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On the other side of the city, the Tower of the Stars rang with
denunciations of the refugees.
When the gods created the world, they made our race first, to be the
guardians of right and truth," declared Firincalos, high priest of E li. "It is
our sacred duty to preserve ourselves as the gods made us, a pure race,
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always recognizable as Silvanesti."
Well said! Quite true! The assembly of nobles and clerics called out
in rising voices.
Sithas watched his father. The speaker listened placidly to all this, but
he did not look pleased. It was not so much that his father disagreed with
the learned Firincalos; Sithas had heard similar sentiments espoused
before. But he knew the speaker hated to be lectured to by anyone, for any
reason.
Since the Trial Days, Sithas had been at his father's side daily, taking
a hand in the day-to-day administration of the country. He'd learned new
respect for Sithel when he saw how his father managed to balance the
pleas of the priests, the ideas of the nobles, and the needs of the guilds
against his own philosophy of what was best for Silvanesti.
Sithas had learned respect?but not admiration. He believed his father
was too flexible, gave in too often to the wrong people. It surprised him,
for he had always thought of Sithel as a strong ruler. Why didn't he simply
command obedience instead of constantly compromising?
Sithel waved for the assembled elves to be quiet. Miritelisina, high
priestess of Quenesti Pah, was standing, seeking the speaker s grant to
comment. The hall quieted, and Sithel bade Miritelisina begin.
"I must ask the pure and righteous Firincalos what he would do with
the husbands, wives, and children now languishing in huts along the
riverbank, those who are not pure in our blood yet who have the deepest
ties to some number of our race?" Her rich voice filled the high tower. In
her youth, Miritelisina had been a renowned singer, and she played upon
her listeners with all her old skills. "Shall we throw them into the river?
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Shall we drive them from the island, back onto the swords and torches of
the bandits who drove them east?"
A few harsh voices cried "Yes! to her questions.
Sithas folded his arms and studied Miritelisina. She cut a regal figure
in her sapphire headband and white robe with its trailing, sky-blue sash.
Her waist-length, flaxen hair rippled down her back as she swept a
pointing finger over the mostly male crowd of elves.
"Shame on you all! she shouted. "Is there no mercy in Silvanost?
The humans and half-humans are not here because they want to be! Evil
has been done to them, evil that must be laid at someone's door. But to
treat them like animals, to deny them simple shelter, is likewise evil. My
holy brothers, is this the way of rightness and truth of which the honorable
Firincalos speaks? It does not sound that way to me. I would more expect
to hear such harsh sentiments from devotees of the Dragonqueen!"
Sithas stiffened. The willful priestess had gone too far! Firincalos and
his colleagues thought so, too. They pushed to the front of the crowd,
outraged at being compared to the minions of the Queen of Evil. The air
thickened with denunciations, but Sithel, sitting back on his throne, did
nothing to restrain the angry clerics.
Sithas turned to his father. "May I speak?" he asked calmly.
"I've been waiting for you to take a stand," Sithel said impatiently.
"Go ahead. But remember, if you swim with snakes, you may get bitten."
Sithas bowed to his father. This is a hard time for our people," he
began loudly. The wrangling on the floor subsided, and the prince lowered
his voice. "It is evident from events in the West that the humans, probably
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with the support of the emperor of Ergoth, are trying to take over our
plains and woodland provinces, not by naked conquest, but by displacing
our farmers and traders. Terror is their tool, and so far it is working far
better than they could have dreamed. I tell you this first and ask you all to
remember who is responsible for the situation in which we now find
ourselves."
Sithel nodded with satisfaction. Sithas noted his father's reaction and
went on.
The refugees come to Silvanost seeking our protection, and we
cannot fail to give it. It is our duty. We protect those not of our race
because they have come on bended knee, as subjects must do before their
lords. It is only right and proper that we shield them from harm, not only
because the gods teach the virtue of mercy, but also because these are the
people who grow our crops, sell our goods, who pay their taxes and their
fealty." A murmur passed through the assembly. Sithas's calm, rational
tone, so long honed in debates with the priests of Matheri, dampened the
anger that had reigned earlier. The clerics relaxed from their previous
trembling outrage. Miritelisina smiled faintly.
Sithas dropped his hands to his hips and looked over the gathering
with stern resolve. "But make no mistake! The preservation of our race is
of the greatest importance. Not merely the purity of our blood, but the
purity of our customs, traditions, and laws. For that reason, I ask the
speaker to decree a new place of refuge for the settlers, on the western
bank of the Thon-Thalas, for the sole purpose of housing all humans and
half-humans. Further, I suggest that all non-Silvanesti be sent across to
there from the current tent village."
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There was a moment of silence as the assembly took in this idea, then
the tower erupted with calls of Well spoken! Well said!
"What about the husbands and wives who are full-blooded
Silvanesti? demanded Miritelisina.
They may go with their families, of course, replied Sithas evenly.
They should be made to go, insisted Damroth, priest of Kiri Jolith.
"They are an insult to our heritage."
Sithel rapped the arm of his throne with his massive signet ring. The
sound echoed through the Tower of the Stars. Instant silence claimed the
hall.
"My son does me honor," the speaker said. "Let all he has said be
done." The priestess of Quenesti Pah opened her mouth to protest, but
Sithel rapped on his throne again, as a warning. "Those Silvanesti who
have taken humans as mates will go with their kin. They have chosen their
path, now they must follow it. Let it be done."
He stood, a clear signal that the audience was over. The assembly
bowed deeply as one and filed out. In a few minutes, only Sithel and
Sithas were left.
"That Miritelisina," said Sithel wryly. "She's a woman of extreme
will.
"She's too sentimental," Sithas complained, coming to his father's
side. "I didn't notice her offering to take the half-breeds into her temple."
"No, but she's spent a third of the temple treasury on tents and
firewood, I hear." The speaker rubbed his brow with one hand and sighed
gustily. "Do you think it will come to war? There's no real proof Ergoth is
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