payment page
Summary
Chapter Three: "The Voice of Reason"
At Melitele’s temple, Nenneke introduces Geralt to Falwick, the Count of Moën, and a knight named Tailles. Both wear the emblem of the White Rose, which Geralt finds curious as he knows of no Commandery for the White Rose Order in the area. Nenneke tells Geralt that they are in the service of Hereward, a local nobleman. Hereward has started to invest in the White Rose Order, so he has many of their knights in his service. She explains that many locals, like Tailles, have also entered the Order as well. Tailles and Nenneke debate whether Hereward should be referred to as a prince or a duke.
Nenneke then tells Geralt that Falwick and Tailles are at the temple to demand that he leave the area. Geralt says that he intends to leave the temple soon, but Tailles insists that he leave immediately under Hereward’s orders. Nenneke cuts Tailles off and stresses that she is the one who gives orders within the boundaries of the temple. She tells them that Geralt is her guest and that he can stay as long as he wishes to. Tailles shouts at Nenneke for having the audacity to question Hereward, which prompts her to threaten him with magic. Nenneke tells him that if any of the soldiers Tailles and Falwick have waiting outside touch the priestesses of Melitele, they will hang from the trees by the roadside.
Geralt appeals to Falwick, who he presumes is the more levelheaded of the two men. He tells Falwick that he intends to leave in a few days’ time and explains that he’s not there to work as a witcher, but for personal reasons. When he sees hatred in Falwick’s eyes, Geralt realizes that Falwick may be less reasonable than Tailles. He feels certain that it is Falwick and his men, not Hereward, who want him to leave the area. Falwick politely turns to Nenneke and explains that Hereward will not tolerate Geralt on his lands, regardless of his reasons for being there.
When Nenneke pushes back about Hereward’s decision, Falwick insists that Geralt, who he calls the Butcher of Blaviken, cannot stay in Ellander any longer. At this, Nenneke asserts that they are not in Ellander, but the temple of Melitele, and that she won’t tolerate Falwick and Tailles there any longer. She echoes Geralt when he says that he will only be there for three days. Nenneke tells them to tell Hereward’s wife that if she wants to continue getting aphrodisiacs from the temple’s apothecary, she should convince her husband to calm down. At this, Tailles shouts at Nenneke that he won’t allow her to insult his patron. Geralt tells him to calm down because Nenneke deserves his respect, but Tailles moves his hand to his side as though to grab his sword. Geralt says that he will beat Tailles with his own sword if he draws it. Instead, Tailles produces a gauntlet, which he throws at Geralt’s feet, challenging him to a fight. Nenneke tells Falwick to take Tailles and leave the temple. She tells him that she will write to Hereward personally because she doesn’t trust them as messengers. As Falwick pulls Tailles out of the building, he tells Nenneke that they will return.
Analysis
When Nenneke states that she doesn’t have to listen to Hereward’s commands, she reveals an important political dynamic. The temple of Melitele is not governed by the country in which it exists. Though it isn’t clear where Ellander is or whether it is a country, region, or some other subdivision of land, what is clear is that Ellander’s laws don’t pertain to the grounds of the temple. That is, Nenneke and the other priestesses at the temple are not subject to the laws or regulations of the government in the surrounding region. While Nenneke admits that she tries to avoid conflict with Hereward’s laws, she is clear that Hereward’s orders have no bearing on the temple. The sovereignty enjoyed by Melitele’s temple suggests that at least some of the religious institutions of the world are entirely separate from secular law.
Nenneke reveals an important characteristic when she reminds Falwick and Tailles that she is the high priestess of Melitele. This immediately sets her apart from the other people at the temple and even the men she is talking to in the scene—although Tailles fails to recognize that she outranks him. In earlier chapters it was clear that Nenneke was an important figure in the temple by the way she commanded Iola and oversaw Geralt’s visit. This chapter demonstrates that being the leader of the cult gives her more power than she has demonstrated up to this point. Geralt has said that the cult is one of the largest in the world, meaning that Nenneke’s role is even more remarkable. She is an extremely influential person, and possibly the most powerful woman that Geralt knows.
Geralt points to an interesting element of a class system at work in the background of the novel. His observation that The White Rose Order is filled with people who have paid for their positions exposes a social system in which the wealthy are able to buy power and influence. Geralt insinuates that the Order had once been respectable, but now it is overrun with the sons of tailors and moneylenders who paid to be members. Tailles serves as an example of this because his behavior doesn’t align with the noble, respectable temperament expected of a knight. He is an example of the types of people Geralt criticizes, and the kind of system that guarantees wealthy people knightly positions, even if they lack the character that knights need. Tailles behavior shows that he has fully bought into this system. His disrespect toward Nenneke shows how his sense of entitlement has skewed his perspective and understanding of the social hierarchy. He assumes he has more power than Nenneke because he has bought his knighthood, so he cannot recognize that other factors influence the power dynamic.
The conversation between Nenneke, Tailles, and Falwick also explores the novel’s social hierarchy in other ways. Hereward is described as a duke and a prince. Nenneke recognizes Hereward as having the lower rank of duke, while Falwick and Tailles describe Hereward as a prince. While the designation seems to be of great importance to Falwick and Tailles, it does not seem to matter much to Nenneke. Either way, she outranks him in the temple. Nenneke states that it is ridiculous to call Hereford a prince because he doesn’t have royal blood. This reveals an important clue about Ellander’s social hierarchy. Nenneke’s statement shows that there is something unconventional about Hereward’s position as the “prince” of the area, and that she does not take his title seriously. By contrast, the loyal Tailles accepts Hereward’s title of prince and treats him with the high level of respect a prince would expect. This disconnect could mean many things. There is a strong suggestion that Hereward somehow bought his position as the prince of Ellander in the same way that some wealthy knights bought their titles.
