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Naked Empire :: Goodkind Terry
Страница: 438 из 495Please, for his sake, don't do this."
"At least he will be alive to go crazy."
Tears streamed down Jennsen's face. "But this is suicide!"
Kahlan watched the buildings, the streets, making sure there were no troops to hem them in. "Let's hope Nicholas thinks so, too." *
"Mother Confessor," Owen pleaded, "you can't do this. This is what Lord Rahl has shown us is wrong. You can't bargain with a man like Nicholas. You can't try to appease evil."
"I have no intention of appeasing Nicholas."
Jennsen wiped tears from her cheek. "What do you mean?"
Kahlan stiffened her resolve. "What is our best chance of getting rid of the Imperial Order in this city-and all of Bandakar? Eliminating Nicholas. How better to get close to him than to make him think he has won?"
Jennsen blinked in surprise. "You intend to touch him with your power.
That's what you're thinking, isn't it? You think you will have a chance to touch him with your Confessor power."
"If I get him in my sight, he's dead."
"Richard would never agree to this," Jennsen said.
"I'm not asking him. This is my decision."
Tom stepped in front of her, blocking the way. "Mother Confessor, I'm sworn to protect the Lord Rahl, and I understand risking your life to protect him-but this is different. You may be acting to try to save his life, but at what cost? We would lose too much. You can't do this."
Owen moved around in front of her, too. "I agree. Lord Rahl will be more than crazy if you exchange yourself for the antidote."
Jennsen nodded her agreement. "He will kill us all. He will take off our heads for allowing you to do this."
Kahlan smiled at their tense expressions. She put a hand to the side of Jennsen's face.
"Remember back just after we'd met you, and I told you that there were times when there was no choice but to act?"
Jennsen nodded, her tears returning.
"This is one of those times. Richard is getting sicker by the day. He's dying. If he doesn't get the antidote, he has no chance and will soon be dead. That's the truth of the way things are.
"How can we let this chance slip away from us? There are no more opportunities after this. Our chances to save him will forever be lost. It will be the end. I don't want to live without him. I don't want the rest of our people to live without him.
"If I do this, then Richard will live. If Richard lives, then there will still be a chance for me, too.
"At least he will be alive to go crazy."
Tears streamed down Jennsen's face. "But this is suicide!"
Kahlan watched the buildings, the streets, making sure there were no troops to hem them in. "Let's hope Nicholas thinks so, too." *
"Mother Confessor," Owen pleaded, "you can't do this. This is what Lord Rahl has shown us is wrong. You can't bargain with a man like Nicholas. You can't try to appease evil."
"I have no intention of appeasing Nicholas."
Jennsen wiped tears from her cheek. "What do you mean?"
Kahlan stiffened her resolve. "What is our best chance of getting rid of the Imperial Order in this city-and all of Bandakar? Eliminating Nicholas. How better to get close to him than to make him think he has won?"
Jennsen blinked in surprise. "You intend to touch him with your power.
That's what you're thinking, isn't it? You think you will have a chance to touch him with your Confessor power."
"If I get him in my sight, he's dead."
"Richard would never agree to this," Jennsen said.
"I'm not asking him. This is my decision."
Tom stepped in front of her, blocking the way. "Mother Confessor, I'm sworn to protect the Lord Rahl, and I understand risking your life to protect him-but this is different. You may be acting to try to save his life, but at what cost? We would lose too much. You can't do this."
Owen moved around in front of her, too. "I agree. Lord Rahl will be more than crazy if you exchange yourself for the antidote."
Jennsen nodded her agreement. "He will kill us all. He will take off our heads for allowing you to do this."
Kahlan smiled at their tense expressions. She put a hand to the side of Jennsen's face.
"Remember back just after we'd met you, and I told you that there were times when there was no choice but to act?"
Jennsen nodded, her tears returning.
"This is one of those times. Richard is getting sicker by the day. He's dying. If he doesn't get the antidote, he has no chance and will soon be dead. That's the truth of the way things are.
"How can we let this chance slip away from us? There are no more opportunities after this. Our chances to save him will forever be lost. It will be the end. I don't want to live without him. I don't want the rest of our people to live without him.
"If I do this, then Richard will live. If Richard lives, then there will still be a chance for me, too.