Rand gathers the High Lords in the Heart of the Stone and pulls a massive bait-and-switch. Instead of invading Illian, he sends them to Cairhien to feed the hungry. He then drives Callandor into the floor, turns it into a magical landmine, and announces he’s heading to the Aiel Waste.
Rand has gathered the entire Tairen nobility into the Heart of the Stone — even the ones who used to be forbidden from entering. If this were a George R.R. Martin novel, I’d prepare myself for mass murder. With Jordan at the helm? Expect something a lot more understated.
This is one of those rare chapters told from Moiraine’s point of view. Not that it gives us any insight into her mind that we didn’t already have. She can’t guess what Rand will do any better than the rest of the people in the room, but she still believes she’s the smartest one present. I felt like taking a shower after slogging through this installment just to wash away the conceit.
After keeping everyone waiting for a suitably long time, Rand marches into the room with an escort of veiled Aiel. It’s a handy way to say, “Shut the fuck up and listen” without having to utter a word. He begins by announcing that High Lord Sunamon will secure a treaty with Mayene, or forfeit his life. No pressure, dude! The treaty will secure transport for Tairen grain, which is going to come in handy for the second part of the plan.
The armies of Tear will march, Rand proclaims. Like a group of drunk football hooligans gearing up for a riot, the crowd grows bloodthirsty, excited to attack their rival nation, Illian. When Rand reveals that they will march instead to Cairhien to restore order and render humanitarian aid, you can almost hear the record scratch as the room is plunged into shocked silence. It makes a certain amount of sense, karmically. After all, Rand more or less single-handedly sparked the Cairhienan civil war.
Even as the crowd reels from this revelation, Rand announces he’ll be going away for a time. To be certain the children behave while he’s gone, he drives Callandor into the floor, making the entire structure shake. He vows to come back for it, and dares anyone who wishes to seize power to pull it out. With this, he marches out of the chamber.
When Moiraine falls in next to him, he settles her concerns about Callandor by telling her he left a booby trap, lest the Forsaken (or anyone else) try to take it. He also tells her that his next destination is Rhuidean, but he won’t say why. You see, Moiraine? Being tight-lipped and mysterious is a game that everyone can play at. How does it feel to be on the receiving end, for a change?