The Gathering Storm twot-12 Read online

  Meidani said no more. She led Egwene through the twisting passage, muttering that she'd have liked to have been able to bring her Warder. He was apparently out in the city on some errand. The hall spiraled not unlike the undulating coils of the Great Serpent itself. Just when Egwene was growing impatient, Meidani stopped beside a closed door. It looked no different from the dozens of other near-forgotten storage rooms that budded off the main corridor. Meidani raised a hesitant hand, then knocked sharply.

  The door opened immediately, revealing a keen-eyed Warder with ruddy hair and a square jaw. He eyed Meidani, then turned to Egwene, his expression growing darker. His arm flinched, as if he'd just barely stopped himself from reaching for the sword at his side.

  "That will be Meidani," a woman's voice said from inside the room, "come to report on her meeting with the girl. Adsalan?"

  The Warder stepped aside, revealing a small chamber set with boxes for chairs. It held four women, all Aes Sedai. And, shockingly, each was of a different Ajah! Egwene hadn't seen women of four different Ajahs so much as walk together in the hallways, let alone hold conference together. Not a single one of them was Red, and each of the four was a Sitter.

  Seaine was the stately woman in white robes and silver trim. A Sitter from the White Ajah, she had thick black hair and eyebrows, and watery blue eyes that regarded Egwene with an even expression. Beside her was Doesine, a Sitter of the Yellow Ajah. She was slender and tall for a Cairhienin; her rich rose-colored dress was embroidered with gold. Her hair was adorned with sapphires, matched by the stone at her forehead.

  Yukiri was the Gray sister sitting beside Doesine. Yukiri was one of the shortest women that Egwene had ever met, but she had a way of regarding others that always made her seem in control, even when accompanied by very tall Aes Sedai. The last woman was Saerin, an Altaran Sitter for the Brown. Like many Browns, she wore unornamented dresses, this one a nondescript tan. Her olive skin was marred by a scar on her left cheek. Egwene knew very little about her. Of all the sisters in the room, she seemed the least shocked to see Egwene.

  "What have you done?" Seaine said to Meidani, aghast.

  "Adsalan, bring them in here," Doesine said, rising and gesturing urgently. "If someone were to walk by and see the al'Vere girl there. . . ."

  Meidani cringed before the stern words — yes, she would require a great deal of work before she had the bearing of an Aes Sedai again. Egwene stepped into the room, moving before the brutish Warder could pull her forward. Meidani followed, and Adsalan closed the door with a thump. The room was lit by a pair of lamps that didn't give quite enough light, as if to complement the conspiratorial nature of the women's conference.

  The boxes might as well have been thrones for the way the four Sitters occupied them, and so Egwene sat herself on one as well. "You were not given leave to sit, girl," Saerin said coldly. "Meidani, what is the meaning of this outrage? Your oath was to have prevented this sort of lapse!"

  "Oath?" Egwene asked. "And which oath would this be?"

  "Quiet, girl," Yukiri snapped, slapping Egwene across the back with a switch of Air. It was such a faint punishment that Egwene almost laughed.

  "I didn't break my oath!" Meidani said quickly, stepping up beside Egwene. "You ordered me not to tell anyone of these meetings. Well, I have obeyed — I didn't tell her. I showed her." There was a spark of defiance in the woman. That was good.

  Egwene wasn't certain what was going on in the room, but four Sitters together presented her with an unequaled opportunity. She'd never thought to get a chance to speak with so many at once, and if these were willing to meet together, then perhaps they were free of the fractures undermining the rest of the Tower.

  Or was their meeting a hint of something more dark? Oaths Egwene didn't know about, meetings away from the upper corridors, a Warder guarding the door . . . were these women of four Ajahs, or of one? Had she unwittingly bumbled her way into the center of a nest of Blacks?

  Heart beginning to race, Egwene forced herself not to jump to conclusions. If they were Black, then she was caught. If they were not, then she had work to do.

  "This is very unexpected," calm Seaine was saying to Meidani. "We'll take extra care with the wording of your future orders, Meidani."

  Yukiri nodded. "I didn't think that you'd be so childish as to expose us out of spite. We should have realized that you, like all of us, would have experience pushing and bending oaths to suit your needs."

  Wait, Egwene thought. That sounds like. . . .

  "Indeed," Yukiri said. "I think that penance will be in order for this infraction. But what are we to do with this girl she brought? She's not sworn on the Rod, and so it would be — "

  "You gave her a. fourth oath, didn't you?" Egwene interrupted. "What under the Light were you thinking?"

  Yukiri glanced at her, and Egwene felt another swish of Air. "You were not given leave to speak."

  "The Amyrlin needs no leave to speak," Egwene said, staring the women down. "What have you done here, Yukiri? You betray all that we are! The Oaths are not to be used as tools of division. Has this entire Tower gone as insane as Elaida?"

  "It's not insanity," Saerin said suddenly, butting into the conversation. The Brown shook her head, more commanding than Egwene would have expected for one of her Ajah. "It was only done out of necessity. This one couldn't be trusted, not after siding with the rebels."

  "Do not think we're unaware of your own involvement with that group, Egwene al'Vere," Yukiri said. The haughty Gray was barely in control of her anger. "If we have our way, you will not be treated with such coddling as Elaida has shown you."

  Egwene gestured indifferently. "Still me, execute me or beat me, Yukiri, and the Tower will yet be in shambles. The ones you so easily label as rebels are not to blame for that. Secret meetings in the basements, oaths administered without warrant — these are crimes at least equal to that of dividing from Elaida."

  "You should not question us," Seaine said in a quieter voice. She seemed more timid than the others. "Sometimes, difficult decisions must be made. We cannot have Darkfriends among the Aes Sedai, and measures have been taken to search them out. We here each proved to Meidani that we are not friends of the Shadow, and so there can be no harm in making her give an oath to us. It was a reasonable action to make certain we are all working for the same goals."

  Egwene kept her face calm. Seaine had all but admitted to the existence of the Black Ajah! Egwene had never expected to hear that from the mouth of a Sitter, particularly in front of so many witnesses. So these women were using the Oath Rod to search out Black sisters. If you took each sister, removed her oaths and made her reswear them, you could ask her if she were Black. A desperate method, but — Egwene decided — a legitimate one, considering the times.

  "I concede that it is a reasonable plan," Egwene said. "But swearing this woman to a new oath is unnecessary!"

  "And if the woman is known to have other loyalties?" Saerin demanded. "Just because a woman isn't a Darkfriend doesn't mean she won't betray us in other ways."

  And that oath of obedience was probably the reason Meidani couldn't flee the Tower. Egwene felt a stab of sympathy for the poor woman. Sent by the Salidar Aes Sedai to return and spy on the Tower, discovered by these women — presumably during their search for the Black, — then revealed in her true purpose to Elaida. Three different factions, all pushing against her.

  "It's still inappropriate," Egwene said. "But we can set that aside for now. What of Elaida herself? Have you determined if she is of the Black? Who gave you this charge, and how did your cabal form?"

  "Bah! Why are we speaking with her?" Yukiri demanded, standing up and putting her hands on her hips. "We should be deciding what to do with her, not answering her questions!"

  "If I am to help in your work," Egwene said, "then I need to be aware of the facts."

  "You are not here to help, child," Doesine said. The slender Cairhienin Yellow's voice was firm. "Obviously, Meidani brought you to prove tha
t we don't have her completely beneath our thumbs. Like a child throwing a tantrum."

  "What of the others?" Seaine said. "We need to gather them and make certain that their orders are worded better. We wouldn't want one of them to go to the Amyrlin before we know where her loyalties lie."

  Others? Egwene thought. Have they sworn all of the spies, then? It made sense. Discover one, and it would be easy to get the names of the others. "Have you found any actual members of the Black, then?" Egwene asked. "Who are they?"

  "You are to remain quiet, child," Yukiri said, focusing green eyes on Egwene. "One more word, and I shall see you taking penance until you run out of tears to weep."

  "I doubt you can order me to any more of it than I already have, Yukiri," Egwene said calmly. "Unless I am to be in the Mistress of Novices' study all day each day. Besides, if you sent me to her, what would I tell her? That you personally gave me penance? She'd know that I wasn't scheduled to see you today. That might start raising questions."

  "We could just have Meidani order you to penance," said Seaine the White.

  "She won't do such a thing," Egwene said. "She accepts my authority as Amyrlin."

  The other sisters glanced at Meidani. Egwene held her breath. Meidani managed a nod, though she looked horrified to be defying the others. Egwene released a quiet breath of thanks.

  Saerin looked surprised, but curious. Yukiri, still standing with her arms folded, was not so easily dissuaded. "That's meaningless. We'll just order her to send you to penance."

  "Will you?" Egwene said. "I thought that you told me that the fourth oath was meant to restore unity, to keep her from fleeing to Elaida with your secrets. Now you would use that oath like a cudgel, forcing her to become your tool?"

  That brought silence to the room.

  "This is why an oath of obedience is a terrible idea," Egwene said. "No woman should have this much power over another. What you have done to these others is only one step shy of Compulsion. I'm still trying to decide if this abomination is in any way justified; the way you treat Meidani and the others will likely sway that decision."

  "Must I repeat myself?" Yukiri snapped, turning to the others. "Why are we wasting time clucking with this girl like hens left to the range? We need to make a decision!"

  "We're speaking with her because she seems determined to make herself a nuisance," Saerin said curtly, regarding Egwene. "Sit down, Yukiri. I will deal with the child."

  Egwene met Saerin's eyes, heart thumping. Yukiri sniffed, then seated herself, finally seeming to remember that she was Aes Sedai as she calmed her expression. This group was under a great deal of pressure. If it became known what they were doing. . . .

  Egwene kept her eyes on Saerin. She'd assumed that Yukiri was in charge of the group — she and Saerin were near in power, and many Browns were docile. But that had been a mistake; it was too easy to prejudge someone based on their Ajah.

  Saerin leaned forward, speaking firmly. "Child, we must have your obedience. We cannot swear you to the Oath Rod, and I doubt you'd make an oath of obedience anyway. But you cannot continue this charade of being the Amyrlin Seat. We all know how often you take penance, and we all know what little good it is doing. So let me try something that I assume nobody else has tried with you: reason."

  "You may speak your mind," Egwene said.

  The Brown sniffed in response. "All right. For one thing, you can't be Amyrlin. With that forkroot, you can barely channel!"

  "Is the Amyrlin Seat's authority, then, in her power to channel?" Egwene asked. "Is she nothing more than a bully, obeyed because she can force others to do as she demands?"

  "Well, no," Saerin said.

  "Then I don't see why my having been given forkroot has anything to do with my authority."

  "You've been demoted to novice."

  "Only Elaida is foolish enough to assume one can remove an Aes Sedai's rank." Egwene said. "She should never have been allowed to assume she had that power in the first place."

  "If she didn't assume it," Saerin said, "then you would be dead, girl."

  Egwene met Saerin's eyes again. "Sometimes, I feel it would be better to be dead than to see what Elaida has done to the women of this Tower."

  That brought silence to the room.

  "I must say," Seaine said quietly, "your claims are completely irrational. Elaida is the Amyrlin because she was raised properly by the Hall. Therefore, you can't be Amyrlin."

  Egwene shook her head. "She was 'raised' after a shameful and unorthodox removal of Siuan Sanche from the seat. How can you call Elaida's position 'proper' in the face of that?" Something occurred to her, a gamble, but it felt right. "Tell me this. Have you interrogated any women who are currently Sitters? Have you found any Blacks among them?"

  While Saerin's eyes remained even, Seaine glanced away, troubled. There! Egwene thought.

  "You have," Egwene said. "It makes sense. If I were a member of the Black, I'd try very hard to get one of my fellow Darkfriends named as a Sitter. From there they can manipulate the Tower best. Now tell me this. Were any of these Black Sitters among those who raised Elaida? Did any of them stand to depose Siuan?"

  There was silence.

  "Answer me," Egwene said.

  "We found a Black among the Sitters," Doesine finally said. "And . . . yes, she was one of those who stood to depose Siuan Sanche." Her voice was somber. She'd realized what Egwene was getting at.

  "Siuan was deposed by the bare minimum number of Sitter required," Egwene said. "One of them was Black, making her vote invalid. You stilled and deposed your Amyrlin, murdering her Warder, and you did it unlawfully."

  "By the Light," Seaine whispered. "She's right."

  "This is pointless," Yukiri said, standing again. "If we begin second-guessing, trying to confirm which Amyrlins might have been raised by members of the Black, then we'd have reason to suspect every Amyrlin who ever held the seat!"

  "Oh?" Egwene asked. "And how many of them were raised by a Hall filled by only the exact minimum number of currently sitting members? This is only one reason why it was a grave mistake to unseat Siuan this way. When I was raised, we made certain that every Sitter in the city was aware of what was happening."

  "False Sitters," Yukiri said, pointing. "Given their places unlawfully!"

  Egwene turned toward her, glad they couldn't hear her nervously pounding heart. She had to remain in control. She had to. "You call us false, Yukiri? Which Amyrlin would you rather follow? The one who has been making novices and Accepted out of Aes Sedai, banishing an entire Ajah, and causing divisions in the Tower more dangerous than any army that ever assaulted it? A woman who was raised partially through the help of the Black Ajah? Or would you rather serve the Amyrlin who is trying to undo all of that?"

  "Surely you're not saying that you think we served the Black in raising Elaida," Doesine said.

  "I think we all are serving the interests of the Shadow," Egwene said sharply, "so long as we allow ourselves to remain divided. How do you imagine the Black reacted to the near-secret deposing of an Amyrlin Seat, followed by a division among the Aes Sedai? I would not be surprised to find, after some investigation, that this nameless Black sister you discovered was not the only Darkfriend among the group who worked to unseat the rightful Amyrlin."

  This brought another round of silence to the room.

  Saerin settled back and sighed. "We cannot change the past. Enlightening though your arguments are, Egwene al'Vere, they are ultimately fruitless."

  "I agree that we cannot change what has happened," Egwene said, nodding to her. "However, we can look to the future. As admirable as I find your work to discover the Black Ajah, I am far more encouraged by your willingness to work together to do it. In the current Tower, cooperation between the Ajahs is rare. I challenge you to take that as your main goal, bringing unity to the White Tower. Whatever the cost."

  She stood up, and she half-expected a sister to rebuke her, but they almost seemed to have forgotten that they were speaking
with a "novice" and a rebel. "Meidani," Egwene said. "You accept me as Amyrlin."

  "Yes, Mother," the woman said, bowing her head.

  "I charge you, then, to continue your work with these women. They are not our enemies and they never were. Sending you back as a spy was a mistake, one I wish I'd been able to stop. Now that you are here, however, you can be of use. I regret that you must continue your performance before Elaida, but I commend you for your courage in that regard."

  "I will serve as needed, Mother," she said, though she looked sick.

  Egwene glanced at the others. "Loyalty is better earned than forced. Do you have the Oath Rod here?"

  "No," Yukiri said. "It's difficult to sneak away. We can only take it on occasion."

  "A pity," Egwene said. "I'd have liked to take the oaths. Regardless, you will promptly take it and release Meidani from the fourth oath."

  "We'll consider it," Saerin said.

  Egwene raised an eyebrow. "As you wish. But know that once the White Tower is whole again, the Hall will learn of this action you have taken. I would like to be able to inform them that you were being careful, rather than seeking unwarranted power. If you need me in the next few days, you may send for me — but kindly find a way to deal with the two Red sisters who are watching me. I'd rather not use Traveling within the Tower again, lest I unwittingly reveal too much to those who would be better left ignorant."

  She left that statement hanging before walking to the door. The Warder didn't stop her, though he did watch with those suspicious eyes of his. She wondered whose Warder he was — she didn't believe any of the sisters inside the room had Warders, though she wasn't certain. Perhaps he belonged to one of the other spies sent from Salidar, and had been drafted by Saerin and the others. That would explain his disposition.

  Meidani quickly followed Egwene from the room, glancing over her shoulder, as if expecting argument or censure to fly out behind her. The Warder simply pulled the door shut.

  "I can't believe you succeeded," the Gray said. "They should have strung you up by your heels and had you howling!"

  "They are too wise for that," Egwene said. "They're the only ones in this blasted Tower — besides maybe Silviana — who have anything resembling heads sitting atop their shoulders."