Four Kings is a ghetto. Rand and Mat must perform at an inn run by a creepy man who means to rob them, or worse. They are cornered by a Darkfriend who demands they submit to the Dark One, and Rand channels lightning to help them escape.
This chapter begins by describing what a decrepit shithole Four Kings is. The houses are drab and weathered, the ground rutted from all the wagons traffic. And the children are playing in the ruts, for heaven’s sake. Men are *gasp* yelling lewd comments at women! It is difficult to read the description of the town and not think of that scene in Eurotrip where the group finds itself in Eastern Europe.
Despite their misgivings about the town, Rand and Mat spot thunderclouds rolling in and they don’t want to get caught in the rain. All but one inn has already hired entertainment, and the one place that hasn’t — The Dancing Cartman — gives off a vibe that makes the Bates Motel seem inviting by comparison. The proprietor, Saml Hake, is a vile man who treats his wait staff like shit. He retains the services of two bouncers, as though he expects trouble. If this guy lived in modern-day Earth, he’d be the type that walks around with a pistol tucked into the waistband of his pants. Saml grudgingly agrees to feed them and give them a place to sleep in exchange for filling his common room.
Before long, the common room is indeed packed, and the rain comes down in sheets. As they perform, Rand catches Saml eyeing his sword and Thom’s flute covetously, and he warns Mat that Saml is going to try to rob them. He also spots a well-dressed man in the crowd who keeps flashing a creepy “I just might be a Darkfriend” smile in their direction. During their meal break, Rand learns that this man is Howal Gode, a merchant from Whitebridge.
The hour grows late, and eventually the common room empties, with Gode being the last man to disappear upstairs to his room. Hake and his goons take Rand and Mat to their accommodations for the night. When they leave, Rand wedges the door shut. They try to escape through the window, but find metal bars on the outside. Someone tries to open the door — it’s Gode, and he has men with him in the hallway and outside of the window. He makes no attempt to hide the fact that he serves the Dark One, and demands they do the same.
Gode’s men start hammering on the door and it is clear that there is no escape. Suddenly, lightning strikes the metal bars on the window and obliterates most of the wall. With a thunderstorm raging, the obvious conclusion is pure luck. Sure, lightning just happened to hit the exact set of bars on the window Rand was staring at while screaming inside his head. Total coincidence. Ignoring the downpour, the boys bolt into the night.