again and we will sit and eat together as one under the Omniscient.'
'Not any time soon,' said Herine.
'We can but pray,' said Arducius.
'I fear that may not be enough,' said Herine. 'But our theological future is a debate for another day, I'm afraid.'
She paused and studied the Ascendants. All were struggling with the news they'd heard and she had some sympathy with that.
'I don't know quite where to start,' she said, then smiled briefly. 'At home seems the best place.'
'What do you want to know?' asked Arducius.
Herine waved a hand back towards the palace. 'I've just had the Dornosean ambassador telling me that Dornos is leaving the Conquord. He blames the levy of course but deep inside, I think he blames you and your effects on the ordinary citizen, who is confused by the direction our faith is taking. Tell me, is he right? I've heard what my Exchequer has to say. What do you think? Is the Ascendancy tearing the Conquord apart? Am I losing my own people because I chose to support you?'
Arducius blew out his cheeks and scratched at an ear while he sought a response. Mirron was looking a little angry. Ossacer remained stone-faced.
'That was not quite the question I was expecting,' said Arducius. 'Clearly,' said Herine. 'But surely one for which an answer is at your fingertips.' 'The records—'
'Damn the records, Mirron,' snapped Herine. 'They say everything about who you have saved and who has been brought to the Academy and who has been persuaded by your arguments. They say nothing about who has turned their backs on the Omniscient entirely and are now lost to me, you and the Chancellor. I cannot afford any further fracturing of the religious authority on the Hill. Certainly not in the light of our new information. So tell me. What is it really like out there? How long will my servants have to keep scouring the graffiti from my walls—' she pointed in the direction of the Victory Gates '— and from the statues of our great generals out there beyond our little sanctuary?'
'Generations,' said Ossacer quietly.
Herine nodded. 'Well, that's honest at least. Why?'
'We're trying to adapt hundreds of years of teaching. We're trying to bring a truth to people who are mostly unwilling to hear it. And every time we open our mouths, the Chancellor is there to call us liars and heretics. If you want us to educate more effectively and more quickly, you have to remove or gag her.'
At the doorway to the rockery, Jhered drew in a sharp intake of breath and looked round, catching Herine's eye. He shook his head minutely. Herine relaxed just a little.
'As I have said to more people than you have seen dawns, there is nothing I have to do. Being the Advocate has its few privileges.'
‘I didn't mean to—'
Herine held up a hand. 'I'm talking now, Arducius.'
She stopped speaking and looked down at the table. She took a plate and helped herself to some cut fruit and cured meat. She poured herself a goblet of wine having waved away the servant. She leant back.
'A long time ago, well before the Advocacy had even heard of your existence, Felice Koroyan used to implore me to give her more power. Ban religions, hire more legions, remove difficult individuals. But it is not the Del Aglios way. Felice disagrees with my stance on the Ascendancy and has exiled herself from the Hill to preach her brand of the Order. That is not in itself a crime. That she still calls herself Chancellor is a borderline offence but it is merely the name all know her by. Can I put someone in chains for using the name with which they are familiar? Well, actually, I can in this case but there's another problem.'
Herine sipped her wine and caught Jhered's growing smile. She leaned forward.
'Let me ask you, what do you think would happen if I were to remove Felice from her role as Chancellor? A role that, conservatively, ninety-five per cent of the citizens of my Conquord revere her for?'
Arducius spread his hands. 'Well, surely it would send out the
'Not any time soon,' said Herine.
'We can but pray,' said Arducius.
'I fear that may not be enough,' said Herine. 'But our theological future is a debate for another day, I'm afraid.'
She paused and studied the Ascendants. All were struggling with the news they'd heard and she had some sympathy with that.
'I don't know quite where to start,' she said, then smiled briefly. 'At home seems the best place.'
'What do you want to know?' asked Arducius.
Herine waved a hand back towards the palace. 'I've just had the Dornosean ambassador telling me that Dornos is leaving the Conquord. He blames the levy of course but deep inside, I think he blames you and your effects on the ordinary citizen, who is confused by the direction our faith is taking. Tell me, is he right? I've heard what my Exchequer has to say. What do you think? Is the Ascendancy tearing the Conquord apart? Am I losing my own people because I chose to support you?'
Arducius blew out his cheeks and scratched at an ear while he sought a response. Mirron was looking a little angry. Ossacer remained stone-faced.
'That was not quite the question I was expecting,' said Arducius. 'Clearly,' said Herine. 'But surely one for which an answer is at your fingertips.' 'The records—'
'Damn the records, Mirron,' snapped Herine. 'They say everything about who you have saved and who has been brought to the Academy and who has been persuaded by your arguments. They say nothing about who has turned their backs on the Omniscient entirely and are now lost to me, you and the Chancellor. I cannot afford any further fracturing of the religious authority on the Hill. Certainly not in the light of our new information. So tell me. What is it really like out there? How long will my servants have to keep scouring the graffiti from my walls—' she pointed in the direction of the Victory Gates '— and from the statues of our great generals out there beyond our little sanctuary?'
'Generations,' said Ossacer quietly.
Herine nodded. 'Well, that's honest at least. Why?'
'We're trying to adapt hundreds of years of teaching. We're trying to bring a truth to people who are mostly unwilling to hear it. And every time we open our mouths, the Chancellor is there to call us liars and heretics. If you want us to educate more effectively and more quickly, you have to remove or gag her.'
At the doorway to the rockery, Jhered drew in a sharp intake of breath and looked round, catching Herine's eye. He shook his head minutely. Herine relaxed just a little.
'As I have said to more people than you have seen dawns, there is nothing I have to do. Being the Advocate has its few privileges.'
‘I didn't mean to—'
Herine held up a hand. 'I'm talking now, Arducius.'
She stopped speaking and looked down at the table. She took a plate and helped herself to some cut fruit and cured meat. She poured herself a goblet of wine having waved away the servant. She leant back.
'A long time ago, well before the Advocacy had even heard of your existence, Felice Koroyan used to implore me to give her more power. Ban religions, hire more legions, remove difficult individuals. But it is not the Del Aglios way. Felice disagrees with my stance on the Ascendancy and has exiled herself from the Hill to preach her brand of the Order. That is not in itself a crime. That she still calls herself Chancellor is a borderline offence but it is merely the name all know her by. Can I put someone in chains for using the name with which they are familiar? Well, actually, I can in this case but there's another problem.'
Herine sipped her wine and caught Jhered's growing smile. She leaned forward.
'Let me ask you, what do you think would happen if I were to remove Felice from her role as Chancellor? A role that, conservatively, ninety-five per cent of the citizens of my Conquord revere her for?'
Arducius spread his hands. 'Well, surely it would send out the
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