Confessor: Chainfire Trilogy Part 3

Cara put both hands on the desk and leaned in with a cunning grin. "The crypt staff. Darken Rahl had people who took care of the tombs- took care of his father's tomb, anyway."

"What's this about the tombs?" Berdine asked as she strolled into the room.

Nyda, a tall, blond, blue-eyed Mord-Sith, was with her. Verna saw Adie bringing up the rear.

"It just occurred to me that the crypt staff would know about the tombs," Cara said.

Berdine nodded. "You're probably right. Some of the writing down in the tombs is in High D'Haran, so Darken Rahl sometimes took me with him down there to help him with things he was having difficulty translating.

"Darken Rahl was quite picky about how his father's tomb was cared for. He had people put to death for failing to properly care for the place. His father's tomb, anyway."

"It's just stone vaults." Verna was incredulous. "There's nothing down there-no furniture, drapes, or carpeting. What is there to be picky about?"

Berdine rested a hip against the desk as she folded her arms and leaned in as if she was full of gossip.

"Well, for one thing he insisted that fresh white roses always fill the vases. They had to be pure white. He also demanded that the torches always be kept burning. The crypt staff was not suppose to allow a rose petal to remain on the floor, or a torch that went out to go cold without being replaced with a fresh, burning one.

"If Darken Rahl was visiting his father's crypt and he saw a rose petal on the floor, or if one of the torches burned out, he would get furious. People on the crypt staff were beheaded for such infractions, so, as you can imagine, they were quite attentive to their duties down there. They would be familiar with the place."

"Then we need to go have a talk with the crypt staff," Verna said.

"You can try," Berdine said, "but I don't think they will have much to say."

Verna stood. "Why not?"

"Darken Rahl feared that they might speak ill of his dead father while down in the crypt"-Berdine made a snipping motion with two fingers- "so he had their tongues cut out."

"Dear Creator," Verna muttered as she touched her fingers to her forehead. "That man was a monster."

"Darken Rahl is long dead," Cara said, "but the crypt staff must still be around. They would know the place better than anyone." She started for the door. "Let's go see what we can find out."

"I think you're right," Verna said as she made her way around the desk. "If we're able to get any information out of them it will at least settle the matter. If there really is anything wrong down there we need to know about it. If not, then we need to put our efforts elsewhere."

Adie caught Verna's arm. "I only came to tell you that I be leaving."

Verna blinked in surprise. "Leaving? Why?"

"It has been troubling me that there be no one at the Wizard's Keep.

What if Richard goes there seeking our help? He will need to know what be happening. He will need to know that the Keep be shut down. He will need to know what Nicci has done by putting the boxes in play in his name. He will need to know about Ann and Nicci vanishing. He may even need gifted help. There should be someone there if he shows up at the Keep."

Verna gestured off to the west before staring into Adie's completely white eyes. "But the Keep is closed up. Where would you stay?"

Adie's broad smile pushed aside a network of fine wrinkles. "Aydindril be deserted. The Confessors' Palace be empty. I will hardly want for a roof. Besides, I be at home in the woods, not in this"-she waggled a finger at her surroundings-"this place. It weakens my gift the same as any other gifted person but a Rahl. I have difficulty using my gift here so that I might see. It be uncomfortable for me here. I would rather do something than sit here, useless in the darkness this place imposes."

"You are hardly useless," Verna objected. "You helped with a number of things we found in the books."

Adie held up a hand to silence her. "You would have figured it out without me. I be useless here. I be an old woman who be underfoot."

"That's hardly true, Adie. All of the Sisters value your knowledge. They've told me so."

"Maybe, but I would feel better if I felt I had a purpose rather than wandering around this, this"-she again gestured vaguely around her-"great stone maze."

Verna sadly relented. "I understand."

"I'll miss you," Berdine said.

Adie nodded. "True. And I shall miss you, too, child, and the talks we've had."

Cara cast a suspicious look at Berdine but said nothing.

Adie reached out and gripped Nyda's shoulder. "Nyda be here for you."

"Don't worry, I'll keep her company," Nyda said as she gazed at Berdine. "I won't let her get lonely."

Berdine smiled appreciatively at Nyda and nodded to Adie.

"We're surrounded by more enemy men than stars in the sky," Cara said. "How do you expect that a blind woman is going to get through all of them?"

Adie pursed her lips as she gathered her thoughts. "Richard Rahl be a smart man, hmm?"