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Difference between revisions of "Summary:White Sand"
→Chapter 15: Waves and Ripples
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;Characters
{{columns|
*[[Kenton]] (Point of View)▼
*[[Ais]]▼
*[[Khrissalla]] (Point of View)
*[[Khriss]]▼
*[[Delius]] (Point of View)▼
*[[Aarik]]▼
▲*[[Kenton]]
*[[Gennel]]
*[[
*[[Baon]]
*[[NaiMeer]]
▲*[[Delius]]
*[[Vey]]▼
*[[Lokkall]]▼
*[[Delius' son]]
▲*[[Ais]]
▲*[[Lokkall]]
▲*[[Vey]]
*[[Autonomy]] (appearance only)
*[[Cynder]] (appearance only)
*[[A'Kar]] (mentioned only)
*[[Heelis]] (mentioned only)
*[[Hennin]] (mentioned only)
*[[Raagent]] (mentioned only)
}}
;Plot Summary
:'''Kenton—Khriss'''
:''Farmer's Congress''
Kenton and his party go to visit the [[Lord Farmer]], [[Gennel]]. Kenton has mastered sand and is holding Gennel's steward off of the ground because The Lord Farmer tried to hide when Kenton was announced. Kenton advises that Gennel tell him where to find Lord Vey, or he will have to use his sand on him instead. Gennel (who obviously fears for his life) says that he does know where Lord Vey is hiding, but he was sworn not to tell anybody. Kenton realizes he is being a hypocrit while saying the Diem can change, but still using force when people won't comply. He lets Gennel's servant free, then tries to ask nicely, but Gennel is too scared of Vey to answer him.
:''Kezare''
Khriss deduces that if The Lord Farmer cannot tell Kenton, he might be able to tell somebody else. She and Baon track down Gevin in the streets. She calls him openly by his name, knowing that his fear of further Dynasty assassins will make him pliable. When he asks if she is trying to get him killed, she reminds him that he was the liar and she no longer has any reason to protect him. However, if he wants to earn her silence, then he has one hour to get the information they need from the Lord Farmer, or whatever source he chooses.
:''Over an hour later—The Diem''
Khriss arrives at the Lord Mastrell's apartments as they are discussing possible places Lord Vey may be hiding. She informs him that ''her'' sources indicate that Lord Vey has fled to [[Lraezare]].
:'''Kenton'''
:''The Docks''
The group goes to the port, and Kenton tries asking Dockmaster [[NaiMeer]] for a ship to Lraezare. NaiMeer refuses him passage, stressing that while there are ships heading toward Lraezare, none have space for a sand master—and ships are the one transportation that sand masters cannot commandeer. Delius arrives and greets "Lord Vey's favorite nephew" while informing him that he has business with the [[Shipowners' Circle]] in Lraezare and reminds him that the Lord Admiral absolutely can commandeer any ship. Delius then 'innocently' asks if the Lord Mastrell's party would like to accompany him. Kenton takes him up on the offer. As the ship leaves port, Kenton considers if the Lord Admiral's drunkeness is an act and whether he is a reliable ally.
:'''Khriss'''
:''That afternoon | Southbound Boat''
Kenton decides to try overmastering while they are safe on the ship in an attempt to increase his power. He explains to Khriss that when they first met, it was after he had overmastered during the attack on the Diem and that was why his sand mastery was not working while they crossed the Kerla. However, his ability was stronger when it returned. Kenton masters his sand for more than fifteen minutes and then collapses to the deck. Khriss panics, thinking he may be dead, but within a few minutes he regains consciousness and weakly tells her that she can stop shouting now, because he's awake.
:'''Kenton'''
:''Later''
Kenton and Delius discuss the position of Lord Admiral. Kenton admits to attempting to read the Helm's Charter after their last discussion, but could not parse the jargon. Delius relates how the position of Lord Admiral has become a political tool because the true power lies with the Shipowners' Circle. Because they wrote the law to imply that everything in the Helm belongs to the Lord Admiral, which is why he has unlimited food budgets and can commandeer any ship, they strip all of his other possessions so the Lord Admiral can 'focus on duty.' The Circle then "gives" the position to anybody they find threatening to their position.
Delius continues, telling Kenton how he started in the Guild and was a successful enough merchant to become one of few candidates for Lord Merchant; until Vey convinced him to become a partner in a mining venture. Vey then sabotaged the operation until Delius had lost almost all of his wealth; bought Delius' share as a "favor;" and suddenly found lakstone and became rich enough to win the Lord Merchant position. Delius quit the Guild in disgust and joined the Helm. Within a decade he had rebuilt his fortune and had one of the largest fleets on Dayside, so the Circle "promoted" him to Lord Admiral so they could commit "legal theft through the bestowal of honor." Delius explains that grapes are a Darkside import and growing them to make wine on Dayside is prohibitively expensive in both money and water; that is why he drinks so much and always opposes Vey on the Council.
:'''Khriss'''
:''On the other side of the ship''
Khriss and Aarik discuss Kenton's overmastery. Aarik tells her that Kenton should never have accepted the Lord Mastrell position, because responsibility will suck the soul from a person and prevent them from ever reaching their potential. Khriss argues that somebody must bear responsibility. Aarik does not seem to be hearing her anymore as he continues to state that Kenton should have been free after the attack on the Diem, and that nothing is worth having responsibility over the lives and deaths of people; much less having to kill so the people you lead do not bear that cost. Aarik quickly departs hoping that Kenton can escape responsibility before it destroys him.
:'''Kenton'''
:''Below Deck''
Kenton speaks with Ais about KerKor law. Ais relates how it specifically states that assassins may attack on every odd day; but a cursory read might lead somebody to belive it meant "must wait at least one day." Kenton explains his theory on how maybe the assassins are being led by someone who isn't Kerztian and perhaps that is why they violated the rules of the KerKor—they recently converted and have not been reading the holy text all of their lives. Kenton continues and asks what if the "new and progressive" A'Kar made a deal with Drile to help end the Diem, then Drile could lead his followers away from Lossand to the Rim Kingdons. Ais scoffs at the possibility because no Kerztian, especially the A'Kar would make a deal with a Sand Master—even to achieve that end.
Kenton then takes a rest to try to recover more quickly from his overmastering.
:'''Kenton'''
:''Lraezare''
Kenton awakes after they have arrived in Lraezare. As Kenton gains the deck, he hears Delius telling the pier steward that they won't stay too long, because they have to return in time for the Coucil meeting. As Aarik and the others return from scouting the town, the steward sprints away. Aarik explains that they have gone to town and found breakfast. Oh, they also found where Vey is hiding: at the house of [[Lokkall]]. Delius says that's fortunate because Lokkall is the head of the Shipowners' Circle.
:''Shipowner's Circle''
The group arrives at Lokkall's house, and he tries to deny knowing where Vey is. Kenton, frustrated, announces loudly that if Vey won't speak with him, he will turn over his father's ledger to the Lady Judge. Vey appears from a room upstairs and asks Kenton to come speak with him privately. Kenton asks Ais to come with him to act as a witness.
:''Private Office''
Kenton guesses that Vey owes the 5,000,000 lak to the Diem and not vice versa; likely because when a person becomes Lord Merchant, they inherit both the waelth and debt of their predecessors. Vey tells Kenton the story of [[Hennin]], an idiot who only became Lord Merchant because of inheriting fortunes from both parents despite having no sense for business. A previous Lord Mastrell used the tribute money to open a savings account, but Hennin squandered the principal sum on bad investments. The Lord Judge at the time ruled that all monies and interest were owed to the Diem from the office of the Lord Merchant, and since the sums are so high—no Lord Merchant has ever been able to pay down the debt and every Lord Mastrell has since used that debt as blackmail.
Kenton forgives the debt without any strings attached and asks for a 2,000,000 lak loan to pay off the Diem's other debts. The Diem will begin earning income working with the other professions for the good of Lossand. The Lord Merchant notes that if he does not vote for the Diem, then he can never make money from such a loan. Kenton realizes that his combined Kerztian and business sensibilities won't allow Vey to consider a "gift," but a trade both mollifies Vey's conscience and gives him a way to account his actions to the Kelzin. Vey notes that he will continue to curse the Diem in public, until he votes to reinstate the Diem.
As they depart, Kenton asks Vey where Raagent is staying in Lraezare. Lord Vey says they did not travel together, and he didn't know Raagent was in Lraezare.
:'''Delius—Kenton'''
:''Shipowner's Circle''
Meanwhile Lokkall tells Delius that the Circle had "need" of his ship, and it has already set sail without them: leaving their possessions on the docks. Delius responds that he'll simply commandeer another ship as is his right as Lord Admiral. Lokkall says that the Circle has unanimously decided to remove him from his position as Taisha of the Helm both because of his drunkeness and because of his professed support for the Diem. As Kenton, Ais, and Vey return, Delius makes Lokkall repeat (in front of a Hall witness) that he has been ''released'' from the position of Lord Admiral. Lokkall gloats and says that it also means they are all stranded in Lraezare.
Delius immediately asks his "steward" for the "documents." While Lokkaall continues to mock him, Delius and signs them, then asks Ais to verify legallity in her position as a representative of the Hall. Delius then responds to Lokkall's repeated questioning of the contents of the documents that they should need ratification. Delius reminds him that while the Charter forbade him from owning any property or working any craft for profit, it never forbade his servants from either. Since his son was also his steward, the documents transferred ownership of a fleet of ships, twelve of which are docked in Lraezare. He then tells his son to order the fleet to blockade the port of Kezare for the next month.
The Circle goes into a panic upon hearing this. Delius reminds Lokkall that when you steal a man's fortune and place him in a figurehead position that is mocked by all, you should not give him five years to plan and a chance at revenge. Delius addresses the rest of the Circle and nominates Lokkall as new Lord Admiral, reminding them that he may rescind his "hasty" orders if they agree. It's unanimous. Delius then tells Lokkall that he will hold all of his ships on his behalf. If he votes for the Diem, he will return them to him and vote a new Lord Admiral in his place. That is more mercy than the circle gave to him.
:'''Kenton'''
:''Lraezare''
As everybody returns to the port, Kenton tells Khriss about the deal with Lord Vey, explaining that the debt was accrued dishonestly and the Diem never should have received tribute in the first place. The group then boards Delius's fastest ship, the Kalgin, and starts back toward Kezare to find the missing Lord General before it's too late.
{{anchor|Chapter 16}}
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