In the Land of the Madmen - Prologue
"As you summoned me, Father, so I am come."
"It is good to see you, my Daughter. How fare your lessons?"
"They are tedious, Father. Tedious."
"Tedious but necessary, my Daughter."
"If you say so, Father…"
"I see a question in your eyes."
"You always say that!"
"I do. I am six hundred and thirteen years old, and have, as a result, become somewhat set in my ways. Well?"
"Is it time, Father?"
"Time, my dear Daughter?"
"Time for me to go on a journey?"
"It is."
"A journey from which none will wake, unto the shores of Lethe."
"A journey from which you will most certainly wake, my Daughter. Do try to be less dramatic."
"I will try, Father. It was only a poem. A fragment of one of the Lost Verses."
"Indeed."
"But I don't want to go, Father! I want to stay here and protect you! The souvraniene, the Madmen, they will be coming down from the Blight to destroy the world, I sense it... if they try to harm you, I will steal their souls and drink them dry!"
"You are being dramatic again, my Daughter."
"But it was what I was made for, Father! Why won't you let me go north to the wars? I could fight alongside my Brother!"
"That is much akin to what he said, when he disobeyed me and left. Well, he serves a different Master now… or rather, Mistress. He is dead to me."
"Now who is being dramatic?"
"Touché!"
"Tou- what?"
"A word from a long dead tongue, my Daughter."
"Never mind that, Father! Let me at least do something useful with my existence!"
"Oh, but you will, my Daughter. Though not now. Later."
"When?"
"When this terrible Age is all but done, when the Dragon – praise his name! – is reborn."
"This whole thing stinks of prophecy."
"Most perceptive of you. But you always were the most perceptive of my children. Do you recall the Sister who came to visit you?"
"Deindre Sedai. She didn't wear shoes."
"She never does. The most accurate Foreteller in generations. She has seen you, many turns of the Great Wheel from now, has seen the part that you have to play…"
"I mistrust prophecy. But I trust my Father. What must I do?"
"Tell Jarn to pack your things. Tomorrow, Ledrin will fly us north to the ruins of M'jinn, in the remaining jumper."
"To what end? Archaeology?"
"Be not sarcastic, my Daughter."
"Sorry, Father! But it is a trait I inherited from you."
"I suppose. Our true course takes us south, far south. To Larcheen."
"The Southern Continent? Is it even still there?"
"We shall find out. Our destination is the Collam Aman."
"The Dragon College? How exciting!"
"Not exactly how I would put it..."
"Most think it a myth."
"It is real enough. Once, I called it home. And incidentally, it is where your Brothers were born and raised."
"I know. I wish that I could have met them… especially Tro."
"Oh, but you shall certainly meet him, if all goes according to plan."
"Don't you ever get tired of it, Father?"
"Tired of what, my Daughter?"
"Being inscrutable!"
"No. Not particularly. Now come. There is a place awaiting you in the College, and then you will sleep."
"I will sleep. But who will awaken me?"
"The Gholam will wake you."
"Is that supposed to be a joke?"
"If it were, I would be smiling."
"I suppose you would, at that. But… the Gholam?"
"Do not fear. I have instructed it to serve you and none other."
"I do not fear the Gholam, Father. I fear nothing. I just don't like it, that's all!"
"And yet, even the Gholam has a part to play. You will see."
"I will see. Honour to serve, Chaime Kufer Mors, Aes Sedai."
"Ah, now you know that you should not use my third name."
"I am well aware of that! But I will anyway. I shall do as I please."
"Then I thank you for the compliment, my Daughter."
"You're welcome, Father. So how will we get to the Collam Aman? It is too far for the jumper and there are no sho-wings left…"
"The ruins of M'jinn contain a Portal Stone."
"A what?"
"You will see. Say your goodbyes to the Da'shain and my Apprentices, you shall not see them, or the Black College, again."
"That is a shame. I shall particularly miss old Ledrin. But I will see my Brother?"
"And fight alongside him, as is your wish. Remember, my Daughter, the War never ends. Not really."