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Doesine, of the Yellow, gave a quiet reement That drew Elaida’s eyes, and she fell silent for athat she had lost control of the debate "Enough of this"

"Coward," Egwene said

Elaida’s eyes flared wide "How dare you!"

"I dare the truth, Elaida," Egwene said quietly "You are a coward and a tyrant I’d name you Darkfriend as well, but I suspect that the Dark One would perhaps be e in a flash of Power, sla the pitcher of wine from her hands It shattered on a patch of wooden floor beside the rug, throwing a spray of bloodlike liquid across the table and half of its occupants, staining the white tablecloth with a smear of red

"You name me Darkfriend?" Elaida screamed "You are the Darkfriend You and those rebels outside, who seek to distractwhat ainst the wall again, and she dropped to the ground, hitting shards of the broken pitcher that sliced open her ar Blood seeped fro the wall as Elaida beat her

"Elaida, stop it!" Rubinde said, standing, green dress swishing "Are you"Do not tempt me, Green!"

The switches continuing to beat Egwene She bore it silently With effort, she stood up She could feel her face and araze at Elaida

"Elaida!" Ferane yelled, standing "You violate Tower law! You cannot use the Power to punish an initiate!"

"I am Tower law!" Elaida raved She pointed at the sisters "You mock me I know you do it Behind my back You show me deference when you see rateful fools! After what I’ve done for you! Do you think I’ll suffer you forever? Take this one as an exawene, then stu her Elaida gasped softly, raising a hand to her breast as the switches beat They could all see the weaves, and they could all see that Egwene did not screaed with Air Her arms dripped blood, her body was beaten before them, and yet she found no reason to scream Instead, she quietly blessed the Aiel Wise Ones for their wisdowene said evenly, "a continued Oh, how it hurt! Tears forwene’s eyes, but she had felt worse Far worse She felt it each ti to the institution she loved Her true pain was not from the wounds, but froht," Rubinde whispered

"I wish I weren’t needed here, Elaida," Egwene said softly "I wish that the Tower had a grand Amyrlin in you I wish I could step down and accept your rule I wish you deserved it I would willingly accept execution, if it woulda competent Amyrlin The White Tower is more important than I am Can you say the sa her tongue "Well, you shall not have it! Death is too good for you, Darkfriend! I shall see you beaten--everyone shall see you beaten--until I ah with you Only then will you die!" She turned to the servants, who stood, gaping, at the sides of the room "Send for soldiers! I want this one cast into the deepest cell this Tower can provide! Let it be voiced through the city that Egwene al’Vere is a Darkfriend who has rejected the Arace!"

Servants ran to do as she de nu faint--she had lost ashes

It had come to a head, as she’d feared that it would She had cast her lot

But she didn’t fear for her life Instead, she feared for the White Tower As she leaned back against the wall, thoughts fading, she was overcome with sorrow

Her battle from within the Toas at an end, one way or another

CHAPTER 17

Questions of Control

You should be more careful," Sarene said from inside the room "The Amyrlin Seat, we have much influence with her Your punishments, we may be able to persuade her to lessen thee’s sniff of disdain was quite audible to Cadsuane, listening fro in a co chair Cadsuane sipped at a cup of warm sweatleaf The hallas of si, prisht

There were several others in the hallith her--Daigian, Erian, Elza--whose turn it was to e’s shield Aside from Cadsuane, each Aes Sedai in the ca the duty only on the Aes Sedai of lesser stature, lest they groeary The shield had to reot free

Cadsuane sipped her tea, her back to the wall Al’Thor had insisted that "his" Aes Sedai be allowed opportunities to interrogate See, instead of just those Cadsuane had chosen She wasn’t certain if this was soht that they ht succeed where she--so far--had failed

Anyway, that hy Sarene was doing the questioning today The Taraboner White was a thoughtful person, completely unaware that she was one of the ain the shawl in years Her nonchalance was not unexpected, as she was of the White Ajah, who could often be as oblivious as Browns Sarene also didn’t know that Cadsuane was outside eavesdropping, through the use of a small weave of Spirit It was a si it with this newly found trick of inverting one’s weaves meant that Cadsuane could listen in without anyone inside knowing that she was there

The Aes Sedai outside sahat she was doing, of course, but none said anything Even though two of theroup of fools who had sworn fealty to the al’Thor boy, they stepped lightly around her; they kne she regarded them Idiot women At times, it seemed that half of her allies were only deteration inside Most of the Aes Sedai in thea try Brown, Green, White and Yellow--all had failed Cadsuane herself had yet to address any questions to the Forsaken personally The other Aes Sedai looked at her as an alure, a reputation she had nurtured She’d stayed away fro that many would assume she was dead When she reappeared, it ons, both because it was necessary and because each man she captured added to her reputation with the other Aes Sedai

All of her work pointed at these final days Light blind her if she was going to let that al’Thor boy ruin it all now!