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Rand rubbed his hands over his face His anger had dissipated "I’et out without hurting someone"

I softened "Why did Star want me poisoned?"

"General Brazell coht for a moment, and then asked, "Rand, is there anyone who can help you get out of this mess? Maybe Valek?"

"Absolutely not! Why do you have such an elevated opinion of hi you Butterfly’s Dust I would"

"Who told you?" I deht only the Commander and Valek knew"

"Your predecessor, Oscove, told me why he never tried to run, and no, I haven’t sold that infored at his apron "Oscove’s hatred of Valek rivaled my own, and I understood that, but your relationship with Valek…" Rand’s furrowed brows spiked up toward his forehead

"You’re in love with hiaped at each other, too stunned to say anything more

Then a sweet, nutty aroma reached my nose Rand, too, sniffed the air I followed the scent to the oven where I had tossed the reeted by a strong puff of heavenly scent Criollo

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"Where did you find those beans?" rand asked "they’re the redient to the criollo recipe i didn’t think of roasting thee the flavor"

"A storeroom downstairs," I lied I wasn’t about to tell him that Valek and I had intercepted them on the way to Brazell’s new factory Which, I now realized, was probably not producing feed butCriollo

"Which storeroom?" Rand asked, a hint of desperation in his voice

"I don’t re’s recipe for Criollo, then maybe I won’t be transferred"

"Transferred? Where?"

"You et rid ofsent to Brazell’swill come here He won’t last a week!" Rand spat the words out with bitter force

"When?"

"Don’t know I haven’t gotten my transfer papers yet So there’s some hope to stop it If you can find me those beans"

He thinks we’re still friends, I realized in ahis enemy, he believes I’ll do it for him I had no response I stalled "I’ll try," I said, thenthe Soul Mountains as I arrived at Valek’s suite unseen The tall s in the living area faced east, and in the weak gray light I saw Valek’s profile as he sat on the couch, waiting for me