Chapter XLIII, XLIV, XLV Summary

In Chapter XLIII, still singing the wishsong, Brin enters the tower, leaving the heat and stench of the Maelmord. She almost floats as she climbs the stairway inside the tower. She reaches the domed rotunda and her wishsong turns into a whisper. In the middle of the room, on an altar, is the Ildatch. The wishsong turns to a venomous hiss as she approaches the heart of evil. The book looks ancient and worn. Brin touches it and her wishsong dies. The Ildatch whispers to her that she is the dark child, and that the book has always been waiting for her to come. The tiny, protected part within Brin is terrified. A burning sensation travels from her fingers to her arms. She opens the book and, even though it is written in ancient script, knowledge passes...