JК
Faith of the Fallen :: Goodkind Terry
Страница: 589 из 617The setting sun was fleeing the scene, taking clarity, leaving behind the tremors of flickering light from the dozens of torches to cast their flickering orange light across the massive columns towering behind the plaza, and the weak light of the moon to wash the facesof the grim officials. The air, so cloying with the heavy scents of the crowd, had turned chill.
"Fellow citizens of the Order," Brother Narev said in a voice that Nicci thought might crack the stone walls, "today you will see what happens to evil, when confronted by the virtue of the Order."
He hooked a skeletal finger, signaling behind the heads of the officials. Guards muscled Richard forward. Nicci cried out, but her voice was lost in the clamor of tens of thousands of other voices.
Brother Neal swaggered forward, then, lugging with him a sledgehammer.
Nicci checked to the sides and saw that there were several thousand armed guards at hand. More screened the plaza off from the people. Brother Narev had taken no chances. Neal, with a polite smile and a deferential bow, handed the sledgehammer to Brother Narev.
Brother Narev lifted the sledgehammer above his head as if it were a sword held high in triumph.
"Evil, wherever it is found, must be destroyed." He aimed the weaving head of the sledgehammer toward the statue. "This is a thing of evil, created by an extremist who hates his fellow man, to victimize the weak. He contributes nothing to the advancement of his fellow man, nothing to the succor of his fellow man, nothing to the education or support of his fellow man. He offers only lewd and profane images to prey on the susceptible and feebleminded among us."
The crowd was silent in their bewildered disappointment. From what Nicci could tell as she had walked among them throughout the day, they had come to believe that this statue was some new offering by the Order to the people-some grand thing for them to see at the emperor's palace, some bright shining hope. They were confused and stunned by what they were hearing.
Brother Narev lifted the sledgehammer. "Before this criminal's corpse is hung from a pole for his crimes against the Order, he is to see his vile work destroyed to the cheers of virtuous people!"
As the sun's last ray fled below the horizon, Brother Narev lifted the heavy sledgehammer high in the flickering light of smoking torches. The sledgehammer wobbled momentarily at the apex of its arc before descending in a heavy swing. The crowd sent up a collective gasp as the steel head rang out when it struck the male statue's leg. A few small chips fell away. It had done surprisingly little damage.
In the absolute silence, Richard laughed derisively at Brother Narev's impotent swing.
Even from the distance, Nicci could see Brother Narev's face turning crimson as Richard stood watching and chuckling.
"Fellow citizens of the Order," Brother Narev said in a voice that Nicci thought might crack the stone walls, "today you will see what happens to evil, when confronted by the virtue of the Order."
He hooked a skeletal finger, signaling behind the heads of the officials. Guards muscled Richard forward. Nicci cried out, but her voice was lost in the clamor of tens of thousands of other voices.
Brother Neal swaggered forward, then, lugging with him a sledgehammer.
Nicci checked to the sides and saw that there were several thousand armed guards at hand. More screened the plaza off from the people. Brother Narev had taken no chances. Neal, with a polite smile and a deferential bow, handed the sledgehammer to Brother Narev.
Brother Narev lifted the sledgehammer above his head as if it were a sword held high in triumph.
"Evil, wherever it is found, must be destroyed." He aimed the weaving head of the sledgehammer toward the statue. "This is a thing of evil, created by an extremist who hates his fellow man, to victimize the weak. He contributes nothing to the advancement of his fellow man, nothing to the succor of his fellow man, nothing to the education or support of his fellow man. He offers only lewd and profane images to prey on the susceptible and feebleminded among us."
The crowd was silent in their bewildered disappointment. From what Nicci could tell as she had walked among them throughout the day, they had come to believe that this statue was some new offering by the Order to the people-some grand thing for them to see at the emperor's palace, some bright shining hope. They were confused and stunned by what they were hearing.
Brother Narev lifted the sledgehammer. "Before this criminal's corpse is hung from a pole for his crimes against the Order, he is to see his vile work destroyed to the cheers of virtuous people!"
As the sun's last ray fled below the horizon, Brother Narev lifted the heavy sledgehammer high in the flickering light of smoking torches. The sledgehammer wobbled momentarily at the apex of its arc before descending in a heavy swing. The crowd sent up a collective gasp as the steel head rang out when it struck the male statue's leg. A few small chips fell away. It had done surprisingly little damage.
In the absolute silence, Richard laughed derisively at Brother Narev's impotent swing.
Even from the distance, Nicci could see Brother Narev's face turning crimson as Richard stood watching and chuckling.