Back to Card
Catalog Back to Literature Back to Stories |
The final showdownThe
cacophonous
admonitions of her
Sisters to take
things slowly, that
she acquire some
rest after her
harrowing ordeal,
washed through her
like water through a
sieve. She was not a
weak bird to be
trussed up in a
carpet and shipped
off to goodness
knows where. She was
going to show that
despicable,
damnable... Yavanne
first would like
just to send her
panther after
Zarlash and see her
dying. But she was
now too smart for
that...but there had
to be weak point in
Zarlash defence. Her
friend recognized
Zarlash voice, but
it was nothing, and
she remebered that
he mentioned two
women talking with
him...it had to be
Niwenay. Yavanne
walked to her room,
when a Novice
informed her that a
man is waiting for
her. It was Veldrin.
He had something
very interesting.
She quickly took the
gift from him and
rushed to Niwenay
room. She was
readying herself to
leave, but Yavane
was faster: - You
are goin somewhere
sister...I think you
have forgotten your
family's ring. Dallah
barely heard Idinya
and Laurya's demands
for Zarlash to give
a straight answer.
She lashed out,
pushing back the
drug-induced vertigo
by pure will alone,
"I won't ask
you to give a
straight answer, you
lowest piece of
scum! I don't even
want you to hold the
oath rod about this.
As far as I'm
concerned, you're
the filthiest cur in
the street for
committing this
travesty. And don't
pretend to be
civilised by
demanding evidence!
I just know in my
bones that you are
guilty, you stinking
fish carcass! I
think the best thing
you can do now is to
strip yourself of
your shawl and throw
yourself into the
Alinrendrelle and
even then, the fish
won't have
you!" There
were reasons Daelin
had suddenly
disappeared all
those years ago, and
thins was one of
them. She was no
Blue; politics and
scheming had no
place in her life.
Inside she broiled.
How much could have
already been
accomplished if
these petty
arguements were
resolved! Yavanne entered Dallah's room almost draging Niwenay there. Meeting the surprised look of her former Mentor she said: "I think demonstration of Power won't be necessary, I got something big against Zarlash - she turned her head to Niwenay - now tell Dallah what you were up to, or we will talk in other way". Niwenay, tried to swallow her tears and not break, told everything to her Ajah Head. When she finished, she couldn't stop crying. Dallah looked at her and said: "You will be dealt later, now it's time to deal with Zarlash - Yavanne interupted her - I hope it will be long and painful way" Idenya ignored Niwenay's assertation about proof, and returned to the original question by speaking directly to Zarlash: "Laurya told you to answer straight if you ordered Dallah's abduction. You said only that you did not order her to be harmed, and that you didn't order her to disappear from Tar Valon! You never denied ordering Dallah's abduction!" Idenya was getting frustrated, and turned to go take a seat. This would get resolved, one way or the other; the other Sisters were closing in on Zarlash and her party now. As for herself, Idenya was still horrified about how easily the Eyes and Ears network had been corrupted, endangering the Red Ajah Head and Light knows who else! She could imagine having to rebuild the Network from the ground up, and decided that the job would have to go to someone else this time. Shaking the thoughts for now, she turned her attention back to the Sisters in the room. "There
can be no straight
answer to this
question. 'Did she
order?' No, she
commanded. 'Did she
command?' No, she
insisted. We cannot
cover every synonym
to make sure she
answers right. I
would submit for the
record that my eyes
and ears saw someone
of her description
at the scene of the
abduction, and would
like to hear her
explanation for why
she was there." Delhanha stood against the far wall as Dallah and her companions confronted Zarlash. Delhanha had managed to keep her nose out of this whole affair without taking a public stand for either the Ajah Head or the Sitter. She had received a message from another sister and had actually been outside of Tar Valon for most of it, but she could easily guess what had transpired. She suspected that Zarlash had, in fact, been involved with Dallah's abduction, and that things did not bode well for the venerable sitter. There was still division in the Red Ajah, but changes were on the horizon. Changes that Delhanha feared could lead to disaster. Something had to be done before it was too late. |