Stone of Tears

Wizard Ranson slammed his fist to the desk as he shot to his feet. “defending the people of the Midlands! I have never in my life heard such filth from the mouth of a woman!” He smoothed his tan robes at his stomach and then sat back down. “Your “defense” of the people was to plunge them into war. You would condemn thousands to die, to assuage your dread that someone other than yourself would rule. And rule with the unanimous agreement of the council, I might add.”

“It is hardly unanimous if the Mother Confessor dissents.”

“Dissents for her own selfish motives.”

“And who is it that you would have rule the Midlands? Kelton? Yourself?”

The saviors of all people. The Imperial Order.”

A prickling sensation rose up her legs. Kahlan felt as if the whole of the dome overhead were collapsing down on her. Her head spun. She thought she might be sick right there, in front of everyone. She forced her stomach to behave.

“The Imperial Order! The Imperial Order slaughtered Ebi-nissia! They crush all opposition to steal rule for themselves!”

“Lies. The Imperial Order is dedicated to benevolent rule. They simply wish to put your murderous intents to an end.”

“Benevolent! They raped and butchered the people of Ebinissia!”

Ranson chuckled. “Come, come, Mother Confessor. The Imperial Order has murdered no one.” He turned to a man Kahlan didn’t recognize. “Councilor Thurstan, has your crown city been harmed by anyone?”

The jowly man looked surprised. “I have just arrived two days ago from the beautiful city of Ebinissia, and they know nothing of their slaughter.”

The crowd chuckled with him. Ranson smiled petulantly at her.

“Did you not expect, Mother Confessor, that we would have witnesses to expose your preposterous stories? This is simply a fiction meant to inflame people’s fears, and stir them to war.”

Ranson snapped his fingers. A woman in drab, worn clothes came in and stood to the side. Ranson gently told her not to be frightened, and to tell her story. The woman told of how her children had to go to bed hungry, because she had no money. She said she had been forced into prostitution to feed her children. Kahlan knew it was a lie. There was no scarcity of charitable people and groups who would help anyone truly needing it.

For the next hour, one witness after another was paraded in, and each told a story of hunger and want, and how the palace would not give them money to feed and clothe themselves, not caring if their children starved. The people in the balconies listened with rapt attention to the sad stories, some weeping with the witnesses.

Kahlan recognized a few of the people testifying. She remembered Mistress Sanderholt offering them work in the past. She had told Kahlan that when they had come in, they scoffed at the things they were asked to do. Mistress Sander-holt ended up having to do many of the tasks herself.

Wizard Ranson rose to his feet, after the last witness had told his tearful story, and turned to each side, addressing the people gathered. The Mother Confessor has a vast treasury, and she intended to use it to finance a war against the people of the Midlands who would wish to be free of her rule. She first takes the food from your mouths, and the mouths of your children, and then, to keep you from thinking about the gnawing hunger in your gut, invents an enemy, and starts a war with your hard-earned money, which she has stolen for her already wealthy friends.

“While you people go hungry, she eats well! While you need clothes, she would buy weapons! While your sons would bleed to death in battle, she lounges in the lap of luxury! When your family members are unjustly accused of crimes, she uses her magic to make them confess to crimes they did not commit to silence their protests against her tyranny!”

People were weeping. A few cried out with anguish at the last part. Still more angrily demanded justice. Kahlan began to doubt that she would be beheaded. This mob would probably tear her apart before she ever made it to the block.

Ranson held his arms open to the people gathered. As a representative of the Imperial Order, I direct that the people get what they really need. The treasury of Aydindril will be put to its best use. It will be turned back to the oppressed. I direct that every family shall be entitled to one gold piece a month, to clothe and feed your children. There will be no starvation allowed under the rule of the Imperial Order.”

Cheering erupted in the great hall. The wild applauding and huzzahs went on unabated for a good five minutes. Ranson sat and steepled his fingers while he listened to the celebration. He never took his eyes from Kahlan, nor she from his.