The Gilded Ones

After an uncomfortable week of travel in winter weather, Deka won’t let Britta—who is clumsy and bubbly—touch her yet. Deka discovers her unnatural strength when she rips up furs during nightmares. They arrive in Gar Melanis to board a ship called Salt Whistle to Hemaira. Once aboard, they look at the Northern Lights. White Hands is still secretive; she reveals some information about the difference between almost-deaths and final deaths of alaki but omits the connection to deathshrieks. Deka, unlike Britta and other alaki, is ”practically immortal” (57). Alaki all age very slowly.

In the hold of the Salt Whistle, Deka realizes Britta is scared and they vow to be friends. Britta, excited about their new friendship, invites Deka to come to her village when they are made pure again. They talk about boys, kissing, and beauty. Britta hopes heading south will help Deka have success with boys.

Britta wakes Deka as the ship arrives in Hemaira, and Deka smells flowers. Deka has slept for four weeks, and the season has shifted from winter to spring. To combat the excessive sun, they line their eyes with tozali from White Hands. Deka realizes she is not hungry even though she has not eaten for weeks, and Britta worries about her.

On the crowded docks, a “pious-looking” (68) man tries to accost them, but White Hands intervenes, and they get in the wagon. They see the gates of Hemaira with statues of Emperor Emeka; “exotic” (69) animals like Orrillions (silver apes with human faces) and Zerizards (lizards with wings) herded by caravan masters; and jatu in red robes herding travelers. They and other wagons with alaki pass through jatu checkpoints. Once through the gates, they see that the city is on a lake, and are in awe of the palace of the Emperors.

Above the waterfall that encloses one side of the city, they see a giant statue of the first emperor’s mother (Fatu the Relentless, who they are unknowingly traveling with). Then they head to the Jor Hall administrative building where there is a long line of alaki who are thin, dirty, and probably abused. White Hands and her horse lords say goodbye.

In Jor Hall, there are lines for 10 different training grounds. They find the line for theirs: Warthu Bera. Other girls are scared of jatu who are trained to subdue alaki and deathshrieks. Their fears about the other girls being abused and raped are confirmed. Deka and Britta feel lucky to have had White Hands protecting them and comfort each other.

In a huge gold and black room, they see 100 boys in masks and, above them, platforms with officials in yellow robes. A girl (named Belcalis, it turns out) pushes off her transporters “like they were fleas” (81), demonstrating alaki strength, which Deka is not used to seeing. A captain named Kelechi defends the girl, saying as a soldier she has rights, and a recruit named Keita talks to the girl, saying the alaki are free to go but will be persecuted outside Hemaira. The girl remains skeptical but decides staying is the better of the two options, having experienced enough trauma outside Hemaira already (it is later revealed that she was sold into prostitution).

Captain Kelechi, who is dark-skinned like the royal family and other Southerners, introduces himself on a platform. He explains that the boys are uruni, or “brothers in arms” (86). Kelechi says that they will go on monthly raids of deathshriek nests. Then the line of boys files past the line of girls, and Kelechi orders them to pair up when he says stop, like a game of musical chairs. Kelechi stands with a silent, masked female jatu commander. Deka ends up with Keita, and they exchange polite introductions, despite Keita reminding Deka of Ionas in height. The captain declares they are “bonded” (90).

After the ceremony, the boys leave, and an intake process involving many forms (scrolls) begins. Deka is reminded again of how she feels “unnatural” (91) compared to the malnourished girls. A male transporter asks for money in exchange for his girl but doesn’t receive it based on her maltreatment. Other transporters receive a reward, but White Hands isn’t there to collect money.

The girls’ hands are gilded with an urn of a mixture that includes alaki gold blood, and the hall begins to smell like burning flesh and fill with screams. Britta tries to comfort Deka. When it is Deka’s turn in line, an official asks if she seeks absolution, and she replies yes. Then an accountant asks if she swears fealty to Emperor Gezo and asks about her treatment on the journey. She learns that others were being used as prostitutes. The accountant explains the gilding marks alaki as property of the emperor and will disappear in 20 years. When gilded, Deka smells her burning flesh, and vomits when she leaves the hall.