“His name was Gaebril,” Sulin said. “I was there. Lightning struck from an open sky, and there was no doubt it was the One Power. It was one of the Shadowsouled.”

“There were some in Andor who claimed the Car’a’carn spoke of this,” Edarra added. “He said that this Gaebril had been using forbidden weaves on wetlanders in the palace, twisting their minds, making them think and do as he wished.”

“Maighdin, what’s wrong?” Perrin asked. “Light, woman, he’s dead now! You needn’t fear.”

“I must be excused,” Maighdin said. She walked from the pavilion, leaving the tray and broken porcelain, bone white, scattered on the ground.

“I will see to her later,” Faile said, embarrassed. “She is distraught to find that she’d lived so close to one of the Forsaken. Perhaps she has family in Caemlyn.”

The others nodded, and other servants moved forward to clean up the mess. Perrin realized he wasn’t going to be getting any more tea. Fool man, he thought. You lived most your life without being able to order tea on command. You won’t die now that you can’t get a refill by waving your hand.

“Let’s move on,” he said, settling on his cushions. He could never quite get comfortable on the blasted things.

“My report is finished,” Seonid said, pointedly ignoring the servant who was cleaning up porcelain shards in front of her.

“I stand by my earlier decision,” Perrin said. “Dealing with the Whitecloaks is important. After that we’ll go to Andor, and I’ll talk to Elayne. Grady, how are you managing?”

The weathered Asha’man looked up from where he sat in his black coat. “I’m fully recovered from my sickness, my Lord, and Neald almost is as well.”

“You still look tired,” Perrin said.

“I am,” Grady said, “but burn me, I’m better than I was many a day in the field before I went to the Black Tower.”

“It’s time to start sending some of these refugees where they belong,” Perrin said. “With those circles, you can keep a gateway open longer?”

“I’m not right sure. Being in a circle is still tiring. Maybe more so. But I can make much larger gateways with the help of the women, wide enough to drive two wagons through.”

“Good. We’ll start by sending the ordinary folk home. Each person we see back where they belong will be a stone off my back.”

“And if they don’t want to go?” Tam asked. “A lot of them have started the training, Perrin. They know what’s coming, and they’d rather face it here—with you—than cower in their homes.”

Light! Were there no people in this camp who wanted to go back to their families? “Surely there are some of them who want to go back.”

“Some,” Tam said.

“Remember,” Faile said, “the weak and the aged were sent away by the Aiel.”

Arganda nodded. “I’ve looked in on these troops. More and more of the gai’shain are coming out of their stupor, and when they do, they’re hard. Hard as many soldiers I’ve known.”