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Her hands rested lightly on a smooth stone balustrade as white as her pristine gown with its hundreds of pleats。 There was a faint rhythmic clicking as she unconsciously drummed her ringers with their inch…long nails； the first two on each hand lacquered blue。
A slight breeze blew off of the Aryth Ocean； carrying more than a hint of salt in its coolness。 Two young women kneeling against the wall behind the High Lady held white…plumed fans ready if the breeze should fail。 Two more women and four young men pleted the line of crouching figures waiting to serve。 Barefoot； all eight wore sheer robes； to please the High Lady's aesthetic senses with the clean lines of their limbs and the grace of their motions。 At the moment Suroth truly did not see the servants； no more than one saw furniture。
She saw the six Deathwatch Guards at either end of the colonnade； though； stiff as statues with their black…tasseled spears and black…lacquered shields。 They symbolized her triumph； and her danger。 The Deathwatch Guard served only the Empress and her chosen representatives； and they would kill or die with equal fervor； whichever was necessary。 There was a saying： 〃On the heights； the paths are paved with daggers。〃
Her fingernails clicked on the stone balustrade。 How thin was the razor's edge she walked。
Vessels of the Atha'an Miere； the Sea Folk； filled the inner harbor behind the seawall； even the largest looking too narrow for their length。 Cut rigging made their yards and booms slant at crazy angles。 Their decks were empty； their crews ashore and under guard； as were any in these islands who had the skill to sail the open sea。 Great； bluff…bowed Seanchan ships by the score lay in the outer harbor； and anchored off the harbor mouth。 One； its ribbed sails bellied with wind； escorted a swarm of small fishing boats back toward the island port。 If the smaller craft scattered； some of them might escape； but the Seanchan ship carried a damane； and one demonstration of a damane's power had quelled any such thoughts。 The charred； shattered hulk of the Sea Folk ship still lay on a mudflat near the harbor mouth。
How long she would manage to keep Sea Folk elsewhere … and the accursed mainlanders … from learning that she held these islands； Suroth did not know。 It will be long enough； she told herself。 It must be long enough。
She had worked something of a miracle in rallying most of the Seanchan forces after the debacle the High Lord Turak had led them to。 All but a handful of the vessels that had escaped from Falme lay under her control； and no one questioned her right to mand the Hailene； the Forerunners。 If her miracle held； no one on the mainland suspected they were here。 Waiting to take back the lands the Empress had sent them to reclaim； waiting to achieve the Corenne； the Return。 Her agents already scouted the way。 There would be no need to return to the Court of the Nine Moons and apologize to the Empress for a failure not even hers。
The thought of having to apologize to the Empress sent a tremor through her。 Such an apology was always humiliating； and usually painful； but what made her shiver was the chance of being denied death at the end； of being forced to continue as if nothing had occurred while everyone； mon as well as the Blood； knew her degradation。 A handsome young serving man sprang to her side； bearing a pale green robe worked in brilliantly plumaged birds…of…delight。 She held her arms out for the garment and noticed him no more than a clod of dirt beside her velvet slipper。
To escape that apology； she must retake what had been lost a thousand years ago。 And to do that； she must deal with this man who； her mainland agents told her； claimed to be the Dragon Reborn。 If I cannot find a way to deal with him； the displeasure of the Empress will be the least of my worries。
Turning smoothly； she entered the long room fronting the terrace； its outer wall all doors and tall windows to catch the breezes。 The pale wood of the walls； smooth and glistening like satin； pleased Suroth； but she had removed the furnishings of the old owner； the former Atha'an Miere governor of Cantorin； and replaced them with a few tall screens； most painted with birds or flowers。 Two were different。 One showed a great spotted cat of the Sen T'jore； as large as a pony； the other a black mountain eagle； crest erect like a pale crown and snowy…tipped wings spread to their full seven feet。 Such screens were considered vulgar； but Suroth liked animals。 Unable to bring her menagerie with her across the Aryth Ocean； she had had the screens made to depict her two favorites。 She had never taken kindly to being balked in anything。
Three women awaited her as she had left them； two kneeling； one lying prostrate on the bare； polished floor； patterned in inlays of light and dark wood。 The kneeling women wore the dark blue dresses of sul'dam； red panels embroidered with forked silver lightning on the breast and on the sides of their skirts。 One of the two； Alwhin； a sharp…faced； blue…eyed woman with a perpetual glower； had the left side of her head shaved。 The rest of her hair hung to her shoulder in a light brown braid。
Suroth's mouth tightened momentarily at the sight of Alwhin。 No sul'dam had ever before been raised to the so'jhin； the hereditary upper servants of the Blood； much less to a Voice of the Blood。 Yet there had been reasons in Alwhin's case。 Alwhin knew too much。
Still； it was to the woman lying facedown； all in plain dark gray； that Suroth directed her attention。 A wide collar of silvery metal encircled the woman's neck； connected by a shining leash to a bracelet of the same material on the wrist of the second sul'dam； Taisa。 By means of leash and collar； the a'dam； Taisa could control the gray…clad woman。 And she had to be controlled。 She was damane； a woman who could channel； and thus too dangerous to be allowed to run loose。 Memories of the Armies of the Night were still strong in Seanchan a thousand years after their destruction。
Suroth's eyes flickered uneasily to the two sul'dam。 She no longer trusted any sul'dam； and yet she had no choice but to trust them。 No one else could control the damane； and without the damane。。。。 The very concept was unthinkable。 The power of Seanchan； the very power of the Crystal Throne； was built on controlled damane。 There were too many things about which Suroth had no choice to suit her。 Such as Alwhin； who watched as if she had been so'jhin all of her life。 No。 As if she were of the Blood itself； and knelt because she chose to。
〃Pura。〃 The damane had had another name when she was one of the hated Aes Sedai； before falling into Seanchan hands； but Suroth neither knew what it had been nor cared。 The gray…clad woman tensed； but did not raise her head； her training had been particularly harsh。 〃I will ask again； Pura。 How does the White Tower control this man who calls himself the Dragon Reborn？〃
The damane moved her head a fraction； enough to shoot a frightened look at Taisa。 If her answer was displeasing； the sul'dam could make her feel pain without raising a finger； by means of the a'dam。 〃The Tower would not try to control the false Dragon； High Lady；〃 Pura said breathily。 〃They would capture him； and