Chapter 35: The Wise Man Knows The Taste Of Rot

A young man (presumably Faulkner) sits on a throne-like chair at the top of stone steps. He looks thoughtful or dejected. An orange halo surrounds him. The quote below reads, “Get the words right, and the river itself will dance to your command.” - Faulkner

## Credits

### Featured Voices

* Méabh de Brún as Carpenter
* Jimmie Yamaguchi as Hayward
* B. Narr as Faulkner
* H.R. Owen as Rane
* Steve Hendrickson as Roemont
* Sophie Lynch as Greve
* Adam Cassley as Grenshaw

### Additional Voices

Stephen Zivic, Lou Sutcliffe and Marlon Dance-Hooi

## Meta Data

### Content Warnings

This episode contains multiple scenes of strong, bloody, crab-related violence and one very brief scene of chewing (21.00).

## Episode Guide

As Hayward and Carpenter begin their journey to Glottage, elsewhere Brother Faulkner receives High Katabasian Roemont and prepares to be accepted - at long last - as an elder of the faith.

## Description

### Carpenter And Hayward's Road Trip To Glottage

An advert plays on the radio, selling the saints of Promo Supremo to advertise other faith’s gods. Carpenter turns the radio off. Hayward and Carpenter drive through the rain. Hayward asks her how she used to pass the time on the road when she went on pilgrimages for the Parish of Tide and Flesh. He asks if she used to play I-Spy. He’s silent for a moment before talking about his own journey. He would spend a lot of time alone with his thoughts. Hayward keeps trying to make conversation, Carpenter doesn’t engage. Hayward threatens to reminisce. She begins a game of I-Spy. They banter. Carpenter says she didn’t want to like him. She wonders if anyone is really, truly terrible. She thinks about how awful it would be if everyone was a mixture of both good and bad, rather than falling strictly on one side or the other. Hayward asks if they’re being followed. Carpenter keeps looking for the Cairn Maiden. She lies that the Parish is active here, making her jumpy. She comments that they’re relatively close to Marcel’s Crossing, and not far from the Gulch either. Hayward asks if Faulkner’s still on her mind. She confesses that he’s never left it. She comments that she hopes he’s currently screaming as he dies.

### Faulkner And Rane

A sacrificial victim cries for help. Sibling Rane tells Faulkner that the tide is the lowest they’ve ever seen. Faulkner calmly offers advice. Rane asks if they can be honest with him. He grants this. They tell him that there’s doubt surrounding him amongst the faithful, that they want to know if the Trawler-man has spoken to him and offered an explanation. The river has fled from them and only rises in anger. Faulkner says they should be told the truth. That there are people amongst them that seek to undermine the faith and the Trawler-man wants to reveal their treachery. He asks if everything is ready for High Katabasian Roemont’s arrival. He is told it is. The sacrifice continues screaming and Faulkner crosses to enter the pit. He finds the prayer-marks are crudely drawn, if not entirely incorrect. He asks for chalk. He says they have to be careful and precise, that the words have to be right. We hear the sound of rushing water. Faulkner quickly ascends, and asks Rane for a hand up. He was correct.

### Greve And Roemont

Roemont looks over his possessions. A splinter from the Gulfwater’s wreck, mounted by Mason. He wonders if Faulkner’s fanatics have time for sentiments like that, if they’ll recognise him when he arrives at the Gulch. Greve reminds him that he doesn’t have to go. He reminds himself to focus on the future rather than past triumphs.

### Roemont's Visit To The Gulf

It is the Day of the Fiddler-Crab’s Feast when Roemont makes the journey to the Gulch to bestow upon Faulkner the rank of Katabasian formally. He is received with great honour. He went to visit the battle site, the site of numerous miracles. Rane shows Roemont the Ramparts, where Faulkner gave his speech before the siege. Roemont seems uninterested. Several sculptors worked on the mural here, incorporating the bullet holes into the design. The fortifications here have not just been rebuilt but also expanded. Rane replies that their numbers have increased greatly since the siege. There’s more of them in hiding now, who need protection from the awful authorities and future attacks. Next Roemont is shown the Dreaming Pools and told about his fight with Mercer. Roemont is clearly sick of the melodrama. He’s shown Faulkner’s chambers. Not only is it where he planned the Gulch’s defence, but it’s also where Mason was murdered. He asks where Mason is honoured. They say they seek to honour all who fought and died at the Miracle of the Gulch, without favour. Roemont sarcastically says that it appears so. In Faulkner’s story the High Katabasian has come to envy Faulkner for his power and the admiration bestowed upon him by his people. In Roemont’s story Faulkner has constructed a palace to his own glory and not that of the Trawler-man’s.

Faulkner gives a speech about Fleck. Roemont asks Rane for their honest opinion of Faulkner. When Rane is confused, Roemont does not push the issue. Faulkner turns his attention to welcoming Roemont into his home and community. Roemont speaks, hesitantly. It's the Day of Going Forth. A holy day. He speaks about the Gulch. He is more sorrowful than he should be. He calls rebirth a form of sacrifice. He toasts Brother Faulkner, although it is slightly sinister. His speech is met with silence at first. A disciple yells out in support of Faulkner and the crowd applauds. It’s clear whatever Roemont says doesn’t really matter.

### The Assassination Plot

Roemont sits in silence listening to the rain. He speaks to Grenshaw, confirming that no one has seen him. He tells Grenshaw the assassination plot in detail. Roemont summons Faulkner. Then he begins to fret over the small details. He summons Faulkner again. He’s growing paranoid. He steps out of his room and locks the door behind him. In the feast hall music begins. Roemont can hear it faintly below him. He runs into SIbling Rane in the corridor. He tells them that he couldn’t reach an attendant. Rane points him in the other direction to Faulkner’s chambers. He tells Rane to let Faulkner know Roemont is ready for the expurgatory rites. Roemont hurries back to his chamber, he speaks aloud to Grenshaw.

Faulkner is already sitting in the centre of the room. Faulkner apologises for letting himself in uninvited, revealing that he has keys to everything. Faulkner prompts Roemont, who begins the expurgation rites. Faulkner confesses that he’s lonely, that he wanted to be a great man but has failed at even being a good one. Roemont says “The river rises” to prompt Grenshaw into acting. Nothing happens. The rites continue and Roemont continues pacing. He tries to gain Grenshaw’s attention again, growing in desperation. Faulkner confesses that he’s beginning to understand Carpenter’s loss of faith. Faulkner confesses that the hero worship his people provide him with does not touch his ego, but instead comes with a burden he hadn’t expected. Roemont has stopped pacing. Roemont tells him that it is perhaps foolish to express a doubt in the faith when being admitted to the Katabasian’s council. Faulkner asks why he should be afraid of honesty when Roemont intends to murder him. Faulkner mockingly asks if he’s waiting to see if his assassin had been killed. Faulkner tells him Grenshaw is downstairs, with the rest of his men, alive. Faulkner muses that Roemont was going to let him die. He tells Roemont that he came all this way to flatter him and yet couldn’t bring himself to respect Faulkner. Roemont asks Faulkner to leave, and Faulkner tells him to confess in turn. Roemont asks him what other options Faulkner has. Faulkner says that he could kill him, Roemont points out that he would be despised for it. Roemont calls it a schism in the faith, Faulkner calls it a cleansing. Faulkner says it’s probably best that Roemont crowns him now. He tosses the crown to him and asks who told him. The realisation that Greve has betrayed him slowly sets in. Roemont asks what happens now. Faulkner tells him that he returns home. Once he’s gone, Faulkner will tell his disciples the truth. Roemont asks Faulkner if he’s really not going to kill him. Faulkner, drily, replies that he just did.

### Roemont's Death

Grenshaw calls out to Roemont, apologising for letting him down. Roemont gets into her car and begins driving away. Roemont’s car stops and he speaks to Grenshaw over the tannoy. The waters are high. Roemont suggests they drive on through it. Grenshaw points out the angels walking forwards beside the car. With dread, Roemont begins to realise what Faulkner’s last words to him meant. Roemont finds a prayer-mark in his pocket. They’re stuck in the water. Grenshaw is killed. Desperately, Roemont tries to escape. Roemont pleads with the Crab-Angels to recognise him as one of the Trawler-man’s faithful. They don’t. He is killed.

### Faulkner's Phone Call With Greve

Faulkner tells Greve that it’s over. Greve says she’ll share the news with her people tomorrow. A grieving period will be declared. Faulkner tells her to be honest with him. Greve reveals that she announced Roemont’s death four hours ago and already named Faulkner to assassin. Faulkner retorts that Roemont didn’t die in his territory, that it’ll be easier to blame it on the Legislatures than him. It’s their word against the other’s. She asks him what happens when his image begins to fracture in the minds of his people. They both claim the waters to be deep and hungry. They’re both lying. Greve laughs and hangs up on him.

## Trivia

* Carpenter says she's beginning to like Hayward.

## References

1. ↑ Episode Release Announcement on Tumblr
2. ↑ Official episode synopsis at https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/5fec690f8211cf453a1b89e2