Lord of Chaos Question

[The Lost One]

I am doing another re-read of the series and I am at Lord of Chaos and  I came across a part that I was confused about.  Maybe someone can clarify?

 

When Sammael and Graendal meet they refer to a Binding.  Sammael hints toward it in trying to get Graendal to bring it up, but she doesn't.  When he leaves, Graendal is surprised Sammael knows about it and thinks that the only reason she knows about it, is because Mesaana slipped when she was angry.  She also thinks about it in conjunction with how long Mesaana has been in the White Tower. 

 

What Binding are they talking about?  Is Mesaana bound by the oath rod? 

[Jaric Mondoran]

Mesaana isn't bound by the Rod, but she's aware of the fact that Aes Sedai of this Age ritually bind themselves, a treatment that was reserved for criminals in the AoL.  She knows this because of the extensive time she's spent in the Tower, but clearly as of Book 6 it's not general knowledge among the Forsaken.

[RobertAlexWillis]

If it is the meeting in LoC ch 6, the "binding" that they are talking about is done with a binder ... one of which is the Oath Rod.  Mesaana, however, is certainly not bound by the Oath Rod. Sammael is obliquely referencing the fact that Aes Sedai Bind themselves with the Oath Rod.  

 

Sammael and Graendal later provide the Shaido with another Binder, which is the one that plays a future role with Galina.  They intended to use it on Rand.

[The Lost One]

Thanks, that answers it.  I was wondering why they were considering it so important.  But per your comments, at this point in the books, it was not well known, so it was the knowledge of it they were considering so important.  Thanks!

[Magicana]

Wasn' Sammael going to provide something that they could use against Rand when they captured him? I.E, himself (Although the Shaido didn't know that).

[Child of Lir]

He did say that, but it's just as possible that he was lying. What he did to the Shaido did not serve them, but it did serve the cause of chaos; he had little or no interest in the Shaido's wants or needs. It is possible that he was keeping his options open, just in case Sevanna did manage to capture Rand, and he did indeed have that stash of angreal and ter'angreal wherein there might have been something to use against Rand - maybe even the gholam. However, he lured Rand to Shadar Logoth, and that might have been his main plan all along. Semirhage had the "sad bracelets" and was unlikely to let Sammael know of their existence.

[Magicana]

He did say that, but it's just as possible that he was lying. What he did to the Shaido did not serve them, but it did serve the cause of chaos; he had little or no interest in the Shaido's wants or needs. It is possible that he was keeping his options open, just in case Sevanna did manage to capture Rand, and he did indeed have that stash of angreal and ter'angreal wherein there might have been something to use against Rand - maybe even the gholam. However, he lured Rand to Shadar Logoth, and that might have been his main plan all along. Semirhage had the "sad bracelets" and was unlikely to let Sammael know of their existence.

 

He probably wanted to capture Rand in some way, or as you said, unleash the Gholam.