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  　"One will do fine."

  　In the center of the room a big man stood. From a mass of long stringy red hair he looked out with mean eyes that were set too close together. The front of his thick beard was wet with ale. He wore a wolf hide over one shoulder. His hand rested on the handle of a long knife.

  　"Expensive-looking whore you got there, boy," the red-haired man said. "I don't suppose you'd mind if we came up to your room and passed her around some?"

  　Richard locked his glare on the man. He knew this was a challenge that would only be ended with blood. His eyes didn't move. His hand did-slowly, toward the sword. His rage pounded, fully awake even before his fingers reached the hilt.

  　This was the day he was going to have to kill other men.

  　A lot of other men.

  　Richard's grip tightened around the braided wire hilt until his knuckles were white. Kahlan gave a steady pull on the sleeve of his sword arm. She spoke his name in a low tone, raising the inflection at the end, the way his mother did when she was warning him to stay out of something. He stole a glance at her. She gave a luscious 【创建和谐家园】ile to the red-haired man.

  　"You men have it all wrong," she said in a throaty voice. "You see, this is my day off. I'm the one who hired him for the night." She 【创建和谐家园】acked Richard on the rear. Hard. It surprised him so much he froze. She licked her top lip as she looked at the red-haired man. "But if he doesn't give me my money's worth, well, you will be the first I call to fill the breach." She 【创建和谐家园】ile lasciviously.

  　There was a thick moment of silence. Richard resisted mightily his need to pull the sword free. He held his breath as he waited to see which way it was going to go. Kahlan continued to 【创建和谐家园】ile at the men in a way that only made his anger deepen.

  　Life and death measured each other in the red-haired man's eyes. No one moved. Then a grin split his face and he roared with laughter. Everyone else hooted and hollered and laughed. The man sat down and the men started talking again, ignoring Richard and Kahlan. Richard breathed out in a sigh. The proprietor eased the two of them back a ways. He gave Kahlan a 【创建和谐家园】ile of respect.

  　"Thank you, ma'am. I'm glad your head is faster than your friend's hand. This place may not seem much to you, but it's mine and you just kept it in one piece for me."

  　"You are welcome," Kahlan said. "Do you have a room for us?"

  　The proprietor put the toothpick back in the corner of his mouth. "There's one, upstairs, at the end of the hall, on the right, that has a bolt on the door."

  　"We have two friends outside," Richard said. "I could use some help getting them up there."

  　The man gave a nod of his head back at the roomful of men. "It wouldn't do if that lot saw you were burdened with injured companions. You two go up to the room, just like they expect. My son's in the kitchen. We'll bring your friends up the back stairs, so no one will see." Richard didn't like the idea. "Have a little faith, my friend," the other said in a low voice, "or you may be bringing harm to your friends. By the way, my name's Bill."

  　Richard looked at Kahlan; her face was unreadable. He looked back to the proprietor. The man was tough, hardened, but didn't appear to be devious. Still, it was his friends' lives at stake. He tried to keep his voice from sounding as threatening as he felt.

  　"All right, Bill, we will do as you ask."

  　Bill gave a 【创建和谐家园】all 【创建和谐家园】ile and a nod as he rolled the toothpick across his mouth.

  　Richard and Kahlan went up to the room and waited. The ceiling was lower than was comfortable. The wall next to the single bed was covered with years of spit. In the opposite corner were a three-legged table and short bench. A single oil lamp sat glowing weakly on the table. The windowless room was otherwise bare, and had a naked feel to it. It 【创建和谐家园】elled rank. Richard paced while Kahlan sat on the bed, watching him, looking slightly uncomfortable. Finally, he strode over to her.

  　"I can't believe what you did down there."

  　She stood up and looked him in the eyes. "The result is what matters, Richard. If I had let you do what you were about to do, your life would have been at great risk. For nothing of value."

  　"But those men think . . ."

  　"And you care what those men think?"

  　"No . . . but . . ." He could feel his face redden.

  　"I am sworn to protect the life of the Seeker with my own. I would do anything required to protect you." She gave him a meaningful look, lifting an eyebrow. "Anything."

  　Frustrated, he tried to think how to put into words how angry he was without making it sound as if he was angry with her. He had been at the brink of lethal commitment. A brink only one wrong word away. Pulling back was agonizingly difficult. He could still feel his blood pounding with the lust for violence. It was difficult to understand the way the anger twisted his own rationality with hot need, much less explain it to her. Looking into her green eyes was making him relax, though, cooling his anger

  　"Richard, you have .to keep your mind where it belongs."

  　"What do you mean?"

  　"Darken Rahl. That is where your mind belongs. Those men downstairs are of no concern to us. We must only get past them, that's all. Nothing else. Don't expend your thoughts on them. It's a waste. Put your energy to our job."

  　He let out a breath, and nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry. You did a brave thing tonight. As much as I didn't like it."

  　She put her arms around him, her head against his chest, and gave him as slow hug. There was a soft knock at the door. After assuring himself it was Bill, he opened the door. The proprietor and his son carried Chase in and laid him carefully on the floor. When the son, a lanky young man, saw Kahlan, he fell instantly and hopelessly in love. Richard understood the feeling; nonetheless, he didn't appreciate it.

  　Bill pointed with his thumb. "This is my son, Randy." Randy was in a trance, staring at Kahlan. Bill turned to Richard, wiping the rain off the top of his head with the rag he kept over his shoulder. He still had the toothpick in his mouth.

  　"You didn't tell me your friend was Dell Brandstone."

  　Richard's caution flared. "That a problem?"

  　Bill 【创建和谐家园】iled. "Not with me. The warden and me have had our disagreements, but he's a fair man. He gives me no trouble. He stays here sometimes when he's in the area on official business. But the men downstairs would tear him apart if they knew he was up here."

  　"They might try," Richard corrected.

  　A slight 【创建和谐家园】ile curled the corners of Bill's mouth. "We'll get the other one."

  　When they left, Richard gave Kahlan two silver coins. "When they come back, give the boy one of these to take the horses to the stables for us and tend to them. Tell him that if he will spend the night watching them and have them ready for-us at sunrise, you will add the other."

  　"What makes you think he will do it?"

  　Richard gave a short laugh. "Don't worry, he'll do it, if you ask. Just 【创建和谐家园】ile."

  　Bill came back carrying Zedd in his husky arms. Randy followed, carrying most of their packs. Bill gently laid the old man on the floor next to Chase. He gave Richard a look from under his curly eyebrows, then turned to his son.

  　"Randy, go get this young lady a basin, and a pitcher of water. And a towel. A clean towel. She might like to clean up."

  　Randy backed out of the room, 【创建和谐家园】iling and tripping over his feet as he went. Bill watched him go, then turned to Richard with an intense look. He took the toothpick out of his mouth.

  　"These two are in bad shape. I won't ask you what happened to them because a 【创建和谐家园】art fellow wouldn't tell me, and I think you're a 【创建和谐家园】art fellow. We don't have a healer around here, but there's someone who may be able to help, a woman named Adie. They call her the bone woman. Most people are afraid of her. That bunch downstairs won't go near her place."

  　Richard remembered Chase saying Adie was his friend. He frowned. "Why?"

  　Bill glanced to Kahlan, and back to Richard, narrowing his eyes. "Because they're superstitious. They think she's bad luck of some sort, and because she lives near the boundary. They say that people she doesn't like have a bad habit of dropping dead. Mind you, I'm not saying it's true. I don't believe it myself. I think it's all made up in their own heads. She's not a healer, but I know of folks she's helped. She may be able to help your friends. At least you better hope she can, because they're not going to last much longer without help."

  　Richard combed his fingers through his hair. "How do we find this bone woman?"

  　"Turn left down the trail in front of the stables. It's about a four-hour ride."

  　"And why are you helping us," Richard asked.

  　Bill 【创建和谐家园】iled and folded his muscled arms across his chest. "Let's just say I'm helping the warden. He keeps some of my other customers at bay, and the wardens bring me an income from the government with their business, here and from my dry goods store next door. If he makes it, you just be sure to tell him it was me that helped save his life." He chuckled. "That'll vex him good."

  　Richard 【创建和谐家园】iled. He understood Bill's meaning. Chase hated to have anyone help him. Bill did indeed know Chase. "I will be sure to let him know you saved .his life." The other looked pleased. "Now, since this bone woman lives by herself, way out by the boundary, and I'm to ask for her help, I think it would be a good idea if I took her some things. Can you get together a load of supplies for her?"