It was the norm now for Hin to converse with each other in Elantian in public; those who dared, and still cared, could try to speak Hin in the privacy of nooks and crannies and behind closed doors. The Elantians had enforced this as law “to promote greater unity in the Great Elantian Empire,” but Lan knew better. They were trying to eliminate the Hin tongue completely, to prevent uprisings and secret political movements—because, well, how did you destroy a people? You began by cutting off their roots.
