After meeting Juilin Sandar, Mat uses his fireworks to blow a hole in the Stone, and the two men fight their way toward the prison cells. Despite still being shielded, Egwene finds she can still visit the World of Dreams with her ter’angreal, so she goes on an out-of-body offensive.
Mat prowls the rooftops, staking out the Stone of Tear and looking for a way in. There’s a place where he could climb, but it looks treacherous. Mat’s train of thought is interrupted when visitors start showing up like someone sent a party invitation. First, Rhuarc’s group of Aiel are eager to help the Dragon conquer the Stone. Next, it’s Juilin Sandar, feeling guilty for his role in Liandrin’s plot. Mat insists he’s just there to rescue his friends.
The Aiel disappear, and Juilin suggests Mat pose as his prisoner to get them inside the Stone. This sounds like a better plan than risking a climb — if Juilin can be trusted. But first, remember that big bundle of fireworks Mat has? It isn’t going to set itself off! A wall abutting the Stone gets Mat near an arrow slit. He crams the bundle inside, lights the fuse, and hurries away. The deafening explosion punches him in the back and decks him. Through the smoke, Mat notices the arrow slit has been widened by the explosion.
Not completely trusting Juilin, Mat opts to wiggle through the hole and into the Stone. Soldiers swarm the room. It’s more than Mat can handle, but fortunately Juilin joins him and they fight their way toward the prison block.
Meanwhile, Egwene wakes up in a locked room. She is relieved to find Nynaeve and Elayne with her, but they’re still shielded from the True Source. Nynaeve confirms this with tug number twenty-seven on her braid. Fear not, Nynaeve! Egwene borrowed your Bag of Horrible ideas, and she has a plan: she’s going use her ter’angreal to dream her way out of this.
In the dream, Egwene goes to the Heart of the Stone. Joiya, one of the Black Ajah, is there. Egwene shields her from the True Source, then sets off to find the prison cells.
In his own dream, Perrin finds Faile in the Stone of Tear, shackled to a stone slab with more chains than Pee-Wee Herman used to secure his bike. The moment he shatters one of the chains, Faile fades away.
End scene.
What the fuck, Jordan? Was this even worth mentioning? Since I made the mistake of acknowledging it, can we also agree that it makes no sense for Faile to be wrapped in chains and in need of rescue? Both she and Perrin entered their dream the same way, so why does she play the damsel in distress while Perrin can run around looking for her?