The Gathering Storm

"Then let's find out. How dangerous will it be if those Red handlers of mine follow us?"

Meidani paled. "Dangerous."

"Then we'll have to leave them behind," Egwene said, absently tapping the armrest of her oversized oak chair with one nail as she thought. "We could leave the Gray section of the Tower by another way, but if we are seen, it could raise difficult questions."

"There have been a lot of Reds lurking near the entrances and exits of our quarters," Meidani said. "I suspect all of the Ajahs are watching one another like that. It will be very difficult to get away without being noticed. They wouldn't follow me alone, but if they see you . . ."

Spies, watching the other Ajah quarters? Light! Had it gotten so bad? That was like scouts being sent to watch enemy camps. She couldn't risk being seen leaving with Meidani, but to go alone would draw attention, too—the Reds knew Egwene was supposed to be guarded.

That left a problem, one Egwene could think of only way to solve. She eyed Meidani. How far to trust her? "You promise that you do not support Elaida, and that you accept my leadership?"

The woman hesitated, then nodded. "I do."

"If I show you something, do you vow not to reveal it to anyone else without my permission first?"

She frowned. "Yes."

Egwene made her decision. Taking a deep breath, she embraced the Source. "Watch closely," she said, weaving threads of Spirit. Dampened by forkroot, she wasn't strong enough to open a gateway, but she could still show Meidani the weaves.

"What is that?" Meidani asked.

"It's called a gateway," Egwene said. "Used for Traveling."

"Traveling is impossible!" Meidani said immediately. "The ability has been lost for. ..." She trailed off, eyes opening more widely.

Egwene let the weave dissipate. Immediately, Meidani embraced the Source, looking determined.

"Think of the place you want to go," Egwene said. "You have to know the place you're leaving behind very well to make this work. I assume that you are familiar enough with your own quarters. Pick a destination where nobody is likely to be; gateways can be dangerous if they open in the wrong location."

Meidani nodded, golden bun bobbing as she concentrated. She did an admirable job of imitating Egwene's weave, and a gateway opened directly between the two of them, white line splitting the air and bending upon itself. The hole was on Meidani's side; Egwene saw only a shimmering patch, like a draft of heat warping the air. She rounded the gateway, looking through the hole at a darkened stone hallway beyond. The tiles on the floor were of a subdued white and brown, and there were no windows within sight. In the depths of the Tower, Egwene guessed.

"Quickly," Egwene said. "If I don't return from your quarters after about an hour, my Red minders might begin to wonder what is taking so long. It's already suspicious to have you, of all people, send for me. We can only hope that Elaida isn't careful enough to wonder at the coincidence."

"Yes, Mother," Meidani said, rushing over and taking a bronze lamp from her table, the flame flickering at the spout. Then she hesitated.

"What?" Egwene asked.

"I'm just surprised."

Egwene almost asked what was so surprising, but then she saw it in Meidani's eyes. Meidani was surprised at how quickly she'd found herself obeying. She was surprised by how natural it was to think of Egwene as Amyrlin. This woman hadn't been won over completely, not yet, but she was close.

"Quickly," Egwene said.

Meidani nodded, stepping through the gateway, and Egwene followed. Though the floor beyond was free of dust, the corridor was thick with the musty scent of uncirculated air. The walls were bare of the ornamentations one saw occasionally in the upper corridors, and the only sound was that of a few distant rats scratching. Rats. In the White Tower. Once, that would have been impossible. The failure of the wards was just one more impossibility atop an ever-growing stack.

This was not an area often given attention by the Tower servants. That was probably why Meidani had chosen it to open the gateway. That was well and good, but she was probably erring on the side of safety. This deep within the Tower, it would take precious minutes to return to the main hallways and find whatever it was Meidani wished to show her. And that would present its own problems. What would happen if other sisters took note of Egwene moving through the corridors without her normal complement of Red Ajah guards?

Before Egwene could voice this concern, Meidani began to walk away. Not up the hallway toward the stairwells, but down it, moving deeper. Egwene frowned, but followed.

"I'm not certain if I'll be allowed to show you," Meidani said softly, her skirts swishing, the sound not unlike that of the faint scrambling of the distant rats. "I must warn you, however, that you may be surprised at what you are stepping into. It could be dangerous."

Did Meidani mean physical danger or political danger? It seemed that Egwene was in about as much of the latter as was possible. Still, she nodded and accepted the warning with solemnity. "I understand. But if something dangerous is happening in the Tower, I must know of it. It is not only my right, but my duty."

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?"