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"That’s right generous of you," Mat said, scratching his head

Elayne hesitated "Generous?"

"Building these for the Band"

"For the Band…Mat, these will be for Andor!"

"Here now," Mat said "These are my plans"

"And ht, suddenly beco more poised "Surely you see that the Crown could offer a more stable and useful control for the deploy

"What are you so happy about?" Mat de," Thom said "You do your mother proud, Elayne"

"Thank you, Tho him with a smile

"Whose side are you on?" Mat said

"Everyone’s," Thom said

"That’s not a bloody side," Mat said, then looked back to Elayne "I put a lot of effort and thought into getting these plans out of Aludra I’ve nothing against Andor, but I don’t trust anyone with these weapons who isn’t me"

"And if the Band were part of Andor?" Elayne asked She really did sound like a queen all of a sudden

"The Band is beholden to nobody," Mat said

"That is admirable, Mat," Elayne said, "but it makes you, you would have access to resources and authority We could give you a commission in Andor, with your own co Just a little But it did not matter He did not think Elayne would be happy to have him in her realm once she knew of his relationship with the Seanchan He meant to return to Tuon eventually, somehow If only to work out what she really felt about hi the Seanchan access to these dragons, but he did not fancy giving them to Andor, either Unfortunately, he had to ad to have Andor build the the weapons to the nation, too

"I don’t want a commission for the Band," Mat said "We’re free men, and that’s hoe like it"

Elayne looked troubled

"But I’d be willing to split the dragons with you," Mat said "Some for us, some for you"

"What if," Elayne said, "I built all of the dragons and owned all of them--but promised that only the Band could use them? No other forces would have access to them"

"That would be kind of you," Mat said "Suspicious, though No offense"