Brandon Sanderson - Elantris

Sarene saw her chance and took it. She opened her eyes wide, assumed a dull look of confusion, and-with her most high-pitched innocent voice-asked a single word.

"Why?"

Hrathen stopped. She had timed the question so it fell directly in the awkward space between two of his sentences. The gyorn stumbled at the piercing inquiry. obviously trying to regain his momentum. However, Sarene's placement had been too skillful, and the moment was gone. He turned around with harsh eyes to search out the one who had so foolishly interrupted him. All he found was a demure, perplexed Sarene.

"Why what?" Hrathen demanded.

"Why are animals beneath humans in Mr. Jaddeth's eyes?" she asked.

The gyorn gritted his teeth at her use of the term "Mr. Jaddeth." "Because, unlike men, they can do nothing but follow their own lusts."

The standard follow-up question to such a statement would have been "But men follow their lusts as well," which would have given Hrathen an opportunity to explain the difference between a man of God and a carnal, sinful man. Sarene didn't oblige.

"But I heard that Mr. Jaddeth rewarded arrogance." Sarene said with confusion.

The gyorn's eyes grew suspicious. The question was just a bit too well placed to have come from one as simple as Sarene was pretending to be. He knew, or at least suspected, that she was toying with him. However, he still had to answer the question-if not for her, then for the rest of the crowd.

"Lord Jaddeth rewards ambition, not arrogance," he said carefully.

"I don't understand," Sarene said. "Isn't ambition serving our own lusts? Why does Mr. Jaddeth reward that?"

Hrathen was losing his audience, and he knew it. Sarene's question was a century-old theological argument against Shu-Dereth, but the crowd knew nothing of ancient disputes or scholarly refutations. All they knew was that someone was asking questions Hrathen couldn't answer quickly enough, or interestingly enough, to hold their attention.

"Arrogance is different from carnality," Hrathen declared in a snappish voice. making use of his commanding position to take control of the conversation. "People's service in Jaddeth's empire is quickly rewarded both here and in the afterlife."

It was a masterful attempt: he managed not only to switch the topic, but to draw the crowd's attention to another idea. Everyone found rewards fascinating. Unfortunately for him, Sarene wasn't done yet.

"So if we serve Jaddeth, our lusts are fulfilled?"

"No one serves Jaddeth but Wyrn," Hrathen said offhandedly as he considered how to best answer her objections.

Sarene smiled; she had been hoping he would make that mistake. It was a basic tenet of Shu-Dereth that only one man could serve Jaddeth directly; the religion was very regimented, and its structure was reminiscent of the feudal government that had once ruled in Fjorden. One served those above him. who served those above him, and so on until it reached Wyrn, who served Jaddeth directly. Everyone served Jaddeth's empire. but only one man was holy enough to serve God directly. There was much confusion about the distinction, and it was eommon for the Derethi priesthood to correct it as Hrathen just had.

Unfortunately, he had also just given Sarene another opportunity.

"No one can serve Jaddeth?" she asked with confusion. "Not even you?"

It was a silly argument-a misinterpretation of Hrathen's point, not a true attack on Shu-Dereth. In a debate of pure religious merit. Sarene would never have been able to stand against a fully-trained gyorn. However, Sarene wasn't looking to disprove Hrathen's teachings, just ruin his speech.

Hrathen looked up at her comment. immediately realizing his mistake. All of his former thinking and planning was now useless-and the crowd was wondering at this new question.

Nobly, the gyorn tried to cover for his mistake. attempting to bring the conversation back to more familiar grounds, but Sarene had the crowd now, and she held on to them with the viselike grip only a woman on the verge of hysterics could manage.

"What will we do?" she asked with a shake of her head. "I fear these things of priests are beyond common people such as myself."

And it was over. The people began talking among themselves and wandering

away. Most of them were laughing at the eccentricities of priests, and the abstruseness of theological reasonings. Sarene noticed that most of them were nobles; it must have taken a great deal of effort for the gyorn to lead them all up to Elantris's wall. She found herself smiling wickedly at all of his wasted planning and coaxing.

Hrathen watched his carefully arranged gathering dribble away. He didn't try speaking again; he probably knew that if he yelled or fumed, he would only do more damage than good.

Surprisingly, the gyorn turned away from the scattering people and nodded appreciatively at Sarene. It wasn't a bow, but it was the most respectful gesture she had ever received from a Derethi priest. It was an acknowledgment of a battle well won, a concession given to a worthy opponent.

"You play a dangerous game, Princess," he said softly in his slightly accented voice.

"You'll find I am very good at games. Gyorn," she replied.

"Until the next round, then," he said, waving for a shorter, light-haired priest to follow him as he climbed down from the wall. In this other man's eyes there was no hint of respect or even tolerance. They burned with hatred, and Sarene shivered as he focused them on her. The man's teeth were clenched tightly. and Sarene got the feeling that there wasn't much holding the man back from grabbing her by the neck and hurling her off the side of the wall. She grew dizzy just thinking about it.

"That one worries me." Ashe observed by her side. "I have seen such men before, and my experience has not been favorable. A dam so poorly constructed must eventually collapse."

Sarene nodded. "He was Aonic-not a Fjordell. He looks like a page or attendant of Hrathen's."

"Well, let us hope that the gyorn can keep his pet under control, my lady."

She nodded, but her response was cut off by a sudden peal of laughter from beside her. She looked down to find Kaise rolling on the ground with mirth; apparently. she had managed to hold her outburst until the gyorn was out of sight.

"Sarene," she said between gasps of breath. "that was wonderful! You were so stupid! And his face… he got even redder than Papa after he finds out I've eaten all of his sweets. His face almost matched his armor!"

"I didn't like him at all," Daorn said solemnly from beside Sarene. He stood near an open part of the parapet, looking down toward Hrathen as the man descended the enormous flight of stairs to the city. "He was too… hard. Didn't he know you were only acting stupid?"

"Probably," Sarene said. motioning for Kaise to stand up and then brushing off the girl's pink dress. "But there was no way for him to prove it, so he had to pretend that I was serious."

"Father says the gyorn is here to convert us all to Shu-Dereth," Daorn said.

"Does he now?" Sarene asked.

Daorn nodded. "He also says lie's afraid Hrathen will be successful. He says the crops didn't do well last year. and a lot of the people are without food. If the planting this month doesn't go well, next winter will be even harder, and hard times make people willing to accept a man who preaehes change."

"Your father is a wise man, Daorn," Sarene said. Her confrontation with Hrathen had been little more than sport; people's minds were fickle, and they would quickly forget this day's debate. Whatever Hrathen had been doing was only part of something much larger-something to do with Elantris-and Sarene needed to discover what his intentions were. Finally remembering her original reason for visiting the wall, Sarene took her first good look at the city below.