"A man came running through here, somewhere. Did any of you see him?" "We saw no one running. What did he look like?"
"I don't know. He attacked us with a crossbow and then ran. I want him found. Spread out and start searching."they could be on their way, Raina came running up the street with a good fifty men.
"Did you see where he went?" she asked, gasping for breath. "No. I lost him in here somewhere. I want all of you to spread out and find him."of the soldiers, a sergeant, spoke up. "Lord Rahl, a man who wants to escape would make himself obvious by running. A man with any sense at all would simply round a corner and walk away."sergeant gestured back up the street to make his point. There were people everywhere going about their business, although a good many were staring at the excitement on their street. Any number of them could have been the man he was chasing.
"Any idea at all what this assassin looks like?"shook his head in frustration. "I never got a look at him." He raked back his hair as he caught his breath. "Split up. Half of you go back in the direction we came from. Question everyone you can find, to see if anyone got a look at him, at a man running. He may be walking now, but until he got somewhere along in here he was running.", Agiel in hand, took up her defensive position close beside him. "The rest of you come with me," Richard said. "We'll pick up some more men. I want to keep searching. Maybe we'll come across someone walking and he'll panic and try to run again. If he does, I want him. Alive."was late in the night by the time they returned to the Confessors' Palace. Soldiers there were already on high alert. Men stood with swords and battle-axes to hand, arrows nocked, and spears leveled. Others patrolled the expansive grounds. A mouse wouldn't have escaped their intense scrutiny.Kahlan, Berdine. Raina, Drefan, and Nadine accompanied him into the gathering hall inside. Richard saw Tristan Bashkar waiting there, hands clasped behind his back as he paced. He halted and looked up when he heard them coming.drifted to a stop as the contrite-looking ambassador approached. Those escorting Richard gathered in a knot behind him. except Kahlan, who stood close at his side. With a hand in the air. Tristan hailed them. "Lord Rahl, may I have a word with you, please?"swept his gaze over the man. noticing that he didn't rest his hand on a hip so as to show off his fancy knife. Richard held up a finger. "One moment, please."turned a little to the rest of them. "It's late. We have a lot of work to do, so I want you to get some rest. Berdine, I want you to go up to the Keep and stand guard with Cara tonight." Berdine frowned. "Both of us?"scowled. "Isn't that what I said? Yes, both of you. With this trouble, I don't want to take any chances."
"I will guard the Mother Confessor's room, then." Raina said. "No," Richard lifted a thumb. "I want you guarding Nadine's room. She was the one who was attacked."
"Yes, Lord Rahl," Raina stammered. "I'll see to setting up a guard of soldiers outside the Mother Confessor's room. then."
"If I wanted soldiers around Kahlan's room. I'd have told you so. now wouldn't I?" Raina's face reddened. "I want all the soldiers doing their jobs patrolling the entrances, the palace grounds, and a perimeter around the grounds. Every one of them! The danger is from out there, not in here. Kahlan is perfectly safe inside the palace. I don't want men who should be guarding outside instead sitting on their bottoms around Kahlan's room inside. I'll not have it, do you hear me?" "But, Lord Rahl-" "Don't question me. I'm not in the mood."touched his arm. "Richard." she whispered, "are you sure that-" "Someone tried to kill Nadine. They nearly succeeded. Or did some of you miss the significance of that? I'll not take any more chances. I want her protected, and I don't want to hear any more arguments. Drefan, I want you to start carrying a sword at once. Healers are a target." Everyone stared at the floor in silence. "Good." Richard turned his glare on Tristan. "What is it?" Tristan spread his hands. "Lord Rahl, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I realize I seemed insensitive, but I've been worried about the people here who are sick and dying. It set my nerves on edge. I meant to cause no ill will between us. I hope you will accept my apology."studied Tristan's eyes. "Yes. of course. Apology accepted, and I'm sorry that I lost my temper. I, too, have been out of sorts." Richard put a hand on Nadine's shoulder. "Someone tried to kill one of my healers-a person devoted to helping others. People are beginning to blame healers because the plague continues to spread. I can't allow harm to come to people who are only trying their best to help."
"Yes, of course. You are most kind to accept my apology. Thank you. Lord Rahl." "Just don't forget, ambassador, that your time runs out tomorrow."bowed. "I realize that, and you will know my stand by tomorrow. Lord Rahl. You have my word. Good night, then."rounded on the rest of them. "We have a lot of work to do tomorrow. It's very late. As Drefan is constantly reminding me, we need to get some sleep. You all have your orders. Any questions'?" Each answered with a silent shake of the head.hours after they had returned to the palace, and Richard had sent them all to bed, Kahlan thought she saw something move in her room.lamp on the far wall was turned down low. The clouds hid the moon, so there was no light coming in the glassed doors to the balcony. The thick carpets silenced the sound of footsteps, if there were any. The weak flame from the lamp was all that betrayed the shape she thought she saw.motion came from across the room-a hint of shadowed movement. She hadn't seen a person enter her rooms; it could be nothing other than her imagination. The day had left her in an edgy state.the next silent step, there was no doubt: there was someone in her room. Someone slipped ever closer to her bed. As furtive as the movements were, he had closed the distance in remarkably short order.didn't move a muscle as she saw the knife glint in the dim lamplight. She held her breath.powerful arm stabbed hatefully into her bed. The arm rose and fell, stabbing in quick succession.a finger, Richard pushed on the balcony door. It swung open on silent hinges. Berdine glided across the room the instant Richard gave her a hand signal. When she was in place, he tapped the glass once. Berdine turned up the wick on the lamp.Bashkar straightened beside Kahlan's bed, knife in hand, panting with the effort of what he had just been doing.
'Toss down the knife, ambassador," Richard said in a quiet tone. Tristan spun the knife in his fingers, seizing the blade in preparation to throw it.'s Agiel to the back of his neck dropped him instantly. She pressed the Agiel down on his shoulder to support herself as she bent and picked up the knife. Tristan howled in pain.straightened, coming up with three knives. "You were right, Richard," Drefan said from behind. "I can't believe it," Nadine said as she stepped up into the lamplight. "Believe it," General Kerson said as he, too, came in from the balcony. "I'd say Tristan Bashkar has nullified his immunity as a diplomat."put two fingers between his lips and whistled. Raina charged through the door ahead of a large contingent of D'Haran soldiers bristling steel. Two of them lit more lamps.hooked his thumbs behind his belt as he stood beside Kahlan, a towering black form defined with gold trim on his tunic and silver ornaments, buckles, and wristbands, watching the soldiers haul Tristan to his feet.
"You were right, Richard," she said. "He attacked Nadine to draw the guard off me. It was me he was after all along."a while, she had thought he had lost his mind. His performance had convinced everyone, including Tristan. "Thanks for believing me." Richard whispered.he had first told her what he was doing. Kahlan had suspected that Richard had accused Tristan because of the incident earlier. Kahlan had not put words to it, but she had wondered if Richard was simply acting out of jealousy.she had told him what Shota said, he had now twice displayed jealousy. something she had never before seen from him. He didn't have any reason to be jealous, but Shota's words played on his mind. casting in doubt.she looked at Nadine. Kahlan understood his feelings. Whenever she saw Nadine so much as standing near him. Kahlan felt the hot claws of jealousy rake through her insides.knew that Shota and the spirit had told her the truth. She knew that she would not have Richard. Her mind tried to put rational thought to it. to tell her that it would work out. that they would be together, but her heart knew better. Richard would marry Nadine. Kahlan would marry another man.refused to believe it. At least, he said he refused to believe it. She wondered.her mind's eye, Kahlan saw Clive Anderson, sitting dead in his chair, holding his dead wife. In comparison to the tragedy that had befallen the Anderson family and so many others, what price was an unhappy marriage? Wouldn't it be worth that price, if it would stop the appalling suffering and death?slipped up next to Richard on the other side. "Drawing the guard off Kahlan or not. I'd have been dead. Thank you, Richard. I've never seen anything like the way you caught that arrow right in front of my face."gave her a quick, one-armed hug. "Nadine, you've said thank you enough times. You'd have done the same for me."felt those hot claws again. She suppressed the feeling. As Shota had said. if she loved him, she would want him to have at least the small comfort of it being someone he knew.
"But what if he had killed me? I mean. if he just wanted to draw the guard away from Kahlan, what if he had killed me? What good would that have that done him?"
"He knows I have the gift, and counted on that. If he had happened to kill you. it might still have worked, or he could have faked something similar with Drefan. reinforcing our belief that the target was healers and not Kahlan." "Why didn't he just shoot Kahlan with the arrow?"watched the one-sided struggle on the other side of Kahlan's bed. "Because he likes to use that knife of his. He wanted to feel it when he killed her."words gave Kahlan a chill. She knew Tristan; Richard might be right. Tristan would have gotten pleasure from it.soldiers wrestled Tristan's arms behind his back as they hauled him to his feet. He was still full of fight, but he was grossly overpowered. More lamps were lit as the room filled with soldiers.felt embarrassed to have all those people in her bedroom. She guessed it was because the Mother Confessor's rooms had always been a private sanctuary. A safe place.man had invaded that sanctuary. A man intent on stabbing her to death. "What's this all about?" Tristan shouted.
"Oh, we just thought we'd like to watch a man stabbing a nightdress stuffed with tow," Richard said.Kerson inspected the prisoner to assure himself that Berdine had found all his weapons. When he was satisfied, he turned to Richard. "What would you like done, Lord Rahl?" "Behead him."turned in shock. "Richard, you can't do that." "You saw him. He thought he was killing you."
"But he didn't. He only stabbed my empty bed. The spirits mark a difference between intent and deed." "He tried to kill Nadine, too."
"I did no such thing!" Tristan shouted. "That wasn't me-I haven't even left the palace tonight!"turned a cold glare on Tristan. "You have white hairs on your knees. White goat hairs. You knelt behind that fence while you aimed the crossbow, and got the goat hairs on you."glanced down, and saw that Richard was right. "You're crazy! I never did!"
"Richard," Kahlan said, "he didn't kill Nadine, either. He may have tried, but he didn't. You can't execute him for intent."closed his fist around the amulet at his chest, the amulet representing the dance with death. No mercy.general's eyes left Kahlan and returned to Richard. "Lord Rahl?" "Richard," Kahlan insisted, "you can't."glared at Tristan. "He killed those women. He sliced them up with his fancy knife. You like to cut people, don't you, Tristan?" "What are you talking about? I never killed anyone-except in war!" "No," Richard said, "and you didn't try to kill Kahlan, and you didn't try to kill Nadine, and there aren't white goat hairs on your pants."'s panicked brown eyes turned to Kahlan. "Mother Confessor, I didn't kill you, I didn't kill her. You said it yourself, the spirits mark a difference between intent and deed. I didn't kill anyone. You can't let him do this!"recalled the whispers about Tristan, the whispers that when he went into battle he drew his knife instead of his sword, and that he got sadistic pleasure from cutting people.women were killed for sadistic pleasure.
"What was it you told me, Tristan? That you often had to resort to the charms of coin for the company of a woman? And that if you broke our rules, you would expect to be subjected to our choice of punishment?" "What about a trial? I've killed no one! Intent is not the same as deed!" "And what was your intent, Tristan?" Richard asked. "Why did you intend to kill Kahlan?"
"It wasn't because I wanted to. It wasn't for pleasure, as you think. It was to save lives."lifted an eyebrow. "Killing to save lives?"
"You've killed people. You don't do it for the pleasure of killing, but to save the lives of innocent people. That's all I'm guilty of-trying to save innocent lives. "The Imperial Order sent representatives to the royal palace in Sandilar. They told us to join with them. or die. Javas Kedar. our star guide, told me f must watch the skies for a sign.
"When the red moons came. and the plague started. I knew what they meant. I was going to kill the Mother Confessor in order to try to gain favor with the Order. so that they wouldn't send the plague to us. too. I was only trying to save my people."'s eyes turned to Kahlan. "How far is Sandilar?" "A month, there and back. Maybe a few days less."looked back at the general. "Get some officers together to take command of the Jarian forces and capital. Have them take Tristan's head to the royal family and tell them that he was executed for attempting to kill the Mother Confessor.
"The officers are to offer Jara surrender to D'Hara under the peaceful terms already offered. It's a month, there and back. The king himself is to return with the surrender documents. I expect him. and the D'Haran guard sent to accompany him. back here within one month from tomorrow.
"Tell the king that if they don't surrender, and our men don't return safely. I will personally ride into Sandilar at the head of an army and I will behead every member of the royal family. We will then conquer Jara and occupy the capital. The occupation will not be friendly."Kerson clapped a fist to the chain mail over his heart. "It will be as you say. Lord Rahl."
"Richard." Kahlan whispered, "what if what he says is true-that he didn't kill those women? I could touch him with my Confessor's power, and we would know for sure."
"No! I'll not have you touching him. or hearing the things he did to those women. He's a monster: I don't want you to have to touch him." "But what if he's telling the truth? What if he didn't kill those women?" Richard's fist gripped the amulet at his chest. "I'm not having him put to death for the murder of those women. He tried to kill you. I saw it. As far as I'm concerned. the intent is the same as the deed. He is going to pay for the intent, the same as he would have paid for the deed."turned a cold, dark glare back to the soldiers. "Last night alone, three hundred people died of the plague. He would have joined with the murders who caused it. I want the men on their way to Jara first thing in the morning, and I want his head to go with them. You have your orders. Get him out of here."52she saw Drefan coming from the other direction, Kahlan set down the basket of clean bandages and rags she was carrying. Even though Richard had only ordered it as part of his ruse to convince Tristan that his plan was working, Drefan was still wearing a sword. Perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea. Some people were beginning to resent healers because they spoke out against the potions and cures being sold on the streets. She brushed back her hair. "How are they?"sighed as he glanced back up the hall. "One died last night. Most are worse. We have six new ones today." "Dear spirits," she whispered, "what is to happen to us?" Drefan lifted her chin. "We will persevere."nodded. "Drefan, if so many of the staff are coming down sick, and so many have died already, what good is this infernal smoke doing? I'm sick of breathing it."
"The smoke is doing no good for the plague." Kahlan blinked up at him. "Then why must we keep doing it?" Drefan smiled sadly. "The people think it helps keep the plague from being worse. It makes them feel better that we're doing something, and that there is hope. If we stop, then they will think there is no hope." "Is there? Is there any hope?" "I don't know," he whispered. "Have you heard last night's report yet?"nodded. "In the last week the number of dead has continued to rise. Last night it was up to over six hundred."looked away despondently. "I wish we could do something." Shota had told her that a way would come. The spirit had told her that a way would come. She couldn't bear the thought of losing Richard, but she also couldn't bear the thought of all the people who were dying. "Well," Drefan said, "I'm going to make my rounds through the city." Kahlan clasped his forearm. He flinched. It was a reaction that she, as a Confessor, was used to. She took her hand back. "I know you can do nothing to stop it, but thank you for all your aid anyway. Just your words help those living to have hope."
"A healer's best aid, words. Most of the time it's all we can do to help. Most people think being a healer means healing people. That actually happens rarely. I learned a long time ago that being a healer means living with pain and suffering." "How's Richard? Have you seen him this morning?" "He's in his office. He looked fine. I made him get some sleep." "Good. He needed rest." Drefan's blue eyes searched hers. 'He did what he had to with that man who tried to kill you, but I know that despite how resolute he appeared, it was a terribly hard thing for him to do. Killing a man, even one who richly deserves it. is not something that comes easily to Richard."
"I know." Kahlan said. "I know that condemning a man to death weighs heavily on him. I, myself, have had to order the deaths of people. In a time of peace, you have the luxury of order, but in war you must act. Hesitation is death." "And have you told that to Richard?"smiled. "Of course I have. He knows he did what he had to. and that those of us close to him understand. In his place I would have done the same. and I told him so."
"Someday. I hope to have a woman of half your strength." Drefan smiled. "To say nothing of your beauty. Well, I must be off."watched him walk away. His trousers were still too tight. She blushed at the thought, and turned back to her work.was in the sick room, tending to people in two rows of beds. The infirmary held twenty beds, and they were all full, with more people on blankets on the floor. There were others sick in other rooms.
"Thanks," Nadine said, when Kahlan set down the clean things she had brought. Nadine was putting herbs in pots, making teas. Other women who tended the sick were changing sheets, cleaning and wrapping open sores, or serving tea to the patients.plucked a cloth from the basket, dipped it in a basin of water, wrung it out, and laid it across the forehead of a moaning woman. Nadine patted the woman's shoulder.
"There you go, dear. How does that feel?" The woman managed only a weak smile and nod.did the same for several more people, dabbing a cool, damp cloth to their sweaty faces, offering soft words of comfort.
"You could be a healer," Nadine said as she paused beside Kahlan. "You have a kind touch."
"That's the only thing I know to do. I couldn't heal anyone." Nadine leaned close. "And do you think I am?"glanced around the room. "I see what you mean. But at least you have devoted your life to helping people. My life is devoted to duty. To fighting." "What do you mean?"
"In the end, I am a warrior. My duty is to hurt people in order to save others. It is left to people like you to heal those remaining, when people like me are finished fighting."stood close to her. "Sometimes, I wish I was a warrior, and could fight to end the suffering, so that there wouldn't be so many wounded for the healers to tend to."finally had to leave the room. She couldn't stand the stink, and the smoke was making her sick. Nadine felt the same, and went with her. They both slid their backs down the wall and sat on the floor.
"I feel helpless," Nadine said. "Back home, if someone had a headache. I'd give him something and he'd get to feeling better. If a woman was pregnant. I'd help settle her stomach, or I'd help deliver the baby when it was time. It seemed I was always helping people. "This is different. All I do is comfort people who are going to die. and wonder the whole time if it will be me on the bed tomorrow. I don't know what to do for any of them. I feel totally useless. I wish I'd come here to help these people, instead of watching them die."
"I know," Kahlan whispered. "It must have been a lot more satisfying to help a woman deliver a baby."stared off in thought. "Sometimes a woman would tell me that it seemed like it would never happen, that it seemed unreal. She'd wait, knowing it would happen, but never really believing it, dreading the things she'd heard about how hard it would be. Dreading the pain. Sometimes they think things will change, like they'll wake up one day and not be pregnant, or something.
"Then, the baby would come. Suddenly, she'll be in a panic. The time has come. She'll be terrified that it's really happening, at last. Sometimes they'll scream just from that fear, the fear of the pain. That's when I can help them. I'm there with them. I reassure them that it will be all right.
"For the first time, for some of them, they finally believe it's happening. I guess it's only natural to dread such a profound change in their lives. Until it's over, until the day is upon them, some of them are miserable with dread.", in the silence of the hall, they sat, resting, listening to the moans from the sick room.
"Nadine, you still think you will end up marrying Richard, don't you?" Nadine glanced over, scratching her freckled nose, but she didn't answer. "I didn't ask that to-to start in on you, or anything. I just meant, well, like you said, you might end up on one of those beds in there. I was just thinking.. it could be me, too. I could get the plague, or something." Nadine watched her. "You won't. Don't say that. You won't get it." Kahlan ran her thumbnail along a joint in the floorboards. "But I could. I was just thinking that if I did, or something, well, what about Richard? He'd be alone." "What are you saying?"looked into Nadine's soft brown eyes. "If for some reason you ended up being the one with him, instead of me, you'd be good to him, wouldn't you? You'd always be good to him?" Nadine swallowed. "Of course I would."
"I'm serious, Nadine. There's so much happening. I want to know that you wouldn't ever hurt him." "I'd never hurt Richard." "You hurt him before."turned away and scratched her shoulder. "That was different. I was trying to win him. I would have done anything to get him to be with me. I already explained it to you."
"I know." Kahlan picked at a little stone stuck in the crack between the floor-boards. "But if something happened, and it turned out that you were.. the one, the one to marry him, I want to know that you'd never do anything like that to him again.
"I'd like to hear it from you, that you would never do anything to hurt Richard. Anything."met Kahlan's eyes for a moment before glancing away. "If I ever ended up with Richard, I would make him the happiest man in the world. I'd take the best care of him that any woman ever took of any man. I would love him better than-well. I'd do my very best to make him happy."felt the familiar pain gnaw at her insides. She endured it. "Do you swear that that's the truth?" "Yes."looked away and wiped at her eyes. "Thanks. Nadine. That's what I wanted to know." "Why are you asking me such a thing?"cleared her throat. "As I said. I'm worried that I might get the plague, too. If anything happens, I could bear it better if I knew that there was someone who would take care of Richard."
"Near as I can figure, Richard pretty much takes care of himself. Do you know that that man can cook better than me?" Kahlan laughed. Nadine laughed with her.
"Isn't that the truth?" Kahlan said. "I guess, where Richard is concerned, a woman can only hope to go along with him for the ride."
"Lord Rahl!"turned to see General Kerson calling out for him. He let go of Kahlan's hand. Cara glided to a stop behind Kahlan. "Yes, what is it, general?"general came to a halt, waving a letter. A dusty, tired-looking soldier followed behind, along with the general's usual guard.
"A message from General Reibisch, with his army to the south." The general lifted a thumb. "Grissom here just rode in."glanced to the young soldier, still panting to get his breath. He smelled like a horse. Richard thought he would much rather smell like a horse and be out riding than sitting in a little room day after day translating the mad account of a trial and execution. He guessed that if his labors were doing him any good, he might feel differently.broke the seal and opened the letter. When he finished reading it. he handed the letter to Kahlan.
"Take a look." While Kahlan read the letter, Richard turned to the messenger. "How is our army to the south doing?"
"Fine when I left them, Lord Rahl." Grissom said. "The Sisters of the Light caught up with us, as they said you told them to do. They're all together with our men. We're awaiting orders."letter had said much the same thing. When Kahlan had finished reading, Richard took the letter and handed it to General Kerson. The general idly scratched his graying hair as he read the letter. He looked up when he had finished. "What do you think. Lord Rahl?"
"Makes sense to me. I don't think we should bring all those men back up north right now. As General Reibisch says, they would be in a position to know about it if the Order moves very far into the New World. What do you think?" Richard asked, as he passed the letter back to Cara.general hiked up his trousers. "I agree with Reibisch. I'd want to do the same if I were him. He's already down there, why not put him to good use? As he says, it would be best to know what the Order is up to, and if the enemy does come up north to attack us, he will be in a position to bite their ass." He winced. "Sorry, Mother Confessor."smiled. "My father was a warrior, general, before he was king. It brings back memories." She didn't say if they were good memories. "I also agree about the strategic advantage of having an army in that position."handed the letter back to Richard. "He's right about one other thing, too. If he abandons his position, and the Order went to the northeast, they would be able to sweep into D'Hara unopposed. We wouldn't even know about it. That part of D'Hara is sparsely populated. The Order could drive north and we would never know it until they cut west, back into the Midlands." "Unless they pushed straight for the People's Palace," the general said. "That would be a fatal mistake-attacking the heart of D'Hara," Cara said. "Commander General Trimack of the First File of the Palace Guard would show the enemy why no army has ever attacked the palace and had so much as a single soldier live to recount the tale of their bloody defeat. The cavalry would cut them to pieces out on the Azrith Plains."
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