I am sorry but this is Monday morning quarterbacking at its worst. There is no way to know whether or not your method, given after the fact, would have worked any better. This is especially true since we have no idea how the other BA got there.
I don't understand why you are faulting Elayne for trusting the information about there only being two BA. (In my estimation that information ended up being true. The first group of BA obviously did not know the others were coming.) Lan said it best when he stated that a portion of courage is going forward even when you know you don't know all of the information.
She did absolutely no reconnaissance other than what she received from Hark, who she had known for five minutes. I don't object to her taking action, I object to her rushing into a situation she make no effort to assess for herself. Black Ajah are not just a group of dark friends. I mean, seriously, even if there were only two there, what about wards, traps, any number of things? I can't believe I'm the only one who thinks that this was ridiculous, the way she went in there. She and her group looked at the house only long enough for Jaem to scout the outside. I'm not a pansy, but the thought of going in there w/o any kind of surety is enough to floor me.
Finally, I don't know why you are getting on Elayne's case about taking a risk with herself. Rand's risks make Elayne's look like a walk in the park. (And Rand risks the whole world when he risks himself.) For example in WH there is an, in my mind deliberate, parallel to this event when Rand raids the dark Asha'man place in Far Madding. Yet Rand's risk is FAR madder then Elayne's for he is informed by an unknown source AND there is reason to suspect there might be two more renegade Asha'man there beside them. And this is one of the smaller of Rand's mad risk taking. Twice he chases Forsaken into T'A'R and once he chased Samaael into Shadar Logoth. If you are going to get on Elayne's case then at least do the same for Rand.
I'm not on Elayne about risking herself. I'm on Elayne about risking all the other people with her without any better surveillance. I'm on Elayne about being so cock-sure that she'll be fine because her babies will be healthy that she didn't stop to think that "healthy" only means one very limited thing. She didn't succeed, other people saved her. But then she feels no guilt. I'm sorry, this was a bonehead thing to do. Imo, it has nothing to do with Rand, unless, of course, she decides to blame him because her hormones are wonky.
Elayne obviously made a mistake, but how much of one is difficult to discern. She also obviously feels some guilt for it; otherwise she wouldn't tell herself that she is not feeling guilt for it. I think she is smart enough to learn from her mistake, whatever that mistake was.
No, she is thinking that there is sadness, but, oddly, not guilt.
Are women really bad generals?
- 01/10/2009 07:05:03 PM
1448 Views
No.
- 01/10/2009 07:41:35 PM
862 Views
Or RJ just loves stacking ridiculously unfavourable odds against the male Forsaken generals...
- 01/10/2009 08:40:47 PM
962 Views
Lol... too true
- 01/10/2009 09:32:29 PM
859 Views
And you guys whine about the lameness of RJ's villains?
- 01/10/2009 09:41:54 PM
847 Views
I still haven't seen proof of Demandred or Ishamael's "brilliance".
- 01/10/2009 09:56:41 PM
699 Views
but you are difficult to please
- 02/10/2009 05:10:13 AM
653 Views
But they are lame... they've done minimal damage to the Light
- 02/10/2009 05:06:05 AM
600 Views
You can't have it both ways....
- 02/10/2009 06:47:21 AM
680 Views
Why not?
- 02/10/2009 08:45:35 AM
642 Views
Yeah
- 01/10/2009 09:57:01 PM
628 Views
Re: Yeah
- 01/10/2009 10:40:28 PM
660 Views
I thought the same in the past...
- 02/10/2009 07:01:18 AM
652 Views
Gah! Hate!
- 02/10/2009 04:11:49 PM
660 Views
Ah, come on...
- 02/10/2009 04:41:37 PM
626 Views
No no, I was just being pouty that I haven't read the new stuff yet.
- 02/10/2009 05:01:15 PM
628 Views
- 02/10/2009 05:01:15 PM
628 Views
Re: Or RJ just loves stacking ridiculously unfavourable odds against the male Forsaken generals...
- 01/10/2009 09:51:30 PM
725 Views
Good points! Also, these "generals" haven't actually fielded any troops
- 01/10/2009 11:23:40 PM
604 Views
But as individuals they are meant to be deadly too
- 02/10/2009 05:09:21 AM
595 Views
Well, yeah. They're knowledgable and deadly in person. Generalship doesn't come into it.
- 04/10/2009 12:09:50 AM
570 Views
nope
- 01/10/2009 08:06:57 PM
754 Views
Tylee Kirgan, Birgitte, and one other, Egeanin
- 01/10/2009 09:47:00 PM
1025 Views
Birgitte's not a soldier though.
- 01/10/2009 10:10:50 PM
613 Views
She says she's not, but so does Mat.
- 01/10/2009 10:34:04 PM
536 Views
- 01/10/2009 10:34:04 PM
536 Views
Mat's not a soldier, either - he's a general
- 01/10/2009 10:51:29 PM
681 Views
Birgitte is too cautious to be better than an adequate tactician.
- 02/10/2009 04:22:45 AM
661 Views
My opinion
- 02/10/2009 01:30:12 AM
1035 Views
That's a poor excuse
- 02/10/2009 11:59:42 AM
563 Views
I disagree
- 02/10/2009 04:26:28 PM
655 Views
Re: I disagree
- 02/10/2009 08:31:29 PM
852 Views
Oh, puh-lease.
- 02/10/2009 09:09:30 PM
803 Views
Re: Oh, puh-lease.
- 03/10/2009 04:52:37 PM
632 Views
Re: Oh, puh-lease.
- 05/10/2009 05:08:27 PM
3078 Views
I always know I've out-argued an idiot when they fall back on the tired old "RJ wanted it that way"
- 06/10/2009 04:42:11 AM
668 Views
And I can tell you're through when you've gotten to three+ insults per paragraph.
- 06/10/2009 05:46:24 PM
761 Views
Monday morning quarterbacking at its worst
- 04/10/2009 07:28:36 AM
718 Views
Men and football.
- 05/10/2009 04:49:35 PM
636 Views
She didn't kill anyone! Why SHOULD she feel guilty? She gave necessary orders.
- 06/10/2009 03:33:15 AM
727 Views