It turns out Galladon and Karata are nearby lurking in the shadows and they have been watching in horror. But all they can do is carry Raoden to the lake. There's no hope from anyone else in Elantris, either, because Galladon has seen that everyone there is already Hoed.
Meanwhile Kiin and his family are being marched off to Elantris with all the other nobles to be burned.
To be honest, this was always going to happen. Arelon had a warlike neighbour invading every nearby country and didn't even bother to maintain a decent military to defend itself. This is why pacifism doesn't work: sometimes the war comes to you. They had an effective defense in the form of Elantrian technology, but when that stopped working they didn't replace it with anything.
Aiden is counting the steps to Elantris. This has to be significant. I thought it was significant when we first found out that Kiin had an autistic son: he's either going to turn out to have some superpower or else some great insight that will kickstart the magic.
Sarene, Hrathen, Dilaf and some of the superhuman monks teleport to Teoras. Where did that ability come from? It's pretty expensive because, like all good dark magic, it requires a human sacrifice, but still, you'd think someone would have mentioned it. Or be more surprised if it had been kept a secret. Maybe I wasn't paying attention.
Dilaf is doing that other bad guy thing of smugly assuming he has already won; that Arelon and Elantris have already been defeated. But he's not in Arelon any more so anything could be happening there and probably is.
Galladon tries to give up hope but can't. He's carrying Raoden to the pool. He's just watched all his friends get hacked to pieces. Even I'm stuggling to figure out what hope there might be, though.
Aiden continues to mumble numbers, Sanderson tells us yet again. HINT HINT WINK WINK. Most of the super monks have teleported away so it's mostly just regular soldiers guarding the prisoners. Dilaf really is doing dumb bad guy stuff. Lukel is planning to start fihgting back and Shuden is there too but it's going to take more than two guys.
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Dilaf has a heart to heart with Hrathen. It turns out that his girlfriend was the legendary woman whose healing was botched once. That's why he has such a chip on his shoulder about Elantris. Dilaf is 70 years old but looks 20. Hrathen was confused earlier about why he seemed so wily for one so young. Probably we could have figured out he was a super monk back then.
Galladon and Karata reach the lake. They are going to wait a minute then kill Raoden and themselves in the lake. Something needs to happen soon to stop them.
Lukel watches as soldiers make a pile of Elantrian bodies. It turns out Aiden is an Elantrian and Kiin and family have been keeping this a secret for years. A soldier wounds him and Aiden goes and joins the pile of Elantrians. That would seem to rule out Aiden somehow saving everyone. Unless he can do some Elantrian magic at the last minute.
Hrathen and Dilaf realise they were at the monastery together, and Dilaf was in charge even back then. Hrathen left after Dilaf used a human sacrifice to teleport himself the distance of a short walk. Will Hrathen stand up to Dilaf now? Will it do any good? Wryn's ships have arrived and the Teo ships are all docked so Dilaf thinks he has won again.
Raoden, who has been dreaming, has a vision of his namesake Aon and realises it is the same shape as Elantris and the four surounding cities. He has a Eureka moment but we will have to wait and see what it is.
Lukel watches soldiers pour oil over the Hoed Elantrians.
Dilaf and Hrathen go to see Eventeo with Sarene. Dilaf decides to kill her in front of her father.
Raoden knows the answer. But we don't! And now it is too late because Raoden is in the pool! Argh! Can he do something in the last few seconds before he disappears?
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