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Wizards First Rule :: Goodkind Terry
Страница: 630 из 638"Had I told you, dear one, it wouldn't have worked. The foreknowledge would have interjected a grain of doubt. That single.grain would have caused failure. To be the true love of a Confessor, there must be total commitment, to get past the magic. Without the willingness to give himself over to you, selflessly, despite the knowledge of the consequence, it wouldn't work."
"You seem to know a lot about it," Kahlan frowned. "I have never heard of it before. How often does this happen?"
Zedd rubbed his chin in thought, looking up at the windows. "Well, only once before that I know of." His eyes rested on the two of them. "But you can tell no one, just as I wasn't able to tell you. No matter how much pain it may cause, no matter the consequences, you can never tell. If even one other knows, it could be passed on, destroying forever the chance for others. It's one of the ironies of magic; you have to accept failure before you can have success. It is also one of the burdens of magic; you must accept the results, even the death, of others, to protect the hope for the future. Selfishness costs the lives, the chances, of those yet unborn." Kahlan nodded. "I promise."
"Me too," Richard said. "Zedd, is it over? With Darken Rahl, I mean. Is he dead?"
Zedd gave Richard a look he found unexpectedly uncomfortable. "Darken Rahl is dead." Zedd put a thin hand on Richard's shoulder, his bony fingers gripping tightly. "You have gotten it right, Richard, all of it. You scared the wits out of me. I have never seen a performance to match it."
Richard grinned in pride. "Just a little trick."
Zedd nodded, his white hair sticking out in every direction, looking wild. "More than a trick, my boy. More than little."
They all turned when they heard the sound of someone approaching. Chase came dragging Michael in by the scruff of his neck. His dirty white trousers and shirt spoke that he had not come willingly. Chase gave him a shove, forcing him in front of Richard.
Richard's mood darkened at seeing his brother. Michael's defiant eyes came up to meet Richard's gaze.
"I'll not be treated in this manner, little brother." His voice was as condescending as it had ever been. "You don't know what you've interfered with, what I was trying to do, how I would have helped everyone by uniting Westland and D'Hara. You have doomed the people to needless suffering that Darken Rahl could have spared. You are a fool."
Richard thought about all he had been though, about all that Zedd, and Chase, and Kahlan had been through.
"You seem to know a lot about it," Kahlan frowned. "I have never heard of it before. How often does this happen?"
Zedd rubbed his chin in thought, looking up at the windows. "Well, only once before that I know of." His eyes rested on the two of them. "But you can tell no one, just as I wasn't able to tell you. No matter how much pain it may cause, no matter the consequences, you can never tell. If even one other knows, it could be passed on, destroying forever the chance for others. It's one of the ironies of magic; you have to accept failure before you can have success. It is also one of the burdens of magic; you must accept the results, even the death, of others, to protect the hope for the future. Selfishness costs the lives, the chances, of those yet unborn." Kahlan nodded. "I promise."
"Me too," Richard said. "Zedd, is it over? With Darken Rahl, I mean. Is he dead?"
Zedd gave Richard a look he found unexpectedly uncomfortable. "Darken Rahl is dead." Zedd put a thin hand on Richard's shoulder, his bony fingers gripping tightly. "You have gotten it right, Richard, all of it. You scared the wits out of me. I have never seen a performance to match it."
Richard grinned in pride. "Just a little trick."
Zedd nodded, his white hair sticking out in every direction, looking wild. "More than a trick, my boy. More than little."
They all turned when they heard the sound of someone approaching. Chase came dragging Michael in by the scruff of his neck. His dirty white trousers and shirt spoke that he had not come willingly. Chase gave him a shove, forcing him in front of Richard.
Richard's mood darkened at seeing his brother. Michael's defiant eyes came up to meet Richard's gaze.
"I'll not be treated in this manner, little brother." His voice was as condescending as it had ever been. "You don't know what you've interfered with, what I was trying to do, how I would have helped everyone by uniting Westland and D'Hara. You have doomed the people to needless suffering that Darken Rahl could have spared. You are a fool."
Richard thought about all he had been though, about all that Zedd, and Chase, and Kahlan had been through.