Faith of the Fallen

Still, Nicci did not move. "I see."

Sister Georgia spread her hands again, feigning simplemindedness. "It was about the time the Prelate disappeared, too."

Nicci denied them the reward of astonishment.

"What was Verna doing here?"

"Not Verna," Sister Rochelle said. She leaned in. "Ann."

Sister Georgia scowled her displeasure at Rochelle for spoiling the surprise-and a surprise it was. The old Prelate had died-at least, that was what Nicci had been told. Since leaving the Place of the Prophets, Nicci had heard about all the other Sisters, novices, and young men spending the night at the funeral pyre for Ann and the prophet, Nathan. Knowing Ann, there was obviously some sort of deception afoot, but even for her, such a thing would be extraordinary.

The three Sisters smiled like cats with a carp. They looked eager for a long game of truth-and-gossip.

"Give me the important details. I don't have time for the long version.

His Excellency wishes to see me." Nicci took in the three wilting smiles.

She kept her voice level. "Unless you want to risk him returning here, angry and impatient to see me."

Sisters Rochelle and Aubrey blanched.

Georgia abandoned the game and went back to dry washing her hands. "The Prelate came to the camp when you were gone-and was captured."

"Why would she come into Jagang's midst?"

"To try to convince us to escape with her," Sister Rochelle blurted out. A shrill titter jittery, rather than amused-burbled up. "She had some silly story about the chimes being loose and magic failing. Imagine that! Wild stories, they were. Expected us to believe-"

"So that was what happened. ." Nicci whispered as she stared off in reflection. She realized instantly it was no wild story. Pieces began fitting together. Nicci used her gift, the others weren't allowed to, so they might not know if magic had failed for a time.

"That's what she claimed," Sister Georgia said.

"So, magic had failed," Nicci reasoned aloud, "and she thought that would prevent the dream walker from controlling your minds."

That might explain much of what Nicci didn't understand: why Jagang sometimes couldn't enter her mind.

"But if the chimes are loose-"

"Were," Sister Georgia said. "Even if it was true, for a time, they now have been banished. His Excellency has full access to us, I'm happy to say, and everything else concerning magic has returned to normal."

Nicci could almost see the three of them wondering if Jagang was listening to their words. But if magic was returned to normal, Jagang should be in Nicci's mind; he wasn't. She felt the spark of a possible understanding fizzle and die. "So, the Prelate made a blunder and Jagang caught her."

"Well. . not exactly," Sister Rochelle said. "Sister Georgia went and got the guards. We turned her in, as was our duty."

Nicci burst out with a laugh. "Her own Sisters of the Light? How ironic! She risks her life, while the chimes have interrupted magic, to come and save your worthless hides, and instead of escaping with her, you turn her in. How fitting."

"We had to!" Sister Georgia protested. "His Excellency would have wished it. Our place is to serve. We know better than to try to escape. We know our place."

Nicci surveyed their tense faces, these women sworn to the Creator's light, these Sisters of the Light who had worked hundreds of years in His name. "Yes, you do."

"You'd have done the same," Sister Aubrey snapped. "We had to, or His Excellency would have taken it out on the others. It was our duty to the welfare of the others-and that includes you, I might add. We couldn't think only of ourselves, or Ann, but had to think of what was good for everyone."

Nicci felt the numb indifference smothering her. "Fine, so you betrayed the Prelate." Only a spark of curiosity remained. "But what made her think she could escape with you for good? Surely, she must have had some plan for the chimes.

What was she expecting to happen when Jagang once again had access to your minds? — and hers?"

"His Excellency is always with us," Sister Aubrey insisted. "Ann was just trying to fill our heads with her preposterous notions. We know better.

The rest of it was just a trick, too. We were too smart for her."

"Rest of it? What was the rest of her plan?"

Sister Georgia huffed her indignation. "She tried to tell us some foolishness about a bond to Richard Rahl."

Nicci blinked. She concentrated on keeping her breathing even. "Bond?

What nonsense are you talking about, now?"

Sister Georgia met Nicci's gaze squarely. "She insisted that if we swore allegiance to Richard, it would protect us. She claimed some magic of his would keep Jagang from our mind."

"How?"

Sister Georgia shrugged. "She claimed this bond business protected people's minds from dream walkers. But we aren't that gullible."

To still her fingers, Nicci pressed her hands to her thighs. "I don't understand. How would such a thing work?"