Well, we know that Taim gave them the order to kill Rand in Far Madding. Thus, I don't see why he should doubt that they could achieve it (he just couldn't predict Fain's involvement).
Considering the fact that the first two Asha'man to make it into the city disappear after attempting to take Rand on by themselves, I think it is entirely reasonable that Taim might think the other two would fail as well.
Slayer thinking in WH that no male channeler except the male Forsaken knows how to reach him speaks against the idea that Taim could contact him, because it seems more likely that Slayer truly knows who can find him and who not. The disguise suggests that someone didn't want Moridin or Rand to find out who gave the order, likely a second chance Forsaken like Osan'gar who already clashed with Rand and wants to prevent directly fighting a channeler with access to the Choedan Kal.
Because what the characters believe to be true and what actually is true are so often the same? I can easily see Taim wanting to have redundancy plans. Plus, the fact that he is directing the Asha'man, he would likely know where Rand is staying. IMO, the only other suspects would be Demandred and Ishy. Demandred wouldn't send someone else to kill Rand and Ishy didn't want him dead at that point and would have wanted Slayer to retrieve the Choedan Kal.
There is no clue that Taim knows how to reach Slayer. What we know speaks against it. Besides, I don't see how you can rule out Osan'gar as the possible patron, especially since he was involved with the DF Asha'man as well. Actually, he or maybe Aran'gar are the most likely candidates.
The idea that RJ invented a bad assassin for the Shadow, who is obviously still held in high regard of the Shadow bosses (even the DO uses him as an assassin), is simply ridiculous. If Slayer fails to kill someone, it is because the author decides that the victim is further needed in the plot; but not to suggest that Slayer is a bad assassin. In the same way, the Forsaken or the gholam failing to kill the ta'veren or the Wondergirls, shall not suggest that they are completely incompetent.
I don't know if you noticed or not, but most of RJ's villians are kind of lacking in the serious threat department. And whil his failure to kill Fain doesn't necessarily make him a bad assassin there is no evidence for Slayer being a good assassin.
Many top channelers point out that they can naturally be killed by anyone, if they are surprised and the attacker acts too quickly. For example, even Min manages to wound Semirhage twice with her knife, or Fain to stab Rand. Besides that, we don't know what other powers Slayer has. According to BS there was a deleted scene in TSR, which had told more about his powers. Maybe Slayer can even temporarily stun a channeler. That he casually offers his patron to try killing Rand again in WH, even if it's not clear if Rand is in Far Madding anymore, suggests that Slayer actually isn't afraid of top channelers.
Yes, Semi gets wounded, not killed. And Semi is arrogant enough to think that no one would dare attack her. Rand was attacked from behind and Fain still only managed a small wound that would have done nothing except for Fain's magic dagger. Slayer being willing to go after Rand again doesn't show his lack of fear of channelers, only his commitment to serving the Shadow. Besides, even if Rand hadn't been in Far Madding, a sleeping channeler isn't much of a threat to anyone.
If you seriously dispute that Slayer is a top assassin, who should really reread the parts of the series regarding Slayer. To argue this is as ridiculous as stating that the Forsaken aren't top channelers, because they don't manage to kill the ta'veren. As it's pointed out and shown several times in the books, it's not that difficult to kill a channeler, if you surprise him, and Asmo was surprised. Nothing suggests that Asmo could only be killed by a channeler.
i think i found a new stick to beat the dead asmo horse
- 05/03/2010 06:44:39 PM
1326 Views
Graendal Did It
- 06/03/2010 05:34:32 AM
516 Views
Re: Graendal Did It
- 08/03/2010 10:54:02 PM
474 Views
Regardless
- 06/03/2010 11:05:53 AM
578 Views
Re: Regardless
- 06/03/2010 09:21:49 PM
543 Views
bah
- 06/03/2010 10:55:09 PM
506 Views
So answer me this....
- 08/03/2010 03:40:30 PM
645 Views
Tell me your not serious...
- 09/03/2010 02:57:51 AM
403 Views
Slayer's patron knew where Rand was staying
- 17/03/2010 06:28:50 PM
547 Views
Very unlikely that the patron was Taim...
- 17/03/2010 06:44:44 PM
1064 Views
I call BS, not Brandon Sanderson
- 18/03/2010 03:09:29 AM
522 Views
- 18/03/2010 10:15:46 AM
1039 Views
- 18/03/2010 10:15:46 AM
1039 Views
Re:
- 18/03/2010 05:58:17 PM
598 Views
- 18/03/2010 05:58:17 PM
598 Views
As said...
- 18/03/2010 06:52:09 PM
455 Views
Re: As said...
- 19/03/2010 05:27:15 PM
495 Views
Re: As said...
- 20/03/2010 09:46:26 AM
426 Views
Re: As said...
- 22/03/2010 03:31:02 AM
459 Views
Yeah...
- 22/03/2010 10:02:48 AM
551 Views
Re: Yeah...
- 24/03/2010 07:55:52 PM
505 Views
Fain is not easy to kill. *NM*
- 18/03/2010 12:05:52 AM
207 Views
Re: Regardless
- 08/03/2010 10:56:20 PM
386 Views
Moiraine did it.
- 08/03/2010 09:21:41 PM
417 Views
The Eelfinn can't affect the outside world at all according to RJ...
- 18/03/2010 01:07:27 PM
508 Views