why hasen't rand killed taim yet?

[billoumm7]

taim is a darkfriend (dreadlord) if not one of the forsaken, and rand knows this, so why hasen't rand brought the power of the rest of the world down on this traitor yet after the 11th book?

[Majsju]

Rand does not know that Taim is a DF. Not even Logain, who is the one trying to get rand to start paying attention to Taims doings, has any evidence of Taim being a DF, only that Taim is acting on his own agenda. When Logain is bringing the topic up, Rand does not seem to want to believe him.

[Kadere]

Plus Rand believes he has much bigger fish to fry then Taim when it comes to the Seanchan.

 

Since Rand's massive defeat/victory by the Seanchan, he's been attacked by the Asha'man, but he has no reason to believe that was due to Taim. So he goes into hiding from the Forsaken and his other enemies, when he's found in Far Madding he decides to go cleanse the Taint since that's FAR more important then just about anything else that he could do at that point. That sucks out so much energy from him that he's now spent the last month or so resting in Tear, plotting how he can make the Seanchan pay for what they did. He learns that the Daughter of the Nine Moons is a Seanchan leader and he knows, according to the prophecies, that he has to make her bend the knee. Plus he knows from the Finns that the only way he can win the Last Battle is to join the north and the east with the west and the south.

 

So when Logain shows up and says he has to deal with Taim cause Taim's acting kind of funny and apparently has his own aggenda, Rand puts that far down on his list of things to accomplish. Joining Randland and defeating the Seanchan so he can win Tarmon Gai'don is whole lot more important then whatever Taim is cooking up. Or so he thinks.  ;)

[Jehaine]

Plus, he knows Taim is strong. Regardless of what his motives are, he's training people for Rand's army, which is still a hell of a lot better than having him switch sides altogether.

 

Still, it should be fun to see Rand's reaction when he learns Mat's effectively the Seanchan Emperor.

 

(in case this isn't true: hush. I haven't read that far yet) ;D

[marcbreault]

Taim has something none of the other forsaken really have yet, namely, people who are willing to work together with him.  One of the weaknesses of the forsaken is they tend to work alone.  This is most evident at the end of book 9 (if you haven't read that far yet, skip the rest of this).  When the taint is cleansed, Rand's allies (Cadsuane & co.) work together while the forsaken attack individually.  They don't even link together or work together.  Taim is different.  He is in charge of a group of men who are loyal to him and will work as a team.  This is much harder to deal with than people acting on their own.

 

Taim does have a problem, though.  He cannot openly proclaim his allegence to the shadow or many in the Black Tower will turn against him.  Rand has the advantage of people being loyal to the light because it is the light, without necessarily being loyal to Rand himself.  Also, Rand does not always need to promise people anything.  Many work with him simply because it is the side of light.  So Rand can afford to keep the Black Tower going for a while because no matter how evil Taim is, he cannot get everyone to serve him and Taim cannot openly oppose Rand or he will lose many.

 

The balance between light and dark is, in my opinion, one of the most brilliant things Jordan has crafted in this series.  Both sides have weaknesses and both sides have to be very careful.

[Guest Dreadlord]

Rand suspects Taim. The reason he hasn't done anything yet is because he wanted to do something unexpected-theres the situation with Taim, and at the same time the Shadow were trying to get the Seals. Rand asked someone (Bashere?) "If an enemy offers you two targets???" and Bashere replied "Strike a third."

 

So in other words he thinks Taim/the Shadow are waiting for him to attack Taimj, so hes waiting for a bit first is the way I see it

[Luckers]

On what basis do you suggest that Rand suspects Taim? From what I remember i've seen no sign of that suspicion.

 

 

[oosquaiaddict]

I wouldnt be surprised if Rand suspects Taim at this point, even if he hasnt come out and said it. Rand's not exactly a trusting sort at this point in the storyand after the tries on his life by Taims favoured students at the palace in Cairhien, and in Far Madding Id be shocked if Rand wasnt suspicous given his general paranoia.

 

I'm not sure if there was anything explicit, but I'm pretty sure that given Rands character, he would be suspicious.

[Majsju]

There is quite a difference between being suspicious in general, and have specific suspections. Rands suspicions regarding Taim comes from his "Trust noone" attitude we have seen growing. The conversation between Rand and Logain in KOD shows that there is nothing deeper to it. After all, Rand even accuses Logain of having a personal interest in painting Taim as a villain.

[trakand_01]

I think Rand has taken the viewpoint that yes maybe Taim is a little suspicious, but at least Rand knows that. 'Better the Devil you know' and all that. Although I dont think Rand understands how dubious Taim is.

 

Also, to a certain extent Rand needs Taim - he doesnt have time to run the BT himself, and as far as he is aware, Taim is, in his own way, following orders.

[Guest durram laddel cham]

I don't have the books with me so I don't have a quote, but in WH when Rand and Lan are going to kill two other Asha'man( but they find Toram Riatin and Fain ) one of them mentious something like: "the M'Hael will kill us if we don't succeed " or something like that.

with that said wouldn't Rand also link one of those asha'man with Taim?

[trakand_01]

I don't have the books with me so I don't have a quote, but in WH when Rand and Lan are going to kill two other Asha'man( but they find Toram Riatin and Fain ) one of them mentious something like: "the M'Hael will kill us if we don't succeed " or something like that.

with that said wouldn't Rand also link one of those asha'man with Taim?

 

That was interesting actually because they were an illusion, the example you've given. Rand and Lan in Far Madding went to kill the two Asha'men who, along with Dashiva and Taim, attacked him in Cairhein.  They have to use brute force to kill them because Rand cannot channel in Far Madding.

 

They wait to see the men go into the apartment (above a pie shop, i think?) and then Nynaeve lifts them up onto the roof, and they drop in through a skylight. As soon as they get in the room they find the two Asha'men dead, all black and swollen, obviously killed by Fain's dagger. Rand's not stupid, he knows what killed them. They open the door and find Fain and Riatin, Lan goes for Riatin, Fain flies at Rand.

 

Fain lures Rand to the top of the stairs (fleeing I think, or else hoping to push him down them) and conjures up an illusion of the two (dead) Asha'man walking up the stairs, talking. They say something to the ilk of what you mentioned, but Rand knows it's an illusion, meant to distract him so that Fain can lunge with the dagger. They disappear and he turns to Fain but Fain flees. Rand and Lan make out of the apartment via the same way they came in, and fall. I think Lan must have killed Riatin.

 

So, I imagined that Rand knew that they were an illusion, that Fain was conjuring them up somehow, and discounted everything they were saying as more of Fain's mind-games.

[Guest The Thin Inn Keeper]

I think Lan must have killed Riatin.

 

Lan did kill him. He also conformed to his stereotypical Lan battle effects ... i.e. he got sliced up, lost half the blood in his body and still won.

 

And anyway, it's all academic, Logain's going to kill Taim I tells ya.  ;)

 

 

[trakand_01]

I think so too.

 

I have to say I love the Gabrelle / Logain / Toveine triangle.

 

Yes Lan is the John Maclaine of Randland. He has much more than 8 pints of blood in his body, obviously. Slicing up Riatin, being sliced up yourself (which must miff Rand a bit - last time he fought Riatin all he got was a second slice in his side and half-eaten by a mashadar-type mist) and then falling from a height AND presumably being landed on by someone the size of Rand (probably by then, quite close to equalling Lan for size and bulk) and he still wakes all hunkydory and ready to defend Nynaeve.

 

I would say the man has a death wish but, quite literally, he does.