Page 10 (1/2)

"Co to hover all night? Sit down!"

Egwene covered a moment of shock Meidani? She was one of those sent by Sheriawene checked the contents of each platter, she shot a glance over her shoulder Meidani had found her way to the small, less ornate seat at Elaida’s side Did the Gray alear such finery to supper? Her neck sparkled with ereen dress was of the ht have been average on another woman, but that seemed ample on Meidani’s slender body

Beonin said she’d warned the Gray sisters that Elaida knew they were spies So why hadn’t Meidani fled the Tower? What was holding her here?

Well, at least now the woman’s expression of terror oblet of wine, "you are rather wan this day Have you been getting enough sun?"

"I have been spending a great deal of time with historical records, Elaida," Meidani said, voice uneven "Have you forgotten?"

"Ah, that is right," Elaida said ood to kno traitors have been treated in the past Beheading seems too easy and simple a punishment to me Those who split our Tower, those who flaunt their defection, a very special reill be needed for them Well, continue your search then"

Meidani sat down, hands in lap Anyone other than an Aes Sedai would have had to wene stirred the silver tureen, hand clutching the ladle with a white-knuckled grip Elaida knew She knew that Meidani was a spy, and yet she still invited the woirl," Elaida snapped at Egwene

Egwene plucked up the tureen, the handles warers, and walked over to the s with Queen’s Crown mushrooms It smelled so heavily peppered that any other flavor would be indistinguishable So one bad that without spice, the soup would be inedible

Egorkedbehind the oxen She didn’t have to make choices; she didn’t have to respond She just worked She filled the soup bowls precisely, then fetched the bread basket and placed one piece--not too crusty--on each small porcelain bread saucer She returned with a circular dab of butter for each, cut quickly but precisely froer brick with a couple of flicks of the knife One did not spend long as an innkeeper’s daughter without learning to serve a proper ony, and not because of her still-burning backside That physical pain, oddly, seenificant now It was secondary to the pain of re herself to confront this aoan their soup--pointedly ignoring the weevils in their bread--Egwene retreated to the side of the roolanced at her, then sn of subservience In reality, Egwene didn’t trust herself to move, for she feared that any activity would end with her slapping Elaida across the face Light, but this was hard!

"What talk is there in the Tower, Meidani?" Elaida asked, dipping her bread in the soup

"Idon’t have much time to listen "

Elaida leaned forward "Oh, surely you know soossip What are they saying about those rebels?"

Meidani paled further "II "

"Hmm," Elaida said "When ere novices, I don’t re so sloit, Meidani You haven’t iin to wonder why you were ever given the shawl Perhaps it never belonged on your shoulders in the first place"

Meidani’s eyes opened wide

Elaida s you, child Back to your meal"

She joked! Joked about how she had stolen the shawl fro her to such an extent that she fled the Tower Light! What had happened to Elaida? Egwene had met this woman before, and Elaida had struck her as stern, but not tyrannical Power changed people It appeared that in Elaida’s case, holding the Amyrlin Seat had taken her sternness and solemnity and replaced them with a heady sense of entitlement and cruelty

Meidani looked up "II have heard sisters express worry about the Seanchan"

Elaida waved an indifferent hand, sipping her soup "Bah They are too distant to be of danger to us I wonder if they’re secretly working for the Dragon Reborn Either way, I suspect that the ruwene "It’s a source of constant a that they hear"

Egwene couldn’t speak She could barely have sputtered Hoould Elaida feel about these "exaggerated" rumors if the Seanchan slapped a cold a’dawene could so, impossible to move Sometimes, it still made her faintly sick to move around freely, as if she felt that she should be locked away, chained to the post on the wall by a simple loop of metal

She knehat she had dreamed, and knew those dreams to be prophetic The Seanchan would strike at the White Tower itself Elaida, obviously, discounted her warnings

"No," Elaida said, waving for Egwene to bring another ladle of soup "These Seanchan are not the probleer is the complete lack of obedience shown by the Aes Sedai What will I have to do to end those foolish talks at the bridges? How e ainst her soup cup Egwene, at the serving table, picked up the tureen, retrieving the ladle from its silver holder

"Yes," Elaida mused, "if the sisters had been obedient, then the Toouldn’t be divided Those rebels would have obeyed rather than running off like a silly flock of startled birds If the sisters were obedient, ould have the Dragon Reborn in our hands, and those horridin their ’Black Tower’ would have been dealt with long ago What do you think, Meidani?"