The pillars of creation

She fought him furiously, an angry storm throwing all her hate and pain into her onslaught. He securely held her knife-wielding fist as she raged, her other fist pounding against his chest. He could have snapped her in two with his bare hands, but he instead let her scream and strike out at him, then let her yank herself back away to stand in the center of everyone, panting, knife held up, tears of anger and hate streaming down her cheeks.

"Kill her or Kahlan dies!" Sister Perdita shrieked again.

Sebastian shoved the Sister back. "Have you lost your mind! She can do it! He isn't even armed!"

Richard pulled a small book from one of the pouches at his belt and held it up.

"Oh, but I am."

"What do you mean?" Jermsen asked.

His raptor gaze settled on her. "This is an ancient text titled The Pillars of Creation. It was written by some of our ancestors, Jermsen-those among the first to be Lord Rahl, among the first who came to understand the full extent of what had been engendered by the first of the line, Alric Rahl, who created the bond, among other things. It's very interesting reading."

"I suppose it says that as Lord Rahl you should kill those like me," Jennsen said.

Richard smiled. "You're right. It does."

"What?" She could hardly believe that he would admit it. "It really says that?"

He nodded. "It explains why all the truly ungifted offspring of the Lord Rahl-the Lord Rahl who carries down the gift of the bond to his people-must be killed."

"I knew it!" Jennsen cried. "You tried to lie! But it's true! It's all right there!»

"I didn't say that I would take the advice. I only said that the book says that your kind are to be killed."

"Why?" Jennsen asked.

"Jenn, it doesn't matter," Sebastian whispered. "Don't listen to him."

Richard gestured to Sebastian. "He knows why. That's why he knew you couldn't be harmed by my magic. He knew because he knows what's in the book."

Jennsen spun to Sebastian, her eyes wide with sudden understanding. "Emperor Jagang has that book."

"Jenn, you're just talking nonsense, now."

"I saw it, Sebastian. The Pillars of Creation. I saw it in his tent. It's an ancient book, in his old tongue. It's one of his prized books. He knew what it says. You are one of his prized strategists. He told you. You knew all along what it said."

"Jenn… I-"

"It was you," she whispered.

"How can you doubt me? I love you."

Then, over the terrible tumult of the voice, the whole thing began unravelling in her mind. The crushing pain of it all came crashing in on her. The true dimensions of the betrayal became horrifyingly clear.

"Dear spirits, it was you all along."

Sebastian, his face going nearly as white as his white spikes of hair, turned deadly calm. "Jenn, that doesn't change anything."

"It was you," she whispered, wide-eyed. "You took a single mountain fever rose-"

"What! I don't even have any such thing."

"I saw them in a tin in your pack. There was twine on top of them, hiding them. They spilled out."

"Oh, those. "I got them from the healer-the one we visited."

"Liar! You had them all along. You took one to give yourself a fever."

"Jenn, now you're just acting crazy."

Trembling, Jennsen pointed at him with her knife. "It was you, all along. That first night, you told me, 'Where I come from, we believe in using what is closest to an enemy, or what comes from him, as a weapon against him. You wanted me to have this knife. You wanted me because I was closest to your enemy. You wanted to use me. How did you get it on that soldier?"

"Jenn-"

"You claim to love me. Prove it! Don't lie to me! Tell me the truth!"

Sebastian stared a moment before finally holding his head up and answering. "I only wanted to gain your trust. I thought that if I had a fever you would take me in."

"And the dead soldier I found?"

"He was one of my men. We captured the man who carried that knife. I gave it to one of my men, had him dress in a D'Haran uniform, then, after we saw you pass below, I pushed him over the cliff."

"You killed your own man?"

"Sacrifice for the greater cause is sometimes necessary. Salvation comes through sacrifice," he added in defiant defense.

"How did you know where I was?"

"Emperor Jagang is a dream walker. He learned about your kind through the book years ago. He used his ability to search for any who might know of your existence. Over time, he put together evidence in order to track you down."

"And the note I found?"

"I planted it on him. Jagang found out through his ability that you once used that name."

"The bond prevents the dream walker from entering a person's mind," Richard said. "He must have searched for a long time, looking for those who aren't bonded to the Lord Rahl."

Sebastian nodded with satisfaction. "That's right. And we succeeded, too."

Jennsen, burning with blinding anger, with the agony of such monumental betrayal, swallowed. "And the rest? My… mother? Was that one of your necessary sacrifices, too?"

Sebastian licked his lips. "Jenn, you don't understand. I didn't really know you then-"