The pillars of creation

"Life is the future, not the past," Je

Richard gri

Je

He embraced her, then, and Je

Kahlan rubbed Je

When Je

Je

"That's me. Goat delivery, as promised. Turns out that Irma, the sausage lady, only wanted your goat to get herself a kid. She has a billy and wanted a young one. She kept one and let you have the other two."

"Betty had three?"

Tom nodded. "I'm afraid that I've become very fond of Betty and her two little ones."

"I can't believe that you did that for me. Tom, you're wonderful."

"My mother always said so, too. Don't forget, you promised to tell Lord Rahl."

Je

Tom smiled and pulled a knife from behind his back. Je

"You see," he explained, "I carry the knife in service to Lord Rahl."

"You do?" Richard asked. "I've never even met you."

"Oh," the Mord-Sith said, "Tom, here, is all right, Lord Rahl. I can vouch for him."

"Why, thank you, Cara," Tom said with a twinkle in his eye.

"And you knew all along, then," Je

Tom shrugged. "I wouldn't be a proper protector to Lord Rahl if I let such a suspicious person as you roam around, trying to do harm, without doing my best to find out what you were up to. I've kept tabs on you, followed you a goodly part of your j ourneying.»

Je

"As a protector to Lord Rahl, I had to see what you were up to, and to make sure you didn't harm Lord Rahl."

"Well," she said, "I don't think you were doing a very good job of it then.»

"What do you mean?" Tom asked with exaggerated indignation.

"I could have really stabbed him. You just stood way over there the whole time, too far away to do anything about it."

Tom smiled that boyish grin of his, but this time it was a little more mischievous than usual.

"Oh, I'd not have let you hurt Lord Rahl."

Tom turned and heaved his knife. With blinding speed such as she had never seen, the blade flew across the valley, embedding itself with a thunk in one of the faraway fallen stone pillars. Je

She followed Tom, Richard, Kahlan, and the Mord-Sith between towering columns and stone rubble to where the knife was stuck. To Je

"Please," came a muffled voice from under the rock, "please let me out. I'll pay you. I can pay. I have my own money."

It was Oba. The rock had fallen on him when he ran. It had landed on boulders that kept the main section of stone, big enough that twenty men couldn't have joined hands around it, from collapsing to the ground, leaving a tiny space, trapping the man alive under the tons of rock.

Tom pulled his knife from the soft stone and retrieved the leather pouch. He waved it in the air.

"Friedrich!" he called toward the wagon. A man sat up. "Friedrich! Is this yours?"

Je

"That's mine," he said. He looked under the rock. "You have more."

After a moment, the hand began passing out more leather and cloth purses. "There, you have all my money. Let me out, now."

"Oh," Friedrich said, "I don't think I could lift that rock. Especially not for the man who is responsible for the death of my wife."

"Althea died?" Je

"I'm afraid so. My sunshine has gone from my life."

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "She was a good woman."

Friedrich smiled. "Yes, she was." He pulled a small smooth stone from his pocket. "But she left me this, and that much is a pleasure."

"Isn't that odd," Tom said in wonder. He fished around in his pocket until he came up with something. He opened his hand to reveal a small smooth stone sitting in his palm. "I have one of those, too. I always carry it as a good-luck charm."

Friedrich eyed him suspiciously. He gri

"I can't breathe," came a muffled voice from under the rock. "Please, it hurts. I can't move. Let me out."

Richard held his hand out toward the rock. There came a grinding sound and a sword floated from under the rock. He bent and pulled his scabbard out, dragging the baldric out behind. He wiped the dust off and placed the baldric over his shoulder, the scabbard at his hip. The sword was magnificent, a proper weapon for the Lord Rahl.

Je

"You faced all those soldiers, and you didn't even have your sword," Je

Richard smiled as he shook his head. "My ability works through need and anger. With Kahlan taken, I had plenty of need, and a ready rage." He lifted the hilt clear of the scabbard until she could again see the word spelled out in gold. "This weapon works all the time."

"How did you know where we were?" Je

Richard burnished a thumb over the single gold word on the hilt of his sword. "My grandfather gave me this. King Oba, there, stole it when, with the Keeper's help, he captured Kahlan. This sword is rather special. I have a co

"Please," Oba called, "I can't breathe."

"Your grandfather?" Je

Richard's whole face softened with a splendid grin. "You've met Zedd, then. He's wonderful, isn't he?"

"He tried to kill me," Je

"Zedd?" Richard scoffed. "Zedd's harmless."

"Harmless? He-"

The Mord-Sith, Cara, poked at Je

"What are you doing?" Je

"That doesn't do anything to you?"

"No," Je

Cara's eyebrow went up. "You've met Nyda?" She looked up at Richard. "And she can still walk. I'm impressed."

"She's immune to magic," Richard said. "That's why your Agiel won't work on her, either."

Cara, with a sly smile, looked over at Kahlan.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Kahlan asked.

"She might just be able to solve our little problem," Cara said, her wicked grin growing.

"Now, I suppose," Richard said in ill humor, "you're going to have her touch it, too."

"Well," Cara said defensively, "someone has to. You don't want me to do it again, do you?"

"No!»

"What are you three talking about?" Je

"We have some urgent problems," Richard said. "If you'd like to help, I think you just might have the special talent it takes to get us out of a serious bind."

"Really? You mean you want me to go with you?"

"If you're willing," Kahlan said. She leaned on Richard, looking like she was at the end of her strength.

"Tom," Richard said, "might we-"

"Of course!" Tom said, dashing over to offer his arm to Kahlan. "Come on over. I have some nice blankets in back where you can lay down-just ask Je

"That would be much appreciated," Richard said. "It's just about dark. We'd better stay here for the night and ride out as soon as it's light enough. Hopefully, before it gets too hot."

"The rest of them will want to sit back there with the Mother Confessor, I expect," Tom whispered to Je

"First I want to know something-the truth, now," Je

Tom looked down at her with a serious expression. "Je

Je

Betty bleated at the sound of the horse's name. Je

Betty bleated that she did as her kids frolicked near by.

In the distance behind, Je

"I'm sorry I thought such terrible things about you," she said, looking up at Richard.

He smiled as he held Kahlan close with one arm, and then pulled Je