Patternmaster

by Octavia E. Butler

The novel begins with the Patternmaster, Rayal, in bed with Jansee, his lead wife and sister. For a year, there have been no major attacks from the "Clayarks"; mutated humans the Patternists have been in constant battle against. Rayal and Jansee have two sons, Teray, the youngest, who is away at Redhill School, and Coransee. Patternists can connect with their children telepathically, and Jansee is concerned about her sons. To check on them, she thinks of sending a 'mute', a human without paranormal powers. Rayal disagrees, leading the couple to argue. Aside from Jansee, Rayal killed all of his siblings to become Patternmaster, and to lead the telepathic race through the powerful connections between the Patternists, known as the Pattern. The peaceful year ends as the Clayarks attack the Patternists. They shoot and kill Jansee and greatly injure Rayal, who then has to use his powers to save his own life instead of killing the Clayarks.

Many years later, Teray leaves the Redhill School with his wife, Iray. As the couple is leaving, they encounter two Patternists; Joachim, a Housemaster whom Teray is apprenticed to, and Jer, an outsider. The two inform Teray of the recent Clayark raid, and tell him of their plans to visit Coransee on their way to Joachim's house. Coransee challenges Teray and tries to read his thoughts. Although apprentices cannot legally be traded, Coransee negotiates with Joachim to trade the talented artist Laro, for Teray—who is revealed to be Coransee's brother. At dinner, the couple learns that the deal has been successful and that Teray will be an outsider. Outsiders cannot be married or have children and do not control where they live. Joachim promises to try to fix the situation.

After Joachim leaves, Coransee shows up at Teray and Iray's door, and telepathically fights and nearly kills Teray. Coransee informs him that they are full brothers and asks him, he being his only threat as Patternmaster, if he wants to control the Pattern. Teray only wants his freedom and his own House. Teray refuses Coransee's deal, because he wishes to implant controls on him, and he's made an outsider in charge of the mutes. Iray is no longer Teray's wife and helps him by becoming part of Coransee's household. Teray meets a mute woman named Suliana, badly beaten by an outsider named Jason, and calls in the resident healer, Amber, to heal her injuries. Teray plans to run away by educating himself about relevant terrains. Teray encounters a Clayark, but allows him to live and leave. Joachim brings a journeyman named Michael and others to Coransee's House to investigate two charges against him in an attempt to help Teray escape. Coransee escapes the charges by turning things around on Joachim, who could be charged for illegally trading an apprentice. Teray and Amber make plans to escape to Forsyth, where Michael has offered him sanctuary.

Teray tells Iray of his plans, but she is now committed to Coransee and cannot leave. Teray and Amber leave, and she teaches him a quicker way to kill the Clayarks. Teray asks Amber to be his lead when he has his own House, but she declines, wanting to have her own House. Coransee and a party of ten find the pair. Coransee wants to take Teray to Forsyth to be judged by Rayal. On their travels, Teray and Amber discover that she is pregnant with his child, and Coransee tries to force them to break their link. Coransee and Teray telepathically fight again, and because Coransee lowers his defenses, Teray kills him. Teray links with the other Patternists while preparing to lead them to the Patternmaster's House. After they kill thousands of Clayarks, Teray finds Rayal in the Pattern. Rayal informs Teray that he has been waiting for him for years and has planned for Teray to succeed him, because of his healer skills.