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Nynaeve groaned softly; A hundred old! A hundred silver would cover his expenses easily, to Ghealdan and further, whatever those socalled boarhorses ate

"You stole that much?" Luca said cautiously "Who is after you? I won’t risk Whitecloaks, or the army They’ll throw us all into prison, and probably kill the animals"

"My brother," Elayne replied before Nynaeve could angrily deny that they had stolen anything "It seeed while I ay, and my brother was sent to findto Cairhien to ht and thrice er; her throat clearing did it better "My father has dreah support My dreams concern a redhaired Andorman whom I shall hatever my father says And that, Master Luca, is as much as you need know of me and more"

"Maybe you are who you say you are," Luca said slowly, "and maybe you are not Show ive rily Nynaeve fumbled in her scrip for the fattest purse and shook it at hiht when he reached for it "You’ll get what you need as you need it And the hundred old! They would have to find a banker and use those lettersofrights if Elayne kept on like this

Luca gave a sour grunt "Whether you stole that or not, you are still running from somebody I won’t risk my show for you, whether it’s the ar The lord ht be worse, if he thinks I have stolen his sister You will have to blend in" That unpleasant set that silver penny "Everybody who travels with , and you must as well, if youyour way, they will talk, and you would not want that Cleaning the cages will do; the horse handlers are always co to do that I’ll even find that penny and give it back to you for pay Never let it be said Valan Luca is not generous"

Nynaeve was about to say in no uncertain terms that they would not pay his way to Ghealdan and work, too, when Thom laid a hand on her arround and began juggling thelers," Luca said The six becaht, then ten, a dozen "You are not bad" The circle beca Luca rubbed at his chin "Maybe I could find a use for you"

"I can also eat fire," Tho the stones fall, "perforly pulled a pebble fros"

Luca suppressed his quick grin "That does for you, but what about the rest?" He see any enthusias

The two tall poles Nynaeve had seen being erected now each had ropes to stay it and a flat platform at its top, with a rope stretched taut over the thirty paces between A rope ladder hung from each platform

"That is Sedrin’s apparatus," Luca replied, then shook his head "Sedrin the highwalker, dazzling with feats ten paces up on a thin rope The fool"

"I can walk on it," Elayne told him Thom reached for her arm as she took off her bonnet and started forward, but he subsided at a small shake of her head and a sh "Listen, Morelin, or whatever your name is, your forehead may be too pretty to brand, but your neck is far too pretty to snap Sedrin knehat he was doing, and we finished burying hio That’s why everyone is in their wagons Of course, he drank too ht, after ere chased out of Sienda, but I’ve seen hihith a bellyful of brandy I will tell you what You do not have to clean cages You on, and ill tell everyone you’re my ladylove Just as a tale, of course" His sly smile said he hoped for more than a tale

Elayne’s smile in return should have raised frost on him "I do thank you for the offer, Master Luca, but if you will kindly step aside " He had to, or else have her walk over him

Juilin crumpled that cylindrical hat in his hands, then cra one of the rope ladders, having a little difficulty with her skirts Nynaeve knehat the girl was doing The men should have, and perhaps Thom did, at least, but he still looked ready to rush over to catch her if she fell Luca ht was in his head

For aher dress The platforher, with her on it Then, delicately holding her skirts up as if to keep theht as well have been walking across a street In a way, Nynaeve knew, she was She could not see the glow of saidar, but she knew that Elayne had woven a path between the two platforms, of Air, no doubt, turned hard as stone

Abruptly Elayne put her hands down and turned two cartwheels, ravenblack hair flailing, silkstockinged legs flashing in the sun; For the hted herself, her skirts seeain Two more steps took her to the far platform "Did Master Sedrin do that, Master Luca?"

"He did somersaults," he shouted back In a s like that A lady! Hah!"

"I am not the only one with this skill," Elayne called "Juilin and--" Nynaeve gave a fierce shake of her head; channeling or no channeling, her stoh rope as much as it did a storm at sea "-- and I have done this many times Come on, Juilin Show him"

The thiefcatcher looked as if he would rather clean the cages with his bare hands The lions’ cages, with the lions inside He closed his eyes,in a silent prayer, and went up the rope ladder in thethe scaffold At the top, he stared from Elayne to the rope with a fearful concentration Abruptly, he stepped out, walking rapidly, arms stretched out to either side, eyes fixed on Elayne andin prayer She climbed partway down the ladder to make roos with hi