I-6. A Boon and a Curse

Taravangian, in his current state of diminished intellect, struggles with the weight of his impending betrayal of the coalition. When Odium appears to confirm the attack on Urithiru, Taravangian is goaded into revealing a hidden fragment of the Diagram, which Odium destroys—but not before Taravangian glimpses crucial information about Odium's vulnerabilities, including the god's fear of Szeth and the existence of a blind spot around Renarin Kholin. Taravangian sends the order to betray the coalition and is immediately captured by Dalinar's forces.

Taravangian sits alone in his stormwagon as the Everstorm wanes, dreading the order he must give to betray the coalition. He laments his current lack of intelligence, contrasting his diminished state with the brilliant but ruthless version of himself from a year prior who devised the failed plan against Dalinar. Taravangian retrieves a hidden fragment of the Diagram he'd created during his last period of high intelligence and reads through it, finding it details the scheme to destroy Dalinar. The act brings him to tears as he contemplates the cost of his alliance with Odium—the destruction of most of humankind in exchange for preserving only Kharbranth. He becomes fixated on a cryptic note about why the Diagram cannot see Renarin Kholin's future. Odium materializes in his stormwagon and commands Taravangian to issue the betrayal order. In their conversation, Taravangian learns that Odium's grand design includes enslaving all humanity as cannon fodder for a heavenly war, far worse than swift destruction. When Taravangian produces the Diagram fragment, Odium tears it apart but inadvertently reveals his complete plans—thousands of pages of instruction—which include a black-scarred section corrupted by Renarin's unseeable future. Taravangian notices his own name being consumed by the scar and realizes this means Odium cannot see his future. He also discovers Odium's deep fear of Szeth, the Assassin in White, whose name appears in cramped, terrified letters near the corrupted section. Taravangian deduces that Szeth must now be with Dalinar's forces, brought in secret. Through this realization, Taravangian understands that Odium, despite his godly power, is vulnerable and has failed in his plans for Dalinar. Odium dismisses Taravangian and returns him to his wagon, where the Diagram fragment remains in his hand, mysteriously preserved. Taravangian uses a spanreed to send the betrayal order, and within minutes, Dalinar's soldiers storm his wagon and capture him. As he is bound, Taravangian feels less pain and tiredness, sustained by a crucial secret: he has decided not to give up.