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There were books of prophecy at the Keep that were considered so dangerous that they were kept locked behind the powerful shields protecting the First Wizard’s private enclave. Not even the old wizards who had lived at the Keep when Zedd was young were allowed to read those prophecies. Even though he had access to them after he became First Wizard, Zedd had not read nearly all of them; the ones he had read left him in sleepless sweats.
“Dear spirits,” he went on. “there are so many books at the Keep that I’ve not even read all the titles. There used to be staffs of curators for each library. Each knew the books in his section of the stacks. Long ago, well before my time, these curators were gathered when an answer was sought. Each knew his own books and could speak up if his particular books held information on the subject in question. In this way it was a relatively simple task to locate the reference volumes or prophecies that might help with the problem at hand.
“When I was very young, there were only two wizards left acting as curators. Two men could not begin to tap the knowledge held there. A plethora of information is held in those books, but finding a specific bit of it is a formidable challenge. The guidance of the gift is needed to even begin to narrow the search.
“Needing information from the libraries is like being adrift in the ocean and needing a drink of water. Information is in overabundance, yet you can die of thirst for it before you can locate it. When I was young, I was guided as to what were the more important books of history, magic, and prophecy. I mostly confined my studies to those books.”
“What about the red moon?” Ann asked. “What did the books you read say of it?”
“I only recall once reading about a red moon. What I read wasn’t very explicit, mentioning it only obliquely. I wish I had thought to inquire into the subject further, but I didn’t. There were other matters in the books that were of greater importance at the time and demanded my attention—matters that were real, and not hypothetical.”
“What did this book say?”
“If I recall correctly, and I’m not saying that I do, it said something about a breach between worlds. It said that in the event of such a breach, the warning would be three nights of a red moon.”
“Three nights. For all we know, with the clouds we’ve had, we could already have had our three nights. What if there were clouds all the time? The warning would be missed.”
Zedd squinted in concentration as he tried to recall what he had read. “No… no, it said that the one to whom the warning was directed would see all three nights of the warning—all three nights of the red moon.”
“What exactly is meant by such a warning? What kind of breach could there be between worlds?”
“I wish I knew.” Zedd thumped his head of wavy white hair back against the wall. “When the boxes of Orden were opened by Darken Rahl, and the Stone of Tears came into this world from another, and the Keeper of the Underworld was near to coming into our world through the breach, there was never a red moon.”
“Then, maybe the red moon doesn’t mean that there is a breach. Perhaps you recall it wrongly.”
“Perhaps. What I recall most vividly are my thoughts at the time. I remember picturing a red moon in my mind, and telling myself to remember such an image, and that if I ever saw it for real, I must remember that it was grave trouble, and I must at once search out the meaning of the sign.”
Ann touched his arm, an act of compassion she had never done before. “Zedd, we almost have Nathan. We’ll have him tonight. When we do, I’ll take the Rada’Han from your neck so that you can hurry to Aydindril and see to this matter. In fact, as soon as we have Nathan, we will all go. Nathan will understand the seriousness of this, and will help. We’ll go to Aydindril with you and help.”
Although Zedd didn’t like that this woman had insisted he come with her to capture Nathan, he had come to understand how afraid she was of what could happen with Nathan free, and that she needed his help. At times he had difficulty maintaining his indignation. He knew how desperate she was to keep the prophecies from being loosed along with Nathan.
Zedd knew how dangerous it could be if people were exposed to raw prophecy. He had been lectured since he was a boy on the dangers of prophecy, even for a wizard.
“Sounds like a worthwhile bargain to me; I help you get Nathan back, and you two help me find the meaning of the red moon.”
“A bargain, then—we work together willingly. I must admit, it will be a pleasant change of affairs.”
“Is that so?” Zedd asked. “Then why don’t you take this collar off me?”
“I will. Just as soon as we have Nathan.”
“Nathan means more to you than you have admitted.”
She was silent a moment. “He does. We have worked together for centuries. He can be trouble on two legs, but somewhere in all that bluster, Nathan has a noble heart.” Her voice lowered as she turned her head away. Zedd thought she wiped a hand at her eyes. “I care greatly for that incorrigible, wonderful man.”
Zedd peeked around the corner at the inn’s silent door.
“I still don’t like it,” he whispered. “Something about this is wrong. I wish I knew what it was.”
“So,” she finally asked, “what are we going to do about Nathan?”
“I thought you wanted to do the talking.”
“Well, I guess you have convinced me that we should be careful. What do you think we should do?”
“I’ll go in there alone and ask for a room. You wait outside. If I find him before he leaves, I’ll surprise him and put him down. If he comes out before I find him, or if something… goes wrong, you seize him.”
“Zedd, Nathan is a wizard; I’m only a sorceress. If he had his Rada’Han around his neck I could easily control him, but he is without it.”
Zedd mulled it over for a moment. They couldn’t take a chance on his getting away. Beyond that, Ann could be hurt. They would have a difficult time of finding Nathan again; once he knew they were onto him, he might figure out the tracer cloud and possibly unhook it. That was not likely, though.
“You’re right,” he said at last. “I’ll cast a web outside the door, so that if he comes out it will hobble him, and then you can snap that infernal collar around his neck.”
“That sounds a good idea. What sort of web will you use?”
“As you’ve said yourself, we can’t fail.” He studied her eyes in the dim light. “Bags! I can’t believe I’m actually doing this,” he muttered. “Give me the collar for a moment.”
Ann searched under her cloak for the pouch at her waist. When her hand came out, the light of the red moon glinted dully off the Rada’Han.
“This is the same one he wore?” Zedd asked.
“For almost a thousand years.”
Zedd grunted. He took the collar in his hands and let his magic flow into the cold object of subjugation, let it mingle with the magic of the collar. He could feel the warm hum of the Additive Magic the collar possessed, and he could feel the icy tingle of its Subtractive Magic.
He handed back the collar. “I’ve keyed the spell to his Rada’Han.”
“What spell are you going to weave?” she asked in a suspicious tone.
He considered the resolve in her eyes. “A light spell. If he comes out without me… You will have twenty of his heartbeats to get that around his neck, or the light web will ignite.”
If she didn’t get the collar around his neck in time to extinguish the spell, Nathan would be consumed by it. Without the collar, there would be no escape for Nathan from such a spell. With it, he would escape the spell but then there would be no escape from her.
A double bind.
At that moment, Zedd didn’t much like himself.
Ann took a deep breath. “Someone else coming out won’t trigger it, will they?”
Zedd shook his head. “I will link it to the tracer cloud. The spell will recognize him and only him by that and that alone.”
His voice lowered in warning. “If yo
u don’t get it around him in time, and it ignites, then others beside Nathan will be hurt or killed if they’re close enough. If you can’t get that around his neck for any reason, then you make sure you get away in time. He may prefer death over having that around his neck again.
20
As he ambled in, surveying the gloomy room, Zedd realized that his heavy maroon robes with black sleeves and cowled shoulders were out of place. The mellow lamplight showed off the three rows of silver brocade at each cuff, and the thicker gold brocade running around the neck and down the front. A red satin belt set with a gold buckle cinched the waist of the rich robes.
Zedd missed his simple robes, but they were long gone—at Adie’s insistence. The old sorceress had chosen his new disguise; for powerful wizards, simple accoutrements were the equivalent of military dress. Zedd suspected she just didn’t like his old robes, and preferred him in this.
He missed Adie, and felt sorrow for the heartache she must feel at believing him dead. Nearly everyone thought he was dead. When they had time, maybe he would have Ann write a message in her journey book, letting Adie know he was alive.
He felt the most sorrow, though, for Richard. Richard needed him. Richard had the gift, and without proper instruction he was as helpless as an eaglet fallen from the nest. At least Richard had the Sword of Truth to help protect him, for now. Zedd intended to go to Richard just as soon as they had Nathan. It wouldn’t be long, and then he could hurry on his way to Richard.
The innkeeper eyed Zedd’s flashy outfit, his gaze snagging on the gold belt buckle. A collection of scraggy patrons dressed in furs, tattered leather, and ragged wool watched from a few booths at the wall to the right. The two plank tables sat empty on the straw-covered floor, waiting for diners, or drinkers.
