Towers of Midnight (The Wheel of Time, #13)

by Robert Jordan

“You get it for one day if you agree to start production on a prototype dragon this evening. I don’t care what you do with the medallion—study it, write a bloody book about it, wear it about. But you return it tomorrow. Your word on it.” Birgitte whistled slowly. Elayne had wanted to get her hands on that medallion the moment she discovered he had it. Of course, so had every other bloody Aes Sedai that Mat had met. “I get the Band in at least a one-year contract,” Elayne said, “renewable. We’ll pay you whatever you were earning in Murandy.” How did she know about that? “You can cancel,” she continued, “as long as you provide a month’s warning—but I keep four dragons out of five. And any men who wish to join the Andoran military must be given the chance.” “I want one out of four,” Mat said. “And a new serving man.” “A what?” Elayne said. “A serving man,” Mat said. “You know, to take care of my clothing. You’d do a better job of picking than I would.” Elayne looked at his coat, then up at his hair. “That,” she said, “I’ll give you regardless of how the other negotiations go.” “One out of four?” Mat said. “I get the medallion for three days.”