Chapter 6:
"There is only one way to save yourself," it rasps.
"And how is that?"
"Kill the Captain."
Why the Captain? It has to know what will happen to Cleric should Kosoter die...
The suspicion that the Consult has sent the skin-spy, not to assassinate Achamian or to sabotage the expedition, no. Her fear is that the Consult has sent it to assist them... to ensure they reach Sauglish and the Coffers.
As we'll later see, this seems unlikely...
"Tell me!" Incariol cries in hushed tones. "Tell me why I am here!"
A moment of glaring impatience. "Because they remind you."
"But who? They remind me of who?" Even as Cleric says this his glittering black eyes wander toward her.
"Someone you once knew," the Captain grates. "They remind you of someone you once—"
A glimpse at the role of the elju.
"Is it true," he inexplicably asks, "that being touched by another and touching oneself are quite distinct sensations for Men?"
The question bewilders and embarrasses her, to the point of drawing even more heat to her flushed face. "Yes... I suppose..."
OK, now that is just weird. For Nonmen there is no difference?
Then, in the empty interval between breaths, the Judging Eye opens.
For a time she gazes in stupefaction, then she weeps at the transformation.
Her hair cropped penitent short. Her clothing fine, but with the smell of borrowed things. Her belly low and heavy with child...
And a halo about her head, bright and silver and so very holy. The encircling waters darken for its glow.
So, she seems herself as essentially divine? Perhaps this is some foreshadowing? Or, perhaps, is she divine because the
child she caries?
The Captain, it seemed, was a Believer.
Zaudunyani.
There is more to the Captain that we really know. We always get hints at how he
seems more, this is just another,
"You were to watch him," the bird said, a miniature scowl creasing its expression.
"Things have changed."
Eyes like blue beads closed then opened. "How so?"
The thing called Soma dared raise Mimara's face. "A sorcerer, a Gnostic sorcerer, hired the company several weeks ago... He hopes to find the Coffers."
OK, so Aurang says you were to watch
him, so it was not sent to watch Mimara, but the Soma-agent says that Akka is
unexpected. Aurang is surprised too. So, the leaves Cleric and Kosoter. Since the Soma-agent is trying to get them to kill him though, my guess is it the Captain that Soma was sent to keep an eye on actually. There is though as plausible a case that it's Cleric, but I am just going on my gut here...
"No... I'm not sure... He claims to be a Wizard, a sorcerer without a School. Even still, Chigra burns strong in him. Very strong."
Interesting that the Soma-agent finds Chigra's presence strong,
remarkably strong. Kind of support, perhaps, that it is indeed Seswatha that is sending Akka the Dreams.
"Then she cannot be harmed. All the prophecies must be respected, the false as much as the true."
The age old question, again. Where do the Consult get these prophecies?