"Hattie, this man here, master Drefan, is a healer, and has come to see the girls." Hattie, her short, sandy-colored hair tied back with a head wrap, wiped her hands on her apron. Her gaze darted among all the people standing in her home. "Thank you. This way, please."
"How do they fare?" Drefan asked Hattie on their way back to the bedroom. "Beth has complained since yesterday of her head hurting," Hattie said. "She was sick at her stomach, earlier. Common children ailments, that's all." It sounded to Richard more like a plea than a statement of fact. "I gave her some black horehound tea to settle her."
"That's good," Nadine assured her. "An infusion made of pennyroyal might help, too. I have some with me I'll leave in case she needs it."
"Thank you for the kindness," Hattie said, her concern growing with each step she took.
"What of the other girl?" Drefan asked.had almost reached the doorway. "Lily's not so sick, but just feeling out of sorts. I suspect she's just looking for sympathy because her older sister is getting attention and honey tea. That's the way of children. She has some little, round sores on her legs." Drefan missed a step.was fevered, but not gravely so. She had a wet cough, and complained that her head hurt. Drefan all but ignored her. He watched Lily, in that analytical way of his, as she sat in her blankets, carrying on an earnest conversation with her rag doll.grandmother fussed with her collar and watched from the doorway as Hattie fussed with Beth's covers. The aunt mopped Beth's brow with a wet cloth while Nadine spoke words of comfort to the girl. Nadine really did have a soothing, kind way about her. She selected herbs from leather pouches in her bag and wrapped them up in several cloth packets, giving the intent, nodding mother instructions.and Kahlan moved with Drefan over to the younger girl. Kahlan squatted down and talked to her, telling her what a lovely doll she had, so as to keep her from being frightened by Richard and Drefan. Lily cast worried looks in their direction as she chattered with Kahlan. Kahlan hugged an arm around Richard's waist to show Lily that he wasn't anyone to be afraid of. Richard made himself smile. "Lily," Drefan said with forced cheerfulness, "could you show me your doll's sores?" Lily held the doll upside down and pointed out spots on the inside of the doll's thighs. "She has ouches here, and here, and here." Her big, round eyes turned up to Drefan. "And do they hurt her?" Lily nodded. "She goes 'ouch' when I touch them."
"Really? Well, that's too bad. I'll bet she's better, soon, though." He squatted down so that he wasn't towering over her, circling an arm around Kahlan's waist and pulling her back down with him. "Lily, this is my friend, Kahlan. Her eyes aren't so good. She can't see the sores on your doll's legs. Could you show Kahlan here the ones on your legs?"was still talking to the mother about the other girl. Lily glanced in their direction.brushed Lily's hair back and told her what a pretty doll she had. Lily grinned. She was fascinated by Kahlan's long hair. Kahlan let her feel it. "Can you show me the ouches on your legs?" Kahlan asked. Lily hiked up her white nightdress. "Here they are, just like my doll's ouches." She had several dark spots, the size of pennies, on the inside of each thigh. Richard could tell when Drefan gently touched them that they were hard as calluses. Kahlan straightened Lily's nightdress back down and drew the blanket back over her lap as Drefan patted her cheek, telling her what a good girl she was, and that her doll's ouches would be better by morning. "I'm glad." Lily said. "She doesn't like them."was absently planing a chair seat at the workbench. Richard could see that he wasn't paying any attention to what he was doing, and was ruining it. He didn't look up when they came down the stairs. At Richard's urging. Clive had stayed upstairs with his wife and daughters. "Do they have it?" Erling asked in a hoarse voice.laid a comforting hand on the old man's shoulders. "I'm afraid so." Erling took a shaky, crooked stroke with his plane.
"When I was young, I lived in the town of Sparlville. The plague came one summer. It took a good many people. I hoped never to see such a thing again." "I understand," Drefan said in a soft voice. "I, too, have seen it visit places." "They're my only granddaughters. What can we do to help them?" "You can try to smoke the house," Drefan offered.grunted. "We did that in Sparlville. Bought cures and preventatives, too, but people died just the same."
"I know," Drefan said. "I wish there was something I could do, but I've never heard of a sure cure. If you know of anything that you think helped when you were young, then try it. I don't know of all the treatments, by any means. At worst, it could do no harm, and at best may help."set the plane aside. "Some folk burned fires hot that summer, trying to drive the sickness from their blood. Some said it was because their blood was too hot already with the high summer heat and with the fever on top of that, and tried to fan their loved ones to cool their blood. Which would you advise?"shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I just don't know. I've heard of people recovering when each was tried, and I've heard of people dying just the same with each. Some things are out of our hands. No one can stay the Keeper's hand when he comes."rubbed his scruffy chin. "I'll pray that the good spirits spare the girls." His voice caught. "They're too good, too innocent, for the Keeper to touch them just yet. They've brought untold joy to this house and family."returned his hand to Erling's shoulder. "I'm sorry, master Anderson, but Lily has the tokens upon her." Erling gasped and gripped the bench. Drefan had been ready and caught him under his arms to keep him from falling when his knees gave out. Drefan helped him to sit on the carving horse.turned her face away and put it to Richard's shoulder when Erling covered his tears with both hands. Richard felt numb. "Grandpa," Darby called from the steps, "what's wrong?" Erling straightened. "Nothing, boy. I'm just worried about your sisters, that's all. Old men get foolish, that's all."eased the rest of the way down the stairs. "Yonick, I'm real sorry about Kip. If your pa needs anything. I'm sure my pa would let me leave my work and go help."nodded. He looked in a daze, too.squatted down before the boys. "Did either of you see anything strange at the Ja'La game?"
"Strange?" Darby asked. "Strange like what?"combed his fingers back through his hair. "I don't know. Did you talk to any strangers?"
"Sure," Darby said. "There were lots of people there we didn't know. Soldiers were there watching the game. Lots of people I didn't know came to congratulate us after we won."
"Do any of them stand out in your mind? Anything odd about any of them?" "I saw Kip talking to a man and a woman after the game," Yonick said. "More than like they were just congratulating him. They were leaning down talking to him, showing him something." "Showing him something? What?"
"I'm sorry," Yonick said, "but I didn't see. I was too busy getting slapped on the back by soldiers."was trying not to frighten the boy with his questions, but he had to press for answers. "What did this man and woman look like?"
"I don't know," Yonick said. His eyes were filling with tears at remembering his brother alive. "The man was skinny, and young. The woman was young, too, but not as young as he. She was kind of pretty, I guess. She had brown hair." He pointed at Nadine. "Like hers, but not as thick, or as long."glanced up at Kahlan. By the stricken look on her face, he knew she was fearing the same thing as he.
"I remember them," Darby said. "My sisters talked to that man and woman, too."
"But neither of you talked to them?"
"No," Darby said. Yonick shook his head. "We were jumping around, excited that we'd won the game in front of Lord Rahl. A lot of the soldiers were congratulating us, and so were a lot of other people; I never talked to those two."took Kahlan's hand. "Kahlan and I have to go ask Beth and Lily a question," he said to Drefan. "We'll be right back."close together, seeking support in each other's touch, they climbed the stairs. Richard was dreading what he might hear from the girls.
"You ask them," Richard whispered to her. "They're afraid of me. They'll talk easier to you."
"Do you think it could have been them?" Richard didn't need to ask who she was talking about. "I don't know. But you told me that Jagang said he had watched the Ja'La game-through Marlin's eyes. Sister Amelia was with Marlin. They were doing something here in Aydindril."reassured the women that they just had a small question to ask the girls. The women busied themselves with their work while he went with Kahlan back into the bedroom. Richard doubted they were paying any more attention to their meat pies than Erling had been with the chair seat he had been planing.
"Lily," Kahlan asked the younger girl first in a soft voice as she smiled, "do you remember when you went to watch your brother play Ja'La?"nodded. "He won. We were real happy that he won. Pa said Darby scored a point."
"Yes, we saw him play, and we were happy for him, too. Do you remember the two people you talked to? A man and a woman?"frowned. "When Ma and Pa were cheering? That man and woman?" "Yes. Do you remember what they said to you?"
"Beth was holding my hand. They asked if it was my brother we was cheering for."
"That's right." Beth said from the other bed. She had to stop talking as she was taken with a bout of coughing. When she recovered and caught her breath, she went on. "They said Darby played really good. They showed us the pretty thing they had."stared at her. "Pretty thing?" "The shiny thing in the box," Lily said. "That's right," Beth said. "They let me and Lily see it." "What was it?"frowned through her headache. "It was.. it was.. I don't know exactly. It was in a box that was so black you couldn't see its sides. The shiny thing inside was pretty."nodded her agreement. "My doll saw it, too. She thought it was real pretty, too."
"Do you have any idea what it was?" They both shook their heads.
"It was in a box that was as black as midnight. To look at it is like looking down a dark hole." Richard said. They both nodded.
"Sounds like the night stone," Kahlan whispered to him. Richard knew well that blackness. Not only the night stone had been like that, but also the outer covering of the boxes of Orden. It was a color so sinister that it seemed to suck the very light from a room.Richard's experience, that void of light was only associated with immensely dangerous things. The night stone could bring beings forth from the underworld, and the boxes of Orden held magic that, if used for evil, could destroy the world of life. The boxes could open a gateway to the underworld.
"And inside was something shiny," Richard said. "Was it like looking at a candle, or the flame of a lamp? That kind of shiny?" "Colors," Lily said. "It was pretty colors." "Like colored light," Beth said. "It was sitting on white sand." Sitting on white sand. The hairs on the back of Richard's neck stood on end. "How big was the box?" Beth held her hands not quite a foot apart. "About this big on a side. But it wasn't very thick. Kind of like a book. It was almost like they opened a book. That's what the box reminded me of-a book."
"And inside, the sand that was inside, did it have lines drawn in it? Kind of like if you were to draw lines in dry dirt with a stick?"nodded as she succumbed to a bout of rattling coughs. She panted, catching her breath, when they finally ceased.
"That's right. Neat lines, in patterns. That's just what it was like. It was a box, or maybe a big book, and when they opened it to show us the pretty colors, it had white sand in it with careful lines drawn in it. Then we saw the pretty colors."
"You mean, there was something sitting in the sand? This thing that made the colored light was sitting in the sand?"blinked in confusion, trying to remember. "No… it was more like the light came out of the sand." She flopped back on her bed and rolled on her side, in obvious distress from her sickness. From the plague. From black death. From a black box.stroked a hand tenderly down her arm and pulled the blanket back up over her as she moaned in pain. "Thank you, Beth. You rest now, and get yourself better."couldn't thank Lily. He dared not trust his voice. Lily lay back. Her tiny little brow puckered. "I'm tired." She pouted, near tears. "I don't feel good."curled up and put her thumb in her mouth.tucked Lily in, and promised her a treat as soon as she was well. Kahlan's tender smile brought a small smile to Lily's mouth. It almost made Richard smile. Almost.the alley, after they had left the Anderson house, Richard pulled Drefan aside. Kahlan told the others to wait, and then she joined them.
"What are tokens?" Richard asked. "You told the grandfather that the youngest had tokens on her."
"Those spots on her legs are called tokens."
"And why was the old man nearly struck down with dread when he heard you say the girl had them?"'s blue eyes turned away. "People die of the plague in different ways. I don't know the reason, except to imagine it has something to do with their constitution. The strength and vulnerability of everyone's aura is different.
"I've not seen with my own eyes all manner of death the plague causes, as, thankfully, it is a rare occurrence. Some of what I know I learned from the records that the Raug'Moss keep. The plagues I've seen have been in small, remote places. In the past, many centuries ago, there have been a few great plagues in large cities, and I've read the records of those.
"With some people it comes on of a sudden-very high fevers, intolerable headaches, vomiting, searing pains in their backs. They are out of their minds with the agony of it for many days, even weeks, before they die. A few of these recover. Beth is like that. She will get much worse, yet. I have seen people like her recover. She has a small chance.
"Sometimes, they look like the first boy, with the black death overwhelming them and rotting their bodies. Others are tortured with horribly painful swellings in their neck, armpits, or groin, they suffer miserably until they finally die. Bert is like that. If the distemper can be brought to a head, and encouraged to break and run, then they occasionally recover."
"What about Lily?" Kahlan asked. "What about these tokens, as you called them?"
"I've never seen them before, with my own eyes, but I've read about them in our records. The tokens will appear on the legs and sometimes on the chest. People who have the tokens rarely know they are sick, until the end. They will one day discover to their horror that they have the tokens upon them, and be dead shortly thereafter.
"They die with little or no pain. But they all die. No one with tokens on them ever lives. The old man must have seen them before, because he knew this.
"The plagues I've seen, as violent as the outbreaks were, never displayed the tokens. The records say that the worst of the great plagues, the ones that brought the most widespread death, were marked with the tokens. Some people thought they were visible signs of the Keeper's fatal touch."
"But Lily is just a little girl," Kahlan protested, as if arguing could change it, "she doesn't seem so sick. It isn't possible for her to…"
"Lily is feeling out of sorts. The tokens on her legs are fully developed. She will be dead before midnight." "Tonight?" Richard asked in astonishment.
"Yes. At the very latest. More likely within hours. I think perhaps even.." A woman's long, shrill scream came from the house. The horror in it sent a shiver through Richard's bones. The soldiers who had been talking in low voices off at the end of the alley fell silent. The only sound was a dog barking down the next street.man's anguished cry came from the house. Drefan closed his eyes. "As I was about to say, even sooner." Kahlan buried her face against Richard's shoulder. She clutched his shirt. Richard's head spun.
"They're children," she wept. "That bastard is killing children!" Drefan's brow bunched. "What's she talking about?"
"Drefan"- Richard tightened his arms around Kahlan as she shook-"I think these children are dying because a wizard and a sorceress went to a Ja'La game a few days back and used magic to start this plague." "That's not possible. It takes longer than that for people to fall sick." "The wizard was the one who hurt Cara when you first arrived. He left a prophecy on the wall in the pit. It begins: 'On the red moon will come the firestorm. " Drefan regarded him with a dubious frown. "How can magic start a plague?" "I don't know," Richard whispered.couldn't bear to speak aloud the next part of the prophecy. The one bonded to the blade will watch as his people die. If he does nothing, then he, and all those he loves, will die in its heat, for no blade, forged of steel or conjured of sorcery, can touch this foe.trembled in his arms, and he knew she was agonizing over the final part of the prophecy.quench the inferno, he must seek the remedy in the wind. Lightning will find him on that path, for the one in white, his true beloved, will betray him in her blood.31the edge of the expansive palace grounds, a patrol of D'Haran soldiers spotted them and snapped to attention. Just beyond the soldiers, in the streets of the city, Kahlan could see people everywhere going about their business pause to bow to the Mother Confessor and the Lord Rahl.the activities of commerce, on the surface, seemed like any other day, Kahlan thought she could detect subtle differences: men loading barrels into a wagon scrutinized people who passed close by; shopkeepers appraised customers carefully; people walking on the street skirted those stopped in conversation. The knots of people gossiping seemed more numerous. Laughter was conspicuously absent from the streets.they had solemnly saluted with fists to the leather armor and chain mail over their hearts, the patrol of soldiers not far off broke into good-natured grins. "Huzzah, Lord Rahl!" they cheered as one. "Huzzah, Lord Rahl!" "Thank you, Lord Rahl," one of the soldiers shouted toward them. "You cured us! Restored our health! We're well because of you. Long live the great wizard, Lord Rahl!"froze in midstride, not looking at the soldiers, but staring at the ground before him. His cloak, snared in a gust of wind, embraced him, shrouding him in its golden sparkles.others joined in. "Long live Lord Rahl! Long live Lord Rahl!" Hands balled in fists, Richard started out once more without looking their way. Kahlan, her arm around his, slid her hand down and urged his fist open to twine her fingers in his. She gave his hand a squeeze of silent understanding and support.the corner of her eye, Kahlan could see Cara, back behind Drefan and Nadine, gesturing angrily at the patrol to silence them and move them along.the distance before them, on a gentle rise, the expanse of the Confessors' Palace rose up in all its splendor of stone columns, vast walls, and elegant spires, standing out a pristine white against the darkening sky. Not only was the sun going down but murky clouds scudded by, messengers, delivering a vow of a storm. A few errant snowflakes flitted past on the wind, scouting for the horde to come. Spring had not yet prevailed.gripped Richard's hand as if clutching at life itself. In her mind's eye, she saw nothing but sickness and death. They had seen near to a dozen sick children, stricken with plague. Richard's pallid face looked hardly better that the six dead faces she had seen.insides ached. Holding back her tears, her cries, her screams, had cramped her stomach muscles. She had told herself that she couldn't lose control and cry in front of mothers who were terrified that their sick children might be sicker than they had imagined, or as sick as they knew, but refused to believe.of those mothers were hardly older than Kahlan. They were just young women, faced with a crushing plight, who fell to piteous prayer for the good spirits to spare their precious children. Kahlan couldn't say that she wouldn't have been reduced to the same state in their place.of the parents, like the Andersons, had older members of their families to rely on for advice and support, but some of the mothers were young and alone, with only husbands hardly more than boys themselves, and no one to turn to.put her free hand over the painful spasm in her abdomen. She knew how devastated Richard felt. He had more than enough to carry on his shoulders. She had to be strong for him.maple trees stood to each side, the bare thicket of branches laced together over their heads. It wouldn't be long before they budded. They passed out from the tunnel of trees, onto the winding promenade that led up to the palace.them. Drefan and Nadine carried on a whispered discussion of herbs and cures to be tried. Nadine would propose something, and Drefan would give his opinion as to whether it would be useless or might be worth trying. He would gently lecture her on the paths of infirmity, and the causes of breaks in the body's defenses that allowed an affliction to gain hold.got the vague impression that he almost seemed to view those who fell sick with contempt, as if because they took so little care with their auras and flows of energy that he talked about all the time, it was only to be expected that they would succumb to a pestilence unworthy of those like himself who minded their bodies better. She guessed that one with his knowledge of healing people must get frustrated with those who brought disease upon themselves, like the prostitutes and the men who went to them. She was relieved, at least, that he wasn't one of those.wasn't sure if she felt Drefan was justified in some of the things he was saying, or if it was simple arrogance. She herself had felt frustration at people who flouted dangers to their health. When she was younger, there was a diplomat who became ill every time he ate rich sauces with certain spices. They always left him with difficulty breathing. He loved the sauces. Then one time, at a formal dinner, he gorged himself on the sauces he loved, and fell dead at the table.could never understand why the man would bring such sickness on himself, and had trouble feeling sorry for him. In fact, she always viewed him with contempt when he came to a formal dinner. She wondered if Drefan didn't feel much the same way about some people, except that he knew much more of what made people sick. She had seen Drefan do remarkable things with Cara's aura, and she knew, too, that sickness could sometimes be influenced by the mind.had on a number of occasions stopped in a small place called Langden where lived a very superstitious and backward people. It was decided by their powerful local healer that the headaches that so bothered the people of Langden must be caused by evil spirits possessing them. He ordered white'hot irons put to the bottoms of the feet of those with headaches to drive out the evil spirits. It was a remarkable cure. No one in Langden was ever possessed again. The headaches vanished.only the plague could vanish so easily.only Nadine could vanish so easily. They couldn't send her away, now, when there would be so much need among the people. Like it or not, Nadine was going to be around until this was over. Shota seemed to be tightening her clutches around Richard.didn't know what Richard had said to Nadine, but she could imagine. Nadine had suddenly been stricken with overt politeness. Kahlan knew Nadine's apology hadn't been sincere. Richard had probably told her that if she didn't apologize, he would boil her alive. With the way Cara's gaze so often passed over Nadine, Kahlan suspected that Nadine had more to worry about than Richard.and Richard led the rest of their group between the towering white columns set to each side of the entrance, through the open doors carved with geometric designs, and into the palace. The cavernous grand hall inside was lit by windows of pale blue glass set between polished white marble columns topped with gold capitals, and by dozens of lamps spaced along the walls.leather-clad figure in the distance wandered toward them across the black-and-white marble squares. Someone else approached from the right side, from the guest rooms. Richard slowed to a stop and turned.
"Ulic, would you please go find General Kerson. He might be at the D'Haran headquarters. Does anyone know where General Baldwin is?"
"He's probably at Kelton's palace, on Kings Row," Kahlan said. "He's been staying there since he arrived and helped us defeat the Blood of the Fold."nodded wearily. Kahlan didn't think she had ever seen him looking worse. His spiritless eyes stared out from an ashen face. He swayed on his feet as he squinted, looking for Egan not ten feet away.
"Egan, there you are. Go get General Baldwin, please. I don't know where he is, but you can ask around."cast a quick, uneasy glance toward Kahlan. "Would you like us to bring anyone else. Lord Rahl?"
"Anyone else? Yes. Tell them to bring their officers. I'll be in my office. Bring them there."and Egan both clapped fists to hearts before turning to their duties. As they departed, they conveyed a message through quick hand signals to the two Mord-Sith. In response, Cara and Raina maneuvered closer to Richard, screening him as Tristan Bashkar came to a wary halt.meandered up on the other side, her rapt attention on the open journal in her hands. She seemed completely absorbed in what she was studying, and oblivious to anything around her. Kahlan put out a hand to stop her before she bumped into Richard. She rocked to a halt like a rowboat that had drifted in and grounded on the shore.bowed. "Mother Confessor. Lord Rahl." "Who are you?" Richard asked.
"Tristan Bashkar, of Jara, Lord Rahl. I'm afraid we haven't been formally introduced."sparked into Richard's gray eyes. "And have you decided to surrender, minister Bashkar?"had been about to bow again at an expected formal introduction. He hadn't expected Richard's questions to come first. He cleared his throat and straightened. His easy smile welled onto his face.
"Lord Rahl, I do appreciate your indulgence. The Mother Confessor has graciously granted me two weeks to observe the signs from the stars."came to Richard's voice. "You risk your people seeing swords, instead of stars, minister." Tristan unbuttoned his coat. From the corner of her eye, Kahlan saw Cara's Agiel twitch up into her hand. Tristan didn't notice. His gaze stayed on Richard while he drew his coat back, holding it open casually by resting his fist on his hip. It exposed the knife at his belt. Raina flicked her Agiel up into her hand.
"Lord Rahl, as I explained to the Mother Confessor, our people looked forward with great joy to joining with the D'Haran empire." "D'Haran empire?"
"Tristan," Kahlan said, "we're rather busy at the moment. We have discussed this already, and you have been given two weeks. Now, if you will excuse us?"brushed back a lock of his hair, his bright brown eyes taking her in. "I'll get to the point, then. I've heard rumors that plague is loose in Aydindril."'s raptor glower was suddenly in full form. "It's not just a rumor. It's true."
"How much danger is there?"'s hand found the hilt of his sword. "If you join with the Order, minister, you will wish it was the plague on you, instead of me."had rarely seen two men so instantly and intently dislike each other. She knew Richard was exhausted, and in no mood, after having just seen so many seriously ill or dead children, to be challenged by a noble such as Tristan inquiring after his own hide. Jara had also been on the council that had condemned Kahlan to death. Although it wasn't Tristan who had voted to behead her, it had been a councilor from his land. Richard had killed that Jarian councilor.didn't know why Tristan took such an instant dislike to Richard, except for the fact that this was the man who had demanded Jara's surrender. She guessed that was reason enough; if she were in his place, she might feel the same.was expecting the two men to draw steel any second. Drefan stepped between them.
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