　starting　a　tale　she　had　told　them　many　times。　In　the　first　days　of　her　captivity　she　had　tried　to　improve　her　story；　but　the　more　she　elaborated　the　more　she　had　tangled　herself　in　her　own　lies。　Now　she　almost　always　told　it　the　same　way；　word　for　word。　〃If　you　could　have　seen　Liandrin's　face　when　she　saw　me。。。。　She　would　have　murdered　me　on　the　spot　had　she　thought　I　had　heard　anything。　And　Temaile　likes　to　hurt　people。　She　enjoys　it。　I　only　heard　a　little　before　they　saw　me。　Liandrin　said　there　was　something　in　Tanchico；　something　dangerous　to。。。　to　him。〃　She　meant　Rand。　She　could　not　say　his　name；　and　a　mention　of　the　Dragon　Reborn　was　enough　to　send　her　into　tears。　〃Liandrin　said　it　was　dangerous　to　whoever　used　it；　too。　Almost　as　dangerous　as　to。。。　him。　That　is　why　she　had　not　already　gone　after　it。　And　she　said　being　able　to　channel　would　not　protect　him。　She　said；　'When　we　find　it；　his　filthy　ability　will　bind　him　for　us。'　〃　Sweat　ran　down　her　face；　but　she　shivered　almost　uncontrollably。
　　　　　　　Not　a　word　had　changed。
　　　　　　　Egwene　opened　her　mouth；　but　Nynaeve　spoke　first。　〃I've　heard　enough　of　this。　Let　us　see　if　the　other　has　anything　new　to　say。〃
　　　　　　　Egwene　glared　at　her；　and　Nynaeve　stared　back　just　as　hard；　neither　blinking。　Sometimes　she　thinks　she's　still　the　Wisdom；　Egwene　thought　grimly；　and　I'm　still　the　village　girl　to　teach　about　herbs。　She　had　better　realize　things　are　different　now。　Nynaeve　was　strong　in　the　Power；　stronger　than　Egwene；　but　only　when　she　could　actually　manage　to　channel；　unless　angry；　Nynaeve　could　not　channel　at　all。
　　　　　　　Elayne　usually　smoothed　things　over　when　it　came　to　this；　as　it　did　more　often　than　it　should。　By　the　time　Egwene　thought　of　smoothing　matters　herself；　she　had　almost　always　dug　in　her　heels　and　flared　back；　and　trying　to　be　soothing　then　would　only　be　backing　down。　That　was　how　Nynaeve　would　see　it；　she　was　sure。　She　could　not　remember　Nynaeve　ever　making　any　move　to　back　down；　so　why　should　she？　This　time　Elayne　was　not　there；　Moiraine　had　summoned　the　Daughter…Heir　with　a　word　and　a　gesture　to　follow　the　Maiden　who　had　e　for　the　Aes　Sedai。　Without　her；　the　tension　stretched；　each　of　the　Accepted　waiting　for　the　other　to　blink　first。　Aviendha　barely　breathed；　she　kept　herself　strictly　out　of　their　confrontations。　No　doubt　she　considered　it　simple　wisdom　to　stand　clear。
　　　　　　　Strangely；　it　was　Amico　who　broke　the　impasse　this　time；　though　likely　all　she　meant　to　do　was　demonstrate　her　cooperation。　She　turned　to　face　the　far　wall；　waiting　patiently　to　be　bound。
　　　　　　　The　foolishness　of　it　struck　Egwene　suddenly。　She　was　the　only　woman　in　the　room　who　could　channel　…　unless　Nynaeve　grew　angry；　or　Joiya's　shield　failed；　she　tested　the　weave　of　Spirit　again　without　thinking　…　and　she　indulged　in　a　staring　match　while　Amico　waited　to　accept　her　bonds。　At　another　time　she　might　have　laughed　at　herself　aloud。　Instead；　she　opened　herself　to　saidar；　that　never…seen；　ever…felt　glowing　warmth　that　seemed　always　to　be　just　beyond　the　corner　of　her　eye。　The　One　Power　filled　her；　like　joyous　life　itself　redoubled；　and　she　wove　the　flows　around　Amico。
　　　　　　　Nynaeve　merely　grunted；　it　was　doubtful　she　was　mad　enough　to　sense　what　Egwene　was　doing　…　she　could　not；　without　her　temper　up　…　yet　she　could　see　Amico　stiffen　as　the　flows　of　Air　touched　her；　then　slump；　half　supported　by　the　flows；　as　if　to　show　how　little　she　was　resisting。
　　　　　　　Aviendha　shuddered；　the　way　she　had　taken　to　doing　whenever　she　knew　the　Power　was　being　channeled　near　her。
　　　　　　　Egwene　wove　blocks　for　Amico's　ears　…　questioning　them　one　at　a　time　did　little　good　if　they　could　hear　each　other's　stories　…　and　turned　to　Joiya。　She　shifted　her　fan　from　hand　to　hand　so　she　could　wipe　them　on　her　dress；　and　stopped　with　a　grimace　of　distaste。　Her　sweaty　palms　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　temperature。
　　　　　　　〃Her　face；〃　Aviendha　said　abruptly。　And　surprisingly；　she　almost　never　spoke　unless　addressed　by　Moiraine　or　one　of　the　others。　〃Amico's　face。　She　does　not　have　the　look　she　did；　as　if　the　years　had　passed　her　by。　Not　as　much　as　she　did。　Is　that　because　she　was。。。　because　she　was　stilled？〃　she　finished　in　a　breathless　rush。　She　had　picked　up　a　few　habits　being　so　much　around　them。　No　woman　of　the　Tower　could　speak　of　stilling　without　a　chill。
　　　　　　　Egwene　moved　down　the　table；　to　where　she　could　see　Amico's　face　from　the　side　and　yet　stay　out　of　Joiya's　vision。　Joiya's　eyes　always　turned　her　stomach　to　a　lump　of　ice。
　　　　　　　Aviendha　was　right；　that　was　the　difference　she　herself　had　noticed　and　not　understood。　Amico　looked　young；　perhaps　younger　than　her　years；　but　it　was　not　quite　the　agelessness　of　Aes　Sedai　who　had　worked　years　with　the　One　Power。　〃You　have　sharp　eyes；　Aviendha；　but　I　don't　know　if　this　has　anything　to　do　with　stilling。　It　must；　though；　I　suppose。　I　don't　know　what　else　could　cause　it。〃
　　　　　　　She　realized　that　did　not　sound　very　much　like　an　Aes　Sedai；　who　generally　spoke　as　if　they　knew　everything；　when　an　Aes　Sedai　said　she　did　not　know；　she　usually　managed　to　make　her　denial　appear　to　cloak　volumes　of　knowledge。　While　she　was　racking　her　brain　for　something　properly　portentous；　Nynaeve　came　to　her　rescue。
　　　　　　　〃Relatively　few　Aes　Sedai　have　ever　been　burned　out；　Aviendha；　and　far　fewer　stilled。〃
　　　　　　　〃Burned　out〃　was　what　it　was　called　when　it　happened　by　accident；　officially；　stilling　resulted　from　trial　and　sentence。　Egwene　could　not　see　the　point　of　it；　really；　it　was　like　having　two　words　for　falling　down　the　stairs；　depending　on　whether　you　tripped　or　were　pushed。　For　that；　most　Aes　Sedai　seemed　to　see　it　the　same；　except　when　teaching　novices　or　Accepted。　Three　words；　actually。　Men　were　〃gentled；〃　must　be　gentled；　before　they　went　mad。　Only　now　there　was　Rand；　and　the　Tower　did　not　dare　gentle　him。
　　　　　　　Nynaeve　had　put　on　a　lecturing　tone；　no　doubt　trying　to　sound　Aes　Sedai。　She　was　doing　an　imitation　of　Sheriam　before　a　class；　Egwene　realized；　hands　clasped　at　her　waist；　smiling　slightly　as　if　it　were　all　so　simple　when　you　applied　yourself。
　　　　　　　〃Stilling　is　not　a　thing　anyone　would　choose　to　study；　you　understand；〃　Nynaeve　continued。　〃It　is　generally　accepted　to　be　irreversible。　What　makes　a　woman　able　to　channel　cannot　be　replaced　once　it　is　removed；　any　more　than　a　hand　that　has　been　cut　off　can　be