She yanked the strips of skin off their chests. She waited patiently for the screams to stop, and even a little while longer while they sobbed. It was always good to let a lesson sink in.
"Please, Sister, we serve the Creator, as the Sisters have taught us," Weber cried. "We serve the Creator, not the Keeper."
She regarded him cooly. "Since you are so loyal to the Creator, Sam, I will give you first choice. Do you want to be the one to live, or to die tonight?"
"Why him?" Ranson demanded. "Why does he get to choose first?"
"Keep your tongue still, Neville. You will speak when spoken to." She slid her gaze back to Weber. She lifted his chin with a finger. "Well, Sam? Who dies, you or your best friend?" She folded her arms across her breasts.
He looked up at her with hollow eyes. His skin was ashen. He didn't look over at his friend. His voice came in a flat whisper.
"Me. Kill me. Let Neville live. I won't give an oath to the Keeper. I would rather die."
She looked back into his empty eyes a moment and then turned to Ranson. "And what have you to say, Neville? Who lives? Who dies? You, or your best friend in the world. Who gives the Keeper their oath?"
He glanced to Weber, who didn't look back. He licked his lips. His dark eyes came back to her.
"You heard him. He chooses to die. If he wants to die, let him. I choose to live. I will give the Keeper my oath."
"Your soul."
He nodded slowly, his eyes flashing fierce determination. "My soul."
"Well then," she smiled, "It seems you two friends have come to an agreement. Everyone is happy. So be it. I am pleased, Neville, that it is to be you with us. You have made me proud."
"Do I have to be here?" Ranson asked. "Do I have to see it?"
"See it?" She raised an eyebrow. "You have to do it."
He swallowed, but the hard look stayed in his eyes. She had always known it would be him. Oh, not that there hadn't been doubts, but she had known. She had taught him well. She had spent a great deal of time on him, bending him to her way.
"May I be granted one request?" Weber whispered. "May I have the collar off before I die?"
"So that you may make Wizard's Life Fire and take your own life before we have a chance to take it from you? Do you think I am stupid? A stupid, soft woman?" She shook her head. "Denied."
She released both Rada'Han from the wall. Weber sank to his knees, his head hanging. He was alone in the room, and knew it.
Ranson stood and straightened his shoulders. He pointed at the bloody wound down his chest. "What about this?"
She moved her eyes down to Weber. "Sam. Stand up." Weber stood, his eyes staying to the ground. "Your good friend has an injury. Heal him."
Without a word, Weber finally turned and put his hands on Ranson's chest, and began healing. Ranson stood tall, waiting for the pain to be taken away. She walked to the door and leaned her back against it, watching Weber do his work. His last work.
When he finished, he didn't look at either her or Ranson, but went to the far wall and slid his back down it until he sat on the floor. He buried his head between his knees and folded his arms around them.
The healed, but still naked wizard strode up to her and stopped, waiting. "What is it I am to do?"
She flicked her wrist, bringing the knife to her hand once more. She gave it a quick, sharp toss in the air, catching it by the blade. She held the handle out to him.
"You are to skin him. Alive."
She pushed the handle against him until his hand came up and took it.
Ranson's eyes left her steady gaze. He stared at the knife in his hand. "Alive," he repeated.
She reached into a pocket and pulled out the small item she had brought: a pewter figure of a man on one knee, holding a crystal over his head. His tiny bearded face was turned up to it in wonder. The crystal was slightly elongated, coming to faceted points. Inclusions floated frozen inside, like a sky of constellations. She wiped the dust off it with the corner of her light cloak and held the small statue out to Ranson.
"This is magic, and a receptacle of magic. The crystal is called quillion. It will absorb the magic as it bleeds from your friend, after he is skinned. When, and only when, all his magic has bled into the quillion, it will give off an orange glow. You will bring the crystal to me to prove you have done the job."
Ranson swallowed. "Yes, Sister."
"Before I leave tonight, you will give the oath." She pushed the figure with the crystal toward him until he took it. "This will be your first task after giving the oath. Fail it, or fail any of the tasks to follow, and you will wish you could trade places with your friend. You will wish it for all eternity."
He stood gripping the knife in one hand and the small figure in the other. "Yes, Sister." He stole a quick glance over his shoulder at the man crouched on the floor against the wall. He lowered his voice. "Sister, could you... could you still his tongue. I don't know if I could bear him talking while I do it."
She raised an eyebrow. "You have a knife, Neville. If his words bother you, cut out his tongue."
He swallowed and closed his eyes for a moment. They came open. "What if he dies before the magic is all bled away?"
"With the quillion present, he will live as long as there is any significant trace of it in him. After it is all in the crystal, it will begin to glow. In that way you will know it is finished. After that, I don't care what you do with him. If you want, you may finish him quickly."
"What if he tries to prevent what I do?" He leaned a little closer. "With his magic."
She smiled and gave a nod. "That I will still, with his collar. He will not be able to stop you. After he is dead, there will be no life force to hold the Rada'Han on him. It will open. Bring it with you and give it to me when you bring the crystal."
"And what about the body?"
She gave him a hard look. "You know how to wield the Subtractive. I have spent a good deal of time teaching you, as have others." She darted glance at Weber. "Use it. Get rid of the body with Subtractive Magic. Every last scrap of it. Every last drop of blood."
Ranson straightened a little and nodded. "All right."
"After you have finished here, and before you come to me at dawn, there is one more task you will perform this night."
Ranson took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Another task? Must I do another task this night?"
She smiled and patted his cheek. "This second task you will enjoy. It is a reward for doing a good job with the first. Serving the Keeper well has its rewards, as you will find out. Failing him has its punishments, as I hope you never discover."
He looked suspicious. "And what is this second task?"
"You know a novice named Pasha?"
He let out a grunt. "There isn't a man in the Palace who doesn't know who Pasha Maes is."
"And how well do these men 'know' her?"
Ranson shrugged. "She likes to give a kiss and a cuddle in a corner."
"Any more than a 'kiss and a cuddle'?"
"I know a few men who have had their hand up her skirt. I've heard them talk about what fine legs she has, how they would give up the gift just to have those legs around them. But I don't think any have. Some of the men watch out for her, like she were a defenseless kitten. One in particular, young Warren, keeps a watchful eye on her."
"Warren is one of the men she likes to kiss and cuddle?"
"I don't think she would know him if he was standing in front of her." He chuckled softly. "If he could even work up enough courage to take his nose out of the archives and look her in the face." He frowned. "So what is the task?"
"When you are finished here, I want you to go to her room. Tell her how you are to be released tomorrow, and that when you passed all your tests, the Creator came to you in a vision. Tell her that the Creator told you in this vision that you were to go to her and teach her how to use the glorious gift of her figure that He had given her, how she was meant to use this gift to please men, so that when the special
task He has for her is revealed, she will be prepared.
"Tell her the Creator said it was to help her deal with her new one, as he would be the most difficult any novice has ever been given. Tell her the Creator revealed to you that He made this night hot, so she would sweat between her breasts, over her heart, to awaken her to His wishes." She gave him a smooth smile. "Then, I want you to teach her how to please a man."
He stared incredulously at her. "What makes you think she will believe any of this, or go along?"
Her smile widened. "You tell her what I told you to tell her, Neville, and you will have a great deal more than your hand up her skirt. She will probably have her legs around you before you finish talking."
He nodded dumbly. "All right."
She glanced deliberately down at him. "I'm glad to see that you are... up to the task." She looked back to his eyes. "Teach her everything you can think of to please a man. At least everything you can teach her by dawn. Teach her well. I want her to know how to make a man happy, and keep him coming back for more."
He smiled. "Yes, Sister."
She put the tip of the rod under his chin, lifting it a little. "You be gentle with her, Neville. I don't want you to hurt her in any way. I want this to be a very pleasant experience for her. I want her to enjoy it." She looked down at him again. "Well, do the best you can with what you have."
"I've never had any complaints," he snapped.
"Idiot. Women don't complain to men's faces about that. They complain to the backs of their heads. Don't you dare jump on her, please yourself, and then fall asleep. You have until dawn. I don't want you sleeping tonight. You make sure this is an experience she remembers fondly. You teach her well. Everything you know."
She pushed up with the rod a little more. "This may be a pleasant task, but it is a task for the Keeper just the same. Fail in this, as in any other, and your service will end abruptly. But your pain will go on and on. Keep alert when you are with her. In the morning, I expect a detailed report of everything you have taught her. You will report every bit of it. I need to know what she knows so I may guide her."
"Yes, sister."
She glanced past him to the man against the wall. "The sooner you finish here, the sooner you can be with Pasha, and the more time you will have to teach her."
He nodded with a grin. "Yes, Sister."
She took the rod away and he let out a breath. With a gesture, she made his robe float to her hand. She shoved it at him.
"Put this on. You're embarrassing yourself." She watched as he began gathering the material and pulling it over his head. "Tomorrow the real work, the real task, begins."
His head poked through the robe, his arms following one at a time. "What work? What task?"
"After you are released, you must be off at once, in the service of your homeland. You do remember your homeland, don't you? You are going to go to Aydindril, as an advisor to High Prince Fyren. You have things to do there. Important things."
"Like what?"
"We will talk about it in the morning. But now, before you can do the first task, and the second, and the rest of it, you have an oath to give. Is this of your free will, Neville?"
She watched his eyes. They darted briefly to his friend huddled against the wall. Then he turned to glance at the knife and the quillion. She saw his dark eyes go out of focus, and she knew he was thinking about Pasha. He answered her in a whisper.
"Yes, Sister."
She nodded. "Very good, Neville. Kneel. The time of the oath is upon you."
As he went to his knees, she lifted her hand. The flame of the torch puffed out, plunging the room into total blackness.
"The oath to the Keeper," she whispered, "is given in the darkness that is his homeland."
14
Gently, Kahlan pulled the door open. He was awake and sitting in front of the fire. When the door closed, it shut out some of the eerie sound of the boldas and the drums coming from the center of the village. She stood next to him and tipped his head against her leg and then combed her fingers through his hair.
"How is your headache?"
"It's all right. The rest and that last drink Nissel gave me helped." He didn't look up. "They want me out there, don't they?"
Kahlan sank down to sit on the ground next to him. "Yes. It is time." She rubbed his shoulder. "Are you sure you want to eat the meat, knowing this time what it is?"
"I have to."
"But it's still meat. Will you be able to eat it?"
"If I want a gathering, I have to eat it. The way is the way. I will eat it."
"Richard, I'm worried about this gathering. I'm not so sure you should go through with it. Maybe there is another way. The Bird Man is afraid for you too. Maybe you shouldn't do it."
"I have to."
"Why?"
He stared into the fire. "Because this is all my fault. I am responsible. It is my fault the veil is torn. That's what Shota said. My fault. I caused it."
"Darken Rahl caused it... somehow."
"And I am a Rahl," he whispered.
Kahlan glanced over, but he didn't look back. "The crimes of the father, passed on to the son?"
He smiled a small smile. "I don't believe that old line. But maybe there is a little snip of truth to it." His eyes turned to her. "You remember what Shota said? That she only could restore the veil? Maybe because Darken Rahl tore it through the magic of Orden, and my intervention, I have to restore it."
She watched the firelight flicker in his eyes. "So you think... what? That maybe since a Rahl tore it, it takes a Rahl to close it?"
He shrugged. "Maybe. That could explain why only I can close it. It may not be the reason, but it's the only one I can think of." He smiled. "I'm glad I'm marrying a smart woman."
She grinned. It made her happy to see him smile. "Well, this smart woman can't see how that could be the reason."
"It might not be, but it's a possibility I have to consider."
"Then why do you have to go through with the gathering?"
His eyes lit up with excitement as he gave her a boyish grin. "Because I figured it out. I figured out what we're going to do."
He rearranged himself, turning toward her and folding his legs. "Tomorrow night, we'll have the gathering and find out what we can that will help us, then, the next morning when it's over..." He snatched the dragon's tooth up in his fist and held it up to her as the grin grew on his face. "Then I call Scarlet—with this. That's how we get to Zedd. That's how we can get to Aydindril without the headaches stopping me on a long journey by land. Scarlet flies with magic; her magic allows her to cover vast distances in little time.
"We'll be gone before the Sisters can stop us, and it will take them a long time to follow. I won't have to turn them down, for now; I can get to Zedd first. He will know what to do. About the headaches, I mean. After the gathering, I'll call Scarlet. It will probably take her the better part of the day to reach us." He leaned toward her and gave her a quick kiss. "While we're waiting, we'll be married."
Her heart leapt. "Married?"
"Yes, married. All in the same day. Day after tomorrow. We'll do it all and be away before the day is out."
"Oh, Richard... I would like that. But, let's do it now. Call Scarlet now. We can be married in the morning when she gets here. I know the Mud People would do it quickly for us. We can get to Zedd and he will know what to do and you won't have to risk a gathering."
He shook his head. "We have to have the gathering. Shota said only I could close the veil. Not Zedd. What if he doesn't have any idea what to do? He has said he doesn't know much about the underworld. No one does. No one knows about the world of the dead.
"But the ancestors' spirits do. I have to find out whatever I can to help. We can't waste the time going to Zedd, only to find out he doesn't know what to do. I have to find out what I can first, then go to Zedd. Shota said only I could close the veil. Maybe It's because I am the Seeker. I have to do my job and find the answers. Even if they mean l
ittle to me, they might be significant to Zedd, and then he might know what to do, know what I can do."
"What if we beat Zedd to Aydindril? If we travel on Scarlet, she will get us there in a day; Zedd may not be there yet."
"If he isn't there, we know he's going there, and we'll find him. He will be able to see Scarlet."
She watched him a moment. "Your mind is made up about all this, isn't it?"
He shrugged. "If anyone could poke holes in my idea, it would be you. You have any better ideas?"
She shook her head at last. "I wish I did, but I don't. I like all of it but the gathering."
Richard's face softened with a gentle smile. "I would really like to see you in the wedding dress Weselan is making. Can she have it done that soon? We could spend our wedding night in Aydindril, in your home."
Kahlan couldn't keep the smile back. "She can. And there doesn't have to be a big wedding party. Anyway, there's not time to prepare, with the banquet for the gathering going on. But the Bird Man will be pleased to marry us without it." She looked at him coyly. "We would have a real bed, in Aydindril. A big comfortable bed."
His arm circled around her waist and pulled her against him. He gave her lips a soft kiss. She didn't want it to end, but she gently pushed back and glanced away.
"Richard... what about the other things Shota said? About a child?"
"Shota was wrong before, about a lot of things. Even the things she was right about didn't turn out how we expected. I'm not going to give you up on her word. Remember what you said to me one time? About never letting a beautiful woman pick your path for you when there was a man in her line of sight? And besides, we will be able to talk to Zedd first. Confessors and the gift are something he does know a lot about."
She ran her finger down his chest. "You seem to have an answer for everything. How did you get so smart?"
He pulled her to him and kissed her again, harder this time.
"I will find an answer to anything that tries to keep me from you and your big comfortable bed. I would go to the underworld and fight the Keeper himself to be with you."
Stone of Tears Page 24