Temple of the Winds (93 page)

Richard nodded. The messenger took his leave.

“
Lord Rahl,” the general said, “if there’s nothing else, I’d better see to my duties.”

“
Yes, general, there is one more thing. Cut the sick soldiers out of the camps. Put them in a separate camp. Let’s see if we can limit the extent of the outbreak. Who knows, maybe we can even contain it.

“
And I don’t want any prostitutes in the camps. None. Maybe we can keep the distemper lighter, that way. Have all the women warned to stay away under penalty of death. Post archers with the sentries. If they continue to approach after being challenged, have the archers cut them down.”

The general heaved a sigh. “I understand, Lord Rahl. I’ll also separate out the men who have been with those women and have them tend to the sick soldiers.”

“
Good idea.”

Richard put his arm around Kahlan’s waist as he watched the general and his guard hurry to their tasks. “Why didn’t I think of that before? I might have kept the plague from the soldiers if only I’d thought of it.”

Kahlan didn’t have an answer.

“
Lord Rahl,” Cara said, “I’m going up to the sliph to relieve Berdine.”

“
I’ll go with you. I want to see if Berdine has learned anything from the journal. Besides, I need to get out of here for a while. You want to go, too?” he asked Kahlan.

Her arm tightened around him. “I’d like that.”

Berdine was bent over the journal, reading. The sliph looked Richard’s way before Berdine did.

“
Do you wish to travel, Master? You will be pleased.”

“
No,” Richard said when the echo of the eerie voice had died out. “Thank you, sliph, but not now.”

Berdine leaned back and yawned as she stretched her arms. “Glad to see you, Cara. I can’t stay awake any longer.”

“
You look like you could use some sleep.”

Richard gestured to the open journal on the table before her. “Anything new?”

Berdine glanced to the sliph as she stood. She picked up the journal and turned it around, offering it to him. She leaned closer and lowered her voice.

“
You remember telling me about what that man said before he was put to death. What he said about even a vexatious … woman having a right to her life?”

Richard knew what Berdine was talking about. “Yes. You mean Wizard Ricker.”

“
That’s the one. Well, Kolo mentioned it briefly.” She tapped a place in the journal. “Read here.”

Richard studied the sentence a moment until he had it translated in his head. “‘Ricker’s vexatious prostitute is watching me as I sit here pondering what damage the team has done. I heard today that we have lost Lothain. Ricker has had his revenge.’”

“
Do you know who Lothain is?” Berdine asked.

“
He was the head prosecutor at the Temple of the Winds trial. He was the one who went to undo the damage done by the team.”

Richard looked up. The sliph was watching him. He stepped closer. It had never occurred to him before. Why hadn’t he thought of it before?

“
Sliph.”

“
Yes, Master? You wish to travel? Come. You will be pleased.”

Richard stepped closer. “No, I don’t wish to travel, but I would like to talk to you. Do you remember the time, long ago, when there was a great war going on?”

“
Long? I am long enough to travel. Tell me where you wish to go. You will be pleased.”

“
No, I don’t mean traveling. Do you remember any names?”

“
Names?”

“
Names. Do you remember the name Ricker?”

The silver face watched without expression. “I never betray my clients.”

“
Sliph, you were a person, once, weren’t you? A person like me?”

The sliph smiled. “No.”

Richard laid a hand on Kahlan’s shoulder. “A person like this?”

The silver smile widened. “Yes. I was a whore, like her.”

Kahlan cleared her throat. “I think Richard meant to ask if you were a woman, sliph.”

“
Yes, I was a woman, too.”

“
What was your name?” Richard asked.

“
Name?” The sliph frowned, as if puzzled. “I am the sliph.”

“
Who made you into the sliph?”

“
Some of my clients.”

“
Why? Why did they make you into the sliph?”

“
Because I never reveal my clients.”

“
Sliph, could you explain that better?”

“
Some of the wizards here, in this place, were my clients. The most powerful of them. I was a very exclusive whore, and very expensive. Many of the wizards contended for power. Others tried to use me to displace some of those who were my clients. Some wished to use me for their pleasure, but not the kind of pleasure I offered. I never reveal my clients.”

“
You mean they would have been pleased if you told them the names of the wizards who visited you, and maybe a little more about those visits.”

“
Yes. My clients feared these others would use me for this pleasure, and so they made me the sliph.”

Richard turned away. He raked his fingers back through his hair. Even as they fought the enemy, they fought among themselves. When he finally gathered his wits, he turned back to the beautiful silver face.

“
Sliph, those men are all dead now. There is no one alive who knows these men. There are no wizards anymore to vie for power. Could you tell me a little more?”

“
They made me, and told me that I would be unable to speak their names as long as they lived. They said that their power would prevent it. If it is true that their spirits have passed from this world, then it will no longer matter and I will be able to speak their names.”

“
It was this man, Lothain, who was one of your clients, wasn’t it? And this other wizard, Ricker, thought he was a hypocrite.”

“
Lothain.” The quicksilver face softened as she seemed to test the name. “Wizard Ricker came to me, and said that this man, Lothain, was the head prosecutor, and that he was a vile beast, who would turn on me. He wanted my help to depose Lothain. I refused to name my clients.”

Richard spoke into the silence. “And Ricker’s words proved true. Lothain turned on you, and made you into the sliph so that you couldn’t speak out against him.”

“
Yes. I told Lothain that I did not reveal my clients. I told him that he had no need to fear me speaking. He said that it didn’t matter, that I was only a whore, and the world would never miss me. He twisted my arm and hurt me. He used me for his pleasure without my permission. When he finished, he laughed, and then I saw a flash of light in my mind.

“
Ricker came to me after, and told me that he would put an end to Lothain, and wizards like him. He wept at the edge of my well, and said he was sorry for what they did to me. He told me that he would put a stop to the way magic destroyed people.”

“
Were you sad?” Berdine asked. “Was it sad to be made into the sliph?”

“
They took sadness from me when they made me.”

“
Did they take happiness, too?” Kahlan whispered.

“
They left me with duty.”

Even in this, they had made a mistake. They left some of who the sliph had been so that they could use her. The part they left would submit to anyone with the price required: magic. They had been tripped up by her nature. They used her, but had to guard her, because she would offer herself to anyone—even the enemy—who had the required price.

“
Sliph,” Richard said, “I’m so sorry that we wizards did this to you. They had no right. I’m so sorry.”

The sliph smiled. “Wizard Ricker told me that if any Master said those words to me, I should tell them these words from him: ‘Ward left in. Ward right out. Guard your heart from stone.’”

“
What does that mean?”

“
He did not explain the words to me.”

Richard felt sick. Were they going to die because of a three-thousand-year-old fight for power? Perhaps Jagang was right; perhaps magic had no place in the world any longer.

Richard turned back to the others.

“
Berdine, you need to get some sleep. Raina has to be up early to relieve Cara. She needs to get to bed, too. Set a guard for Kahlan’s rooms and then both of you get some rest. I’ve had enough of this day, too.”

Richard was in a dead sleep when he awakened to a hand pushing at him. He sat up and rubbed at his eyes, trying to gather his senses in a panic.

“
What? What is it?” His voice sounded to him like gravel being poured from a bucket.

“
Lord Rahl?” came a tearful voice. “Are you awake?”

Richard squinted up at the figure holding a lamp. At first, he couldn’t make out who it was.

“
Berdine?” He had never seen her in anything but her leather uniform before. She was standing in his room in a white nightdress. Her hair was down. He had never seen Berdine without her hair in the single braid. It was a disorienting sight.

Richard swung his legs over the edge of the bed and pulled on his pants in a rush. “Berdine, what is it? What’s wrong?”

She wiped at the tears on her face. “Lord Rahl, please, come.” She let out a sob. “Raina is sick.”

Verna shut the door as silently as she could after Warren dragged the flailing woman back into the darkness. His hand was clamped just as tightly over her mouth as his web was clamped around her gift. Verna wouldn’t have been able to control the woman’s magic as well as could Warren. The gift of a wizard was stronger than a sorceress’s—even Verna’s—gift.

Verna lit a small flame above her upturned palm. The woman’s eyes widened, and then filled with tears.

“
Yes, Janet, it’s me, Verna. If you promise not to cry out and betray us, I will have Warren release you.”

Janet nodded earnestly. Verna gripped her dacra in her other fist, held out of sight, just in case she was wrong. She gave a nod to Warren, signaling him to release the young woman.

When she was free, Janet flung her arms around Verna’s neck. She rejoiced with a soft sob. Warren held up his palm, letting a small flame dance above it so they could see. The tiny room was made of huge blocks of dark stone, as was the rest of the stronghold. Milky water seeped through some of the joints, leaving trails of crusty stains down the walls.

“
Oh, Verna,” Janet whispered, “you have no idea what a joy it is to see your face.”