"If I am to help in your work," Egwene said, "then I need to be aware of the facts."
"You are not here to help, child," Doesine said. The slender Cairhienin Yellow's voice was firm. "Obviously, Meidani brought you to prove that we don't have her completely beneath our thumbs. Like a child throwing a tantrum."
"What of the others?" Seaine said. "We need to gather them and make certain that their orders are worded better. We wouldn't want one of them to go to the Amyrlin before we know where her loyalties lie."
Others? Egwene thought. Have they sworn all of the spies, then? It made sense. Discover one, and it would be easy to get the names of the others. "Have you found any actual members of the Black, then?" Egwene asked. "Who are they?"
"You are to remain quiet, child," Yukiri said, focusing green eyes on Egwene. "One more word, and I shall see you taking penance until you run out of tears to weep."
"I doubt you can order me to any more of it than I already have, Yukiri," Egwene said calmly. "Unless I am to be in the Mistress of Novices' study all day each day. Besides, if you sent me to her, what would I tell her? That you personally gave me penance? She'd know that I wasn't scheduled to see you today. That might start raising questions."
"We could just have Meidani order you to penance," said Seaine the White.
"She won't do such a thing," Egwene said. "She accepts my authority as Amyrlin."
The other sisters glanced at Meidani. Egwene held her breath. Meidani managed a nod, though she looked horrified to be defying the others. Egwene released a quiet breath of thanks.
Saerin looked surprised, but curious. Yukiri, still standing with her arms folded, was not so easily dissuaded. "That's meaningless. We'll just order her to send you to penance."
"Will you?" Egwene said. "I thought that you told me that the fourth oath was meant to restore unity, to keep her from fleeing to Elaida with your secrets. Now you would use that oath like a cudgel, forcing her to become your tool?"
That brought silence to the room.
"This is why an oath of obedience is a terrible idea," Egwene said. "No woman should have this much power over another. What you have done to these others is only one step shy of Compulsion. I'm still trying to decide if this abomination is in any way justified; the way you treat Meidani and the others will likely sway that decision."
"Must I repeat myself?" Yukiri snapped, turning to the others. "Why are we wasting time clucking with this girl like hens left to the range? We need to make a decision!"
"We're speaking with her because she seems determined to make herself a nuisance," Saerin said curtly, regarding Egwene. "Sit down, Yukiri. I will deal with the child."
Egwene met Saerin's eyes, heart thumping. Yukiri sniffed, then seated herself, finally seeming to remember that she was Aes Sedai as she calmed her expression. This group was under a great deal of pressure. If it became known what they were doing. . . .
Egwene kept her eyes on Saerin. She'd assumed that Yukiri was in charge of the group—she and Saerin were near in power, and many Browns were docile. But that had been a mistake; it was too easy to prejudge someone based on their Ajah.
Saerin leaned forward, speaking firmly. "Child, we must have your obedience. We cannot swear you to the Oath Rod, and I doubt you'd make an oath of obedience anyway. But you cannot continue this charade of being the Amyrlin Seat. We all know how often you take penance, and we all know what little good it is doing. So let me try something that I assume nobody else has tried with you: reason."
"You may speak your mind," Egwene said.
The Brown sniffed in response. "All right. For one thing, you can't be Amyrlin. With that forkroot, you can barely channel!"
"Is the Amyrlin Seat's authority, then, in her power to channel?" Egwene asked. "Is she nothing more than a bully, obeyed because she can force others to do as she demands?"
"Well, no," Saerin said.
"Then I don't see why my having been given forkroot has anything to do with my authority."
"You've been demoted to novice."
"Only Elaida is foolish enough to assume one can remove an Aes Sedai's rank." Egwene said. "She should never have been allowed to assume she had that power in the first place."
"If she didn't assume it," Saerin said, "then you would be dead, girl."
Egwene met Saerin's eyes again. "Sometimes, I feel it would be better to be dead than to see what Elaida has done to the women of this Tower."
That brought silence to the room.
"I must say," Seaine said quietly, "your claims are completely irrational. Elaida is the Amyrlin because she was raised properly by the Hall. Therefore, you can't be Amyrlin."
Egwene shook her head. "She was 'raised' after a shameful and unorthodox removal of Siuan Sanche from the seat. How can you call Elaida's position 'proper' in the face of that?" Something occurred to her, a gamble, but it felt right. "Tell me this. Have you interrogated any women who are currently Sitters? Have you found any Blacks among them?"