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Siuan bounded to her feet and seized her cloak fro it on her shoulders "I have sailed the Fingers of the Dragon in the dark, you know," she said seriously "And netted a lionfish once, with my father It can be done"

Sheria in an, but whatever she so this, Mother?" she asked instead "All of it, today at the lake, calling the Hall tonight Why did you have us spend all day yesterday talking about Logain to everybody we ht share it with me I am your Keeper I did swear fealty"

"I tell you what you need to know," Egwene said, swinging her cloak around her shoulders There was no need to say that she trusted a forced oath only so far, even a sister’s And Sheria ear despite that oath After all, Aes Sedai were noted for finding loopholes in what they had said She did not really believe that would happen, but just as with Lord Bryne, she could not take even small chances unless she had to

"I have to tell you," Sheriam said bitterly, "I think tomorrow Romanda or Lelaine will be your Keeper of the Chronicles, and I’ll be serving a penance for not warning the Hall And I think you o?"

The sun ht shone off the snow Servantsthe deep paths with silent bows and curtsies Their faces were troubled or else blank; servants could pick up the moods of those they served almost as quickly as Warders

Not a sister was to be seen, at first, and then they all were, in a great gathering three deep around a pavilion set up in the only open space in the ca to the dovecotes in Salidar and Traveling back with reports froe muchmended piece of heavy canvas, not a patch on the splendor of the canopy at the lake, it had been a great deal of effort to set up Most often in the past two months, the Hall had convened , or perhaps squeezed into one of the larger tents The pavilion had been erected only twice since leaving Salidar Both tiwene and Sheriam’s approach, sisters in the back h Expressionless eyes watched the pair of the sisters knew or even suspected as happening Not a clue to what they thought Butterflies stirred in Egwene’s stomach A rosebud Calht flowers and a dozen different patterns, andof braziers set up around the canopy’s rian "She corand than usual, a touch nervous, it was small wonder

The polished benches and clothcovered boxes froht than the le of chairs that had been used previously, two slanting lines of nine, grouped by threes; Green, Gray and Yellow to one side, White, Brown and Blue to the other At the wide end, farthest frowene, stood the striped box and bench for the A there, she would be the focus of every eye, very hteen As well she had not changed her clothes; every Sitter still wore her finery fro her shawl A rosebud Calh only for ain just as Sheria breathless and flustered, the Gray Sitter scrambled up to her seat, between Varilin and Kwarin, and toyed nervously with the firedrops around her neck Anyone ht she was the one on trial Calwene started slowly across the carpets, between the tith Sheriaht of saidar suddenly shone around the dark slender woht there would be no skiht before the Hall of the Tower is for the Hall alone to consider," Kwamesa announced "Whosoever intrudes unbidden, woman or man, initiate or outsider, whether they co to the law, to face the law Know that what I speak is true; it will and shall be done"

That for untruth, from a time when almost as many Aether Egwene continued her measured tread It was an effort not to touch her stole, for a reminder She tried to concentrate on the bench ahead

Kwa the Whites, Aledrin rose, the glow surrounding her as well With her dark golden hair and big pale brown eyes, she was quite lovely when she sht a stone had more expression than she "There are those within earshot who are not of the Hall," she said in a cool voice strong with the accents of Tarabon "What is spoken in the Hall of the Tower is for the Hall alone to hear, until and unless the Hall decides otherwise I will make us private I will seal our words to our ears only" Weaving a ward that walled the entire pavilion, she sat There was a stir a the sisters outside, who now e, that so e was next to anathe the rest of Aes Sedai Could Siuan have seen a pattern in the Sitters’ ages? No Focus Calwene stepped up onto the brightly striped box and turned Lelaine was already on her feet, bluefringed shawl looped across her arwene to sit She dared not let either seize the tiller "I call a question before the Hall," she said in a loud, firainst the usurper Elaida do Avriny a’Roihan?"

And then she sat, throwing off her cloak and letting it fall across the bench Standing beside her on the carpets, Sheriam appeared quite cool and collected, but she wene did not think anyone else had heard She hoped not

There was a briefat her in amazement Perhaps as much because she had asked at all as what she had asked No one put a question before the Hall before sounding out the Sitters; it just was not done, for practical rea