Faith of the Fallen   ::   Goodkind Terry

He thought a moment. "The plaza? I know the place, but. . wait, that's where Richard told me to go. The plaza. He said to go to the plaza tomorrow."

"Let's go down there now and have a look," Kahlan said.

Kamil waved a hand, pointing. "This is the shortest way, down the hill behind the blacksmith shop."

So jammed was the place with people, that it took them over an hour just to make it down the hill and across the expanse of grounds around the palace. Even though it was the middle of the night, more people kept arriving all the time.

Once they reached the palace, Kahlan discovered that they couldn't get to the plaza. There was a huge mob of people stretching back forever along the front wall, waiting to go up to the plaza. When Kahlan, Cara, and Kamil tried to go around and get up there to see what was going on, it nearly started a riot. People had been waiting a long time to reach the plaza, and they didn't like having others try to push ahead. Kahlan saw several men try to get ahead by going around the waiting crowd. They were set upon by the mob.

Cara pulled her hand out from under her cloak and casually showed Kahlan her Agiel.

Kahlan shook her head. "Long odds with Jagang's army are one thing, but the three of us against a few hundred thousand does not sound good to me."

"Really?" Cara asked. "I thought it roughly even."

Kahlan only smiled. Even Cara knew better than to go against a mob.

Kamil frowned in puzzlement at Cara's humor. When they found the back of the line, they melted in.

It wasn't long before the line behind them grew so large that they could no longer see the back end winding out into the grounds. The people all around seemed filled with a strange kind of nervous expectancy.

A round woman in front, bundled up in little more than rags, turned a plump grin on them. She held out what looked like a loaf of bread.

"Would you like some?" she asked.

"Thank you, no," Kahlan said. "But that's very kind of you to offer."

"I've never made such an offer, before." The woman giggled. "Seems the right thing to do, now, doesn't it?"

Kahlan had no idea what the woman was talking about, but said, "Yes, it does."

Throughout the night, the line inched along. Kahlan's back ached painfully. She even saw Cara grimace as she stretched.

"I still think we just ought to draw weapons and get up there," Cara finally complained.

Kahlan leaned in close.