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After a moment, he pulled the two invitations from his pocket and studied the seals, then stuck theave a little jump as Rand started for the door Before it closed behind hiain

Rand strode down the street so fast that Loial did not have to shorten his stride to stay beside him "We have to find a way out of the city, Loial This trick with the invitations can’t work tar doesn’t coreed," Loial said

"But how?"

Loial began ticking off points on his thick fingers "Fain is out there, or there would not have been Trollocs in the Foregate If we ride out, they will be on us as soon as we are out of sight of the city If we travel with a merchant train, they’ll certainly attack it" No uards, and they would probably run as soon as they saw a Trolloc "If only we kne many Trollocs Fain has, and how many Darkfriends You have cut his numbers down" He did not mention the Trolloc he had killed, but fro down onto his cheeks, he was thinking of it

"It doesn’t matter how many he has," Rand said "Ten are as bad as a hundred If ten Trollocs attack us, I don’t think we’ll get away again" He avoided thinking of the way he ht, deal with ten Trollocs It had not worked when he tried to help Loial, after all

"I do not think we could, either I don’t think we have e very far, but even so, if we tried to reach the Foregate docks -- well, Fainship, I don’t believe he would care who saw the Trollocs Even if we fought free of theuards, and they would certainly not believe we cannot open the chest, so -- "

"We are not letting any Cairhienin see that chest, Loial"

The Ogier nodded "And the city docks are no good, either" The city docks were reserved for the grain barges and the pleasure craft of the lords and ladies No one came to them without permission One could look down on them from the wall, but it was a drop that would break even Loial’s neck Loial wiggled his thu to think of a point for that, too "I suppose it is too bad we cannot reach Stedding Tsofu Trollocs would never co But I don’t suppose they would let us get that far without attacking"

Rand did not answer They had reached the big guardhouse just inside the gate by which they had first entered Cairhien Outside, the Foregate teeuards kept watch on theood Shienaran clothes, ducked back into the crowd at the sight of him, but he could not be sure There were too many people in clothes fro He went up the steps into the guardhouse, past breastplated guards on either side of the door

The large anteroom had hard wooden benches for people with business there,the plain, dark garaters aht colors, no doubt hoping for perht to the long table in the back of the room There was only one reen bar across his coat A pluht, he adjusted documents on the table and shifted the position of his inkwell twice before looking up at Rand and Loial with a false smile

"How may I help you, my Lord?"

"The same way I hoped you could help me yesterday," Rand said with more patience than he felt, "and the day before, and the day before that Has Lord Ingtar cotar, my Lord?"

Rand took a deep breath and let it out slowly "Lord Ingtar of House Shinowa, from Shienar The same man I have asked after every day I’ve come here"