A Memory of Light (Wheel of Time, #14; A Memory of Light, #3)

by Robert Jordan

“Thanks,” Mat said. “I want you away from the command post. I’ll tell you what I’m doing. If something goes wrong, you’ll have to pick another general, all right?” “Mat,” Elayne said, “if you think there’s a spy—” “I know there’s a spy,” Mat said, “and so I’m going to use the fellow. It’s going to work. Trust me.” “Yes, and you’re so confident that you’ve already made a backup plan in case you fail.” He ignored that, nodding to Birgitte. She looked around them idly, watching for anyone who tried to draw too close. “How good are you at cards, Elayne?” Mat asked. “At… Mat, this isn’t the time for gambling.” “It’s the exact time for gambling. Elayne, do you see how badly we’re outnumbered? Do you feel the ground when Demandred attacks? We’re lucky he didn’t decide to Travel directly to the command post here and attack us—I suspect he’s afraid that Rand is hiding here somewhere, and he’ll get ambushed. But blood and bloody ashes, he’s strong. Without a gamble, we’re dead. Finished. Buried.” She grew silent. “Here’s the thing about cards,” Mat said, holding up a finger. “Cards aren’t like dice. In dice, you want to win as many throws as possible. Lots of throws, lots of wins. It’s random, see? But not cards. In cards, you need to make the other fellows start betting. Betting well. You do that by letting them win a little. Or a lot. “That’s not so hard here, since we’re outnumbered and overwhelmed. The only way to win is to bet everything on the right hand. In cards, you can los...