Chapter 29 Chapter 24

Someone shook Leno's arm, it was Sarennie, and the Aes Sedai was talking to her: "It's right there, in the Hall of Senior Advisors, under that dome." Sarennie withdrew her hand, deeply Taking a breath, he gripped the rein tightly, and murmured, "It's absurd, it seems like the closer we get to it, the worse it feels. But it's real." Shaluo tried to straighten up, the feeling of emptiness did not disappear, she forced herself to ignore it, but she still felt like a fruit without a seed. The place where they were was a huge circular square paved with white stone slabs. In the center of the square stood a large palace, a pure white circular building decorated with a hemispherical blue dome.Beneath the dome, the two highest floors of the palace are surrounded by massive columns carved into fluted surfaces.There is a white stone staircase leading to the second floor on both sides of the palace, and people keep going up and down along these two staircases.Directly in front of them, the arched bronze gate standing on the first floor of the palace was open.The white stone walls that flank the palace gates are carved with ornate headbands of several statues of women, each twice life-size.In the middle of the statue are sheaves of ears of corn, sheaves of cloth whose ends flutter in the wind, and piles of gold, silver, and iron, and sacks from which coins and precious stones flow.At the feet of those statues were carved many small figures, who were either driving a carriage, or working at the forge and loom.This palace should be a monument to the Famedin, declaring their success in business and trade, but in the eyes of Shaluo, it just represents the stupidity of these mainlanders.If you make other people think that you are making more money than them in trading, all you will get is growing jealousy; your trading partners will become obstinate and ask you countless ridiculous conditions; And you will likely have no choice but to accept these conditions.

She noticed that Harleenne was frowning at her, so she straightened her back on the horse's back. "Forgive me, Long Wave." The True Source is gone, but it will return.Of course it will be back!And Leo still has her own responsibilities.Although the feeling of emptiness remained, Sara felt ashamed of her fear.Oh light, the emptiness is unbearable! "I'm much better, I'll pay attention." Harleenne just nodded, but still frowned.Leno couldn't help feeling her scalp go numb.If Harleenne didn't reprimand you for your transgression, it was only because she planned to punish you more severely later.

Cadsuane led the party on horseback across the square and through the open door of the Councilor's Hall.Where they were now was a very tall room that looked like it might have been an indoor stable.Besides them, there were twelve bearers in blue coats, gathered beside the sedan chair adorned with golden swordsmen's badges.Some grooms in blue waistcoats were unloading horses from a carriage with swordsman badges, and two other grooms were leading the horses down a wide corridor that smelled of hay and horse manure. Pushing a heavy broom to clean the ground.All these people looked at them in surprise.

A middle-aged man with a smooth complexion and a chubby figure walked towards them quickly. While rubbing his hands, he kept nodding slightly to them.Others' long hair was simply tied back at the neck with a rope, but he wore a silver barrette, and his blue coat was also made of fine wool, with a embroidered pattern on the left breast. A big swordsman emblem. "Forgive me," he said, flashing a slick grin at Cadsuane, "I don't mean to offend you, but I believe you must be in the wrong place. This is the Hall of Mentors, and..." "Tell Chief Minister Basara that Cadsuane Melaiddin has come to see her." Cadsuane had jumped off her horse as she spoke.

The man's smile disappeared, and his eyes widened. "Kaisuan Melaidin? I thought you..." Casuan's stern gaze made him shut his mouth, and then he covered his mouth with his hands, coughed twice, and the respect returned to his face Youjia smiled: "Forgive me, Aes Sedai Cadsuane, may I lead you and your companions to the lounge? You will receive a warm and thoughtful reception there, and I will send your message as soon as possible." Report to the Chief Senior Advisor." When he took a closer look at the people behind Cadsuane, his eyes widened again.He could clearly recognize an Aes Sedai too, at least when a group of Aes Sedai got together, and he blinked at the sight of Leo and Harleenne.But this Lu Min's control ability is very strong, he didn't show any more surprised expressions.

"Son, I allow you to run as fast as you can to Ellis and tell her I'm coming." Cadsuane said as she took off her cloak and threw it on the saddle. "Tell her I'll wait for her under the dome, and I don't have much time. Come on, hurry up!" The Famedin's smile didn't disappear, but became a little pitiful.He only hesitated for a moment, then turned and ran away desperately, calling out to the grooms to lead the horses along the way. Cadsuane seemed to have forgotten about the man after he gave the order. "Verin, Coomera, you two follow me." She said quickly, "Meris, keep everyone together until I...Elana, come back, Elana!" Ella Reluctantly, Na turned her horse's head, returned from the gate, and dismounted sullenly, while Ivan, her slender guardian, watched her worriedly.Cadsuane sighed, as if her patience was running out. "Sit on Elana if necessary, Meris, and don't let her go anyway." She said, throwing the reins to a short, skinny groom. "I hope everyone is ready to leave after I finish talking with Ellis." Merris nodded, and Cadsuane turned to the groom again. "It just needs a little water," she petted. Patted his mount gently, "I didn't let it run too much today."

Shaluo was very happy that she could hand over the mount to a groom without giving any instructions.Even if the groom killed the guy, she didn't mind at all, she didn't know how long she rode dizzily.If she only relied on her feeling, she must have bumped from Cairhien to here on the saddle. No matter how many miles the road was, she felt that her body must have been as disheveled as her clothes.Suddenly, she realizes that Jia-ha's pretty face is gone.Vaelin's Warder, the grey-haired, stocky Thomas, was leading Jaha's spotted gray horse.Where did that young man go?Merris showed no concern for his absence.

"Chief Minister," Halini muttered angrily, and asked Mao De to help her off the horse. Her footsteps were as stiff as leno, but Mao De was still very light when he jumped off the horse. "That person is here Is someone important to you, Sarennie?" "You can call her the ruler of Famedin, and the other Famedin's councilors will call her the first of them." Sarennie gave the reins to the groom as she spoke.Her whole body was as tidy as ever.When the source of truth was just stolen by the ter'angular device, she might have felt a little uneasy, but now, she has regained her complete composure, like an ice sculpture, and the groom staggered when he saw her face. "The chief counselors used to be the courtiers of Queen Marido, but since Marido...disintegrated, most of the chief counselors believe that they are the natural successors of Marido's ruling power." Sara knew that she had great feelings for Lu Min. His knowledge of history was as poor as her knowledge of inland geography, but it was true that she had never heard of the country of Marido.However, the information provided by Sarenni is enough for Halini.If that chief counselor is the ruler here, the head of the Sodain tribe, Bo Tao, must meet her, even if it is only for the dignity of Harini.So she walked towards Cadsuane with still shambling steps.

"Oh, that's right," said the unbearable Aes Sedai before Harleenne opened her mouth, "you follow me too, and your sisters, you don't need your Master Swordsman, It's bad enough to let a man walk into this dome, maybe a man with a sword will make those senior officials uneasy. Is there a problem, Chief Bodao?" Harini closed her mouth hard, and Shaluo even felt as if she heard her The sound of teeth clashing. "Very well," Cadsuane murmured.Leo was on the point of moaning, and now her sister's temper could only get worse. They followed Cadsuane through a wide corridor paved with blue flagstones, the walls of which were decorated with brightly colored tapestries, and every corner of the place was illuminated by gilded standing lamps with reflective mirrors.The servants in blue uniforms would show surprise when they saw them, and then they would run away in a hurry after showing them the landman's etiquette.Cadsuane led them up a long, steep white staircase that hung unsupported in mid-air, only occasionally bumping into a pale gray wall.Casuan walked at the front of the line like a swan, and Shalo's calf was already aching to keep up with her.Harleenne had to trot to keep her position in the team, but she seemed to be wearing a wooden mask on her face, and she showed no signs of fatigue.Coomera didn't seem to be struggling because of this fast walking, but she also showed a hint of surprise.The chubby and short Vaelin had been following Cadsuane, turning his head and smiling at Harleenne and Sara from time to time.Sometimes, Leo felt that she hated Verin, but there was no malice or sarcasm in Verin's smile, all Leo saw was encouragement.

Cadsuane led them through the last spiral staircase surrounded by walls, to a circular high platform surrounded by gilded carved railings... Leno gasped in surprise.A blue dome over a hundred feet high completely covered this place, and under the dome, she could not see any supporting beams and columns.The landmen's architecture was as mysterious to her as their history and geography, and aside from Cairhien, she still knew almost nothing about the landmen.She knew how to draw the structural blueprints of Windshears and how to oversee the construction of such a boat, but she simply could not imagine how to build such a house.

At the end of the stairs they had just walked was a round arched door made of white stones. There were four such doors under the dome, and they each marked a staircase leading to here.There was no one else in the vault but them now, which seemed to please Cadsuane, but all the Aes Sedai did was give a slight nod. "Coomera, let Captain Botao and her sisters see Famedin's protection." Her voice echoed faintly under the huge dome, and then she pulled Verin farther away, and began to whisper, No one could hear what they were saying. "Forgive me," Kumera said to Haleni and Sara, although she deliberately lowered her voice, her voice was much louder in this space than outside, "Peace, even for Cadsuan In other words, this situation is quite tricky now." She stroked her short brown hair, then shook her head, letting her hair fall back into place. "The Mentors don't want to see the Aes Sedai, especially the sisters who were born here, and I think they want to pretend that the Power doesn't exist. Indeed, their history justifies it, In the last two thousand years, they also have the means to support this false appearance. But no matter when, Cadsuane is Cadsuane, and whenever she sees an inflated head, she will try to let the gas filling that head leak. Come out, even if that head still has a crown or a squire headband on it. It's been twenty years since she was last here, during the Aiel War, and I doubt those who remember it If the Farmatines knew she was back, they would probably hide under the bed immediately." Coomera let out a teasing chuckle, but Shaluo couldn't see what was funny about it.Harleenne pursed her lips, as if she felt some pain in her stomach. "Do you want to see that... barrier?" Coomera continued. "I think the name is very appropriate, but you can only see the appearance of it." She approached the gilded railing cautiously, Bending down and looking down, it was like she was terrified of falling from such a height, but her blue eyes had grown incredibly sharp. "I'd give anything to study it, but of course it's impossible, and no one knows what it's all about." Her voice was full of awe and regret. Leno was not afraid of heights, she walked up to the Aes Sedai, and leaned over the delicately carved balustrade to look down.Of course she wanted to see the thing that stole the source.After a while, Harleenne also came to them.To Leno's surprise, the height that made Coomera so disturbed was less than twenty feet, and the ground below was smooth, and the blue and white polished stone slabs were paved with a complex pattern that was constantly circling. In the center is a red oval with very sharp ends and a yellow border.Three women dressed in white sat at equal intervals on the edge of the rotunda below, clinging to the wall of the vault, and beside each woman in white was embedded a six-foot-diameter, seemingly It is a plate made of foggy crystal, and a completely transparent crystal runs across the middle of the plate, pointing to the center of the hall.These fog crystal dishes are surrounded by a metal ring, engraved with scale patterns of different sizes like a compass.But in the middle of the large scale, it seems that you can always see the smaller scale.Shaluo felt that some numbers could be vaguely seen on the metal ring closest to her, but she was not sure. That's all Sea Folk Seeker saw, nothing weird or scary.She thought she would see something huge and dark, constantly absorbing the light.She clung to the railing so she wouldn't fall, and tensed her knees to keep her legs from buckling.Anyway, it was this thing down there that stole the light. A rustle of soft shoes on the ground indicated that another procession was coming up the dais through the archway through which they had just passed.They were a dozen or so smiling women with their hair coiled on top of their heads. Their long skirts were covered with a soft blue silk gown, on which various gorgeous patterns were embroidered with gold threads. The hem of the gown dragged all the way to the ground.These people obviously know how to mark the grade.They all wore a thick gold necklace with a gold-rimmed oval of red enamel at the end, and a similar gold-rimmed red enamel on their narrow gold headbands.One of them, though, wore rubies instead of enamel, and sapphires and moonstones covered her gold headband almost entirely, and she had a heavy gold signet ring on her right finger.She has a tall and dignified appearance, her black hair is tied into a huge ball-shaped bun, and her temples are as white as snow, but there are still no wrinkles on her face.The body and appearance of the others are all different, but they are all old, and their expressions reveal the majesty of a high-ranking person, and the person wearing the ruby ​​is far more dazzling than her gem among them.Her big black eyes are full of sympathy and wisdom, and what she releases is not only majesty, but also a sense of oppression that cannot be resisted.No need to remind, Leo also knew that this was the chief senior officer of Famaidin. "I'm Ellis Basara, chief minister of Famedin." Her voice was thick and sweet, and that tone seemed to be making an announcement that was expecting cheers. Her voice echoed in the dome, as if there was something Many are responding to her announcement. "Famadin welcomes Halini Din Togala Two Winds, Captain of the Waves of the Sodain Tribe, and Ambassador to the Captains of Azan Miyar. May the Light shine upon you and make you prosperous, Famadin The people of Madin are very happy because of your arrival. I will use this to deepen my understanding of Yasan Miyar. But the long journey must have made you feel tired. I have arranged a comfortable stay for you in my palace After you have rested and dined, we can talk again, for our mutual benefit, and for the wishes of the light." The others spread the hem of their robes and bowed slightly to Harini. Harleenne nodded slightly, with a satisfied smile on her face.Finally, some people here know how to pay her due respect, and these people are not surprised by her and Shaluo's jewelry, which must have pleased Haimin Boss. "It seems that the speed of the message from the outpost is still as fast as before, Ellis," Cadsuane said. "I am not welcome here?" Ellis' smile instantly became a little forced.The smiles of some senior ministers disappeared, and the upturned corners of the mouths of others were also very stiff. There was also a very beautiful senior minister whose expression could be said to have turned into a scowling expression.Cadsuane stood between them and Harleenne by this time. "We thank you for bringing Master Waves here, Aes Sedai Cadsuane." There was no thank you in the Chief Mentor's voice.She straightened up and looked straight ahead, past Cadsuane. "Trust we'll find some way to say our thanks to you when you're gone." The meaning of the chief senior officer was very clear, and he almost ordered Casuan to leave.But the Aes Sedai just smiled at the taller woman across the way, and there was no displeasure in her smile, but no pleasure either. "I'm afraid I won't be able to leave for the time being, Elles, thank you for providing us with a place to stay. The palace on the high ground can be said to be the best hotel in the world." The chief minister opened his eyes in surprise, and seemed to be down again. He narrowed his eyes decisively. "Cathsuane must stay with me," Harleenne said.She tried her best to make her voice calm and soothing. Just as Eles was about to speak, she interrupted again: "Where she is not welcome, I will not be welcome either." Follow Cadsuane's terms.Before seeing Cramer, they must follow Cadsuane's instructions to go to any place, and let Cadsuane accept all invitations they receive with them.This last clause might seem trivial compared to the rest of the contract, but Cadsuane clearly knew how she would be treated among Lumin. "Don't be depressed, Ellis." Cadsuane leaned over to the chief senior with a trusting expression.She spoke quite loudly, echoing so that everyone in the dome could hear her every word clearly. "I believe you have no bad habits that need me to correct." The face of the chief senior minister immediately turned red, and behind her, more than one senior minister frowned, and the way some senior ministers looked at her completely changed.How did they gain power, and how did they lose it?Except for Ailes, there are a total of twelve senior ministers here.This is obviously a coincidence.Only the twelve most important pilots in a tribe have the power to elect the chief of the waves, and the chief of the waves is often one of them.The captains were selected by the twelve most authoritative captains of the waves, and it was for this reason that Harini accepted the strange prophecy of the girl, because she was one of the twelve poems of Asan Miyar.In fact, two Aes Sedai had told her that the girl's prophecies always came true.Both the wave captain and the captains can be deposed. Of course, the reasons for dethronement must be very strong, such as serious dereliction of duty or loss of commanding wisdom, and the dethronement proposal must be jointly proposed by the Twelve Poems.Civil politics seem to be different, and often overly complicated.Now, Ellis's eyes were fixed on Cadsuane, full of hatred, and like a shot prey, maybe she could feel a dozen other pairs of eyes on her back. Review her again.Why would Cadsuane get involved in the political vortex here?Why take such a reckless approach again? "There is a man channeling," Vaelin said suddenly.She was standing ten steps away, looking down at the railing, her voice quickly spread throughout the dome, "Do you often have men guiding here recently, Chief Senior?" Leno also looked down and blinked involuntarily.The originally clear crystal strips in the three foggy crystal plates had now turned black, and they no longer pointed toward the center of the hall, but roughly in the same direction.A woman in white below stood up and lowered her head to carefully check the metal ring scale designated by the crystal. The other two women had already run towards a domed gate.Leno understood immediately that triangulation was a simple piece of knowledge for any wind patroller.There is a map behind the gate, and the location of the guiding man is quickly marked on the map. "If it's channeled by a woman, the crystal will turn red instead of black." Coomera whispered.She still kept a certain distance from the railing, but she also held the railing with both hands, looking down at the scene below. "It warns, it locates, it defends. What else does it do? The women who made it must have wanted something more. Maybe they have something else, maybe it has an extremely dangerous use .” There was no fear in her voice, but rather excitement. "I think it should be a martyr," Ellis said calmly, looking away from Cadsuane. "They won't bother us. As long as they obey our laws, they can also enter the law." Mai Ding." No matter how calm she was, someone behind her started whispering like the deck girl who met Lu Min for the first time. "Forgive me, Aes Sedai, you are welcome at Famadin, but I'm afraid I don't know your name yet." Vaelin was still looking down the hall.Leno glanced over the railing again.Those three black crystals... changed, she couldn't help blinking again.The black crystals that were originally pointing to the north suddenly regained their clarity and pointed to the center of the hall again. They didn't turn back, they just changed from one state to another suddenly. "You may call me Edwina," Vaelin said.Shaluo hurriedly suppressed her surprised expression, while Kumera didn't even blink her eyes. "Chief Minister, do you recall a piece of history?" Verin continued with his head lowered, "Güell Amarasan's siege of Famedin lasted only three weeks, followed by a terrifying Catastrophe." "I don't think they want to hear about this history," Cadsuane snapped.More than one of those senior ministers showed a disturbed expression.By the light, who is that Güell Amarasan?Sara seems to have heard of this name.Apparently, he was a landman conqueror. Ellis glanced at Cadsuane, and pressed her lips hard: "Historical records show that Güell Amarasan is an outstanding commander, perhaps second only to Artur Eaglewing. Aes Sedai Edwin Na, why do you think of him?" In Shaluo's impression, the Aes Sedai who followed Cadsuane would always bow to her and obey her orders.But Verin didn't seem to hear Cadsuane's warning at all, and her eyes never left the hall below: "I just thought that he couldn't use the Supreme Power, but he still captured Famedin, just like pressing Rotten a ripe plum." The chubby little Aes Sedai paused, as if thinking of something. "You all know that in Illian, Tyr, Andor, and Cairhien there is an army of Dragon Reborn, not to mention thousands of Aiel loyal to him, fierce Aiel. I think It is strange why you are so indifferent to the reconnaissance of the Martyr." "You're going to scare them," Cadsuane said sternly again. Vaelin turned away from the gilded rail at last, her eyes wide open like a chubby, frightened bird, her fat hands flapping like wings. "I, I don't mean to... oh no, I believe that if Dragon Reborn was going to do it against you, he would have already taken action. No, I suspect the Seanchan... have you heard of them? From Atla and the messages from farther west are truly dire, and they seem capable of destroying anything that stands in their way. I suspect that dealing with them is more important in Dragon Reborn's plans than conquering Famadin. Of course, if you do It's different for certain things that would irritate him, such as deliberately embarrassing his followers. But I believe that you are wise enough not to do such stupid things." The Aes Sedai seemed very candid, and At this time, the senior ministers were already commotioning, as if they saw the minnows causing ripples on the water. Cadsuane sighed, her patience was obviously exhausted: "Edwina, if you want to discuss about the Dragon Reborn, please allow me to leave first. I just want to wash my face and have a cup of hot tea now .” The Chief Mentor immediately shivered, as if she had forgotten Cadsuane's existence. "Yes, yes, of course, Camille, Naves, can you accompany Captain Wave and Aes Sedai Cadsuane to...to my palace, and entertain them to rest?" This brief hesitation was probably because she did not want to rest. The only expression of hope that Cadsuane will live in his palace. "I would like to have a further conversation with Aes Sedai Edwina, if she is willing." After finishing speaking, Ellis led the other senior ministers towards the stairs leaving the dome, when Verin was surrounded by them Suddenly, there was an expression of vigilance and hesitation.Leo believes that her expression now must be the same as the frankness just now, it's just a fake.Now she understood why Jia Ha had disappeared, but she still didn't know why the Aes Sedai did it. One of the two senior ministers who accepted Elles' order was the beautiful woman who glared at Cadsuane just now, and the other was a slender gray-haired woman.They spread out their robes again, bowed slightly, and asked Halini if ​​she would follow them to the highlands, and described in very flowery terms how honored they were to be with Captain Waves.Harleenne just had a gloomy face.They could sprinkle rosebuds all they wanted on the ground beneath her feet, but what mattered was that the Chief Mentor left, leaving Halini to her subordinates.Shaluo began to consider whether there was a way to temporarily hide from her sisters until Ha Linni's temper cooled down. Cadsuane didn't look at Verin who followed Eles, but when they left through another archway, the corners of her mouth slightly turned up, and then she suddenly said: "Camiri and Navis, all of you Are the names Camille Purvi and Naves Maslin? I've heard of you." The attention of the two senior ministers immediately shifted from Harini to Cadsuan. "There are some rules that any senior minister should abide by." Cadsuane still maintained a strong tone, stretched out both hands to pinch one of their sleeves and led them towards the stairs.The two senior ministers did not resist, but exchanged a worried look.Harleenne had obviously been forgotten by them.Cadsuane stopped at the arch leading to the stairs and looked back, but it wasn't Halini or Sara she was looking for. "Coomera? Coomera!" The other Aes Sedai under the dome shuddered, and looked over the railing with some reluctance before turning around and chasing after Cadsuane.Haleni and Shaluo had no choice but to quickly follow behind them. They didn't even know how to get out of here.Cadsuane, who led the two senior ministers, hurried down the winding stairs, and whispered something to the senior ministers.Coomera stood between the three of them and the two sea folk, so Lelo couldn't hear what Cadsuane was saying.Both Camille and Navez tried to speak, but Cadsuane didn't give them a chance.The Aes Sedai put on a serious expression, and the two lords looked at each other with increasing concern.In the light of the day, what on earth is Cadsuane going to do? "Does this place make you uncomfortable?" Harleenne asked suddenly. "I feel like I lost my eyes." After saying this, Shaluo couldn't help shivering, "I'm very scared, the waves are long, and the light is above, I can control my fear." Light, she really Wishing she could, because she had no choice. Halini nodded, frowning at those walking ahead. "I don't know if Eles' palace has enough tubs for the two of us to take a bath together. They probably don't know what mead is, but we can always find something suitable." She glanced at Sara, clumsily Touching the sister's hand gently: "I have been afraid of the dark since I was a child, and you never left me when I was afraid. I will not leave you either, Shaluo." Leno staggered and almost fell to the ground.Since Halini was appointed as the pilot, she has never called Sara by name in public, and she would not speak to Sara in such an intimate tone earlier. "Thank you," Shaluo said, and then she tried to say the name of the leader of the wave, "Halini." Her sister patted her hand again and smiled at her.Halini was not good at smiling, but this clumsy expression still made Sara feel warm, but when her eyes turned to those people in front, there was no warmth at all. "Maybe I can make a good contract with Famedin. Cadsuane has already made them crazy. Leo, you have to find out which painful foot Cadsuane has caught. I really want to frustrate now." Damn that Elles' spirit, hmph, she walked away from me without saying a word! But we can't let Cadsuane cause any trouble for Kramer. You have to find out, Shaluo." "I think Cadsuane will cause trouble for everyone who can still breathe," Sara sighed. "I will try to do it, Harleenne, I will do my best." "You will, sister, you do it all the time, I know." Sara sighed again.Her sisters did warm her, but it was too early to test that warmth.Maybe she still has to confess to her crimes, but she can't afford to lose her marriage and status at the same time.For the first time since Verin had told her bluntly that Cadsuane would keep her secret, Sara was now considering voluntary confession.