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  　“The Palace of the Prophets has once again been set back to the way it is meant to be. This prophecy was the final, condemning piece of evidence. It proved the duplicity in your actions, and revealed your true intent. Fortunately, we were able to act before you could bring the prophecy to fruition. You have failed."

  　"You know none of that is true."

  　"Warren's prophecy proves your guilt. It names you a false Prelate, and reveals your plans to destroy the Palace of the Prophets." Her 【创建和谐家园】ile returned. "It created quite a stir when it was read before the tribunal. Quite a condemning piece of 'hard evidence,' I would say."

  　"You vile beast. I will see you dead."

  　“I would expect no less from one such as you. Fortunately, you are in no position to make good on your threats."

  　Looking up into Leoma's eyes, Verna kissed her ring finger. "Why don't you kiss your finger, Sister Leoma, and beseech the Creator's help in this time of trouble for the Palace of the Prophets?"

  　Wearing a mocking 【创建和谐家园】ile, Leoma spread her hands. "The palace has no trouble, now, Verna."

  　"Kiss your finger, Leoma, and show the beloved Creator your solicitude for the well-being of the Sisters of the Light."

  　Leoma didn't bring her hand to her lips. She couldn't, and Verna knew it. "I have not come here to pray to the Creator."

  　"Of course not, Leoma. You and I both know that you're a Sister of the Dark, as is the new Prelate. Ulicia is the false Prelate in the prophecy."

  　Leoma shrugged. "You, Verna, are the first Sister ever to be convicted of such a high crime. There is no longer any doubt. The conviction cannot be overturned."

  　"We're alone, Leoma. No one can hear us behind all those shields, except, of course, one with Subtractive Magic, and you've no need to fear those ears. None of the true Sisters of the Light can hear anything we say. If I tried to tell anyone anything you might have to say, no one would believe me.

  　"So let's drop the pretense, Leoma; we both know the truth."

  　A 【创建和谐家园】all 【创建和谐家园】ile spread onto Leoma's lips. "Go on."

  　Verna took a calming breath and folded her hands in her lap. "You haven't

  　killed me, as Ulicia killed Prelate Annalina. You wouldn't have bothered to go through this whole sham if you intended to kill me; you could have killed me in my office. You obviously want something. What is it?"

  　Leoma chuckled. "Ah, Verna, you always were one to cut right to the heart of the matter. You're not very old, but I must admit, you are a 【创建和谐家园】art one."

  　"Yes, I'm just brilliant; that's why I'm sitting here. What is it your master, the Keeper, wants you to get from me?"

  　Leoma pursed her lips. "At the moment, we serve another master. It is what he wants that is important."

  　Verna frowned. "Jagang? You've given an oath to him, too?"

  　Leoma's gaze darted away for an instant. "Not exactly, but that's beside the point. Jagang wants things, and he shall have them. It's my duty to see to it that he gets what he wants."

  　"And what is it you want from me?"

  　"You must forsake your loyalty to Richard Rahl."

  　"You're dreaming, if you think I'll do that."

  　An ironic 【创建和谐家园】ile came to Leoma's face. "Yes, I have been dreaming, but that, too, is beside the point. You must give up your bond to Richard."

  　"Why?"

  　"Richard has a way of interfering with the emperor's control of events. You see, loyalty to Richard blocks Jagang's power. He wishes to see if this loyalty can be broken so diat he can enter your mind. It's an experiment, of sorts. It's my task to convince you to forsake that loyalty."

  　"I'll do no such thing. You can't make me abandon my fidelity to Richard."

  　Leoma's 【创建和谐家园】ile turned grim as she nodded. "Oh, yes, I can, and I will. I have a great deal of motivation. Before Jagang finally arrives to establish his headquarters here, I will break the bond to his enemy."

  　"How? By cutting off my Han? You think that will break my will?"

  　"You forget so easily, Verna? You forget the other uses the Rada'Han has? You forget the test of pain? Sooner or later, you will be on your knees begging to swear fidelity to the emperor.

  　"You make a grave mistake if you think I will balk at such a gruesome task. You make a grave mistake if you forget what I am, or think I have an ounce of sympathy. We have weeks yet, before Jagang arrives. We have all the time we need. Those weeks under the test will seem like years to you, until you submit, but submit you will."

  　Verna stiffened. She had forgotten the test of pain. She felt the constriction of terror rising in her throat again. She had seen it done to young men in a Rada'Han, of course, but it was never done for more than an hour, with years between tests.

  　Leoma stepped closer and kicked the cup of water aside.

  　"Shall we begin, Sister Verna?"

  　CHAPTER 43

  　Richard winced when he saw the boy knocked senseless. Some of the bystanders pulled him aside, and another boy took his place. Even from behind the high window in the Confessors' Palace, he could hear the cheers from the crowd of children watching the boys play the game he had seen children in Tanimura playing: Ja'La.

  　In his homeland of Westland, he had never heard of Ja'La, but children in the Midlands played it just as did those in the Old World. The spirited game was fast-paced and looked exciting, but he didn't think children should have to pay the price of having their teeth knocked out for the fun of a game.

  　"Lord Rahl?" Ulic called. "Lord Rahl, are you here?"

  　Richard turned from the window and let the comforting shroud go as he flung the black mriswith cape back over his shoulders.

  　"Yes, Ulic. What is it?"

  　The big guard strode into the room when he saw Richard seem to appear out of the air. He was used to the sight. "There's a Keltish general here asking to see you. General Baldwin."

  　Richard touched his fingertips to his forehead as his mind searched. "Baldwin, Baldwin." He looked up. "General Baldwin. Yes, I remember. He's the commander of all Keltish forces. We sent him a letter about Kelton's surrender. What does he want?''

  　Ulic shrugged. "He would say only that he wants to speak with Lord Rahl."

  　Richard turned to the window, pushing the heavy gold drape back with a hand as he idly leaned against the painted window casing. He watched a boy doubled over, recovering from a hit with the broc. The boy straightened and went back to the play.

  　"How many men accompanied the general to Aydindril?"

  　"A 【创建和谐家园】all guard of five, maybe six hundred."

  　"He was told that Kelton had surrendered. If he meant trouble, he wouldn't march into Aydindril with so few men. I guess I had better see him." He turned back to the attentive Ulic. "Berdine is busy. Have Cara and Raina escort the general in."

  　Ulic clapped a fist to his heart and started to turn away, but turned back when Richard called his name. "Have the men found anything more at the bottom of the mountain below the Keep?"

  　"No, Lord Rahl, nothing more than all those parts of mriswith. The snow at the base of that cliff is drifted so deep that it will be spring, when it melts, before we can discover what else fell from the Keep. The wind could have carried whatever fell anywhere, and the soldiers have no idea where in that vast tract to dig. The

  　mriswith arms and claws they found were light enough so that they didn't drive under the snow. Anything heavier could have gone down ten, maybe twenty feet in that light, windblown fluff."

  　Richard nodded in disappointment. "One other thing. The palace must have seamstresses. Find the head seamstress and ask her to please come see me."

  　Richard pulled his black mriswith cape around himself without really thinking about what he was doing, and went back to watching the Ja'La game. He was impatient for Kahlan and Zedd to arrive. It shouldn't be long, now. They must be close. Surely Gratch had found them and they would all be together soon.

  　He heard Cora's voice behind him, at the door. "Lord Rahl?"

  　Richard turned, letting the cape fall open as he relaxed. Standing tall between the two Mord-Sith was a sturdily built older man with a white-flecked dark mustache, the ends of which grew down to the bottom of his jaw, and graying black hair growing down over his ears. His pate shone through where his hair was thinning.

  　He wore a heavy, semicircular serge cape, richly lined with green silk and fastened on one shoulder with two buttons. A tall, embroidered collar was turned down over a tan surcoat decorated with a heraldic emblem slashed through with a diagonal black line dividing a yellow and blue shield. The man's high boots covered his knees. Long black gauntlets, their flared cuffs lying over the front, were tucked through a wide belt set with an ornate buckle.

  　As Richard became visible before his eyes, the general's face paled and he lurched to a halt.

  　Richard bowed. “General Baldwin, I'm pleased to meet you. I am Richard Rahl."

  　The general at last regained his composure and returned the bow. "Lord Rahl, I am honored that you would see me on such short notice."

  　Richard gestured. "Cara, please bring a chair for the general. He must be weary from hts travel."

  　After Cara had placed a simple tufted leather chair before the table, and the general had seated himself, Richard sat in his own chair behind the table. "What can I do for you. General Baldwin?"

  　The general glanced up at Raina standing behind his left shoulder, and Cara behind his right. Both women stood relaxed and silent with their hands clasped behind their backs, sending the unequivocal message that they had no intention of going anywhere.

  　"You may speak freely, General. I trust these two to watch over me when I sleep."

  　He took a breath and seemed to relax a bit, accepting the assurance. "Lord Rahl, I've come about the queen."

  　Richard had thought that might be it. He folded his hands on the table. "I'm very sorry about what happened, General."

  　The general rested an arm on the table as he leaned in. "Yes, I've heard about the mriswith. I saw some of the loathsome beasts on the pikes outside."

  　Richard had to stop himself when he almost said that they might be beasts, but they weren't loathsome. A mriswith, after all, had killed Cathryn Lumholtz as she was about to murder him, but the general wasn't likely to understand, so Richard kept it to himself, and said instead, "I deeply regret that your queen was killed while under my roof."

  　The general flipped his hand di【创建和谐家园】issively. "I meant no imputation, Lord Rahl. What I mean is that I've come about Kelton being without a king or queen, now thai Cathryn Lumholtz is dead. She was the last successor to the throne, and with her sudden death, it presents a problem."

  　Richard kept his voice friendly, but official "What sort of problem? You are part of us, now."

  　The man distorted his features in an offhanded expression, "Yes, we received the surrender documents. But the queen who led us is now dead. While she was in power, she acted within her authority, but we find ourselves at a loss as to how to proceed."

  　Richard frowned. "You mean you need a new queen, or king?"

  　He shrugged apologetically. "It is our way to have a monarch lead our people. Even if it's only symbolic, now that we've surrendered to the union with D'Hara, it gives the Keltish people esteem to have a king or queen. Without one the people feel that they are no more than nomads, without roots—without anything in common to tie them together.

  　"Since there is no Lumholtz in line of succession, one of the other Houses could come to the fore. None has the right to claim the throne, but one could eventually win the right, A contested throne could cause a civil war, though."

  　"I see," Richard said. "You realize, of course, that whoever you choose for your king or queen doesn't make any difference as far as your surrender is concerned. The surrender is irrevocable."

  　"It's not so simple. That's why I've come to seek your help."

  　"How can I help?"

  　The general kneaded his chin. "You see, Lord Rahl, Queen Cathryn surrendered Kelton to you, but now she's dead. Until we have a new monarch, we are your subjects. You are the equivalent of our king until a true monarch is named. However, if one of these Houses ascends to the throne, it could be that they see it differently."

  　Richard kept his tone from sounding as threatening as he felt. "I don't care how they see it. That river has been crossed."

  　The general waggled his hand as if to implore patience. "I think the future lies with you, Lord Rahl. The problem is that if the wrong House finally comes to the throne, they might have different ideas. Quite frankly, I would never have thought that the House of Lumholtz would have chosen to go with you and D'Hara. You must have been very persuasive to make the queen see reason.

  　"Some of these dukes and duchesses are talented at playing games of power, but not at what is in the best interest of all. These duchies are almost sovereign, and their subjects bow only to a monarch. There are those who would speak persuasively for Kelton to heed the word of the Crown, and not D'Hara, should one of the wrong Houses come to the throne and declare the surrender invalid. Civil war would be the result.

  　"I'm a soldier, and view events with a soldier's eyes. A soldier likes least of all fighting in a civil war. I have men from every duchy. Civil war would tear the unity of the army apart, destroy us, and leave us vulnerable to true enemies."

  　Richard filled the silence. "I'm listening, go on."

  　"As I said, as a man who understands the value of unity, of unified authority,

  　I think the future lies with you. Right now, until there is a new ruler on the throne you are the law,"

  　General Baldwin leaned sideways against the table and lowered his voice meaningfully. "Since you are the law at the moment, if you were to name a king or queen, then that would settle the matter. See what I mean? The Houses would be obligated to honor the new ruler, and go with you, if the new ruler says it is to be as has already been done."

  　Richard squinted. "You make it sound like a game, General. Moving this piece on the board to block an opposing piece before the opponent has his turn to take your marker."

  　He 【创建和谐家园】oothed down his mustache. "It's your move, Lord Rahl."

  　Richard leaned back in his chain. "T see." He thought a moment, not knowing how he was going to get out of this. Maybe he could ask the general's advice as to which House would be loyal. He didn't think that would be wise, though, trusting a man who just walked in and announced his intent to help. It could be a ruse.

  　He glanced at Cara, who stood to the side behind the general. Her shoulders were hunched and her face wore a silent, confounded expression. When he moved his gaze to Raina, she signaled that she, too, didn't have any suggestions.

  　Richard rose and went to the window, staring out at the people in the city. He wished Kahlan were here. She knew all about this kind of thing: the ways of royalty and rulers. This taking-over-the-Midlands business was constantly proving more complicated than he had expected.

  　He could simply order this nonsense stopped, and send in D'Haran troops to enforce his orders, but that would waste valuable men taking care of what should already be settled. He could leave the matter until later, but he needed Kelton to remain loyal—other lands' surrender hinged on Kelton. He already had Kelton, but if he made a mistake, all his plans could end in ashes.

  　Richard wished Kahlan would hurry up and get to Aydindril. She could tell him what he needed to do. Perhaps he could stall until she and Zedd arrived, and with her advice, do the right thing. She should be here soon. But would it be soon enough?

  　Kahlan, what should I do?

  　Kahlan.

  　Richard turned back to the waiting general. "Since Kelton needs a monarch to stand as a symbol of hope and leadership of all Keltish people, I shall name one for you."

  　The general waited expectantly.

  　"By my authority as Master of D'Hara, to whom Kelton owes its allegiance, I name your queen.

  　"From this day forward, Kahlan Amnell is the Queen of Kellon."