Summary:Words of Radiance/Interlude I-12
- Characters
Pai, a devout female ardent, is assigned to be mentored by Brother Lhan in Kholinar so that she can join Queen Aesudan's retinue as she requests. Lhan explains that the ardents are rewarded well by the Queen as long as they make her feel that she is religiously devout, though Pai feels that the Queen lives too luxoriously while there are starving Alethi. Lhan feels that he has to persuade Pai to be less confrontational and more accepting of the Queen's lack of religious orthodoxy. Lhan tries to explain how comfortable Pai's life will be but this seems to only make Pai more disagreeable. Lhan then shows Pai some wasted rotting food, and tries to convince her that if she is allowed to stay that she will be able to have a positive effect in the city by being given an opportunity to help the poor, but that she won't be allowed to stay if she maintains a contrary position to the lazy lives of the Queen's ardents. After given several hours to think, Pai questions Lhan about the lack of spirituality in Alethkar, and about how the elite only go through the motions but aren't really devout. Pai says that she will comply with his request to fit in with the ardent's lazy lifestyle and lead by example and do what good she could, though Lhan isn't entirely confident that she won't cause trouble.
Lhan arrives at the palace the next day to find that Pai has painted the throne room with large glyphs depicting the ten foolish attributes, and how the Queen exemplifies them. Pai is subsequently executed, and the Alethi riot in protest of this.