Chapter 36 Chapter Thirty-One What Effien Says

The Seanchan lady showed a surprised expression, and there was even quite a bit of anger.At this time Matt has rushed to the slave's den with her.Xita and Li Na naturally know the way, and Matt should go get his cloak and everything he wants to take away.The two sinlords followed them down the dim corridor, their cloaks hanging behind their backs, their eyes still fixed on the floor.Bell walked last, as if watching over the two slave masters.The braids that fell on the side of his head dangled, his eyes were on every intersection, and sometimes he would feel around his waist as if looking for a sword or a club.Apart from them, the tapestry-covered corridor was silent.

"One more thing for me," Mat said to Egnin, trying to make his voice as light as possible, and gave the Seanchan woman a smile, "No need to trouble you, I'll be back soon ’” His most inviting smile didn’t work any better than it did yesterday in the hotel room. "If you mess with me now—" Her voice was menacing. "Remember whose plan it is," Mat whispered.Egonin snorted.Light, women always think they can control everything for you, and can do it much better than the men who do it! But Egonin at least said nothing more.They hurried to the top floor of the palace, up the dark and narrow staircase, and came to the crowded attic, which was only lit by a few lights and was even more dim than the corridor below.The labyrinth of narrow corridors between compartments was filled with shadows and nothing moved.Matt felt that his breathing was a little easier. If Li Na hadn't let out such a long breath, he might have been a little more relaxed.

Li Na and Xita knew which small room each slave lived in. They didn't run fast, but they walked into the deep part of the attic without any delay.This may be because Bell is still following them closely.Of course, this scenario didn't boost Mat's confidence, but if wishes alone could do the trick, beggars wouldn't go hungry either.There are always things that a person has no choice but to do. Egonin gave him one last look, snorted heavily, and followed the group without saying anything, the cloak flapping behind her.Matt looked at her back and frowned.If that woman is not wearing a skirt, just by the way she walks, anyone may take her for a man.

He did have something to do, and it wasn't a small thing, and it wasn't something he wanted to do.Light, he's been talking himself out of doing it!But damn it, now he had to do it.When Egonin followed Bell and disappeared around the corner of the corridor, he immediately ran towards a nearby room.In his memory, it was the closest room to him where the Sea People's Slaves were imprisoned. Matt pushed open the wooden door silently and slipped into the invisible room.The woman sleeping in the room was snoring roughly.Mat groped forward slowly until his knees touched the edge of the bed.He reached the person lying on the bed faster, found the person's head in time, and covered her mouth just as she was about to scream. "I want you to answer a question," he whispered, what the hell if he went to the wrong room?What if this wasn't the Windseeker at all, but a damn Seanchan woman? "What would you do if I took the collar off your neck?" He raised his hand, holding his breath.

"If the light protects, I will rescue my sister." The voice of the sea people in the darkness brought Mat back to breathing, "As the light wishes, we will rush to the harbor, find our enslaved compatriots, and rescue them as much as possible In the darkness, the woman's voice was very low, but her tone became more and more excited: "As the light wishes, we will recapture our ship and go straight to the sea. Then! If this is a trap, we will punish you!" Me, or kill me. I'm on the verge of giving up, and I'm about to give up on myself, and let me suffer the shame that will burn me forever, but you remind me of who I am. Now, I will never give in. Did you hear me? Never!"

"What if I want you to wait three hours before doing this?" Matt still leaned over her, "I remember that Yasan Miyar's sense of time is very accurate, you measure an hour in your mind, and the error is only a few minutes." It is not he who has this memory. The man once traveled from Auroraren to Ballesta on the ship of Azan Miyar. tears. "Who are you?" she whispered. "People call me Matt Cawthorne. Do you think that's important?" "Mat Cawthorne, I'm Netille Din Sakula Nanxing." Hearing her spitting, Mat knew what she was going to do.So he spat on the palm of his own too, and clasped his hands together in the dark.Her hands, like Matt's, were calloused and strong. "I will wait and I will remember you, you are a great man."

"I'm just a gambler," Matt told her.She led his hand to the multi-segmented collar around her neck, which snapped open with a metallic thud.Netila let out a long breath, and Mat pressed her fingers to the collar's mechanism, showing her how to open it.He asked her to close and open the collar three times before he was satisfied, and if he did, he had to make sure it was safe. "Three hours, please try to be on time." "As much as I can," she whispered back. She might ruin it all, but if Mat couldn't take the risk, who could?Luck has been helping him.Maybe he hadn't had much luck recently, but he met Egnin at just the right time.Matt Cawthorne still holds his luck.

Mat slipped out of the room with the same quiet movement, closed the door... and almost bit his tongue again.In front of him was the broad back of a gray-haired woman, who was wearing a red-colored dress. In front of her was Egonin with her head held high, and in the distance was Teslin, who was being held by Li Na in sincuffs. .Matt didn't see Bell, Xita and Edsina whom he had never met.Egnin seemed to be looking down at her prey like a lioness, but Teslin's eyes were wide open, trembling, and she looked distraught.Li Na's lips twitched, as if she might vomit at any moment. Not daring to breathe, Mat took a cautious step toward the gray-haired woman, holding out his hands.If he could subdue her before she yelled, he could hide her... where?Xita and Li Na definitely want to kill her.Mat didn't know how much control Egnin had over the two slave masters, but the woman must have known them both.

Egnin's stern blue eyes glanced over at the gray-haired slave master, glanced at Mat, and then her eyes returned to the gray-haired slave master. "No!" she said sharply, "I can't waste time changing my plan now. Sin slave master, Maharaja Su Luosi said, I can use sin slaves at will." "Of course, my lord." The grey-haired woman's answer sounded quite confused, "I just want to tell you that Tessie hasn't trained well yet, in fact, I came to look for her, she has made great progress recently, my lord, but……" Mat continued to hold his breath and backed away on tiptoe.He stepped back down the attic step by step along the narrow stairs, and at the same time stretched out his hands to support the wall, trying to stabilize his body.He remembered that the steps of this section of wooden stairs were very strong and would not make any noise when stepped on, but he dared not take chances.What must be done must be done, but it is a mistake to rely too much on one's own luck. This is the secret of longevity, and he absolutely does not want to die now.

At the bottom of the stairs, Matt stopped and took a sharp breath. His heart almost stopped beating, and then, his heartbeat finally slowed down a little.He didn't want this heart to stop working tomorrow.It seemed to be the first breath he'd breathed since seeing the gray-haired woman.Light!If Egonin thinks she can control the situation, fine, let her deal with it.Egonin must have put a noose around the necks of those two slave masters!her plan?Well, at least she was right about one thing, and now is no time to waste.Matt started running again. He ran until his hips were throbbing, tripped again against a turquoise-inlaid table, and was lucky enough to catch a piece of summer tapestry to keep him from falling.A silk brocade embroidered with bright flowers hanging from a yellow marble cornice was torn in half, a tall white porcelain vase on a turquoise table toppled over and smashed to pieces on the red and blue flagstone floor, a loud crash sounded in the hallway has been echoing into the distance.Mat immediately ran for his life at a speed that could not lose to any man.If anyone heard the sound and came here to check, he would not find Matt Cawthorne, who was two corridors away by then.

Finally, Matt limped to Tylin's apartment, walked across the living room and into the bedroom.Only then did he realize that the lamps were all lit, that there was a roaring flame in the fireplace, and that the gilded wooden basket beside the fireplace was piled with fresh wood.Tylin, hands behind her back, was unbuttoning her bodice when she frowned when she saw Mat come in, her dark green riding skirt rumpled.The fire crackled and spewed clouds of sparks up the chimney. "I didn't expect you to come back," said Mat, thinking desperately.Although he had conducted countless drills for possible emergencies tonight, Tailin's early return never appeared within his expected range, and Mat felt as if his brain was frozen. "Su Luosi learned that an army disappeared in Morandi," Tailin straightened up, and slowly replied, her tone was a little absent-minded, but her eyes were only fixed on Matt Cawthorne, "I don't I don't know which army disappeared and how, but Suros decided to return as fast as possible. We left the others behind and came back riding a Seanchan flying monster. The girl of the monster. As soon as we got to the pier, we rode into the city at full speed. Su Luosi went to the hotel across the square, where all her officers are, and she and the officers will probably not sleep tonight. ..." Tailin walked up to Mat, rubbed his fingers over his green coat, and murmured, "The problem with raising a little fox is that sooner or later he'll remember he's a fox." Those big black eyes stared at him. With Matt.Suddenly, she reached out her hands and grabbed Matt's hair, pulled his head down, and kissed his lips so desperately that Matt's toes curled up. She finally let go of Matt and gasped, "This is to let you know how much I will miss you." Then, without changing her expression at all, she slapped him hard enough to make him stare . "This is to punish you for sneaking away without telling me." She turned around, wrapping her jet-black hair from her shoulders to her front. "Unbutton me, my sweet little fox, we're coming back too late and I don't want to wake up the maids. But these nails make it impossible for me to unbutton. Let's spend one last night together, tomorrow, I I will send you away." Matt rubbed his cheeks, this woman probably knocked out his teeth!But at least she comforted Mat a little.If Suros was in "The Wandering Woman," she wouldn't have seen things she shouldn't have seen in Terrassin's palace, and his luck was still there.Now he is only worried about this woman in front of him, and he can't turn back now. "I'm leaving tonight." He put his hands on Tailin's shoulders. "And, I'm taking the two Aes Sedai from the attic. Come with me! I'll let Tom and Zeling find them." Bethelan, and—" "Follow you?" Tai Lin's face was full of disbelief.She turned and looked at Mat, a contemptuous expression on her haughty face. "Little Pigeon, I didn't intend to become your pet, nor did I intend to become a refugee, throwing Atla to a puppet chosen by some Seanchan. I am Queen Atla, may the light protect me, I Won't leave my country behind. Are you really going to free the Aes Sedai? I hope you are safe. If you must, I hope the Aes Sedai get away. But anyway, you do this It's all like trying to stick your own head on a pole at the gate. Your head is too beautiful, my dear, to be chopped off and tarred." Mat wanted to hug her shoulders again, but she had already stepped back, and Mat dropped his hands with sharp eyes.He tried his best to sound urgent: "Tylin, I've convinced everyone that I'm eager to get away before you come back, so the Seanchan will know that you have nothing to do with what I do. But now— —” "I'm back and frightened you," she interrupted him loudly, "so you tied me up and stuffed me under the bed. When I'm found in the morning, I'll be mad, You hate it!" She was smiling, but her eyes were shining, and no matter how much she called him a little fox and said she would send him away, she must be really angry. "I will put a bounty on you, and tell Tuon that when I catch you, I will sell you to her, if she will buy you. I will be a true blood of kings, full of rage. They'll believe me, Pigeon, I've told Suros that I'm going to shave off my hair." Mat smiled weakly. He believed she was telling the truth, and when he was caught, she would sell him. "Woman is the labyrinth of heather in the night." Everyone knows this proverb, even women can't get out of this labyrinth by themselves. Tylin seemed proud of her insistence on instructing Mat how to tie her up.Mat tore her skirt into strips and used it as a rope, which can show that her return was beyond Mat's expectations. After Mat subdued her, it was too late to find a suitable rope.The knot was so tight that no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't untie it.When the knot was tied, she immediately began to struggle, and with all her strength, perhaps she really wanted to regain her freedom.When she failed, even her lips twisted.Her ankles and wrists were tightly bound behind her back, and a cloth rope was tied around her neck and the bedpost.That way she couldn't squirm out into the hallway.And of course, don't let her yell.She smiled as Mat gently stuffed her silk handkerchief into her mouth and tied it with another handkerchief, but her eyes were still menacing.What a labyrinth of heather in the dark. "I'm going to miss you," he whispered, pushing her against the edge of the bed.To Mat's surprise, he knew he would really miss her.Light!He hastily took his cloak, gloves, and spear, and blew out all the lamps in the room.Women always lead men into this maze without knowing it. The corridor was still empty, and there was no sound but his own limping footsteps.But when he reached the vestibule leading to the stable yard, his relaxed mood immediately tensed up. There is only one standing lamp still on, casting a flickering light and shadow on the tapestry of flowers.Zeling and his woman were not here; neither were Egnin and his party.Mat spent a lot of time with Tylin, and they should all be here waiting for him by now.Outside the colonnade, the torrential rain was like a black curtain, covering everything outside.Did they go to the stables?Egnin seemed to change the plan quite a bit for herself. Mat muttered something under his breath, wrapped himself in his cloak, and was about to run through the rain and into the stables, he'd had enough of women tonight. "You really want to leave, I won't allow it, toy." Mat swore and turned to find Tuon standing in front of him.Her swarthy face was rather serious behind a long transparent veil, a small garland of fire-drop stones and pearls fastening the veil on top of her shaved head, and her loincloth and long necklace were almost entirely Composed of these two gems.Matt was a little surprised at himself for noticing the jewels at this time.In the light, why is she still awake?Damn, if she runs away now and calls the guards to stop him... Mat threw himself at the slender girl with all his might, but she deftly freed himself from his hands and knocked Aesundari flying with his fist.The punch nearly paralyzed Matt's wrist.Mat thought she'd run away, but instead she rained fists on him, hammering at him with drill-like knuckles and axe-blade palms.Matt's hands and feet were fast, and Tom even said that he had never seen anyone move faster than Matt, but now he could barely block the girl's attack and had no chance of catching her.If Matt hadn't been doing his best not to break the bridge of his nose, or any other part of his body, he might have found the scene hilarious.Although he was only slightly taller than the average height, he was still much taller than this girl, but this girl kept attacking him, as if she was the one with the advantage in size and strength among them.For some reason, the girl's plump lips were slightly raised, as if she was smiling.At any other time, Mat would have thought her big, watery eyes were radiating joy.Let him be burned, thinking at this moment how beautiful the woman opposite is, it is as absurd as commenting on the jewels on her body! She stepped back suddenly, reaching out to straighten the jeweled ring that held the veil in place.There was no joy on her face, but a look of concentration.She stood cautiously on her feet, her eyes never leaving Mat's face, but her hands began to slowly lift her white pleated skirt, inch by inch, above her knees. Mat didn't understand why she wasn't shouting for help, but he knew she was going to kick him now.Well, he's not going to catch it without a fight!He pounced on the girl again, and everything happened in an instant.He was prodded hard in the ribs, forcing him to drop to one knee.Tuon raised the skirt almost to her hips, and she leaped into the air, her thin legs in white stockings shooting towards his head like a bolt of lightning. Mat thought he must be in shock when he saw Noah put his arms around the girl, but he was faster than the girl.At last Tuon opened his mouth, and Mat had risen, thrusting her veil into her mouth, and the jeweled diadem fell to the floor.She certainly won't be as cooperative as Tylin.Matt had to hold her jaw hard so she wouldn't bite off his fingers.A roar of anger escaped her throat, and her eyes danced with a fury that hadn't been there when she attacked.She struggled in Noah's arms, kicking her legs desperately, but the old man still hugged her firmly, avoiding her heels again and again.No matter how old Noah is or how many injuries he may have suffered, he seems to be able to deal with this girl with ease. "Do you often get into trouble with women like this?" He asked unhurriedly, and Mat could clearly see the gap between his teeth when he smiled. He was wearing a cloak and a bundle on his shoulders. "Often," Matt replied grimly.Tuon's knee hit his already aching thigh, making him grunt.With one hand he unwrapped the silk scarf around his neck and used it to bind the veil around Tuon's mouth.But at the last moment, Tuon bit him hard on the thumb.Bright, what should he do with her? "I didn't know that was your plan," Noah said without panting.Although the girl was still struggling in his arms with great energy. "But you should have already noticed that I am leaving tonight. I believe that in a day or two, the people you brought in will not be welcomed here." "Sensible decision." Mat muttered.Light, he should remember to warn Noah. Mat crouched down, dodging (though not entirely successfully) Tuon's kicks and grabbing her legs.A dagger slipped from his sleeve and began to slit the girl's skirt, then Mat tore a long strip from the skirt and bound it around Tuon's ankles.Fortunately, he had just practiced this kind of binding on Tai Lin, otherwise he was not used to binding women.He tore off another strip of cloth, picked up the gemstone headband from the ground, then groaned in pain, stood up, and immediately groaned again, because the girl crossed her legs and kicked him on the thigh again.Tuon stared at him as he put the diadem back on Tuon.She's done kicking around uselessly, but she's not scared.Light, Matt felt that if he was in her position, he would have been in a mess long ago, and he would never be as beautiful as her. Ze Ling finally arrived, he was wearing a cloak, fully armed, with his short sword and sawtooth dagger stuck in his belt, and a thin bamboo pole in one hand.A slender, dark-haired woman in the thick white robe that Darkowy wore when he was out and about was clutching Zeling's right arm.She looked five or six years older than Mat had imagined, and she was pretty, with rosebud lips, but a sullen look on her face.Her big black eyes looked around timidly, and when she saw Tuon she screamed and let Zeling go as if she had just held a hot stove in her arms.She crawled on the floor as soon as she entered the door, her head pressed against her knees. "I can only convince Sera again from the beginning." The thief catcher sighed, looking at his lover with concern, and Mat understood why he was late.However, Zeling's attention quickly shifted to the girl still held between Noah's arms, and he pushed the ridiculous conical red hat back and scratched his head. "What shall we do with her?" "Put her in the stable," Mat replied.If Cheer had persuaded the groom to let him and Hanan take care of the evening courier's mount instead, there would be no problem doing so.It was supposed to be a backup plan just in case, but that's no longer the case. "Put it in the hayloft, so she won't be found when the groom goes to fork hay in the shed in the morning." "I thought you were going to kidnap her." Noal sighed, and put Tuon's bound feet back on the ground, but continued to hold her upper arms.The little girl held her head high, completely disdainful of any further struggle. Although she was gagged, a contemptuous expression still clearly appeared on her face.She refuses to fight, not because it's hopeless, but because she didn't choose to. Footsteps came from the hallway, louder and louder. It might have been Egnin, or the Death Guard sent out for Suros's return, or even the Ogier. Mat hurriedly signaled the others to hide in the dark corner next to the door, while he staggered to pick up the black spear. Zeling dragged Sera into the corner on the left, where Sera curled up.Ze Ling stood in front of her, holding a bamboo stick in both hands. The bamboo seemed like a very poor weapon, but the thief catcher could make it play a huge role.Noal dragged Tuon to the opposite corner, released one arm from her, and reached into the coat where his long dagger was hidden.Matt stood firmly in the center of the room, with his back to the rainy night outside, and Aishandai stood sharply in front of him.His legs haven't recovered from Tuon's kicks yet, so he doesn't expect to be able to put up another decent fight with anyone, but if the worst comes his way, he'll at least be able to put some marks on some of them . When Egonin strode into the front hall, Mat's whole body went limp, and he quickly supported his body with a spear.This time he finally saw Edsina, but he couldn't remember which time he had seen her during the slave training.It was a slender, handsome woman in the gray robes of a sin slave, with black hair hanging down her waist.Although Shita held the shackles that bound her, Edsina looked quite calm, an Aes Sedai in chains, an Aes Sedai who believed that the chains would soon be broken.Tesslyn, on the other hand, looked anxious and anxious, she kept licking her lips, and stared at the door leading to the outside.Li Na and Xita led the two Aes Sedai to follow behind Egnin, and their eyes were also fixed on the door opposite the room. "I have to appease the sinful slave master," Egnin said as soon as he walked in, "They are very protective of their sinful slaves." She frowned when she saw Zeling and Sera.Even when she was willing to help save the slaves, Mat never thought it necessary to tell her about Sera, but Egnin obviously didn't like this unexpected thing happening to her. "Of course, it was better when she saw Xita and Li Na," the Seanchan woman continued, "but—" her voice died away, as if cut with a knife, and she saw Tuon. Egnin was a fair-skinned woman, but now her face was worryingly pale.The gagged Tuon stared at her the way an executioner stares at a prisoner awaiting execution. "Oh, light!" Aegnin knelt down on the ground, his voice hoarse, "You madman! Even if you just touch the daughter of September, you will be tortured to death slowly!" The two slave masters sucked In one breath, he knelt down at the same time.Not only did they hold the handcuffs and make the slaves behind them kneel down with them, but they also forced them to bend down with their faces pressed against the floor. Mat snorted, as if Tuon had kicked him in the stomach again.In fact, he felt worse than being kicked.Daughter of September.It was true what Efein had told him, and no matter how much it went against his hopes, he would come back from the dead.He wondered if his previous experiences counted as such.He will give up half of the light in this world just to save the world.He never bothered to think about what that meant.He is going to get married. "...She's my wife." Matt said softly.Someone made a sound as if about to be strangled, and he thought it should be Bell. "What?" Egnin screamed, her head jerked toward Mat, throwing the hair that fell back across her face.Mat had never imagined that a Seanchan woman could make such a high-pitched, eager voice. "Shut up! Don't say that!" "Why not?" Matt asked.Effien's answer is always true, always. "She is my wife, your damn daughter of September is my wife!" They stared at him, except Zeling, the thief-catcher took off his little red riding hood, and stared at that hat.Bell shook his head, and Noah smiled softly.Egnin opened his mouth wide, and the two slave masters sucked in air, as if seeing a lunatic talking nonsense in mania.Tuon stared at him too, but her expression was unreadable, all thoughts hidden behind those large black eyes.Oh light, what should he do?First, get out as soon as possible... Selucia ran into the room.Matt groaned, are all the people in this damn palace going to come here?Bell tried to grab her, but she dodged it with lightning quick movements, the buxom, blond acolyte was not as dignified as usual.She wrung her hands and glanced around like a prey seeking refuge. "Forgive my presumptuousness," she said in a voice full of fear, "but what you have done is so stupid and crazy." She groaned and crouched between the two kneeling sin masters On their shoulders, as if seeking their protection.Her blue eyes flickered to every corner of the room. "No matter what the omens are, if you can turn back, there is still a chance to save everything." "Don't be afraid, Selucia." Mat said in a soothing tone.Selucia didn't look at him, but he still made comforting gestures. He couldn't find any way to deal with a hysterical woman in those strange memories. All those men's only thoughts when encountering such things are hide. "I promise you, no one will get hurt. No one! Believe me, you don't have to be afraid now." For some reason, Selucia's face flashed a look of astonishment, but she quickly stabilized her body.She continued to kneel on the ground, folded her hands on her knees, and suddenly, she was no longer afraid, but returned to the noble and solemn Selucia that she always was. "I will obey you, as long as you do not harm my master. And if you harm her, I will kill you." If these words were said by Egnin, Mat might be taken aback for a moment, but hearing this woman with firm skin say this, Mat was almost at a loss for what to do. Women are dangerous in the light, but it didn't occur to Mat that he didn't know how to deal with a maid.At least she was no longer hysterical.Matt wondered how women could change so much in such a short period of time. "I suppose you're going to throw 'em all in the hayloft?" Noal asked. "No!" Mat looked at Tuon, and Tuon was staring at him, but Mat still couldn't read the expression on the girl's face.A skinny little girl like a boy.And the women Matt likes must be more or less sensual.Heir to the Seanchan throne.Matt wouldn't even touch ordinary aristocratic women.A woman who wants to buy him.Probably would have preferred to drive a dagger between his ribs now.And she will be his wife, Efein's answer will always be true. "Take them with you," he said. There was finally a definite expression on Tuon's face.She was smiling, as if she had suddenly understood a secret.She smiled, but he trembled.Oh light, how could he be shaking so much?