Summary:Words of Radiance/Chapter 63
Now, look what you've made me say. You've always been able to bring out the most extreme in me old friend. And I do still name you a friend, for all that you weary me.
- Characters
- Shallan (Point of View)
- Adolin (Mentioned only)
- Amaram
- Bordin (Mentioned only)
- Dalinar (Mentioned only)
- Brightness Davar (Mentioned only)
- Elhokar (Mentioned only)
- Gavilar (Mentioned only)
- Ishar (Mentioned only)
- Iyatil
- Jasnah (Mentioned only)
- Mraize (Mentioned only)
- Pattern
- Sebarial (Mentioned only)
- Shoren (Mentioned only)
- Taln
- Tyn (Mentioned only)
- Plot Summary
- Ishashah 1173
Shallan and Pattern hide in one of her illusions to watch a drop location secretly for anyone to try to leave instructions for her, while she chats with Adolin via spanreed. Shallan decides she must be irresistible to Adolin to keep his interest. She asks Pattern why Mraize didn't send instructions via spanreed and realizes that the Ghostbloods are trying to spy on her. She tells Pattern to find the spy and he locates Iyatil. Adolin sends a message that Shallan can join a scouting trip to the Shattered Plains as she requested, but she says she hopes to find a live chasmfiend for her research. She gives an excuse to Adolin to end their spanreed conversation, then destroys her illusion, and creates a new one of Veil attached to Pattern and tells him to make it seem that Veil is retrieving something from the tree, then to go to an adjacent alleyway. Shallan waits outside Iyatil's room, disguised as Veil, and confronts her when Iyatil enters the hallway, explaining how she was tricked by her "double". Iyatil gives her name and explains that Shallan has an urgent task to investigate a new arrival in Dalinar's camp and that she is to watch while Shallan performs it. Shallan tells Iyatil that she can join her instead of following her secretly.
Shallan and Iyatil ride in a palinquin as Shallan reads her instructions to investigate a supposed madman that Dalinar and Elhokar are interested in. Iyatil reveals that Mraize is her student, not her master, and that she wears a mask to reserve herself and allow her to adapt. Shallan removes her disguise without letting Iyatil notice by using the palinquin's curtains for concealment and is immediately recognized and permitted into Dalinar's camp. She has Pattern make a distraction so that she can withdraw into the palinquin and resume Veil's appearance without Iyatil noticing. Iyatil tries to guess how Shallan got them past the guards and Shallan flashes an enigmatic smile. The palinquin proceeds to their destination, and Shallan deceives an ardent into thinking that her sister needs medical attention for a psychological impairment, and they are admitted to the temple.
While some ardents try to diagnose Iyatil, Shallan sneaks off and creates an illusion of one of the ardents to move freely around the temple. Pattern locates the madman for her and picks the lock so that they can enter his dark cell. The man is whispering about the Return of Desolation and needing to prepare, and calls himself Talenel'Elin. She tells Pattern that she doubts that the man is one of the Heralds. Taln repeats his words and Shallan writes them down, since he doesn't answer her other questions. Shallan tries to recreate her illusion, but Taln sees this and grabs her and holds her against the wall in alarm, and speaks of one of Ishar's knights, then goes back to his bed and lies down and repeats the same whispers. Shallan summons her shardblade to defend herself but doesn't need it. Her mind blanks out and she thinks of Mother's soul, then she wakes up and Pattern asks if she is crazy, and she replies yes. She goes to leave the room, but sees Amaram approaching it.