Terry Goodkind - Wizard's First Rule

Kahlan pulled her Confessor’s dress from her pack and held it up to Richard. “This is the way we deal with Giller. He is my wizard and he will do as I say because he knows the consequences.”

Richard let out a deep breath as he rubbed his eyes with his fingertips. “You both want to eat a chicken we haven’t even plucked yet. We aren’t even sure whose chicken it is.”

“What do you mean?” Kahlan asked.

Richard leaned forward. Now he had their attention, at last. “At the very least, Tamarang is giving a sympathetic ear to D’Hara. At the very worst, Darken Rahl is there. Most likely, the fact is somewhere between the two. If we march in there and tell them what we want, they might not like it. Tamarang has a whole standing army to express to us how much they don’t like it. Then what? Are the three of us going to fight a war with their army? How is this going to get us the box? How is it going to even get us to Giller? If we have to fight, I’d rather it be on the way out, not on the way in.”

Richard expected one of them to express some sort of objection while they sat as if being scolded, but neither did, so he went on.

“Maybe Giller is waiting and hoping someone will come, so he can help them get away with the box. Then again, maybe he will not be so willing to part company with it. But we won’t know if we never make it to him, now, will we?” He addressed Zedd. “You told me the box has magic, and a wizard, or Rahl, can feel that magic, but a wizard can also cover the feeling of that magic with a wizard’s web, so the box can’t be detected. That could be why Queen Milena wanted a wizard—to hide the box from Rahl, and use it as a bargaining tool. If we create a big commotion, and scare Giller, no matter how he feels about us, he may be frightened, and use the opportunity to escape. It could also be that Rahl is just waiting for the quarry to be flushed from cover, and then he will pounce.”

Zedd turned to Kahlan. “I think the Seeker has some good points. Perhaps we should hear him out?”

Kahlan smiled a little. “I believe you are correct, good wizard.” She turned to Richard. “What is your way?”

“You’ve dealt with this Queen Milena before, right? What sort of person is she?”

Kahlan needed no time to give it any thought. “Tamarang is a minor and relatively insignificant land. Still, Queen Milena is as pompous and arrogant as any queen comes.”

“A small snake, but a snake that can kill us nonetheless,” Richard noted.

Kahlan nodded. “But a snake with a big head.”

“Small snakes have to be careful, cautious, when they don’t know what they are up against. The first thing we have to do is to give her a worry. Make her unsure enough not to bite us.”

“What do you mean?” Kahlan asked.

“You said you’ve dealt with her before. Confessors go to the lands to take confessions, and to inspect the prisons, to find out what they will. She wouldn’t want to close Tamarang to a Confessor, would she?”

“Not if she has half a brain,” Zedd chuckled.

“Well, that’s what we do then. You put your dress back on, and do your duty. Simply a Confessor doing what Confessors are expected to do. She may not like it, but she will treat you well—she will want you to be happy. She will want you to see what you will, and then be on your way. The last thing she will want is to raise a fuss. So, you inspect her dungeon, smile, or frown, or whatever it is you do, and then before we’re on our way, you say you want to speak to your former wizard.”

“You think she should go alone?” Zedd protested.

“No. Kahlan doesn’t have a wizard with her—the Queen would see that as a tempting vulnerability. We don’t want her mouth to water.”

Zedd folded his arms. “I will be her wizard.”

“No, you will not be her wizard! Darken Rahl is killing people as we speak, looking for you. If you remove the wizard’s web, let them know who you are, we’ll have trouble down around our ears before we can get away with the box. Who knows what reward there is on your wrinkled hide. You will be her protection, but you will be anonymous protection. You will be . . .” Richard tapped the sword hilt, thinking. His eyes came back down. “You will be a cloud reader. A trusted advisor to the Mother Confessor in the absence of a wizard.” Richard frowned slightly at Zedd’s grumble. “I’m sure you know how to play the part.”

“Then you will hide your sword, your identity, from her as well?” Kahlan asked.

“No. The presence of the Seeker will give her pause, something else to worry about, something to keep her fangs in her mouth until we’re away. The whole point is to give her something she’s familiar with, a Confessor, so as not to raise an alarm. At the same time, give her something to keep her worried, a cloud reader and the Seeker, so she would rather be rid of us than find out what sort of trouble we might be able to cause. The way you two want to do it gets us in a fight, a fight where one or all of us could be hurt. My way puts us at minimum risk of a fight, and if it comes, at least it will be when we’re on our way out with the box.” He gave each of them a stern look. “You do remember the box, don’t you? In case you’ve forgotten, that is what we’re after, not Giller’s head in a basket. Whose side he’s on is not an issue. We must only get the box, no more.”

Kahlan folded her arms with a frown—Zedd rubbed his chin while he looked into the fire. Richard let them mull it over for a while. He knew that the way they wanted to do it was sure to cause trouble, and that soon enough they would both realize it.

Zedd turned back to him. “Of course you are right. I agree.” His thin face turned to Kahlan. “Mother Confessor?”

She studied Zedd’s face a moment before looking up at Richard. “Agreed. But Richard, the two of you will have to play the part of courtiers to the Mother Confessor. Zedd knows the protocol, but you don’t.”

“I hope not to be there long. Just tell me what I need to know to get by for a short time.”

Kahlan drew a deep breath. “Well, I guess the most important thing is to look like you are part of my escort, be . . . respectful.” She cleared her throat, diverting her eyes. “Just pretend like I am the most important person you have ever been around, and treat me in that manner, and no one will question. Every Confessor allows her attendants different liberties, and as long as you are deferential, no one will think anything of it if you should happen to do something not quite proper. Even if you think my behavior . . . odd, just play along. All right?”

Richard watched her a moment while she studied the ground. He rose to his feet. “It would be my honor, Mother Confessor.” He gave a bow.

Zedd cleared his throat. “A little deeper, my boy. You are not traveling with a mere Confessor. You are an escort to the Mother Confessor herself.”

“All right,” Richard sighed. “I’ll do my best. Now, get some sleep. I’ll take first watch.” He started walking toward the trees.

“Richard,” Zedd called after him. He stopped, turning back. “There are many in the Midlands who have magic. Many different, and dangerous types of magic. There is no telling what manner of sycophants Queen Milena has surrounded herself with. You pay attention to what Kahlan and I tell you, and do your best not to cross anyone. You may not know who, or what, her attendants are.”

Richard drew his cloak around himself. “In and out with minimum fuss. That’s what I want too. If all goes well, tomorrow at this time we will have the box and our only worry will be to find a hole to hide in until winter.”

“Good. You have it right, my boy. Good night.”

In a spot thin of brush, Richard found a moss-covered log to sit on while he kept an eye toward the camp and the surrounding woods. He checked to make sure the moss was dry. He didn’t want to sit in damp moss and then have wet pants to make him colder. The moss was dry, so he rearranged his sword, sat down, and wrapped his cloak tight. Clouds hid the moon. If it wasn’t for the fire lending the little illumination it did to the surrounding woods, it would be the kind of dark that made you think you were blind.