In which Er Thom sets his sights on an improbable goal.

There is an interesting demonstration of Daav’s melant’i in this chapter, in the way he sends Er Thom two separate messages, one formal one from Er Thom’s delm, and the other, less formal, from Er Thom’s cha’leket. And, later, how Er Thom plans to discuss strategy with Daav before taking his case to Delm Korval.

I am amused by Er Thom’s description of Solcintra society. “Prudent, if not particularly intelligent.”