We start with an earthquake, the first in living memory in the Unaras Spur and Inunara Highlands, which destroys the citadel of Ruom. Given later events in TGO/ TUC, should we read more into this?
The various factions of the Holy War turn up, and squabble about what the earthquake portends, until Kellhus 'decides' what it means for them. Conphas continues to argue with Saubon - a theme that will be resolved in TTT.
The Ainoni are dawdling. Eleazaras is beset by the ironies of the Scarlet Spires taking part in the Holy War
that reduced all determination to shaking indecision
. The machinations of various other groups add to his worries.
Skalateas of the Mysunsai turns up and tells him about Skeaos the skin spy. He lies to imply Akka was somehow on the side of the skin-spy. Why lie - we can only assume Istriya has paid him, or otherwise coerced him.
Eleazaras demands that Iyokus brings Akka to him. Iyokus demands to know what is going on.
Back at Asgilioch, Akka remembers a conversation with Kellhus, about what the Mandate might do to Kellhus. He recalls that
The Cultic priestesses of Yatwe... always dragged two victims - usually spring - to the sacrificial altar, one to pass under the knife, the other to witness the sacred passage. In this way every beast thrown upon the altar knew, in its dim way, what was about to happen. For the Yatwerians ritual wasn't enough: the transformation of casual slaughter into true sacrifice required recognition. One lamb for ten bulls, a priestess had told him once, as though she possessed the calculus to measure such things
Subject and object
Akka has been teaching Kellhus logic. Kellhus has astonished him with his intellect.
He's here, Achamian had thought absurdly, but he doesn't stand beside me... If all men saw from where they stood, then Kellhus stood somewhere else - that much was undeniable. But did he stand beyond the pale of Drusas Achamian's jugdement?
He heads off into the camp seeking hashish. The Holy War does not come across as at all holy. He goes to the whores. He sees 'Esmenet', and goes after her, but it isn't here, and the man she is with batters him. Then, the real Esmi does turn up.
She notices there is something different about him
"I'm a Mandate Schoolman," he said lamely. "What can I say? We all suffer..."
She is not impressed. She has suffered more and worse. She goads him with talk of her whoring - she needs to know how he feels. They go back to her tent.
"You pretended I wasn't there," she whispered
"That night you're talking about... Sweet Sejenus, Esmi, if I didn't see you, it wasn't because I was ashamed of you! How could I be? How could anyone - let alone a sorceror! - be ashamed of a woman such as you?"...
"Because I found them, Esmi - that very night... I found the Consult
.
He tells her what happened, and tells her about Kellhus.
He is made up, because she believes what he says. Someone actually takes him seriously.
How could life be so perverse? That a Mandate Schoolman could celebrate the .world's end
She wonders why he doesn't give Kellhus up to the Mandate.
..."There's many... many grounds between men. Some are mutual, and some are not. When you and I speak of the Consult. for instance, you stand upon my ground, just as I stand upon your ground when you discuss your... your life. But with Kellhus, it makes no difference what you discuss or where you stand; somehow the ground beneath your feat belongs to him. I'm always his guest - always! Even when I teach him, Esmi!"
Kellhus has Conditioned the ground. Interesting that Akka is halfway to realising this.
"... If Kellhus possessed the ability to work sorcery, he'd be... he'd be..." Achamian caught his breath.
"What?"
"Another Seswatha... More than Seswatha..."
Is this a pointer to what Kellhus will ultimately be up to? Seswatha 'comes before' the Mandate, as well as leading the fight against the No-God in the first Apocalypse.
Kellhus is allegedly 'dead but not done' - is he going to do something like Seswatha and appear in dreams?
Esmi thinks Akka wont give up Kellhus because of what happened to Inrau.
"I'm saying that's what you think. You think you killed him [Inrau]"
No, Achamian. It means you're not doing this - any of this! - to save this-this Anasurimbor Kellhus. You're doing it to punish yourself"
They make love. A skin-spy lurks outside.
