38 An Old Acquaintance

Amid the crush at Valan Luca’s menagerie, Nynaeve tails a one-eyed Shienaran to the s’redit ring and confirms he is Uno. He pulls her away from the crowd to avoid drawing attention to her connection with Rand, warning that zealots might mob her if they learn she knows the Dragon Reborn.

As they move toward Samara, Uno offers to find coin and even passage to Tear or Tar Valon, sharing troubling rumors that the Amyrlin has been deposed and Tar Valon possibly burned. Nynaeve rebuffs his attempts to take charge, reveals Elayne was the dark-haired performer he ogled, and scolds his language.

Uno explains Moiraine’s dead contact in Jehannah left him and other Shienarans adrift until Masema began supporting them. He discloses that “the Prophet” is Masema, whose fervor now dominates Ghealdan. Nynaeve hesitates but considers meeting Masema to secure a riverboat, while noting the unrest and bloodshed his movement stirs.

Near the gates, Uno describes a recent lynching of a showwoman accused of being Aes Sedai, roused by Whitecloaks, with Masema later beheading ringleaders. He decries the escalating violence and warns the city is half festival, half riot, unsafe for women after dark.

Despite Uno’s insistence on returning her to safety, Nynaeve asserts herself and orders him to keep up. She commits to entering Samara with Uno, willing to risk the chaos if it brings a chance at river passage, possibly through Masema’s influence.