Towers of Midnight Read-Through #24: Chapter 17 - Partings and a Meeting

By Linda


WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT

Mat POV

If Mat knew what chemicals Aludra had in her supply wagon, he wouldn’t have slept under it. At this time they are the only things in the world that can do as much damage as the One Power he so fears. It makes me shake my head to think of Mat unknowingly sleeping under a wagon full of explosives in a camp where everyone lights fires and Aludra also has phosphorus... (If you want a refresher on Aludra’s chemicals and need for bellfounders, see Mat, Fireworks and Bellfounders article).

Mat is careful not to upset Aludra because she has something he wants: knowledge. He feels he is Aludra’s messenger boy; a familiar feeling to him, since he’s delivered a lot of messages over the series, showing he is a parallel of Hermes, Ancient Greek messenger to the gods. Aludra, the inventor of matches and gunpowder weapons, is a fire goddess, and Mat has “stolen” her fire (see Mat essay), although without him she cannot afford to develop her ideas. Backers are never cheap: look at how Elayne takes her cut.

Mat is both rich and yet a vagabond at the same time:

One of the best things about having money was not having to sleep in ditches. There were beggars who spent nights better than this.

- Towers of Midnight, Partings and a Meeting

With bits of straw in his hair, he looks like he has been in a briarstitch patch, according to Thom; a reference to Brer Rabbit, one of Mat’s trickster parallels (see Tricksters essay). The parallels are piling up in this chapter.

The Aes Sedai are taking quite a few of Mat’s most skilled people with them to Tar Valon: Juilin, Vanin, Domon, and Egeanin - two intelligence gatherers and two fighters, one of them knowledgeable about the Seanchan. Since the Aes Sedai don’t know Travelling, it will take the group quite a while to reach Tar Valon. It is about 43 days until the field of Merrilor. Presumably the group will be needed in Tar Valon before Mat gets there, or Mat won’t have time to collect them when he goes to Tar Valon. Maybe they are being saved from destruction in the battle of Caemlyn.

All characters write off Juilin’s beloved Thera as too timid to be of significance, but I wonder if she helps save someone at Tar Valon. Vanin is supposed to return to Andor with the soldiers once they deliver Joline and Teslyn, but I expect that he will be kept in Tar Valon by circumstance.

Egeanin is wearing dull grey, the colour damane wear and presumably signifying low rank. Ever since she realised she had to leave Ebou Dar, she has intended to go to the White Tower. She doesn’t say why. Does she plan to tell the Aes Sedai that sul’dam can learn to channel to save herself from the Seekers?

Instead, I think Egeanin probably rescues Egwene as was forewarned in Egwene’s dream:

Abruptly, the ledge dropped away from under her with the crack of crumbling stone, and she caught frantically at the cliff, fingers scrabbling to find a hold. Her fingertips slid into a tiny crevice, and her fall stopped with a jolt that wrenched her arms. Feet dangling into the clouds, she listened to the falling stone crash against the cliff until the sound faded to nothing without the stone ever hitting the ground. Dimly, she could see the broken ledge to her left. Ten feet away, it might as well have been a mile off for all the chance she had of reaching it. In the other direction, the mists hid whatever remained of the path, but she thought it had to be farther away still. There was no strength in her arms. She could not pull herself up, only hang there by her fingertips until she fell. The edge of the crevice seemed as sharp as a knife under her fingers.

Suddenly a woman appeared, clambering down the sheer side of the cliff out of the clouds, making her way as deftly as if she were walking down stairs. There was a sword strapped to her back. Her face wavered, never settling clearly, but the sword seemed as solid as the stone. The woman reached Egwene’s level and held out one hand. “We can reach the top together,” she said in a familiar drawling accent…

She had dreamed of a Seanchan before, a Seanchan woman somehow tied to her, but this was a Seanchan who would save her.

- Crossroads of Twilight, In The Night

The Seanchan woman tied to Egwene is Mat’s wife, Tuon, whereas this Seanchan is armed as a soldier (see Egwene's Dreams article for more).

When Mat is open about Tuon, as sul’dam, being able to learn to channel, Seta and Bethamin lower their eyes. If the Empress could be damane, then the whole empire loses face. They also might have lowered their eyes on behalf of Mat, who has married someone that could be collared. And a third reason for their downcast eyes is that the two former sul’dam feel bad that they are a danger. Mat encourages them to learn all they can and contribute. He gives them hope:

"Go with the Aes Sedai," Mat said. "I'll give you your own horses, so you don't have to rely on them. Learn to channel. That'll be more use than dying. Maybe someday you two can convince Tuon of the truth. Help me find a way to fix this without causing the Empire to collapse."
The two women looked to him, more firm and confident, suddenly. "Yes, Highness,"
Bethamin said. "It is a good purpose for us to have. Thank you, Highness."
Seta actually got tears in her eyes!

- Towers of Midnight, Partings and a Meeting

This is probably the nicest thing he said in this chapter. Finally he has insight into how Rand felt when he discovered he could channel and his friends (Mat most of all) looked on him as a monster.

If Tuon is stripped of her position after her channelling ability is revealed, her husband may become property and hence gain ravens on his shoulders as per Egwene’s dream:

…two ravens alighted on his shoulders, claws sinking through his coat into the flesh beneath. He seemed no more aware of them than Perrin had been of the hawk and the falcon, yet the defiance passed across his face, and then grim acceptance.

- Lord Of Chaos, A Pile of Sand

However, since he is unaware of the marks, the dream is more likely to mean that, as Prince of the Ravens, Mat already symbolically is marked with the ravens.

Joline is forcing herself to show proper gratitude and not be arrogant. Aes Sedai are not used to owing people, or feeling obliged to acknowledge it. Teslyn, however, has learned that there are much worse things than showing gratitude and politeness. Despite being under obligation, Joline tells Mat she wants to tame him. She probably won’t get the opportunity herself, but may witness someone else trying to “do the job properly”, as she describes it.

Mat gives Joline a gift of sweetbuns (spiked) and then says the soldiers and horses are on loan on condition the Aes Sedai tell the Amyrlin that Mat needs to reclaim something of his (the Horn) and he doesn’t mean to be bloody turned away. Teslyn is amused at having to quote this to the Amyrlin. There is more fun in her than appears. She believes they will be telling Elaida (and would like to do down Elaida after what she did to Teslyn) because Elaida would not have abdicated. It’s true: Elaida wouldn’t have.

Mat thinks the Amyrlin is Egwene, and

“he had a sinking feeling that the Aes Sedai had wrapped poor Egwene up in their schemes so soundly that she would never escape. He had half a mind to ride up there himself and see if he could get her out.

- Towers of Midnight, Partings and a Meeting

is foreshadowing that perhaps he will. If so, her position may be under threat. The Seanchan invasion intends to make it so. It could be, though, that she rescues him. He is patronising here – but then Egwene is often patronising too.

Does Mat arrive at the Tower while the Seanchan are there? Does Caemlyn delay him?

Mat plays a practical joke on Joline; to get back to his roots, he says. These are as a fool – and one whose tricks usually go wrong (see Fool and Joker essay). I wonder if Mat’s joke on Joline has unexpected repercussions. Perhaps it delays their arrival at Tar Valon until the “right” time, or they are holed up somewhere along the way while the blueness wears off and do something important. The joke amuses Thom, who is also a fool character (and a magician, too, as we see later in the book). But maybe the joke goes nowhere, but was just a filler to showcase Mat’s tricksterish-ness. In this chapter the roots of Mat’s character are really obvious, with several of his parallels and themes shown. Not the heroic, warfare or underworld ones though.

Setalle’s former life as an Aes Sedai has been much in her mind lately, but she has put it aside and is now thinking of her husband and family rather than the Tower:

"The past is gone," she replied. "And I need to leave it be. I should never have even asked to see the item you wear. These last few weeks have made me forget myself."

- Towers of Midnight, Partings and a Meeting

Maybe she would suit the Kin if someone could Heal her, but no one has restored a burned out channeller yet. I would really like her to regain her ability, but then I wanted Reanne to become Aes Sedai and that didn’t happen.

Setalle is amused that Mat is unconscious that he has corrupted Olver. Olver sees him as a mentor and is slavishly copying him.


Elayne POV

Even in the heart of Andor, plants are Blighted – but not as much as in most places. The relative immunity to the Dark One is due to Elayne’s bond with Rand.

Typical of someone young, beautiful and powerful, Elayne acts like she is bulletproof:

"I'm safe, Birgitte. Nothing will happen to me."

- Towers of Midnight, Partings and a Meeting

This litany is repeated all through the book. Min’s viewing of her babies being born healthy and strong has convinced Elayne she is temporarily invincible. She is obviously riding for a fall, and not just at the hands of Darkfriends as happens in this book.

Elayne thinks that she can use the Kin’s newfound boldness to her advantage, but Alise warns her not to get carried away:

"You've asked much of us while we've been here, Your Majesty. No more than I felt you had a right to ask. So far."

- Towers of Midnight, Partings and a Meeting

Sumeko is solely focussed on returning to Tower, but even if she weren’t, she is not politically adept anyway, whereas Alise is. Alise is wearing blue, which might have been a good Ajah for her, if Aes Sedai accepted weak channellers. She assumed the Kin could remain in Caemlyn. The Kin are annoyed to learn they lived their lives in fear of discovery for centuries while Aes Sedai used them. It is a particularly nasty example of Aes Sedai manipulation. No wonder Alise refuses to become servant to Aes Sedai, now they have been shown to be undeserving, and wants to channel openly and as she wishes. Otherwise any deal is probably not on. Fair enough too. The Kin have been shown to be far more worthy, giving far more aid to society, in the past as much as now, than Aes Sedai.

The Kin is a large organisation and the Aes Sedai can’t treat them, and other weak channellers, like dirt any longer. They have the power of numbers, and know how to link, too. Good for them. Aes Sedai would never agree to retire into the Kin either, if it meant they were going to be treated badly.

Elayne wants free Healing, but will pay for Travelling. Alise immediately sees what Elayne is after: gateways and Healing for her troops. On the Kin’s behalf she demands half of the fees Elayne will charge.

Alise will speak for those Kin who won’t go to the Tower. Elayne suggests the Kin change their rules – eg to marry if they wish. This would make them a viable alternative to the Tower. I can see that they may end up doing much of their own training. Elayne would also like them to promote on merit, not age. Alise says Elayne verges on having her own White Tower. What excellent judgment and insight she has. Under her, if she is spared, the Kin will be force to be reckoned with. Elayne has quite a bit to persuading to do to get Egwene’s agreement. She is somewhat more blithe about it than she should be.

Elayne aims to have at least equal military capability as the Seanchan. She assumes Rand’s armies will be unable to repel the Seanchan and they will invade Andor. She doesn’t recognise the likelihood of the Seanchan striking at Tar Valon again, even though she expects they will get Travelling soon. And she knows they have Elaida. But she correctly judges that Tuon wants all Hawkwing’s former lands. Elayne’s aim is to be able to counter damane in battle. She won’t use the Kin, but ponders using the Black Tower. This leads into her encounter with Mat and his plans for cannon.

In Elayne’s garden, a pot of bluebells recently flowered in the colour of blood, and bled red, too, when they were cut.

Bluebells have complex, and in some ways ambivalent, symbolism. On the one hand, they symbolise gratitude and faithfulness. But in Britain they are also associated with death (or maybe more the fragility of life) and are often planted on graves.

The flowers are also closely linked to fairies and are sometimes called "fairy thimbles." In folk belief, bluebells are rung to call the fairies to a meeting. Another name for bluebells is Dead Man's bells, due to the belief that fairies cast spells on those who picked or damaged the beautiful flowers. They are also believed to thin the walls between worlds and realities. In folklore people are said to have been found lost in strange states in bluebell woods.

The fairly folk, Aes Sidhe, are a parallel of the Aes Sedai. Andor now has a “fairy Queen” and this example of the warping of the Pattern has warned her that death is coming to her realm. She herself is soon to be off to a meeting which will include many other Aes Sedai, and while she is gone her city will be attacked by Shadowspawn brought by the Ways, along a path between realities.

A new instrument of death is about to be developed in her land, the cannon, and the bodies of these will be cast by bellfounders linking to the death and bell symbolism of the flowers. Elayne drove a hard bargain with Mat to supply the resources for them, despite being under obligation to him, and wanting them for her military plans. The motif of her unwilling gratitude has been ongoing for some books. (Actually, Aes Sedai are notorious for ingratitude.) Talmanes is afraid that the Shadow are going to target the cannon.

The flower that signifies thinning between worlds is itself showing the result of the Dark One Blighting things through that thinning.

So the little bell-shaped flowers that normally are rung for a fairy meeting are tolling for the dead in advance.

Dreamers, Foretellers and Mystics

By Linda

By the end of the Age of Legends, the Da’shain Aiel relied on Dreamers seeing into the future to guide their decisions (as do their descendants, the Aiel). These women didn’t, probably couldn’t, channel, although a small percentage of their children could, just as in the rest of the population. As the Da’shain prepare to leave Paaren Disen (Paradise) at the start of the Breaking, one of them, Alnora, is asked if she has dreamed in the hope she can give some guidance. She answers:

“Of no time soon,” she murmured. “All will be well, all will be well, and all manner of thing will be well.” Smiling tremulously, she touched his cheek. “With you I know it will be so, husband of my heart.”

- The Shadow Rising, The Dedicated

Alnora, who perished in the chaos and destruction of the Breaking, quoted a well-known English mystic, Julian of Norwich (ca. 1342 – ca 1416), who wrote that:

All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well

- Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love

was told her by God about the Future in a religious vision.

Julian of Norwich lived in a particularly hard and dangerous time of plague, food shortages, labour shortages, social unrest, usurpation, religious persecution, and anarchy. The Papacy had left Rome and was in exile in Avignon. Very near where Julian lived, Lollards, early Protestants, were being burnt. Yet her message was of divine hope and love rather than calls to repent and threats of hell-fire:

”There be deeds evil done in our sight, and so great harms taken, that it seemeth to us that it were impossible that ever it should come to good end. That Great Deed ordained…by which our Lord God shall make all things well.”

“And I saw truly that nothing is done by hap nor by adventure, but all things by the foreseeing wisdom of God: if it be hap or adventure in the sight of man, our blindness and our unforesight is the cause.”

- Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love

The end of the Age of Legends is comparable to the horrors of the Fourteenth century. Once able to touch the world, the Dark One overturned order to bring despair, fear and anger and to undermine the Light. The advanced civilisation collapsed during the War of Power and the Breaking of the World that followed. The Aes Sedai are parallels of the Catholic church, and they were divided, firstly by losing half their number to the Shadow, and then by the men going mad. At the time Alnora told of her dream the Aes Sedai were preparing to evacuate Paaren Disen and the Hall of Servants.

Julian had her visions of revelation during a very severe illness, and when she recovered they were written down, as the Foretellings in the Age of Legends likewise were. However, as far as we know, predictive dreams or readings of the Dream weren’t recorded (although Corianin Nedeal recorded her experiences in Tel’aran’rhiod in the Third Age).

Her present being so horrible, Julian looked for comfort that the future would turn out well. She tried to see the future of a particular person to be reassured about their well-being but was shown that people are only allowed to know the general shape of the future for ease of mind and to know God’s plans better, rather than a specific fate of someone.

One of Julian’s visions was a vision of the Messiah’s sacrifice for love of the world; she saw his death. The Great Deed she wrote of, by which God will make all things well is the:

Deed the which the blessed Trinity shall do in the Last Day, as to my sight, and when the Deed shall be, and how it shall be done, is unknown…

And the cause why He willeth that we know [this Deed shall be], is for that He would have us the more eased in our soul and [the more] set at peace in love

- Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love

Wheel of Time seers may learn the future of an individual but it may be cryptic, or a small piece of the Pattern, or only a possibility. Even Rand, broadly parallel to Christ (who figured large in Julian’s visions), is likewise the subject of many predictions, but they are each fragments.

Da’shain looked to the Dream for guidance as to the Pattern. What Dreamers see is less likely to come true than the predictions of a Foreteller, but it is much more detailed (see Divining the Pattern article). Julian’s visions were very vivid and detailed.

The Age of Legends Aes Sedai rail against the fragmentary visions of the Pattern they have been granted:

“What good is your Foretelling,” Oselle was almost shouting, “if you cannot tell us when?” Her long black hair swayed as she shook with anger. “The world rests on this! The future! The Wheel itself!”
Dark-eyed Deindre faced her with a more usual calm. “I am not the Creator. I can only tell you what I Foretell.”

- The Shadow Rising, The Dedicated

but the purpose of what they see is to set their souls at ease and given them encouragement and guidance on the working out of the Pattern.

Alnora dreamed that all will be well in the end, but not soon. She knows it will be well with her husband—that he will live long and guide the Da’shain through the early Breaking as well as anyone could. It is implied that she saw Rand’s advent to sacrifice himself for humanity to save mankind from the Shadow—his Great Deed. To achieve it he needs his two ta’veren boyhood friends. They are a trinity, which is why they are connected telepathically. Another trinity will be the two women—Nynaeve and Moiraine--that Rand takes with him to Shayol Ghul, and with whom he intends to link to use Callandor.

In The Shadow Rising, the Windfinder Jorin repeats Alnora’s quote of Julian as an indication that the Sea Folk have strong links to the Age of Legends, (perhaps mostly due to their care for the Amayar):

“If it pleases the Light,” Jorin said fatalistically, “all will be well. All will be well, and all will be well, and all manner of thing will be well, if it pleases the Light.”

- The Shadow Rising, Winds Rising

and that some accept the will of the Pattern to the point of fatalism. She sounds less certain than Alnora, but then she is only quoting, not experiencing prophecy directly herself. Other characters repeat fragments of this quote, usually “all will be well”.

Julian’s view of evil is that suffering is not a punishment inflicted by God, and that people sin because they are ignorant or foolish, not because they are evil. This is very different to the usual teaching of the Church in medieval times and is a Boethian view of evil: that evil is only the absence of good and not an active thing in itself.

The trouble with this view is that it is both highly counter-intuitive and in many circumstances extremely dangerous. One might, for instance, conclude that the proper response to it would be to become a conscientious objector. Evil after all is, according to Boethius, more harmful to the malefactor than to the victim and those who do it (or appear to do it) are more to be pitied than feared or fought.

- Tom Shippey, J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century

Her view has much in common with the Da’shain Aiel, who epitomise the heights the Age of Legends reached. Most people in the Age of Legends did not believe in evil because the existence of the Dark One had been forgotten until a hole was drilled in his prison. During the War of Power, there were conscientious objectors who tried to make accommodation with the Shadow, even when it was shown to be futile at best (the World of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time). The Da’shain, sworn to non-violence, maintained their pacifist stance throughout the War. Even after the War of Power, the Tinkers, who follow the Da’shain’s covenant to do no violence, still have the view that evil harms the doer and that there is no justification for killing:

"It means that no man should harm another for any reason whatsoever." The Seeker's eyes flickered to Elyas. "There is no excuse for violence. None. Not ever."
"What if somebody attacks you?" Perrin insisted. "What if somebody hits you, or tries to rob you, or kill you?"
Raen sighed, a patient sigh, as if Perrin was just not seeing what was so clear to him. "If a man hit me, I would ask him why he wanted to do such a thing. If he still wanted to hit me, I would run away, as I would if he wanted to rob or kill me. Much better that I let him take what he wanted, even my life, than that I should do violence. And I would hope that he was not harmed too greatly."
"But you said you wouldn't hurt him," Perrin said.
"I would not, but violence harms the one who does it as much as the one who receives it."

- The Eye of the World, The Travelling People

If the followers of the Way of the Leaf are attacked and cannot escape, they accept their fate as the will of the Pattern.

Like Tolkien, Jordan did not have a Boethian view of evil, and shows Tinkers in the Last Battle realising that their philosophy is less perfect than they believed and that sometimes evil must be fought off:

Nearby, Raen stopped, raising his lantern to examine a full quiver of arrows that a soldier had been carrying as he died. Ila hissed, lifting her skirts up to step around corpses and reach her husband. "Raen!"

"Peace, Ila," he said. "I'm not going to pick it up. Yet, I wonder." …
"You wonder?" Ila asked. "Raen . . ."
"What would we have them do, Ila? Trollocs will not follow the Way of the Leaf."
"There is plenty of room to run," Ila said. "Look at them. They came to meet the Trollocs when the Shadowspawn were barely out of the Blight. If that energy had been spent gathering the people and leading them away to the south . . ."
"The Trollocs would have followed," Raen said. "What then, Ila?"
"We have accepted many masters," Ila said. "The Shadow might treat us poorly, but would it really be worse than we have been treated at the hands of others?"
"Yes," Raen said softly. "Yes, Ila. It would be worse. Far, far worse."

- A Memory of Light, The Last Battle

If the Light’s forces did not fight evil, everyone would be killed, including Tinkers. The Tinker’s extreme non-violence is matched by the extreme violence of the Shadow. The middle way—that of the regular forces of the Light to fight only to protect from evil or danger—is the ‘right’ way. Balance is necessary.

Julian’s message of divine love:

And fifteen years and more afterward I was answered in my spiritual understanding, thus: 'Would you know your Lord's meaning in this thing? Know it well, love was his meaning. Who showed it to you? Love. What did he show you? Love. Why did he show it? For love. Keep yourself therein and you shall know and understand more in the same. But you shall never know nor understand any other thing, forever.'
Thus I was taught that love was our Lord's meaning. And I saw quite clearly in this and in all, that before God made us, he loved us, which love was never slaked nor ever shall be. And in this love he has done all his work, and in this love he has made all things profitable to us.
And in this love our life is everlasting. In our creation we had a beginning. But the love wherein he made us was in him with no beginning. And all this shall be seen in God without end ...

- Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love

is equivalent to Rand’s revelation at his epiphany:

Why? Why must they do this over and over? The world could give him no answers. Rand raised his arms high, a conduit of power and energy. An incarnation of death and destruction. He would end it. End it all and let men rest, finally, from their suffering.
Stop them from having to live over and over again. Why? Why had the Creator done this to them? Why?
Why do we live again? Lews Therin asked, suddenly. His voice was crisp and distinct.
Yes, Rand said, pleading. Tell me. Why?
Maybe . . . Lews Therin said, shockingly lucid, not a hint of madness to him. He spoke softly, reverently. Why? Could it be . . . Maybe it's so that we can have a second chance.
Why? Rand thought with wonder. Because each time we live, we get to love again.
That was the answer. It all swept over him, lives lived, mistakes made, love changing everything. He saw the entire world in his mind's eye, lit by the glow in his hand. He remembered lives, hundreds of them, thousands of them, stretching to infinity. He remembered love, and peace, and joy, and hope.

- The Gathering Storm, Veins of Gold

At the last Rand realises that the point of creation and the endless cycle of time was love, just as Julian learned from God when she was in extremis.

Julian of Norwich’s message has had an influence on the philosophy of the series and the function of prophecy. It was quoted by a Da’shain Aiel Dreamer, Alnora, who may have Dreamed that the Dragon would be Reborn to save the world.

-----------------------------------------------

Written by Linda, June 2012

Towers of Midnight Read-Through #23: Chapter 16 - Shanna'har

By Linda


WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT

Faile POV

Faile is tallying up things she needs to deal with: Perrin’s guilt, Berelain’s lies, fairness, the camp and the needs of thousands of people.

Like many young women, she is appalled at the thought that her life, and worse still, perhaps she herself, might turn out like her mother. She admits to herself the reasons why she ran away from home - the desire for adventure and rebellion at being expected to do her duty, even though, unlike many, she has the ability and training to do it well – and that she has been very immature and selfish. It was the seemingly fated or inevitability of her life, the predictability, that she hated. Aviendha is another young woman who objected to her duty to be a Wise One and the prophesied events of her life. Many people in these chaotic and anarchical times would be glad to have the certainty of a valuable role or some knowledge of where their life was headed, especially since Aviendha’s is not a bad fate.

Now Faile is ironically grateful to her mother, whose assessment of her was accurate, as Faile recognises:

Looking back at herself only a few years before, she was amazed to realize that she saw a spoiled, self-centered child. Leaving the Borderlands to become a Hunter for the Horn? She'd abandoned duties, home and family. What had she been thinking?

Towers of Midnight, Shanna’har

A few years? More like only a few months ago she was still spoiled.

This had a good outcome, but that is no excuse for her behaviour. Rightly, Faile is ashamed of making Perrin walk through the Ways alone. She did not realise the danger – only the adventure – until she saw the Black Wind in action. At that stage she was the runaway princess who was making her knight jump through hoops to prove his worthiness (see Faile essay).

Deira explained Faile’s role, but did not give her a good reason for it:

Her mother had warned her what would happen to her, had told her what was expected of her, and Faile had worried that she would feel trapped by life.
But what Deira hadn't mentioned was how fulfilling it would be. Perrin made the difference. It was no trap at all to be caught with him.

Towers of Midnight, Shanna’har

There was no guarantee Faile would feel fulfilled; it is an added extra, a reward for following the Pattern, but it is not essential. She should do her duty regardless, to Deira’s way of thinking.

Faile likens the quartermaster to a mixed-breed dog, a mongrel. She is aware that she is being hoodwinked by Bavin’s creative book-keeping, but not how. He probably keeps a double set of books and Faile sees the innocent ones. It is good to see that Faile runs the camp along egalitarian lines, and deftly reins Bavin in.

Food rotted in the time that she looked at the ledgers. This is a new occurrence for Perrins’ camp but not elsewhere:

She noted with displeasure that the bunch of wild scallions beside the pathway had spoiled in the moments since she'd seen them last, their stalks melted and runny, as if they'd been rotting in the sun for weeks. These spoilings had begun only recently inside of camp, but by reports, it happened far more frequently out in the countryside.

Towers of Midnight, Shanna’har

The Pattern is healthier around the three ta’veren, more vital and fertile – but finally the fraying is beginning to be evident even where they are. At this time, Rand had recently Balefired Semirhage and Elza with the True Power to the detriment of his spiritual and psychological well-being, and consequently the health of the Land.


Perrin POV

Perrin is beating himself up over his failings: brutality, growing callous, and refusing to be manipulated or sacrifice himself.

Faile asks why he fights being a leader.

You're a lord now, and you can't let it be known that capturing your subjects will undermine your rule. Do you think Queen Morgase would abdicate to tyrants who kidnapped her subjects? No leader could rule that way. Your inability to stop evil men does not make you evil yourself."

Towers of Midnight, Shanna’har

Morgase surrendered to the Whitecloaks so they would help her oust a usurper.

There is a strong vein of Tinker-like beliefs in Perrin in the way he deplores violence and violent feelings. He never aspired to a high position; he only wanted a quiet life and to go back to the simple life after the Last Battle. He can’t of course. Like everywhere else, the Two Rivers won’t be the same ever again, no matter how hard he wishes:

"I could find someplace else," he said, feeling stubborn. "There are other villages. They won't all change."

Towers of Midnight, Shanna’har

Reluctantly he realises that in order to keep Faile he can’t be a nobody.

She says she would sacrifice her position if he really wanted to. All very noble resolutions on both sides…

Perrin doesn’t know what he wants for their life afterwards. Faile points out that if they settle somewhere else the Two Rivers will be without a lord. Which is fine by Perrin, because he would rather they stop treating him as one – and stop wanting one. But the Two Rivers folk have seen lords and they have been joined by refugees that are used to them. Again, no going back.

While Perrin doesn’t feel adequate for the job himself, he doesn’t want someone else doing it because he can’t trust that someone else would do a better job than him and:

Still, the thought of someone else taking control—someone else being lord—filled him with intense anxiety. And a surprising amount of sadness.

Towers of Midnight, Shanna’har

For one thing, someone else might take on the job for the wrong reasons.

It is their first wedding anniversary soon, although these landmarks aren’t celebrated in the Two Rivers. (It’s in keeping with the Two Rivers’ unchanging society that they don’t notice the date, as we saw when Egwene had to calculate the date on her fingers in Crossroads of Twilight.) An exception is Tam and Kari al’Thor, who did celebrate theirs even though it is not the custom. In Saldaea, where the climate is severe, people celebrate their anniversary in early summer, whatever the date they were married on. (In such places, they would tend to have the ceremony in summer anyway, due to the difficulty of travel in winter.) Being still together means neither partner has been killed by the Shadow. This is very telling of how grim and harsh life is there.

Perrin is inclined to think that enjoying themselves is frivolous; he won’t fiddle while Rome burns. Faile is not asking for that, just an evening together. The really terrible times mean they should appreciate the good things they have all the more.

Because they speak the same language, it is easy to overlook the cultural gap between them. Faile thinks she has grown more sensitive to Two Rivers culture, but she tells Perrin that not celebrating a wedding anniversary is backward.

When she says:

But I have asked much from you to adapt to my ways. I thought, tonight, I would try to adapt to yours."

Towers of Midnight, Shanna’har

He is very touched.

Faile is not put off by Perrin’s lack of table manners, though she objects to his wanting meat for breakfast.

With the privacy, he opens up to her on his feelings of inadequacy and of being a beast. He apprehends that if Faile is taken, he would be manipulated:

But if you are used against me, nothing will matter. I'd do anything to protect you, Faile. Anything."

Towers of Midnight, Shanna’har

She is his one weakness, being all he has since his entire family was murdered. Faile says all leaders have weaknesses, even great leaders. Perrin is a perfectionist, slow and careful, and while taking pains can be good in a leader, it can also slow him down.

She is flattered at the evidence that she means so much to him, just so long as he values her for her competencies. His good points are:

You are driven. Given a problem to solve, no matter how grand, and you will see it done."

Towers of Midnight, Shanna’har

Perrin had his banners burned so he can’t lead. If he can’t master himself, he can’t master anyone:

Not until I know if I can master the wolf. How could he explain? Explain that he feared the way it took control when he fought, when he wanted something too badly? He would not rid himself of the wolves; they had become too much a part of him. But where would he leave his people, where would he leave Faile, if he lost himself to what was inside of him?

Towers of Midnight, Shanna’har

This is true, really. The image of Noam, and what Moiraine said, haunts him. Moiraine meant well, but she did not have full knowledge, and misled Perrin. It is up to Hopper, his animal spirit guide, to train him.

Perrin shares his burden with Faile. She is grateful for the trust he has shown in her, and then reciprocates. Perrin thinks he told everything – but did not say he has a psychic link to Rand; Faile held back about Rolan and Masema, two men she killed for different reasons.

She'd been worried that he'd get himself killed trying to rescue her—she didn't say it, but he could infer it. How well she knew him.

Towers of Midnight, Shanna’har

Perrin did neglect himself almost to death trying to find her.

He is not as accurate in understanding her feelings for Rohan.

Perhaps she'd felt a fondness for him, and didn't wish Perrin to regret killing him. That wasn't necessary. Those Brotherless had been with the Shaido, and they had attacked and killed men under Perrin's protection. No act of kindness would redeem that. They deserved their deaths.

Towers of Midnight, Shanna’har

Perrin realises that the Whitecloaks had made similar judgements about him. He does not suspect she killed Masema. Faile’s guilt is that she felt Rolan did not deserve to die, but killed him lest he kill Perrin.

Faile is satisfied that Perrin showed he believed her to be brave and capable – which she is.

Finally they are a properly united couple and trust and accept each other. It took a while, but then such things can do. Both these characters have moved to the next stage of development and with this comes the realisation that having moved on, they can’t go back. They go through a couple of other stages, but progress has been acknowledged.

Something A Bit Different

By Linda


This post is the result of a cold and very wet long weekend, in which for once I have the opportunity to read and think and hopefully recover from a low grade virus that has dogged me for over a week. (The read-through posts are rewarding but their demanding timetable doesn’t really allow me to explore other areas at length.)

Anyway, I was reading Tom Shippey’s J.R. R. Tolkien; Author of the Century for reasons which will become obvious below, when this passage caught my eye:

A further feature which as far as I know no one has ever tried seriously to copy is Tolkien’s structuring of The Lord of the Rings, his use of narrative threads. For one thing the very careful chronological positioning, the cross-checking of dates or distances and phases of the moon would be hard to do accurately…

Yet on the next page Shippey mentions Robert Jordan as one of a group of modern fantasy authors whose works show

the importance of language, the importance of names, and the necessity for a feeling of historical depth

- Tom Shippey, J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century

(which I agree with, especially regarding the names and history), so he knows of The Wheel of Time series. It is therefore surprising that Shippey didn’t notice that The Wheel of Time has more narrative threads than The Lord of the Rings and their complex timing (before The Gathering Storm, anyway) is very precisely interlaced. The alternative is that Shippey didn’t read the works of an author that he is recommending. Yet Shippey rails against literary critics who deplore an absence in Tolkien’s work of something that is actually there. So go figure.

He also says:

No one, perhaps, is ever again going to emulate Tolkien in sheer quantity of effort, in building up the maps and the languages and the histories and the mythologies of one invented world…

- Tom Shippey, J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century

I would argue that Jordan has done just that in three out of those four areas of world-building. For instance, Jordan has catalogued histories and traits not only of minor characters, but even of characters we haven’t seen yet (and maybe never will).

However, Shippey does say that several of Tolkien’s emulators

may have superseded him, used his work only as a starting point for quite different directions , even in some respects to have outdone him.

- Tom Shippey, J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century

This I do strongly agree with, and believe that Jordan is one of these authors. On the whole I found J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century to be insightful and well-written.

And now onto some comments on evil as portrayed by Jordan. Some years ago I wrote an essay on the End-Times (Eschatology) of the Wheel of Time series, which of necessity touched on the theology and I’ve been doing background reading prior to giving it a much needed expansion and update. (For those who are interested, the essay will be split into three). Shippey’s book is part of my research, since he discusses views of evil:

The Boethian view is that there is no such thing as evil, evil is only the absence of good. Furthermore, people in their ignorance often identify as evil things (like being under sentence of death) which are in fact and in the long run, or in the divine plan, to their advantage. Corollaries of this belief are that evil cannot create, “not real new things of its own”, and furthermore it was not created, it arose when human beings exercised their free will – withdrawing their service and their intentions from God.

The trouble with this view is that it is both highly counter-intuitive and in many circumstances extremely dangerous. One might, for instance, conclude that the proper response to it would be to become a conscientious objector. Evil after all is, according to Boethius, more harmful to the malefactor than to the victim and those who do it (or appear to do it) are more to be pitied than feared or fought.

- Tom Shippey, J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century

This is the attitude that the Tinkers have. They speak of accepting the will of the Pattern, never fighting back when violence is committed against them or others. This is not due to cowardice, since they aren’t afraid to die when their time comes; an example being the Da’shain who stood and sang to a mad male channeller while killed them, thus buying time for others to escape. They believe that violence harms the perpetrator as much as the victim (The Eye of the World, The Travelling People).

We then get the bizarre extreme of the Amayar: conscientious objectors conscientiously killing themselves due to the certainty that the Dark One will break the Pattern they have been accepting and not wanting to ‘be there’ to be corrupted or destroyed by the Dark One when this happens. Considerate of them to spare the Dark One being further corrupted.

The alternative is that evil does exist, and is not merely an absence, and what is more it has to be resisted and fought, not by all means available, but by all means virtuous; and what is even more, not doing so, in the belief that one day Omnipotence will cure all ills, is a dereliction of duty. The danger is that this opinion leads to Manicheanism or Dualism: the belief that the world is a battlefield between the powers of Good and Evil, equal and opposite.

- Tom Shippey, J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century

This is the main portrayal of evil in The Wheel of Time. Jordan says his theology is Manichean (though Zoroastrian would be even closer to the mark - see my essay) with the Creator and the Dark One eternally contending for the right to run a universe in their image.

In the last two books Rand showed what happens when evil is fought by any means and not just by virtuous ones. He was manipulated into doing so by the Shadow, because this corrupts the Land and thus weakens the Pattern. To reverse Herid Fel's insight, eroding belief and order gives the Dark One strength. An earlier example of unscrupulous good would be the Shadar Logoth evil, something very much in Cadsuane’s mind as she has striven to prevent Rand from emulating it.

Shippey then goes on to say that with two equally powerful deities, it can be:

a matter of chance which side one happens to choose.

- Tom Shippey, J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century

This I think is going too far, and Jordan would strongly agree with me, since he has commented before on his belief in the existence of evil and the necessity to recognise it and fight it.

Mind you, Jordan does show characters that do follow this philosophy of choosing a side without true commitment: Darkfriends who signed up for personal advantage rather than a belief in the ‘rightness of evil,’ to put it ironically, and supposed Lightfriends who only do good by happenstance, no matter how parlous the times. In reality these are people who believe in only their own egos. There are also apostates (Padan Fain being one twice over) and double agents (like Verin).

Despite Jordan’s expression to the contrary, some readers have said that his two gods, the Creator and the Dark One, are not equal, due to one having imprisoned the other. But we don’t know how this happened. Looked at another way, there is the very real threat that the reverse can and may take place: that the Dark One will destroy the Creator’s work, create an alternative universe and lock the Creator away from it.

The Dark One, being currently outside the Pattern, labours under some difficulties. We have never seen him/her/it use their Power to its fullest. Always it has been tainted by the presence of the One Power. The Trollocs and Myrddraal, for instance, show traits of the original natural stock made by the Creator. Understandably, since their makers were humans, however evil and touched by the Dark One, not deities, and could not create without using something as a basis. Of necessity their foundation had to be something made by the Creator.

I think that the closest we have come to seeing the True Power truly is the mindtrap. It appears to have little taint from the Light in it. But ruthless as it is, it is not perfectly evil since there is, it has been stated, a way to escape it. Something truly evil would have no escape. I can conceive of an evil deity being able to create evil without having to twist good.

I hope that A Memory of Light will show us the full Dualistic theology that Jordan devised, with some revelation (pun intended) of the Dark One’s evil power as a very real and equal rival of the Creator.

Towers of Midnight Read-Through #22: Chapter 15 - Use A Pebble

By Linda


WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT

Nynaeve POV

The completely different costumes of the Tairen nobles and commoners are a statement that they are different species altogether and not just people with different status. This emphasis can only widen the social division. The wide straw hats with flat tops should be conical straw hats – coolie hats (see costume article for Tear).

Nynaeve feels a storm of Wrongness in the north, and she feels a disturbing chill when she is around Asha’man, but does not associate the two. Yet the origin and effects of the two are the same. Naeff is delusional but Nynaeve judges that other Asha’man are worse, which means they must be pretty bad.

A bubble of evil sucked the life force or reality from part of Tear. The area looks washed out, like the less probable If Worlds. People and buildings were affected, but not the bedrock; transient stuff, as can be changed in Tel’aran’rhiod (and I’m speaking from the perspective of a geologist here).

No life, no sense that he had ever been alive. His body wasn't even flesh…It was eerie, to see this hollow area. Like a gouged-out eye socket in an otherwise healthy face.

Towers of Midnight, Use A Pebble

"Their substance was removed. Everything crumbled the moment we touched it."
"He would do this to the entire world," Rand said,

Towers of Midnight, Use A Pebble

It has been remarked by the Forsaken that the area near Shayol Ghul is as malleable as Tel’aran’rhiod, but this bubble had far longer lasting effects on the environment.

Nynaeve wants to Heal the sickness or Wrongness of the world. This desire may well make a difference at Shayol Ghul. Determined to Heal, she discovers that the taint madness is a network of evil thorns:

The darkness had tiny, thornlike projections stuck into Naeff's mind.

Towers of Midnight, Use A Pebble

and they have to be detached and their puncture wounds repaired before a counterweave removes the tangle. The tangle reminds me of Verin’s Compulsion.

Nynaeve did this all by intuition, due to feelings of frustration. Aes Sedai think that one can only channel when feelings are controlled or put aside, but Nynaeve could only get around her block to weave when overcome with emotion. Because she learned that way, she is more practised at weaving while under duress. On the other hand, she had to nearly die before she surrendered and broke her block.

Rand has enormous darkness in his mind, so he is very affected by taint, perhaps more than those who are raving. This Darkness is balanced with Light – yet the Light seems to have the upper hand at the moment. The many thousands of barbs form a “Crown of Thorns” and would be a Jesus parallel. It will be a massive job to remove them if Nynaeve uses the method she used on Naeff.

What did create the Whiteness that coats the taint – the power of positive thought, or memories of love – and Light?

Nynaeve wonders how Rand could think with so much darkness pressing on his brain. Good question. She assumes that both the Darkness and the Light were there when she last Healed Rand, which was after Semirhage attacked and that she can see them because she has improved in Delving since then. We “know” that the Light wasn’t there until a few days ago.

Even in the Age of Legends few could Heal mental illnesses with the One Power, so Nynaeve has just done something really remarkable, brought about because she wouldn’t succumb to the Dark One’s pressure to despair.

Rand says if Nynaeve becomes dispassionate or controlled it would ruin her. It was ruining him:

"I tried to be like them, though I wouldn't have admitted it. Cold. Always in control. It nearly destroyed me. That is strength to some, but it is not the only type of strength.”

Towers of Midnight, Use A Pebble

For one thing, controlled can lead to controlling and dispassionate to uncaring. We see that in the Aes Sedai as a whole. Furthermore, there is an emphasis on appearances and decorum in Aes Sedai society.

"To be Aes Sedai is to be calm," Nynaeve replied.
"To be Aes Sedai is to be what you decide it is," Rand said,

Towers of Midnight, Use A Pebble

Music to Nynaeve’s ears I would have thought.

Nynaeve is put out by taking advice from Rand. She sees Tam’s influence in him, and Rand has acknowledged elsewhere what he owes his father, saying that he was brought up better than Lews Therin was.

The Emond’s Fielders thought Moiraine to be distant, but now Rand says she cared. And in truth she did help villagers after Winternight and Whitebridge. Hers is necessarily a tough love.

Rand thanks Nynaeve for her care and admits he really needs it. He opens up and explains his rationale for breaking the seals:

"Opening the Bore will not free him immediately, though it will give him more strength. It must be done regardless. Think of our task as climbing a tall stone wall. Unfortunately, we are delaying, running laps before attempting the climb. Each step tires us for the fight to come. We must face him while still strong.”

Towers of Midnight, Use A Pebble

When Nynaeve says she believes Rand, he asks her to plead his case to Egwene. I don’t think Egwene listened, or Nynaeve even got to do it, since her opposition is as strong as ever at the end of the book. Judging by her thoughts in the previous scene, Egwene would regard any of Nynaeve’s commendations as merely being “under his influence”.

Rand invites Nyneave back to him when she can; and definitely for Shayol Ghul. He plans to use Callandor and wants two women he can trust to use it with him. Nynaeve is proud that she is one he can trust. Judging by the A Memory of Light book cover, Moiraine will by the other supporting Aes Sedai (see here).

The wounds in Rand’s side would suck in vast amounts of saidar. The True Power and Shadar Logoth power are antithetical to each other, but parasitic on the One Power.

Rand advises Nynaeve against going to the Black Tower because he knows something is happening with the Asha’man there, but has too much to do to figure out how to handle this yet. I groan at the plot device of Zen miracle-worker Rand being utterly unable to do anything about that Darkfriend factory.

Nynaeve treats Rand as she would any close friend and then feels silly. But he needs to be treated like a normal person and an Aes Sedai needs to behave like a normal person. This shows Nynaeve being overly influenced by Aes Sedai in her efforts to earn status and the respect of sisters like Cadsuane.


Egwene POV

After Rand left Tar Valon, the clouds returned, the staleness and rottenness grew, and food stores dwindled. Egwene knows it is due to the Land being one with the Dragon, although she still has a negative view of his state of mind, even after the strong demonstration that he currently radiates health vibes.

Saerin, Yukiri and Seaine are Egwene’s keen supporters, which is fortunate for her, since she is seen as not favouring the rebels.

The ways Mesaana could avoid swearing the Three Oaths on the Oath Rod (if it can’t be disabled for a short time, something that would be obvious in public anyway, since I doubt it could be inconspicuous) are:

• Use another, hidden, Oath Rod while using the Tower one.


• Disguise another non-Darkfriend woman as her and have her take her place.


• Disguise what people hear her say as swears (so long as no one can lip-read).

While Egwene thinks Mesaana may have used still yet another method, Sanderson says Mesaana did use one of those above – one of the latter two, most likely:

He told me that one of the three ways the Aes Sedai had surmised was correct. Considering it probably would have been mentioned if they found an Oath Rod among her things, that it probably was the weave the investigators had rediscovered.

Sanderson at Towers of Midnight booksigning

Egwene tells Seaine and Yukiri to keep investigating Mesaana’s role in the recent murders, yet Mesaana isn’t involved in them. I wonder what evidence they overlook in their efforts to prove that Mesaana was the culprit.

Saerin is sceptical that Mesaana led Dreadlords into battle in the Age of Legends, and she did stay behind the scenes for most of the battle in the White Tower in this book. Yet during the War of Power:

she held several field commands for the Shadow, showing herself to be an adequate general at best but as a governor of conquered territories she blossomed.

The World of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time

Mesaana is capable rather than skilled or powerful. She did the dirty or boring but necessary jobs, such as training new recruits, to make herself indispensable and advance. Mesaana is angry that she appears inadequate compared to the others.

Saerin says Mesaana sounds like an Amyrlin. I disagree; this is not what an Amyrlin does. It’s a heavy-handed “explanation” of why Mesaana is in the White Tower. She is there because it is a way to get the Dark One’s favour, and though she was running risks, she also had access to useful tools – both people and things. Yet she never seemed to dare make much use of *angreal. All the Forsaken except Moridin make their excuses for that. Sammael made a serious attempt at Ebou Dar and Moghedien did too to a degree.

Egwene realises Mesaana has remained in the White Tower to try and make up for her failure to break the Tower and kidnap Rand. She resolves to use herself as bait in a “subtle” trap for Mesaana.

Towers of Midnight Read-Through #21: Chapter 14 - A Vow

By Linda


WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT

In Tel’aran’rhiod the Land is green, but the sky is threatening. Both the Shadow and the Light of the Pattern is obvious here and the Light is holding up in the battle at the moment.

After Rand’s visit, the Aes Sedai found hidden food stores in good condition. This holding back of Wrongness by the three ta’veren is a continuing motif in Towers of Midnight.

Egwene returns full circle in Tel’aran’rhiod to where she first visited as a beginner. She is aware of how much she has learned since then thanks to her mentors the Wise Ones (and Siuan, as far as Aes Sedai law and politics are concerned), but feels she’ll have to learn as much again. Her judgment is pretty correct, I think. She is a novice Amyrlin even if she is better than some already.

Egwene wants to work on one problem at a time –but so many need attention. So which? And how to solve them ?

Bair says Sorilea won’t like it that Egwene is Amyrlin. This could be for the reason Bair says: that Sorilea thinks Egwene is wasted on the Aes Sedai. A more sinister reason would be that Sorilea doesn’t want Egwene reforming the Aes Sedai and focussing them on what they should be doing: contributing positively to the Last Battle; ie that Sorilea is a Darkfriend. There is no way to tell which is right.

Egwene says whether they are fools or no, she can’t abandon the Aes Sedai. After all, the Wise Ones did not abandon her, but took the trouble to train her. She thanks them for all they did for her and they complement her in turn. It doesn’t happen often that they give direct praise; just as Aes Sedai rarely give thanks.

"The Car'a'carn has embraced death," Amys said. "He has given up trying to be as strong as the stones, and has instead achieved the strength of the wind."

Towers of Midnight, For What Has Been Wrought

The metaphor of Rand having the strength of the wind recalls the image of the wind rising at the beginning of each book, representing the breath of life of the world, as well as a beginning. Rand is frequently likened to a tempest in the last two books, and his advent marks the end of one Age and the beginning of the next or, from another point of view, the beginning of the End, which it is his duty as the Creator’s champion to prevent.

Stones can be broken if hit hard enough or in the right spot; they are often hard but brittle. Amys regards air as superior to earth, as women channellers would do.

This is similar to what Cadsuane told Rand:

"Stone cracks from a hard enough blow," she said, her face an Aes Sedai mask of calm. "Steel shatters. The oak fights the wind and breaks. The willow bends where it must and survives."
"A willow won't win Tarmon Gai'don," he told her.

Knife of Dreams, News For the Dragon

This also reminds me of the song that has been popular throughout the book: “The Wind that Shakes the Willow”.

The Wise Ones think Rand has matured, but are grudging of this, in contrast to their fulsome praise of Egwene. They appear to have lingering doubts or objections about him. Perhaps he has not met all his toh.

Egwene has feet in both Aes Sedai and Wise One camps so she understands the best – and the worst – of both groups. Aes Sedai are better at channelling, Wise Ones at cooperation and leadership. Yet the Aes Sedai have forgotten much of the Age of Legends knowledge, so how well does Wise One cooperation and leadership compare to those of the previous Age? I guess we shall see in the last book, but there was much politicking in the Age of Legends by all accounts, as can be seen in the definition of ajah as:

“an informal and temporary group of people gathered together for a common purpose or goal, or by a common set of beliefs.”

The World of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time

and Mesaana complementing Aes Sedai manipulation with

“Watching her play her little games is certainly amusing. You children almost match the ajah at times.”

A Crown of Swords, Prologue

So perhaps better. After all, the Aiel were descended from a people that were dedicated to support, while the Aes Sedai concentrated on channelling.

Both groups are insular, and chauvinist (in the general as well as the specific meaning of the word).The Aiel seem arrogant as well as naïve here:

"I wish that there were a way," Egwene said, "to train more sisters in the ways of the Wise Ones."
"You could send them to us," Amys said. "Particularly if they need punishing. We wouldn't coddle them like the White Tower."

Towers of Midnight, A Vow

In fairness to the Wise Ones, Egwene’s treatment was exceptional as well as illegal. The typical Tower training is far milder and slower – which is why the Wise Ones are so disparaging.

The suggestion of cross-training or student exchange is finally raised, and it contrasts with Egwene’s original idea that all female channellers should be under one umbrella organisation. After this, the Kin’s situation is more likely to be acceptable and ratified. Egwene sees benefits in two different cultures working side by side with exchanges.

With some concord reached, Egwene revisits the subject of Rand. The Wise Ones are surprised he went to the Tower after the abuse he suffered when he was kidnapped. Egwene says his idea of breaking the seals is mad and tells them she will be marshalling opposition.

Egwene thinks her friends disloyal – Rand, Gawyn, Nynaeve most of all. Loyalty seemingly being defined as “doing what Egwene wants and not being allowed to explain their own opinions or actions”. There may be some excuse for Egwene to have this attitude to Nynaeve, since she is Nynaeve’s boss, but not for the other two.

A dragon’s fang has appeared in the White Tower rose window in Tel’aran’rhiod. (The rose window makes the White Tower church-like, since the term is usually reserved for churches.)

Did this window represent one of those, another world where Dragon and Amyrlin ruled Tar Valon side by side?

Towers of Midnight, For What Has Been Wrought

The window represents this world – which should have men and women working together. It did once, and is starting to again, so far without the White Tower’s participation. The Tower could be leading the way; instead those channellers in Rand’s group, Perrin’s group and soon even the Black Tower are the ones bringing channellers into balance. The dragon’s fang in the window represents what should and soon will be. The way the symbol has insinuated itself into the heart of the White Tower could be seen as a sly reminder of the existence of male channellers, and as a threat to female channeller exclusivity. It is a statement that Egwene and Rand should work together, not her marshal opposition to him, even if he has planned for it. Saidin and saidar are equal and opposite powers, but the Wheel only turns by them both working together.

Egwene puts Nynaeve on the defensive with news of the Seanchan raid on the Tower. But Nynaeve could do the same about what Rand has been through: where are the Tower Aes Sedai helping Rand?

Egwene says she is doing everything because she doesn’t trust the Aes Sedai to obey her orders. Nynaeve has experienced what Egwene is going through as a too young leader. Most of Nynaeve’s advice Egwene probably knows; she’s mainly having this conversation to get Nynaeve to see how she’s treating Egwene in the same way as she was when promoted too young. Nynaeve does come up with some new advice: don’t give Aes Sedai, especially Sitters, make-work, give good orders, and make sure the sisters are not bypassing her and create a fuss if they are. This leads to Egwene manipulating the Hall to vote on all Sitters of each Ajah to be present for votes, with no one left out, and the Amylin being informed of sittings so there is no going behind her back.

Egwene forces Nynaeve to recognise her authority and that Egwene feels she is disloyal. Nynaeve is not just reluctant to swear obedience to Egwene, but to any Amyrlin. Now Nynaeve knows how older women felt when she was elected Wisdom. One reason for Nynaeve’s reluctance is that Egwene and Elayne are Queens, while she is still “in waiting”.

Egwene is shocked that Elayne and Nynaeve accept that Rand should break the seals. She thinks they must be too influenced by him and need to be around her. In reality the reverse is closer to the truth: Egwene is so isolated from Rand that she has no idea of what the battle with the Shadow and the Dark One has been and will be like. Perhaps Egwene’s interpretation of her dream of Rand chopping the ropes holding a crystal sphere together (Towers of Midnight, The Amyrlin’s Anger) is what makes her convinced that breaking the seals is the wrong thing to do. Egwene is saying the same sort of thing that Latra Posae said back in the Age of Legends: it is too risky to open the Bore.

Nynaeve is told she must take the Three Oaths, otherwise she sets a bad example. Elayne’s vows may be delayed due to her pregnancy. The Sitters say Nynaeve needs to be tested in the ter’angreal, although Egwene thinks Nynaeve has enough experience to be exempted. (As it turns out, Egwene is right, but not in the way she argues here.) Egwene won’t go through the testing herself, having already taken the Oaths more than once.

The Black Ajah use only weaves in Tel’aran’rhiod, not direct thought and control. Egwene was doing this too.

She catches a glimpse of a bloodknife in Tel’aran’rhiod. The bloodknife is not literally there; one may have dreamed themself into the World of Dreams.

Why is it normal for Tel’aran’rhiod to be silent? Is this just a late Third Age condition reflecting the threat to the world? Or, more amusingly, is it a silent reflection of the lack of communication in the series?

At the end of the chapter Egwene tells Elayne and Nynaeve about the Black Ajah. Duhara’s name is not mentioned in Elayne’s thoughts after this, so maybe she was not mentioned in this discussion? That would be the usual turn of events.

As happens at times, there are a few fulfilments of the chapter title ‘A Vow’: Egwene’s silent determination to find Mesaana, Nynaeve’s promise to Egwene:

"I won't treat you the way women did me after I was first named Wisdom,"

Towers of Midnight, A Vow

and, more tenuously, the plan for Nynaeve, and ultimately Elayne, to take the Three Oaths.

Towers of Midnight Read-Through #20: Chapter 13 - For What Has been Wrought

By Linda


WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT

Min is attributing her loss of fitness or athletic prowess to too much studying, and that might be so, but she is more vulnerable than she admits. It’s also a reminder that her youthful vigour will not last, as it will for the channellers.

Rand, on the other hand, has aged from his experiences spiritually and mentally but it shows in his eyes and face. Initially, Min feared that Lews Therin had taken over. The warmth and distorted air around Rand implies some sort of halo effect as though Rand is now a demi-god. Rand, Sol Invictus and “soul of fire”, seems “afire with life” to Min.

She sees new viewings around Rand: an open cavern and blood-stained rocks which are probably a reference to the confrontation in Shayol Ghul. Also, two dead men surrounded by large number of Trollocs, and a pipe with smoke curling from it, which leads us to think that one of the dead men smokes a pipe (for analysis of this viewing see see here).

Min repeats Cadsuane’s idea that Alanna could be used against Rand by the Shadow, but he disagrees, saying:

"The Shadow does not need her to find me, Min, nor will it ever again. All its eyes are fixed directly upon me, and will be until I blind them."

Towers of Midnight, For What Has Been Wrought

So Rand intends to damage or disrupt the Shadow in some way. The blunt dagger ter’angreal with Elayne would hide Rand from the Shadow’s eyes. I have a theory that he may use it to go to Shayol Ghul.

Yet the Shadow could use Alanna to harm or distract Rand, though, eg by killing her. They could do that with a few other people close to Rand though. Rand says that the Shadow can’t kill him before the Last Battle. It is too late for the Shadow to prevent the confrontation of the Last Battle. It also may mean Rand’s confrontation with the Dark One will certainly happen (which we “know” from prophecies and clairvoyance anyway).

The Aiel are not excited Rand is back because he has toh to them for sneaking off in the first place and must both meet it and stop incurring more. We are not shown how Rand meets it, but by his steeling of himself, are left to imagine that it will not be pleasant.

Rand pre-empts Nynaeve’s abuse and tweaks the Aes Sedai’s tails about Cadsuane. This completely takes the wind out of their sails. By dealing openly and honestly with those he has treated badly, Rand’s own opinion of himself improves as does their opinion of him.

Min suggests Rand’s proclamation that Egwene reunified the White Tower is tactless. His positive response to this is such a contrast to how he would have reacted before his epiphany. Cadsuane’s Aes Sedai had not heard that the White Tower is reunified, but then it only happened a day or so earlier. This is confirmation that Cadsuane is not in close touch with the Tower and is running her own show.

Corele expected the White Tower would hold Rand. Rand deliberately stirred up the Tower because he expected opposition to his plans and that the Aes Sedai would be the focal point. Not just because of the Pattern last time, but because he has long experience in how Aes Sedai seem to never follow other leaders’ strategy. One of his main aims is to have the opposition unified so he only has to deal with it once.

“I've poured hot oil into the White Tower, and it will be boiling soon. Time. We don't have time! I will get help to Lan, I vow it to you, but right now I must prepare to face Egwene."

Towers of Midnight, For What Has Been Wrought

Rand has a plan on how to turn their objections and get the Aes Sedai to help close the Bore. He doesn’t know how to seal the Dark One away yet, but seems to be trusting that he will think of it in time – with Min’s help. Callandor is part of the solution. He delays helping Lan, and also in the next scene, dealing with the Black Tower for the usual “reason”: too much more pressing stuff to deal with.

Nynaeve assumes that if Egwene is annoyed with Rand it is because he did something wrong.

Rand learned from Cadsuane that he is not a weapon (but I don’t think this is the thing she will teach Rand and all the Asha’man). He doesn’t say what he is. I think Rand is more a shield as well as a representative of humanity or Everyman that will be sacrificed – a scapegoat in the most positive and literal sense. In the Bible, the scapegoat was a goat chosen to be outcast in the desert while symbolically carrying the sins of the entire people of Israel as part of the Day of Atonement when each Jew tried to amend their behavior and seek forgiveness for the wrongs they had done.

Rand intends to ask Cadsuane to find King Alsalam, who is probably in the Caralain Grass with his Aes Sedai escort. He worked this out after learning that the Tower holds another missing King, Mattin Stepaneos, and guessed that they had tried to bring Alsalam to the Tower but were stymied halfway by the chaos and war. The information on Mattin Stepaneos was probably in Verin’s letter to Rand (see Verin and her Letters article). Her letter probably also informed Rand that High Lord Weiramon was a Darkfriend (see article on Weiramon’s activities), since he said “so it is you” as though he had some prior information.

The Darkfriends were almost unable to look Rand in the face and it was obvious from their difficulty and their body language why:

Weiramon kept glancing at Rand, then looking away…
"Meet my eyes, Weiramon," Rand said softly.
"My Lord Dragon, surely I am not worthy to—"
"Do it."
Weiramon did so with an odd difficulty. He looked as if he was gritting his teeth, his eyes watering.
"So it is you," Rand said. Min could feel his disappointment. Rand looked to the side, to where Anaiyella stood last in line. The pretty woman had pulled away from Rand,
her head turned. "Both of you."
"My Lord—" Weiramon began.
"I want you to deliver a message for me," Rand said. "To the others of your…association. Tell them that they cannot hide among my allies any longer."
Weiramon tried to bluster, but Rand took a step closer. Weiramon's eyes opened wide, and Anaiyella cried out, shading her face.

Towers of Midnight, For What Has Been Wrought

It is as though they cannot bear his Light. Traditionally, the eyes are windows to the soul, so when Rand looks into their eyes he sees into their soul and its allegiance (and they his – the Creator’s Champion). Likewise, the Eye of the World, filled with saidin, was a window to the world soul. It was incomplete and unbalanced (one-eyed) since it held only one of the powers that drives creation, not both. A single eye, albeit also symbolic of the eye of Horus (which represents royal power and good health and was used as such by Rand). And we were told in Book 1 that blinding the Eye of the World was a plot of the Shadow.

Rand cast the Darkfriends out, rather than took them prisoner, because after being exposed they are useless as saboteurs or spies now. Neutralising an enemy without having to use a weapon is a way to earn much ji, which is why the Aiel banged spears on shields in approval. Everyone else is surprised – they expect the Darkfriends to be taken and executed.

Rand believes that Darkfriends can no longer hide among his allies – that he can expose them “because he is no longer blind”. This ties in with the Essanik Cycle prophecy that:

And at its center, the blind man shall stand
upon his own grave.
There he shall see again,
and weep for what has been wrought.

- from The Prophecies of the Dragon, Essanik Cycle. Malhavish's Official Translation, Imperial Record House of Seandar, Fourth Circle of Elevation

- The Gathering Storm, Epilogue

The chapter title refers to this prophecy and Rand did weep in this chapter for what he has done.

In order to expose Darkfriends Rand has to actually go and meet with each group to purify it and regrettably he has delayed going to, or planning how to deal with, the most Darkfriend-ridden group of all: the Black Tower. So he is still blind to a degree.

It seems to me from his statements about what the Shadow can and can’t do that Rand feels a certain amount of immunity to the Shadow now:

”The Shadow made its play for me and lost. It is a war, not subterfuge, that turns the day now."

Towers of Midnight, For What Has Been Wrought

Yet at the end of the book, Lanfear will make a play for Rand, so the Shadow are still trying subterfuge. It will be interesting to see if they succeed even for a short while.

It is meeting Tam that has Rand nervous and reluctant, even more than meeting his toh to the Aiel. This is another reparation that Rand must make and he is greatly ashamed that he has to do so. Tam forgives him for his threats to kill him and for what he has done to others – for what has been wrought by Rand. Rand weeps and all watch understandingly and respectfully.

Towers of Midnight Read-Through #19: Chapter 12 - An Empty Ink Bottle

By Linda


WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT

Min POV

The circular break in the clouds over Tear is because Min is there. The sun shining on Tear parallels the emotional warmth Min feels through the bond and both have the same cause: changes in Rand after his epiphany. This is the first indication that the sun breaks through the Shadow’s cloud barrier where Rand’s three loves are, as well as where Rand is, and food and the Land are healthier. The symbolism is of Rand as Sol Invictus, the Unconquerable Sun, turning the darkness of the Shadow aside. With more power – say having the other two ta’veren with him – he could break the Shadow’s hold altogether.

Rand has been gone for three days. He was “reborn” at his epiphany but this is probably not the parallel with Christ returning from the dead after three days. More correctly, it may be the first and perhaps least of these parallels. I anticipate the main one will be at the confrontation with the Dark One, but for all I know, Jordan may be following his triplicate rule, and there will be three of them. Rand is currently missing but not lost.

Nynaeve wants Min to lead her to Rand because she was concerned Rand was so dark, but Min insists on Rand’s need for privacy. Min knows he has changed outlook (but not personality) but hasn’t told her. Perhaps she thinks Nynaeve needs to see it herself. Or perhaps it is too private a thing to speak of. Or she is just reacting against Nynaeve’s peevishness and bullying.

Min excuses what Rand did at Natrin’s Barrow as “necessary”. Nynaeve still thinks it was monstrous. She fears what Rand had become:

“I knew Rand al'Thor, and the boy still inside him. The man he's become frightens me. I always told him he needed to grow up. And then . . . and then he did." She shivered visibly.

Towers of Midnight, An Empty Ink Bottle

The atrocities he was manipulated into committing are not a sign of adulthood, just as his previous ethics were not a sign of childhood. Rand will show her this in the next chapter.

Nynaeve was not going to answer Cadsuane’s summons on principle but was shown it was important. In contrast, she expected Min to do as she asked, but Min balked.


Cadsuane POV

Cadsuane prefers Corele’s flippancy to other Aes Sedai’s self-importance. Corele felt no channelling when Alanna vanished, but Bera felt a small amount. This is an indication that Bera is stronger in the One Power than Corele. Cadsuane was surprised that Bera fetched her tea because there were lower ranked Aes Sedai present (Rafela, Corele).

Nynaeve is not an Aes Sedai in Cadsuane’s eyes, or so Cadsuane maintains, yet she wonders if Nynaeve is Black, rather than a Darkfriend. (This could be an error.) Cadsuane cuts Nynaeve slack over her frustration that Rand is missing.

Cadsuane knows why two Maidens are tailing Min; namely, to let Wise Ones know when Rand returns, and maybe also what Min says about him. Min disregards them because she has bigger things on her mind.

We don’t know who delivered Verin’s letter to Alanna. Its contents made her go to the Borderlands, probably to her native Arafel. The small amount of Power used that Bera sensed could have been to weave a disguise: as a servant, for instance, someone an Aes Sedai could not imagine another disguised as. A servant would be overlooked and could walk out the rear entries of the Stone unnoticed.

Cadsuane reminds Nynaeve that the Shadow can torture or Compel information about Rand and his whereabouts out of Alanna, which makes Nynaeve regret that Alanna was not better watched. Cadsuane agrees privately with Nynaeve, but disputes with her publicly. Yet only the day before Cadsuane herself appears to have coerced information out of Alanna on Rand’s location.

The tea is perfect because Rand has returned. This ties in with Min’s POV above and with Rand’s healing effect in earlier scenes in Towers of Midnight.

Towers of Midnight Read-Through #18: Chapter 11 - An Unexpected Letter

By Linda


WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT

Elayne is in tantrum mode, peeved at not being allowed to have wine and to injunctions to rest, envying those who are slim, and being angry at her shaky hold on the throne and at Dyelin pressing her to make reasoned judgements (eg on Ellorien and on the captive nobles). Her slowness in releasing the nobles gave Ellorien the opportunity to plead for them, to earn their gratitude and look merciful in Andor’s eyes. Elayne will have to find a different solution to the captives now. She decides to take the Cairhien throne, accepting it as Rand’s gift.

Norry took the initiative to watch Duhara. After rejecting Duhara, and the administration she represents, Elayne over-looked her. Duhara met with Ellorien and may have collaborated with her on ways to show Elayne up, the first one being the letter. Duhara wanted Elayne to see her manipulating nobles to cause political problems so that Elayne would be intimidated into accepting her. Elayne knows Duhara won’t return to the Tower while Elayne is antagonised. The timing is in Elayne’s favour since Egwene has just taken the Tower. However, Egwene doesn’t know Duhara is there and therefore hasn’t told Elayne she is Black.

Elayne has held onto most of the mercenaries. She can’t afford to pay them, but may be providing some food to them. Whether she is or not, they have stayed because food is scarcer and more rotten in most other places. Mat assumed that if Norry knew the Band was camped outside Caemlyn, Elayne would too. He underestimates how much responsibility Elayne’s chief officials have.

Mat’s letter is over the top in its poor spelling compared to his previous letter in A Crown of Swords. Birgitte’s preference for a pretty backside rather than a pretty face on a man made me smile. Her comment that “Mat could dice with the Dark One and win” could be Foreshadowing.

Elayne immediately begins to think of how she can use Mat and his army before she has even set eyes on them. She plans to take the Cairhienin section of the Band to Cairhien with her. They will Travel there, once Elayne obtains the services of the Kin. Really, she assumes a lot here, because she seeing Mat’s letter as supplicatory. His justifiable attempts to make her feel in debt to him in his letter failed.

Elayne (and the reader!) is suffering an overload of emotions currently, but she must also be pragmatic for her nation’s sake:

Elayne loved him. But she didn't intend to see Andor become merely another part of the Dragon's empire. Besides, if Rand were to die at Shayol Ghul, who would rule that empire? It could break up, but she worried that someone—Darlin, perhaps—would be strong enough to hold it together. If so, Andor would stand alone between an aggressive Seanchan empire to the southwest, Rand's successor to the northwest and the southeast and the Borderlanders united together in the north and northeast.
She could not let that happen. The woman in her cringed to think of planning for
Rand's death, but the Queen could not be so squeamish.

Towers of Midnight, An Unexpected Letter

Note that Elayne plans her own alliances or political bloc, whereas Aviendha’s grandchild will play false with other nations, including Andor, and try to break alliances.

Elayne had two unexpected letters in this chapter and was insulted by both of them, although Mat’s also amused and pleased her.

Towers of Midnight Read-Through #17: Chapter 10 - After the Taint

By Linda


WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT

Perrin POV

Perrin is being pressured to attack the Whitecloaks by his Asha’man, but he is reluctant to do it, in part because he is repelled by battle, and in part because he feels they yet have a role to play in his life, a feeling of events turning full circle:

It felt like the time had come. Time to make an end to his troubles with them, one way or another.

Towers of Midnight, After the Taint

By checking over all his army, whether they need supervision or not, he is treating all sections of his forces equally. Another example of his egalitarianism is that he would rather they didn’t salute him.

The highest ranked Aes Sedai and Wise One worked with Neald to link. This may be a coincidence or not. Neald is the lowest rank of Asha’man and the Wise Ones boss him. He feels balanced when using both halves of the Source. The necessity of balance is a major theme of the series.

Neald does not actually weave saidar, he blends it with saidin. On the other hand, Rand did weave saidar at the cleansing of the taint. Masuri is frightened and revolted by linking with a male – long prejudice, plus she doesn’t know saidin is clean. Moreover Neald is leading the circle, which would add to the feeling of being at the mercy of something or someone. Edarra is more objective, but still cautious. The men haven’t told anyone that the taint is gone because they didn’t want to be thought delusional.

Grady says that he knew he should join the Black Tower because his father could channel and was found by Red sisters. Yet in Lord of Chaos he tried to back out of being tested for the ability and said that his father is looking after the farm. The latter could be a fabrication, but the former is inconsistent with his attitude in this chapter. What he says here is probably an error.

Like Rand, the Asha’man expected to die soon – accepted that they would need to be killed – and will take out as many of the enemy as they can until then.

Galad is superior to other Whitecloaks, which is why he doesn’t smell wrong. He is ultra-correct, but not infallible. His ultimatum to Perrin for a trial by battle with their armies or else he kills Perrin’s camp followers would be at a high cost – typical of Galad – and not one of his best judgements.


Galad POV

Freaked out by Perrin’s yellow eyes, Galad thinks Perrin might be Shadowspawn. He was aware the Aes Sedai could not harm him due to the oath and deduced Perrin did not have the ability or will to kill him with the One Power because he would have done it already. Galad thinks Perrin worries about his image, but actually it is his integrity. So he made the right deduction but used the wrong reason. Galad decided rapidly in favour of fighting because he thinks the Whitecloaks will have a better chance of winning now than at the Last Battle. His judgements are off due to his prejudices. The Trollocs, Morgase, and Perrin himself soon undo that.

Towers of Midnight Read-Through #16: Chapter 9 - Blood in the Air

By Linda


WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT

The gholam told Mat that he is its priority. This probably stems from Moridin’s order to the Forsaken in Knife of Dreams to kill Mat and Perrin ASAP. Of course, Moridin could be the direct commander of the gholam, but more likely it is one of the Forsaken working in Ebou Dar – Moghedien, Graendal, or Semirhage, although Semirhage had recently been balefired at this time. The gholam said it was instructed to kill those close to Mat to lure him out and perhaps it didn’t lie. This is a recent “order”, since it knew Mat loved Tuon. Mat deduces it learned this by spying on or interrogating people in the camp and not from its controller. That would mean the order was a general instruction to kill those close to Mat, and it filled in the blanks as to who those were. It may not have had recent contact with its controller (which makes it possible that its controller was Semirhage).

The foxhead medallion is more than a symbol of Mat’s luck since it literally prevented the gholam from killing him. Ironically it makes Mat immune from the One Power and protects him from someone also immune to the One Power. When pushed or hunted too far, Mat overcomes his risk aversion and stubbornly retaliates. For the gholam, Mat reached this point finally because of the threat to Tuon.

Mat fighting the gholam in the dark parallels Gawyn fighting the bloodknives in the dark. Both their assailants were very fast and very good at hiding and avoiding notice. Gawyn managed better against his three than Mat did against one. This is not meant to indicate their respective fighting skills, but that of their foes.

Teslyn is clever in quickly using indirect weaves on the gholam. It helped that she saw Mat’s medallion at work back in the menagerie.

The contrast between Joline and Teslyn shows how appearances mislead. Teslyn is physically unattractive, and used to being rejected, yet she is better hearted than most Aes Sedai (most women in the series?), as it turns out. Joline is pretty but spoiled, and is still as immature as Teslyn said back in A Crown of Swords. Mat used to set more store on how women look in his judgment of women. Joline is in a white dress here, but she is not likely to wear white since it is the mourning colour. She brings herself to ask Mat for horses, though it was an effort, and then couldn’t resist advising him not to swear, which spurs him to swear more than ever, especially to Elayne. His letter is so outrageous that Norry finally shows it to her and this leads to her finally granting Mat and co an audience. This is a nice example of the compounding of circumstances.

Ways and Means

By Linda


When I met Brandon in Sydney in April, I asked him if the continents connected in the northern polar region and he said “possibly” in a disinterested fashion. However when I asked if there were many Waygates in Seanchan he tensed and said that was a big RAFO.

The reason for these questions is that I have a theory that forces from Seanchan will be brought unexpectedly to the mainland via the Ways. Unlike Portal Stones and gateways, the Ways don’t require channelling (handy in a land that kills or leashes channellers), and any creature, even Shadowspawn, can be moved along them. If the army left at night, the dark of the Ways would not seem so unnatural.

The secondary part to the theory is: who would bring them? Demandred for one. As a brilliant general he has parallels with Hannibal (247-182 BC) (see here for the Age of Legends part of this parallel), who marched elephants across the Alps and so to war with the Roman Republic. One could compare the heights and depths of the paths and islands in the Ways with the steep passes of a mountain range. The Seanchan literally have elephants (s’redit) of course, but there are other formidable creatures – those from the If worlds – trained for war that could also be brought to terrify mainland forces. It certainly would cause chaos. The If world animals were able to eradicate all the Shadowspawn on the Seanchan continent (The World of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time) so they’d be a very useful addition to any army wanting to fight or defend itself the Shadowspawn attacking the Westlands, whatever side that army is on… Damane may well be part of this army. There were plenty of them left behind in Seanchan. From what we saw in Chapter 1 of Towers of Midnight, the Seanchan are geared for fighting. A Seanchan army with a very different agenda to that already on the mainland suddenly appearing on th mainland should add nicely to the war.

A Memory of Light Illustrations

By Linda


Darrell Sweet Sketch for A Memory of Light




Link toIrene Gallo's post on the sketch at TOR.com

Rand’s body lies on a bier on a pile of logs in a battlefield. There is possibly fire between the logs, but no smoke. Three women in mourning white circle it. Since they are three ‘witches,’ the scene has a Macbeth-like feel. TOR art director Irene Gallo says the women are Min, Aviendha and Elayne. The blondest woman – Elayne, presumably – is sleeveless, which is atypical of dress in The Wheel of Time – and she doesn’t appear to be pregnant, either. There are swords and arrows in the field, but no evidence that the battle included cannon.

The Aes Sedai symbol in cloud reminded me of the prophecy that “under this sign Rand will conquer” – what? Presumably the Shadow, but what about death too? Irene Gallo hints that the dots of contrasting shade are supposed to be there, when they have previously been missing since at least the Age of Legends as a symbol that the world is not in balance. Darrell Sweet’s son told me that they might have been removed in the final version. So perhaps it was not decided on.

The regularly terraced object in the left background may be a tall buildihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifng – though none yet have been described with this style – or a mountain. It glows red at the tip. The whitish mass partially covered by the cloud could be Tar Valon (and therefore the terraced pile would be Dragonmount).

The cover is more apocalyptic than the Whelan cover.


Michael Whelan A Memory of Light Cover




Link to TOR.com's post on the cover

The scene is a cave with limestone stalactites (specifically modelled on the Carlsbad caves). Yet Shayol Ghul is volcanic with an active magma chamber, steam and vapours and “stone teeth” (A Crown of Swords, Mindtrap), NOT stalactites, probably similar to these igneous formations:



Rand walks ahead with Callandor. Two women “who have been with him since the beginning”, according to Irene Gallo, follow him. One, in blue, is probably Moiraine, and other, in yellow and green, is probably Nynaeve (though Nynaeve hasn’t worn yellow, despite being of the Yellow Ajah, because it’s not one of Lan’s favourite colours on women). Rand’s coat has no pockets in this picture, whereas in the books his coats do, and they were big enough to cart around the access key figurine.

There is nice clear light outside – and it’s not very shadowy in the cave, either. This despite the sun being obscured by not only cloud, but the moon as well, it seems. If the drawing is accurate (and for the northern hemisphere), a total solar eclipse will happen in about ten to twenty seconds - and the darkness will last for 7.5 minutes at most.

Another Blog Update

By Linda


On the flight over to the US for JordanCon, I researched a second parallel that Rand and Artur Hawkwing have in common. This is to the Great Khans, Genghis and Kublai in particular, and I've added it to the Rand essay. (The first common parallel being King Arthur.)