JК
Faith of the Fallen :: Goodkind Terry
Страница: 603 из 617The woman had gone to find help. Maybe she had found it.
In the rooms and hallways in the distance, Richard could hear occasional screams as blasts of magic exploded through the night, as people were injured and killed.
A woman appeared in the moonlight. "Richard? Richard?"
Richard squinted in the darkness. "Who are you?" he managed to whisper.
She rushed to his side and fell to her knees. She gasped at seeing Kahlan sprawled on the floor close to him.
"What happened to the Mother Confessor?"
Richard frowned. She knew Kahlan.
"Who are you?"
She looked back at him. "I'm a Sister. Sister Alessandra. I've been in the city for a while, looking for Nicci, and-never mind. A woman found me just down the hall-and said you were hurt. The man who carved the statue. I was trying desperately to get to you earlier, but I couldn't get near-there I go again. Tell me where you're hurt. I can try to heal you."
"I was run through with a sword."
She was still and silent for a moment.
"Under my hands."
She looked then, and spoke a prayer under her breath. "I think I can help. I feared-"
"I need Nicci to do it."
Sister Alessandra glanced about. "Nicci? Where is she, then? I've been searching for her. Ann sent me to find her."
Richard's eyes fell on the still form of Kahlan. "Can you help her?"
He could see the woman's eyes look away from his. "No; I can't. She's linked by magic to Nicci. I met her before, and she told me about it. I can do nothing through the shield of Nicci's link."
"Is she. . is she still..»
The woman looked and then leaned back over him. "She's alive, Richard."
He closed his eyes in relief, and in pain.
"Lie still," she said.
"But I need Nicci to-"
"You're bleeding. This is bad, Richard. In a short time more, you will have lost too much blood. If I wait, no one will be able to heal you. You will have slipped too far beyond this world for any gift to help you. I can't wait.
"Besides, I came to try to stop Nicci. I know her better than anyone.
You can't put your life in her hands. You can't put your faith in her."
"It's not faith. I know-"
"She's a Sister of the Dark. I'm the one who led her down that dark road. I came to try to lead her back. Until and unless that time comes, you can't trust her. Now, you've not much time. Do you want to live, or not?"
It had all gone for nothing. He felt a tear run from the corner of his eye and across his cheek.
In the rooms and hallways in the distance, Richard could hear occasional screams as blasts of magic exploded through the night, as people were injured and killed.
A woman appeared in the moonlight. "Richard? Richard?"
Richard squinted in the darkness. "Who are you?" he managed to whisper.
She rushed to his side and fell to her knees. She gasped at seeing Kahlan sprawled on the floor close to him.
"What happened to the Mother Confessor?"
Richard frowned. She knew Kahlan.
"Who are you?"
She looked back at him. "I'm a Sister. Sister Alessandra. I've been in the city for a while, looking for Nicci, and-never mind. A woman found me just down the hall-and said you were hurt. The man who carved the statue. I was trying desperately to get to you earlier, but I couldn't get near-there I go again. Tell me where you're hurt. I can try to heal you."
"I was run through with a sword."
She was still and silent for a moment.
"Under my hands."
She looked then, and spoke a prayer under her breath. "I think I can help. I feared-"
"I need Nicci to do it."
Sister Alessandra glanced about. "Nicci? Where is she, then? I've been searching for her. Ann sent me to find her."
Richard's eyes fell on the still form of Kahlan. "Can you help her?"
He could see the woman's eyes look away from his. "No; I can't. She's linked by magic to Nicci. I met her before, and she told me about it. I can do nothing through the shield of Nicci's link."
"Is she. . is she still..»
The woman looked and then leaned back over him. "She's alive, Richard."
He closed his eyes in relief, and in pain.
"Lie still," she said.
"But I need Nicci to-"
"You're bleeding. This is bad, Richard. In a short time more, you will have lost too much blood. If I wait, no one will be able to heal you. You will have slipped too far beyond this world for any gift to help you. I can't wait.
"Besides, I came to try to stop Nicci. I know her better than anyone.
You can't put your life in her hands. You can't put your faith in her."
"It's not faith. I know-"
"She's a Sister of the Dark. I'm the one who led her down that dark road. I came to try to lead her back. Until and unless that time comes, you can't trust her. Now, you've not much time. Do you want to live, or not?"
It had all gone for nothing. He felt a tear run from the corner of his eye and across his cheek.