Faith of the Fallen

Zedd didn't answer her. He could not imagine what Ann's reaction to such a development would be. For centuries she had combed through prophecies in anticipation of the war wizard who would be born to lead them in this battle for the very existence of magic. Richard was that war wizard, born to the battle he had suddenly abandoned.

"What do you think be the problem?" Adie asked in her quiet, raspy voice.

Zedd looked back to the letters one last time. He pulled his gaze from the words and straightened. All eyes around the dimly lit tent were on him as if hoping he could somehow rescue them from a fate they couldn't comprehend, but instinctively dreaded.

"This is a time of trial to the depth of Richard's soul." Zedd slipped his hands up opposite sleeves until the silver brocade at the cuffs met. "A passage, of sortsthrust upon him because of his comprehension of something only he sees."

Warren cleared his throat. "What sort of trial, Zedd? Can you tell us?"

Zedd gestured vaguely as memories of terrible times flashed through his mind. "A struggle. . a reconciliation. ."

"What sort of reconciliation?" Warren pressed.

Zedd gazed into the young man's blue eyes, wishing he wouldn't ask so many questions. "What is the purpose of your gift?"

"Its purpose? Well, I ability."

"It is to help others," Verna stated flatly. She clutched her light blue cloak more tightly around her shoulders as if it were armor to defend her from whatever Zedd might throw at her in answer.

"Ah. Then what are you doing here?"

The question caught her by surprise. "Here?"

"Yes." Zedd waved his arm, indicating a vague, distant place. "If the gift is to help others, then why are you not out there doing it? There are sick needing to be healed, ignorant needing to be taught, and the hungry needing to be fed. Why are you just sitting there, healthy, smart, and well fed?"

Verna rearranged her cloak as she squared her shoulders into a posture of firm resolve. "In battle, if you abandon the gates to help a fallen comrade, you have given in to a weakness: your inability to steel yourself to an immediate suffering in order to prevent suffering on a much greater scale. If I run off to help the few people I could in that manner, I must leave my post here, with this army, as they try to keep the enemy from storming the gateway into the New World."

Zedd's estimation of the woman rose a little. She had come tantalizingly close to expressing the essence of a vital truth. He offered her a small smile of respect as he nodded. She looked more surprised by that than she had by his question.

"I can certainly see why the Sisters of the Light are widely regarded as proper servants of need." Zedd stroked his chin. "So then, it is your conviction that we with the ability-the gift-are born into the world to be slaves to those with needs?"

"Well, no. . but if there is a great need-"

"Then we are more tightly bound in the chains of slavery to those with every greater need," Zedd finished for her. "Thus, anyone with a need, by right-to your mind-becomes our master? Indentured servant to one cause, or to any greater cause that might come along, but chattel all the same. Yes?"

This time, Verna chose not to dance with him over what she apparently regarded as a patch of quicksand. It didn't prevent her from glaring at him, though.

Zedd held that there could be only one philosophically valid answer to the question; if Verna knew it, she didn't offer it.

"Richard has apparently come to a place where he must critically examine his alternatives and determine the proper course of his life," Zedd explained. "Perhaps circumstances have caused him to question the proper use of his abilities, and, in view of his values, his true purpose."

Verna opened her hands in a helpless gesture. "1 don't see how he could have any higher purpose than to be here, helping the army against the threat to the New World-the threat to the lives of free people."

Zedd sank back down onto the bench. "You do not see, and I do not see, but Richard sees something."

"That doesn't mean he's right," Warren said.

Zedd studied the young man's face for a moment. Warren had fresh features, but guess to. . well, it just is. The gift is simply an also a knowing look in his eyes that betrayed something beyond mere youth. Zedd wondered how old Warren was.

"No, it does not mean Richard is right. He may be making a heroic mistake that destroys our chance to survive."

"Kahlan thinks maybe it be a mistake," Adie finally put in, as if regretting having to tell him. "She wrote a note to me-I believe without Richard's knowledge, seeing as Cara wrote down Kahlan's words for her-and gave it to the messenger. Kahlan says that she fears Richard be doing this in part because of what happened to her. The Mother Confessor also confided that she be afraid Richard has lost his faith in people, and, because of his rejection by the people of Anderith, Richard may view himself as a fallen leader."