JК
Faith of the Fallen :: Goodkind Terry
Страница: 591 из 617Is a child's laughter to be divided up and allotted? No! Simply make more laughter!"
Laughter, pleased laughter, rippled through the crowd.
Brother Narev's scowl grew. "We've heard enough of your extremist rambling! Destroy your profane statue. Now."
Richard cocked his head. "Oh? The collective assembly of the Order, and of brothers, fears to hear what one insignificant man could say? You fear mere words that much, Brother Narev?"
Dark eyes stole a quick glance at the crowd as they leaned forward, eager to hear his answer.
"We fear no words. Virtue is on our side, and will prevail. Speak your blasphemy, so all may understand why moral people will side against you."
Richard smiled out at the people, but he spoke with brutal honesty.
"Every person's life is theirs by right. An individual's life can and must belong only to himself, not to any society or community, or he is then but a slave. No one can deny another person their right to their life, nor seize by force what is produced by someone else, because that is stealing their means to sustain their life. It is treason against mankind to hold a knife to a man's throat and dictate how he must live his life. No society can be more important than the individuals who compose it, or else you ascribe supreme importance, not to man, but to any notion that strikes the fancy of that society, at a never-ending cost of lives. Reason and reality are the only means to just laws; mindless wishes, if given sovereignty, become deadly masters.
"Surrendering reason to faith in these men sanctions their use of force to enslave you-to murder you. You have the power to decide how you will live your life.
These mean little men up here are but cockroaches, if you say they are.
They have no power to control you but that which you grant them!"
Richard pointed with the sledgehammer back at the statue. "This is life. Your life. To live as you choose." He swept the head of the sledgehammer in an arc, pointing out the carvings up on the walls. "This is what the Order offers you: death."
"We've heard enough of your blasphemy!" Brother Narev shrieked.
"Destroy your evil creation now, or die!"
The spears rose.
Richard calmly swept a fearless glance around at the guards, then stepped to his statue. Nicci's heart was pounding against her ribs. She didn't want it destroyed. It was too good to destroy. This couldn't be happening. They couldn't take this away.
Richard rested the sledgehammer across his shoulder. He lifted his other hand up to the statue as he addressed the crowd one last time.
Laughter, pleased laughter, rippled through the crowd.
Brother Narev's scowl grew. "We've heard enough of your extremist rambling! Destroy your profane statue. Now."
Richard cocked his head. "Oh? The collective assembly of the Order, and of brothers, fears to hear what one insignificant man could say? You fear mere words that much, Brother Narev?"
Dark eyes stole a quick glance at the crowd as they leaned forward, eager to hear his answer.
"We fear no words. Virtue is on our side, and will prevail. Speak your blasphemy, so all may understand why moral people will side against you."
Richard smiled out at the people, but he spoke with brutal honesty.
"Every person's life is theirs by right. An individual's life can and must belong only to himself, not to any society or community, or he is then but a slave. No one can deny another person their right to their life, nor seize by force what is produced by someone else, because that is stealing their means to sustain their life. It is treason against mankind to hold a knife to a man's throat and dictate how he must live his life. No society can be more important than the individuals who compose it, or else you ascribe supreme importance, not to man, but to any notion that strikes the fancy of that society, at a never-ending cost of lives. Reason and reality are the only means to just laws; mindless wishes, if given sovereignty, become deadly masters.
"Surrendering reason to faith in these men sanctions their use of force to enslave you-to murder you. You have the power to decide how you will live your life.
These mean little men up here are but cockroaches, if you say they are.
They have no power to control you but that which you grant them!"
Richard pointed with the sledgehammer back at the statue. "This is life. Your life. To live as you choose." He swept the head of the sledgehammer in an arc, pointing out the carvings up on the walls. "This is what the Order offers you: death."
"We've heard enough of your blasphemy!" Brother Narev shrieked.
"Destroy your evil creation now, or die!"
The spears rose.
Richard calmly swept a fearless glance around at the guards, then stepped to his statue. Nicci's heart was pounding against her ribs. She didn't want it destroyed. It was too good to destroy. This couldn't be happening. They couldn't take this away.
Richard rested the sledgehammer across his shoulder. He lifted his other hand up to the statue as he addressed the crowd one last time.