Confessor: Chainfire Trilogy Part 3

She knew she was getting tangled up trying to make it understandable to Cara. Nicci didn't even fully grasp the nature of the underworld herself. "Let's just say that if he tried to come up somewhere else under the ice of the frozen lake, he couldn't break through. He needs to come back through that hole he cut, the hole he created into the underworld, through the gateway. Does that make any sense?"

"In a way, but it should have worked." She gestured to all the books lying open all over the table. "The two of you had it all figured out. Darken Rahl did it. There is no reason this wouldn't have worked just the same. There's no reason it shouldn't have worked for Richard just as well."

Nicci looked away from Cara's intent blue eyes. "Yes, there is."

Cara straightened. "What do you mean? What reason?"

"The beast."

Cara stared for a long moment. "The beast. You think the beast might have found him there, in the underworld?"

Nicci shook her head. "No. The beast found him here, in this world, as he drew the spell. When Richard finally went through that gateway he'd created, it was waiting and ready. The beast followed him into the underworld."

Cara's expression was somewhere between horrified and enraged. "But he would have fought it."

Nicci looked up from under her brow. "How?"

"I don't know. I'm no expert on such things."

"Neither is Richard. In the underworld it would be different than here. In the past he used his sword or the shields to stop it. When the beast appeared the last time, he was able to shoot it with one of those special arrows. What was he going to do to fight it in the underworld? He had to go naked. He had no weapons, no way to fight it."

Cara's expression tipped toward enraged. "Then why would you allow him to go?"

"He had already gone into the underworld when I saw the beast. It went down after him. There was simply no way to stop the beast or even to warn Richard."

"There had to be some way you could have stopped him."

Nicci stood. "Going to the underworld is something he had to do if he was to have had a chance to use the power of Orden. Without going he can't counter Chainfire and if he can't counter Chainfire we're all lost. Besides, I couldn't have stopped him if I wanted to."

Cara paced before the table. "But it's going to be the new moon in a few days. We're running out of time. There has to be something you can try. There has to be a chance that he's still trapped there, holding his breath. Lord Rahl has never given up on us. Lord Rahl would fight with his last breath for us."

Nicci nodded as she stepped around the table. "You're right. I'll go back to the Garden of Life and cast some calling spells."

She knew it was a silly idea. She knew that such a thing was not only impossible, but a waste of time. Still, she felt like she needed to do something or she would go mad, and it would at least make Cara feel better until the end came. Besides, what else was there to do, now.

"Good idea," Cara said. "Do some calling spells until you pull Lord Rahl back."

Out in the hallway, Nicci saw that in both directions it was blocked off by men of the First File. They each had a crossbow armed with a red-fletched bolt. It looked like the men were deliberately sealing off the library area.

Nicci saw the top of Nathan's head of white hair as he made his way through the dense wall of men. The prophet finally stepped through all the soldiers. Spotting Nicci, he immediately headed toward her.

His face looked more than grim. Just seeing the look on his face made Nicci's mouth go dry.

"Nathan, what is it?" she asked as he came to an abrupt halt before her.

His azure eyes looked tired. "I'm sorry, Nicci, but this is the only way."

Nicci blinked in confusion. She glanced briefly to the soldiers standing shoulder-to-shoulder across the hallway. They, too, looked bleak about being there.

"What is the only way?" she asked.

He looked away from her eyes to wipe a weary hand across his face. "Richard and I had an earnest talk before he left on his dangerous journey. He told me that if he failed to return I should do what must be done to save the people here from the horrors Jagang would set loose upon them. Without Richard, prophecy says that we will lose in this final battle."

"We have always known that."

"I know a thing or two about going to the underworld, Nicci. I am familiar with the spell-forms he used. I've been up to the Garden of Life. I've studied the things he did. Richard got it all correct. It should have worked."

"The beast chased him into the underworld," Cara said.

Nathan sighed heavily, but didn't look all too surprised. "I figured it had to be something like that. The thing is, I've studied the methods Richard used."

Cara appeared hopeful that the prophet could offer an answer that Nicci couldn't provide. "Good. Have you figured out a way to get him back from the underworld? Nicci's going to cast calling webs. Maybe you could help her. The two of you together ..."