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The gateway only covered the distance of a few paces, and opened behind theatehich hung before Androl like a haze in the air--then exploded out behind the away Aes Sedai, killing Asha’ at the exertion, Androl bellowed louder and opened s theain’s chair, dropping it from the room to a place far away froht send, safe

The woateway of her own, Taim folloith a couple of others The rest were not so wise--for a ateway as wide as the floor, dropping the other woh it to plummet hundreds of feet

CHAPTER 15

Your Neck in a Cord

The Tarasin Palace of Ebou Dar was far from the most difficult place that Mat had broken into He told hiled outside a balcony three stories above the gardens

He clung to ahis hat on his head with the other, his ashandarei strapped to his back He’d stowed his bundle in the gardens below The night air was cool against the sweat running down the sides of his face

Above, a pair of Deathwatch Guards clanked as they moved on the balcony Blood and bloody ashes Did those fellows never take off their armor? They looked like beetles He could barely make them out The balcony was surrounded by an ironwork screen to keep people fro in at the occupants fro inside through it

Light, they were spending a long time in there Mat’s arm started to ache The twoto sit down and have soht Tuon really needed to dis a leisurely conversation on a balcony? There could be assassins out here!

Eventually, thank the Light, the twoup, but only lasted to seven He pushed open one of the unlatched screens, and scra

Mat exhaled softly, ar--was nowhere near as iotten in there He had another advantage here, of course: He had lived in this palace, free to coo For the most part He scratched at his neck, and the scarf he wore there For a moment it felt like a ribbon that felt like a chain

Mat’s father had an adage: Always knohich way you are going to ride There never was a man as honest as Abell Cauthon, and everyone knew it, but some folk--like those up in Taren Ferry--could not be trusted farther than they could spit In trading horses, Abell had always said, you needed to be ready to ride, and you always had to knohich way you were going to go

In his twoin this palace, Mat had learned every way out--every crack and passage, every looseWhich balcony screens were easy to open, which were usually locked tight If you could sneak out, you could sneak in He rested a moment on the balcony, but did not enter the roouests stayed He uts of a building were always better guarded than the skin Best to go up the outside