Lightsong Visits Blushweaver While She’s Enjoying a Gardener’s Art

One of the things I wanted to do with this book was come up with different kinds of art that the gods could enjoy—things that we wouldn’t normally look at as traditional “art” but which in this world have been developed to the point that they’re just that.

I liked the concept of a gardener whose art came from the movement and arrangement of pots of flowers and plants into patterns on the fly, like—as Lightsong says—the leader of a musician leading an orchestra. He directs, gesturing and pointing, and dozens of servants rush about, holding different pots. Then they set them down and retreat, leaving them for a few moments. Then it repeats, different servants rushing in with other pots and laying them in other patterns. A little like synchronized swimming, but with plants.

Blushweaver and Lightsong Visit Mercystar

Just like the last scene showed off what a lot of the standard gods are like, Mercystar is supposed to hint at what a lot of the goddesses are like. I think that there would be a good number of them who would turn out just like this—given anything they want, told how important they are, and blessed with a beautiful and perfect body no matter what they eat or how they act. Imagine what that must do to a person.

A lot of alpha readers, upon reaching this chapter, said things like, “I was really waiting for something like this to happen,” or “This is just what Lightsong needed.” They’re referring to him beginning to investigate the death. (A lot of these comments come from the next Lightsong scene too, after we’re certain this little plot structure isn’t going away.)

They’re noticing something that I noticed too—that Lightsong needed something to drive him, something to keep him proactive. Something that wasn’t just a political game. I like this sequence a lot, and it’s an example of something that developed during the writing process rather than being planned out ahead of time. I just felt I needed something else, a way to have Lightsong be involved, but which would also give me a chance to start delving into his past.

The Priests Give an Account of the Murder

This should set off red flags, since you saw what happened that night. Vasher didn’t kill the man who was tied up, nor did he flee out the way he had come. He went into the tunnels.

Someone else was there that night. I hope that readers can put that together from the discussion; if not, however, the next Lightsong chapter lends some explanations to the occurrence.

Go to the book.