hope to make the Seven after theyâve turned forty.â
Trodelat herself was thirty-eight, and not conspicuously a power broker yet, so far as her pupil had noticed. The rules might be slightly different for a woman, though, because they were so few. Irona had no chance to think about it, because now Obnosa was rising to nominate Irona 700 to be tutor for the next Chosenâshould the blind goddess be so wayward as to choose another woman so soon, although no one would say that in mixed company.
Heart thumping, Irona went forward to bow to the First and stand at the front. She felt like a slave at an auction, a sudden insight that startled her. A Chosen who refused an appointment might face drastic penalties, so the highest and lowest in the land were similarly bound to serve. She tried not to remember the children she had condemned to slavery that morning.
She was surprised to see smiles of approval everywhere. There were no other nominations. Approved by acclamation, she bowed to the applause and returned to her chair, still shaking. She did not expect Caprice to send her a protégée, but the cash reward for just standing by all day was considerable. And once the goddess made her choice, Ironaâs own tutelage would end and she would be free of her dependence on Trodelat.
The climax of the session, and the most important position to be decided that evening, was the seat on the Treaty Commission. Most of the other cities and islands in the Empire were officially independent states, bound by treaties of alliance. In practice they had to do as Mother Benign told them, submitting their annual monetary and manpower levies, and the Treaty Commission oversaw their compliance. It wielded enormous power. Of course, no Chosen ever accepted bribes, but friendly gifts were always available, and senior officials like the Treaty Commissioners might be offered bars of gold or teams of slaves.
Five candidates were nominated, so several ballots would be needed. The first one eliminated Trodelat. Irona was not at all surprised when Ledacos won by an overall majority in the second. He was the big winner of the evening; he had made his move. He was one to watch.
He was also, in another sense, easy on the eyesâskinny or not.
The following evening two of the three candidates Ledacos nominated won election. The evening after that, he nominated Irona 700 to be his successor on the Navy Board. As she rose to go forward, she heard some angry muttering. She was supposed to hear it: A woman? A child? Even if her sponsor had gathered enough votes to elect her, the First could call for reconsideration, which would surely overturn her election. Having been elected for life, the First need never worry about making enemies.
But Ledacos had not finished. âIrona 700,â he informed the assembly, âcomes from a seafaring family and is very familiar with ships. She has already sailed as far south as Lenoch and as far north as Brandur.â
In its sheer brevity, that announcement greatly overstated her experience and knowledge. She had served as a narwhal skinner, not a sailor. But it was enough. Two other men had already risen to nominate. Both promptly sat down. At last everyone understood why the goddess had chosen Irona, and she was elected by acclamation.
Now she certainly had a patron, and Ledacos had put his client on the Navy Board as his own replacement. He was indisputably the new man to watch in Benesh politics. And Irona 700 had her feet on the rungs of the ladder.
On Midsummer Day, Irona was collected before dawn by a troop of soldiers and rushed off in a litter to the choosing. Already the streets were crammed with people, but her guards charged through like a pod of orcas and took her safely to the temple of Caprice.
The blind goddessâs priests did not kneel to her. After two years, she had come to expect everyone to kneel to her. But they did escort her to Ledacos, who was eating an
Trodelat herself was thirty-eight, and not conspicuously a power broker yet, so far as her pupil had noticed. The rules might be slightly different for a woman, though, because they were so few. Irona had no chance to think about it, because now Obnosa was rising to nominate Irona 700 to be tutor for the next Chosenâshould the blind goddess be so wayward as to choose another woman so soon, although no one would say that in mixed company.
Heart thumping, Irona went forward to bow to the First and stand at the front. She felt like a slave at an auction, a sudden insight that startled her. A Chosen who refused an appointment might face drastic penalties, so the highest and lowest in the land were similarly bound to serve. She tried not to remember the children she had condemned to slavery that morning.
She was surprised to see smiles of approval everywhere. There were no other nominations. Approved by acclamation, she bowed to the applause and returned to her chair, still shaking. She did not expect Caprice to send her a protégée, but the cash reward for just standing by all day was considerable. And once the goddess made her choice, Ironaâs own tutelage would end and she would be free of her dependence on Trodelat.
The climax of the session, and the most important position to be decided that evening, was the seat on the Treaty Commission. Most of the other cities and islands in the Empire were officially independent states, bound by treaties of alliance. In practice they had to do as Mother Benign told them, submitting their annual monetary and manpower levies, and the Treaty Commission oversaw their compliance. It wielded enormous power. Of course, no Chosen ever accepted bribes, but friendly gifts were always available, and senior officials like the Treaty Commissioners might be offered bars of gold or teams of slaves.
Five candidates were nominated, so several ballots would be needed. The first one eliminated Trodelat. Irona was not at all surprised when Ledacos won by an overall majority in the second. He was the big winner of the evening; he had made his move. He was one to watch.
He was also, in another sense, easy on the eyesâskinny or not.
The following evening two of the three candidates Ledacos nominated won election. The evening after that, he nominated Irona 700 to be his successor on the Navy Board. As she rose to go forward, she heard some angry muttering. She was supposed to hear it: A woman? A child? Even if her sponsor had gathered enough votes to elect her, the First could call for reconsideration, which would surely overturn her election. Having been elected for life, the First need never worry about making enemies.
But Ledacos had not finished. âIrona 700,â he informed the assembly, âcomes from a seafaring family and is very familiar with ships. She has already sailed as far south as Lenoch and as far north as Brandur.â
In its sheer brevity, that announcement greatly overstated her experience and knowledge. She had served as a narwhal skinner, not a sailor. But it was enough. Two other men had already risen to nominate. Both promptly sat down. At last everyone understood why the goddess had chosen Irona, and she was elected by acclamation.
Now she certainly had a patron, and Ledacos had put his client on the Navy Board as his own replacement. He was indisputably the new man to watch in Benesh politics. And Irona 700 had her feet on the rungs of the ladder.
On Midsummer Day, Irona was collected before dawn by a troop of soldiers and rushed off in a litter to the choosing. Already the streets were crammed with people, but her guards charged through like a pod of orcas and took her safely to the temple of Caprice.
The blind goddessâs priests did not kneel to her. After two years, she had come to expect everyone to kneel to her. But they did escort her to Ledacos, who was eating an
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