Moiraine sends Joiya and Amico away, complains about Rand’s inaction, and suggests following the Tanchico lead. Nynaeve angrily bucks responsibility. Elayne frets over falling in love with Rand. Egwene says she can have him.
Moiraine is in a tizzy because Rand is reading prophecies. What he should be doing, in her expert opinion, is attacking Illian to show Sammael who’s the boss. It’s like when you’re the new guy in prison and you beat a random inmate half to death so nobody messes with you.
MOIRAINE: You Two Rivers people seem to work at avoiding decisions that must be made.
Oh boy. You people? Careful, Moiraine, lest we start talking about “you Cairhienan people” with your endemic paranoia and blase attitude toward carnage. As if to demonstrate this, she casually mentions why Rand needed her.
MOIRAINE: Oh, he almost died is all.
Moiraine goes on to describe the bubbles of flatulence that beset Rand, Mat, and Perrin. Combine that with the Forsaken meddling with regional politics, and war is a certainty. Rand can only come out ahead if it happens on his terms. Yet there he is, sitting around reading.
Not knowing where else to turn for answers, Moiraine tells the women she is considering using a mysterious ter’angreal kept in a basement storeroom at the Stone of Tear. It is described as “a redstone doorframe, subtly twisted to the eye.” When a person steps through, they must ask three questions, and they are guaranteed a true answer to each one. But there are rules:
- A person may step through only once.
- You must ask three questions and hear the answers before you are permitted to leave.
- Frivolous questions are punished — although it is unclear who is the judge of this.
- Questions touching the Shadow have dire consequences.
Uh, Moiraine? This seems like a terrible idea. How are you going to talk about the Dragon Reborn without somehow referring to the Shadow?
This is not to say the rest of the women are behaving any more tolerably.
Nynaeve flirts with relapse every time her hand twitches toward that braid. The text never quite says tug or jerk, but we all know it’s happening. Nynaeve — you’re on notice. Don’t make me start counting again. But even if Nynaeve is all done with the braid tugging, she’s still in the nasty habit of pointing her finger in any direction but her own. She is incensed when Moiraine orders the guards to cart Joiya and Amico away. Nynaeve’s reaction? Why didn’t you help us, Moiraine? You didn’t give us enough time, Moiraine. Maybe take it down a notch, Nynaeve — this is a woman who zaps shit with balefire and asks questions later.
Elayne is barely more tolerable. She confesses to be madly in love with Rand. Thankfully, she saves me the trouble of ranting about how little sense this makes. They’ve barely spoken, and she’s in love? And yet, it is what it is, and she say that bitch Berelain coming out of his chambers. Scandalous!
Egwene comes to the rescue, saying that she loves Rand too — like a brother. You can practically see Elayne going through the same emotions as Han Solo at the end of Return of the Jedi. Egwene asks Moiraine if she has ever been in love, and Moiraine throws Nynaeve a bone by declaring that if she ever does choose a man, it won’t be Lan.
Moiraine suggests they follow the Tanchico lead, since freeing Mazrim Taim would be easier said than done, and hurries off to lower the temperature in some other room. All right, ladies. It’s time to make a decision. Your next move will be…?
NYNAEVE: No decisions tonight. Let’s drink some wine!