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Rand had heard all that before; it seemed he had heard all Asmodean had to say of the Forsaken fifty times already So often that athim Some of it he ale found a, for instance -- and soone over to the Shadow because he envied Lews Therin Telah to do anything because of it, and surely not that Asht of ies of music, that seduced him; he claimed to have been a noted composer of music, before Senseless Yet in that ht lie keys to surviving Tarmon Gai’don Whatever he told Moiraine, he kneould have to face theoblet, he set it on the floor tiles Wine would not wash out facts

The bead curtain rattled, and he looked over his shoulder as gai’shain entered, whiterobed and silent While so up the food and drink that had been laid out for hie silver tray to the table On it were covered dishes, a silver cup, and two large, greenstriped pottery pitchers One would hold wine, the other water A gai’shain woilded lah the s, the sky was beginning to take on the yellowred of sunset; in the brief ti, the air actually felt coai’shain departed, but did not follow immediately "What do you think of my chances when the Last Battle co redandblue striped wool blankets from behind his cushions and looked up at him, head tilted in that sidewaysin the square the day we et that," Rand said harshly There had been two, not one "I destroyed it, in any case" He thought Asmodean’s shoulders slumped a trifle

"Then the -- Dark One -- will consume you alive As for me, I intend to open et the chance A quick death is better than what I’ll find elsewhere" He tossed the blankets aside and sat staring glu mad, certainly I’m as subject to that as you, now You broke the bonds that protected me" There was no bitterness in his voice; only hopelessness

"What if there was another way to shield against the taint?" Rand demanded "What if it could be removed somehow? Would you still kill yourself then?"

Ash was utterly acid "The Shadow taketo think you really are the bloody Creator! We are dead Both of us Dead! Are you too blind with pride to see it? Or just too thickwitted, you hopeless shepherd?"

Rand refused to be drawn "Then why not go ahead and end it?" he asked in a tight voice I wasn’t too blind to see what you and Lanfear were up to I wasn’t too thickwitted to fool her and trap you "If there’s no hope, no chance, not the smallest shred then why are you still alive?"

Still not looking at him, As fro under his fingers, and the only thing near enough to grasp was a tuft of grass, a few long blades with roots barely clinging to the rock The only chance he had of clirabbed it" His abrupt chuckle held no mirth "He had to knoould pull free"

"Did you save him?" Rand asked, but Asmodean did not answer

As Rand started for the doorway, the sounds of "The March of Death" began again behind hiether behind hi in the wide, empty hall flowed easily to their feet fro on the pale blue tiles They were all but one tall for woh not for Aiel women Their leader, Adelin, lacked littleable to look him in the eyes The exception, a fiery redhead nawene, and extre so short Like the clan chiefs’, their eyes were all blue or gray or green, and their hair, light brown or yellow or red, was cut short except for a tail at the nape of the neck Full quivers balanced the longbladed knives at their belts, and they wore cased horn bows on their backs Each carried three or four short, longbladed spears and a round, bullhide buckler Aiel women who did not want hearth and children had their oarrior society, Far Dareis Mai, the Maidens of the Spear

He acknowledged them with a small bohich made them smile; it was not an Aiel custoht to do it "I see you, Adelin," he said "Where is Joinde? I thought she ith you earlier Has she taken ill?"

"I see you, Rand al’Thor," she replied Her pale yellow hair see her sundark face, which had a fine white scar across one cheek "In a way she has She had been talking to herself all day, and not an hour ago, she went off to lay a bridal wreath at the feet of Garan, of the Jhirad Goshien" So up the spear "Toai’shain Joinde is Black Rock Shaarad," she added significantly It was significant; ai’shain, but very seldom between clans with blood feud, even blood feud in abeyance

"It is an illness that spreads," Enaila said heatedly Her voice was usually as hot as her hair "One or two Maidens make their bridal wreaths every day since we came to Rhuidean"

Rand nodded hat he hoped they took for sympathy It was his fault If he told the near him All, probably; honor would hold them, and they had no es, so far; even Maidens would thinkbetter than what soo in a moment," he told them

"We ith patience," Adelin said It hardly see there, they all appeared poised on the edge of sudden movement

It really did take him only a moment to do what he wanted, weave flows of Spirit and Fire into a box around the rooo in or out -- except a h that doorould be like walking through a wall of solid flame He had discovered the weave -- and that Ash it -- by accident No one was likely to question the doings of a gleeman, but if someone did, Jasin Natael had sie in Rhuidean That was a choice that Hadnan Kadere’s drivers and guards, at least, could sympathize with And this way Rand knew exactly where the ht The Maide