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Leaning on his fists, Torval glared at Morr, who had been right when he rong A grievous sin, perhaps, in Torval’s book "Even so, it will be months before they can trouble you here," he said sullenly "A hundred Asha’man, fifty, placed in Illian, could destroy any army in the world before one man crosses the causeways"

"I doubt an army with damane is destroyed as easily as one kills Aiel coht by surprise," Rand said quietly, and Torval stiffened "Besides, I have to defend all of Illian, not just the city"

Ignoring the er Between Arran Head and the city of Illian lay a hundred leagues of open water, across the mouth of Kabal Deep, where, ship captains in Illian said, their longest sounding lines could find no bottom just a mile or so froed north to pound the coast with breakers fifteen paces high In this weather, it would be worse Marching around the Deep was a route of two hundred leagues to reach the city, even keeping to the shortest ways, but if the Seanchan pressed on from Arran Head, they could reach the border in teeks despite the rainstorht where he chose, not where they did His finger slid along the south coast of Altara, along the Venir range, until the mountains dwindled to hills short of Ebou Dar Five hundred here, a thousand there A tantalizing string of beads dropped along the ht even pen theure out what he was up to Or

"There was soain "There was talk about some sort of Aes Sedai weapon I found where it was used, a few round was all burned over, seared clean in the ood three hundred paces wide or more, and ruined orchards further The sand was lass Saidin orst, there"

Torval waved a hand at him dismissively "There could have been Aes Sedai near when the city fell, yes? Or real could -- "

Rand cut in "What do youMorr oddly, reaching as though to seize the young hly "What do youhis thuth of his sword hilt The heat inside of hi on his face now "Saidin was strange," he said hoarsely His words came in rapid bursts "Worst there -- I could feel it in the air all around e everywhere around Ebou Dar And even a hundred ht it; not like always; different Like it was alive Sometimes Sometimes, it didn’t do what I wanted So else It did I’ for athe tent walls, and Morr fell silent Narishma’s bells chimed at a jerk of his head, then were still

"That isn’t possible," Dashiva muttered into the silence, but nearly under his breath "It is not possible"

"Who knohat’s possible?" Rand said "I don’t! Do you?" Dashiva’s head ca his tone "Don’t worry, e that -- yet heartening, he hoped His , his responsibility "You’ll be withh surprised to find it daone as still as stone Did Morr know about the wine? It was a iven the alternatives A small and bitter e, and thrust it into his coat pocket One in fifty mad already, and more to come Was Morr next? Dashiva was surely close Hopwil’s stares took on a new , and even Narish about spiders He had asked once, warily, where he knew the ansould be true, how to cleanse the taint froot a riddle for answer Herid Fel had claih philosophy and natural philosophy," but he had not seen any way to apply it to the probleht have puzzled out the riddle? Rand had a hint at the answer, or thought heHints and riddles were not answers, yet he had to do so If the taint was not cleansed soht find a world already ruined by madmen What had to be done, had to be done

"That would be wondrous," Torval said in a near whisper, "but how could anyone short of the Creator or?" He trailed off uneasily

Rand had not realized he had spoken any of his thoughts aloud Narished in one face, shining with sudden hope Dashiva looked poleaxed Rand hoped he had not said toowhat he would do next

In short order, Hopas running for his horse to ride to the ridge with orders for the nobles, Morr and Dashiva to find Flinn and the other Asha’ off to Travel back to the Black Toith co of Aes Sedai and Seanchan and weapons, Rand sent hi hten

"Speak to no one," Rand finished softly, gripping Narishma’s arm hard "And don’t fail me Not by a hair"

"I won’t fail," Narishone, too

Dangerous, a voice whispered in Rand’s head Oh, yes, very dangerous, ht In any event, you must kill Torval now Youaside Gregorin and Tol to shoulder aside Rosana and Seer to tell Rand that the men in the trees had decided wisely after all They found hi till tears rolled down his face Lews Therin had come back Or else he really was h

Chapter 15

(Bull)

Stronger than Written Law

In the diily fro because she could not remember them Her dreae, yet these had been murky and fearful She had had tooto run, to escape, never able to recall what fro At least her head was not hurting At least she could recall the dreah not how to interpret the different er atheir way through brambles with axe and sword, unaware of the cliff that lay just ahead And the brahing two Aes Sedai on a huge set of balance scales, and on his decision depended She could not say what; so vast; the world, perhaps There had been other drea Recently, all of her dreams about Mat were pale and full of pain, like shadows cast by nighth Mat himself were not quite real That ave her agonies of grief for sending him there, not to mention poor old Thom Merrilin But the unremembered dreams