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"No." Richard looked interested. "I didn't know it could be done."

"Oh yes, it can be done." She turned and arched an eyebrow. "If you rip their skin off, the magic bleeds from them. That is the only way to remove the gift from a wizard. I am going to hang him up by his thumbs, and then I am going to skin him alive. Every inch of him. Then I am going to use his skin to cover my throne. Then I am going to sit on my throne, on his skin, and watch him scream to death as the magic bleeds from him." She made a fist. "Or I am going to die trying."

"Shota, I need some help. I don't know anything about all this."

Shota stared off flexing her fists. At last her hands relaxed and opened. "There is nothing I can tell you that will help."

"You mean there is something you can tell me, but it won't help." Shota nodded. Richard sighed. "What is it."

She folded her arms against her stomach. Her eyes were wet again. "You will be trapped in time. Don't ask what that means, because I don't know. You will have no chance of closing the veil unless you escape the trap. It will keep you locked away, and the Keeper will escape unless you are able to free yourself. Unless you learn something of the gift, you have no chance for either."

Richard walked to the far side of the room. He stood with his back to them, one hand on a hip, his other combing through his hair. Kahlan didn't look at Shota. She didn't want to meet the witch woman's gaze if she didn't have to.

"Is there anything else?" Richard called over his shoulder, "Anything you can tell me? Anything?"

"No. And believe me, if there was I would be more than anxious to offer it. I don't wish to meet the Keeper's gaze."

Richard thought by himself for a time. At last, he came back and stood before Shota. "I am having headaches. Bad headaches."

Shota nodded. "The gift."

"Three women came. They call themselves the Sisters of the Light. They said I have to come with them to learn to use the gift, or the headaches will kill me." Richard studied her face. "What do you know about them?"

"I am a witch woman. I don't know much about wizards. But the Sisters of the Light have something to do with wizards. With training them. That is all I know. I don't even know where they are from. They come once in a great while, when they find one has been born with the gift."

"What if I don't go with them? Will I die, as they say?"

"If you don't learn to control the gift, the headaches will kill you. That much I know."

"But are they the only way?"

Shota shrugged. "I don't know. But I know you must learn to use the gift, or you will not escape the trap, or be able to close the veil—or even survive the headaches."

"So you are saying you think I should go?"

"No. I said you must learn to use the gift. There may be another way."

"What way?"

"I don't know, Richard. I don't even know if there is another way. I'm sorry, but I can be of no help in this. I just don't know. Only a fool will give advice about something she doesn't understand. I can give you no advice in this."

"Shota," Richard pleaded, "I'm lost. I don't know what to do. I don't understand any of it, the Sisters, the gift, or the Keeper. Isn't there anything you can tell me to help me?"

"I have told you everything I know. I feel as lost as you. Worse. I have no ability to influence what will happen. At least you have that. Dim as the chance is." Shota's eyes glistened. "I fear I am going to look into the Keeper's dead eyes. Forever. I haven't been able to sleep since I learned these things. If I knew anything, I would help. I just don't know anything about the world of the dead. It is not something the living have faced yet."

Richard stared at the ground. "Shota," he whispered. "I don't have any idea what to do. I'm afraid. I'm very afraid."

She nodded. "So am I." She reached out and touched his face. "Good bye, Richard Rahl. Don't fight who you are. Use it." She turned to Kahlan. "I don't know if you can help him, but if there is a way, I know you will do your best."

Kahlan nodded. "That I will, Shota. I hope you get your home back."

Shota gave her a small smile. "Thank you, Mother Confessor."

She turned and glided to the door, her wispy dress flowing behind. She pushed the door open. Samuel was waiting on the other side, his yellow eyes shining. Shota stopped in the doorway and stiffened.

"Richard, if you should happen to somehow close the veil, and save me from the keeper, save everyone from the Keeper, I will be forever grateful to you."

"Thank you, Shota."

Her back was still to them. "But know this: if you give the Mother Confessor a child, it will be a boy. It will be a Confessor. Neither of you will have the strength to kill him, even though you know the consequences." She paused a moment. "My mother lived in the dark times." Her voice was like ice. "I have the strength. And, I will use it. You have my word on that. But know that it will not be personal."

The door squeaked closed behind her. The spirit house felt suddenly very empty. Very quiet.

Kahlan felt numb. She looked down at her hands. They were shaking. She wanted Richard to hug her, but he didn't do it. He was staring at the door. His face was white as snow.

"I don't believe this," he whispered. He still stared at the door. "How can this be happening? Am I dreaming all this?"

Kahlan felt as if her knees were about to buckle. "Richard, what are we going to do?"

Richard turned to her, his eyes distant. They filled with tears. "This has to be a nightmare."

"If it is, I'm having the same one. Richard, what are we going to do?"

"Why does everyone ask me that? Why does everyone always ask me? What makes everyone think I am the one who knows?"

Kahlan stood woodenly, trying to make her mind work. She couldn't seem to form a coherent thought. "Because you are Richard. You are the Seeker."

"I don't know anything about the underworld, the Keeper. The world of the dead."

"Shota says no one living does."

Richard abruptly grabbed her shoulders. "Then we must ask the dead."

"What?"

"The ancestors' spirits are dead. We can talk to them. I can ask for a gathering and ask them questions. We can learn from them. Maybe we can find out how to close the veil. Maybe I can find out how to stop the headaches, how to use the gift." He gripped her arm. "Come on."

Kahlan almost smiled. He was indeed the Seeker. Richard pulled her through the passageways, running when they could see well enough. Clouds hid the moon and it was dark between the buildings. The air was like ice on her face, making tears run from the corners of her eyes.

When they reached the open field, there was light. Torches lit the people gathered there. They were all still bunched together with hunters shielding everyone; they didn't know the witch woman was gone. The entire village watched in silence as the two of them crossed the opening, the hunters parting for them as they approached the Bird Man and the other six elders. Chandalen stood to their side.

"Everyone is safe," Kahlan reassured them. "The witch woman is gone."

There was a collective sigh of relief.

Chandalen thumped the butt of his spear on the ground. "Again you bring trouble!"

Richard ignored him and asked her to translate. He took in the elders and let his gaze settle on the Bird Man. "Honored elder. The witch woman was not here to harm anyone. She was here to warn me about a great danger."

"You claim," Chandalen snapped. "We do not know this to be true."

Kahlan knew Richard was struggling to keep calm. "Do you doubt that if she wanted to send you to the spirit world, she could have done it?"

Chandalen answered only with a glare.

The Bird Man gave Chandalen a look that seemed to shrink him a few inches. He looked to Richard. "What danger?"

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