"Your ancestor, Shing, is alive. And I know where to find him."
Ren's words fell like thunder.
For a moment, no one spoke. The silence was total. Not even the sound of waves could be heard from the water flowing through the council chamber.
That kind of statement wasn't anything that any Tidecaller would even believe was in the realm of possibility. How could Shing still be alive? He would have to be older than the five oldest Tidecallers combined. Maybe more.
What Ren was speaking of wasn't just impossible. It was sacrilege.
And then the uproar exploded.
Dozens of elders rose from their seats, shouting over one another. Some surged to their feet, slamming fists against the stone railing before them. Others turned in confusion or disbelief to their neighbors.
"Impossible!"
"This is madness!"
"Blasphemy!"
"How dare he lie to our faces with the name of our sacred ancestor! He must pay!"
