Faith of the Fallen

Jagang's eyes flashed a rage she knew could turn violent. Richard had frustrated Jagang a number of times. Even if Richard hadn't been victorious over Jagang, he had stung him. Quite an accomplishment, really, for such a tiny force against the array of the Imperial Order. A man like Jagang hated the humiliation of a sting almost as much as he would hate to be gored.

"I will eliminate Richard Rahl, don't you worry," Jagang said in a low growl'

She changed the subject back to what she really wanted to know about.

"Sine when has the all conquering Emperor Jagang turned soft and wanted to live in splendor?"

"Ali, but I am Jagang the Just, now. Remember?" He returned to the bed and flopped down beside her. "Nicci, I'm sorry I hurt you. I never want to hurt you, but you make me do it. You know I care about you."

You care about me yet you heat me? You care about me, yet you never bothered to tell me of such an enormous project as the building of a palace? I am insignificant to you.

"I told you, I'm sorry I hurt you-but that was your own fault and you know it." He spoke the words almost lovingly. With mention of the palace, his face had softened into a visionary look. "It's only proper and fitting that I at last have the prestige of such a monumental edifice."

"You, the man who was content in tents in the, field, now wants to live in a resplendent building? Why?"

"Because once I bring the New World under the guidance of the Order, I will owe it to all the people, as their leader, to be seen in a majestic setting. . but it will have more than simple splendor."

"But of course," she sniped.

He gathered up her hand. "Nicci, I will proudly wear the title Jagang the Just. You're right, the time has come for such a move. I was only angered because you wrongly made that move without first discussing it with me. But let us forget that, now."

She said nothing. He gripped her hand more tightly, to show his sincerity, she supposed.

You're going to love the palace, when it's finished." He ran the back of the fingers of his other hand tenderly down her cheek. "We will all live there for a very long time."

The words struck a cord in her. "A very long time?"

For the first time she realized there was something more to this than simply his vanity of wanting a palace after Richard had denied him the Palace of the Prophets. He wanted what else Richard had denied him. Could it be. .

She looked up into his face, searching for the answer. He simply smiled at the questions in her eyes.

"Construction has already begun," he said, turning his words away from those questions. "Architects and great builders from all over the Old World have gathered to work on it. Everyone wants to be part of such a grand project."

"And Brother Narev?" she probed. "What does he think of building such a frivolous monument to one man when there is important work to be done for so many needy people?"

"Brother Narev and his disciples greatly favor the project." Jagang flashed her a sly smile. "They will live there, too, of course."

Understanding washed over her.

"He's going to spell the new palace," she whispered in astonishment to herself.

Jagang only smiled as he watched her, clearly pleased with her reaction.

Brother Narev had been at the Palace of the Prophets almost as long as she, nearly one hundred and seventy years, but in all that time he seemed to have aged only ten or fifteen years-the same as she. No one but Nicci ever knew he was anything but a stablehand-they didn't know he was gifted.

In all that time, with her, along with everyone else, paying him little heed, he must have been studying the spell around the palace. From what she knew, most of Brother Narev's disciples had been young wizards from the Palace of the Prophets; they had access to the vaults. They, too, could have added information that helped him. But could he really do such a thing?

"Tell me about the palace," she said, preferring his voice to the silent scrutiny of nightmare eyes.

He kissed her first, the way a man kisses a woman, not the way a brute kisses a victim. She endured it with no more favor than any of the rest of it. He seemed not to notice, this time, and by the smile of his face, appeared to have enjoyed it.

"It will be a walk of nearly fifteen miles to walk all the halls." He swept a hand out and began to give shape to the grand palace in the air before them. As he went on, he stared off at his imaginary outline, hanging there in space.

"The world has never seen anything to match it. While I carry on with our work of bringing the hope of the Order to the New World, of bringing the true word of the Creator to the wicked and the greedy, of banishing the selfish ideals of the ancient religion of magic, back in my homeland the work of building the palace will go on.