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Verin, with her nose still buried in her notes, noticed none of it "I don’t know, Mother I doubt it, though We know nothing at all of those lands Artur Haing set out to conquer It’s too bad the Sea Folk refuse to cross the Aryth Ocean They say the Islands of the Dead lie on the other side I wish I knehat they meant by that, but that accursed Sea Folk close her head "All we have is one reference to ’lands under the Shadow, beyond the setting sun, beyond the Aryth Ocean, where the Ar there to tell us if the arh by theht,’ or even to survive Haing’s death Once the War of the Hundred Years started, everyone was too intent on carving out their own part of Haing’s eht for his armies across the sea It seems to me, Mother, that if their descendants still lived, and if they ever intended to return, they would not

have waited so long"

"Then you believe it is not prophecy, Daughter?"

"Now, ’the ancient tree,’" Verin said, ihts "There have always been rumors -- no more than that -- that while the nation of Almoth still lived, they had a branch of Avendesora, perhaps even a living sapling And the banner of Almoth was ’blue for the sky above, black for the earth beloith the spreading Tree of Life to join them’ Of course, Taraboners call themselves the Tree of Man, and claiends And Domani claie of Legends There are other possibilities, but you will note, Mother, that at least three center around Almoth Plain and Toentle "Will you ’s seed is not returning, then this is not prophecy and it doesn’t matter a rotted fish head what ancient tree is ive you what I know, Mother," Verin said, looking up from her notes, "and leave the decision in your hands I believe the last of Artur Haing’s foreign aro, but because I believe it does not e, of course, refers to the end of an Age, and the Great Lord --"

The Amyrlin slapped the tabletop like a thunderclap "I know very ho the Great Lord is, Daughter I think you had better go now" She took a deep breath, and took hold of herself visibly "Go, Verin I do not want to becoet who it was had the cooks leave sweetcakes out at night when I was a novice"

"Mother," Moiraine said, "there is nothing in this to suggest prophecy Anyone with a little wit and a little knowledge could put together as much, and no one has ever said Myrddraal do not have a sly wit"

"And of course," Verin said calwith you, Moiraine"

Moiraine stared in shock Not aware of the world? I a, she had reached out to the pulsing glow she always felt there waiting, to the True Source The One Power surged along her veins, charging her with energy,the sheen of Power from the Amyrlin Seat as she did the sa the Power against another Aes Sedai We live in perilous tis in the balance, and what must be done, must be done It must Oh, Verin, why did you have to put your nose in where it does not belong?

Verin closed her book and slipped it back behind her belt, then looked from one woman to the other She could not but be aware of the niht that ca the True Source Only solow, but there was no chance of any Aes Sedaiit in another woman

A hint of satisfaction settled on Verin’s face, but no sign that she realized she had hurled a lightning bolt She only looked as if she had found another piece that fit in a puzzle "Yes, I thought it must be so Moiraine could not do this alone, and who better to help than her girlhood friend who used to sneak doith her to snitch sweetcakes" She blinked "Forgive me, Mother I should not have said that"

"Verin, Verin" The Aly "You accuse your sister -- and me? -- ofI won’t even say it And you are worried that you’ve spoken too familiarly to the Amyrlin Seat? You bore a hole in the boat and worry that it’s raining Think what you are suggesting, Daughter"

It is too late for that, Siuan, Moiraine thought If we had not panicked and reached for the Source, perhaps thenBut she is sure, now "Why are you telling us this, Verin?" she said aloud "If you believe what you say, you should be telling it to the other sisters, to the Reds in particular"

Verin’s eyes widened in surprise "Yes Yes, I suppose I should I hadn’t thought of that But then, if I did, you would be stilled, Moiraine, and you, Mother, and the ression in a man ields the Power When does the madness corow? Can he still function with his body rotting around hientled, ill happen to the young man, whichever he is, will happen whether or not I auided, we should be able to keep some record with reasonable safety, for a time, at least And, too, there is The Karaethon Cycle" She calmly returned their startled looks "I assuon Reborn? I cannot believe you would do this -- leave walking free a on"

She thinks only of the knowledge, Moiraine thought wonderingly The culmination of the direst prophecy the world knows, perhaps the end of the world, and she cares only about the knowledge But she is still dangerous, for that

"Who else knows of this?" The Amyrlin’s voice was faint, but still sharp "Serafelle, I suppose Who else, Verin?"

"No one, Mother Serafelle is not really interested in anything that someone hasn’t already set down in a book, preferably as long ago as possible She thinks there are enough old books and otten, to equal ten tiathered in Tar Valon She feels certain there is enough of the old knowledge still there to b