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  　‘What did it feel like?’

  　Richard shook his head a little. ‘The first time they were here, I thought I felt something pulling me to accept their offer, but I was so afraid of the collar, I paid it no attention. This time, it was much stronger. It was magic. The magic was trying to force me to say yes, to accept the offer from the Sisters. I just thought about the collar until the force left and I was able to say no.’

  　He looked up at her. ‘You have any idea what’s going on? What she was doing, and what Sister Verna did, with the fire, and the rest of it?’

  　Kahlan’s hand still tingled from the blue lightening. ‘Yes. The Sisters are sorceresses.’

  　Richard rose 【创建和谐家园】oothly to his feet. ‘Sorceresses.’ He watched her eyes for a long moment. ‘Why would they kill themselves when I said no?’

  　‘I think it is to pass their power on to the next Sister, to make her stronger for when they try again.’

  　He looked down at the body. ‘Why would I be so important, that they would kill themselves to get me?’

  　‘Maybe it is as they say. To help you.’

  　He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. ‘They don’t want one man, a stranger, to die, yet two of them have already died trying to get me to accept their help so a life wouldn’t be lost? How does that add up?’

  　‘I don’t know, Richard, but I’m so scared it hurts. I’m afraid they could be telling the truth: that you don’t have much time, and the headaches are killing you. I’m afraid you won’t be able to control them much longer.’ Her voice broke with emotion. ‘I don’t want to lose you.’

  　Richard slipped his arms around her. ‘It will be all right. I will bury her. The gathering will be in a few hours. Tomorrow we will be in Aydindril and then I will be safe. Zedd will know what to do.’

  　She could only nod against his shoulder.

  　CHAPTER 16

  　Kahlan sat naked in the circle with eight naked men. Richard was to her left, painted, as were she and the elders, with the black and white mud except in a 【创建和谐家园】all circle in the center of his chest. In the dim light coming from the 【创建和谐家园】all fire behind her, she could see the wild jumble of lines and swirls sweeping diagonally across his face. They all wore the same mask, so that the ancestors’ spirits might see them. She wondered if she looked as savage to him as he looked to her. The unfamiliar, acrid 【创建和谐家园】ell from the fire made her nose itch. None of the elders scratched their noses; they only stared at nothing and chanted sacred words to the spirits.

  　The door slammed shut by itself, making her jump.

  　The Bird Man’s distant eyes came up. ‘From now, until we are finished, near dawn, no one may go out, no one may come in. The door is barred by the spirits.’

  　Kahlan didn’t like the idea that, as Richard had said, this could be a trap. She squeezed his hand more tightly. He returned the squeeze. At least, she thought, she was with him. She hoped she could protect him. She hoped she could call the lightning if she had to.

  　The Bird Man fished out a frog and then passed the woven basket to the next elder. Kahlan stared at the skulls arranged in a circle in the center as each elder took a frog and began rubbing its back against the bare circle of skin on his chest. As they did so, each rolled his head back and chanted different words. Without looking over, Savidlin passed her the basket.

  　Closing her eyes, she reached inside and finally caught a squirming, kicking spirit frog. Its 【创建和谐家园】ooth, slimy skin was revolting. Swallowing hard, and taking a mental grip on her Confessor’s power to try to keep from releasing it unintentionally, she pressed the frog’s back to the skin between her breasts as she passed the basket to Richard.

  　Tingling tightness spread across her skin. She freed the frog and took up Richard’s hand once more as the walls began to waver, as if seen through heat and 【创建和谐家园】oke. Her mind tried in vain to hold on to the images of the spirit house around her. They drifted away as she felt herself spinning around the skulls.

  　Soft sensations caressed her skin. Light danced from the skulls in the center and filled her eyes. Sounds of the boldas and drums and chanting filled her ears. The pungent 【创建和谐家园】ell from the fire filled her lungs. As once before, the light from the center brightened, taking them into it, into the silken void, spinning them around.

  　And then there were shapes around them. Kahlan remembered them, too, from before: the ancestors’ spirits. She felt a gossamer touch on her shoulder: a hand; a spirit hand.

  　The Bird Man’s mouth moved, but it wasn’t his voice. It was the joined voices of the ancestors’ spirits, flat, hollow, dead.

  　‘Who calls this gathering?’

  　Kahlan leaned toward Richard, and whispered, ‘They want to know who calls this gathering.’

  　He nodded. ‘I do. I call this gathering.’

  　The touch left her shoulder and the spirits all floated from behind them into the center of the circle.

  　‘Speak your name.’ The echo of their voices sent ripples of pain along the skin of her arms. ‘Your full and true name. If you are certain that you wish this gathering, despite the danger, speak the request after your name. You get but this one warning.’

  　Richard stared at her translation. ‘Richard, please ...’

  　‘I have to.’ He looked back to the spirits in the center and took a deep breath. ‘I am Richard ...’ He swallowed and closed his eyes for a moment. ‘I am Richard Rahl, and I request this gathering.’

  　‘So be it,’ came the empty whispers.

  　The door to the spirit house crashed open.

  　Kahlan jumped with a little shriek. She felt Richard’s hand flinch, too. The doorway stood open, a black maw in the soft light around them. The elders all looked up, their eyes no longer glazed with the distant vision. They seemed confused, dazed.

  　The spirit voices came again, this time not through the elders, but from the center, from the spirits themselves. The sound of it was even more painful than before.

  　‘All but the one who calls the ancestors’ spirits may leave. Leave while you still can. Heed our warning. Those who remain behind with him risk forfeiting their souls.’ They turned as one to Richard. Their voices were a hiss. ‘ You may not leave.’

  　The elders’ frightened eyes flicked around to each other as she translated for Richard. Kahlan knew: this had never happened before.

  　‘Everyone out,’ Richard whispered. ‘Have everyone get out. I don’t want them hurt.’

  　Kahlan looked to the Bird Man’s worried eyes. ‘Please. All of you, leave now. While you can. We don’t want harm to come to any of you.’

  　The elders all looked to the Bird Man. He stared at her a moment, glanced at Richard, and then back to her.

  　‘I can offer you no guidance, child. This has never happened before. I don’t know what it means.’

  　Kahlan nodded. ‘I understand. Go now, before it is too late.’

  　Savidlin touched her shoulder, and then the elders vanished as they walked through the black void of the doorway. She sat in the quiet with Richard; with the spirits.

  　‘Kahlan, I want you out of here, too. Go. Now.’ His voice was calm, almost cold. Fear danced in his eyes. And magic.

  　She watched his face as he stared at the spirits.

  　‘No,’ she whispered. She turned once more to the center. ‘I will not leave you. Not for any reason. Though no words have been spoken over us, we are joined in our hearts, by my magic. We are one. What happens to one, happens to both. I am staying.’

  　Richard didn’t look over. He continued to stare at the spirits as they floated in the center of the room, above the skulls. She thought he would yell at her to leave. He didn’t. His voice came soft and gentle.

  　Thank you. I love you, Kahlan Amnell. Together, then.’

  　The door banged closed.

  　Kahlan jumped, and a little sound escaped from her throat before she could catch it. Her heart pounded in her ears. She tried to slow her breathing, but couldn’t. She swallowed instead.

  　The image of the spirits dimmed. ‘What you have called forth, Richard Rahl, we cannot stay to witness. We are sorry.’