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This was no ordinary plague. This was a plague started by magic, by a man who wanted to kill them all.
Down in the pit, Jagang had called it Ja’La dh Jin—The Game of Life. Jagang was incensed that Richard had changed the ball to a lighter one so that all the children could enjoy playing, instead of just the strongest, the most brutal. Jagang started the killing with those children. It was no accident; it was a message.
It was the game of life.
This would be Jagang’s world, ruled by such savagery, if he won.
33
For the next hour, the men asked questions, mostly of Drefan. The two generals offered suggestions to Richard regarding command and logistics. Options were briefly discussed, plans were made, and officers were assigned duties. The army was to begin moving that very night. There were a great many Blood of the Fold who had surrendered, and although they had since sworn loyalty to Richard, it was still thought wise to divide them, too, sending some with each unit, rather than letting them remain together. Richard concurred with the suggestion.
When at last they had all departed to begin the work, Richard dropped heavily into his chair. He had come a long way from being a woods guide.
Kahlan was proud of him.
She opened her mouth to say so, but Nadine spoke the words in her stead.
Richard mumbled a flat “Thanks.”
Nadine tentatively touched her fingertips to the back of his shoulder. “Richard, you were always… I don’t know… Richard, to me. A boy from home. A woods guide.
“Today, and especially tonight, with all those important men, I think I saw you differently for the first time. You really are this Lord Rahl.”
Richard put his elbows on the table before him and his face in his hands. “I think I’d rather be at the bottom of the cliff, buried with the Temple of the Winds.”
“Don’t be silly,” she whispered.
Bristling, Kahlan moved to his side. Nadine glided away.
“Richard,” Kahlan said, “you have to get some sleep. Now. You promised. We need you strong. If you don’t get some sleep—”
“I know.” He pushed away from the table and stood. He turned to Drefan and Nadine. “Do either of you have anything to make a person go to sleep? I’ve tried… . Lately, I just lie there. My mind won’t be quiet.”
“A Feng San disharmony,” Drefan announced at once. “You bring it on yourself with the way you push past the limits of your body. There are bounds to what we can do, and if—”
“Drefan,” Richard said, cutting him off with a gentle voice, “I know what you mean, but I do what I must. You just have to understand that. Jagang is trying to kill us all. It will do me no good to be as high-spirited as a squirrel in spring if it means we all end up dead.”
Drefan grunted. “I understand, but that doesn’t get you strong.”
“So, I’ll try to be good later. What about going to sleep tonight?”
“Meditation,” Drefan said. “That will calm your energy flows, and begin bringing them into harmony.”
Richard rubbed his brow. “Drefan, hundreds of thousands of people are in danger of dying because Jagang wants to put the whole of the world under his boot. He’s shown us that he has no bounds to his determination.
“He’s starting the killing with children.” Richard’s knuckles turned white as his hands fisted. “Just to send me a message! Children!
“He has no conscience. He’s showing me what he’s willing to do to win. To make me surrender! He thinks it will break me!”
In contrast to his knuckles, Richard’s face had gone scarlet. “He’s wrong! I’d never give our people over to that kind of tyrant. Never! I’ll do whatever I must to stop this plague! I swear it!”
The room rang with the sudden silence. Kahlan had never seen Richard angry in quite this way. When he had the deadly fury of the Sword of Truth’s magic in his eyes, the object of his rage was usually at hand; the rage was invoked by and directed at a palpable threat.
This was frustrated anger at an invisible enemy. There was no threat he could get his hands on, now. He had no direct way to fight it. Kahlan could see in his eyes that this anger wasn’t the magic of the sword. This was purely Richard’s rage.
His face finally cooled. He took a calming breath as he wiped a hand across his face. He regained control of his voice.
“If I try to meditate, I will only see those sick and dead children again in my mind. Please, I can’t bear to see that in my sleep. I need to go to sleep and not have dreams.”
“Go to sleep and not have dreams? You are bothered by dreams?”
“Nightmares. I have them all day, too, when I’m awake, but they’re real. The dream walker can’t enter my dreams, but he has found a way to give me nightmares, nonetheless. Please, dear spirits, at least when I’m asleep, grant me some peace.”
“A sure sign of a Feng San meridian disharmony,” Drefan confirmed to himself. “I can see that you are going to be a difficult patient, but not without cause.”
He slipped the bone pin from the loop of leather and opened the flap on one of the pouches at his belt. He pulled out a few leather purses. He put one back. “No, that will kill pain, but not be much aid to sleep.” He sniffed another. “No, that will make you vomit.” He searched his other things and finally closed the flaps on the pouches. “I’m afraid I didn’t bring anything so simple with me. I only brought rare items.”
Richard sighed. “Thanks for trying, anyway.”
Drefan turned to Nadine. She was bottled zeal, pressing her lips together with restrained delight as the others talked.
“The things you gave Yonick’s mother wouldn’t be strong enough for Richard,?
? Drefan said to her. “Do you have any hops?”
“Sure,” she said calmly, but obviously pleased that someone had at last asked her. “In tincture, of course.”
“Perfect,” Drefan said. He slapped Richard on the back. “You can meditate another time. Tonight, you will be asleep in no time. Nadine will fix you a preparation. I’ll go start checking with the staff and giving them my recommendations.”
“Don’t forget to meditate,” Richard muttered as Drefan departed.
Berdine remained behind, studying the journal, as Nadine, Cara, Raina, Ulic, Egan, and Kahlan all followed Richard to his room, not far away. Ulic and Egan took up posts outside in the hall. The rest of them went into the room with Richard.
Inside, Richard tossed his gold cloak over a chair. He pulled the baldric over his head and laid the Sword of Truth atop it. He wearily drew his gold-trimmed tunic over his head, and removed his shirt, leaving him with a black, armless undershirt.
Nadine watched from the corner of her eye while she softly counted each drop aloud as it dripped into a glass of water.
Richard flopped down on the edge of the bed. “Cara, would you pull my boots off for me, please?”
Cara rolled her eyes. “Do I look like a valet?”
She squatted to the task when Richard smiled.
He leaned back on his elbows. “Tell Berdine that I want her to look for any reference to this Mountain of the Four Winds place. See what else she can find out about it.”
Cara looked up from his feet. “What a brilliant idea,” she said with mock enthusiasm. “I bet she would never have thought of that on her own, all-wise and knowing master.”
“All right, all right. I guess I’m not needed. How’s my magic potion coming over there?”
“Just finished,” Nadine said in a cheery voice.
