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their problems。〃 And worse with my own； he thought。 〃With an Aes Sedai close to hand； I'd advise most people to ask her for help。〃 Advice I'd not take myself。
〃Ask Moiraine！〃
〃I suppose that is out of the question in this case。 But Nynaeve was your Wisdom back in Emond's Field。 Village Wisdoms are used to answering people's questions； helping with their problems。〃
Mat gave a raucous snort of laughter。 〃And put up with one of her lectures about drinking and gambling and。。。？ Thom； she acts like I'm ten years old。
Sometimes I think she believes I'll marry a nice girl and settle down on my father's farm。〃
〃Some men would not find it an objectionable life；〃 Thom said quietly。
〃Well； I would。 I want more than cows and sheep and tabac for the rest of my life。 I want … 〃 Mat shook his head。 〃All these holes in memory。 Sometimes I think if I could just fill them in； I'd know。。。。 Burn me； I don't know what I'd know； but I know I want to know it。 That's a twisty riddle； isn't it？〃
〃I'm not certain even an Aes Sedai can help with that。 A gleeman surely can't。〃〃I said no Aes Sedai！〃
Thom sighed。 〃Calm yourself； boy。 I was not suggesting it。〃
〃I am leaving。 As soon as I can fetch my things and find a horse。 Not a minute longer。〃
〃In the middle of the night？ The morning will do。〃 He refrained from adding； If you really do leave。 〃Sit down。 Relax。 We'll play a game of stones。 I have a jar of wine here； somewhere。〃
Mat hesitated； glancing at the door。 Finally he jerked his coat straight。 〃The morning will do。〃 He sounded uncertain； but he picked up the overturned stool and set it beside the table。 〃But no wine for me；〃 he added as he sat down。 〃Strange enough things happen when my head is clear。 I want to know the difference。〃
Thom was thoughtful as he put the board and the bags of stones on the table。 Just that easily the lad was diverted。 Pulled along by an even stronger ta'veren named Rand al'Thor； was how Thom saw it。 It occurred to him to wonder if he was caught in the same way。 His life had certainly not been headed toward the Stone of Tear and this room when he first met Rand； but since then it had been twitched about like a kite string。 If he decided to leave； say if Rand really had gone mad； would he find reasons to keep putting it off？
〃What is this； Thom？〃 Mat's boot had encountered the writing case under the table。 〃Is it all right if I move it out of my way？〃
〃Of course。 Go right ahead。〃 He winced inside as Mat shoved the case aside roughly with his foot。 He hoped he had corked all the ink bottles tightly。 〃Choose；〃 he said； holding out his fists。
Mat tapped the left； and Thom opened it to reveal a smooth black stone； flat and round。 The boy chortled at having the first go and placed the stone on the crosshatched board。 No one seeing the eagerness in his eyes would have suspected that only moments before he had been twice as eager to go。 A greatness he refused to recognize clinging to his back； and an Aes Sedai intent on keeping him for one of her pets。 The lad was well and truly caught。
If he was caught； too； Thom decided； it would be worth it to help one man； at least； keep free of Aes Sedai。 Worth it； to make a payment on that fifteen…year…old debt。
Suddenly and strangely content； he set a white stone。 〃Did I ever tell you；〃 he said around his pipestem； 〃about the wager I once made with a Domani woman？ She had eyes that could drink a man's soul； and an odd…looking red bird she had bought off a Sea Folk ship。 She claimed it could tell the future。 This bird had a fat yellow beak nearly as long as its body； and it。。。。〃
Chapter 5
（Female Silhouettes）
Questioners
〃They should be back by now。〃 Egwene fluttered the painted silk fan vigorously； glad the nights were at least a little cooler than the days。 Tairen women carried the fans all the time … the nobles； at least； and the wealthy … but as far as she could see they did no good at all except when the sun was down； and not much then。 Even the lamps； great golden； mirrored things on silvered wall brackets； seemed to add to the heat。 〃What can be keeping them？〃 An hour； Moiraine had promised them； for the first time in days； and then she had left without explanation after a bare five minutes。 〃Did she give any hint of why they wanted her； Aviendha？ Or who wanted her； for that matter？〃
Seated cross…legged on the floor beside the door； large green eyes startling in her dark tanned face； the Aiel woman shrugged。 In coat and breeches and soft boots； shoufa looped about her neck； she appeared unarmed。 〃Careen whispered her message to Moiraine Sedai。 It would not have been proper to listen。 I am sorry； Aes Sedai。〃
Guiltily； Egwene fingered the Great Serpent ring on her right hand； the golden serpent biting its own tail。 As an Accepted； she should have been wearing it on the third finger of her left hand； but letting the High Lords believe that they had four full Aes Sedai inside the Stone kept them on their best manners； or what passed for manners among Tairen nobles。 Moiraine did not lie； of course； she never said they were more than Accepted。 But she never said they were Accepted； either； and let everyone think what they wanted to think； believe what they thought they saw。 Moiraine could not lie； but she could make truth dance a fine jig。
It was not the first time Egwene and the others had pretended to full sisterhood since leaving the Tower； but more and more she felt unfortable deceiving Aviendha。 She liked the Aiel woman； thought they could be friends if they could ever e to know one another； but that hardly seemed possible as long as Aviendha thought Egwene was Aes Sedai。 The Aiel woman was there only at Moiraine's order； issued for unspoken purposes of her own。 Egwene suspected it was to give them an Aiel bodyguard； as if they had not learned to protect themselves。 Still； even if she and Aviendha did bee friends； she could not tell her the truth。 The best way to keep a secret was to make sure no one knew who did not absolutely have to know。 Another point Moiraine had made。 Sometimes Egwene found herself wishing the Aes Sedai could be wrong； glaring wrong； just once。 In a way that would not mean disaster； of course。 That was the rub。
〃Tanchico；〃 Nynaeve muttered。 Her dark； wrist…thick braid hung down her back to her waist as she stared out of one of the narrow windows； casements swung out in the hope of catching a night breeze。 On the broad River Erinin below bobbed the lanterns of a few fishing boats that had not ventured down river； but Egwene doubted she saw them。 〃There is nothing for it but to go to Tanchico； it seems。〃 Nynaeve gave an unconscious hitch to her green dress； with its wide neck that bared her shoulders； she did that a good deal。 She would have denied wearing the dress for Lan； Moiraine's Warder … she would have if Egwene had dared make the suggestion … but green； blue and white seemed to be Lan's favorite colors on women； and every dress that was not green； blue or white had vanished from Nynaeve's wardrobe。 〃Nothing for it。〃 She did not sound happy。
Egwene caught herself giving an upward tug to her own dress。 They felt odd； these dresses that just clung to the shoulders。 On the other hand； she did not believe she could bear to be more covered。 Light as it was； the pale red linen felt like wool。 She wished she could bring herself to wear the filmy gowns Berelain wore。 Not that they were suitable for public eyes； but they certainly did appear to be cool。
Stop fretting over fort； she told herself sternly。 Keep your mind on the business at hand。 〃Perhaps；〃 she said aloud。 〃Myself； I am not convinced。〃
A long； narrow table； polished till it glistened； ran down the middle of the room。 A tall chair stood at the end near Egwene； lightly carved and touched here and there with gilt； quite plain for Tear； while the sidechairs had progressively lower backs； until those at the far end seemed little more than benches。 Egwene had no idea what purpose the Tairens had put the room to。 She and the others used it for questioning two prisoners taken when the Stone fell。
She could not force herself to go into the dungeons； though Rand had ordered all of the implements that had decorated the guardroom walls melted or burned。 Neither Nynaeve nor Elayne had been eager to return； either。 Besides； this brightly lit room； with its clean…swept green tile floor and its wall panels carved with the Three Crescents of Tear； was a sharp contrast to the grim； gray stone of the cells； all dim and dank and dirty。 That had to have some softening effect on the two women in prisoners' rough…woven woolens。
Only that drab brown dress； however； would have told most people that Joiya Byir； standing beyond the table with her back turned； was a prisoner at all。 She had been Gray Ajah； and had lost none of the Grays' cool self…possession on shifting her allegiance to the Black。 Every line of her proclaimed that she stared rigidly at the far wall of her own choice； and for no other reason。 Only a woman who could channel would have seen the thumb…thick flows of Air that held Joiya's arms to her sides and lashed her ankles together。 A cage woven of Air kept her eyes straight ahead。 Even her ears were stopped up； so she could not hear what anyone said until they wanted her to。
Once again Egwene checked the shield woven from Spirit that blocked Joiya from touching the True Source。 It held； as she knew it must。 She herself had woven all the flows around Joiya and tied them to maintain themselves； but she could not be easy in the same room with a Darkfriend who had the ability to channel； even if it was blocked。 Worse than just a Darkfriend。 Black Ajah。 Murder was the least of Joiya's crimes。 She should have been bowed down under her weight of broken oaths； blasted lives and blighted souls。
Joiya's fellow prisoner； her sister in the Black Ajah； lacked her strength。 Standing stoop…shouldered at the far end of the table； head down； Amico Nagoyin seemed to sink in on herself under Egwene's gaze。 There was no need to shield her。 Amico had been stilled during her capture。 Still able to sense the True Source； she would never again touch it； never again channel。 The desire to； the need to； would remain； as sharp as the need to breathe； and her loss would be there for as long as she lived； saidar forever out of reach。 Egwene wished she could find in herself even a shred of pity。 But she did not wish for it very hard。
Amico murmured something at the tabletop。
〃What？〃 Nynaeve demanded。 〃Speak up。〃
Amico raised her face humbly on its slender neck。 She was still a beautiful woman； with large； dark eyes； but there was something different about her that Egwene could not quite put her finger on。 Not the fear that made her clutch her coarse prisoner's dress with both hands。 Something else。
Swallowing； Amico said； 〃You should go to Tanchico。〃
〃You've told us that twenty times；〃 Nynaeve said roughly。 〃Fifty times。 Tell us something new。 Name names we do not already know。 Who still in the White Tower is Black Ajah？〃
〃I do not know。 You must believe me。〃 Amico sounded tired； utterly beaten。 Not at all the way she had sounded when they were the prisoners and she the gaoler。 〃Before we left the Tower； I knew only Liandrin； Chesmal and Rianna。 No one knew more than two or three others； I think。 Except Liandrin。 I have told you everything I know。〃
〃Then you are remarkably ignorant for a woman who expected to rule part of the world when the Dark One breaks free；〃 Egwene said dryly； snapping her fan shut for emphasis。 It still stunned her； how easily she could say that now。 Her stomach still clenched； and icy fingers still crawled her spine； but she no longer wanted to scream； or run weeping。 It was possible to bee used to anything。
〃I overheard Liandrin that once； talking to Temaile；〃 Amico said wearily； starting a tale she had told them many times。 In the first days of her captivity she had tried to improve her story； but the more she elaborated the more she had tangled herself in her own lies。 Now she almost always told it the same way； word for word。 〃If