The Blade Itself

Adua’s University is a crumbling and decrepit building that serves only as a residence for its Administrator, Adepts, and staff, for Glokta’s tour through the building reveals not a single student or classroom. In this place, Adepts conduct their research in solitude, plead for funding, and argue over whose discipline is the most important. The fact that the University—a symbol of knowledge and progressive thought—is virtually abandoned is a striking testament to its relative lack of importance within the larger social structure of the Union. Its library is vast but unused; the books and scrolls are covered in dust, and only the Adeptus Historical knows how to find anything. When he dies, so will his knowledge. If a University symbolizes learning, the government’s neglect of the University suggests a widespread disregard for learning. In a hierarchy that favors the high-born and the manipulative power brokers, knowledge for its own sake occupies a low rung on the social ladder.

Monarchy aside, the government of Adua is bifurcated between two loosely legislative bodies: the Open and Closed Councils. While the Open Council—so named because it has the appearance of transparency—does its business before a gallery of spectators and petitioners, the Closed Council operates in secret. It has only 12 members representing the various interests of Law, Finance, War, and the King, and these members ostensibly work in unison for the good of the Union. In reality, however, the Council is composed of small factions, each of which seeks to forge alliances and gain leverage against other members. This is where the real power lies, and the fact that the Council operates largely in secret implies that the Union’s larger government is itself equally secretive, corrupt, and full of brinksmanship. The King, who is ostensibly the head of state, is old, senile, and easily manipulated, and Lord Chancellor Hoff is more than satisfied with these circumstances. When Bayaz appears to claim the 13th seat on the Council, the other members resist, for they know that Bayaz would impose a new sense of order and ethics on the Council’s members, making him a clear threat to their existing power schemes. Both government and the jockeying for power within its hallowed halls represent an important element in the narrative, but government in the wrong hands benefits only a few, while the commoners must deal with the repercussions.