The Way of Kings: Chapter 28

Adolin and Dalinar are watching a demonstration of a new bridge design for bridgemen so their chull-drawn bridges could get pulled over. However, it is on the verge of collapse, and the only solution is to redesign all the chull-drawn bridges instead. Adolin then gets into a discussion with his father, talking about how the Alethi will never fully leave the Shattered Plains, and what might happen to the value of gemhearts if they keep getting them at their current rate. They then move to question all the men to whom Sadeas had spoken. All protest their loyalty that they told Sadeas nothing, which Adolin notes would make Dalinar look even more guilty. Adolin doesn't understand why Dalinar needs him to go on inspections with him, unaware that Dalinar is considering stepping down as Highprince.
To assist in clearing his head and thinking about things, Dalinar sets about some laboring by breaking up rocks for the latrines being built. As he's doing this, he considers if he's going mad, if he's setting a good example, what's best for his men, and if he should step down. As he's nearing a decision, he is interrupted by Navani as he's missed an appointment with her about which he had forgotten. She also informs him his spanreed is flashing from Jasnah.
Navani asks to be there for the conversation so she can talk to her daughter, and proceeds to tell Dalinar that she didn't choose to marry him because he was too intense and it frightened her. Dalinar says nothing could've happened as he wouldn't have dishonored his brother like that. He realises how long he has been smashing rocks when Adolin says he had finished his inspections hours ago, and introduces him to Danlan, whom he is courting, and is the clerk who is relaying the spanreed.
In the conversation with Jasnah, she asks him for his recollections about the first meeting with the Parshendi, specifically asking if he saw any Shardblades, and if they mentioned Voidbringers. Jasnah is cagey about what she knows, but reveals that the ancients knew of chasmfiends before.
In a conversation with Navani alone afterwards, he reveals he has made up his mind and is going to abdicate.
Category:The Way of Kings chapters summaries