Temple of the Winds

Erling set the plane aside. "Some folk burned fires hot that summer, trying to drive the sickness from their blood. Some said it was because their blood was too hot already with the high summer heat and with the fever on top of that, and tried to fan their loved ones to cool their blood. Which would you advise?"

Drefan shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I just don't know. I've heard of people recovering when each was tried, and I've heard of people dying just the same with each. Some things are out of our hands. No one can stay the Keeper's hand when he comes."

Erling rubbed his scruffy chin. "I'll pray that the good spirits spare the girls." His voice caught. "They're too good, too innocent, for the Keeper to touch them just yet. They've brought untold joy to this house and family."

Drefan returned his hand to Erling's shoulder. "I'm sorry, master Anderson, but Lily has the tokens upon her." Erling gasped and gripped the bench. Drefan had been ready and caught him under his arms to keep him from falling when his knees gave out. Drefan helped him to sit on the carving horse.

Kahlan turned her face away and put it to Richard's shoulder when Erling covered his tears with both hands. Richard felt numb. "Grandpa," Darby called from the steps, "what's wrong?" Erling straightened. "Nothing, boy. I'm just worried about your sisters, that's all. Old men get foolish, that's all."

Darby eased the rest of the way down the stairs. "Yonick, I'm real sorry about Kip. If your pa needs anything. I'm sure my pa would let me leave my work and go help."

Yonick nodded. He looked in a daze, too.

Richard squatted down before the boys. "Did either of you see anything strange at the Ja'La game?"

"Strange?" Darby asked. "Strange like what?"

Richard combed his fingers back through his hair. "I don't know. Did you talk to any strangers?"

"Sure," Darby said. "There were lots of people there we didn't know. Soldiers were there watching the game. Lots of people I didn't know came to congratulate us after we won."

"Do any of them stand out in your mind? Anything odd about any of them?" "I saw Kip talking to a man and a woman after the game," Yonick said. "More than like they were just congratulating him. They were leaning down talking to him, showing him something." "Showing him something? What?"

"I'm sorry," Yonick said, "but I didn't see. I was too busy getting slapped on the back by soldiers."

Richard was trying not to frighten the boy with his questions, but he had to press for answers. "What did this man and woman look like?"

"I don't know," Yonick said. His eyes were filling with tears at remembering his brother alive. "The man was skinny, and young. The woman was young, too, but not as young as he. She was kind of pretty, I guess. She had brown hair." He pointed at Nadine. "Like hers, but not as thick, or as long."

Richard glanced up at Kahlan. By the stricken look on her face, he knew she was fearing the same thing as he.

"I remember them," Darby said. "My sisters talked to that man and woman, too."

"But neither of you talked to them?"

"No," Darby said. Yonick shook his head. "We were jumping around, excited that we'd won the game in front of Lord Rahl. A lot of the soldiers were congratulating us, and so were a lot of other people; I never talked to those two."

Richard took Kahlan's hand. "Kahlan and I have to go ask Beth and Lily a question," he said to Drefan. "We'll be right back."

Pressed close together, seeking support in each other's touch, they climbed the stairs. Richard was dreading what he might hear from the girls.

"You ask them," Richard whispered to her. "They're afraid of me. They'll talk easier to you."

"Do you think it could have been them?" Richard didn't need to ask who she was talking about. "I don't know. But you told me that Jagang said he had watched the Ja'La game-through Marlin's eyes. Sister Amelia was with Marlin. They were doing something here in Aydindril."

Richard reassured the women that they just had a small question to ask the girls. The women busied themselves with their work while he went with Kahlan back into the bedroom. Richard doubted they were paying any more attention to their meat pies than Erling had been with the chair seat he had been planing.

"Lily," Kahlan asked the younger girl first in a soft voice as she smiled, "do you remember when you went to watch your brother play Ja'La?"

Lily nodded. "He won. We were real happy that he won. Pa said Darby scored a point."

"Yes, we saw him play, and we were happy for him, too. Do you remember the two people you talked to? A man and a woman?"

She frowned. "When Ma and Pa were cheering? That man and woman?" "Yes. Do you remember what they said to you?"

"Beth was holding my hand. They asked if it was my brother we was cheering for."

"That's right." Beth said from the other bed. She had to stop talking as she was taken with a bout of coughing. When she recovered and caught her breath, she went on. "They said Darby played really good. They showed us the pretty thing they had."