76. An Animal

An eleven-years-prior flashback showing Dalinar's destruction of the city of the Rift in brutal retaliation for Tanalan's rebellion. Dalinar systematically burns the city and kills its inhabitants, only to discover too late that his wife Evi died in the flames while attempting to negotiate a peaceful surrender.

Dalinar arrives at camp after his earlier confrontation with Tanalan, numb and driven by an internal rage he calls the Thrill. He orders that an envoy under flag of truce be shot dead. Speaking privately with Sadeas, Dalinar learns that Gavilar remains unaware of his survival, and they agree to keep it that way so the king can plausibly deny knowledge of what follows. Dalinar orders an immediate night assault on the city walls. After breaching the fortifications, Dalinar commands the systematic destruction of the Rift—a grand city built on platforms within a stone chasm. He has oil and fire poured down into the city from above while archers prevent escape, creating a inferno. When Tanalan emerges attempting to reach his family, Dalinar has him brought up to the cliff edge. As Dalinar turns away, more of the city collapses; Sadeas reveals he had stationed archers below to prevent any escape, acting on Dalinar's earlier order to kill anyone leaving the city. Dalinar kills the now-broken Tanalan, but the man's final words—that Evi came to plead for surrender and hid in the saferoom Dalinar burned—reveal the horrifying truth. Dalinar later views a burned corpse identified as his wife. He realizes Evi went to the Rift to negotiate peace after seeing his determination to destroy it. To preserve his soldiers' morale and hide the truth, Dalinar lies to his scribes, claiming Evi was assassinated and the city's destruction was retribution, allowing her to be remembered as a martyr rather than expose her mercy mission.