Date: 2005-09-03
Type: Verbatim
Location: Atlanta, GA
Reporter: Matt Hatch
Here is a report of the questions we were able to ask Jordan during the book signings over the last few days. There is too much to report, but this should be a good slice of information for everyone to chew on.
Questions by Isabel at Book Signing:
Since you said Galad fancied Nynaeve first. But in The Great Hunt I thought he fancied Egwene first because he asked Egwene for a walk in the garden.
Galad just thought Egwene was pretty and that it would be nice to walk with her. (Harriet added that it doesn’t always have to be love at first sight.)
I wanted to ask RJ some more about the Galad fancied Nynaeve thing. I searched up the quotes in book two that pointed to Egwene. (Didn’t have three with me and no good access to internet or my notes.) With this answer I really think there are much more relations and mistaken thought by characters than we thought. Gawyn thought Galad fancied Egwene, remember…And not all quotes are what they seem to be. I think 90 percent of the people or even more just assumed the Elayne quote was a mistake. I certainly did!!!
Questions by Isabel at Book Signing, 9/4/05:
Nynaeve was born with the spark, right?
Yes.
Because yesterday there was a question about Learners…somebody who is not born with the spark, but is born with the ability to learn, could they begin channeling unconsciously?
No, they could not, they would have to make a conscious effort. They could make a conscious effort without a teacher and maybe succeed, but without a teacher they’ve got a very small chance of actually doing it.
Someone (on the internet) has mentioned that you met them in a restroom, and you told them who killed Asmodean.
No, I did not.
Questions WSB Asked at Book Signing, 9/3/05:
Do the Finns inhabit a perpendicular world?
No, it is a parallel world.
Does the physical location of the world of Finns have anything to do with the bells ringing when the ta’veren were in together?
No.
Have the Finns existed as long as the Wheel?
Yes.
Do they have souls?
Yes.
Are the Finns from human stock?
No.
Did they originate in their current location?
Yes.
Are they related to Tel’aran’rhiod or do they control Tel’aran’rhiod ?
No.
Questions WSB asked at Book Signing, 9/4/05:
Is Shaidar Haran an avatar to the world beyond the Bore?
I am not certain you can really call him an avatar because I generally think of an avatar as having exactly the same powers as, and it is not, Shaidar Haran does not have nearly as much power as the Dark One. It’s as though the Dark One is able to project a shadowy form of himself into this creature. It is the Dark One in shadowy form.
Is it twenty-four seven, or just part time?
Twenty-four seven.
Ohh.
Shaidar Haran has another life in the suburbs.
Yeah, he has two and half little fades running around.
He has to go home for the weekend to cut the grass. I don’t think so.
How old is Taim and has he slowed?
Taim has slowed, but one thing I am not going to reveal it in the books, so I’ll tell you, men slow later than women do. And yes, he has slowed, and he is in his late twenties, yes his late twenties.
Questions Tam asked at Book Signing, 9/3/05?
You have been killing my theories left and right since I got here.
I have always thought that the small whimper of a theory as it dies is a beautiful sound.
(General laughter all around.)
Ouch. Okay, now that you have killed my black cord theory, are the oaths and covenants Forsaken make with the Dark One necessary for the Dark One to transmigrate a soul?
They are not necessary, but he is not likely to do it for anyone who hasn’t done, who hasn’t sworn to him.
He doesn’t have access to all souls to be able to grab any soul?
No, no, no. Because of the Bore and the fact that the bore is best perceived, the Bore doesn’t really exist in Shayol Ghul, the Bore exists everywhere, it’s simply in Shayol Ghul where it can be perceived most easily. By the same token he has greater access to people at Shayol Ghul than he does elsewhere, or did, and uh, that’s, when you know, Rahvin died, Rahvin is balefired out of time, slain out of time, cannot be reached, gone. Be’lal, (names someone else).
Well, then is there something unique about the Forsaken other than the fact that they are his favorites that he would transmigrate them, or be able to?
Well, he would have been a lot less likely to in an earlier time when they were a lot of powerful knowledgeable channelers who were in his service. Essentially half the people in the world who could channel were on his side, during the War of the Shadow. Now he has very few, he’s got the Black Ajah, and a few wilders, and some stuff I ain’t going in to, but uh he doesn’t have a lot, but he can’t afford to waste assets.
Okay.
Have you started writing the next book already?
In a sort of desultory way, working, the week after I handed in the final manuscript, and sent it off to New York, I started working half day here, three quarter day there, a half day again.
Well, I am hoping for that fifteen hundred page book.
It may be—I am not saying it will be that big—and I will fight them doing a George R.R Martin on me.
Yeah, please do.
Yeah, where’s your hat? Your little, in your picture, I was really looking forward to seeing the hat.
I didn’t bring the black one this time, I brought a brown one. I thought it might get rained on a lot.
I was really looking forward to the hat.
Questions asked by Tamyrlin at Book Signing, 9/4/05
The Finns reside in a Parallel World, is that correct?
Yes.
Okay, so are Parallel Worlds and Mirror Worlds the same thing?
No, they are different.
Okay, well then do Parallel Worlds have their own reflections?
Possibly.
Did Lanfear get the opportunity to ask the Finns, to make a wish, after going through the doorway with Moiraine?
Read and find out.
Okay, well, then did Moiraine get the opportunity to make a wish?
Read and find out.
I just remembered one question I asked RJ. And I thought I didn’t include it. I asked if Calian and Shivan are born at the end of every Age.
As far as I remember the answer was yes. ;)
I think I also asked if they are already born, but that must have been a RAFO. :)
Not very interesting, but perhaps another Theorylander was with me at that time. ;) (I thought I didn’t include it [in an earlier report], but I am not 100 percent sure. :p )
Did Lanfear and Verin have any contact, and if not did Verin give Egwene the ter’angreal of her own free will?
Yeah she gave it with her own free will and choice. And no contact between Lanfear and Verin.
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