Faith of the Fallen

The Mord-Sith pulled him upright again. Red bubbles grew around his broken nose. When the light caught Cara just right, Kahlan could see blood glistening on the red leather.

"Now, I want you to tell the Mother Confessor everything."

He was nodding as he wept and before Cara had even completed the command.

"I lived there-where they came to live. I lived where Richard and his wife-"

"Nicci," Kahlan corrected.

"Yes, Nicci." He didn't understand what she meant. "They came to live in a room in our house. My friends and I didn't like him. Then, Kamil and Nabbi started talking to him. They started liking Richard. I was angry-"

He fell to such blubbering that he couldn't finish. Kahlan seized his jaw, slick with blood, and shook his face.

"Talk! Or I'll have Cara start in again!"

"I don't know what to say, what you want," he sobbed.

"Everything you know about him and Nicci. Everything!" Kahlan yelled inches from his face.

"Tell her the rest of it," Cara said in his ear as she pulled him to his feet.

Kahlan followed him up, fearing to miss a precious word.

"Richard started to get people to fix up the place. He works for Ishaq, at the transport company. When he came home at night, he would fix things.

He showed Kamil and Nabbi how to fix things.

"I hated him."

"You hated him because he made things better?"

"He made Kamil and Nabbi and others think they could do things for themselves, when they can't-people can't do for themselves. That's a cruel deception. People have to be helped by those with the ability. It's their duty. Richard should have made things better, because he could-he shouldn't have made Kamil and Nabbi and the others think they could change their lives for themselves. No one can do that. The people need help, not such heartless and unfeeling expectations.

"I found out Richard was working at night. He was hauling extra loads for greedy people. He was making money he shouldn't be allowed to make.

"Then, one night, I was sitting on the steps, and I heard Nicci get mad at Richard. She came out to me on the steps and asked me to have sex with her. Women always want me. She was a whore-no better than the rest-despite all her airs. She told me that Richard wasn't man enough to take care of her, and she wanted me to have her because he wouldn't.

"I gave it to her good just the way she wanted it. I gave it to the whore good. I hurt her good, just like she deserved-"

With all her strength, Kahlan rammed her knee into his groin. Gadi doubled over, unable to draw his breath. His eyes rolled up in his head and he went down hard.

Cara smiled. "I thought you might like to hear that part."

Kahlan wiped the tears from her cheeks. "It wasn't Richard. I knew it wasn't Richard. It was this pig."

Kahlan kicked him in the ribs as he started coming around. He let out a cry. She wagged her fingers impatiently. Cara seized him by the hair and yanked him to his feet.

"Finish your story," Kahlan said with icy rage.

He coughed and gagged and drooled. Cara had to steady him on his feet.

She held his arms behind his back so he couldn't comfort his groin. The pain was clearly evident in his contorted face.

"Talk, or I'll do it again!"

"Please! I was telling you when you stopped me."

"Get on with it!"

He nodded frantically. "When I was done with the whor-when I left Nicci, Kamil and Nabbi were crazy."

Kahlan lifted his chin. "What do you mean, they were crazy?"

"They were crazy angry because I was with Richard's wife. They like Richard, so they were crazy angry with me. They were going to do things to me. Hurt me. So, I decided to go into the army to fight for the Order against the heathens, and. ."

Kahlan waited. She glanced up at Cara. The Mord-Sith did something behind Gadi's back that made him gasp in a cry.

"And then I turned in Richard's name!"

"You did what?"

"I turned in his name before I left. I told the city guards at Protector Muksin's office that Richard was doing criminal things, that he was stealing work from working people-that he was making more than his fair share."

Kahlan frowned. "What does that mean? What happens when you turn in a name?"

Gadi was trembling in terror. He clearly didn't want to answer. Cara pressed her Agiel against his side. Blood oozed down his sweat-soaked shirt.

He tried, but couldn't draw a breath. His ashen face began to turn purple.

"Tell her," Cara said in cold command.

Gadi gasped in a breath when she released the pressure. "They will arrest him. They will. . make him. . confess."

"Confess?" Kahlan asked, fearing the answer.

Gadi nodded reluctantly. "They will torture a confession out of him, most likely. They might even hang his body from a pole and let the birds pick his bones if he confesses to something bad."

Kahlan swayed on her feet. She thought she might throw up. The world had disintegrated into madness.