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1.4.8: Who killed Adeleas and Ispan?

[John S. Hamby, Craig Moe, Andrea Leistra]

This is an attempt at looking at all the facts concerning the murders of Ispan and Adeleas. Here, we present what is known and what can or cannot be concluded from these facts.

General Considerations

Description of the crime scene: "Adeleas lay on her side beside an overturned stool, a cup on the rough wooden floor not far from her outstretched hand. Her eyes stared, and a pool of congealed blood spread out from the deep slash across her throat. Ispan lay on a small cot, staring at the ceiling. Lips drawn back in a rictus bared her teeth, and her bulging eyes seemed full of horror. As well they might have, since a wrist-thick wooden stake stood out from between her breasts. The hammer that had plainly been used to drive it in lay beside the cot, on the edge of a dark stain that ran back under the cot."

Then we get the description of the interior of the hut. "A second three-legged stool, a rough table holding a flickering lamp, a green teapot and a second cup, a rude stone fireplace with cold ash on the hearthstone."

From all this, it certainly seems that the tea was delivered the previous evening. The fire is out; the flickering lamp suggests the oil is running low. That a lamp is burning at all suggests that it was dark outside when the murderer arrived. Though the fact that the two windows are described as tiny might negate this, as a lamp might be needed anytime of the day. However, it seems that the scene is viewed in the light of day and not by the single lamp.

Vandene assumes or directs the line of thought to Ispan being the primary victim. This assumption is presumed because more time was taken to kill Ispan.

Nynaeve makes the assumption that whoever decided to use crimsonthorn did so because they either wanted to make sure that no one came with an antidote or that they wanted one or the other to know who was killing them.

The use of crimsonthorn does indicate two things. First, Adeleas was meant to die. Whether the murder was a hit on Ispan or whether Adeleas' death was the primary goal, a drug is used, in lethal amounts, that Adeleas with her penchant for sweet tea is particularly prone to. This implies that the murderer knew before hand who was guarding Ispan. In fact it might be that the murderer was waiting when Adeleas was by herself with Ispan. This means that the murder was not spontaneous. There was a bit of planning involved.

The second thing that crimsonthorn indicates is that time was not really of the essence. The murderer took her time. It seems possible she knew no one would disturb her that night. (This is also indicated by the method used in killing Ispan: pounding a stake through the heart is not really the quickest way to kill a person.)

Speaking of the stake, the manner of Ispan's death (being staked through the chest) raises some questions. Even if one or both women were immobilized first, pounding a stake through someone is difficult--there's bones and things in the way, not to mention how messy it would be. If the killer did the job up close and personal, she would have been covered in Ispan's blood. There are three possibilities: 1. The killer could not channel, and used physical means (herbs and physical violence) to kill the victims because that was the only way. 2. The killer could channel, and used channeling to make it look like someone who could not did the deed. 3. (Related to #2) The killer could channel and needed to do so because he/she was physically too weak to carry out the deed in the mundane manner. So, there is at least an even chance that the killer was a channeller, and used the OP in Ispan's murder, at least. Unfortunately, this doesn't help much, since most of the suspects (all the Kin, AS, and Windfinders in the party) can channel. [Genevieve Williams, Dave Rothgery]

Who drank the tea?

Adeleas has a cup near her hand. Her body position and the fact she has her throat cut is a definite sign that she fell victim to the tea. But is there anything that really points to Ispan having drank any of it?

We have two cups, yes. But one fell from Adeleas' hand as she presumably fell to the floor. The second cup is on the table still. The reason this sticks out is that the hammer used on Ispan is left by the cot. Yet the cup is on the table by another stool. (Note that this can be explained by positing that the the killer moved Ispan to the cot in order to stake her more easily.)

The effect of the crimsonthorn, as described by Nynaeve, is "A little kills pain. This much... This much kills, but slowly. Even a few sips would be enough. They might have remained conscious for hours. Not able to move, but aware."

This suggests that perhaps Ispan did not drink any tea. How is this possible? Quite simple. Whoever killed the two could channel. The drug was used to take out Adeleas. In fact, it was tailored to take her out. With Adeleas out of the way, the shield around Ispan would disappear, no? Well, not if the murderer was a channeller herself (we can all agree that the murderer is most likely female). Ispan is always kept shielded.

So the only scenario that lets Ispan's murderer be a non-channeller is this: A non-Aes Sedai that Adeleas would take tea from brings tea to the hut, then leaves. Adeleas would not sit and drink tea while guarding Ispan with someone who was not a sister hovering around the hut. The murderer waits outside the hut for the tea to take effect on Adeleas. So in order for Ispan to also be incapacitated a couple of things would have to have happened.

One is that Adeleas gives tea to Ispan and then drinks some herself. Ispan is now drugged and so is Adeleas. Murderer enters and does the deed.

Two, Adeleas can still channel while drugged. She maintains the shield while the murderer enters and forces Ispan to drink the tea while still shielded. Then the killer drives the stake through Ispan's heart and slits Adeleas' throat. A variation on the above is that even if drugged, Adeleas can channel the whole time, but is somehow locked into the shield and Ispan is killed. Not until the stake is completely driven through does the murderer turn to Adeleas.

All these scenarios seem a bit unlikely. Ispan is Black Ajah. I don't see Adeleas sitting down and sharing a cup of tea with her. (Consider the vehemence with which the other Aes Sedai in the series react to the idea of the BA.) So how is Ispan kept helpless if Adeleas loses the ability to channel when the drug takes hold? We're assuming that either the drug incapacitates the ability to channel or Adeleas was so far gone under the influence of the drug that it did not matter by the time the murders took place.

Furthermore the differences in Adeleas and Ispan's bodies might go beyond the way in which each was killed. Adeleas clearly was under the influence of the drug. Yet Ispan's countenance clearly shows the ability to move her face and feel pain. Her eyes bulge and her lips are drawn back. If Adeleas is so far gone into the drug that all she can do is stare while her throat is being cut, how come Ispan is able to show such reaction; not just in terms of horror but to physically show it as well? (Especially since crimsonthorn is a painkiller.)

So it is quite possible that if whoever killed the two could channel, that Adeleas was the only one drugged. Shields can be woven-off and left in place. They can also be passed from one person to another.

One thing we do know is that Vandene is either the killer or she was not a part of the shield when Adeleas was killed. Otherwise she would have felt something was wrong-- she certainly would have noticed when Adeleas died.

So assume for a moment that Vandene is not the murderer. That means that Adeleas was capable of maintaining the shield by herself. So it might also indicate that Adeleas was stronger than Ispan, or even that once in place the shield could be maintained by anyone.

So the use of crimsonthorn does not prove that the killer was a non-channeller and there is indication that maybe the drug was not used on Ispan at all and thus increases the odds of a channeller's involvement.

The Suspects

Non-Channellers

• Jaem - Could he be the murderer and Vandene not be BA? While it could be possible the two worked together, it's hard to see Jaem acting on his own, not to mention Vandene would have noticed something.

• Pol - as a servant of Merilille's she is the most likely suspect for the single-killer theory. Yet would Adeleas take tea from even her? The problems of being a non-channeller of course exist assuming Ispan did not drink the tea. Also from Ispan's facial expression I don't think we can rule out the possibility of no sound whatsoever. If Adeleas can no longer channel because she is either dead or drugged, then regardless of the problems of Ispan (assuming the drug was used on Ispan), there is the risk of detection. How much sound does a stake being driven through the heart make? And if Ispan is able to show expression might a whimper, a cry or even a scream be completely out of the question? Also there is the time issue. Whoever did this knew they had the time for the tea to take affect and then do the actual killings. Would a maid know that she could remain undisturbed or at least undetected? Would a non-channeller have the courage to do this task among so many channellers without the ability herself? Note that when Forkroot is introduced it is the first time that the ability to channel is mentioned as being inhibited by a drug. So Crimsonthorn is not definitely something that is shown to rob a channeller of this ability. And even Forkroot which left Nynaeve and Elayne paralyzed allowed them to make sounds.

One argument says that even if the ability was there despite the crimsonthorn, the common belief shared by most Aes Sedai concerning the connections between channeling and gesturing would mean that once paralyzed Adeleas could not channel to defend herself, since she could not move. But this would mean a foreknowledge of this and I think once again points away from any non-channeller as the killer.

So while possible I think that it is a bit more improbable that any non-channeller could have done the deed.

Channelling Suspects

• Any Windfinder - Given that the state of affairs between the Aes Sedai and the Windfinders, the fact that Adeleas trusted this person enough to take tea from her eliminates any of these women.
• The Kin - As a general group, the fact that the Aes Sedai consider the Kin to be so far beneath them, and the general poor relations between the two groups indicate that they fit the same category as the Windfinders.
• Asra - This is the Kinswoman who originally attracted El and Ny's attention in Ebou Dar. In one of the showdowns between the Kin and the AS, Asra seems almost intent on starting a riot. [TPOD: 28, Crimsonthorn, 544] The murder needn't even have been BA-related; Asra might have been fearful/upset over Adeleas' decree that Tower runaways among the Kin should be disciplined and forced to become Novices again. [TPOD: 28, Crimsonthorn, 542]. [Bill Brooks]. However, these reasons also show that there is little likelihood that Adeleas would trust Asra enough to take tea from her.
• Kirstian - now in novice white it is possible that she would take the opportunity to do away with either Ispan or Adeleas. She did volunteer herself. She also is quite strong so maintaining the shield etc., would be no problem.
• Garenia - Same as above. As a novice in Adeleas' eyes, it might be conceivable that Adeleas would send her for tea. She is very strong in the One Power as well.
• Reanne - It is possible that as the head of the Kin Adeleas would trust her but the idea of Reanne killing Adeleas is rather implausible. Still, because of the tea thing, she is a more likely suspect than say Chilares or Famelle or even most other Kin.
• Alise - Everyone seems to do what this woman wants. So she too is a little more likely than most other Kin.

However, it takes a bit of a leap to assume that any level of trust would exist between Aes Sedai and any of the Kin, especially in the wake of the "we are many and they are few" business. So like the Windfinders I think the Kin are very low on the lists of suspects.

Aes Sedai:

• Vandene - Certainly she looks the most guilty. She knows what Ispan has said and she knows what Ispan has not said. More importantly she has an idea of what her sister may be thinking or be on the verge of figuring out. Furthermore, Vandene was the other person in charge of Ispan, yet it is Lan that discovers the two bodies. Exactly when was Vandene going to check up on her sister? And what about the way the shield is described when the two first question her in [TPOD: 4, A Quiet Place, 105] Certainly Vandene could not be innocent and a part of the shielding at the same time. Yet it raises the question of the timing of the deaths if it was Vandene. Why now? Certainly if Vandene is BA she would know what if anything Ispan could reveal. More on Vandene as a suspect later.
• Careane - The weakest of the Aes Sedai. This would make the use of crimsonthorn to eliminate Adeleas pretty important. In fact of the AS (excluding Elayne and Nynaeve), Careane is also the only sister whose strength we know in terms of comparison to the others. Problem is that Careane has at least two Warders. True, both could be Darkfriends. But I think this is a stumbling block that at this point is rather hard to step over. One little note- Careane is the one who does not hide her face enough and sets the Kin farm on its ear. A bit odd since Aes Sedai seem to be quite adept at keeping the one identifying trait under wraps. She could have been trying to create a panic? Or was she trying to show her face to a DF among the Kin? Of course it might be that she was just stupid.
• Sareitha - Not much known about her. There are a total of five Warders among the five sisters. Adeleas has none. Vandene has one. Careane has more than one but the number is not known, so Sareitha could have a Warder. If she does not, which is quite likely since she was raised to the shawl only three years ago, then Careane has at least three warders. Besides sharing her Ajah, little seems to indicate that Sareitha has any ties to Adeleas that would indicate her as the murderer.
• Merilille - Perhaps most damning is the fact that it is possible that she was picked by the Gray Ajah to lead the Salidar delegation. And of course Delana as a Salidar Gray Sitter who is also BA may have played a major role in picking her. Of course that raises the question of why send a BA to Ebou Dar? The Shadow does know of the possible cache of angreal even if the Bowl of Winds is not yet a goal. Also notice that Tylin is rather upset with the way Merilille has handled matters until Nynaeve and Elayne show up and tell the truth. So perhaps she is sent to keep the local ruler from coming to an accomodation with the Salidar group. Certainly add an unhappy ruler to an independent nobility plus the constant threat of Whitecloaks and you would pretty much hamper Salidar from any sort of effectiveness. On the other hand, she could just be incompetent.

Of the Aes Sedai, then, Careane and Merilille stand out as the most obvious of the non-obvious killers-- Vandene, of course, being the obvious.

One problem with any of the Salidar Aes Sedai being the killer is that they didn't try to prevent the finding and use of the Bowl and didn't steal it and the rest of the goodies afterwards. However, since the AS are a very hierarchical organization (and the BA follows that pattern), and since the Shadow hierarchy was rather disorganised at the time the embassy was sent (all the Forsaken scheming for themselves), some low-level BA in the Salidar embassy to Ebou Dar might not have been informed of the importance of the Bowl, and would have just followed orders to stick with the party and spy/whatever.

The Prime Suspect: Vandene

Arguments in Favor of Vandene Being the Killer

• She isn't dead. She and Adeleas are nearly inseparable; it's asking a bit much for her to be out just when her sister and their prisoner are killed, and to stay gone for the entire time. If someone had been sent to kill Adeleas and Vandene because they learned something they shouldn't, she'd be dead now as well.

• The interrogation of Ispan proceeded in a rather unorthodox fashion. [TPOD: 4, A Quiet Place, 109]: "Then another use hit [Elayne], and suddenly the silence from within was more ominous than any shrieks that ward would contain." This other use may simply be, as Elayne supposes, to prevent screams from being heard. However, it's also quite likely that Vandene wants to prevent anyone from hearing what really goes on because it's not what's supposed to be happening.

  [TPOD: 6, Threads, 137]: "Adeleas and Vandene brought out Ispan between them, firmly shielded and the leather sack back over her head. She walked quite easily, and nothing visible said that anything at all had been done to her, except....Ispan kept her hands folded at her waist, never so much as trying to raise the sack for a peek, and when she was boosted into a saddle, she held out her wrists to be corded to the pommel without being told. If she was that amenable, perhaps they had learned something from her. Elayne did not want to contemplate how the learning might have been achieved."

• She [Vandene] is unnaturally calm following Adeleas' death:

  [TPOD: 28, Crimsonthorn, 546]: "Vandene's eyes remained on her sister, calm in a face of Aes Sedai serenity."

  (same page): "Her voice sounded serenity itself, but small wonder if that was a mask."

  "Elayne gasped at the brutality, but Vandene simply nodded."

  [TPOD: 28, Crimsonthorn, 547]: "The calm of her made Elayne's skin crawl."

  (after the funeral): "Vandene...appeared as serene as she had at Adeleas' graveside."

  Not only does she not mourn, except for one wail after the others have left, but she isn't even surprised by the deaths.

• She had access to Adeleas and Ispan without attracting comment or notice, and could have had reason to kill them now -- perhaps her identity as Black had been/was about to be revealed, or other important Black secrets would be revealed by Ispan -- rather than at some other time. Vandene's comment that Adeleas wouldn't take tea from somebody she didn't trust makes sense, and anybody unusual wandering around the interrogation site at night would surely attract suspicion from Adeleas, so the killer must have been somebody she knew well. (OTOH, if Vandene is the killer, why would she point this out?)

• The difference in how Ispan and Adeleas died. Ispan was tortured brutally, while Adeleas was killed quickly. This suggests that the killer may have had some sympathy for Adeleas and not for Ispan, since it's unlikely that a random Darkfriend murderer with time on her hands would take the time to feed Adeleas the crimsonthorn tea and then merely slit her throat.

• Possible previous misdeeds: Someone warded that Draghkar that attacked Moiraine in TGH, at Adeleas and Vandene's place.

In defense of Vandene

• Why were the inseparable sisters suddenly separated? Remember that this is a procession towards Caemlyn, and traveling across Andor takes up most of the day. Aes Sedai have to sleep as well, and since the two obviously didn't trust anyone else with Ispan, no matter how meek she had become, it makes sense that the pair would alternate interrogation duties. Hence Vandene's absence when Adeleas complains about runaways amongst the Kin.

• How could Vandene remain so calm? RJ has quite a few characters retain public composure only to grieve in private. Siuan waited months to mourn the death of her warder, and Elayne never publicly grieved for the death of her mother. Aes Sedai are famed for such composure, and it is certainly in character for Vandene, who has taken a Draghkar's attack, Elayne's usurping the Ebou Dari delegation, the Kin, a gholam and the Seanchan all in stride, to react similarly when faced with her sister's death. Furthermore, as Sandy Armstrong points out, one could take Vandene's composure as a sign that she didn't kill Adeleas. If she was covering something up she'd try to make it plain to everyone else that she was extremely upset.

  Rebuttal: Siuan's grieving was postponed due to her other problems: being stilled, being tortured, being a refugee with Logain for company. Elayne hasn't had confirmation that her mom is dead; she's slowly come to the realization that her mom is most likely dead over an extended period of time. Not to mention, this doesn't explain why Vandene didn't show any sort of shock or surprise when her sister was found with her throat slit.

• But this explains who warded the Draghkar so simply. Of course, before TPOD we already had a simple answer: Liandrin, a known Black Ajah, who mysteriously disappeared soon after Moiraine. She's much more likely to have been behind the attack than Vandene, who had left Moiraine in the study moments earlier, with no idea she was about to go outside. Not to mention, Vandene's Warder, Jaem, would have to be a DF, too, and he helped Lan save Moiraine.

  Rebuttal: That wouldn't matter much. The Draghkar could have been lying in wait on the valid assumption that Moiraine would go outside eventually. Warded, the Draghkar would not have had to fear being sensed. [Vic Stallion] Furthermore, it's not very likely that Liandrin could manage to trail Moiraine without Lan noticing. As for Jaem, he could still be a DF. Note that Lan was conveniently off working the forms in the barn with Jaem in TGH, rather than by Moiraine's side. When Lan rushed off to save Moiraine, Jaem would have had to follow suit, or give the secret away.

Further arguments against Vandene being the killer, and counter-arguments

• How could she have avoided revealing her identity as Black to Adeleas for all these years?

  Counter-argument: This is exactly the sort of thing all Black sisters have to do -- conceal their identity from close scrutiny for centuries. It may not always be from a biological relative, but that doesn't make it any different.

• Her grief seemed genuine. (Her cry of anguish after Elayne left.)

  Counter-argument: See above. If she's not damn good at faking this sort of thing, she'd have been found out long ago. Besides, she could have been issued orders to kill anyone who discovered particular information, or that she was Black, so that she had to kill Adeleas even if she regretted doing so.

• Since the attack was directed at Ispan, why would Vandene kill her sister in such an equally violent manner?

  Counter-argument: Adeleas was not killed in an equally violent manner. Both victims were drugged, but Adeleas's throat was cleanly cut. Ispan was impaled with a wooden stake.

• How could two people so close they could finish one another's sentences end up on opposite sides of an ideological spectrum?

  Counter-argument: The fact that Adeleas chose the Brown Ajah and Vandene the Green shows that, although they thought alike in a lot of ways, they didn't think alike in every way. [Vic Stallion]

Other thoughts on Vandene as the killer

• There may have been something up between Ispan and both of the Senior Twins. Clues are that both sisters participated in the behind-closed-doors "interrogation" of Ispan, which proved fruitless, and that Ispan seemed to become upset when she thought that Elayne and Nynaeve might do the interrogation, rather than Adeleas and Vandene [TPOD: 4, A Quiet Place, 107]. [Jonathan Vaught]

• It is possible that Vandene did kill Adeleas and Ispan, but that she is not BA. Perhaps Adeleas was BA, and Vandene discovered this somehow through Ispan's questioning. She may have killed Adeleas and Ispan to prevent Adeleas' good name from being ruined, and to spare her the humiliation and pain of stilling and execution.

Motive: Why kill one or both?

This was a precedent set down with the killings of Amico and Joiya. But there are some pretty major differences. Amico and Joiya both actually gave out information. Amico told where Liandrin and crew went. And Joiya told about the BA freeing Taim (although that may have been a lie). Ispan has not revealed anything important, as far as we know.

Joiya's and Amico's deaths were also incidental. Someone took advantage of the attack on Rand and the Stone to kill them. Chances are had Rand not been attacked, the two would not have been killed when they were. There really was no risk involved. Killing Ispan and Adeleas, though, reveals that there is a DF/BA among them. The killer tipped their hand. So something must have forced them to do this.

Joiya and Amico also were on their way to the Tower. Certainly the risk of revealing anything of import ran much higher if those two actually made it there. So removing them when the chance presented itself certainly makes sense.

But if Ispan was the main target why now? Why not before if she is a threat? Also consider that if the killer is BA herself, then she would certainly know how much a threat Ispan is and how much a threat she is not. There certainly has been time before this to kill Ispan.

Also look at Katerine and Falion. While Falion's death by wicked keg-bong might be imminent, it is not definite. And Katerine is allowed to escape and presumably live. So death is not the automatic sentence for BA who screw up. Certainly Ispan's escape could have been managed as easily as Katerine's. After all, Katerine's escape pretty much reveals her to be BA, whereas Ispan is already known to be. Her escape certainly poses no risks to the killer that killing her did not.

So was Ispan the prime victim? Perhaps not. Adeleas could have been the one intended to die all along. Whoever did it wants Adeleas dead. Knows she will be alone with Ispan so takes tea laced with a poison specifically chosen for Adeleas' liking for sweet tea. Of course once Adeleas is down Ispan is killed. Regardless of being a fellow BA, the Killer has revealed her identity to another. So Ispan takes a stake through the heart. The killer eliminates a witness, a possible rival and throws off the scent that Adeleas was the intended victim. Note that this line of reasoning could be applied the other way around: Adeleas could have been killed because she was a witness.

So why kill Adeleas? Well, Adeleas discovered two former novices. Garenia, who was in the Tower seventy years ago. She was a novice with Careane. Also seventy years ago both Namelle sisters were present. From Joline's comment about Merilille being an instructor, it is highly likely that she too was in the Tower at the time. Kirstian, on the other hand, left the Tower three hundred years ago. It seems a bit of a stretch that she would possess any knowledge that could reveal one of the sisters to be a liar and/or BA.

One thing that seems to indicate Adeleas as the intended victim is that even if Vandene is not the killer, someone went a bit of trouble to get rid of Adeleas. The poison was designed for her in a sense. It was her watch. And if Ispan was a threat, then surely if Vandene was not the killer she could pose a threat as well. If Ispan was the victim then both Adeleas and Vandene should be removed just in case. This strengthens the case against Vandene.

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