Welcome back to my re-read, recap, and reaction to Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. This post will only have spoilers through the current chapter.
You can find my previous chapter recaps HERE.
Chapter 40: The Wheel Weaves
NOTE: The following chapter summary comes rom wot.fandom.com
Point of view: Nynaeve al’Meara
Nynaeve ducks into an alley with Uno and Ragan, hoping to avoid Galad who was following her. Galad finds her though and faces down Uno and Ragan. Nynaeve agrees to let him approach so they can talk. As she asks questions he mentions Salidar and Nynaeve suddenly remembers that that is the name of the village where the Rebel Aes Sedai are gathering. Galad offers to find a ship for her even though she didn’t ask. Nynaeve finally decides to trust Galad will not betray them to the Whitecloaks (but only because they are not currently in Amadicia, where channelers are outlawed). He believes Nynaeve promised they would head to Caemlyn, but she avoided making any promises on where they would go. Galad asks after Egwene, but Nynaeve will only say that she is far from Ghealdan.
Galad leaves and the others head back to the menagerie with Nynaeve pondering what to do with Uno and Ragan. They agree to go with her and Elayne, bringing the rest of the Shienarans that aren’t committed to Masema. Elayne and Birgitte join her and let her know she caused a lot of worry, leaving without telling anyone where or why. Nynaeve relates the events from the town until they stop at the place where she and Birgitte will perform. Nynaeve is still apprehensive over being a human target. Birgitte bullies her into taking her place at one end of the green. Suddenly the arrows start arriving, outlining her body. Nynaeve’s screams rise higher and higher with each one.
REACTION:
Birgitte outlines her body with arrows. I was happy to read Nynaeve’s inner monologue worrying over sneezing and coughing because the possibility of hat is exactly why I wouldn’t ever volunteer for her task, regardless of the money. I mean, can you really trust yourself not to sneeze when you’re outside and around hundreds of people and animals?
This is also one of those things wherein Nynaeve will be berating herself for cowardice – and the fact she is screaming – while everyone else is in awe of her courage. Even the people laughing would also have to be in awe.
Nynaeve meets up with Galad. We learn he joined the Whitecloaks because Siuan did not take his and Gawyn’s frustration over the SuperGirls’ disappearance seriously enough to ease that concern. Could she really not have brought them in? I feel like she could have.
Galad is still romantically interested in Egwene, too. I suppose he knows that’s not an option, though he seems pretty good at ignoring contraditions when he wants to do so. Whitecloaks do not want Aes Sedai to live, so marrying one would be, uh, more than frowned up.
Nynaeve finally remembers that the rebel Aes Sedai are gathering in Salidar. She also gathered up a bunch of Shienaran soldiers. I’d guess that these Borderlanders are about to join Gareth Bryne’s army even if they don’t know it yet.
Jordan gives us an awesome line illustrating Nynaeve’s lack of self-awareness in this chapter.
“Men always seemed to think violence could solve anything. If she had had a stout stick, she would have thumped all three of them about the shoulders until they saw reason.”
It’s even better that this line occurs right in the middle of her annoyance with “that little voice in her head” reminding her of her own pride, failures, bad decisions, etc. Personally, I find her contradictions endearing. Jordan seems to really take to heart William Faulkner’s advice on writing:
“The only thing worth writing about is the human heart in conflict with itself.” Nearly all of his characters are written in this way.
I chortled when Elayne relayed to Nynaeve that Luca now believes Nynaeve likes “rough men” and the Wisdom’s realization as to what he meant. I laughed more when Elayne was shocked by Nynaeve’s experiences in town. The Wheel Weaves is a good chapter title here because it was a very Rand-ish / ta’veren type thing that just happened. Jordan’s “wheel / thread” metaphysics is excellent for “the plot needs this to happen.” Either way, that whole exchange hit its peak with Elayne repeatedly calling Nynaeve a fool and Nynaeve thinking that she was prepared to slap Elayne silly, even if he couldn’t bring herself to do it to Birgitte. (I guess the fact she is considering it means she’s recovering from what happened to Birgitte and her role in that.)
So now they’ve got Masema and Galad looking for a ship to get them out of Samara. Moggy is lurking around somewhere. And Nynaeve finally knows to where they need to flee. The board is set. The pieces are moving. An explosion is imminent.
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