Confessor: Chainfire Trilogy Part 3

Rather than break apart, though, Richard's team remained tightly packed together as they charged right up the middle of the field. The few dispersed players left within range to intercept them were mowed down by the full weight of the team. The minor defense of first two, followed by a third defender, didn't slow Richard's men at all. The other team, suddenly realizing what was happening, took up the pursuit. They were too late. Richard steered his men to the right goal.

As he reached the scoring zone and his men fell back into a protective shield, Richard threw the broc. He watched it in the torchlight as it arced through the night air and then went in. The crowd erupted in cheering. The horn blew, signaling the end of the play.

The referee at center field announced the score, one for the champions-Jagang's team-and two for the challengers.

But then, before the referee had finished with the announcement and the hourglass was turned over, Richard saw him turn to something on the sidelines. It was Jagang. He was in the area that had been roped off for him. Nicci was at his side. Kahlan stood back a short distance. Jillian was with her.

As everyone waited, the referee went to the sideline and listened to the emperor a moment. He nodded and returned to center field, where he announced that the second score was ruled to have gone in after the horn blew, so it didn't count. The score, the referee announced in a loud voice, was tied.

Part of the crowd yelled in anger, while others screamed with joy at their fortune.

Richard's men started shouting angry objections, disputing the call. Richard strode in front of them. The noise of the uproar of the crowd was so loud that he feared his men wouldn't be able to hear him, so he pulled a thumb across his throat, cutting off their objections.

"You can't change it!" he yelled at them. "Settle down! Focus!"

They stopped protesting but they weren't happy. Richard wasn't, either, but he knew that he couldn't do anything about it. It had been the order of the emperor, after all, that had reversed their goal. Richard was going to have to alter his plans.

"We need to stop these men," he said as he paced in front of his team. "When it's our turn again, go to play two-five." He showed them first two fingers, then five. Men nodded. "You can't stop what just happened, but you can stop them from scoring. Then we can run our play and get back what was taken unfairly. Stop fixating on what's done and over and put your minds ahead to what we must do."

His men all nodded as they formed up, preparing for the other team's charge. They were still angry but now they were ready to focus that anger on the other team.

The charge by the emperor's team was sloppy. They were still caught up in the jubilation over their reversal of fortune. In a bone-crushing impact their point man was shaken by a coordinated block. Richard was proud of his men for the way they turned their anger around and made use of it.

In the furious struggle after the collision Johnrock came up with the broc. He tossed it to Bruce when the men chasing him got close. Bruce in turn passed the broc to Richard. Richard ran up the field and, to the delight of the crowd, used all his strength to throw from the two-point line. The broc went in. It didn't count, of course, but the crowd roared as if it had. The cheers shook the ground. It was vindication for the stolen goal. It was as close to snubbing his nose at Jagang as Richard could come.

Their supporters in the crowd started chanting, "Four to one! Four to one! Four to one!"

The score was still officially one to one, but in the view of those who were cheering it was now four to one.

On their next charge, when the point man for the emperor's team ran into the scoring zone and threw the broc, one of Richard's men leaped up high and managed to deflect the broc just enough to cause it to go wide and miss the goal. When the horn blew, the score remained one to one.

On their first play, Richard was almost to the scoring zone when he was tackled. The man caught his legs in a viselike grip. As Richard hit the ground, he tossed the broc in Johnrock's direction. Johnrock scooped it up just before a man on the other team was able to grab it.

Johnrock reached the scoring zone and threw. From the ground Richard watched as the broc went into the net, scoring a point.

Johnrock, overjoyed, waved both hands high in the air as he jumped up and down like a boy. The crowd loved it. Richard couldn't help smiling as he untangled himself from his tackier, who delivered a painful punch in Richard's back just before parting. Richard didn't take the bait. He knew better than to let himself be drawn into a fight when the broc wasn't in play.

As he caught up with Johnrock and they ran together back toward the starting zone for their next run, Richard clapped his wing man on the shoulder.

"You did good, Johnrock," Richard yelled over the cheering.

"I brought us glory!"