Chapter 7

Summary

• Chapter 7 introduces the character Livira who is placed in a setting that evaluates her knowledge and abilities.
• Livira endures a variety of different tests given by four individuals seated at tables. They assess different areas of her knowledge and capability including her ability to do mental arithmetic, her language and writing skills, and her proficiency with numbers and mathematical problems.
• A man named Master Yute enters the scene, defending Livira's performance and arguing for her potential to the assessors. He makes a claim that she is far more capable than they perceive her to be, including her ability to speak in a different language and specifically indicating that she survived an encounter with a sabber warrior.
• Despite Yute’s arguments, Livira is rejected by all of the assessors, including the primary one, named Algar. Algar criticizes Yute’s methodology, suggesting Livira has been coached and calls her a 'parrot'.
• Another character named Serra Leetar, a more privileged candidate, struggles with a simple arithmetic problem that Livira had previously answered correctly with no prior knowledge. This suggests that Livira is more adept and capable than the privileged students, yet she is still rejected because of her background and perceived lower status.
• After the judgment, Livira walks away but Yute follows. He reveals that his actual intent was not to test Livira but the assessors themselves. He also clarifies that she unknowingly told one of the assessors, Hendron, that she claimed ownership of the palace and would accept his surrender.
• Seeing potential in her, Yute decides to recruit Livira directly and offers her a job at the library, bypassing the traditional allocation process.