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Naked Empire :: Goodkind Terry
Страница: 486 из 495Havinglived in D'Hara all his life, Friedrich was also able to fill in pieces of information.
Rachel held up a carving of a hawk. "Look what Friedrich made for me.
Zedd. Isn't it the most beautiful thing you ever did see?"
Zedd smiled. "It certainly is."
"It's nothing," Friedrich scoffed. "If I had some gold leaf, then I could gild it for you. That used to be what I did for a living." He leaned back and smiled to himself. "Until Lord Rahl made me a boundary warden."
"You know," Zedd drawled offhandedly to both men, "the Keep is even more vulnerable, now, to those who might come and don't have magic than to those who do. I'm just fine protecting against those who are affected by magic, but not the other kind."
Chase nodded. "Seems so."
"Well, the thing is," he went on, "I was thinking that since there's no boundary any longer, and what with all the trouble about, perhaps you two would like to take on the responsibility of helping to protect the Wizard's Keep. I'm not nearly so fit for the task as would be someone trained in such things." Zedd leaned in, his brow lowering. "It's vitally important."
Elbows on the table, Chase chewed a bite of biscuit as he watched Zedd.
Finally, he stirred his spoon around in his bowl.
"Well, it could be a disaster if Jagang were to use those ungifted men to get his hands on the place again." He thought about it. "Emma will understand."
Zedd shrugged. "Bring her here."
Chase frowned. "Bring her here?"
Zedd gestured around. "The Keep is certainly big enough."
"But what would we do with our children?" Chase leaned back. "You don't want all my children here in the Keep, Zedd-they'd be running up and down, playing in the halls. It would drive you batty. Besides," Chase added, peering with one scowling eye at Rachel, "each one's uglier than the next."
Rachel hid her giggle behind a biscuit.
Zedd remembered the sounds of children's laughter in the Keep, the sounds of joy and love.
"Well, it would be a burden," he agreed, "but this is, after all, about the protection of the Keep. What sacrifice wouldn't it be worth making to protect the Keep?"
Rachel looked from Chase to Zedd. "My new sister, Lee, could bring Cat back to you, Zedd."
"That's right!" Zedd said, throwing his hands up. "I haven't seen Cat for ages! Is Lee treating Cat well?"
Rachel nodded earnestly. "Oh, yes. We all take good care of Cat."
"What do you think, Rachel?" Chase finally asked.
Rachel held up a carving of a hawk. "Look what Friedrich made for me.
Zedd. Isn't it the most beautiful thing you ever did see?"
Zedd smiled. "It certainly is."
"It's nothing," Friedrich scoffed. "If I had some gold leaf, then I could gild it for you. That used to be what I did for a living." He leaned back and smiled to himself. "Until Lord Rahl made me a boundary warden."
"You know," Zedd drawled offhandedly to both men, "the Keep is even more vulnerable, now, to those who might come and don't have magic than to those who do. I'm just fine protecting against those who are affected by magic, but not the other kind."
Chase nodded. "Seems so."
"Well, the thing is," he went on, "I was thinking that since there's no boundary any longer, and what with all the trouble about, perhaps you two would like to take on the responsibility of helping to protect the Wizard's Keep. I'm not nearly so fit for the task as would be someone trained in such things." Zedd leaned in, his brow lowering. "It's vitally important."
Elbows on the table, Chase chewed a bite of biscuit as he watched Zedd.
Finally, he stirred his spoon around in his bowl.
"Well, it could be a disaster if Jagang were to use those ungifted men to get his hands on the place again." He thought about it. "Emma will understand."
Zedd shrugged. "Bring her here."
Chase frowned. "Bring her here?"
Zedd gestured around. "The Keep is certainly big enough."
"But what would we do with our children?" Chase leaned back. "You don't want all my children here in the Keep, Zedd-they'd be running up and down, playing in the halls. It would drive you batty. Besides," Chase added, peering with one scowling eye at Rachel, "each one's uglier than the next."
Rachel hid her giggle behind a biscuit.
Zedd remembered the sounds of children's laughter in the Keep, the sounds of joy and love.
"Well, it would be a burden," he agreed, "but this is, after all, about the protection of the Keep. What sacrifice wouldn't it be worth making to protect the Keep?"
Rachel looked from Chase to Zedd. "My new sister, Lee, could bring Cat back to you, Zedd."
"That's right!" Zedd said, throwing his hands up. "I haven't seen Cat for ages! Is Lee treating Cat well?"
Rachel nodded earnestly. "Oh, yes. We all take good care of Cat."
"What do you think, Rachel?" Chase finally asked.