The Light of All That Falls (The Licanius Trilogy, #3)

by James Islington

“Sounds nice,” murmured Asha. Her own parents had been merchants, always focused on work and never kind to her; as soon as her Mark had appeared, they had dropped her at the school at Caladel and ridden away without even a backward glance. She’d learned not to spare them too much thought, over the years.

“The one that got me sent here? The one which the Venerate don’t want asked?” Raeleth leaned forward. “Simply put—do you believe that mankind should have no authority higher than itself?” “Surely… surely that’s not what the Venerate are suggesting.” “It is—and they would tell you the same. It is exactly what their version of El is offering. A world where all possibilities are promised is, by necessity, a world in which God cannot take part. Cannot choose to affect the world in any way. If He exerts His will even a fraction, He is by definition changing how things could have been. He is removing possible outcomes.” Raeleth held Davian’s gaze, calm certainty in his eyes. “They are trying to convince everyone that our creator wished to create a world in which He could not take part. Could not help, guide, or save. In which He was functionally irrelevant.”

“Sometimes not wanting to share the burden is a form of selfishness, too,” she said quietly.

Davian raised an eyebrow. “I take it the city wasn’t like this, back then.” “From the way he tells it, it was pleasant enough. As good as any other place where large groups of people congregate. He certainly has a nostalgia for it.” Tal sounded sad.

“They’re Vessels,” he finally continued. “A grand white hallway of hundreds of the things, lining it. You have to look into each one before moving on, but at the end, you are allowed to remember only one of them. One truth that they show you, personal to you. Your life. And once through, you can never go back. Ever,” he finished softly.