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"I doubt they are aware of this farhtfully on her lips as she studied the woman in the chair, "but it is better to be sure than to weep later, as our father used to say" Shean animal she had never seen before, a creature she could not fatho

Ispan’s lip curled Sweat rolled down her bruised face, and her dark, beaded braids were disheveled and her clothing all disarrayed, but despite bleary eyes, she was not nearly so woozy as she had been "The Black Ajah, it is a fable, and a filthy one," she sneered, a trifle hoarsely It must have been very hot inside that leather sack, and she had had no water since leaving the Tarasin Palace "Me, I ae on me! What I have done, I have done on the orders of the Amyrlin Seat"

"Elaida?" Elayne spat incredulously "You have the nerve to claim that Elaida ordered you to murder sisters and steal from the Tower? Elaida ordered what you did in Tear and Tanchico? Or do you mean Siuan? Your lies are pathetic! You’ve forsaken the Three Oaths, somehow, and that names you Black Ajah"

"I do not have to answer the questions fro her shoulders "You are rebels against the lawful Amyrlin Seat You will be punished, perhaps stilled Especially if you harm me I serve the true Amyrlin Seat, and you will be punished severely if you harm me"

"You will answer any questions my nearsister asks" Aviendha tested her belt knife on a thumbnail, but her eyes were on Ispan’s "Wetlanders fear pain They do not kno to embrace it, accept it You will answer as you are asked" She did not glare or snarl, she just spoke, but Ispan shrank back in the chair

"I fear that is proscribed, even were she not an initiate of the Tower," Adeleas said "We are forbidden to shed blood in questioning, or to allow others to do so in our nah whether over the prohibition or over ad that Ispan was an initiate, Elayne could not say She herself had not really considered that Ispanthat no woman was finished with the Tower until it was finished with her, but truthfully, once the White Tower touched you, it never was finished

Her brow furrowed as she studied the Black sister, so bedraggled and still so sure of herself Ispan sat up a little straighter, and darted glances full of amused contempt at Aviendha -- and Elayne She had not been so poised earlier, when she thought it was Nynaeve and Elayne alone who had her; regained co that there were older sisters present Sisters ould hold White Tower law as part of the blood, but breaking bones and a nus that any Whitecloak Questioner would behad to be given, and if the questioning started after sunrise, it had to end before sundown; if after sunset, then before sunrise The laas even more restrictive when it came to initiates of the Tower, the sisters and Accepted and novices, banning the use of saidar in questioning, punishht flick a novice’s ear with the Power if she was exasperated, or even give her a swat on the bottom, but not very much more Ispan smiled at her Smiled! Elayne took a deep breath

"Adeleas, Vandene, I want you to leave Aviendha and me alone with Ispan" Her stomach tried to tie itself into a knot There had to be a way to press the wo Tower law But how? People ere to be questioned by the Tower usually began talking before a finger was laid on theainst the Tower; no one! -- but they were very seldom initiates She could hear another voice, not Lini’s this ti to do with your own hand As a queen, what you order done, you have done If she did break the law Her ain Even a queen cannot be above the law, or there is no law And Lini’s You can do whatever you wish, child So long as you’re willing to pay the price She dragged her hat off without untying the ribbons Keeping her voice steady took an effort "When we are -- e are done talking with her, you can take her back to the Knitting Circle" Afterward, she would subment to set a penance, if they were asked

Ispan’s head swung, swollen eyes going fro until the whites showed all the around She was not so sure of herself now

Silent glances passed between Vandene and Adeleas, in the ether they hardly needed to speak aloud any longer; then Vandene took Elayne and Aviendha each by an arm "If I may speak with you outside a estion, but she was already urging them to the door

Outside in the farether like sheep Not all wore Ebou Dari clothes, but two had the red belts of Wise Wonized Berowin, a stout little woth in the Power Not now Like the rest, her face was frightened, her eyes darting, despite the entire Knitting Circle surrounding theently Down the way, Nynaeve and Alise were trying to herd perhaps twice as " did seem to be the word

" don’t care what estates you hold," Nynaeve was shouting at a proudnecked woet in there and stay in there, out of the way, or I’ll kick you inside!"

Alise sireenclad woh the doorway despite voluble and heated protests There was a loud squawk like a huge goose being stepped on, then Alise reappeared, dusting her hands The others seeive no trouble after that

Vandene released thelow still enveloped her, yet Adeleastheir combined flows Vandene could haveable to see it, but had she been the one, it was ht theone several hundred paces before the link began to attenuate -- it would not break if she and Adeleas went to opposite corners of the earth, though it would have been useless long before that -- but she remained close to the door She seemed