The Gathering Storm

"And I do," Egwene said, trying not to show her impatience. Light, but she'd already been able to figure out that part. Couldn't the woman get on with it? There were Black Ajah to deal with!

"Elaida is still Amyrlin," Meidani said, "but only by a hair. The Hall of the Tower met and censured her formally. They informed Elaida that the Amyrlin was not an absolute ruler, and that she couldn't continue to make decrees and demands without consulting them."

Egwene nodded. "Not an unexpected turn," she said. More than one Amyrlin had become only a figurehead because she'd overextended herself in a similar way. It was what Elaida had been heading for, and that would have been satisfactory, had these not been the end of days. "What of penance?"

"Three months," Meidani said. "One for what she did to you. Two for behavior unbecoming her station."

"Interesting," Egwene said, thoughtful.

"There were some who called for more, Mother. It seemed that for a moment she might be deposed right there."

"You were watching?" Egwene asked with surprise.

Meidani nodded. "Elaida asked for the proceedings to be Sealed to the Flame, but she gained no support in the move. I think that her own Ajah was behind that, Mother. All three of the Red's Sitters are out of the Tower. I still wonder where Duhara and the others went."

Duhara. A Black. What is she up to? And the other two? Were the three together, and if so, could the other two be Black as well?

She'd have to address that later. "How did Elaida take all of this?"

"She didn't say much, Mother," Meidani said. "She sat and watched, mostly. She didn't look very pleased; I was surprised she didn't start ranting."

"The Reds," Egwene said. "If she is really losing support in her own Ajah, they'd have warned her ahead of time not to make more waves."

"That was Saerin's assessment as well," Meidani replied. "She also noted that your own insistence that the Red Ajah not be allowed to fall—spread by a group of novices who overheard you—was part of what kept Elaida from being deposed."

"Well, I wouldn't mind her deposed," Egwene said. "I just didn't want the entire Ajah disbanded. Still, this might be for the best. Elaida's fall has to come in a way that doesn't tear the Tower down with her." Though, if Egwene could do it again, she might retract those words said earlier. She didn't want anyone to think that Egwene had been supporting Elaida. "I assume that Silviana's sentence has been dismissed?"

"Not completely, Mother," Meidani said. "She is being held as the Hall decides what to do to her. She still defied the Amyrlin in a very public way, and there is talk of penance."

Egwene frowned. It smelled of a compromise; Elaida had probably met in closed conference with the head of the Red Ajah—whoever that was, now that Galina had vanished—hashing out the details. Silviana would still be punished, although not as strongly, but Elaida would submit to the will of the Hall. It indicated that Elaida was on shaky ground, but that she could still make demands. Her support wasn't as completely eroded within her own Ajah as Egwene had hoped.

Still, this was a fortunate turn of events. Silviana would live, and Egwene—it appeared—would be allowed to return to her life as a "novice." The Sitters were displeased enough with Elaida to reprimand her. Given just a little more time, Egwene was confident she could get the woman overturned and the Tower reunited. But dared she spend that time?

She glanced at the table, where the precious books lay hidden from eyes. If she staged a mass assault on the Black Ajah, would that precipitate a battle? Would she destabilize the Tower even further? And could she realistically hope to strike at all of them like that? She needed time to consider the information. For now, that meant staying in the Tower and working against Elaida. And, unfortunately, that meant letting most of the Black sisters run free.

But not all of them. "Meidani," Egwene said. "I want you to report to the others. They must take Alviarin into captivity and test her with the Oath Rod. Tell them to take any reasonable risk to achieve it."

"Alviarin, Mother?" Meidani asked. "Why her?"

"She's Black," Egwene said, stomach turning. "And near the head of their organization in the Tower. This was the information Verin died to bring me."

Meidani paled. "Are you certain, Mother?"

"I'm confident in Verin's trustworthiness," Egwene said. "But it would still be advisable to have others remove, then replace, Alviarin's oaths and ask her if she's Black. Every woman should be given that chance to prove herself, no matter the evidence. You have the Oath Rod, I assume?"

"Yes," Meidani said. "We needed it to prove Nicola's trustworthiness; the others wanted to bring some Accepted and novices in, as they can run messages where sisters cannot go."

It was wise, considering the divisions among the Ajahs. "Why her?"

"Because of how often she speaks to the others about you, Mother," Meidani said. "It's well known that she's one of your greatest advocates among the novices."

It was odd to hear that of a woman who had effectively betrayed her, but the girl couldn't really be blamed for that, all things considered.

"They didn't let her swear all three oaths, of course," Meidani said. "She's not Aes Sedai. But she did take the oath about lying and proved herself not a Darkfriend. They removed the oath after."

"And you, Meidani?" Egwene asked. "Have they removed the fourth oath from you?"

The woman smiled. "Yes, Mother. Thank you."