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At last Lelaine spoke "We do not declare war on individuals," she said in a dry voice "Not even on traitors like Elaida In any case, I call to shelve your question while we deal with ather herself since the ride back; her face wasblueslashed skirts as if brushing away Elaida -- or perhaps Egwene -- she turned her attention to the other Sitters "What brings us to sit tonight is I was about to say sirand to be tested Reinning with spending half our gold without co into Andor -- "

"My sister Lelaine, in her anxiety, has forgotten who has the right to speak first," Roed toher shawl just as she wanted, a woman with all the time in the world "I have two questions to call before the Hall, and in the second I will address Lelaine’s concerns Unfortunately for her, my first question concerns Lelaine’s own fitness to continue in the Hall" Her shtest bit warmer Lelaine sat slowly, her scowl quite open

"A question of war cannot be shelved," Egwene said in a carrying tone "It must be answered before any question called after it That is the law"

Quick, questioning glances passed between Sitters

"Is that so?" Janya said finally Squinting thoughtfully, she twisted on her bench to address the wo you read, and I’ you had read the Law of War Is that what it says?"

Egwene held her breath The White Tower had sent soldiers to any number of wars over the last thousand years, but always in response to a plea for help from at least two thrones, and it always had been their war, not the Tower’s The last tiainst Artur Haing Siuan said that now only a few librarians knewdark hair to her waist and skin the color of aged ivory, Takiht Now she looked like a bird that wanted to take flight, shifting on her seat, adjusting her shawl, unnecessarily straightening her cap of pearls and sapphires "It is," she said finally, and claain

"It seems," Romanda said in a clipped tone, "that Siuan Sanche has been teaching you well Mother How speak you in support of declaring war? On a wo disagreeable out of her way, and she dropped onto her seat waiting for it to depart

Egwene nodded graciously anyway, and rose She azes one by one, levelly, firht, the wo Would she hold silent long enough? It was too late to change plans

"Today we find ourselves confronted by an army, led by people who doubt us That aranted to put passion into her voice, to let it burst out, but Siuan had advised utter coolness, and finally she had agreed They needed to see a wo ridden by her heart The words cah "You heard Arathelle say she did not want to beco to bring an army into Murandy and stand in our way Because they are not certain e are, or e are about Did any of you feel that they truly believe you are Sitters?" Malind, roundfaced and fierceeyed, shifted on her bench aed shawl, though her dark face ed to hide any expression Berana, another Sitter chosen in Salidar, frowned thoughtfully Egwene did not ht was not already in their heads, she did not want to plant it

"We’ve listed Elaida’s crimes to countless nobles," she went on "We’ve told them we intend to remove her But they doubt They think that maybe -- maybe -- we are e say And maybe there’s a trick in our words Perhaps we are only Elaida’s hand, weaving soave Pelivar and Arathelle the nerve to stand before Aes Sedai and say, ‘You cannot go further’ Who else will stand in our way, or interfere, because they aren’t certain, and uncertainty leads them to act in a cloud of confusion? There’s only one way for us to dispel their confusion We have already done everything else Once we declare ourselves at ith Elaida, there can be no doubts I don’t say that Arathelle and Pelivar and Aemlyn will march away as soon as we do so, but they and everyone else will knoe are No one will dare again to show doubt so openly when you say you are the Hall of the Tower No one will dare stand in our way, h uncertainty and ignorance We have walked to the door and put our hands on the latch If you are afraid to walk through, then you all but ask the world to believe that you are nothing but Elaida’s puppets"

She sat, surprised at how calm she felt Beyond the ts of Sitters, sisters outside stirred, putting their heads together She could iine the excited murmurs that Aledrin’s ward blocked off Now if only Takirunted ih to say, "Who stands for declaring war against Elaida?" Her gaze returned to Lelaine, and her cold, s smile returned It was clear what she considered important, once this nonsense was done with

Janya rose i "We ht as well," she said She was not supposed to speak, but her set jaw and sharp gaze dared anyone to call her down She was not normally so forceful, but as usual, her words nearly tripped over one another "Mending what the world knoon’t be any harder than it is for this Well? Well? I don’t see the point of waiting" On the other side of Takima, Escaralde nodded and stood

Moria all but bounded to her feet, frowning down at Lyrelle, who gathered her skirts as if to rise, then hesitated and looked at Lelaine questioningly Lelaine was too busy frowning across the carpets at Ro the Greens, Saether, and Faiselle looked up with a jerk A stocky, copperskinned Domani, Faiselle was not a woman startled bywideeyed from S