Elantris

Sarene speaks to the group of conspirators and shares what she learned from her father: Someone is sinking Iadon’s ships. If he loses his wealth, he will not remain king of Arelon. Sarene doesn’t like Iadon, but she thinks that for purposes of stability, the nobles should try to keep him on the throne so Hrathen cannot take over. She suspects Hrathen is grooming Telrii to take the throne and then convert to Shu-Dereth, thus leading the country to follow. They speculate about who is sinking Iadon’s ships—possibly the famous pirate Dreok Crushthroat—but know that Wyrn is behind it. Iadon is greedy and foolish, but Sarene is more concerned with what will happen if Hrathen succeeds.

She asks the nobles to support her in visiting Elantris to prove that its residents are simply “poor wretches who want to eat” (271). She confronts Iadon and offers him a bargain: trade privileges in Teod if for her Widow’s Trial she can distribute food inside Elantris.

Sarene learns that Raoden gave the people hope; Arelon might have collapsed years ago, except the people were hoping he would eventually take the throne. When Sarene’s room is a mess, the housekeeper explains that maids keep disappearing. She hears the noise in the wall again and surmises that someone is using a secret passage coming from the king’s rooms.

Hrathen tries to appoint a new leader of the chapel in Kae, but the man declines. Hrathen is shocked to learn that Dilaf has secured followers of his own, men loyal only to him, creating his own faction among Hrathen’s supporters. Hrathen stalks the walls of Elantris and encounters a beggar who tells him that when Iadon reorganized Arelon, he put many skilled craftsmen to work in the fields. He also banned beggars inside Kae. There used to be four cities surrounding Elantris, but the others collapsed without its central support.

The Korathi priest Omin joins Hrathen in looking down on Elantris. Hrathen says Shu-Korath is “docile and unassuming” while Shu-Dereth is “vibrant and dynamic” (286) and will sweep Shu-Korath away. Omin says the truth will always surface: “Truth is the one thing you can never intimidate” (286). He asks when Hrathen lost his faith.

Raoden and Galloden try sneaking into Shaor’s territory. Shaor’s men seem primevally strong, as if they have surrendered their humanity. They find that Shaor is a young girl wearing a blonde wig. She orders the men kneeling before her to bring her food. The men have made her a living idol, worshipping her like a deity. Raoden recognizes that the girl is a daughter of Duke Telrii.

Though he has organized what he calls New Elantris and the people address him as Lord Spirit, Raoden feels his pain increasing. He theorizes that the city was held together by Dor and was left hollow and crumbling when the Dor was removed.

The gates open, and they rush to see who has entered. It is Sarene with a few nobles and a wagon of food.

Raoden is surprised at how beautiful she is. Raoden knows that the timing of her charity is wrong. If she simply hands out food, many of his followers will stop working and their purpose will be lost. Worse, Shaor’s men might attack and harm her, and then the nobles could decide to destroy the entire city. Sarene’s gift would destroy what he’s built.

Sarene demands to meet gang leaders Aanden, Karata, and Shaor.

Sarene follows Spirit into Elantris, not knowing he is Raoden. The people she meets with ask for items such as cloth, metals, wood, and oil. Raoden lets her believe she is dealing with gang leaders. Sarene is surprised when Spirit helps her unload the boxes of food, and she guesses from his demeanor that he is in fact the leader here.

After Sarene shows that the inhabitants of Elantris are not demons, Duke Telrii begins to be dismissive toward Hrathen. Hrathen suspects that Dilaf has been deceiving him by pretending to be young and naïve. Hrathen is haunted by Omin’s question about his faith. He realizes that Dilaf is seizing control of the chapel.

It pains Raoden to see his friends Shuden, Eondel, and Roial distribute food and not recognize him, but he fears the unrest it might cause in Arelon if it becomes known Raoden still lives. He is drawn to Sarene, but senses she dislikes him. Her gifts of food are destroying the sense of purpose and community he worked so hard to create. Without the need to work, New Elantris is empty. Saolin and his warriors are having difficulty keeping Shaor’s men from attacking for food when Sarene comes.

Raoden continues to study the Aons. He learns that they do not always work. One woman, brought to Elantris 10 years before the Reod, could not be healed. Instead she was struck with black splotches and unending pain. She threw herself down a well to end her torment. Raoden wonders if the Aons he’s drawing simply aren’t complete and therefore can’t release the energy of the Dor. The same incompleteness means the Shaod now leaves people in this diseased condition.

Among the Hoed, Raoden finds a man who lived in the city before the Reod. The man begs Raoden to take him to the lake and gives him directions. In a former chapel, they find a passage that leads to the mountains. They lower the man into the lake and he disappears, his torment ended. Raoden asks Galloden to do the same for him when his own pain becomes more than he can stand.

Sarene’s seon Ashe informs her that Spirit is in fact the leader of Elantris, and she wonders what he is hiding from her. She wishes she could trust him and senses he appreciates her abilities. She feels respected in Arelon, but not accepted, and certainly has not found affection. She continues to train the noblewomen in fencing and insists they come with her to distribute food in Elantris. She learns that Iadon’s finances have stabilized, but has not managed to learn why her uncle is estranged from Teod and her father. She resigns herself to being lonely.

With Iadon’s financial recovery and Dilaf gaining power, Hrathen feels he is losing his grip on Arelon. The potion he requested arrives, and he takes it.