The tent fell silent. Flaps blew in the breeze.
"What are you saying, Rand al’Thor?" Egwene said, folding her arms. "That we are doomed?"
"I’m saying we need to plan", Rand said, "and present a unified attack. That we did poorly last time, and it nearly cost us the war. We each thought we knew the best way to go". He met Egwene’s eyes. "In those days, every man and woman considered themselves to be the leader on the field. An army of generals. That is why we nearly lost. That is what left us with the taint, the Breaking, the madness. I was as guilty of it as anyone. Perhaps the most guilty.
"I will not have that happen again. I will not save this world only to have it broken a second time! I will not die for the nations of humanity, only to have them turn upon one another the moment the last Trolloc falls. You’re planning it. Light burn me, I know that you are!"
It would have been easy to miss the glances that Gregorin and Darlin shot at one another, or the covetous way Roedran watched Elayne. Which nations would be broken by this conflict, and which would step in—out of altruism—to help its neighbors? How quickly would altruism become greed, the chance to hold another throne?
Many of the rulers here were decent people. It took more than a decent person to hold that much power and not look afield. Even Elayne had gobbled up another country when the opportunity presented itself. She would do so again. It was the nature of rulers, the nature of nations. In Elayne’s case, it even seemed appropriate, as Cairhien would be better off beneath her rule than it had been.
How many would assume the same? That they, of course, could rule better—or restore order—in another land?
"Nobody wants war", Egwene said, drawing the crowd’s attention. "However, I think what you are trying to do here is beyond your calling, Rand al’Thor. You cannot change human nature and you cannot bend the world to your whims. Let people live their lives and choose their own paths".
"I will not, Egwene", Rand said. There was a fire in his eyes, like the one she’d seen when he first sought to bring the Aiel to his cause. Yes, that emotion seemed very like Rand—frustration that people didn’t see the world as clearly as he thought he did.
"I don’t see what else you can do", Egwene said. "Would you appoint an emperor, someone to rule over us all? Would you become a true tyrant, Rand al’Thor?"
He didn’t snap back a retort. He held out his hand to the side, and one of his Asha’man slipped a rolled paper into it. Rand took it and placed it on the table. He used the Power to unroll it and to keep it flat.
The oversized document was filled with tight, cramped letters. "I call it the Dragon’s Peace", Rand said softly. "And it is one of the three things which I will require of you. Your payment, to me, in exchange for my life".
"Let me see that". Elayne reached for it, and Rand obviously let it go, because she was able to snatch it off the table before any of the other surprised rulers.
"It locks the borders of your nations to their current positions", Rand said, arms behind his back again. "It forbids country from attacking country, and it requires the opening of a great school in each capital—fully funded and with doors open to those who wish to learn".
"It does more than that", Elayne said, one finger to the document as she read. "Attack another land, or enter into a minor armed border dispute, and the other nations of the world have an obligation to defend the country attacked. Light! Tariff restrictions to prevent the strangling of economies, barriers on marriage between rulers of nations unless the two lines of rule are clearly divided, provisions for stripping the land from a lord who starts a conflict . . . Rand, you really expect us to sign this?"
"Yes".
The outrage from the rulers was immediate, though Egwene stood calmly, and shot a few glances at the other Aes Sedai. They seemed troubled. As well they should be—and this was only part of Rand’s "price".
The rulers muttered, each wanting a chance at the document, but not wanting to shoulder in and look over Elayne’s shoulder. Fortunately, Rand had thought ahead, and smaller versions of the document were distributed.
"But there are very good reasons for conflict, sometimes!" Darlin said, looking over his document. "Such as creating a buffer between you and an aggressive neighbor".
"Or what if some people from our country do be living across the border?" Gregorin added. "Do we not have the mandate to step in and protect them, if they do be oppressed? Or what if someone like the Seanchan do claim land that is ours? Forbidding war do seem ridiculous!"
"I agree", Darlin said. "Lord Dragon, we should have the mandate to defend land that is rightfully ours!"
"I", Egwene said, cutting through the arguments, "am more interested to hear his other two requirements".
"You know one of them", Rand said.
"The seals", Egwene said.
"Signing this document would mean nothing to the White Tower", Rand said, apparently ignoring the comment. "I cant very well forbid all of you to influence the others; that would be foolishness".
"Its already foolishness", Elayne said.
Elayne was not feeling so proud of him any longer, Egwene thought. "And as long as there are political games to be played", Rand continued to Egwene, "the Aes Sedai will master them. In fact, this document benefits you. The White Tower always has believed war to be, as they say, shortsighted. Instead, I demand something else of you. The seals".
"I am their Watcher".
"In name only. They were only just discovered, and I possess them. It is out of respect for your traditional title that I approached you about them first".
"Approached me? You didn’t make a request", she said. "You didn’t make a demand. You came, told me what you were going to do and walked away".
"I have the seals", he repeated. "And I will break them. I won’t allow anything, not even you, to come between me and protecting this world".
All around them arguments over the document continued, rulers muttering with their confidants and neighbors. Egwene stepped forward, facing Rand across the small table, the two of them ignored for the moment. "You won’t break them if I stop you, Rand".
"Why would you want to stop me, Egwene? Give me a single reason why it would be a bad idea".
"A single reason other than that it will let the Dark One loose on the world?"
"He was not loose during the War of Power", Rand said. "He could touch the world, but the Bore being opened will not loose him. Not immediately".
"And what was the cost of letting him touch the world? What are they now? Horrors, terrors, destruction. You know what is happening to the land. The dead walking, the strange twisting of the Pattern. This is what happens with the seals only weakened! What happens if we actually break them? The Light only knows".
"It is a risk that must be taken".
"I don’t agree. Rand, you don’t know what releasing his seals will do—you don t know if it might let him escape. You don’t know how close he was to getting out when the Bore was last secured. Shattering those seals could destroy the world itself! What if our only hope lies in the fact that he’s hindered this time, not completely free?"
"It won’t work, Egwene".
"You don’t know that. How can you?"
He hesitated. "Many things in life are uncertain".
"So you don’t know", she said. "Well, I have been looking, reading, listening. Have you read the works of those who have studied this, thought about it?"
"Aes Sedai speculation".
"The only information we have, Rand! Open the Dark One’s prison and all could be lost. We have to be more careful. This is what the Amyrlin Seat is for, this is part of why the White Tower was founded in the first place!" He actually hesitated. Light, he was thinking. Could she be getting through to him?
"I don’t like it, Egwene", Rand said softly. "If I go up against him and the seals are not broken, my only choice will be to create another imperfect solution. A patch, even worse than the one last time—because with the old, weakened seals there, I’ll just be spreading new plaster over deep cracks. Who knows how long the seals would last this time? In a few centuries, we could have this same fight all over again".
"Is that so bad?" Egwene said. "At least it’s sure. You sealed the Bore last time. You know how to do it".
"We could end up with the taint again".
"We’re ready for it, this time. No, it wouldn’t be ideal. But Rand . . . do we really want to risk this? Risk the fate of every living being? Why not take the simple path, the known path? Mend the seals again. Shore up the prison".
"No, Egwene". Rand backed away. "Light! Is this what it’s about? You want saidin to be tainted again. You Aes Sedai . . . you’re threatened by the idea of men who can channel, undermining your authority!"
"Rand al’Thor, don’t you dare be that level of a fool".
He met her eyes. The rulers seemed to be paying little attention to this conversation, despite the fact that the world depended on it. They pored over Rand’s document, muttering in outrage. Perhaps that was what he had intended, to distract them with the document, then pounce for the real fight.
Slowly, the rage melted from his face, and he raised his hand to the side of his head. "Light, Egwene. You can still do it, like the sister I never had—tie my mind in knots and have me raving at you and loving you at the same time".
"At least I’m consistent", she said. They were now speaking very softly, leaning across the table toward one another. To the side, Perrin and Nynaeve were probably close enough to hear, and Min had joined them. Gawyn had returned, but he kept his distance. Cadsuane rounded the room, looking in the other direction—too pointedly. She was listening in.
"I am not making this argument in some fool hope to restore the taint", Egwene said. "You know I’m better than that. This is about protecting humankind. I can’t believe you are willing to risk everything on a slender chance".
"A slender chance?" Rand said. "We’re talking about entering darkness instead of founding another Age of Legends. We could have peace, an end to suffering. Or we could have another Breaking. Light, Egwene. I don’t know for certain if I could mend the seals, or make new ones, in the same way. The Dark One has to be ready for that plan".
"And you have another one?"
"I’ve been telling it to you. I break the seals to get rid of the old, imperfect plug, and try again in a new way".
"The world itself is the cost of failure, Rand". She thought a moment. "There’s more here. What aren’t you telling me?"
Rand looked hesitant, and for a moment, he seemed the child she’d once caught sneaking bites of Mistress Cauthon’s pies with Mat. "I’m going to kill him, Egwene".