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Naked Empire :: Goodkind Terry
Страница: 440 из 495"Reconsider what? If I will have Richard live rather than let him succumb to the poison? If I will try to kill Nicholas in order to make it possible to defeat them and for your people to have a better chance to free themselves? How would I ever live with myself if Richard died without the antidote and I knew there was something I could have done that would have saved him and also have given me a chance to get close enough to Nicholas to eliminate him?
"I couldn't live with myself if I failed to do this.
"We are fighting this war to stop people like this, people who bring death upon us, people who want us dead because they cannot stand that we live our lives as we wish, that we are successful and happy. These people hate life; they worship death. They demand that we do the same and join them in their misery.
"As Mother Confessor, I decreed vengeance without mercy against the Imperial Order. Changing from our course is suicide. I will not reconsider."
"What would you have us tell Lord Rahl?" Tom asked.
She smiled. "That I love him, but he knows that."
Kahlan unbuckled her sword belt and handed it to Jennsen. "Owen, come with me."
Kahlan started out, but Jennsen threw her arms around her and hugged her fiercely. "Don't worry," she whispered. "We'll get the antidote to Richard, and then we'll come back for you."
Kahlan hugged Jennsen briefly, whispered her thanks, and then started onto the bridge. Owen walked at her side, saying nothing.
The man on the far side watched, but stayed where he was.
In the center of the bridge, Kahlan stopped. "Bring the bottle," she called across.
"Come over here and you can have it."
"If you want me, you will come to the center of the bridge and give the bottle to this man to take back, as Nicholas offered."
The man stood for a time, as if considering. He looked like a soldier.
He didn't match the description of Nicholas that Owen had given her.
Finally, he started onto the arch of the bridge. Owen whispered that it looked like the commander he had seen with Nicholas. Kahlan waited, watching the man walk through the moonlight. He wore a knife at one side and a sword at his other hip.
When he had almost reached her, he came to a halt and waited.
Kahlan held her hand out. "The note said we were to trade. Me for what Nicholas has."
The man, his crooked nose flattened to the side, smiled. "So we were."
"I am the Mother Confessor. Either give me the bottle or you die here, now."
He pulled the square-sided bottle from his pocket and placed it in her hand. Kahlan saw that it was full of clear liquid. She pulled the cork and smelled it. It had the slight aroma of cinnamon, as had the other bottles of the antidote.
"He goes back with this," Kahlan said to the grim-looking man as she handed Owen the bottle.
"And you come with me," the man said as he grabbed her wrist. "Or we all die on this bridge.
"I couldn't live with myself if I failed to do this.
"We are fighting this war to stop people like this, people who bring death upon us, people who want us dead because they cannot stand that we live our lives as we wish, that we are successful and happy. These people hate life; they worship death. They demand that we do the same and join them in their misery.
"As Mother Confessor, I decreed vengeance without mercy against the Imperial Order. Changing from our course is suicide. I will not reconsider."
"What would you have us tell Lord Rahl?" Tom asked.
She smiled. "That I love him, but he knows that."
Kahlan unbuckled her sword belt and handed it to Jennsen. "Owen, come with me."
Kahlan started out, but Jennsen threw her arms around her and hugged her fiercely. "Don't worry," she whispered. "We'll get the antidote to Richard, and then we'll come back for you."
Kahlan hugged Jennsen briefly, whispered her thanks, and then started onto the bridge. Owen walked at her side, saying nothing.
The man on the far side watched, but stayed where he was.
In the center of the bridge, Kahlan stopped. "Bring the bottle," she called across.
"Come over here and you can have it."
"If you want me, you will come to the center of the bridge and give the bottle to this man to take back, as Nicholas offered."
The man stood for a time, as if considering. He looked like a soldier.
He didn't match the description of Nicholas that Owen had given her.
Finally, he started onto the arch of the bridge. Owen whispered that it looked like the commander he had seen with Nicholas. Kahlan waited, watching the man walk through the moonlight. He wore a knife at one side and a sword at his other hip.
When he had almost reached her, he came to a halt and waited.
Kahlan held her hand out. "The note said we were to trade. Me for what Nicholas has."
The man, his crooked nose flattened to the side, smiled. "So we were."
"I am the Mother Confessor. Either give me the bottle or you die here, now."
He pulled the square-sided bottle from his pocket and placed it in her hand. Kahlan saw that it was full of clear liquid. She pulled the cork and smelled it. It had the slight aroma of cinnamon, as had the other bottles of the antidote.
"He goes back with this," Kahlan said to the grim-looking man as she handed Owen the bottle.
"And you come with me," the man said as he grabbed her wrist. "Or we all die on this bridge.