The Wheel of Time Int
THE WHEEL OF TIME INT. PALACE - DAY Sunset casts red light and long shadows through the spacious windows, shattered, glass shards strewn on tile floors sullied with dark stains: mud, soot, blood. LEWS THERIN Ilyena? Enter LEWS THERIN, the master of the house, tall and broad shouldered, his flowing hair streaked with too much grey, aged beyond his years from worry. He is dressed formally, as if for a party. LEWS THERIN Where are you, my love? His long stride carries him into what was once a hallway, where a blasted hole gapes out over a horrific vista: The sprawling city in the valley below Lews Therin's mansion is ablaze. Black dots scurry like so many frenzied ants, fleeing the carnage, but the flames are everywhere. The earth shudders and groans, the walls of the palace wavering, but Lews Therin stands still, like a veteran sailor on a choppy sea. Lews Therin looks for a moment, dazed, his mouth moving silently and he whispers to himself. He turns and moves on, stepping over the rubble. Beneath it, a lifeless human arm protrudes, unnoticed. LEWS THERIN Ilyena, our guests will be arriving soon! He passes a doorway into a grand hall. The staircase dominating the room ascends to a mezzanine which circles the walls. The rug over the marble floor is red, and at the foot of the staircase, in resplendent thread-of-gold, a serpentine beast with four legs is worked into the fabric. Red banners drape the walls. He hurries up the stairs, grinning mischievously. LEWS THERIN Are you and the children playing a game? Hiding from me? Come out! Come out and we'll invite our guests to join in! Lews Therin pushes through double doors, engraved with winged serpents, into the master suite.
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