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He started to pull the veil back up, to cover her face and staring eyes, then let his hand fall He had killed men, and Trollocs, but never a wolad when he ca Women smiled for him; even when he left them, they smiled as if they would welcome him back That was all he ever really wanted from, women; a smile, a dance, a kiss, and to be re Jerking the bladeless hilt frooldolden bees -- he hurled it into theit shattered He wanted to cry, to howl I don’t kill women! I kiss them, I don’t!

He had to think clearly Why? Not because he was leaving, surely She had hardly reacted to that Besides, she thought he was chasing off after honor; she had always approved of that Soed at him, and then came back, with a chill The Great Lord’s own luck He had heard it differently, many times The Dark One’s own luck "A Darkfriend" A question, or certainty? He wished the thoughtto carry her face to his grave

Tear He had as er Golden bees in jade He would wager there were nine without looking Nine golden bees on a field of green The sign of Illian Where Sammael ruled Could Sammael be afraid of him? How could Sammael even know? It was only a few hours since Rand had asked Mat -- told hi to do Maybe Saht One of the Forsaken, afraid of a gae his head ht be That was ridiculous

It all came down to this He could believe that Melindhra had not been a Darkfriend, that she had decided to kill him on a whim, that there was no connection between a jade hilt inlaid with golden bees and his ainst Illian He could if he was a bullgoose fool Better to err toward caution, he always said One of the Forsaken had noticed hi in Rand’s shado

Sliding across the floor, he sat with his chin on his knees and his back against the door, staring at Melindhra’s face, trying to decide what to do When a servant knocked with his supper, he shouted for her to go away Food was the last thing he wanted What was he going to do? He wished he did not feel the dice spinning in his head

Chapter 52

(Crescent Moon and Stars)

Choices

Laying down his razor, Rand wiped the last flecks of lather fro sunlight strea to his bedcha, but tied back to let in a breath of air He would be presentable when he killed Rahvin The thought loosed a bubble of rage, floating up out of his belly He forced it back down He would be presentable, and caliltfraainst the wall, beneath a hanging portraying iold towers He had offered to have another bed put in the roo She atching hiotten in one hand He had been careful about not looking around froive her tis, she wore not a stitch

"I would not shame you in front of other men," she said abruptly

"Shame me? What do you ly pale where the sun had not touched her, slender and hardmuscled, yet with roundnesses and softnesses that haunted his dreams This was the first time he had allowed himself to look at her openly when she flaunted herself, but she did not seereen eyes were fixed on his "I did not ask Sulin to include Enaila or Somara or Lamelle that first day Nor did I ask the if you faltered That was only their own concern"

"You just let me think they would try to carry me off like a babe if I wavered A fine distinction"

His wry tone flew right past her "It made you take care when you needed to"

"I see," he said dryly "Well, I thank you for the promise not to shame me, in any case"

She smiled "I did not say that, Rand al’Thor I said not in front of other ood " Her sestured irritably, taking her in frohtest e naked in front of hilanced down at herself, then at hi at her, and her face reddened Suddenly she was surrounded by a flurry of dark broool and white algode, flying into her clothes so quickly that he could have thought she was channeling the?" came from the one late last night Who else comes with us? How many can you take? No wetlanders, I hope You cannot trust them Especially not treekillers Can you truly carry us to Caeht? Is I do not know and cannot understand"

"Everything is arranged, Aviendha" Why was she babbling? And refusing to meet his eye? He had met with Rhuarc and the other chiefs still near the city; they had not truly liked his plan, but they saw it in terht he had any other choice They discussed it quickly, agreed, and then turned the talk to other things Nothing to do with Forsaken or Illian or battle at all Wo, whether Cairhienin brandy could corown in the Waste For an hour he had alotten what lay ahead He hoped that the Prophecy of Rhuidean was so, that he would not destroy those ation of more than fifty, alerted by Aviendha herself and led by Amys and Melaine and Bair; or maybe by Sorilea With Wise Ones often it was difficult to tell as in charge They had not coain -- but to ation to Elayne did not outweigh that to the Aiel, and they had kept hi room until they were satisfied It was that or lift them bodily out of his way to reach the door When they wanted to be, those wowene had become "We’ll find out how many I can take when I try Only Aiel" With luck, Meilan and Maringil and the rest would not knoas gone until after he went If the Tower had spies in Cairhien, maybe the Forsaken did as well, and how could he trust people to keep secrets who could not see the sun rise without trying to use the