Re: Yes that's a pet theory of mine - Edit 1
Before modification by DomA at 25/10/2012 08:54:43 PM
I'm hoping that he will be able to overwhelm the Dreamspike. It will be excellent.
Indeed.
But seriosly, isn't this way too late in the series for resolving this plotline?
Resolving it positively otherwise than by facing and defeating the DL forces during TG? Yes, I think so.
Rand's plans seem to focus on gathering his forces and striking at SG ASAP. I think it's pretty much out of question that, as things stand now, he's planning an attack on the BT. He's probably more concerned about getting the hundreds innocents out of there eventually (before they become hostages), but otherwise I think he's rather counting on his breaking the seals and launching TG to get the Shadow's forces in the open.
My impression is that currently, almost everyone at the Black Tower has been forcibly turned to the shadow, with Rand possibly not even aware that this has happened.
After his epiphany he seemed aware that something very wrong is going on, but as far as we know he just sent Naeff, and possibly just from afar to gather intelligence.
Quite aside from representing a power more than matching the White Tower, these guys shold relatively easily be able to infiltrate the good guys.
No chance of that. The time of infiltration is pretty much over. Between the Red Veils and Tarna, it's very obvious people who have been turned are very easy to identify. They have glassy inhuman eyes, and aren't themselves anymore. For the AS, the ones who have not been turned are BA - already exposed by Verin. "Turnings" aren't about fooling people with sleeper agents, it's about recruiting "soldiers" against their wil and depriving the enemy of them.
The Asha'man from Taim's faction who have not been turned but are DF are known by the other Asha'man to belong to Taim's faction - not a chance they can infiltrate the other side.
Unless some way can be found to unturn people from the shadow in bulk, like killing the Myrddraal that was used to turn them, or something, I don't see how this can be resolved in time at all.
It's conceivable Nynaeve could find a way to remove1reverse the turning, that it's not very different from the network of taint on a brain (it seems to "shut" off emotions like empathy, and exacerbate all the darker, buried aspects in a personality) but I seriously doubt this would happen in a "strategic" way, to deprive Taim of his dread lords. If it happens, it's far more likely to concern a character or small group of characters who've been turned and got captured by the Light during or after TG.
But I agree with you this storyline seems to be heading, and very soon, for a "and so Taim's plans succeeded" resolution.
My hunch is that there's no "Logain's visit" in the works. This is just a pretext Taim came up with to have every channeller on the grounds gather in one place (indoor, if the rain goes on) to "deal with them". We'll see if Pevara and Androl escape or not, and what will happen with the 47 ex-rebels. My suspicion is that the downpour is intentional and could be meant to hide the fact four leagues from there Caemlyn is under attack.. But it's very hard to guess where on the timeline the last Pevara scene happens. It could now be in sync and happen on the eve of Merrilor, but we could be many days or weeks behind as for the earlier scenes.