rj.acrownofswords-第46章

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much　less　let　her　chatter　away　freely。　It　probably　never　occurred　to　her　that　Chesa's　presence　and　her　unexpected　chatter　frequently　unsettled　her　just　enough　to　help　Egwene　sidestep　advice　she　did　not　want　to　take　and　postpone　decisions　she　did　not　want　to　make；　at　least　not　the　way　Sheriam　wanted　them　made。　Certainly　the　notion　had　never　occurred　to　Chesa；　she　smiled　apologetically　and　returned　to　her　darning；　occasionally　murmuring　to　herself。
　　　〃If　we　continue；　Mother；〃　Sheriam　said　coolly；　〃we　may　finish　before　dawn。〃
　　　Staring　at　the　next　page；　Egwene　rubbed　her　temples。　Chesa　might　be　right　about　the　light。　She　had　another　headache　ing　on。　Then　again；　it　might　be　the　page；　detailing　what　money　was　left。　The　stories　she　had　read　never　mentioned　how　much　coin　was　required　to　keep　an　army。　Pinned　to　the　sheet　were　notes　from　two　of　the　Sitters；　Romanda　and　Lelaine；　suggesting　the　soldiers　be　paid　less　frequently；　paid　less　in　fact。　More　than　suggesting；　really；　just　as　Romanda　and　Lelaine　were　more　than　simply　two　Sitters　in　the　Hall。　Other　Sitters　followed　where　they　led；　if　not　all　by　any　means；　while　the　only　Sitter　Egwene　could　count　on　was　Delana；　and　her　not　far。　It　was　rare　that　Lelaine　and　Romanda　agreed　on　anything；　and　they　could　hardly　have　chosen　a　worse。　Some　of　the　soldiers　had　sworn　oaths；　yet　most　were　there　for　their　pay；　and　maybe　the　hope　of　loot。
　　　〃The　soldiers　are　to　be　paid　as　before；〃　Egwene　muttered；　crumpling　the　two　notes。　She　was　not　going　to　let　her　army　melt　away；　any　more　than　she　would　allow　looting。
　　　〃As　you　mand；　Mother。〃　Sheriam's　eyes　sparkled　with　pleasure。　The　difficulties　must　be　clear　to　her　…　anyone　who　thought　her　less　than　very　intelligent　was　in　deep　trouble　…　but　she　did　have　a　blind　spot。　If　Romanda　or　Lelaine　said　the　sun　was　ing　up；　Sheriam　most　likely　would　claim　it　was　going　down；　she　had　had　almost　as　much　sway　with　the　Hall　as　they　did　now；　perhaps　more；　until　they　put　a　halt　to　it　between　them。　The　opposite　was　true；　as　well；　those　two　would　speak　against　anything　Sheriam　wanted　before　they　stopped　to　think。　Which　had　its　uses；　all　in　all。
　　　Egwene's　fingers　tapped　on　the　tabletop；　but　she　made　them　stop。　The　money　had　to　be　found　…　somewhere；　somehow　…　but　she　did　not　have　to　let　Sheriam　see　her　worry。
　　　〃That　new　woman　will　work　out；〃　Chesa　murmured　over　her　sewing。　〃Tairens　always　carry　their　noses　high；　of　course；　but　Selame　does　know　what's　required　of　a　lady's　maid。　Meri　and　I　will　settle　her　down　soon　enough。〃　Sheriam　rolled　her　eyes　irritably。
　　　Egwene　smiled　to　herself。　Egwene　al'Vere　with　three　maids　waiting　on　her；　as　unbelievable　as　the　stole　itself。　But　the　smile　lasted　only　a　heartbeat。　Maids　had　to　be　paid；　too。　A　tiny　sum；　balanced　against　thirty　thousand　soldiers；　and　the　Amyrlin　could　hardly　do　her　own　laundry　or　mend　her　own　shifts；　but　she　could　have　managed　splendidly　with　Chesa　alone。　And　would　have；　had　she　any　choice　in　it。　Less　than　a　week　earlier　Romanda　had　decided　that　the　Amyrlin　needed　another　servant　and　found　Meri　among　the　refugees　who　huddled　in　every　village　until　they　were　chased　away；　and　not　to　be　outdone；　Lelaine　produced　Selame　from　the　same　source。　The　two　women　were　crowded　into　Chesa's　small　tent　before　Egwene　knew　either　existed。
　　　The　principle　of　the　thing　was　wrong：　three　maids　when　there　was　not　enough　silver　to　pay　the　army　halfway　to　Tar　Valon；　servants　chosen　for　her　without　any　say；　and　then　there　was　the　fact　that　she　had　yet　another；　if　one　who　received　not　a　copper。　Everyone　believed　Marigan　was　the　Amyrlin's　maidservant；　anyway。
　　　Beneath　the　edge　of　the　table　she　felt　her　belt　pouch；　felt　the　bracelet　inside。　She　should　wear　it　more；　it　was　a　duty。　Keeping　her　hands　low；　she　dug　the　bracelet　out　and　slipped　it　around　her　wrist；　a　band　of　silver　made　so　the　catch　was　invisible　once　closed。　Made　with　the　One　Power；　the　bracelet　snapped　shut　beneath　the　table；　and　she　very　nearly　snatched　it　off　again。
　　　Emotion　flooded　into　a　corner　of　her　mind；　emotion　and　awareness；　a　little　pocket；　as　if　she　were　imagining　it。　Not　imagination；　though；　all　too　real。　Half　of　an　a'dam；　the　bracelet　created　a　link　between　her　and　the　woman　who　wore　the　other　half；　a　silver　necklace　the　wearer　could　not　remove　herself。　They　were　a　circle　of　two　without　embracing　saidar；　Egwene　always　leading　by　virtue　of　the　bracelet。　〃Marigan〃　was　asleep　now；　her　feet　sore　from　walking　all　day　and　days　past；　but　even　sleeping；　fear　oozed　though　most　strongly；　only　hate　ever　came　near　fear　in　the　stream　that　flowed　through　the　a'dam。　Egwene's　reluctance　came　from　the　constant　gnawing　of　the　other　woman's　terror；　from　having　worn　the　necklace　end　of　an　a'dam　once；　and　from　knowing　the　woman　on　the　far　end。　She　hated　sharing　any　part　of　her。
　　　Only　three　women　in　the　camp　knew　that　Moghedien　was　a　prisoner；　hidden　in　the　midst　of　Aes　Sedai。　If　it　came　out；　Moghedien　would　be　tried；　stilled　and　executed　in　short　order。　If　it　came　out；　Egwene　might　not　be　far　behind　her；　and　Siuan　and　Leane；　as　well。　They　were　the　other　two　who　knew。　At　best　she　would　have　the　stole　stripped　away。
　　　For　hiding　one　of　the　Forsaken　from　justice；　she　thought　grimly；　I'll　be　lucky　if　they　just　stick　me　back　with　the　Accepted。　Unconsciously　she　thumbed　the　golden　Great　Serpent　ring　on　the　first　finger　of　her　right　hand。
　　　Then　again；　however　just　such　a　punishment　might　be；　it　was　unlikely。　She　had　been　taught　that　the　wisest　of　the　sisters　was　chosen　Amyrlin　Seat；　yet　she　had　learned　better。　The　choosing　of　an　Amyrlin　was　as　hotly　contested　as　electing　a　mayor　in　the　Two　Rivers；　and　maybe　more；　no　one　bothered　to　stand　against　her　father　in　Emond's　Field；　but　she　had　heard　about　elections　in　Deven　Ride　and　Taren　Ferry。　Siuan　had　only　been　raised　Amyrlin　because　the　three　before　her　each　had　died　after　just　a　few　years　on　the　Amyrlin　Seat。　The　Hall　had　wanted　someone　young。　Speaking　of　age　to　a　sister　was　at　least　as　rude　as　slapping　her　face；　yet　she　had　begun　to　get　some　idea　how　long　Aes　Sedai　lived。　Rarely　was　anyone　chosen　Sitter　before　she　had　worn　the　shawl　seventy　or　eighty　years　at　least；　and　Amyrlins　generally　longer。　Often　much　longer。　So　when　the　Hall　deadlocked　between　four　sisters　raised　Aes　Sedai　less　than　fifty　years　before；　and　Seaine　Herimon　of　the　White　suggested　a　woman　who　had　worn　the　shawl　only　ten　years；　it　might　have　been　as　much　exhaustion　as　Siuan's　qualifications　in　administration　that　brought　the　Sitters　to　stand　for　her。
　　　And　Egwene　al'Vere；　who　in　many　eyes　should　still　have　been　a　novice？　A　figurehead；　easily　directed；　a　child　who　had　grown　up　in　the　same　village　with　Rand　al'Thor。　That　last　definitely　had　its　part　in　the　decision。　They　would　not　take　back　the　stole；　but　she　would　find　the　little　authority　she　had　managed　to　accumulate　gone。　Romanda；　Lelaine　and　Sheriam　might　actually　e　to　blows　over　which　would　march　her　about　by　the　scruff　of　her　neck。
　　　〃That　looks　much　like　a　bracelet　I　saw　Elayne　wearing。〃　The　papers　on　Sheriam's　lap　crackled　as　she　leaned　forward　for　a　better　look。　〃And　Nynaeve。　They　shared　it；　as　I　recall。〃
　　　Egwene　gave　a　start。　She　had　been　careless。　〃It's　the　same。　A　remembrance　gift；　when　they　left。〃　Twisting　the　silver　circlet　around　her　wrist；　she　felt　a　stab　of　guilt　that　was　all　her　own。　The　bracelet　appeared　segmented；　but　so　cunningly　you　could　not　see　how　exactly。　She　had　hardly　thought　of　Nynaeve　and　Elayne　since　their　departure　for　Ebou　Dar。　Perhaps　she　should　call　them　back。　Their　search　was　not　going　well；　it　seemed；　though　they　denied　it。　Still；　if　they　could　find　what　they　were　after。。。
　　　Sheriam　was　frowning；　whether　or　not　at　the　bracelet；　Egwene　could　not　say。　She　could　not　allow　Sheriam　to　start　thinking　too　much　on　that　bracelet；　though；　if　she　ever　noticed　that　the　necklace　〃Marigan〃　wore　was　a　match；　there　might　be　painfully　awkward　questions。
　　　Rising；　Egwene　smoothed　her　skirt　as　she　moved　around　the　table。　Siuan　had　acquired　several　pieces　of　information　today；　one　could　be　put　to　good　use　now。　She　was　not　the　only　one　with　secrets。　Sheriam　looked　surprised　when　she　stopped　too　close　for　the　other　woman　to　stand。