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| - Point of view: Rand al'Thor Setting: Rand's chambers in the Stone of Tear Rand muses about Elayne while the High Lords of Tear talk. He likes both Elayne and Min and is confused about his feelings. Sunamon Haellin brings his attention back to the meeting while the other High Lords ignore the damage done to his chambers. Rand notes how Carleon and Tedosian never meet each others eye, confirming the suspicions from Thom's timely note. Rand orders them to lower taxes. Meilan immediately objects at the bad precedent. "The peasants have always paid easily, but if we lower their taxes, when the day comes that we raise them back to where they are now, the fools will complain as bitterly as if we had doubled the present levy. There might will be riots when that day comes, my Lord Dragon." —Meilan on Rand's decision to lower taxes. Rand stands in front of Callandor in order to remind them of who- and what- he was. Thoughts about the women and his plans hidden within three books keep taking his focus off the High Lords. The conversation turns to the excess grain stockpiled in Tear. Rand uses his understanding of dealings between the Watch Hill, Deven Ride, and Emond's Field during hardship and orders the High Lords to offer the grain to Illian or Altara with help from Mayene ships in return for leaving the small nation alone as he promised.. Tedosian strenuously objects. "We trade little with Illian, my Lord Dragon. They are vultures, and scum." "We have always dealt with Mayene from strength, my Lord Dragon. Never with bent knee." —Tedosian & Meilan on Rand's proposal to sell grain to Illian with Mayener ships. He quells further opposition with his temper and begins to bend the High Lords to do his bidding. Egwene traverses the halls while thinking of Joiya and Amico when Mat appears suddenly. He seems uncharacteristically troubled as servants and High Lords pass them by. She asks him about the troubles from last night and Mat laughs off the danger. She notes that she and Nynaeve have not seen him in a while. While Mat silently flirts with a servant at least ten years his senior, he claims that he's been busy playing cards, reminding her that the last time he saw them, they tied him up with the One Power and stole from him; aside from that, they are always with Elayne and Moiraine. Finally, Mat tells her that he needs some advice about what comes next and the holes in his memory. She suggests Moiraine but Mat instantly refuses the help from an Aes Sedai. She finally tells him of the Ter'angreal, the Twisted redstone doorframe and the answers you can receive on the other side. He promises to not go into the ter'angreal unless his life depends on it, which was not what Egwene asked him to promise.
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