Confessor: Chainfire Trilogy Part 3

The man gestured dismissively. "The boxes predate the Garden of Life. There is nothing that says they must be opened in such a place-a containment field, as my Sisters explained it. My Sisters, as well as Six, also advised me that while the Garden of Life was built as a containment field specific to the boxes of Orden, the boxes can still be opened from right where they are."

Richard glared at the man before him. "Without the specific containment field offered by the Garden of Life it would be extremely dangerous to attempt to open one of the boxes. Any number of otherwise inconsequential errors would risk destroying the world of life."

Jagang again smiled a very wicked smile. "This world, this life, is transient. It is the next world that matters. Destroying this vile, wretched world, this miserable life, would be doing the Creator a great service. Those of us who have served His cause through the Fellowship of Order will be rewarded in that eternal afterlife. Those of you who have opposed us will fall into the eternal darkness beneath the Keeper. Ending this wretched world in the cause of saving it would be a noble act worthy of great reward.

"So, you see, Richard Rahl, in this round of Ja'La dh Jin I am going to win it all, one way or the other. I am merely offering you the chance to decide how you wish it to end."

The wind carried a sheet of dust past as Richard watched the man. He knew from the things he'd studied, and the things that Nicci had told him, that Jagang wasn't bluffing about being able to open the boxes without the Garden of Life. He also knew how dangerous it would be. Unfortunately, he also knew that the Order didn't really care if all life ended. They valued death, not life. Even if they could somehow eliminate Jagang it would make no difference, really. He represented the beliefs of the Order, he did not shape them.

In the end, he was hardly the most dangerous part of the Order. It was the evil beliefs the Fellowship of Order taught that were dangerous. Jagang was merely the brute who enforced those beliefs.

"I don't know that I can make such a decision immediately."

"I understand. I will give you some time to think it over. Some time to walk the halls of the palace and look into the eyes of those women and children under your care."

Richard nodded. "This is the kind of thing I will have to think about. There is much to consider. It will take time."

The man smiled. "Of course. Take your time. I give you a few weeks. I will give you until the new moon."

The man started to turn away, but then turned back. "Oh, one other thing." His dark gaze slid to Nicci. "You will have to surrender Nicci to me as part of the bargain. She belongs with me. She must be given back."

"What if she doesn't want to return to your side?"

"Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. It doesn't matter what she wants. She is to be returned to me. Is that clear enough?"

"yes."

"Good," he said with a condescending smile. "That concludes our talk, then. You have until the new moon to surrender the palace-and Nicci."

The man turned to gaze out at the army spread out below; then he walked woodenly to the edge of the planks and, without a word, stepped out into space. He didn't even scream as he tumbled down through the buffeting updrafts.

Jagang wanted Richard to understand just how little he cared about life, and how easily he was willing to take it.

Verna and Cara started shouting objections and angry arguments.

Richard held up a hand. "Not now. I have things I must do."

He signaled to the bridge crew. "Raise the bridge," he called out on his way up the road as he met them on their way back down.

Fists clapped to hearts in salute.

CHAPTER 53

In the flickering torchlight, lost in deep concentration, Richard used his finger to draw the next element in the sorcerer's sand. Running through the words silently to himself first, he finally looked up to the dark windows, then began murmuring the incantations aloud in High D'Haran.

Through the leaded windows, in his distant awareness, he saw the moonlight. Only the day before, Jagang had given him until the new moon to surrender the palace. That moonlight would day by day continue to dwindle until they were enveloped in complete darkness.

Richard had listened to Verna, General Meiffert, and Cara's strong sentiment that they should not surrender. Verna thought that surrender would be giving moral sanction to criminal beliefs and they should fight such evil to the death; General Meiffert thought that it was little more than a trick and it would be foolish to believe Jagang would keep his word, so they should never surrender; Cara thought that they were going to die one way or the other, so they might as well fight to the death and in the process kill as many of the enemy as possible. Nathan and Nicci had only listened to the arguments, undecided on whether it would be best to surrender or fight.