Chapter 36: Lysander
Contains spoilersOverview
Lysander and Cassius attend a stark, ritual-laden dinner with House Raa, witnessing Rim discipline, rationing, and Dido’s philosophy of honor. Cassius postures as an ex-Augustan soldier while Dido probes their motives. Dido declares the Society must rise again, then accuses them of taking Seraphina’s recovered “spark” and unveils their safe, springing a trap.
Summary
Lysander and Cassius arrive in Ionian garb to dine with the Raa family. The room’s austerity, shared rice rite, and remembrance of a dead daughter establish Rim customs. A Pink sings a dirge for Rhea, and Browns serve with formality while children fetch their own food, underscoring discipline and hierarchy.
Conversation turns to the visitors’ ship and past. Cassius, posing as Regulus au Janus, claims he won the Archimedes from a Silver and served as an Augustan centurion who fell in the Lion’s Rain. Diomedes, revealed as the Sword of Io and a former pupil of Lorn, measures the Reaper; Cassius calls Darrow overrated, earning Diomedes’s amusement and Bellerephon’s jealous scorn.
Dido explains rationing and Io’s ethos: honor, participation, and obedience to harsh, shared rules, claiming only two recent terrorist incidents. She presses for candid views on Gold’s purpose, baiting Lysander, and argues the Republic’s failure proves the time to rebuild the Society. She sent Seraphina to retrieve a “spark” to ignite that cause.
Dido then pivots, accusing the guests of making that “spark” disappear. Seraphina admits returning to the Vindabona and recovering Lysander’s razor, exposing that she searched their wreck. Cassius claims the razor was lost to space, but Dido signals the end of pretense: Obsidians bring in their safe and place it on the table, revealing the Raa have set a trap and intend to test their story.
Who Appears
- Lysander au Lune (as Castor au Janus)
Undercover guest; observes Rim customs, debates ideals with Dido, and is implicated when Seraphina claims she recovered his razor.
- Cassius au Bellona (as Regulus au Janus)
Poses as an ex-Augustan centurion; parries suspicion, downplays the Reaper, and denies losing a razor as Dido springs a trap.
- Dido au Raa
Matriarch; extols honor and rationing, argues to rebuild the Society, then accuses the guests of stealing the ‘spark’ and unveils their safe.
- Seraphina au Raa
Daughter; loyal to Rim ideals, admits reentering the Vindabona and bringing back Lysander’s razor, intensifying suspicion.
- Diomedes au Raa
Sword of Io; measured and respected, discusses Lorn and blades, admires discipline, and questions the guests’ choice not to fight.
- Bellerephon the Bold
Jealous cousin; needles Cassius about their ship and legality, radiates hostility throughout the dinner.
- Gaia
Romulus’s mother; feigns senility while observing, drinks and smokes, speaks mainly to children.
- Paleron
Quiet younger son; learns fish-boning from Diomedes and watches the guests.
- Thalia
Young daughter; jokes about Polyphemus and is fascinated by Lysander’s eye color.
- Aurae
Pink singer; performs a dirge for Rhea, highlighting the Rim’s long memory of Core atrocities.