Eremis has come to take Terisa to a meeting with some of the leaders of Mordant. Though she says she does not want to go, Eremis insists, so she agrees.
The guards stopped him as he closed the door after her. They wanted to know where he was taking her. Castellan Lebbick's orders. Even though - she was only vaguely aware of this - Geraden was never questioned when she left with him.
As they approach the place of the meeting they are intercepted by the Perdon, who has many things to say, about his displeasure that Eremis has brought Terisa with him, about his displeasure that the Tor is in attendence, as he is too close to the king, and about his distrust of Eremis himself
Be warned Master Eremis...I am the lord of the Care of Perdon. I do not like manipulation - or abused trust. And I suspect that my fellow lords have similar prejudices.
Attending the meeting besides Terisa and Eremis are the Perdon, Master Gilbur, the Tor, the Armigite, the Termigan, and the Fayle. The lords are hostile towards Eremis and demand to know why Terisa is there. Many of them clearly distrust Imagers...and are even more upset when Prince Kragen walks in...
Terisa realizes what she THINKS Eremis is doing...
All at once, her sense of the situation changed. Despite his strange manner, Master Eremis had the ability to amaze her. Now she understood what he was doing. He was trying to forge an alliance, trying to place all three of the forces here - the lords, the Congery, and Alend's representative - into positions from which they would find it impossible to refuse him. Lacking the strength of the King, or even the authority of the mediator of the Congery, he was forced to resort to these subtle ploys. But the point of his maneuvering was to save Mordant.
Eremis describes the Augery and the Champion and states that the Congery is ready to bring him to Mordant. Some of the lords such as the Fayle seem to favor this. Others very clearly do not, especially the Fayle. Some of the positions of the lords are quite interesting.
The Tor:
What decision? I have none to make. I will not return to Marsholt. I am old, I say. These questions are too much for me. If King Joyse means to destroy Mordant, I will be here to assist him. I will stand at his side to the end.
The Termigan:
I'm considered a loveless man. certainly I've got little use for any of you, my lords - and none for King Joyse. But Termigan is my Care. Fro m the depths of its copper mines to the expanse of its wheat fields and the heights of Sternwall's towers it is mine. Tell me this. When Cadwal is beaten, and Imagery has been defeated, and Joyse is deprived of kingship, who is going to rule Mordant and Termigan? Who is going to have authority over my Care?
the Fayle:
You must not translate this figure of power...You will violate the King's express commands. And more -- you will violate the purpose for which the Congery was conceived. You must not do it...I must tell the King what you intend.
When the Fayle leaves the room upon this pronouncement, Terisa finds her admiring him for his loyalty...
When the meeting breaks up, Terisa finds herself being escorted by the Prince, who tells her of his admiration for Elega. He tells her that the Kingship of Alend is not hereditary but must be earned, and that this mission to Mordant was his opportunity to earn the office. The Prince says that he believes Elega would be high on the list of possible candidates were she an Alend.
Then a battle breaks out. Both of the Prince's bodyguard sare slain, and terisa is about to be killed by a man in balck, the same man who tried to murder her in her rooms. He is prevented by the arrival of a champion in gray, who battles to defend her until he is defeated but not slain...the Perdon and the Prince also battle on her behalf...and the man in black, facing three opponents makes a strange hand gesture and dissappears into thin air...the Prince is horribly upset as the bodyguards were also personal friends, the Perdon wonders how the assassins could know that they were there, the man in gray introduces himself as
My lady, I am Artagel. One of Geraden's brothers. He asked me to watch over you. I haven't done very well. Apparently...someone really wants you killed.
Poor Terisa then faints from the strong smell of blood on her clothes.