65. Verdict

Dalinar travels alone to Azimir to negotiate with Azish leadership, armed with persuasive essays from Fen, Navani, and Jasnah. He uses Spiritual Adhesion to learn Azish, converses with Vizier Noura, and ultimately secures Azir's commitment to send representatives to Urithiru and join the coalition. Upon returning through the Oathgate, Dalinar is struck by a devastating recovered memory about what happened to Evi at the Rift.

Dalinar enters the Oathgate control building in Azimir alone and unarmed. He presents Fen's essay on economic benefits of the Oathgates, which impresses the viziers. Learning Azish through Spiritual Adhesion by connecting with a young guard, Dalinar wins them further with Navani's scholarly invitation and schematics for half-shards, and finally Jasnah's rhetorical masterpiece titled "Verdict," which dazzles the Azish with its logical form and wordplay. Vizier Noura takes him through the market dome to meet with the Prime's council. Sequestered in a waiting chamber, Dalinar is joined by Lift, the young Edgedancer Radiant, who steals his lunch and reveals the viziers are discussing a dried finger relic of Emperor Snoxil. Noura returns with triumphant news: the Prime and his council accept Dalinar's invitation to visit Urithiru, and multiple other regional powers—Emul, Tashikk, Yezier, Alm, Desh, and Liafor—will send representatives. Navani's essay proved most persuasive to the council. Noura expresses lingering concern about the danger of the Radiants, noting the ancient order betrayed humanity. Dalinar assures her he will prove their loyalty. As Jasnah retrieves him via the Oathgate and they transfer back to Urithiru, Dalinar is suddenly overwhelmed by a crushing recovered memory of what happened to Evi at the Rift, leaving him physically devastated as Navani calls for a healer.