Faith of the Fallen   ::   Goodkind Terry

Some people looked forward to age as an excuse to become a frump, as if all along their greatest ambition in life had been to be drab and unattractive. Sister Georgia seemed to delight in dowdiness.

"What do you mean, Sister Alessandra has vanished?"

Nicci caught the slight twitch of satisfaction. Georgia spread her hands innocently. "We don't know what happened. She's just turned up missing."

Still, Nicci did not move. "I see."

Sister Georgia spread her hands again, feigning simplemindedness. "It was about the time the Prelate disappeared, too."

Nicci denied them the reward of astonishment.

"What was Verna doing here?"

"Not Verna," Sister Rochelle said. She leaned in. "Ann."

Sister Georgia scowled her displeasure at Rochelle for spoiling the surprise-and a surprise it was. The old Prelate had died-at least, that was what Nicci had been told. Since leaving the Place of the Prophets, Nicci had heard about all the other Sisters, novices, and young men spending the night at the funeral pyre for Ann and the prophet, Nathan. Knowing Ann, there was obviously some sort of deception afoot, but even for her, such a thing would be extraordinary.

The three Sisters smiled like cats with a carp. They looked eager for a long game of truth-and-gossip.

"Give me the important details. I don't have time for the long version.

His Excellency wishes to see me." Nicci took in the three wilting smiles.

She kept her voice level. "Unless you want to risk him returning here, angry and impatient to see me."

Sisters Rochelle and Aubrey blanched.

Georgia abandoned the game and went back to dry washing her hands. "The Prelate came to the camp when you were gone-and was captured."

"Why would she come into Jagang's midst?"

"To try to convince us to escape with her," Sister Rochelle blurted out. A shrill titter jittery, rather than amused-burbled up. "She had some silly story about the chimes being loose and magic failing. Imagine that! Wild stories, they were. Expected us to believe-"

"So that was what happened. ." Nicci whispered as she stared off in reflection. She realized instantly it was no wild story. Pieces began fitting together. Nicci used her gift, the others weren't allowed to, so they might not know if magic had failed for a time.

"That's what she claimed," Sister Georgia said.

"So, magic had failed," Nicci reasoned aloud, "and she thought that would prevent the dream walker from controlling your minds."

That might explain much of what Nicci didn't understand: why Jagang sometimes couldn't enter her mind.