Temple of the Traveler: Empress of Dreams Read Online Free PDF

influence in an outer colony if I protect them. But even then, the root of my power comes from all of you. Therefore, knowing more about you all is critical for a good emperor. What’s an Imperial?”
    Hands shot up again.
    “People who can see by the light of the Compass Star.”
    “Descendants of those who were Scattered by Myron’s doom.”
    “Not the ones who serve the Pretender, just the ones who serve you and the College.”
    “The ones who rebuilt Center,” said one aristocrat, a wizard.
    Pagaose scratched his head. “You probably didn’t actually do any of the building yourself. Who did?”
    “Foreign slaves,” explained the wizard. “Using money people paid me for my expertise.”
    “Why didn’t locals do the work?”
    “Clearing the ash and debris was dangerous work,” noted the wizard.
    “Our people constructed the Emperor’s Road around the Inner Sea, fused from sweat, sand, and sunlight. Five hundred years later, it still stands as a testament to our engineering. With hard work and the right plan, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish!”
    “The work was beneath the dignity of the ruling class!” shouted another noble.
    “We don’t seem to be ruling much right now. For a while, we were living on handouts.”
    Lord Pangborn said, “That’s because there aren’t enough of us anymore.”
    “Ahh . . . what if I could improve that? Add a couple hundred men and women to our military and public services overnight?”
    “I’d give you my vote, if they stayed and were productive,” Pangborn sneered.
    “What if I made seven years of public service a requirement for the new Imperials?” asked the emperor.
    The crowd was riveted by the exchange.
    “Even better,” sneered Lord Pangborn. “By what miracle do you propose to materialize these new Imperials?”
    “You admit that it would be a miracle worthy of your confirmation vote?”
    “Yes.”
    “They’re sitting all around you.”
    “Preposterous!”
    The emperor listed the criteria on his fingers. “Imperial parents, able to see the invisible sun of our god, following me, living in Center, working here.”
    “They’re half-breeds!” Pangborn spat. “Most of them don’t have two blue eyes, and the ones that do are too short.”
    “You’re shorter than I am. Does that make you any less noble?”
    “Certainly not.”
    “So we’re just quibbling about eye color and social rank now.”
    The aristocrat fumed. “You twist my words.”
    “If I agreed that they have no family rank, would you make this just about the eyes and legal procedures?”
    “Fine.”
    Addressing the audience, the emperor called, “Would Kestrel, the head of the orphanage, step forward.”
    The young man looked like the ideal image of an upper-tier Imperial. With an eye patch, he could pass for a full blood, but one eye was dark brown. “Here, sire.”
    “Kestrel, how many orphans are here on Center, in and out of the orphanage?”
    “Over eight years, I’ve overseen two hundred sixty, sire.”
    “And faithful service it’s been, too, I’ve heard,” complimented the emperor.
    “Just helping out, sire.”
    “A man who feeds the lost children of Osos feeds me. When you seek to enlighten, defend, and preserve his congregation, you are glorified. Do you believe that an emperor sees and understands spiritual things that others cannot, just as Imperials see and understand things that normal mortals cannot?”
    “Absolutely.”
    “I see blue in your eye trying to get out.”
    “Pardon?”
    “Everyone could see it in the right light. Come with me to my throne room, swear allegiance to me there, and I’ll show everyone your blueness.”
    The young man looked to the sage. “May I, sir?”
    The sage smiled. “I think you should go along with the man. If he’s daft, we should know now. If he’s right, you’ll be the firstborn among many richly needed citizens. Besides, I don’t think everyone else here will let you out otherwise. They want to see