In Chapter 3 “At the Gardens” of <em>Knife of Dreams</em>, the remaining living Forsaken are summoned to the <em>Tel’aran’rhiad</em> Ansaline Gardens by Moridin. Aran’gar, however, is puzzled by the arrangement of the room. <blockquote><p>Eleven tall armchairs, carved and gilded, sat in a circle in the middle of the striped wooden floor, but they were empty... why eleven when that was surely two more than needed? Asmodean and Sammael must be as dead as Be'lal and Rahvin." (<em>Knife of Dreams</em>, p. 141, 142)</p></blockquote> Per Robert Jordan, we do in fact know that Sammael is Mashadar-toast. And when Demandred met with the Dark One in the prologue of <em>Lord of Chaos</em>, he was informed of other deaths which were in fact confirmed and permanent, at least as far as the Shadow was concerned: <blockquote><p>THE CHOSEN DWINDLE, DEMANDRED. THE WEAK FALL AWAY. WHO BETRAYS ME SHALL DIE THE FINAL DEATH. ASMODEAN, TWISTED BY HIS WEAKNESS. RAHVIN DEAD IN HIS PRIDE. HE SERVED WELL, YET EVEN I CANNOT SAVE HIM FROM BALEFIRE. EVEN I CANNOT STEP OUTSIDE OF TIME. For an instant terrible anger filled that awful voice, and--could it be frustration? An instant only. DONE BY MY ANCIENT ENEMY, THE ONE CALLED DRAGON” (<em>Lord of Chaos</em>, “The First Message”, p. 5).</p></blockquote> Notice who is not mentioned here. We can be fairly certain that Graendal used balefire when she killed Asmodean, based on the similarity in description between his death and Be’lal’s. But even if she didn‘t, Rahvin for certain was killed that way, hence why the Dark One could not resurrect him. Yet why, then, was Be’lal also not mentioned, since he too died for certain from balefire? His schemes may have failed, but he did not turn traitor (or seem to) as Asmodean did, so why did the Dark One not express regret that he too could not be brought back? Or, if he was in disgrace due to his failed schemes, why was he not mentioned in contempt as one who would not be restored even if he could be? Demandred does not think about his fate either, when surely by this point all the living Forsaken knew it. Ishamael was also dead, but surely Lanfear or Mesaana were keeping an eye on what was happening in Tear. And then we have Rahvin, who in <em>The Dragon Reborn</em> was plotting against Be’lal and tried to have Elayne killed just to keep his rival from gaining an edge and supplanting him. We never see him gloat about having won because Be’lal died? And having been killed by a puny ‘child’ Aes Sedai of the Third Age, no less? Very odd, and hardly in character. So…could it be the Netweaver still lives? And if so, how did he manage it, and where is he now? Why, the Black Tower, of course. <strong>Mazrim Taim</strong> A few things to consider before I present my case. First, although it may be that the rumors of trouble in Saldaea which Fain brought to the Two Rivers way back in <em>The Eye of the World</em> were in relation to Taim, he does not actually get mentioned by name in the narrative until <em>The Great Hunt</em>. He does not actually appear for us to meet him until <em>Lord of Chaos</em>, which means that everything we are told about him prior to this is hearsay. We know next to nothing about his origins, and in fact we have no idea what he looks like, how old he is, his skills and knowledge, or anything of the sort until Rand’s first meeting with him. So from the beginning, the man was shrouded in mystery--deliberately, I am sure. His capture after Rand’s fight with Ishamael over Falme is related to Siuan by Verin in <em>The Dragon Reborn</em>: <blockquote><p>"Mazrim Taim is in the hands of our sisters in Saldaea... [He was] in battle, and winning, when suddenly a great light flashed in the sky, and a vision appeared, just for an instant... The false Dragon's horse reared up and threw him. He was knocked unconscious, and his followers cried out that he was dead, and fled the field, and he was taken" (Chapter 12, “The Amyrlin Seat”, p. 159-160).</p></blockquote> The next we hear of him (as opposed to talk about him--I’ll get to Liandrin’s plan in a moment) is not long before the Tower coup, when Leane opens and reads one of the messages Siuan has received: <blockquote><p>“...he was taken away by stealth in the night, Mother. Two sisters are dead...Denhuir, Mother. A village east of the Black Hills on the Maradon Road..." (<em>The Shadow Rising</em>, Chapter 17 “Deceptions”, p. 290, 291).</p></blockquote> So, there is quite a period of time where he was being held captive near Irinjavar before his escape, however that was engineered, happened. Time during which he may have had…a number of visitors. The assumption made by Siuan (which should clue us in that this is likely the wrong one--if nothing else Jordan‘s chapter title is quite suggestive here) is that Taim’s own followers broke him out. But we are told by Joiya Byir during her questioning that someone else may have had a hand in this. <blockquote><p>Joiya shrugged. “As you wish. Let me see. Different words. The false Dragon, Mazrim Taim, who was captured in Saldaea, can channel with incredible strength. Perhaps as much as Rand al'Thor, or nearly so, if the reports can be believed. Before he can be brought to Tar Valon and gentled, Liandrin means to break him free. He will be proclaimed as the Dragon Reborn, his name given as Rand al'Thor, and then he will be set to destruction on such a scale as the world has not seen since the War of the Hundred Years... Rand al'Thor will be blamed for the depredations of...Rand al'Thor. Even proof that they are not the same man may well be dismissed. After all, who can say what tricks the Dragon Reborn can play? <em>Perhaps put himself in two places at once</em>.” (<em>The Shadow Rising</em>, Chapter 5, “Questioners”, p. 120, 121, emphasis added)</p></blockquote> That last sentence creates a very interesting implication, but before I address it, consider that if this plan of Liandrin‘s was genuine (and knowing what we do of Blacks’ ability to lie, it might not be), it would have been concocted while she and her coven were staying in Tear under the invitation of “High Lord Samon”. So at the very least Be’lal is likely to have known of it. But I think it may have gone farther than that. Consider: 1. At this point in time, Be’lal would have next to no allies among male channelers. Aginor and Balthamel are dead. Rahvin, as previously stated, is his rival; Sammael, even if he is an ally (see a later point in the theory), can hardly be trusted and, thanks to the rivalry between Tear and Illian, could not even be seen in Tear much if at all. Ishamael is wildly insane, busily trying to subvert Rand, and in any event we are told by Loial that Be’lal envied Ishamael--and if the argument between him and Ishamael which Perrin witnessed in <em>Tel’aran’rhiad</em> is any indication, the two were not on very good terms. The others were likely not released yet, and even if they were, Asmodean was weak and cowardly, while Demandred, even if he were willing to ally with someone other than Semirhage and Mesaana, would never do so with another rival for hating and killing Lews Therin--nor would he accept a subordinate role, as Be’lal would surely wish. So, if Be’lal wanted a man to aid him, but whom he could force to submit and be manipulated, he would have to look outside the Forsaken. 2. In the prologue of <em>A Crown of Swords</em>, we are told that Alviarin was visited by Be’lal: <blockquote><p>Be'lal had snatched Alviarin away in the night while she slept--to where she did not know; she had wakened back in her own bed, and that had terrified her even more than being in the presence of a man who could channel. To him she was not even a worm, not even a living thing, <em>just a piece in a game, to move at his command</em>. (Prologue, “Lightnings”, p. 37-38, emphasis added)</p></blockquote> Why did he do this? We learn in <em>Lord of Chaos</em> Chapter 6, “Threads Woven of Shadow,” that Mesaana was “sure Be’lal would kill or capture [Rand] in Tear; she was very proud of that trap” (p. 178). The implication is that she was the one who sent Liandrin and her coven to Tear. We also know that Lanfear, in disguise as Else Grinwell, made sure the Supergirls found the thirteen Aes Sedai’s belongings with the evidence pointing to Tear so they would be the bait for the net to catch Rand. So where does Alviarin fit in, and Be’lal? Presumably he would know, via Ishamael, that she was the head of the Black Ajah--but why would he need to meet with her, if the thirteen had already been sent by Mesaana and the girls had been sent on their way by Lanfear? Why was he not having Mesaana do so? Could it be he was, in fact, arranging things to have Liandrin’s plan carried out, to have Black Ajah sent to free Mazrim Taim so as to incite the people against Rand, and perhaps gain himself a male channeler ally none of the Forsaken would know about? Or perhaps he was plotting something even more devious… <strong>The Great Switcheroo</strong> Loial tells Moiraine what little information the Ogier possess regarding Be’lal in <em>The Dragon Reborn</em> Chapter 50, “The Hammer”: <blockquote><p>"I do not know what can be in the stories about him you do not already know. He is not much mentioned, except in the razing of the Hall of the Servants just before Lews Therin Kinslayer and the Hundred Companions sealed him up with the Dark One. Jalanda son of Aried son of Coiam wrote that he was called the Envious, that he forsook the Light because he envied Lews Therin, and that he envied Ishamael and Lanfear, too. In <em>A Study of the War of the Shadow</em>, Moilin daughter of Hamada daughter of Juendan called Be'lal the Netweaver... She mentioned him playing a game of stones with Lews Therin and winning, and that he always boasted of it... Several writers say Be'lal and Sammael were both leaders in the fight against the Dark One before they forsook the Light, and both were masters of the sword." (p. 600)</p></blockquote> Aside from trumpeting Be’lal’s much-vaunted abilities at manipulation, guile, and deceit (insert standard Evil Lawyers jokes here), this section reveals several important points: that Be’lal once also served the Light as a great general before he changed sides; that he has been linked with Sammael almost from the start; that like Sammael and Demandred, he hated and envied Lews Therin; and that not only was he a master of strategy and tactics (he beat Lews Therin at stones), he actually truly was a great war-leader if he could succeed in capturing and burning the Hall of the Servants. Yet when we finally reach the confrontation at the climax of <em>The Dragon Reborn</em>, Be’lal makes a very poor showing--assuming without bothering to check that the hedgehog <em>ter’angreal</em> had taken out Moiraine, he tries to goad Rand into taking <em>Callandor</em>, and after a very short fight is surprised and, it seems, eliminated by balefire from a ‘pathetic’ Third Age Aes Sedai he had severely underestimated. So apparently his reputation was unnaturally inflated, and he is just another example of what Jordan called Stupid Evil; he tried to be clever, he was outmaneuvered, and now he’s dead and gone. Right? Postulate 1: Be’lal’s reputation <em>was</em>, in fact, deserved. There is more to him than meets the eye, and it is in fact Rand, Moiraine, and the readers who have underestimated him. Postulate 2: As one known as the Netweaver, it would be highly surprising if he did not know, and excelled at, Compulsion. Rahvin considers him a worthy adversary, which while this could be based on his skill in battle--according to the Guide, Rahvin was only “a fair general” (p. 56)--seems odd unless Be’lal was as good as or better than Rahvin at Compulsion. The Guide also states that “it was in the political and diplomatic areas that [Rahvin’s] abilities blossomed, though with a decided bent toward manipulation…[and] while Rahvin preferred manipulation…Be’lal…was a master of it.” Not only does this provide a reason why Rahvin would consider him a foe (and one to be eliminated), it underscores yet again the skills we are told repeatedly Be’lal possessed. Everyone, it seems, has decided this was simply propaganda, that Jordan was building Be’lal up as a great plotter all for the reveal that he was actually pathetically easy to fool and remove from the picture. But what if he wasn’t? Postulate 3: While we had not explicitly been told about the Mirror of Mists yet in the narrative, Lanfear’s disguises as Selene and Else Grinwell (though probably not Silvie since that took place in <em>Tel’aran’rhiad</em>) act as indirect evidence that it is possible to alter one’s appearance with the One Power. Similarly, we know from Lanfear’s masquerade as Else (and later, Mesaana’s as Danelle) that it is possible to mask one’s ability to channel so as to appear less powerful, rather than merely as a non-channeler, and that weaves can be inverted so that other channelers cannot detect them. Again, these would seem to be powers that were well-known in the Age of Legends, and that one known as the Netweaver would be skilled at. Theory: Be’lal took advantage of Liandrin’s plan for Mazrim Taim to not only free him from captivity, but to switch identities with him. If Be’lal were not as arrogant and shortsighted as he appeared to be, it is likely he would be worried of what would happen if Rand not only got hold of <em>Callandor</em>, but outfought him with it and/or the Power. Like Sammael, he would also want lines of retreat if things went south, a fallback plan. And no matter which way events fell out, he would win. If “Be’lal” succeeded in taking <em>Callandor</em> from Rand and then killing or capturing him, all well and good, and he could easily be eliminated afterward as a loose end if need be. But if he instead died, no one would think to look for Be’lal anywhere, thus allowing him to slip away, gather new allies, lie low for a while, and plot and scheme anew. So who did Moiraine kill? (<em>His</em> butler?) <em>The real Taim</em>. After learning everything there was to know about Taim and his life through pointed “questioning,” Be’lal could then have placed Taim under Compulsion to imitate Be’lal’s own personality, used an inverted Mirror of Mists to disguise him as himself, and then sent him into the Heart of the Stone--there to be balefired when Moiraine turned out not to be down for the count. Another inverted Mirror of Mists could have kept Be’lal hidden invisible in the shadows, so as to literally puppet-master Taim’s words and sword fighting until the moment <em>Callandor</em> was claimed and Rand was captured or killed. Both Egwene (<em>The Dragon Reborn</em>, Chapter 25 “Questions”) and Mat (Chapter 49 “A Storm in Tear”) dreamed of Be’lal weaving a net over Rand--this last is especially telling because it was an example of one of Be’lal’s <em>own</em> dreams being enforced on those in Tear--could there be a larger meaning to this net beyond the trap to lure Rand and Be’lal’s sobriquet? In the same vein, make note of Egwene’s dream in Chapter 37 “Fires in Cairhien” where “…the strings on puppets led to the hands of larger puppets, and their strings led to still greater puppets, on and on until the last strings vanished into unimaginable heights” (p. 423). Perhaps this should be taken more literally than we first supposed? Inverted weaves would make him undetectable (not even able to be sensed by another <em>saidin</em> user, or seen to be glowing, not to mention Rand was a little distracted by the Be’lal in front of him) and women cannot sense <em>saidin</em> at all, so neither Rand nor Moiraine would have known he was there. It is also possible Be’lal had access to the True Power--we know courtesy of Graendal in <em>Towers of Midnight</em> that “once the Great Lord’s favor in this regard was not confined to the Nae’blis” (Prologue “Distinctions”, p. 26)--which would also make him undetectable. And there is the hint that ‘Taim’ has access to the True Power, as seen in the aura he possesses in <em>Winter’s Heart</em>, so similar to the one Rand has in <em>The Gathering Storm</em>: <blockquote><p>He was tall, nearly as a tall as Rand, with a hooked nose and dark eyes like augurs, a physically powerful man who moved with something of a Warder's deadly grace, but <em>shadows seemed to follow him, as if half the lamps in the room had gone out; not real shadows, but an air of imminent violence that seemed palpable enough to soak up light</em>. (Prologue “Snow”, p. 30, emphasis added)</p></blockquote> In any event, as soon as Be’lal realized Moiraine knew balefire, he would have known there was no chance of gaining <em>Callandor</em> or defeating Rand. Thus he allowed the real Taim to die in his place, dropping his weaves in the process. Immediately after this Ishamael appears, takes Moiraine out of the fight, and then leads Rand into the World of Dreams, thus allowing Be’lal to beat a hasty retreat and Travel to safety. After this, he could then have fled to Saldaea, there to remain under the guard of either the original Aes Sedai (who had been hoodwinked by the Blacks so as not to be aware of the switch) or more likely the Blacks themselves, who would then engineer his “escape.” News of the earlier attack to abscond away with Taim, and of the deaths of the sisters involved, was suppressed by Alviarin at Be’lal’s behest, only allowed to leak after Rand took <em>Callandor</em>, and/or after Mesaana, Alviarin, and Elaida had all the arrangements in place for the coup. Is there evidence of this? Yes. <blockquote><p>Bashere took advantage of the silence. “You say you're Mazrim Taim?” He sounded doubtful, and Rand looked at him in confusion. Was this Taim or not? <em>Only a madman would claim that name if it was not his</em>. The prisoner's mouth quirked in what might have been the beginning of a smile, and he rubbed his chin. “I shaved, Bashere.” His voice held more than a hint of mockery. “It is hot this far south, or had you noticed? Hotter than it should be, even here. Do you want proof of me? Shall I channel for you? ...What does everyone not know, that you and Mazrim Taim would?” (<em>Lord of Chaos</em>, Chapter 2 “A New Arrival”, p. 92-93, emphasis added)</p></blockquote> Aside from Taim hinting that he has more knowledge than he should of the Dark One’s endless summer, Jordan could not be any clearer here: <em>Mazrim Taim is not what he seems</em>. And the fact he is deliberately pointing out he is proving his identity through things “only Taim would know” would be a delicious irony indeed if this knowledge came about, not because he really was Taim, but because he had gained the information from Taim’s own mind before he died in his place. Someone would indeed have to be mad to pretend to be Taim--mad, or desperate after his plans in Tear fell apart, with both Rand and the ‘child’ Aes Sedai being more powerful than he had counted on. Or with yet another clever scheme in mind… As to why Be’lal’s disguise as Taim was not perfect, bear with me… <strong>Taimandred was Not the Red Herring We Thought It Was</strong> Clearly, people all along have thought that Taim was either Demandred, Moridin, an unknown Second Age Forsaken, or a Third Ager who had been tutored by any of the above. But if he were in fact Be’lal in disguise, this would explain the discrepancies which misled us for so long, as well as how ‘Taim’ could have this knowledge in the first place. Namely: his knowledge of channeling; his strength in the Power (nearly matching Rand‘s); his not being affected by the taint (male Forsaken all have taint protection); his age (not only could he appear any age he wished regardless of Taim’s real age, which could play into why Bashere wasn’t certain of his identity at first, but whether or not ‘Taim’ appeared as if he had slowed or not would have no bearing on Be’lal’s channeling ability behind the illusion); the murder of the Gray Man (which if it was in fact a set-up to make Taim look like a hero to Rand certainly seems like something the clever Netweaver would come up with); the “so-called Aiel” remark; his knowledge of gateways and the Old Tongue; his ability to build the Black Tower; the seal (which could have been in the real Taim’s possession or could even have been in the Great Holding and taken when he fled Tear); even his ability to sway so many people (like the four renegade Asha’man) to his will. Then there is the sigil: <blockquote><p>...A coachman dressed like the soldiers, but without armor or sword, sat on the seat, and another opened the door as they appeared from the house. Before he did, Nynaeve saw the sigil painted there. A silver-gauntleted fist clutching jagged lightning bolts. She supposed it was High Lord Samon's sign. <em>A Darkfriend, he must be, if he deals with the Black Ajah. The Light burn him!</em> (<em>The Dragon Reborn</em>, Chapter 51, “Bait for the Net” p. 610).</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>It was not large among palaces, but most nobles lived in buildings far smaller and less grand. Broad stone stairs rose to a wide landing in front of tall twinned doors. Each bore a gauntleted fist gripping three lightning bolts, carved large and gilded. (<em>Knife of Dreams</em>, Epilogue “Remember the Old Saying”, p. 834)</p></blockquote> Granted, there are differences between the sigils, but they are still very nearly identical. While it is true this could simply be a general “male Forsaken” sigil, especially since Sammael had one like it as well (don’t worry, I’ll get to him) and the red-and-black color scheme of the Black Tower suggests Moridin’s influence, this does not preclude Be’lal from still being Taim. For one thing, if everyone associates his symbol with Sammael, Moridin, or the Forsaken in general, no one would ever suspect his real identity--and using the sigil would be a rather ballsy refuge in audacity. Also, there is the possibility that Ishamael was involved in this scheme, or at least in the planning of it. While Perrin is not close enough to hear the substance of the argument Be’lal and Ishamael had in <em>Tel’aran’rhiad</em> (<em>The Dragon Reborn</em> Chapter 4 “Shadows Sleeping”) or for that matter the one Be’lal had with Rahvin (though we can guess it had something to do with their rivalry, or perhaps <em>Callandor</em>), it could well be that Be’lal had come up with the Mazrim Taim scheme already, or at least a prototype of it, and had shared it with Ishamael--or that Ishamael came up with the scheme and had ordered Be’lal to carry it out. Either way, whichever one didn’t come up with the scheme would then have been arguing about its merits and risks. This idea becomes even more attractive thanks to what happened at the end of <em>The Dragon Reborn</em>--namely, Ishamael died. Even if Be’lal suspected the Dark One might resurrect him, the window of opportunity afforded by his death could have allowed him to carry out a plan Ishamael had previously disapproved of, or adapt Ishamael’s plan after Rand and Moiraine threw the proverbial monkey wrench into <em>his</em> plans. Of course, once Ishamael returned as Moridin he could then have taken control of Be’lal once more (assuming Shaidar Haran didn’t do that off-screen at the start of <em>Lord of Chaos</em>, which in fact may have led to his appearance in Caemlyn). Which brings me at last to why the Taim disguise was not perfect, what Be’lal was up to once he decided (or was ordered) to join Rand’s forces, and the other unexplained details about Taim. Because while we were never meant to think Taim was Demandred (at least not to the extent which we did), <em>Rand was</em>. Thanks to the insanity of “Lews Therin”, countless readers were led to believe Taim was Demandred in disguise. Rand himself may have suspected this, but disregarded it due to his distrust of the voice and there being many other things (Couladin, Rahvin, Sammael) on his mind. The notion behind a Shadow agent infiltrating Rand’s entourage, aside from the definite possibility of betrayal/revenge and the chance to turn numerous channeling men to the Shadow, would have been to fool Rand into thinking he knew where Demandred was, thus freeing Demandred up to do countless other things behind the scenes for Moridin and/or the Dark One. He was, after all, told to ‘let the Lord of Chaos rule’, and what could be more chaotic than making people believe you were in disguise in plain sight, when really it was someone else entirely, and you were somewhere else? (As an aside, that saying and the Dark One’s words to Demandred would obviously have to have been passed on to Be’lal, for him to speak them as Taim at the end of <em>Knife of Dreams</em>.) Considering both of them were great generals for the Light, both were once friends of Lews Therin, and both had come to hate and envy him, it shouldn’t be a surprise if Be’lal knows all there is to know about Demandred and his rivalry. Particularly if he had Demandred coaching him, so to speak, on how to leave “Demandred” tells. Taim’s reactions to Rand’s badges and awards, his smile, his behavior, the fact he had been involved in rescuing Rand at Dumai’s Wells--it all can be explained just as easily by Be’lal, as Taim, imitating Demandred to fool Rand (and the reader). Considering this is the sheepherder who for three books thought Ba’alzamon was the Dark One, such a deception wouldn’t be difficult. As Be’lal himself said, “Is that what you think? Truly you know nothing” (The Dragon Reborn, Chapter 55 “What is Written in Prophecy” p. 649). And combining such behaviors and hints with a disguise “not quite right” would plant the hint he was not the real Taim while simultaneously providing Rand (and the reader) the ready culprit to blame. Puppets with strings leading to greater puppets… If Demandred had made contact with Be’lal/Taim before Moridin’s return, the scheme could even have been his idea, though it is just as likely to have been Moridin’s or Be’lal’s own. Demandred’s desire to kill Rand himself would explain why the equally envious and hate-filled Be’lal never took the opportunity to kill Rand--that, and Moridin’s “do not kill” order--but he could have found ways to circumvent this which were very Demandred-like and would keep everyone, Rand and the Forsaken, on their toes. Like ordering the attack at the end of <em>The Path of Daggers</em>. (His shock over Dashiva’s involvement would then most likely be because Moridin had never told him who Dashiva really was.) Not telling the Forsaken about Rand’s plan to cleanse the taint could indeed have been motivated by a desire to see it gone (thus giving the Dark One one less string on him), or the arrogant Be’lal believing Rand could never really do it. In the meantime, Demandred would certainly be telling the Dark One he had “done well” if he managed to make Rand think, via Be’lal/Taim, that he knew where Demandred was. Even Sammael’s comments to Graendal in <em>Lord of Chaos</em> Chapter 6 “Threads Woven of Shadow” would make sense applied to this: "‘You deliver a message to Demandred from me. Tell him I know what he is up to.’ Events to the south had Demandred's mark all over them. Demandred had always liked using proxies” (p. 179). Be’lal in disguise as Taim, making Rand think he was Demandred while plotting his betrayal from within, sounds like a Demandred proxy to me. As for the objection that we are told by Loial that Be’lal was a master swordsman while Taim disdains swordsmen and swordplay, not even training them until Rand forces him to, there are several explanations for this. The most obvious would be that if Rand were to see him fight, he might recognize the sword style as Be’lal’s--Be’lal would have known from Lanfear, either directly or via Mesaana, that she believed Rand actually was Lews Therin, so he would fear those memories resurfacing--especially if the Dark One told him anything about how the taint worked. This is further strengthened by the fact he actually <em>called</em> Rand "Lews Therin" during their confrontation. And even without Lews Therin's memories, Rand simply having fought him could have allowed him to recognize Be'lal's style later on. So it would be better to pretend lack of knowledge. Other possibilities are: Taim neither knew nor respected swordplay, so Be’lal was forced to adopt it as part of his disguise; Demandred didn’t know or respect it, so Be’lal maintained this fiction as part of his game of silly buggers with Rand; or being from the Age of Legends, Be’lal disdained modern swordplay and thus would not condone or train it. <strong>What About Sammael?</strong> Yes, Sammael too had a similar sigil: "His chair was heavy wood, carved with columns of armored men and horses, a steel-gauntleted fist clasping lightning at the back's peak" (<em>The Fires of Heaven</em>, Chapter 34 “A Silver Arrow”, p. 550). Aside from the fact that this could be simply a general male Forsaken sigil, there is another interesting possibility. We were told by Loial, as stated above, that both Sammael and Be’lal were great generals under the Light who were friends of Lews Therin, then turned out of hatred and jealousy. Both are introduced in the same book, <em>The Dragon Reborn</em>. And both are involved in political schemes involving their respective nations. First we learn of Be’lal’s part, via Mat when he has to listen to Captain Mallia of the <em>Gray Gull</em> hold forth about the evils of Illian, how he has known ever since listening to High Lord Samon that Tear must conquer and loot Illian. Whenever the man speaks, he seems to agree with whatever Samon says: <blockquote><p>The High Lords knew what was right and good and true. Especially the High Lord Samon. No man could go wrong obeying the High Lords. Especially the High Lord Samon... "He speaks so that he carries a man beyond his own beliefs." He also is advising Tear to turn against the White Tower, claiming the Aes Sedai meant to rule the world, crush every nation, put their foot on every man's throat. "Sooner or later they will have to be hunted down and killed, every last Aes Sedai." (<em>The Dragon Reborn</em>, Chapter 32 “The First Ship” p. 366, 367)</p></blockquote> And then we learn of Sammael’s part via Perrin when he, Moiraine, Lan, Loial, and Faile are talking to Mistress Nieda: "The Nine did forbid any ship to sail for Tear a month gone now, nor any from Tear to call here...All talk do be of war with Tear..." (Chapter 42 “Easing the Badger” p. 492). Be’lal’s side of it is rather striking, since we not only get another testament to Be’lal’s charisma (something we see in Taim and his Darkfriend Asha’man) but also a reference to destroying the White Tower and killing all Aes Sedai. This is worth noting because of Taim’s later suggestion to Rand, when the Salidar embassy and other Aes Sedai are congregating in Caemlyn, that he kill the Aes Sedai for him and make it look like an accident. (<em>Lord of Chaos</em> Chapter 42 "The Black Tower", p. 545.) The real Taim, obviously, would have no love lost for Aes Sedai even before Dumai’s Wells, but the man who is suggesting to Tairens that they kill off all the Aes Sedai (something it likely wouldn’t take much to get them to agree to) could just as easily be capable of ordering their assassinations in Caemlyn, as well as teaching the Asha’man to call them “witches” as they attacked Demira Sedai (if indeed that “Aiel” attack was perpetrated by Taim). In general it does suggest a similar mindset and a plan being adapted for a smaller scale and more subtle angle. In any event, Sammael and Be’lal’s plans here are not exactly clear. It could be they were turning Illian and Tear against each other out of their own sense of rivalry (both being Forsaken, both being great generals, both hating and envying Lews Therin). Or it could have been a front, something they created by manipulating the hatred Illian and Tear already had for each other, when in actuality they were allies. Either way, the similarity in their sigils, if it wasn’t simply a general male Forsaken sigil, makes sense: if they are rivals, they created competing symbols, while if they are allies they created symbols with something in common. Which makes things very interesting later when Taim shows up with the sigil, since by then Sammael is dead. Clearly, if my theory is correct Sammael had no idea about Be’lal’s plans for Taim or that he hadn’t died--during his meeting with Graendal in <em>Lord of Chaos</em> he thinks of Be’lal as having failed, and when Graendal claims Be’lal is dead he does not refute her. This is nothing new, since for all his great skill at warfare Sammael usually ended up with the short end of the stick when it came to scheming and seeing through political manipulation, especially where Graendal was concerned. But it does suggest something else: whether ally or rival, Be’lal had been linked for some time to Sammael, so I can easily see him using his symbol as Taim, either to pin the blame on Sammael for Taim and his betrayals or to make everyone (Rand, Demandred, even Moridin) think that Sammael was behind certain schemes he wanted disassociated from himself. Specifically the attack on the Sun Palace, the hiring of Slayer to kill Rand, and the Shadowspawn attack on Algarin’s manor. “Nevertheless, Sammael, or someone disguised as him, gave orders to Myrddraal, and they obeyed, so it was one of the Chosen” (<em>Knife of Dreams</em>, Chapter 3 “At the Gardens” p. 147). We have been told by Jordan that this ability to gain obedience from Shadowspawn comes from having a special Chosen “mark”. Despite not having evidence that Taim had been raised to the level of Chosen so as to gain such a mark, Taim is a leading contender among those who could have sent the Shadowspawn into the Ways--but this problem goes away if you assume that Taim is a Forsaken in disguise after all…not Demandred, not Moridin, but Be’lal. Similarly, he could have been disguised as Slayer’s “patron of the moment” from <em>Winter’s Heart</em>--whom many thought was either Demandred or Taim. Again, it would be a case of half-right--it was Be’lal, who had also been disguising himself as Taim. Like Demandred, he would have a vested interest in keeping his attempts to kill Rand a secret, not only from Moridin but also Demandred himself. And who better to take the blame in both cases than his poor erstwhile ally/rival Sammael? Demandred’s musings in that scene, that such an attack “sounds like Sammael…perhaps I was mistaken” (p. 148) really tell us nothing either way--with the possibility given to us by Aran’gar that he was a good actor, Demandred could have guessed that his proxy Taim/Be’lal was the one disguising himself as Sammael, or he might still be in the dark but suspicious. Aran’gar’s thoughts about someone “who had begun playing her own game”, coupled with her conclusion that Moridin would be “terribly disappointed over Rand al’Thor” (p. 150) implies she was the one in disguise and hiring Slayer, but posing outright as Sammael to order the Shadowspawn sounds more like something the devious, masterful Netweaver might do. Loony? Yes. Convoluted? You bet, and justifiably so. <strong>Final Thoughts</strong> During his scene in the Heart of the Stone (or, during Taim’s Compelled scene as him, if I am correct), Be’lal actually gives Rand a sporting chance: <blockquote><p>“You came too soon, Lews Therin. Now you must do what you are not yet ready for, or else die…Take it! Once we rode to war side by side, and for that I give you a chance. A bare chance, but a chance to save yourself, a chance to save those three I mean to make my pets. Take the sword, <em>country man</em>. Perhaps it will be enough to help you survive me… Three thousand years, while I lay imprisoned, it has waited there. For you. One of the most powerful <em>sa‘angreal</em> we ever made.” (<em>The Dragon Reborn</em>, Chapter 55 “What is Written in Prophecy” p. 649)</p></blockquote> Aside from showing Be’lal’s keen interest in <em>Callandor</em>, something which also appears, may I note, when Rand first spills the beans about wanting to cleanse the taint to Taim in <em>Lord of Chaos</em>--“‘I think that would take more power than you can imagine.’ His eyes lidded thoughtfully. ‘I have heard of things called <em>sa’angreal</em>. Do you have one you think could actually--” (Chapter 3 “A Woman’s Eyes” p. 114), this also displays an odd kind of twisted honor and chivalry not usually seen among the Forsaken. Then we have this scene after Rand has created the Asha’man ranking and given Taim the pins that enraged him so: <blockquote><p>Abruptly [Rand] realized he was leaning on the table, holding himself up with sagging knees…Shivering, he looked at Taim and was surprised to see concern on the man’s face. "You must hold on," Taim said softly. "If sanity can be held, you must. The price is too high, if you fail." (Chapter 42 “The Black Tower” p. 765)</p></blockquote> The obvious answer as to what this price is, the world and the Pattern if the Dark One wins, could also of course be the price of Be’lal’s failure if he allowed Rand to go mad and die before turning to the Shadow or freeing the Dark One after all dark prophecies had been fulfilled--which could explain his similar reaction to Rand getting ready to break the seal. But of note here is Taim’s odd concern, how despite his rage over the commendations he shows a certain honor toward Rand. Be’lal setting aside the Demandred mask, perhaps, and letting some vestige of their old friendship show through? Secondly, other than Sheriam our only mention in the series of the 13 + 13 trick prior to <em>Towers of Midnight</em> was Liandrin claiming that she and her coven would turn Egwene, Elayne, and Nynaeve. Presumably the information on how to do this came from Mesaana, Be’lal, Ishamael, or even the Dark One himself; Be’lal would also have to have been the one with the clout to summon thirteen Fades to Tear. We know that however disdainful he was of the three girls, he did intend to do the deed; he even implies he intended to turn Moiraine to the Shadow, when she shows up in the Heart of the Stone. (“I will cage you with the others, and teach you to serve the Shadow with your puny powers,” <em>The Dragon Reborn</em>, Chapter 55 “What is Written in Prophecy,” p. 651.) Interesting, then, that the next time we not only hear of the turning trick but actually see the results of it being performed is under Taim at the Black Tower. Coincidence…or Be’lal finally making good on his threats back in book three? There is also the other possibility I should address: that Be’lal truly was balefired and then reborn in a new Saldaean body which was similar but not identical to Taim’s, because of Jordan’s statement that the Dark One could transmigrate a soul killed by balefire if the amount used was very small, coupled with Moiraine’s assertion that she could only balefire a thread back by a few seconds; and that in this new identity he replaced the real Taim after he went through a Cabriana Mecandes-style interrogation and was then slain. If that is the case, it would be highly ironic that Be’lal had previously been involved with Liandrin and Alviarin in freeing Taim, but it would not preclude my chain of reasoning regarding the sigil, the Demandred tells, the links to Sammael, or ‘Taim’ being the one to send the Shadowspawn attack. In fact it makes it even more likely, since this would be the reborn Be’lal adapting his original plan (or Ishamael/Moridin’s) to switch identities by making it literal. A couple last quotes, just for fun: <blockquote><p>"Taim? Keep a watch out for any student who learns too fast. Let me know immediately. One of the Forsaken might try to slip in among the students." "One of the Forsaken!" It was almost a whisper. For the second time, Taim looked shaken, this time well and truly taken aback. (<em>Lord of Chaos</em>, Chapter 3 “A Woman’s Eyes” p. 114)</p></blockquote> Hitting a little too close to home there, Be’lal? <blockquote><p>"Sooner or later you will come up against the Forsaken, following me. Maybe before the Last Battle. Probably before. You don’t seem surprised." "I have heard rumors. They had to break free eventually." (p. 105)</p></blockquote> Between this deliciously sardonic comment, and the irony that Be’lal, as Taim, got to stand in the Royal Palace of Caemlyn, what had once been Rahvin’s base of power, watching the naked Elayne prepare for her sister-bonding ceremony, when Rahvin had tried so hard to have her killed so as to spoke Be’lal’s wheel…Duram Laddel Cham, <em>I read your book!</em> As for Egwene’s dream of Logain stepping over a paper puppet of Rand and laughing, if the theory I have seen is correct that this is actually Taim (because he was a false Dragon and wanted the glory of being the Dragon Reborn), this works even better--since Taim isn’t even Taim, but Be’lal in disguise or reborn. And if the Netweaver is as clever and sophisticated as my theory suggests he is, defeating and killing him should indeed bring Logain much glory.