Empire of Silence

Hadrian joins an official visit to the fisheries, along with Balian, the overseer Engin, Valka, Ligeia, and Gilliam. To his dismay, they visit the same fishery that he once snuck into with Cat. Overwhelmed by the memory, he grieves Cat’s death and feels guilty for forgetting her in favor of Valka.

Meanwhile, Engin discusses the Umandh with Balian and the Chantry representatives. Ligeia admonishes Balian for allowing the Umandh to keep their native rituals. She reminds him that part of his mandate from the Chantry is to eradicate their culture and to bring the Umandh into “the light of the Chantry” (480) by any means necessary.

The Umandh begin making a strange noise. Valka realizes that something is wrong and tries to warn the group. When Engin orders the Umandh to be silent, they lash out and attack. Chaos ensues, and guards usher Balian to safety. An Umandh grabs Hadrian and strangles him with its tendrils, but Valka saves him. The group retreats outside.

Gilliam calls Valka a witch and accuses her of instigating the attack. She argues that the Umandh could understand them when they referred to Balian as the Count; she posits that they decided to attack the primary source of their torment.