Fragility of Lies When Faced with Truth

The author explores the fragility of lies when faced with truth through the nature of The Mendacity Tree – also known as the Lie Tree. The tree leads Erasmus to ruin his reputation in his quest for truth and leads Faith on a desperate and dangerous quest to find out who killed Erasmus.

The nature of the Mendacity Tree is that it must be kept in near-total darkness, in the same manner that lies are kept. If exposed to slight light, like that of a candle, the leaves of the Mendacity Tree wilt and the plant quickly becomes distressed. Moreover, if the tree is exposed to the full light of the sun, it bursts into flames and consumes itself. The Mendacity Tree's reaction to light compares to lies being quickly destroyed when exposed to truth.

Another facet of the Mendacity Tree's...