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Nynaeve’s stomach tried to flutter up into her chest "But how? What has happened to Siuan? Egwene, the Tower doesn’t depose an A serious Only two in nearly three thousand years"

"Maybe Rand was serious enough" Egwene’s voice was steady, though her eyes were still too wide "Maybe she beca the Yellows couldn’t Heal, or fell down the stairs and broke her neck What matters is that Elaida is Amyrlin I don’t think she will support Rand as Siuan did"

"Moiraine," Nynaeve muttered "So sure that Siuan would put the Tower behind hiine Siuan Sanche dead She had hated the wohtest bit afraid of her on occasion -- she could admit that now, to herself anyway -- yet she had respected her, too She had thought that Siuan would last forever "Elaida Light! She’s aswhat she wene pressed both hands to her stoh to quell flutters of her own "It was a very short docued to read it all ’All loyal sisters are required to report the presence of the woman Moiraine Damodred She is to be detained if possible, by whatever means are necessary, and returned to the White Tower for trial on charge of treason’ The sae that was apparently used about Elayne"

"If Elaida wants Moiraine arrested, itRand, and she does not like it" Talking was good Talking kept her fro up Treason They stilled wo Moiraine down Now Elaida was going to do it for her "She certainly won’t support Rand"

"Exactly"

"Loyal sisters Egwene, that fits with the Macura woe Whatever happened to Siuan, the Ajahs have split over Elaida as Aood, Nynaeve I did not see that"

Her smile was so pleased that Nynaeve smiled back "There’s a report on Siu-- the A of Blues I was just reading it when you shouted I’ll wager the Blues didn’t support Elaida" The Blue and Red Ajahs had a sort of ar for each other’s throats at the worst

But when they went back into the inner room, the report was not to be found There were plenty of docu wene’s eyebrows climb nearly to her hair -- but not the one that they wanted

"Can you reotten a few lines when you shouted, and I just can’t

rewene, but it will not co hit Nynaeve like a sudden hairl whose botto a tantruo And abecause Egas pleased with her She remembered quite clearly the day when the balance between theirl who fetched when the Wisdo instead just tomen far from home It seemed that balance had shifted further, and she did not like it She was going to have to do soed

The lie She had deliberately lied to Egwene for the first time ever today That hy heraround, unable to assert herself properly "I drank the tea, Egwene" She forced each word deliberately She had to force them "The Macura woman’s forkroot tea She and Luci hauled us upstairs like sacks of feathers That is about how th we had between us If Thom and Juilin hadn’t come to pull us out by the scruffs of our necks, ould probably be there still Or else on our way to the Tower, so full of forkroot ouldn’t wake up until we got here" Taking a deep breath, she tried for a tone of righteous firmness, but it was difficult when you had just confessed to having been an utter fool What came out sounded much more tentative than she liked "If you tell the Wise Ones about this -- especially that Melaine -- I’ll box your ears"

Sowene’s ire It seemed odd to want to start a row -- usually their quarrels were over Egwene refusing to see reason, and they seldoirl had for to refuse -- but that was certainly better than this Yet Egwene only s amused smile

"I more than suspected as ht, but you never mentioned any plant called forkroot I was sure you’d never heard of it until that woman mentioned it You’ve always tried to put the best face on things If you fell head first into a pigsty, you’d try to convince everybody you did it on purpose Noe have to decide --"

"I do no such thing," Nynaeve spluttered

"You certainly do Facts are facts Youabout it and helpat all the way she wanted "They are no such thing Not facts, I wene stared at her silently "You will not let go of this, will you? Very well You lied to me"

"It was not a lie," she nored her interruption " And you lie to yourself Do you remember what you made me drink the last time I lied to you?" Suddenly a cup was in her hand, full of viscous sickly green liquid; it looked as if it had been scooped fronant pond "The only time I ever lied to you The ement If you cannot tell the truth even to yourself"

Nynaeve took a step back before she could stop herself Boiled catfern and powdered ht "I did not really lie, actually" Why was sheexcuses? "I just didn’t tell the whole truth" I aht to count for so still "You cannot really think" Just tell her You’re not the child here, and you certainly are not going to drink "Egwene, I --" Egwene pushed the cup nearly under her nose; she could sht," she said hastily This can’t be happening! But she could not take her eyes off that bri out "Sos look better fori is" The cup vanished, and Nynaeve heaved a sigh of relief Fool, fool woman! She couldn’t have made you drink i