[/quote]"Why isn't it possible?" She sounded small and weak, and her head was spinning. Exaltation had taken hold of Geraden; he didn't seem to be aware of her distress. "Nobody knows how to change Images. It isn't possible. The Image is part of the glass. Bur you've just done it. You're the augered champion."
Before she had moved into her own apartment, Terisa had seen a variety of men who were reputed to be powerful, her father's guests; but none of them had projected the commanding confidence that Master Eremis did. Only her father's presence had been comparably effective - and his manner had been considerably less attractive. He had lacked the sparkle of play or passion that would have made her mother's marriag to him comprehensible.Terisa feels as if she has just received proof that she is not real, that she doesn't exist, because the mirror that was used to bring her to Mordant just showed her something that didn't exist. As Geraden tries to figure out what just happened, Master Eremis comes into the room. He immediately accuses Geraden of breaking the Congery's order to share no knowledge with Terisa.
"Thanks," Geraden muttered ungraciously. The master's sudden appearance seemed to reduce him to the stature of a sullen boy.Eremis says that the other masters will not know of Geraden breaking their order from him, and
"Master Eremis" Geraden's tone made Terisa look at him. In his face, she saw an inchoate hardness, a capacity for stregnth that hadn't come into focus. "I've been wrong about a lot of things. I make any number of mistakes. But I've never served the Congery wrongly." A secret ferocity mounted behind his words. "Something impossible has happened in this room. The masters need to know what I've learned - what the lady Terisa can tell them. What are they debating?"The Master presses Geraden for an introduction to Terisa, whom he obviously finds VERY attractive. Geraden just as obviously doesn't want the Master near her, especially when he traces his fingers down her chest. He also argues with the Master, telling him that Terisa has the right to be part of any decisions that the Congery makes about her.
But he didn't retreat. Terisa noticed particularly that he didn't accept his dismissal and leave the room.
Master Eremis tells them that the Congery is indeed debating Terisa, but that their deicion probably won't come until the following day. He then tries to dismiss Geraden.
Then he did look up to the taller man. He appeared to be chewing the inside of his cheek to steady himself. His expression was anxious and abashed, bt his gaze didn't falter. "Master Eremis, I believe she's too important to become just another of your women." "You insolent puppy!" spat the Master. For an instant, he seemed to grow taller, as if he were cocking himself to deliver a blow.
Geraden continues to try to express his distrust of the Master and his motives.
"I fought at his side for ten years to make Mordant what it is. I will not grovel asking him for what he should volunteer. You tell him this my lady. Every man of mine who falls or dies defending him in his blind inaction, I will send here. Let him look to their wounds, or their bereaved families, and explain why he will not" - he couldn't contain himself - "command it!"
They all become distracted when the mirror showing the Fist once again changes its Image to show the crossroads near Orison -- and it shows riders trying to escape from little monsters made up mostly of sharp mouths, who are trying to eat the riders. Greaden identifies one of the riders as the Perdon, the leader of one of the Cares of Mordant. To their relief, they see him escape the nasty little monsters.
Master Eremis then takes Geraden and Terisa with him to find out what is going on. They go to the waiting area for the King's rooms and find that the Perdon is meeting with King Joyse. When Eremis tries to find out what is going on, the guards say that he isn't invited to the meeting and the Castellan barks at him. Eventually, a large and shouting man emerges from the King's chambers, followed by a beautiful blonde woman with violet eyes. The two are arguing.
"And I tell you quite frankly, my lady" - she lowered her voice as if she were imparting a state secret - "Mordant is a man's world. We women are not often given enought to occupy our talents."Eremis questions the Perdon and finds out that Cadwal army members posing as bandits have been raiding his Care. They have discovered an army massing near the border. The Care has some 3,000 soldiers and will face around 15,000 -- and the King has refused any aid.
The Perdon and the Master eventually leave, and Geraden introduces the two women. The lovely blonde is Elega, the King's daughter. And she is quite upset with her father.
"My sister and I share rooms a level above the King's. We are told that we must live there so that we will be at least as safe as our father. But I believe," she said cynically, "the true reason is so that anything of importance will reach him before it reaches us - and stop...as I said, Mordant is a man's world"and
In silence, Terisa replied, That's your loss.Terisa learns that Elega and Geraden were once betrothed, but the betrothment was broken because Elega didn't want him.
She laughed in a way that immediately reminded Terisa of King Joyse's smile.Elega takes Terisa upstairs and introduces her to her sister, the Princess Myste. It is obvious that Elega doesn't think much of her sister, thinking her something of a silly romantic. Myste is as lovely as Elega, with deeper blonde hair and a more normal eye color. Terisa immediately takes to her.
"Elega, he is our father,"Myste demurred. "Of course we do not understand his intent. How can we, when we know so little of what he knows and fears?" Unlike Elega, she didn;t complain of her ignorance: she was simply stating a fact. "But we must not be so quick to judge. High matters are abroad in Mordant. I t appears that war is near..."Elega nastily tells her sister about the Perdon and their father, and Myste defends Joyse.
"Whatever action may be possible to save the realm, it will be taken in Orison. I mean to be a part of it, if I can...For her part, my sister remains here because she dreams that the King will one day rise up to defend his kingdom - if only we are willing to trust him long enough."Myste tells Terisa of how her parents came to marry, and how their stong willed mother and father made a good marriage. And she tells how their mother and third sister, Torrent, came to leave their father after he became too passive to rule effectively anymore. Elega says
"We are women like yourself, not self-serving men hungry for power. We can be trusted. We are perhaps the only people in Orison whom you may safely trust. This pretense in unnecessary." Myste looked at her sister at once."Elega, Terisa has no reason to lie to us. I am sure that she has not. It is not a pretense." With a savagery that would have done Castellan Lebbick credit, the lady Elega flashed out "It must be."The two sisters question Terisa about herself. Myste is awed by this girl from another world, but Elega seems to think that Terisa is holding back on them, that she has some sort of power she is not telling them about.
