Chapter 8 (While animals camouflage themselves)

On Salusa Secundus, Dorotea stages a rigorous Truthsayer training to demonstrate the value of her orthodox Sisterhood and secure Emperor Salvador’s trust. Grand Inquisitor Quemada attends, his presence a reminder of Imperial scrutiny and the brutal Suk-taught methods he favors. Dorotea’s strategy is to prove that observation and intuition can match the Inquisition’s tools.

Esther-Cano, a surviving Rossak Sorceress, leads eight trainees through assessments of twelve test subjects—criminals mixed with volunteers. The Sisters analyze tells and inconsistencies. Sister Avemar dissects a reformed thief’s testimony, revealing truthful facts layered over concealed exploitation, proving that concealment can equal falsehood.

As more subjects speak, the Sisters identify exaggerations and lies across criminals and ordinary citizens alike, improving their reliance on observation and subconscious synthesis. Dorotea notes the universality of deception that enters the Imperial court, underlining the need for her order’s skills.

Afterward, Quemada downplays the trainees’ proficiency and touts the superiority of torture-based extraction. Dorotea counters that their methods are complementary and nonlethal, citing her instant detection of Blanton Davido’s fraud before Quemada’s forced confession. She proposes to act as a screener, sending refined cases to the Inquisition.

Quemada accepts the practical alliance, acknowledging that Emperor Salvador wants lies exposed by any means. Dorotea secures a tentative partnership, advancing her plan to rebuild a powerful Sisterhood under Imperial favor, even as Raquella’s rival faction struggles elsewhere.