Chapter 12 Summary

Flashy can lie and dissemble but gets nervous over conspiracy. He imagines spies everywhere. Junior officers hung over from the Queen's party drill their men into a shambles and are sent off to Ankay. Flashy is thinking drowsily about life after slavery when a Hova platoon rousts him and takes him to the throne room where a tortured Andriama shows that the plot is uncovered. Vavalana disbelieves Flashy's claim about Ankay, assumes Andriama is involved, and despite Flashy's frantic protestations of loyalty, Ranavalona orders "Tanguin."

As Flashy grovels and begs, flakes are shaved off a tanguin stone onto dried scraps of chicken skin. The Queen gives Vavalana $24, and the mixture is rammed down Flashy's throat. Fankanonikaka gives him rice-water to drink. The pain is unimaginable but before he can scream, Flashy vomits in the pattern that proves him not-guilty by ordeal. Ranavalona has...