I know it’s crazy, but in rereading tEotW I started thinking about Thom’s character and some weird things around him.
First off, he knows who Fain is before they “first” met in the Two Rivers. This is very strange, why would Thom know Fain?
So, Fain travels a lot as does Thom, it shouldn't be too surprising that this wasn't the first time they ran into each other.
Second, Thom isn’t afraid of the Fade at Whitebridge like a normal person should be. This in itself is really weird because this is likely the first time Thom ever saw a Fade let alone fought one. Most people would be terrified but Thom is not. Yes Thom could just be crazy brave but it is still strange.
So how'd he get his limp? Also, even all the DFs we've seen have been afraid of Fades.
Third, Thom doesn’t discourage the boys from exploring Shadar Logoth. Thom, above all but Moraine and Lan, should know the stories of Shadar Logoth and its dangers. The question then is, why doesn’t he tell the boys about how dangerous it is?
I haven't read tEotW in awhile, but from what I remember the boys sneak off without anyone knowing they left.
Fourth, he is not afraid to kill people. Yes this likely means nothing but he kills the King of Cairhien, a known Darkfriend, just off the cuff. It doesn’t make Thom a Darkfriend to kill the King, however why did the King have Thom’s girlfriend killed besides the Game of Houses? Maybe the King knew Thom was a Darkfriend and wanted to slight Thom in order to make himself appear to be better in the eyes of the DO. Also, Thom kills the King without a second thought, and yes Thom was angry but never before or after has Thom done anything similar.
Can you name one person in WoT who is afraid to kill people? Also, the king wasn't a DF, you're thinking of Lord Barthanes. Third, the King killed Thom's girlfriend, makes for a pretty good motive to kill him. The Game of Houses is plenty of reason for a Cairheinian.
Fifth, we know nothing of Thom before he was a court bard. This is not evidence of him being a Darkfriend but it seems strange not to know more of him especially when he such a large secondary character.
Can you name anything about any of the characters from more than 20 years ago?
Sixth, Thom knows a lot about the DO and shadowspawn. Yes this knowledge could come from the stories but when considering if Thom is a Darkfriend I think this merits consideration as well.
DFs don't seem to know that much more about shadowspawn than anyone else.
Seventh, Thom and Rand have not seen each other since well before Rand’s epiphany and Rand gaining his "Darkfriend vision ability". Again, this proves nothing but you never know.
Most of this can be explained through simple reasoning and nothing here is solid proof he is a Darkfriend but it is something to think about none-the-less. Additionally there is much more solid evidence for him being good then bad (Occam's razor) that it is hard to consider this a real possibility.
Again, I know it is crazy, and I personally don't believe this myself, but I think Thom is someone we know very little about. I could see the DO wanting to put someone near Rand, so if all else failed, the DO could still win. So why couldn't it be Thom?
Because Thom is needed for Rand to win the Last Battle according to Min's first viewing of the group.
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
Thom Merrilin, Darkfriend?
13/02/2011 07:14:54 PM
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You're confusing the rich mysteriousness of WoT's beginnings for an actual mystery
13/02/2011 09:53:31 PM
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Re: You're confusing the rich mysteriousness of WoT's beginnings for an actual mystery
14/02/2011 12:43:36 AM
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That'd be a pretty big deception...
14/02/2011 03:02:27 AM
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Re: That'd be a pretty big deception...
14/02/2011 03:15:50 PM
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Galldrian was not a Darkfriend
14/02/2011 04:08:17 PM
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no
15/02/2011 01:41:01 PM
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not even reading. Should I? *NM*
19/02/2011 12:57:31 PM
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Depends. Are you the type who laughs at silliness or the type who bursts blood vessels? *NM*
19/02/2011 08:00:37 PM
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Ya know...
19/02/2011 09:30:41 PM
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Re: Ya know...
22/02/2011 11:58:19 PM
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