He stood and walked to the chamber's window, looking out at the city lights spreading across the mountainside terraces. His hands were moving slightly, the controlled violence that usually characterized his stillness finding a different outlet in small, precise gestures.
"What I want," Kunther said, "is to make a mockery of him. Publicly. Before the Trial of Domain even begins, I want to damage his image with the city."
"How?" Valis asked.
Kunther turned back from the window.
"You will see."
*
The hot springs occupied a chamber built into the lower levels of Raaya Villa, a space that felt older than the villa itself. The room was a natural cavern enhanced by careful masonry over centuries—walls of pale stone veined with faint mineral deposits, the ceiling arched and supported by thick columns carved with subtle patterns of waves and roots.
