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Egwene stepped forward "Are you Black Ajah, Sheriam?"

"What? Of course not!"

"Do you consort with the Forsaken?"

"No!" Sheria to the sides

"Do you serve the Dark One?"

"No!"

"Have you been released from your oaths?"

"No!"

"Do you have red hair?"

"Of course not, I never--" She froze

And thank you for that trick as well, Verin, Egwene thought with a rew very, very still

"Inervously "I didn’t knohat question I was answering I can’t lie, of course None of us can"

She trailed off as Egwene held out the Oath Rod "Prove it, Sheriaavethe Black Ajah"

Sheriawene’s eyes "Ah, then," the woman said softly, eyes mournful "Who was it, noho came to you?"

"Verin Mathwin"

"Well, well," Sheria back on her chair "Never expected it of her, I’ll say How did she get past the oaths to the Great Lord?"

"She drank poison," Egwene said, heart twisting

"Very clever" The fla ove bonds of Air and wrapped Sheriam in them, then tied off the weaves She turned back to an incredulous group of women, whitefaced Sowene said sternly "Did you expect that our enemies would leave us alone?"

"Who else?" Lelaine whispered "Who else wasthem"

Moria leaped to her feet and ran for the exit She barely made it two steps A dozen different sisters enclosed the former Blue with shields and bound her in weaves of Air In seconds, she was hanging, gagged, tears leaking down the sides of her oval face

Ro around the woman "Both from the Blue," she noted "This was a drawene"

"You will addressdown froher percentage of the the Blue here, since that entire Ajah fled the White Tower" She held up the Oath Rod "The reason I had to make the revelation this as simple Hoould you have responded if I’d si proof?"

Romanda nodded her head "You are correct on both counts, Mother," she ad the first to retake the oaths, I presu at the tomen bound in Air Al the others as if they row coppersnakes for hair at any moment

Ro herself from the oaths The process was obviously painful, but she held herself to a controlled, hissing intake of breath The others watched carefully for a trick, but Ro She handed the rod back to Egwene "I awene accepted the Oath Rod back "Thank you, Romanda," she said "Lelaine, do you wish to be next?"

"Gladly," the woman said She probably felt a need to vindicate the Blue One by one, the other wo at the pain of it--then swore again and prowene let out a silent sigh of relief at each one Verin had adet, and that Egwenethe Sitters

When Kwawene and declared herself not a Darkfriend, there was a visible release of tension in the roo to stand at the head of the roo NoWe each have the best interests of the White Tower--and the world itself--at heart The twelve of us, at least, are confident in one another

"A cleansing is never easy It is often painful Today, we have cleansed ourselves, but e have to do next will be nearly as painful"

"Youknow the na not a bit distracted

"Yes," Egwene said "Over two hundred total, so us here in this caht to fetch Verin’s books from her room They were now safely hidden in her tent, invisible "I propose that we arrest theh it will be difficult, as ill have to seize all of thee, beyond surprise, was going to be the inherently distrusting nature of the Black Ajah Verin and other sources had indicated that few sisters in the Black knew more than a handful of other names There was an entire write-up in the book about Black Ajah organization, and their systeroups known as "hearts" that had minimal interaction to keep them hidden Hopefully, that very syste

The Sitters looked daunted "First," Egwene said, "ill claim that we need to spread important news to every Sister, but can’t let it be overheard by the soldiers in camp We’ll call the sisters into this pavilion by Ajah--it’s big enough to hold about two hundred people I’ll distribute to each of you the names of all the Black sisters When each Ajah enters, I’ll repeat to the to have to reswear on the Oath Rod We’ll be ready to seize Black sisters who try to escape We’ll tie them up and deposit them in the audience tent" That smaller tent was connected to the side of the Hall, and could be closed off so that entering sisters wouldn’t see the captives

"We’ll have to do sorimly "Let them come in with their sisters, I suppose, and be prepared to seize thewene said "But not all And I don’t knohich ones" Verin had had soht, what a hty Berana said with a shake of her head

"And it wene said "So that the Black sisters don’t have time to escape I’ll warn Lord Bryne to create a peri to escape, just in case But that will only work for those too weak to ateways"

"We mustn’t let it come to that," Lelaine said "A war inside the cawene nodded