Temple of the Winds

Zedd tilted his head toward the chair, signaling for William to go ahead. "Talk while you do it. And keep in mind what I told you about my being a wizard. I know when a man is telling me a lie. Keep in mind, too, that I'm suddenly in a very foul mood."

Zedd wasn't exactly telling the truth about being able to detect a lie, but he reasoned that the man didn't know that. He was, however, telling the truth about his mood.

"I ran into the man you were chasing. He didn't tell me his name. He offered me…" William glanced to the woman as he pulled the trousers up. "Can she hear this?"

"Don't you worry about her. Worry abut me." Zedd gritted his teeth. "Talk." "Well, he offered me…" He peered at the woman. Her wrinkled face was frozen in a startled expression. "He offered me a. . purse, if I'd do him a favor." "What favor?"

"Taking his place. He told me to ride like the Keeper himself was after me until I got at least this far. He said that when I got here, I could slow, rest, or stop, whatever my choice. He told me that you'd be catching up with me." "And he wanted that?"

William buttoned his trousers, plopped back into the chair, and started pulling on his boots. "He said I wouldn't be able to lose you, that sooner or later you'd catch up with me, but he didn't want that to happen until at least after I arrived here. Fast as I was moving, I must admit that I didn't think you'd be so close on my heels, so I thought to enjoy some of my profits."

William stood and stuffed an arm into his brown wool shirt. "He told me that I was to give you a message." "Message? What message?"

William tucked in his shirt and then reached into a trouser pocket and pulled out a leather purse. It looked to be heavy with coins. William fingered open the purse. "It's in here, with what he gave me." Zedd snatched the purse from the man. "I'll take a look." The purse held mostly gold coins, with a few silver. Zedd felt one of the gold coins between a finger and thumb. He could feel the slight after-tingle of magic. The coins had probably started out as Coppers, and Nathan had changed them to gold with magic.

Zedd had been hoping that Nathan didn't know how to do that. Changing things to gold was dangerous magic. Zedd only did it himself if there was no other choice.

Inside the purse, besides the coins, was a folded piece of paper. He pulled it out and turned it over in his fingers, giving it a good look in the dim light, wary of any form of magic snare that might be attached to it.

William pointed. "That's what he gave me. He told me to give it to you when you caught me."

"Anything else? Did he tell you anything else, besides to give me this message?" "Well, as we were parting, he paused and looked up at me. He said, 'Tell Zedd it's not what he thinks. »

Zedd mulled this over for a moment. "Which way did he go?" "I don't know. I was atop my horse, and he was still afoot. He told me to ride, then he slapped my horse's rump and I rode."

Zedd tossed the purse to William. While keeping a wary eye on the man, he unfolded the paper. He squinted in the dim light of the single candle as he scanned the message.

Sorry, Ann, but I have important business. One of our Sisters is going to do something very stupid. I must stop her, if I can. In case I die, I want you to know I love you, but I guess you knew that. I could never say it as long as I was your prisoner. Zedd. if the moon rises red, as I expect it to, then we are all in mortal danger. If the moon rises red for three nights, it means Jagang has invoked a bound fork prophecy. You must go to the Jocopo treasure. If you instead waste precious time coming after me, we will all die, and the emperor will have the spoils. The bound fork prophecy enforces a double bind on its victim. Zedd, I am sorry', but the victim named is Richard. May the spirits have mercy on his soul. If I knew the meaning of the prophecy, / would tell you, but I don't-the spirits have denied me access to it. Ann, go with Zedd. He will need your help. May the good spirits be with you both.

As Zedd blinked, trying to clear his watery vision, he noticed a smudge. He turned the message over and realized that the smudge was wax residue. The message had been sealed, but in the poor light lie hadn't noticed before.

Zedd looked up to see William's club. He flinched back, but felt the stunning pain of a blow. The floor crashed against his shoulder. William pounced atop him, holding a knife to his throat. "Where's this Jocopo treasure, old man! Talk, or I'll slit your throat!" Zedd tried to hold on to his vision as he felt the room spinning and tilling. Nausea gagged him. He was in an instant sweat. William's eyes were wild above him. "Talk!"