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Egwene frowned Were they really having a quiet chat about the Forsaken? "Why would he choose that quality?"

"It makes them predictable A tool you can depend upon to act as expected is far more valuable than one you cannot understand Or perhaps because when they struggle against one another, itones survive I don’t know, honestly The Chosen are predictable, but the Great Lord is anything but Even after decades of study, I can’t be certain exactly what he wants or why he wants it I only know that this battle isn’t being fought the way that al’Thor assumes it will be"

"And what does this have to do withat herself "I’et sidetracked And with so little time, too I really must pay attention" She still seewene had always expected that Black sisters would bedifferent

"Anyway," Verin continued "We were talking about what you did here, in the Tower I was afraid that I’d coinethat you’d not only infiltrated Elaida’s regiainst her You’ve certainly riled some of my associates, I can tell you that They are none too pleased" Verin shook her head, taking another sip of tea

"Verin, I" Egwene paused "What is--"

"No ti forward Suddenly, soh she was still the aged--and at tirew wene’s eyes, and the intensity within that gaze shocked Egwene Was this the sa a woman’s rambles," Verin said, voice more soft "It was so very nice to have a quiet chat over tea, at least once s you need to know A nuo, I faced a decision I found myself in a position where I could either take the oaths to the Dark One, or I could reveal that I had actually never wanted--or intended--to do so, whereupon I would have been executed

"Perhaps another would have found a way around this situation Many would have simply opted for death I, however, saw this as an opportunity You see, one rarely has such a chance as this, to study a beast from inside its heart, to see really what makes the blood flow To discover where all of the little veins and vessels lead Quite an extraordinary experience"

"Wait," Egwene said "You joined the Black Ajah to study them?"

"1 joined the "I’o on about these white hairs Anyway, after joining the the best of the situation"

"Tomas Does he knohat you’ve done?"

"He was a Darkfriend hi a way out Well, there really isn’t a way out, not once the Great Lord has his claws in you But there was a way to fight, to make up for a little of what you’ve done I offered that chance to Towene hesitated, trying to take all of this in Verin was a Dark-friendbut not one at the sarateful to you?"

Verin didn’t answer immediately She simply took another sip of her tea "The oaths one makes to the Great Lord are quite specific," she finally continued "And, when they are placed upon one who can channel, they are quite binding Impossible to break You can double-cross other Dark-friends, you can turn against the Chosen if you can justify it Selfishness must be preserved But you can never betray him You can never betray the order itself to outsiders But the oaths are specific Very specific" She looked up, wene’s eyes " ’I swear not to betray the Great Lord, to keep my secrets until the hour of wene looked down at the stea cup in Verin’s hands "Poison?"

"It takes a very special tea toanother sip "As I said, please thank Laras forrot to her; a drop could kill It was a quick death, peaceful, and often caestion

"A curious hole in the oaths," Verin said softly "To allow one to effect a betrayal in the final hour of one’s life I cannot help wondering if the Great Lord knows of it Why wouldn’t he close that hole?"

"Perhaps he doesn’t see it as threatening," Egwene said, opening her eyes "After all, what kind of Darkfriend would kill theood? It doesn’t see his folloould consider"

"Youthe cup of tea aside "It would be wise to make certain that is disposed of with care, child"

"So that is it?" Egwene asked, chilled "What of To his last hour with faedy "You co yourself in a final quest for redehed "Redemption? I should think that wouldn’t be so easily earned Light knows I’ve done enough to require a very special kind of redemption But it orth the cost Worth it indeed Or perhaps that is simply what Ia leather scrip frowene’s bed Verin carefully undid the straps, then produced two iteer, like a reference book, though it had no title on its red binding The other was a thin blue book The covers of both were a little worn frowene Hesitantly she took theht hand, the blue book light in her left hand She ran a finger over the s She looked up at Verin

"Every wo lasting Research or study that will bethe world around us They think we only look backward Well, that is inaccurate If we are distracted, it is because we look forward, toward those ill coatherwe leave it for the today better; we yearn to wene set the blue book aside, looking into the red one first The words ritten in a snized as Verin’s None of the sentences ibberish

"The swene," Verin explained "It contains the cipher I used to write this tome That tome is thework My work The work ofshe ht know the answer

"Na I learned about the the Darkfriends, about the Black Ajah The prophecies they believe, the goals andwith a list, at the back, of every Black Ajah sister I could identify"