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Wizards First Rule :: Goodkind Terry
Страница: 633 из 638Richard wondered if he should do something about it, stop them somehow, but decided at last he had already done the most important part.
The three emerged from the cavernous halls out into the winter sunlight. The hillside of steps cascaded down before them, to the huge expanse of courtyard. The three paused at the brink. Richard gasped when he saw the numbers gathered there.
Spread out before them were thousands of men, standing tall in rank upon rank. At the head, at the base of the steps, stood Michael’s personal guard, formerly known as the Home Guard, before Michael took that name from them. Their mail, shields, and yellow banners shone brightly in the sun. Behind them, nearly a thousand men of the Westland army. Behind them, many more of the D'Haran forces. Chase stood before them all, his arms folded, looking up the steps. Next to him, planted in the ground, was a pole with Michael's head atop it. Richard stood, stunned by the silence. If a man in the back, a half mile away, had coughed, he would have heard it.
Zedd's hand on his back started him down the steps. It felt a little too much like a push. Kahlan took his arm, giving it a squeeze, and held herself tall as they descended the series of steps and expansive landings. Chase watched Richard's eyes as he came. Richard saw Rachel beside him, clutching one arm around his leg, holding Sara in the other hand. Sharing the grip with the doll was Siddin's hand. Siddin saw Kahlan and broke from the hand, running to meet her. Kahlan laughed and scooped him up in her arms. He grinned at Richard and jabbered something Richard didn't understand, before throwing his arms around Kahlan's neck. After she hugged him and whispered to him, she put him down, holding his hand tightly.
The captain of the Home Guard stepped forward. "The Home Guard stands ready to swear loyalty to you, Richard."
The commander of the Westland army stepped up next to the captain. "As does the Westland army."
A D'Haran officer came forward. "As do the D'Haran forces."
Richard stared numbly at them, blinking. He felt the anger heat in him.
"No one's swearing loyalty to anyone, least of all me! I'm a woods guide. Nothing more. Get that through your heads right now. A woods guide!"
Richard gazed out over the sea of heads. All eyes were on him. He glanced over to Michael's gory head stuck on the pole. He closed his eyes a moment, then turned to some men of the Home Guard, and pointed to the head.
"Bury that thing with the rest of him." No one moved. "Right now!"
They jumped and made for the head. Richard returned his gaze to the D'Haran officer standing before him. Everyone waited.
"Send word: all hostilities are ended. The war is ended.
The three emerged from the cavernous halls out into the winter sunlight. The hillside of steps cascaded down before them, to the huge expanse of courtyard. The three paused at the brink. Richard gasped when he saw the numbers gathered there.
Spread out before them were thousands of men, standing tall in rank upon rank. At the head, at the base of the steps, stood Michael’s personal guard, formerly known as the Home Guard, before Michael took that name from them. Their mail, shields, and yellow banners shone brightly in the sun. Behind them, nearly a thousand men of the Westland army. Behind them, many more of the D'Haran forces. Chase stood before them all, his arms folded, looking up the steps. Next to him, planted in the ground, was a pole with Michael's head atop it. Richard stood, stunned by the silence. If a man in the back, a half mile away, had coughed, he would have heard it.
Zedd's hand on his back started him down the steps. It felt a little too much like a push. Kahlan took his arm, giving it a squeeze, and held herself tall as they descended the series of steps and expansive landings. Chase watched Richard's eyes as he came. Richard saw Rachel beside him, clutching one arm around his leg, holding Sara in the other hand. Sharing the grip with the doll was Siddin's hand. Siddin saw Kahlan and broke from the hand, running to meet her. Kahlan laughed and scooped him up in her arms. He grinned at Richard and jabbered something Richard didn't understand, before throwing his arms around Kahlan's neck. After she hugged him and whispered to him, she put him down, holding his hand tightly.
The captain of the Home Guard stepped forward. "The Home Guard stands ready to swear loyalty to you, Richard."
The commander of the Westland army stepped up next to the captain. "As does the Westland army."
A D'Haran officer came forward. "As do the D'Haran forces."
Richard stared numbly at them, blinking. He felt the anger heat in him.
"No one's swearing loyalty to anyone, least of all me! I'm a woods guide. Nothing more. Get that through your heads right now. A woods guide!"
Richard gazed out over the sea of heads. All eyes were on him. He glanced over to Michael's gory head stuck on the pole. He closed his eyes a moment, then turned to some men of the Home Guard, and pointed to the head.
"Bury that thing with the rest of him." No one moved. "Right now!"
They jumped and made for the head. Richard returned his gaze to the D'Haran officer standing before him. Everyone waited.
"Send word: all hostilities are ended. The war is ended.