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Miyasi frowned "With the Last Battle i, I can’t see any other issues of i with Rand noe’d be like a far that there aren’t any goods in the bed for hi the fact that his axle is cracked Fill the bed before it is tion and be worse off than when you started"

"And what, exactly, are you iwene looked back at Ferane

"I see," Ferane said "You are referring to the division in the White Tower"

"Can a cracked stone be a good foundation for a building?" Egwene asked "Can a frayed rope hold a panicky horse? How can we, in our current state, hope to on Reborn himself?"

Ferane said, "Why, then, do you continue to enforce the division by insisting that you are the A wene asked

"It would help"

Egwene raised an eyebrow "Let us assu my claim, I could persuade the rebel faction to rejoin the White Tower and accept Elaida’s leadership" She raised the eyebrow further, indicating how likely she thought that was "Would the divisions be healed?"

"You just said they would be," Tesan said, frowning

"Oh?" Egwene said "Would sisters stop scurrying through the hallways, frightened to be alone? Would groups of wo each other with hostility when they pass in the hallways? With all due respect, would we no longer feel the need to wear our shawls at all tiiance is?"

Ferane glanced down, briefly, at her white-fringed shawl

Egwene leaned forward, continuing "Surely you, of all women in the White Tower, can see the iether We need woather into Ajahs But does it ether?"

"The White has not caused thisregrettable tension," Miyasi said with a little snort "The others acting with such abundance of emotion have created it"

"The present leadership has caused it," Egwene said, "a leadership which teaches that it’s all right to still fellow sisters in secret, to execute Warders before their Aes Sedai are even brought to trial That there’s nothing wrong with re her to an Accepted, that there’s nothing wrong with disbanding an entire Ajah And what of acting without the counsel of the Hall in soon Reborn? Is it unexpected that the sisters would be so frightened and worried? Is it not all coical, what has happened to us?"

The three Whites were quiet

"I will not sub so leaves us fractured I will continue to assert that Elaida is not the Amyrlin Her actions have proven it You want to help battle the Dark One? Well, your first step is not to deal with the Dragon Reborn Your first step should be to reach out to sisters of the other Ajahs"

"Why us?" Tesan said "The actions of others are not our responsibility"

"And you are not to blaer seep through Would none of her sisters accept a modicum of responsibility? "You, of the White, should have seen where this road would lead Yes, Siuan and the Blue were not without their flaws--but you should have seen the flaw in pulling her down, then allowing Elaida to disband the Blue Besides, I believe that severalup Elaida as Ahtly The Whites did not like to be reminded of Alviarin and her failure as Elaida’s Keeper Instead of turning against Elaida for ousting the White, they seeainst their own member for the shame she had caused them

"I still think that this is work for the Grays," Tesan said, but she sounded less convinced than she had just wene said Her patience was beginning to fray "Some will not speak with me and continue to send me to penance Others say these rifts are not their fault, but with soreed to do what they can The Yellows have been very reasonable, and I think they’re beginning to see the proble with several Brown sisters--they seem more fascinated by the problems than worried about theh the histories for exa they’ll run across the story of Renala Merlon The connection should be easy to in to see that our problems here can be solved

"The Greens have, ironically, been the most stubborn They can be very like Reds inas they really should be willing to acceptthem That only leaves the Blue, who have been banished, and the Red I doubt that sisters of that last Ajah are going to be very receptive to htful, and Tesan sat with three forgotten walnuts in her hand, staring at Egwene Miyasi scratched at her iron-gray hair, eyes ith surprise

Had Egwene given away too much? Aes Sedai were remarkably like Rand al’Thor; they did not like to knohen they were being maneuvered

"You are shocked," she said "What, do you think I should si while the Tower crumbles? This white dress has been forced upon me, and I do not accept what it represents, but I will use it A woman in novice white is one of the feho can pass from one Ajah quarter to another these days Someone has to work to mend the Tower, and I am the best choice Besides, it is my duty"