Temple of the Winds

For the first time, Silas Latherton's features twisted in anger. "I shouldn't have let him come here anymore. The women didn't like him."

"None of us girls would take him anymore," Bridget said. "He drinks, and when he drinks, he gets mean. There's no need to put up with that, not with the army. ." Her words died out as she glanced to the general. She resumed with a different tack. "We have enough clients nowadays. We don't have to put up with mean drunks like fat Harry."

"The women all told me that they wouldn't see Harry no more," Silas said. "When he came last night, I knew that they would all say no. Harry was real insistent, and seemed sober enough, so I asked Rose if she'd see him, as she was new and…"

"And didn't know she was in danger," Richard finished. "It wasn't like that," Silas said defensively. "Harry didn't seem to be drunk. I knew the other women wouldn't take him, though, sober or not, so I asked Rose if she was interested. She said she could use the money. Harry was the last one with her. She was found a little while later." "Where can we find this Harry?"

Silas's eyes narrowed. "In the underworld, where he belongs." "You killed him?"

"No one saw who slit his fat throat. I wouldn't know who done it." Richard glanced at the long knife tucked behind Silas's belt. He didn't blame the man. If they had captured fat Harry, he would get the same for his crime as had already been done. Although he would have had a trial first, and he could have confessed, just to be sure it was he who had done it.

That was why they used Confessors: to be sure they had convicted the guilty man. Once touched by her magic, a criminal would confess all that he had done. Richard wouldn't want Kahlan to hear what had been done to this woman. Rose. Especially not from the beast who had done it.

It made him sick to his stomach to think of Kahlan having to touch a man like that, a man who had killed a woman in such a brutal fashion. He feared he would have killed Harry himself to keep Kahlan from having to touch the flesh of a man like that.

He knew she had touched other men who were no better. He didn't want her to ever have to do that again. He knew it had to hurt her to hear such perverted crimes confessed in detail. He feared to think what terrible memories haunted her and visited her dreams.

Richard forced his mind off it and looked at Bridget. "Why did you stay when the others ran off?"

She shrugged. "Some of them had children, and feared for them. I don't fault them their fears, but we were always safe here. Silas has always been fair to me. I've been hurt other places, but never here. It wasn't Silas's fault that a crazy killer did this. Silas always respected our wishes when we said we wouldn't see a man again."

Richard felt his stomach tighten. "And you saw Drefan?" "Sure. All the girls saw Drefan."

"All the girls," Richard repeated. He held a tight grip on his anger. "Yeah. We all saw him. Except Rose. She never got a chance, 'cause she. ." "So, Drefan didn't have a. . favorite?" Richard had been hoping that Drefan had confined himself to one woman he liked, and that maybe she would be one who was healthy, at least.

Bridget's brow wrinkled up. "How can a healer have a favorite?" "Well, I mean, was there one he preferred, or did he just take who was available?" The woman stuck a finger into her mat of red hair and scratched her scalp. "I think you got the wrong idea about Drefan, Lord Rahl. He never touched us. . in that way. He only came here to do his healing." "He came here to heal?"

"Yeah," Bridget said. Silas nodded his agreement. "Half the girls had something or other. Rashes and sores and such. Most people who sell herbs and cures don't want to help our kind, so we just live with our ailments.

"Drefan told us how he wanted us to wash. He gave us herbs, and unguents to put on the sores. He came twice before, real late, after we was done, so as not to interfere with us earning a living. He checked on the girls' children, too. Drefan was special kind with the children. One had a bad cough, and he got better after Drefan gave him something to take.

"He came checking on us early this morning. After he saw one of the girls, he went to Rose's room, to check on her. That's when he found her. He came flying out of her room after what he saw and was calling out"-she pointed at the floor at Richard's feet-"between throwing up. We all rushed out in the hall and saw him there, on his knees, heaved his guts out right there." "So he didn't come here to… to… and he never-" Bridget guffawed. "I offered-no charge, since he helped me and all with what he gave me. He said that that wasn't why he had come. He said he only wanted to help, that he was a healer.

"I offered, mind you, and I can be very persuasive"-she winked-"but he said no. He has a real handsome smile, he does. Just like yours. Lord Rahl."

"Enter," came the response to Richard's knock.