Egeanin POV#

Egeanin and Floran Gelb are sitting at a table in the Garden of Silver Breezes. She uses the name "Mistress Elidar." It is the most expensive wineshop in the city and sits on a hill on the Calpene peninsula. The proprietress, Selindrin, does not allow weapons inside. Gelb gives her a bag that contains an a'dam and she gives him a bag of silver coins in return. He brought her two others before. She has him looking for certain women.[1] Gelb has found several women matching the description, but they were all mistakes. One of them, Lady Leilwin, was sent to the Seanchan. Gelb asks if she would pay him if he stirred up trouble. He offers to sell a rumor he heard from a bodyservant of Lord Brys about the Assembly of Lords choosing a new Panarch. She declines to pay him. He then asks where she is from, but Egeanin dismisses him. As she is sitting there, she sees a Sea Folk raker enter the harbor.[2] She starts to rise to leave when she notices Bayle Domon leaving another table. She waits until he leaves before she leaves. As she leaves, Jaichim Carridin enters wearing a sword. Selindrin greets him, ignoring the sword. Outside Egeanin notes the destitution and anarchy and wonders why High Lady Suroth is waiting.

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Jaichim Carridin POV#

Carridin sits at a table with some Taraboner noblemen. All wear masks to hide their identity. He recalls the news he received three months ago about his youngest sister, Dealda, being carried off by a Fade from her bridal feast and two months ago about his cousin found skinned alive.[3] King Andric wants the Children of the Light to help restore order in Tanchico. The Panarch was killed recently. Andric wants Amathera, his lover, to be the new Panarch, but many of the Lords of the Assembly do not agree. Carridin agrees to help if his conditions are met. One of the lords, who Carridin assumes is Andric himself, assures him. The people will riot if they learn of this plot. Carridin then leaves and heads back to his residence. Outside, he is disgusted by the swarming throng and wishes Tamrin would just get rid of them. He is more concerned about the Dragonsworn than the other rebels. Back at his residence, a palace on the Verana, he realizes he is not alone. Liandrin is also there. When she calls him by his alias, 'Bors,' he tries to attack her, but she binds him with the One Power. She reminds him of the meeting where Ba'alzamon showed them Mat Cauthon, Perrin Aybara and Rand al'Thor.[4] He panics thinking she means to kill him for failing to kill Rand who he believes is still in the west. He offers her his sister Vanora in Carmera. She tells him that she knows he is planning to move his troops into the Panarch's Palace. She tells him to hold the Palace and send the Panarch's soldiers away. He says that is impossible because of the Panarch controls them. Liandrin says that the Panarch will be dealt with and leaves. Carridin woefully wonders if there is any way out for him.

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Liandrin POV#

After killing a guard who saw her, Liandrin goes back to the house on the Verana where she and the other ten of the Black Ajah are staying. The house belonged to a Darkfriend merchant. She wishes she had Chesmal's or Rianna's ability to kill directly with the One Power. It is related to Healing. She does not think anyone knows they are in Tanchico.[5] At the house, one of the servants, Gyldin, directs her to a drawing room. Liandrin is irritated that she does not act like a servant.[6] She is further irritated that only Eldrith and Marillin of the Brown Ajah, Jeaine and Asne of the Green Ajah, and Rianna Andomeran of the White Ajah are there.[7] Liandrin has heard Asne voice her regret over leaving her Warder behind more than once.[8] Liandrin tells the others about Jaichim's plans. They have orders from the White Tower to control Rand, not to kill him, but Jaichim has been told to kill him. Rianna surmises that it means dissension among the Forsaken.[9] Asne suggests the fluted black rod as a defense if they get caught between warring Forsaken. Jeaine is reluctant since she burned a hole through their ship when she tried it. Asne comments that she thinks Rand is good looking.[10] Liandrin notes Gyldin in the room and angrily sends her away. Eldrith has been trying to find something that the women want. She knows it is in the Panarch's Palace and that it must be a ter'angreal.[11] Liandrin thinks "Let people bend knee as had been promised when she first forswore old oaths for new."[12]

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Egeanin POV#

Egeanin enters the small house where she is staying and realizes that she is not alone. The intruder identifies himself as a Seeker for Truth by showing her a small plaque and by showing the raven and tower tattoos he has. The raven is the symbol of the Imperial family and the Tower of Ravens a symbol of Imperial justice. Egeanin remembers an old story of a fool young lord and lady who had themselves tattooed while drunk about three hundred years ago. The Seanchan Empress had them brought to the Court of the Nine Moons to scrub floors.[13] She asks the Seeker why he is here and he replies that he serves the High Lady Suroth and the Corenne, for the Empress. He arrived here on Bayle Domon's ship. It seems that several sul'dam deserted at Falme. High Lady Suroth told Egeanin directly that the deserters needed to be captured or killed.[14] He asks her to sketch maps of Tanchico and its defenses. He takes the sketches and leaves. Egeanin goes down to the basement where she holds a sul'dam, Bethamin, captive. She has not turned her in because she discovered by accident that an a'dam works on her. Egeanin realizes that this means many sul'dam can probably channel and wonders if that is why Suroth wants all the deserter sul'dam killed.

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