Chapter 20 (Is anything truly as we perceive it)

Emperor Salvador rides in a celebratory parade after the mek’s defeat, uneasy that the cheering favors Manford’s Butlerians. The legless “Manford” beside him reveals he is a double who sacrificed his legs for the role; he assumes Salvador is also a decoy. Shocked and frightened by assassination risks, Salvador resolves to secure doubles for himself and for Roderick.

Back at the Hall of Parliament, Roderick urges Salvador to face the crowd, warning that Manford will dominate the moment. On the balcony, the real Manford, perched on Anari Idaho’s shoulders, basks in adulation. Reverend Mothers Dorotea and Sister Woodra, committed Butlerians, watch, as does Headmaster Gilbertus, present due to his chess victory over the mek.

Before Salvador can speak, Manford frames the mek’s defeat as license to destroy technology and unilaterally proclaims a new rampage festival. Salvador protests that such spectacles require preparation and security, but his words are drowned by the crowd and Anari’s dramatic sword gesture, which triggers a mass surge into Zimia’s streets.

As glass shatters and people are trampled, Salvador and Roderick realize they cannot rein in the frenzy. Manford dismisses the damage as the price of catharsis, asserting humanity can rebuild. The chapter ends with the Corrinos horrified and powerless, their rule overshadowed by Manford’s mob, while Gilbertus witnesses the dangerous volatility.