Verin's Letters

[dwn]

 

The 'he always keeps his word" trait isn't a positive, it's a flaw. Sometimes people, even heroes have to break their word for the greater good.

 

 

In fact, it's rather similar to the "He always does what is right" trait exhibited by Galad that's so infuriating (and wrong).

 

Definitely.

 

Absolutes may be comforting and easy, yet they're a terribly immature way of dealing with the world. I found Morgase's speech a bit trite, but it was a lesson Galad needed to learn and he seems to have taken it to heart. Perhaps Mat will have an epiphany when he learns of the contents of that letter.

 

-- dwn

[Guest The Thin Inn Keeper]

I think you all are missing something, her letter was nearly perfect, but missed the timing slightly. Provision 1 is open the letter. If he does this, the waygate is sealed. Provision 2 is wait there for 30 days, this is obviously to keep his army there. If he keeps his army there, then they are present to fight the trollocs, which is probably exactly what is going to happen. The only mistake in her letter seems to be that the attack took more than 30 days to happen, which I am assuming was out of her control. So I guess I don't see why everyone thinks it was a huge failure.

^^ This.

 

At the end of the day, Verin felt that there was a good chance that she’d fail to get to the Oath Rod and that she’d be forced to kill herself. – Note, she didn’t plan to die.

 

Therefore she gets Matt to either, A., tell someone about the gate and have it sealed, or, B., sit there with the Band.

 

Either way, the Trollocs are going to be dealt with.

 

Regarding the breaking of the oaths… it’s quite simple – She can only betray the DO in the hour of her death … or after she’s dead. That means she could only have written the letter if she believed that Mat would only open it after her death. We’ve seen Moiraine confirming that Aes Sedai can’t lie in a letter, so I’d assume that V. couldn’t betray the DO in a letter, unless she knew it would be opened (if at all) after she was dead, thereby bypassing the oath.

 

Having said that, she could have just told Egwene.

 

But … at the time … Egwene wasn’t in a position to do much about it. Verin couldn’t have known what was about to happen.

 

So she can’t pass on the information via Egwene and feel 100% certain it would have got to the right people.

 

On the other hand, why not send / give letters to as many people as possible? Well, she relies on Matt’s stubbornness.

 

At the end of the day:

 

1. She can’t betray the DO until the hour of her death (or after she’s dead)

2. Therefore, she has to know that the letter won’t be opened until she’s dead

3. She adds two clauses, both of which serve to ensure that the letter is opened after her death

4. She doesn’t tell Egwene, she can’t be sure that Egwene would be able to act on it

5. She relies on Matt’s character to stop him opening the letter before her death, anyone else might have opened it, thereby stopping her from being able to write the letter in the first place, ass points 1 and 2

 

It think V did alright.

 

In fact, I think V was very, very smart in the way she worked it.

 

The only possible thing I can see is that she should have told Egwene … but the woman was running out of time and desperate to get her Black Ajah information to someone. Hindsight is 20:20.

[Mr Ares]

He delayed b/c he made a PROMISE to do so to Verin. Plus, he needed time for Dragons and we know what happen when he tried to see the queen. How was he suppose to know that the requirement will only take half a day. I guess it was too much for Verin say something like "It will only take a few days of your time at the most and will not put you in the direct danger at the time that I can foresee"

'"I doubt you will find my instructions harsh, Matrim," she noted.' She tried to tell him it wouldn't be something he'd object to too much.

 

No, Verin is no Hero. Verin didn’t take one for the team. Verin was a black sister who in the hour of her death betrayed the rest of the black ajah.

After having spent decades learning everything she could about them. She blew the organisation apart in one fell swoop. And then committed suicide in order to get that information out. And that doesn't qualify you for hero status? What does?

I'm not saying the suicide wasn't heroic. I am trying to say that Verin has, no matter her intentions, been a member of the black ajah for 70 years. She has been undercover a long time. Ok you may call her a "hero", but it certainly doesnt make her a good person.

"Hero" and "good person" are not the same thing.

 

How unlikely is it that she hasn't been affected just a little bit by all the evil she has seen and probably done over the years? Would Verin be willing to let trollocs invade Cam in order to force Mat into some sort of position? I think so. Verin has shown that she is willing to do anything, anything at all to reach her goal.

 

Also, how likely is it that Verin, the 007 of Aes Sedai, don't realize that Mat will not open that letter? She hasn't survived for 70 years of manipulation, backstabbing and intrigue just to miscalculate how a distrustful 20 year old farmboy will react to a seemingly simple bargain.

Verin worked for 70 years to undercover the BA, and undoubtedly did some terrible things in her time, but saying she would be willing to do anything is possibly pushing things a bit - ultimately, she knows which side is good and which is evil. If she could force Mat into some position without razing a city, I'm sure she would do so, not least because the destruction of Caemlyn would be a huge blow to the Light.

 

I think that something people may be overlooking is the opening line of the letter: "If you are opening this, then I am dead." A simple and straightforward statement, one that Mat has no reason not to believe is 100% true because he knows her as an Aes Sedai, not Black Ajah. However, despite the fact that she -can- lie, a betrayal of the Shadow will result in her death, which means that it is indeed true. The letter is a betrayal of the Dark Lord, but only if opened and read.

I'm not sure I agree with your assessment. In the past, we've seen that the First Oath works on what an AS believes to be true, not what is. It could be the same applies here, that if she felt she hadn't betrayed Shai'tan's secrets then she would still be alive. As far as she had any reason to believe, thee secrets would not be disclosed until after her last hour. Of course, we have some indication that there is more to BA Oaths than just swearing on an Oath Rod, so it's possible it works in the way you suggest.

 

Mat has an important role to play. The Aes Sedai are insistent that he play it. Mat just wants to be Peter Pan and fly back to Never-Never-Land.

 

 

If by "fly back to Never-Never-Land," you mean "fulfill his promise to Thom to help him go rescue Moiraine, fulfill his obligation to Aludra and all the people whose lives will be saved by having the Dragons made, and do it all while keeping the soldiers under his command relatively safe," then I guess you could say that that's all Mat wants.

 

Opening the letter precludes none of those scenarios. In fact, it enhances all of them.

 

With the Waygate destroyed, there is no invasion, no threat to Aludra's dragons, and no immediate threat to the people of Caemlyn from fire or Trolloc. Opening the letter wouldn't even tke any time away from rescuing Moiraine. He already has contact with Birgitte and Elayne, he simply needs to tell them and make Talmanes and his half of the Band available to do the heavy lifting while he, Thom, and Noal gate to the Tower of Ghenjei.

 

Mat blew it. By being the south half of a northbound horse yet again.

Honestly, at this point I'm kind of getting really upset. You keep on saying that it's Mat's fault and making these crazy connections and justifications why. Yet you say I'm the one who rationalizing. R you being serious or are you just massing around? I just really can't see how someone can blame Mat and truly believe it. So, are you for real or are you just pulling our thumbs?

An adult understands the promises should be kept, but an adult also understands that sometimes bad things happen and the more responsible action sometimes requires a promise to be broken.

 

He should have opened the damned letter and if what Verin required would have interfered with Mat's world saving duties then too bad for her. On the other hand it was clearly important, and so should have been checked out to see what it was.

 

The 'he always keeps his word" trait isn't a positive, it's a flaw. Sometimes people, even heroes have to break their word for the greater good.

Indeed. Also, the book itself gives us an AS style out to the letter - have someone else open it - that Mat refuses to consider.

 

I think you all are missing something, her letter was nearly perfect, but missed the timing slightly. Provision 1 is open the letter. If he does this, the waygate is sealed. Provision 2 is wait there for 30 days, this is obviously to keep his army there. If he keeps his army there, then they are present to fight the trollocs, which is probably exactly what is going to happen. The only mistake in her letter seems to be that the attack took more than 30 days to happen, which I am assuming was out of her control. So I guess I don't see why everyone thinks it was a huge failure.

Further to this, she initially tried to get Mat to agree to 50 days. He refused, as too long a wait means he could march there in not much longer. 30 was probably the best contingency she could have hoped for, and as Thin said, hindsight is always 20:20. She did her best, but fell short.

[jonniekaye]

Ahoy!

 

Not sure if anyone else spotted this (probably have) but Galad has a letter with a red seal too and i don't think its from his new babe coz of the red seal but thats just my opinion.

 

A Backhanded Request p65

 

"Galad was tucking something into his pocket. A small letter, it appeared, with a red seal. Where had he gotten that? He looked troubled, though his expresstion lightened as he arrived"

 

Like i said it's probably already been mention but what the hell.

 

This makes 4 along with Matts, Rands, Alanna.

 

Any more Red letters been spotted?

 

 

 

 

 

I was looking for a post about this! I noticed all of the letters you mentioned...Did Verin know about other attacks? Is this only about Caemlyn?

[Sabio]

Ok more I think about it ELyane and Verin are both at fault. The BA told ELayne an attack was coming and she still wanted to take over the Sun Throne. She also took her army and left to go to the meeting. Yes we have no idea what she left behind but she knew an attack was coming.

 

Verin could of told Egewene about the attack, wrote it in the book, etc. But she just wrote it in a letter and assumed Mat would read it.

 

Hmm also Rand shares a little blame, why didn't he trap the waygate when he was ruling there. Loial could of disabled it, he described how to do it in the Two Rivers but was unwilling to do it.

[l_uniquefeuille]

Hi. Forgive me if the answer is obvious.

But couldn't verin have given the letter to Elayne and asked to wait a day? Or will it have broken some big BA pact? And what about writing it in the book she gave Egwene?

[Wheel of Thyme]

Hi all.

Have you all noticed that each time Mat has flirted with the idea of opening Verins letter, a distraction of some sort prevents it? Verin would call that, possibly, a Taveren effect. It seems to me that events have conspired to keep Mat from opening that letter; therefore it seems likely that the Trolloc invasion of Camelyn has some purpose. Maybe Mat may have been killed if he were there, and so the Pattern...or the Creator acted to keep Mat from that letter.

 

Thoughts?

[Mr Ares]

Ok more I think about it ELyane and Verin are both at fault. The BA told ELayne an attack was coming and she still wanted to take over the Sun Throne. She also took her army and left to go to the meeting. Yes we have no idea what she left behind but she knew an attack was coming.

She knew an attack was comiing, so she increased border defences to guard against it. Reasonable preaution, if you ask me. Cairhien is neither here nor there, as she wasn't using Andoran troops to take it.

 

Hmm also Rand shares a little blame, why didn't he trap the waygate when he was ruling there. Loial could of disabled it, he described how to do it in the Two Rivers but was unwilling to do it.

That disabling wouldn't work against a strong channeler - they can cut a Waygate open, as Moiraine does in EotW. That's why Verin tells Mat to go to Elayne and get her to destroy the Waygate. If it was just a matter of taking the leaves off, no point in bothering Elayne.

[Enders]

Didn't wanna say anything about Caemlyn in the title--too many threads on it--but that's what this thread be about.

 

Did anyone else find Olver incredibly creepy? Jason said tragic, I say budding sociopath.

 

 

/agree.

 

The letter, though. It started out so boring and escalated as quickly as the news team fight in The Legend of Ron Burgundy.

Don't get Verin's logic though - Verin has generally been very logical.

Why insist Mat couldn't open it etc.?

Why not just say "Wait x days for me in Camelyn, and if I'm not back, open her up and use your judgement on what to do with the info there." It's not like she's asking Mat to do something particularly difficult - just pass on a message. This way she risked exactly what did apparently happen: The Waygate wasn't guarded.

 

This would of been the same thing as telling him directly, which her oaths were currently keeping her from doing. The best she could do is trying to spike his curiosity as much as she could to make him want to open the letter. Telling him to read the letter though, is the same as telling him.

[Sharaman]

Didn't wanna say anything about Caemlyn in the title--too many threads on it--but that's what this thread be about.

 

Did anyone else find Olver incredibly creepy? Jason said tragic, I say budding sociopath.

 

 

/agree.

 

The letter, though. It started out so boring and escalated as quickly as the news team fight in The Legend of Ron Burgundy.

Don't get Verin's logic though - Verin has generally been very logical.

Why insist Mat couldn't open it etc.?

Why not just say "Wait x days for me in Camelyn, and if I'm not back, open her up and use your judgement on what to do with the info there." It's not like she's asking Mat to do something particularly difficult - just pass on a message. This way she risked exactly what did apparently happen: The Waygate wasn't guarded.

 

This would of been the same thing as telling him directly, which her oaths were currently keeping her from doing. The best she could do is trying to spike his curiosity as much as she could to make him want to open the letter. Telling him to read the letter though, is the same as telling him.

But she did tell him to read the letter - she just added an instruction that made him reluctant to do so.

She said "Open it in 10 days AND do what it tells you"

Instead I'm suggesting she could just have said "Open it in 10 days"

How would that bust her oath?

[Viperswhip]

I am on board with those laying blame equally on Verin and Mat. Ya, Mat has an irrational mistrust of ALL Aes Sedai. Hating, fearing or mistrusting every member of an entire cultural group is ignorant at best. Hell, he won't even let Moiraine heal him. I can see not letting Joline anywhere near him, but it was pretty clear that Teslyn would never bond him without his consent, yet he doesn't let her or the Kin heal him. Hell, the Kin aren't even Aes Sedai. Now, he just mistrusts all One Power users but is willing to use their gateways...whatever, it's all kinds of idiotic.

 

Verin however should have anticipated Mat, but frankly she hasn't spent much time with him other than when they were chasing after Fain and Mat has gotten far worse in the meantime, so how was she to know? I am willing to give her a pass. The Mat she knew lifted the seal on a letter from Elayne to her Mother! She could not have known that Mat had developed an irrational fear of the One Power in the meantime or that he would be screwed up by...well, now that I think about it Vandene and her sister (can't remember how to spell her name) and Joline. Those are the only two Aes Sedai that have actually tried to outright bully or manipulate him. Maybe Lanfear set a compulsion to not trust the Aes Sedai on him. I would love if Nynaeve found that on him because other than this I like Mat; even if he is blind to the fact that his wife is Evil.

 

Verin's letter to Galad almost certainly disclosed that he is half-brother to the Dragon Reborn. I can't think of what else Verin might have known that would cause him to "look troubled".

 

Verin spent enough time in the Aeil camp to have heard about him being the son of a Maiden and learning the story that she was a wetlander dressed in silks. Verin knows enough to piece that all together.

[dwn]

Verin's letter to Galad almost certainly disclosed that he is half-brother to the Dragon Reborn. I can't think of what else Verin might have known that would cause him to "look troubled".

 

Verin spent enough time in the Aeil camp to have heard about him being the son of a Maiden and learning the story that she was a wetlander dressed in silks. Verin knows enough to piece that all together.

 

I've been thinking along the same lines, though I can't see what she hoped to accomplish with it. Perhaps she simply wanted more family support for Rand.

 

Two other possibilities require that Verin know that Galad is a leader (not necessarily LCC) among the Whitecloaks, or the remote possibility that her letter was for the LCC, rather than Galad himself. The first of these is general information about DFs among the Whitecloaks. The second is information about what really happened in the Two Rivers with 'Ordeith'. Verin did know who Padan Fain was, probably better than most, and she knew they'd likely resurface to cause problems for Perrin.

 

-- dwn

[Duskfire]

I am on board with those laying blame equally on Verin and Mat. Ya, Mat has an irrational mistrust of ALL Aes Sedai. Hating, fearing or mistrusting every member of an entire cultural group is ignorant at best. Hell, he won't even let Moiraine heal him. I can see not letting Joline anywhere near him, but it was pretty clear that Teslyn would never bond him without his consent, yet he doesn't let her or the Kin heal him. Hell, the Kin aren't even Aes Sedai. Now, he just mistrusts all One Power users but is willing to use their gateways...whatever, it's all kinds of idiotic.

 

How is it idiotic? They have attempted to use him and bind him (unsuccessfully) for ages now. What they have done to Rand alone should be enough to show that they are worthy of mistrust. Sure individually they are pretty good, but the Whitetower as a whole attempts to control everything, which is exactly what Mat dislikes. He is ignorant true, in that he doesnt seem to realise that Wise Ones and the Kin and whatnot are seperate, but I wouldnt go so far as to call his mistrust idiotic. And despite his mistrust, he still goes out of his way to help them. He just doesnt want to be caught up in their schemes.

[Byzantine279]

Mat's fear of Aes Sedai plots isn't exactly irrational, we have all read the ridiculously complex plots they can weave.

 

I would blame Verin, and to a lesser extent Mat, Verin for simply wording the instructions horribly and Mat for not figuring out just how important the letter was.

[Toddler]

Anyone conisder this may be Mats TV kicking in. Maybe Caemlyn needs to fall to show mankind what happens when you muck about and dont stop jockying with each other and ally against the shadow.

 

Tuon may realise an attack on the white tower may not be the best call once she get reports of trollocs easting people a few miles down the road

[Viperswhip]

Anyone conisder this may be Mats TV kicking in. Maybe Caemlyn needs to fall to show mankind what happens when you muck about and dont stop jockying with each other and ally against the shadow.

 

Tuon may realise an attack on the white tower may not be the best call once she get reports of trollocs easting people a few miles down the road

 

Then maybe the pattern should have led to Ebou Dar being sacked instead. Tuon would have figured out that TG was right around the corner then. Keep in mind, she's never seen more than a couple of heads of trollocs.

[Duskfire]

Anyone conisder this may be Mats TV kicking in. Maybe Caemlyn needs to fall to show mankind what happens when you muck about and dont stop jockying with each other and ally against the shadow.

 

Tuon may realise an attack on the white tower may not be the best call once she get reports of trollocs easting people a few miles down the road

 

Then maybe the pattern should have led to Ebou Dar being sacked instead. Tuon would have figured out that TG was right around the corner then. Keep in mind, she's never seen more than a couple of heads of trollocs.

 

She does know its close; its just to her the Seanchan are fated to bind Rand to them to fight TG. So in theory, (according to the Seanchan way of thinking) until that happens, TG won't start. Its much like how everyone knew that once the Stone of Tear fell it would proclaim the Dragon Reborn; its just using prophecy as an indication of events.

[Enders]

Didn't wanna say anything about Caemlyn in the title--too many threads on it--but that's what this thread be about.

 

Did anyone else find Olver incredibly creepy? Jason said tragic, I say budding sociopath.

 

 

/agree.

 

The letter, though. It started out so boring and escalated as quickly as the news team fight in The Legend of Ron Burgundy.

Don't get Verin's logic though - Verin has generally been very logical.

Why insist Mat couldn't open it etc.?

Why not just say "Wait x days for me in Camelyn, and if I'm not back, open her up and use your judgement on what to do with the info there." It's not like she's asking Mat to do something particularly difficult - just pass on a message. This way she risked exactly what did apparently happen: The Waygate wasn't guarded.

 

This would of been the same thing as telling him directly, which her oaths were currently keeping her from doing. The best she could do is trying to spike his curiosity as much as she could to make him want to open the letter. Telling him to read the letter though, is the same as telling him.

But she did tell him to read the letter - she just added an instruction that made him reluctant to do so.

She said "Open it in 10 days AND do what it tells you"

Instead I'm suggesting she could just have said "Open it in 10 days"

How would that bust her oath?

 

hhmm, I'll have to go back and read their conversation again. I thought Verin said he just had to hold onto it for 10 days or until she gets back, and that if he opened it before the ten days were up that Mat had to do what the letter said. I don't remember her telling Mat to open it in 10 days and do what it says.

[Sharaman]

Didn't wanna say anything about Caemlyn in the title--too many threads on it--but that's what this thread be about.

 

Did anyone else find Olver incredibly creepy? Jason said tragic, I say budding sociopath.

 

 

/agree.

 

The letter, though. It started out so boring and escalated as quickly as the news team fight in The Legend of Ron Burgundy.

Don't get Verin's logic though - Verin has generally been very logical.

Why insist Mat couldn't open it etc.?

Why not just say "Wait x days for me in Camelyn, and if I'm not back, open her up and use your judgement on what to do with the info there." It's not like she's asking Mat to do something particularly difficult - just pass on a message. This way she risked exactly what did apparently happen: The Waygate wasn't guarded.

 

This would of been the same thing as telling him directly, which her oaths were currently keeping her from doing. The best she could do is trying to spike his curiosity as much as she could to make him want to open the letter. Telling him to read the letter though, is the same as telling him.

But she did tell him to read the letter - she just added an instruction that made him reluctant to do so.

She said "Open it in 10 days AND do what it tells you"

Instead I'm suggesting she could just have said "Open it in 10 days"

How would that bust her oath?

 

hhmm, I'll have to go back and read their conversation again. I thought Verin said he just had to hold onto it for 10 days or until she gets back, and that if he opened it before the ten days were up that Mat had to do what the letter said. I don't remember her telling Mat to open it in 10 days and do what it says.

 

All the following quotes are from Chapter 36 TGS - all quotes as spoken by Verin

"Instructions which you will follow on the tenth day after I leave you in Caemlyn"

" You aren't to open them (sic) until that (tenth) day"

"You may choose not to open that letter"

"Or you can open that letter in 10 days and do what it says"

Etc, etc.

[DC Andrews]

Making a reply, pressed for time, so not sure if this has been said or not, only read half the posts, so i apologize if it has.

 

But the true reason to Verin's letter, may or may not be, timing Matt's venture out of the city, at the same time as the invasion. Now i am not sure that she knew about the ToG or not, but could she word the letter, as a means to get Matt out of Cam, so he wasn't killed, is the attack on Cam, just a diversion to kill Matt, like the Golam couldn't. that is one thing that has been plaguing me since reading a few wall posts. So in this, by still giving the chance to save the trollocs entering, without breaking the DO's oaths, but main reason getting Matt out of there. One thing we have to remember, is that there is very very few plot twists, that aren't RAFO in their nature haha. I also read somewhere else about Matt Vs. Dem as a last battle general off, was this the prologue to that battle?

[Aquarius]

Am I the only one to be a bit disapointed that the "weighing 2 Aes Sedai on a balance scale" dream/vision turned out to be something pretty lame ? Mat didn't _choose_ between the two AS, didn't feel pulled between two opposite needs. If all there was to it was choosing between saving Moirane and saving Caemlyn, then there was no choice at all.

 

Or do you think that vision/dream might be about something else entirely?

[nolirion]

Making a reply, pressed for time, so not sure if this has been said or not, only read half the posts, so i apologize if it has.

 

But the true reason to Verin's letter, may or may not be, timing Matt's venture out of the city, at the same time as the invasion. Now i am not sure that she knew about the ToG or not, but could she word the letter, as a means to get Matt out of Cam, so he wasn't killed, is the attack on Cam, just a diversion to kill Matt, like the Golam couldn't. that is one thing that has been plaguing me since reading a few wall posts. So in this, by still giving the chance to save the trollocs entering, without breaking the DO's oaths, but main reason getting Matt out of there. One thing we have to remember, is that there is very very few plot twists, that aren't RAFO in their nature haha. I also read somewhere else about Matt Vs. Dem as a last battle general off, was this the prologue to that battle?

Dem is considered as a gambler among the forsaken .

 

 

I wonder how much choice Matt had , beside the event with the waitress at the beginning every time he was about to talk seriously of the letter he was interrupt by a news or by someone , I recall exactly when he is about to speak of it with Perrin and he is cut off by Grady and then bam the change the discussion .

[Wheel of Thyme]

Hi Toddler and all...

I had the same idea there and commented upthread. I had no takers then, but I did wish to let you know I agree with you. I think Caemlyn had to fall, and as I wrote, whenever Mat was even considering opening that letter, something would distract him. Definately, in my view, Mats Luck/ Taveren-ness at work. Maybe had Mat BEEN in Caemlyn even HE would have died. Maybe Mat and the Band's NOT being there will enable him to save all the canons...er, dragons.

[nolirion]

Hi Toddler and all...

I had the same idea there and commented upthread. I had no takers then, but I did wish to let you know I agree with you. I think Caemlyn had to fall, and as I wrote, whenever Mat was even considering opening that letter, something would distract him. Definately, in my view, Mats Luck/ Taveren-ness at work. Maybe had Mat BEEN in Caemlyn even HE would have died. Maybe Mat and the Band's NOT being there will enable him to save all the canons...er, dragons.

Caemlyn did not fall , we only know she is under attack

[blazetheearth]

Hi Toddler and all...

I had the same idea there and commented upthread. I had no takers then, but I did wish to let you know I agree with you. I think Caemlyn had to fall, and as I wrote, whenever Mat was even considering opening that letter, something would distract him. Definately, in my view, Mats Luck/ Taveren-ness at work. Maybe had Mat BEEN in Caemlyn even HE would have died. Maybe Mat and the Band's NOT being there will enable him to save all the canons...er, dragons.

 

Caemlyn did not fall , we only know she is under attack

 

 

I wanted to add my 2 cents and say I agree with you both about the attack on Cam being necessary, and I do not think that Cam will fall entirely. The Waygate is in the New City which means the Inner City walls will stand for a little while at least. Close to 40,000 troops surround the New City. Mat notes early on in ToM the the Palace itself is a large fortress, and I don't remember anything being said about Elayne taking all the Kinswomen with her to FoM, so that would leave in excess of 100 channelers in side that fortress to make gateways to bring the Band (and all the other mercs that Talmanes can scoop up) all inside the Inner City to hold the walls and palace.

 

I agree that Verin specifically ENSURED that Mat would not open the letter by making him agree to do what was said inside and all the fluff at the beginning of the letter is in part in case he does open it, and also in part as a lesson to Mat. By telling him she expected him to open it within a week she guarantees he will feel guilty about not opening it. I believe that was a lie, and that her plan was for the attack to take place. At this point she cannot know that the Shadow could possibly gain dragons as a result of the attack, in fact there's no evidence that she would know about them at all.

 

I also think that Mat's whole experience with this letter is reminiscent of earlier in the books when Mat is trying to get free of Rand's tav'ern (sp) pull on him. He pulls out that letter and considers opening it almost as often as Thom reads the letter from Mor. You can tell his curiosity burns to know what it says, because he thinks about it constantly (like thinking of leaving Rand) but always something comes up to pull his attention from it (like something came up to keep him close to Rand til Rand sent him away). Maybe it was his OWN tav'ern nature that was keeping him from it this time. That would mean the Pattern decided that the attack on Cam is the correct course of events.

 

Why would the attack be good?

 

1) Bring home the reality of this war to the Southlanders in general, and Andor in particular, causing more people to come toward the Light. {ok, so that one is iffy}

2) Galvanizing the remaining forces outside Cam to the Band

3) Kinswomen taking part in battle, gaining experience.

4) {another iffy one} Strengthening the Pattern by returning thousands of New City souls to the Wheel.

 

 

I know there are better reasons than these, but I can't think at the moment .... I hate it when I start a post with a definite idea of making a point and I lose the point somewhere in typing. lol