In which Inkirani Yo has no idea of what’s about to hit her.

This chapter is from Inkirani’s point of view, for the first time in the book (and, I believe, the first time in the series, since in Alliance of Equals her motives and intentions were being concealed from the audience). So now we know how sincere she was about what she told Tocohl.

So, on the one hand, we learn that she did mean it when she said that she likes Tocohl and regrets what she sees as the necessity to do what she’s doing.

But we also learn that, unlike her betrayal of Tolly, which she was forced to by her directors and deliberately did as badly as she thought she could get away with, her treatment of Tocohl is her own choice, which she is doing as well as she can. I can maybe give her a bit of leeway in recognition of the fact that she’s terrified of the consequences of failing her mission, and tempted to do anything that will improve her chances of success — but not very much. She knows, in a very vivid and personal way, what a hideous thing it is that she’s doing to Tocohl, and she chose of her own will to do it anyway.

There was a point where I found myself muttering that Inkirani should have just explained the situation to Tocohl and asked for help, instead of jumping straight to torture and duress. Then I thought that Tocohl might not have helped, or been allowed to help, since helping Inkirani succeed means advancing the plans of the Institute. Then I thought that maybe Tocohl would have agreed to help anyway, with the intention of not just aiding the mission but helping a trapped and desperate human being out. I don’t know; we’ll see what happens.

I like the comment about how the Directors of the Lyre Institute excel at making bold and risky plans — for other people to carry out.