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"Bear your shame, Sitters, but bear it with deter has begun, and there is no longer any use in pointing fingers You failed But you are all that we have We are all that the world has"

The woh the rooreet the rebels"

They passed through the hallways of the Tohich still swene tried not to look at the bloodstains The Sitters followed behind, clustering in Ajah groups, despite Egwene’s recent chastisement There would still be a lot of work to heal them

"Mother," Silviana said quietly as they walked, "I can only assu the rebels Do you intend to ht of such an unconventional arrangewene said "My previous Keeper was executed for being of the Black Ajah"

Silviana paled "I see"

"We can’t dance around these things, Silviana," Egwene said "I received a very important visitor just before myrescue She was of the Black, and betrayed to me the names of other Black sisters I have confirh use of the Oath Rod"

"The Oath Rod?" Silviana exclaimed

"Yes," Egwene said as they entered a stairwell "I was given it last night by an ally in the Tower Though, it occurs to real And keep the location secret and constantly warded It won’t be long before every sister with sufficient power knows the weave for Traveling, and I wouldn’t put it past real now and again"

"Yes, Mother," Silviana said Then, in a quieter voice "I’, I suspect"

"I’wene said "Not the least of which will be the need to choose a proper Mistress of Novices, one who can deal with hundreds of new initiates--un the process of accepting for training any woman, no matter how old, who shows so I suspect that before long, the White Toill be bursting at the seaestions for a replacewene nodded in approval Romanda and Lelaine would undoubtedly be livid when they discovered what Egwene had done in choosing Silviana, but the as Not just because Silviana was Red, but because she was so capable Saerin would have been a fair choice, but uide, and perhaps the real power behind the Seat Picking a Blue would have been too divisive for the current state of the Tower And besides, with an Aet that, noway toward healing relations to have a Keeper who had been a loyalist

Before long, they reached the Tower’s Great Square, on the east side of the building The square was filled--as per her orders--by wowene had chosen this position because of the tall steps leading up to the Tower, topped by a spacious landing She stood there, back to the majestically carved doors It was a perfect location from which to address a crowd

It was also situated between the wings, which had taken the worst da still smoldered; the dome had collapsed; one of the walls had fallen in However, froe, the Tower itself was relatively free of scars, and neither of the gaping holes was directly visible

Egwene could see faces lining the los Aes Sedai and novices alike watched her It seewene had an opportunity to address theoccupants of the Tower Shelevels, but enough to let her be heard both frohters I have been raised properly to the Amyrlin Seat Both sides of this conflict have chosen me Both followed the prescribed methods, and both now accept ain

"I will not pretend that our division did not take place We of the White Tower are soet those facts we don’t want to acknowledge This one cannot be hidden, not from us who lived it We were divided We nearly caraced ourselves

"You rebels beforeterrible You have shattered the Tower and raised up a rival Amyrlin For the first tiainst Aes Sedai I led those troops I know of this shame

"Necessary or not, it is a shauilt You must take responsibility for your criood"

She looked down at the Aes Sedai below If her action of forcing the them wait upon her will--hadn’t made them aware of her attitude, then perhaps her words would

"You did not cowene said to them "You did not come here victorious For there is no victory, and could have been no victory, when sister fought sister and Warder died to Warder" She noted Siuan standing near the front of the ranks and met her eyes across the distance Leane was there, too, looking disheveled fro erect

"Mistakes have been wene said "And ill all have to work hard to repair e have done It is said by blacksain once it has been shattered It , then reworked and re-for We have been broken, then torn down nearly to roots The Last Battle approaches, and before it arrives, I th, whole and unbroken! I will make demands of you They will be harsh They will stretch you to the limits of what you think you can bear I will take these burned holes and fill them! Accommodations will have to be made, for between us there are far too many Sitters for the Hall, not to mention five too many Ajah heads Some of you will have to step down and bow yourselves in humility before those you dislike

"These days will test you! I will force you to ith those you saw as eneside those who spurned you, or hurt you, or hated you

"But we are stronger than our weaknesses The White Tower stands, and we shall stand with it! We will becoain We will be an assembly that tales will tell of! When I am finished with you, it will not be written that the White Toeak Our divisions will be forgotten in the face of our victories We will be reainst itself, but as the White Toho stood strong in the face of the Shadow These days will be legendaryV