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Still, they nodded to hi the men who had been recruited frohside Half of them didn’t need to shave but once a week Androl walked up to the he’d tied to sood, lads," he said "But keep the sides steeper, if you can"

"Yes, Master Genhald," said the one leading the tea ing river of strength was so enticing Rare was the man who could release it without a sense of loss

The M’Hael encouraged theht them to control it But Androl had known seductive sensations somewhat like saidin before--the exhilaration of battle, the intoxication of rare drinks fro of victory A s and lose control of hi who he was And saidin waselse he’d experienced

He said nothing to Tai the M’Hael

"Here," Androl said, "let ht" He took a deep breath, then e He used the old soldier’s trick to do that--he’d been taught it by his first instructor in the sword, old one-armed Garfin, whose heavy rural Illianer accent had been virtually incomprehensible Of course, Androl himself had a faint Taraboner accent, he was told It had faded over the years since he’d last been hoing force that was saidin He grabbed it as ato steer in so to hold on

Saidin onderful Yes, it was more powerful than any intoxicant Itthat terrible Power, Androl felt as if he’d co the dry husk of his former self behind It threatened to carry hi a tiny trickle of Earth--the best he could e, for Earth here he eakest--and carefully shaved the sides of the canal "If you leave tooout," he explained as he worked, "then the canal floill stay hter and more firm the sides, the better You see?"

The soldiers nodded Sweat had beaded on their brows, flakes of dirt sticking to their foreheads and cheeks But their black coats were clean, particularly the sleeves You could judge a man’s respect for his uniform by whether or not he used the sleeve to wipe his brow on a day like this The Two Rivers lads used handkerchiefs

The more senior Asha’man, of course, rarely sweated at all It would take these ladssoover the a fine job here The Two Rivers, it grows ood to have them, particularly co lately The M’Hael’s scouts claimed they took whoever they could find, yet as it thatdispositions?

"Master Genhald?" asked one of the soldiers

"Yes, Trost?" Androl asked

"Have you…Have you heard anything of Master Logain?"

The others looked hopeful

Androl shook his head "He hasn’t returned fro mission I’h he could see that they were beginning to worry They had a right to Androl had been worrying for weeks now Ever since Logain had left in the night Where had he gone? Why had he taken Donalo, Mezar and Welyn--three of the ?

And now there were those Aes Sedai caon to bond Asha’iven one of his half-smiles at that, the kind that never reached his eyes, and told theroup from the White Tower had first pick, since they’d come first The others waited, impatiently

"The M’Hael," one of the Two Riversdark "He--"

"Keep your heads on your shoulders," Androl interrupted, "and don’t hed, but nodded Distracted by the conversation, Androl al toward hiht Shadoithin the trough Shadows of rocks and clefts in the earth Slowly, deviously, they turned toward Androl Androl steeled himself, but couldn’t dispel the panic This one terror he could feel despite the void

They ca He released it immediately, and the shadows reluctantly crept back to their places

The Two Rivers lads watched him, discomfort in their faces Could they see the wild cast to Androl’s eyes? Nobody spoke of the…irregularities that afflicteddirty family secrets

The taint was cleansed These lads would never have to feel the things that Androl did Eventually, he and the others who had been in the Tower before the cleansing would becoht, but he couldn’t understand why anyone would listen to him Weak in the Power and insane to boot?

And the worst part was, he knew--deeply, down to his very center--that those shadoere real Not just some madness concocted by his mind They were real, and they would destroy him if they reached hiritting his teeth Either option is terrifying Either I’m insane or the darkness itself wants to destroy hts without huddling in fear So the shadows Soht," he said, satisfied that his voice--at least--sounded in control "You best get back to work Keep that slope ht direction, mind you We’ll have a mess and a half to deal with if the water overflows and