RJ really screwed with us this time didn't he? So Taim certainly is working for Demandred, or with, but who has Demandred been this whole time?

And one more thing, when Rand was chasing down the 4 rebel asha'man in book nine, the second one to die (his name eludes me) is thinking to himself right before Fain kills him and remarks that he recieved oreders from both Taim and Demandred. RJ really had me going until this book.

I agree with you all that Taim is probably not Demandred, but the question then is, "who is Taim?" Bashere wasn't convinced that the Taim we all know and love is the same one he met in Saldaea before Rand proclaimed himself....

One more thing. It may be nothing but the voices inside Rands head seem to go crazy when other male channelers are around him, even to the point of trying to take over Rand and make him attack him. If you read closely you will notice that the male channelers that LTT goes really crazy over are the ones who in the future attack or oppose him. Does this mean that Rand has some sort of male channeler/darkfriend alert through LTT inside his head?

I didn't know where to put this so I'm giving it to you. Nobody seems to have mentioned the Myrrdrall and the Dreadlords ability to turn anyone who can channel to the side of the DO. I agree that Taim is not Demandred, but he's definitely acting like a dreadlord, and so I think Taim was turned. When he was apparently freed by his followers before he got to the White Tower, well, that was Demandred and some Black Sisters with some Mydrral (I can't spell that, for some reason). This would explain why Bashere doesn't really beleive it's Taim for awhile. He must not have always been a Darkfriend.

wow someone who has me theory about the BA's plan for Taim