Summary:Words of Radiance/Chapter 29
| Chapter 29: Rule of Blood | |
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| Words of Radiance Summary | |
| Follows | Chapter 28: Boots |
| Precedes | Chapter 30: Nature Blushing |
| Analytics | |
| Viewpoint | Torol Sadeas |
Artform for colors beyond our ken;
For its grand songs we yearn.
We must attract creationspren;
These songs suffice 'till we learn.
—From the listener Song of Revision, 279th stanza
- Characters
- Torol Sadeas (Point of view)
- Meridas Amaram
- Eranniv
- Hatham
- Adolin Kholin
- Ialai Sadeas
- Mentioned only
- Plot summary
Sadeas rests after a prolonged battle against the parshendi, reveling in the Thrill before the feeling fades away and contemplating how it grows less sweet as he dwells on the pointlessness of the fights for gemhearts and the lack of progress toward his ultimate goals of conquest. Amaram tells Sadeas that his ploy of carelessness in going on the raid out of turn failed since the correct armies showed up before he left with the gemheart, but Sadeas replies that he doesn't care. Amaram expresses disapproval of Sadeas and says he wants peace with Elhokar and Dalinar, but Sadeas says that he knows how ruthless Amaram really is. Amaram acknowledges this, but says that there is a bigger picture to be concerned with. Amaram asks if Sadeas ever worries about the costs of war, and Sadeas replies that a realistic viewpoint is necessary to achieve anything in life. Hatham confronts Sadeas, who concedes the gemheart and proclaims that he was bored, and then leaves to return to the warcamp.
Sadeas sits at the dueling arena, contemplating that his fashionable clothes are very uncomfortable and wishing that he could wear a simple uniform like Dalinar's if that didn't send the wrong message. Sadeas thinks about aging and desire to achieve a form of immortality through conquest. Ialai shows up and praises Sadeas' stratagem of giving away the gemheart to undermine Dalinar's accusations of greed. Sadeas says he is not pleased that Eranniv accepted the duel despite his efforts to block Adolin from having any dueling opponents, and that he wants Dalinar's plan to fail so that he can rebuild their kingdom to his own specifications. As Adolin duels with Eranniv, Ialai described the failed assassination attempt on Elhokar, and they debate the ramifications of it, as Sadeas ponders that Elhokar must die and Dalinar must be dealt with so that he can wipe the slate clean. Sadeas and Ialai decide to expose Dalinar as a hypocrite since he didn't involve Sadeas in the assassination investigation which would be only proper as Sadeas is the Highprince of Information. Sadeas says he will renounce his post as protest when it will cause the most harm to Dalinar's strategy. Sadeas realizes that Adolin is toying with his opponent and that he is very skilled and clever to win while appearing to be losing. Sadeas tells Ialai to stop from interfering with Adolin's dueling aspirations to try to take advantage of Adolin's hotheadedness, and to invite Ruthar on his next gemhunt.