Page 134 (1/1)

"If you will not agree to these, then I do not know that I can serve you Whether you bind me with the Power for Dro, death is still the end"

The Aes Sedai did not speak For a long moment they stared at him, until the itch between his shoulder blades er in Then Sheriam rose, and the others followed her to the s He could see their lipsIf they wanted to hide their deliberations behind the One Power, so be it He was not certain howout of them All, if they were sensible, but Aes Sedai could decide that strange things were sensible Whatever they decided, he would have to accede with as good a grace as he could muster It was a perfect trap that he had ave him a look and a smile that said as plain as words that he would never knohat he had ht it would have been a fine chase, with hi led by the nose Doht they did, and they gave only as ed their minds either way in a blink

The bait in his trap stared at him levelly, strode across the floor until she stood so close that she had to crane her neck to stare up at him, and spoke in a low, furious voice "Why did you do this? Why did you follow us? For a barn?"

"For an oath" For a pair of blue eyes Siuan Sanche could not be er than he, but it was hard to re at a face nearer thirty years younger The eyes were the saave toher gaze fro, "That has already been taken care of"

"You ? If you’ve had your bottom switched for it, it doesn’t count unless I do it"

Dromand’s chuckle sounded ling ho Siuan had been; Bryne was not certain that he was not, too -- and her face darkened until he thought she ht have apoplexy "My time has already been doubled, if nothours! Not an hour will count until you have all three of us back at yourrobber, whatever that isfor twenty years!"

So they had planned for this too, Sherialanced to their conference by the s They seeroups; Sheriam, Anaiya and Myrelle on one side, Morvrin and Carlinya on the other, with Beonin standing between They had been ready to give him Siuan and Leane and -- Min? -- as bribe or sop, before he ever walked in They were desperate, which meant he was on the weaker side, but ive him what he needed for a chance of victory

"You are taking pleasure from this, aren’t you?" Siuan said fiercely the moment his eyes moved "You buzzard Burn you for a carpbrained fool Now that you knoho I am, it pleases you that I’ll have to bow and scrape to you" She did not see much of that yet "Why? Is it because I made you back down over Murandy? Are you so sry; she realized that she had said too ive hier Aes Sedai, but manipulation was in her blood

"You were the A kisses the A I can’t say that I liked how you went about it, and we may have a quiet talk sometime on whether it was necessary to do what you did with half the court looking on, but you will remember that I followed Mara Tomanes here, and it was Mara To why, let me ask it Why was it so important for me to allow the Murandians to raid across the border?"

"Because your interference then could have ruined iht voice, "just as your interference withborder lord named Dulain as a man who could one day truly unify Murandy, with our help I could hardly allow the chance your soldiers ht kill him I have work to do here, Lord Bryne Leave me to do it, and you "

"Whatever your work is, I am sure Sheriam and the others will see you do it Dulain? I’ve never heard of hi yet" It was his opinion that Murandy would remain a patchwork of all but independent lords and ladies until the Wheel turned and a new Age caarder or Mindeans or whatever before they named a nation If they even bothered to name one A lord who could unite them, and who had Siuan’s leash around his throat, could bring a considerable number of men

"He died" Scarlet spots appeared in her cheeks, and she seele with herself "A month after I left Caeh hi "It was the farer need concern yourself with such things" That was certainly true Whatever use the Aes Sedai had for her, they would never let her near power or decisions again now He felt pity for her He could not i, but she had lost about asOn the other hand, he had not liked being called a buzzard, or a pile of reeking fish guts What was the other thing? A carpbrained fool "Fro my boots clean and my bed made"

Her eyes narrowed to slits "If that is what you want, Lord Gareth Bryne, you should choose Leane She h"

Only barely did he stop hi The omen’s minds worked never ceased to aed to chuckle Why was he doing this? He kneho she was, and what she was But those eyes still haunted hiht there was no hope, just as they were now "You will discover the kind of man I am, Siuan" He meant it to soothe her after his jest, but from the way her shoulders stiffened, she seemed to take it as a threat

Suddenly he realized that he could hear the Aes Sedai, a soft ether, staring at him with unreadable expressions No, at Siuan Their eyes followed her as she started back to where Leane still stood; as if she could feel the pressure of them, each step caain, beside the fireplace, her face told no more than theirs A remarkable woman He was not sure he could have d