The knowledge contained in the Seventh Ward of High Lord Kevin is like the holy grail to Elena, and what better safety deposit box for that precious knowledge than the enigmatic Amok. A good deal of this chapter details Elena's struggle to extract this knowledge from Amok. However she learns that knowledge can take many forms and can be understood by the most unassuming of people.
The chapter starts out with the emotional aftermath of the rockslide that claimed the life of the ranyhyn Myrha. Covenant is left reeling after witnessing a brief glimpse of Elena's apocalyptic nature and he begins to realize that through her he has access to a new way of extricating himself from any responsibility for saving The Land.
He saw the difficulties at once. He did not know what the Seventh Ward contained. He would have to steer Elena's apocalyptic impulse through an unpredictable future toward an uncertain goal. But that impulse was something he could use. It made her personally powerful-powerful and vulnerable, blinded by obsession-and she held the Staff of Law. He might be able to induce her to take his place, assume his position at the onus of Lord Foul's machinations. He might be able to lead her extravagant passion to replace his white gold at the crux of the Land's doom. If he could get her to undertake the bitter responsibility which had been so ineluctably aimed at him, he would be free. That would remove his head from the chopping block of this delusion.
By manipulating Elena emotionally, helping her to gain access to the Seventh Ward, he hopes that she might become ultimately powerful enough to assume the mantle of saviour of The Land. As the company recommences their journey Covenant contemplates this new secret bargain of his and wrestles with its implications. His conscience seesaws between the feelings of guilt he has for using Elena this way and his need remove himself from any responsibility for The Land.
As their journey continues, it soon becomes apparent that Amok is leading them towards Melenkurion Skyweir, the highest peak in The Land, a place of towering majesty and possibly as enigmatic as Amok himself. Very little regarding Melenkurion Skyweir is known to the New Lords but Elena speculates:
Elena subsequently lapses into silence contemplating her ignorance of Kevin's Lore. Covenant struggles to think of some way in which to help her thus fulfilling his side of the bargain, but he is in no position to help as he has even less knowledge of The Lore than Elena."It is in my heart that these great peaks mark a place of power-a place surpassing even Gravin Threndor. But I have no evidence for this belief apart from the strange silence of Kevin's Lore. Melenkurion Skyweir is one of the high places of the Land-and yet the First and Second Wards contain no knowledge of it beyond a few old maps, a fragment of one song, and two unexplained sentences which, if their translation is not faulty, speak of command and blood. So," she said wryly, "my failure to unlock Amok is not altogether surprising."
The company continues to journey southward and ultimately arrive at Rivenrock, threshold of Melenkurion Skyweir. Sensing that they are within close proximity of their goal, Elena inquires of Amok as to what their next course of action will be. It becomes quite apparent from Amok's reply that Elena has misunderstood his true purpose.
It seems that there are certain conditions that need to be met before Amok can continue on."Amok, are you not the way and the door of the Seventh Ward?"
"Yes, High Lord."
"Then you must guide us."
"No."
"Why not?" she demanded again. "Are you capricious?" Covenant heard a hint of desperation in her tone.
Amok replied in mild reproof, "High Lord, I have been created for the purpose I serve.
Fat lot of good that does really, Elena lacks that knowledge and because his purpose does not require him to offer any further assistance, Amok vanishes leaving Elena to deal with her inadequacies. In desperation she attempts to mind meld with Covenant in much the same way she would with any of the Lords but Covenant rejects her for fear that she may discover the truth about his secret bargain. She retires to contemplate what her next move will be and Covenant proceeds to criticize Amok for his seemingly callous treatment of the High Lord. Surprisingly Morin defends Amok:“What is your condition, Amok?"
The youth gazed impishly askance at Elena. "High Lord," he said in a tone of soaring glee, "you must name the power of the Seventh Ward."
Hellfire!!! Not only does Covenant have no idea about how to help Elena but now it seems that the Bloodguard are sympathetic towards him. How in the hell will he hope to fulfill his bargain?"Amok acts according to the law of his creation. He cannot break that law merely to avoid pain."
Time is really beginning to press in on Elena. Her thoughts turn to Troy and the battle with Foul which is by now about one day old. She is convinced that the only way to defeat Foul is by gaining access to the Seventh Ward and since they don’t have the four missing wards, the only way to do that is by trying to back Amok into a corner.
Summoning him once again Elena embarks on an epic two-day inquisition of Amok but to no avail. No amount of questioning, cajoling, appealing, not even the Staff of Law can compel Amok to reveal his purpose. Elena’s attempt to bully Amok into revealing the name of power is met with an unblinking ,
Talk about the straw that broke the camel’s back… Elena reaches the end of her tether and lashes out at Covenant demanding that he use the white gold to somehow meet Amok’s condition. She unleashes a blast of power from her staff that causes the very earth to tremble and almost sends Covenant hurtling over the edge of Rivenrock. Thank goodness for the swift reflexes and iron-like grip of the Bloodguard. Bannor preserves Covenant."No, High Lord. I am impervious to compulsion. You cannot touch me."
As he recovers from the shock of Elena’s attack, an idea occurs to Covenant that perhaps they have been approaching the question of Amok and the Seventh Ward from the wrong angle. They have been so busy focusing on Amok, believing that because Kevin created him for the purpose of preserving the Seventh Ward, he was their only source of knowledge of the Seventh Ward. Their field of inquiry had been too narrow; they needed to broaden their horizons a little. The idea occurs to Covenant that Amok was not the only person in the company around during High Lord Kevin's leadership. What about the Bloodguard???
He begins to recall little inconsistencies in their behaviour towards Amok.
Perhaps the Bloodguard knew more about Amok’s purpose than they were letting on. Against his better judgment Covenant continues to question the Bloodguard, suggesting that perhaps they were serving Kevin rather than Elena by passively allowing Amok to carry our his purpose."Listen to me, Bannor," he went on. "A lot of things are finally starting to make sense. You reacted strangely-when Amok turned up at Revelstone that first time. You reacted strangely when he turned up at
Revelwood. And you let the High Lord herself follow him into the mountains with just two Bloodguard to protect her. Just two, Bannor! And when we end up stuck here on this godforsaken rock, Morin has the actual gall to apologize for Amok. Hellfire! Bannor, you should have at least told the High Lord what you know about this Ward. What kind of loyal do you think you are?"
Amok’s sudden appearance at this point signals to Covenant that perhaps he is getting close to the target."Let me tell you something, Bannor. Maybe you don't positively know Amok. You must have learned some kind of distrust from Kevin. But you sure as hell understand what Amok is doing. And you approve!" The abrupt ferocity of his own yell stopped him for an instant. He felt shaken by the moral judgments he saw in Bannor. Thickly, he continued, "Or why are you risking her for the sake of something created by the only man who has ever succeeded in casting doubt on your incorruptibility?"
To which Bannor replies as only a Bloodguard can:"Why in the name of your Vow or at least simple friendship didn't you tell the High Lord about Amok when he first showed up?"
By this time Elena has clicked to Covenant’s line of thinking and using her authority as High Lord she demands that the Bloodguard choose between the loyalty they swore to Kevin and the loyalty they swore to Elena."Ur-Lord, we have seen the Desecration. We have seen the fruit of perilous lore. Lore is not knowledge. Lore is a weapon, a sword or spear. The Bloodguard have no use for weapons. Any knife may turn and wound the hand which wields it. Yet the Lords desire lore. They do work of value with it. Therefore we do not resist it, though we do not touch it or serve it or save it.
"High Lord Kevin made his Wards to preserve his lore-and to lessen the peril that his weapons might fall into unready hands. This we approve. We are the Bloodguard. We do not speak of lore. We speak only of what we know."
After telepathically conferring with Bannor, First Mark Morin turns to Elena and states:
BINGO!!!! Houston, we have lift off!!!"High Lord," he said, "we do not know the name of the Seventh Ward's power. We have heard many names-some false, others dead. But one name we have heard only uttered in whispers by High Lord Kevin and his Council.
"That name is the Power of Command."
*I’m going to give my fingers a little rest and post Ch 24 tomorrow.
We’re going on a journey into the heart of The Sire Of Mountains.
*
The Bloodguard 
