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Faith of the Fallen :: Goodkind Terry
Страница: 578 из 617They wouldn't look so out of place searching the area for Richard if there were crowds out there. It would give them an excuse to look around.
"We'll give him an hour," Kahlan said. "If he doesn't return by then, then it's most likely because he's working. If he doesn't come back, we'll have to go out there and look for him."
"What if Nicci shows up?" Cara asked.
Kamil waved his hand to dismiss their concern. "I'll go out on the front steps and watch for Nicci. You two can wait in here, where no one will see you. I'll come warn you if I see Nicci coming up the street. I can always take you out the back way if I see her returning home."
Kahlan laid a hand over his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
"That sounds good to me, Kamil. We'll wait in here." Kamil hurried out to his guard post. Kahlan glanced around the tidy room.
"Why don't you get some sleep," Cara said. "I'll stand guard. You stood guard last."
Kahlan was exhausted. She glanced down at the sleeping pallet closest to Richard's things, then nodded. She lay down on his bed. The room was getting dark. Just being where he slept was a comfort. Being so close, but so far, she couldn't fall asleep.
-]--
Nicci's heart sank when she saw that Richard wasn't in their room.
Kamil was nowhere to be found. She had felt so good out at the site, watching all the people come to see Richard's statue. Throngs of people had come to see it and had been uplifted.
Some had been angered by it. She, of all people, understood that.
Still, Nicci could hardly believe the hateful reaction of some people to such beauty. Some people hated life. She understood that, too. There were those who refused to see-who didn't want to see.
Other people, though, had a reaction much like hers.
It had all come clear for her. For the first time in her life, life made sense. Richard had tried to tell her, but she hadn't listened. She had heard the truth before, too, but others-her mother, Brother Narev, the Order-had shouted it down, and shamed her out of listening.
Her mother had trained her well, and from the first day she had seen Brother Narev, Nicci had been a soldier in the Order's army.
When she saw the statue, she saw at last the truth she had always refused to see, suddenly and clearly standing before her. This was the valid vision of life for which she had hungered, yet which she had evaded, her entire life.
She understood, now, why life had seemed so empty, so pointless: she herself had rendered it so in refusing to think. Nicci had been a slave to everyone of need.
"We'll give him an hour," Kahlan said. "If he doesn't return by then, then it's most likely because he's working. If he doesn't come back, we'll have to go out there and look for him."
"What if Nicci shows up?" Cara asked.
Kamil waved his hand to dismiss their concern. "I'll go out on the front steps and watch for Nicci. You two can wait in here, where no one will see you. I'll come warn you if I see Nicci coming up the street. I can always take you out the back way if I see her returning home."
Kahlan laid a hand over his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
"That sounds good to me, Kamil. We'll wait in here." Kamil hurried out to his guard post. Kahlan glanced around the tidy room.
"Why don't you get some sleep," Cara said. "I'll stand guard. You stood guard last."
Kahlan was exhausted. She glanced down at the sleeping pallet closest to Richard's things, then nodded. She lay down on his bed. The room was getting dark. Just being where he slept was a comfort. Being so close, but so far, she couldn't fall asleep.
-]--
Nicci's heart sank when she saw that Richard wasn't in their room.
Kamil was nowhere to be found. She had felt so good out at the site, watching all the people come to see Richard's statue. Throngs of people had come to see it and had been uplifted.
Some had been angered by it. She, of all people, understood that.
Still, Nicci could hardly believe the hateful reaction of some people to such beauty. Some people hated life. She understood that, too. There were those who refused to see-who didn't want to see.
Other people, though, had a reaction much like hers.
It had all come clear for her. For the first time in her life, life made sense. Richard had tried to tell her, but she hadn't listened. She had heard the truth before, too, but others-her mother, Brother Narev, the Order-had shouted it down, and shamed her out of listening.
Her mother had trained her well, and from the first day she had seen Brother Narev, Nicci had been a soldier in the Order's army.
When she saw the statue, she saw at last the truth she had always refused to see, suddenly and clearly standing before her. This was the valid vision of life for which she had hungered, yet which she had evaded, her entire life.
She understood, now, why life had seemed so empty, so pointless: she herself had rendered it so in refusing to think. Nicci had been a slave to everyone of need.