Confessor: Chainfire Trilogy Part 3

Why was a Confessor central in it all? Was it because a Confessor was central to the boxes of Orden if one of the copies of The Book of Counted Shadows was used? Or was he just imagining it? Was he just thinking that a Confessor was central because Kahlan was a Confessor and she was central in his life?

Just the thought of Kahlan sent his mind off track and racked him with anguish. Having to keep from telling her all the things he so desperately wanted to tell her was crushing his heart. Having to keep from taking her in his arms and kissing her was killing him. He just wanted to hold her tight.

But he knew that if he destroyed the sterile field of her mind, then there was no chance for the power of Orden to restore her to who she was. He had to remain distant and vague.

What terrified him the most was the thought that it was too late, that Samuel had already tainted that sterile field.

He could feel Kahlan walking beside him. He recognized the sound of her footsteps, the scent of her, the presence of her. One instant he was overjoyed that he had her back, and the next he was panicked that he was going to lose her.

He had to stop letting his mind drift to the problem and focus instead on the solution. He had to find the answer.

If there really was an answer.

"Master Rahl guide us. Master Rahl teach us. Master Rahl protect us. In your light we thrive. In your mercy we are sheltered. In your wisdom we are humbled. We live only to serve. Our lives are yours."

All these people would die unless he helped them by finding that answer. But how in the world was he to do that?

He returned to what he thought had to be the heart of the solution. He would need to open the boxes of Orden if he was to reverse all the damage done-that was all there was to it. Unless he did that the world of life, damaged by the Chainfire event and its subsequent taint, would spiral out of control. Unless he opened the right box Jagang's Sisters would. But he didn't know how to open the boxes and besides he didn't have control of them, Jagang did.

Richard reminded himself that at least he had accomplished a number of the steps he had to accomplish if he was to have a chance to open the right box. At least he had been successful in his journey through the veil. And he had been successful in returning what he had brought back in the manner required. That in itself had been a puzzle, but he had found the solution. Now Orden was needed to actually restore it.

Kahlan had accepted the carving he did of Spirit.

He reminded himself that he also had the Confessor that was needed.

Confessor. Something was wrong about that, but he couldn't figure out what it could be.

But he did know that there was only one way to get close to the boxes of Orden. That was his only chance-if he could figure it out before Sister Ulicia opened one of them.

When he heard the whisper of hurried footsteps he looked up and saw Verna and Nathan rushing toward him. Cara and General Meiffert were close on their heels. Zedd, Tom, and Rikka were close on Richard's.

At a bridge covered in beautifully veined green marble overlooking a devotion square and a conjunction of wide halls, Richard came to a halt as Verna and Nathan rushed up. The people below were all on their knees, bent forward with their foreheads to the tile as they chanted. They were unaware of what he was about to do.

"Richard!" Verna gasped, catching her breath.

"Glad to see you back," Nathan said to Richard with an additional nod to Zedd.

"Six will no longer be a problem," Zedd told the prophet.

Nathan let out a sigh. "One less hornet, but I'm afraid that there's no shortage of them."

Verna, ignoring the tall wizard beside her, waved her journey book urgently at Richard. "Jagang says that it's the new moon. He demands your answer. He says that if he doesn't get that answer then you know the consequences."

Richard glanced at Nathan. The prophet looked more than grim. Cara and General Meiffert looked tense as well. They were the helpless guardians of a place with tens of thousands of people who were all on the verge of being slaughtered.

Soft chanting drifted up from below.

"Master Rahl guide us. Master Rahl teach us. Master Rahl protect us. In your light we thrive. In your mercy we are sheltered. In your wisdom we are humbled. We live only to serve. Our lives are yours."

Richard rubbed his fingertips on his forehead as he swallowed back the lump rising in his throat. He had no choice-for more reasons than the one.

He looked up at Verna with forbidding finality. "Tell Jagang that I agree to his terms."

Verna's face went scarlet. "You agree?"

"What are you talking about?" Kahlan, at his right, asked. Richard was distantly heartened to hear the tone of awakened authority in her voice. But he ignored her and directed himself to Verna.

With great effort, Richard controlled his voice. "Tell him that I have decided to give them what they want. I agree to his terms."