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The rily

Mat snorted "Don’t think I can do anything to hurry that lot," he said "If I were to go rush the Let so with the the road "Burn ain, Mat"

"This is sorain onto the wagon "It feels different"

The wagon was already loaded high with foodstuffs; a good haul to have purchased froh to nudge the, keep them fed until they reached the next town That food wasn’t worth the gold in the coffer, of course, but it was about equal to what he’d lost dicing inside, particularly with the wagon and horses thrown in They were good draft animals, sturdy, well cared for from the look of coat and hoof

Mat opened his h, then hesitated as he noticed that the roup of ed, their black hair unke what looked to be a sheet of paper in his hand Barlden shook his head, but the estured more insistently

"Here now," Mat said softly "What’s this?"

"Mat, the sun" Taled ht the food were crowding around the di toward the horizon

"Mayor," Mat called "That’s good enough Make the throw!"

Barlden hesitated, glancing at him, then looked down at the dice in his hand alotten them The men around him nodded anxiously, and so he raised his hand in a fist, rattling the dice The mayor looked across the street to round between the thunderstorainst one another

Mat held his breath It had been a long while since he’d had reason to worry about a toss of the dice He leaned doatching the white cubes tuainst the dirt Hoould his luck react to so?

The dice ca throw Mat released a long, relieved breath, though he felt a trickle of sweat down his te hi on the road didn’t look so pleased Several of them cheered in excite throw frorew tense Matin disgust toward Mat and turning away "Take your spoils and leave this place Never return"

"Well," Mat said, relaxing "Thank you kindly for the game, then We--"

"GO!" the ht on the horizon, then cursed and began waving for theat Mat with shock or hostility, but the s soon bullied them into the low-roofed inn He pulled the door shut and left Mat, Tal alone on the street

It suddenly seeer on the street Shouldn’t there be so of er?

"Well," Mat said, voice echoing against silent housefronts, "I guess that’s that" He walked over to Pips, calun to shuffle nervously "Now, see, I told you, Tal to be worried about at all"

And that’s when the screaht in Hinderstap

Burn you, Mat!" Tal villager Talain!" "Me?" Mat snapped, spinning, his ashandarei flashing as he neatly hareen vests They fell to the packed earthen street, eyes ith rage as they sputtered and growled "Me? I’ to kill you, Taled to pull himself into his saddle "They told us to leave!"

"Yes," Mat said, grabbing Pips’ reigns and pulling the horse away fro to kill us I can’t rightly be blamed for their unsociable behavior!" Howls, screary, soonized