Soul of the Fire

He was coming to the realization that much of ancient Anderith, before the Hakens, had benefited from direction that eclipsed the development of the people at the time. A benevolent hand had protected them.

By the ancient songs and prayers he had found set down, and the later accounts of the way homage was paid to this shepherding protector, Richard suspected it to be the hand of Joseph Ander. Such adoration would suit the man, as Kolo described him. Richard recognized much of the miraculous guidance as possibly being the work of a wizard. Without this figure after he was gone, the people were like orphans, lost without the succor of idols they worshiped but which no longer answered them. They were bewildered and at the mercy of forces they didn't understand.

Richard leaned back and stretched as he yawned. The old books infused the library with a musty aroma. Rather intriguing, in a long-hidden-mystery sort of way, but the smell was not altogether pleasant, either. He was beginning to long for the fresh sunny air on the other side of the windows as much as he longed for the end of the long-hidden mystery.

Du Chaillu sat nearby, stroking a loving hand over her unborn baby as she studied a book with intricate illuminations on many of its pages. There were drawings of small animals: ferrets, weasels, voles, foxes, and such. She couldn't read, but the book full of drawings had her in a constant grin. She'd never seen anything like it. Richard had never seen her dark eyes sparkle so. She was as delighted as a child.

Jiaan lounged nearby. At least, the blade master did a good imitation of lounging. Richard knew he was simply making himself unobtrusive so he could watch everything. A half-dozen D'Haran soldiers strolled the room. There were Ander guards, too, at the doors.

Some of the other people had immediately left the library, fearing they might disturb the Mother Confessor and Lord Rahl. A few remained. Spies, Kahlan had suggested to him, sent to watch them. He had already formed that opinion.

He didn't trust the Minister any more than Kahlan did. From the first time the subject of Anderith had come up, her obvious distaste for the place had colored his view of it. The Minister of Culture had done nothing to alter his impression, and had lent weight to Kahlan's warnings about the man.

"Here," Richard said, tapping the page. "Here it is again."

Kahlan leaned close and looked. She made a sound deep in her throat at seeing the name: Westbrook.

"What this is saying here confirms what we've found before," Richard said.

"I know the place. It's a little town. Not much there, from what I recall."

Richard lifted his arm and signaled for the attention of the old woman. She came scurrying back at once.

"Yes, Lord Rahl? May I be of assistance?"

"Mistress Firkin, you said you know a lot about the history of Anderith."

"Oh, yes, I do. It's my favorite subject."

"Well, I've now found several places where it mentions a place called Westbrook. It says Joseph Ander once lived there."

"Yes, that's true. It's up in the foothills of the mountains. Up above the Nareef Valley."

Kahlan had already told him that much, but it was good to know the woman wasn't trying to mislead them, or conceal information.

"And is there anything left there of him? Anything that belonged to him?"

She smiled her enthusiasm, pleased he wanted to know about Joseph Ander, the namesake of her land. "Why, yes, there is a small shrine to Joseph Ander there. People may go and see the chair he once used, and a few other small items.

'The house he lived in burned down just recently-r terrible fire it was-but some things were saved because they had been taken away while the house was undergoing repairs. Water kept getting in, ruining things. Wind ripped up roof shingles. Tree branches-must have been-broke the windows and the wind got in there something fierce, blowing the rain in, getting everything wet. Ruined a lot of the valuable things of his. Then the fire-from lightning, people believe-burned the place to the ground.

"But some of his things were saved, like I said, because they were out of there while repairs were being made- before the fire. So, now, those things are displayed so people can see them. See the actual chair he sat in."

She leaned down. "And, most interesting to me, there are some of his writings still intact."

Richard sat up straighter. "Writing?"

She nodded her gray head of hair. "I've read them all. Nothing really important. Just his observations about the mountains around where he lived, about the town, and about some of the people he knew. Nothing important, but it is still interesting."

"I see."

"Not important, anyway, like his things we have here."

Richard was now at full attention. "What things?"

She swept a hand out. "We have some of his writings, here, in our vault. His dealings with others, letters, books on his beliefs. Things like that.

"Would you like to see them?"