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Wizards First Rule :: Goodkind Terry
Страница: 620 из 638"
Darken Rahl left Richard on his knees, and glided around the circle of white sand to Zedd. The blue eyes locked on the old man as he came. Zedd felt hollow, empty.
Rahl stopped in front of him and licked his fingers, stroking them over his eyebrows.
"What is your name, Old One?"
Zedd stared back, his hopes destroyed. "Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander." He held his chin up. "I am the one who killed your father."
Darken Rahl nodded. "And do you know that your wizard's fire also burned me? Do you know it almost killed me when I was but a child? And that I spent months in agony? And that to this day I carry the scars of what you did, both those on the outside, and others on the inside?"
"I'm sorry I hurt a child, regardless of who the child was. But in this case, I would call it premature punishment."
Rahl's face remained pleasant, the hint of a smile still on his lips. "We are going to have a long time together, you and I. I am going to teach you of the pain I endured, and more. You will know what it was like."
Zedd gave a bitter look. "Nothing could match the pain you have already given me."
Darken Rahl licked his fingertips as he turned away. "We will see."
Zedd watched in hopeless frustration as Rahl returned to stand once more in front of Richard. "Richard!" Zedd screamed. "Don't help him! Kahlan would rather die than have you help him!"
Richard looked blankly to the wizard before he gazed up at Darken Rahl. "I'll do anything if you don't hurt her."
Darken Rahl motioned him to his feet. "You have my word, my son. If you do as I ask." Richard nodded. "Recite the Book of Counted Shadows." Zedd reeled in shock. Richard turned to Kahlan.
"What should I do, Mistress?"
Kahlan struggled against Michael, against the knife at her throat, screamed muffled words against the gag.
Rahl's voice was calm, gentle. "Recite the Book of Counted Shadows, Richard, or I will have Michael start by cutting off her fingers one at a time. The longer you remain silent, the more he will cut her."
Richard spun back to Rahl, panic in his eyes. "Verification of the truth of the words of the Book of Counted Shadows, if spoken by another, rather than read by the one who commands the boxes, can only be insured by the use of a Confessor…»
Zedd sank to the ground. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. As he listened to Richard reading out the book, he knew it was true; he recognized the unique syntax of a book of magic. Richard couldn't be making it up. It was the Book of Counted Shadows.
Darken Rahl left Richard on his knees, and glided around the circle of white sand to Zedd. The blue eyes locked on the old man as he came. Zedd felt hollow, empty.
Rahl stopped in front of him and licked his fingers, stroking them over his eyebrows.
"What is your name, Old One?"
Zedd stared back, his hopes destroyed. "Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander." He held his chin up. "I am the one who killed your father."
Darken Rahl nodded. "And do you know that your wizard's fire also burned me? Do you know it almost killed me when I was but a child? And that I spent months in agony? And that to this day I carry the scars of what you did, both those on the outside, and others on the inside?"
"I'm sorry I hurt a child, regardless of who the child was. But in this case, I would call it premature punishment."
Rahl's face remained pleasant, the hint of a smile still on his lips. "We are going to have a long time together, you and I. I am going to teach you of the pain I endured, and more. You will know what it was like."
Zedd gave a bitter look. "Nothing could match the pain you have already given me."
Darken Rahl licked his fingertips as he turned away. "We will see."
Zedd watched in hopeless frustration as Rahl returned to stand once more in front of Richard. "Richard!" Zedd screamed. "Don't help him! Kahlan would rather die than have you help him!"
Richard looked blankly to the wizard before he gazed up at Darken Rahl. "I'll do anything if you don't hurt her."
Darken Rahl motioned him to his feet. "You have my word, my son. If you do as I ask." Richard nodded. "Recite the Book of Counted Shadows." Zedd reeled in shock. Richard turned to Kahlan.
"What should I do, Mistress?"
Kahlan struggled against Michael, against the knife at her throat, screamed muffled words against the gag.
Rahl's voice was calm, gentle. "Recite the Book of Counted Shadows, Richard, or I will have Michael start by cutting off her fingers one at a time. The longer you remain silent, the more he will cut her."
Richard spun back to Rahl, panic in his eyes. "Verification of the truth of the words of the Book of Counted Shadows, if spoken by another, rather than read by the one who commands the boxes, can only be insured by the use of a Confessor…»
Zedd sank to the ground. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. As he listened to Richard reading out the book, he knew it was true; he recognized the unique syntax of a book of magic. Richard couldn't be making it up. It was the Book of Counted Shadows.