A beer, maybe; I am not such a spendthrift as to make a large wager on something so highly speculative.


I never denied she has a great role; in a very real sense, the role I envision for her is greater than Rands, because if HE made the mistake of refusing to delegate or lacking the trust/confidence in others to rely on them, it would be a disaster. Fortunately, Rand is manifestly and increasingly better about delegating. Contrast Rand sending Narishma to retrieve Callandor with Egwene jumping into replace Bode at the last minute (without even deigning to tell anyone.) As for "myriad" foreshadowings she will be asked to kill Rand, there are at least as many foreshadowings of her being turned to the Shadow. Indeed, the only foreshadowing of her being asked to kill Rand (though feel free to refresh my memory of others) is one such, since HE asks it of her in the context of his being turned if captured. My belief remains that episode is more to drive home the general risk that holds for channelers than to foreshadow Egwene killing Rand (though bringing an army to confront him is making a good start toward the latter.)

Fresh from threads that forced me to remind people I was among Tebows harshest critics before embracing him, I must now remind others I was among Egwenes defenders right up until ToM, after which I lost all respect for her. I knew how Cannoli and lilltempest would react to that statement, but Egwene simply made herself literally indefensible. Justifying her behavior became a sisyphean task no longer worth the effort and increasingly unpleasant, so I stopped trying.


Well, a few things:

1) Sanderson is not Jordan,
2) I do not expect him to put all his cards on the table before the last book,
3) Assembling every soldier in the Westlands to prevent Rand doing what we know he MUST does not refute might making right and
4) is not an example of "someone with no might" doing anything.

That last point may be critical for understanding his statement, because it suggests he was referring to Egwenes ascent from Tar Valons dungeons to the stole. I agree she was an exemplary leader during the Seanchan assault, and for the most part before then (though, again, her whole "I am still Amyrlin no matter how much you beat me" seems less humility than it does proud martyr complex,) but she had few opportunities to be manipulative and domineering from the dungeon.

Egwene AS Amyrlin, both in Salidar and Tar Valon, has been a disturbingly manipulative and unilateral leader, notwithstanding her "reform" requiring the Hall notify her of and receive her input on any and all official decisions. Her idea of "cooperation" is devising ways to get those around her to perform her will without realizing it, and despite their staunch opposition. She does not employ the mailed fist, but only because she knows it is counterproductive; she is still every bit as absolutist as Elaida, just far more subtle (and thus more effective.)


OK, but I do not believe it worth very much. It could mean nothing more or less than the need for experience with Tel'aran'rhiod leading them to the person they knew best who was most knowledgeable about it. In fact, that is how I would bet.


She can be a bad ass in the Last Battle and still be unmade by her own faults later, or be unmade by them and reformed before the Last Battle if she implements rather than merely noting the reform needed.


I imbibe neither Haterade nor Gatorade (actually, I DO despise college football, the SEC in particular and the Gators especially, but that is another, if eerily similar, discussion.) I simply call it like I see it, and am exhausted from trying to defend Egwenes inexcusable behavior. Her dedicated fans will no more accept that than her dedicated haters accepted my past excuses for her, but the relative merits of her behavior and attitude are independent of how any of us feel about her personally.