As soon as it became obvious that no princesses would be devoured this day. the people lost interest, returning down the wall's long flight of steps in a steady. dissatisfied trickle. Hrathen joined them. climbing down the steps. then turning toward the center of Kae and the Derethi chapel. As he walked, however, a carriage pulled up alongside him. Hrathen recognized the Aon on its side: Aon Rii.
The carriage pulled to a stop and the door opened. Hrathen paused for just a moment, then climbed in, seating himself opposite Duke Telrii.
The duke was obviously not pleased. "I warned you about that woman. The people will never hate Elantris now-and, if they don't hate Elantris, they won't hate Shu-Korath either."
Hrathen waved his hand. "The girl's efforts are irrelevant."
"I don't see how that is the case."
"How long can she keep this up?" Hrathen asked. "A few weeks. a month at the most? Right now, her excursions are a novelty, but that will wear off soon. I doubt many of the nobility will be willing to accompany her in the future, even if she does try and keep these feedings going."
"The damage is done," Telrii said insistently.
"Hardly," Hrathen said. "Lord Telrii, it has barely been a few weeks since I arrived in Arelon. Yes, the woman has dealt us a setback, but it will prove a minor inconvenience. You know, as I know, that the nobility are a fickle group. How long do you think it will rake for them to forget their visits into Elantris?"
Telrii didn't look convinced.
"Besides," Hrathen said, trying another tactic, "my work with Elantris was only a small part of our plan. The instability of Iadon's throne-the embarrassment he will sustain at the next taxing period-is what we should be focusing on."
"The king recently found some new contracts in Teod," Telrii said.
"They won't be enough to recoup his losses," Hrathen said dismissively. "His finances are crippled. The nobility will never stand for a king who insists that they maintain their level of wealth, but who doesn't apply the same standard to himself.
"Soon, we can begin spreading rumors as to the king's reduced circumstances. Most of the high-ranking nobility are merchants themselves-they have means of discovering how their competitors are doing. They'll find out just how much Iadon is hurting, and they'll begin to complain."
"Complaints won't put me on the throne," Telrii said.
"You'd be surprised," Hrathen said. "Besides, at that same time we'll begin implying that if you were to take the throne, you would bring Arelon a lucrative trade treaty with the East. I can provide you with the proper documents. There will be money enough for all-and that is something that Iadon hasn't been able to provide. Your people know that this country is on the verge of financial ruin. Fjorden can bring you out of it."
Telrii nodded slowly.
Yes, Telrii, Hrathen thought with an inward sigh, that's something you can understand, isn't it? If we can't convert the nobility, we can always just buy them.
The tactic wasn't as certain as Hrathen implied, but the explanation would do for Telrii while Hrathen devised other plans. Once it was known that the king was bankrupt and Telrii was rich, certain other… pressures placed on the government would make for an easy-if abrupt-transfer in power.
The princess had countered the wrong scheme. Iadon's throne would collapse even as she handed out food to the Elantrians, thinking herself clever for having foiled Hrathen's plot.
"I warn you, Hrathen," Telrii said suddenly. "do not assume me a Derethi pawn. I go along with your plans because you were able to produce the wealth that
you promised me. I won't just sit back and be pushed in any direction you wish, however."
"I wouldn't dream of it, Your Lordship.- Hrathen said smoothly.
Telrii nodded, calling for the coachman to stop. They weren't even halfway to the Derethi chapel.
"My mansion is that direction," Telrii said airily, pointing down a side street. "You can walk the rest of the way to your chapel."
Hrathen clenched his jaw. Someday this man would have to learn proper respect for Derethi officials. For now, however, Hrathen simpIy cIimbed out of the carriage.
Considering the company, he preferred walking anyway.
"I'VE never seen this kind of response in Arelon," one priest noted.
"Agreed," said his companion. "I've been serving the empire in Kae for over a decade, and we've never had more than a few conversions a year."
Hrathen passed the priests as he entered the Derethi chapel. They were minor underpriests. of little concern to him; he noticed them only because of Dilaf.
"It has been a long while," Dilaf agreed. "Though I remember a time, just after the pirate Dreok Crushthroat assaulted Teod, when there was a wave of conversions in Arelon."
Hrathen frowned. Something about Dilaf's comment bothered him. He forced himself to continue walking, but he shot a glance back at the arteth. Dreok Crushthroat had attacked Teod fifteen years before. It was possible that Dilaf would remember such a thing from his childhood, but how would he have known about Arelon conversion rates?
The arteth had to be older than Hrathen had assumed. Much older. Hrathen's eyes widened as he studied Dilaf's face in his mind. He had placed Dilaf as no older than twenty-five, but he could now detect hints of age in the arteth's face. Only hints. however-he was probably one of those rare individuals who seemed many years younger than they really were. The "young" Arelish priest feigned lack of experience, but his planning and scheming revealed an otherwise hidden degree of maturity. Dilaf was far more seasoned than he led people to assume.
But, what did that mean? Hrathen shook his head, pushing the door open and walking into his rooms. Dilaf's power over the chapel was growing as Hrathen struggled to find an appropriate, and willing, new head arteth. Three more men had refused the position. That was more than just suspicious-Hrathen was certain that Dilaf had something to do with the matter.
He's older than you assumed. Hrathen thought. He's also had influence over Kae's priests for a very long time.
Dilaf claimed that many of the original Derethi followers in Kae had originally
come from his personal chapel in southern Arelon. How long had it been since he'd come to Kae? Fjon had been head arteth when Dilaf arrived, but Fjon's leadership in the city had lasted a long time.
Dilaf had probably been in the city for years. He had probably been associating with the other priests-learning to influence them, gaining authority over them-that entire time. And. given Dilaf's ardor for Shu-Dereth, he had undoubtedly chosen the most conservative and effective of Kae's arteths to be his associates.
And those were exactly the men Hrathen had let remain in the city when he'd first arrived. He'd sent away the less devoted men, and they would have been the ones that would have been insulted or disturbed by Dilaf's extreme ardor. Unwittingly. Hrathen had culled the chapel's numbers in Dilaf's favor.
Hrathen sat down at his desk, this new revelation disturbing him. No wonder he was having trouble finding a new head arteth. Those who remained knew Dilaf welclass="underline" they were probably either afraid to take a position above him, or they had been bribed by him to step aside.
He can't have that kind of influence over them all, Hrathen thought firmly. I'll just have to keep looking. Eventually, one of the priests will take the position.
Still, he was worried about Dilaf's startling effectiveness. The arteth held two firm grips over Hrathen. First, Dilaf still had power over many of Hrathen's strongest converts through his odiv oaths. Second, the arterh's unofficial leadership of the chapel was growing more and more secure. Without a head arteth, and with Hrathen spending much of his time giving sermons or meeting with nobility, Dilaf had slowly been siphoning away power over the day-to-day workings of the Derethi church in Arelon.