Страница 9 из 141
"We are hunted by D'Haran soldiers."
"Why?"
"That's a story for another night. Depending on the outcome of this night, you may yet learn it, but for now all that really matters is that we are hunted-Je
Her mother made it sound simple. He would not let it be so simple. It would be much more grisly than any mere murder. Death would be a reward gained only after inconceivable agony and endless begging.
Sebastian glanced over at Je
"Then we three are of a single mind," her mother murmured.
"That's why the two of you are good friends with those knives you keep at hand," he said.
"That's why," her mother confirmed.
"So," Sebastian said, "you fear the D'Haran soldiers finding you. D'Haran soldiers aren't exactly a rarity. The one today gave you both a scare. What makes you both fear this one, today, so much?"
Je
"Je
Taken aback, Je
Je
Sebastian pulled the crumpled paper open, smoothing it between a thumb and finger as he cast them both a suspicious look. He turned the paper toward the firelight so he could see the two words.
"Je
"Me," Je
"For a while? I don't understand."
"That was my name," Je
"Then… Daggett is not a real name, either?"
"No."
"Well, what is your real name, then?"
"That, too, is part of the story for another night." Her mother's tone said that she didn't mean to discuss it. "What matters is that the soldier today had that name. That can only mean the worst."
"But you said it's a name you no longer use. You use a different name, here: Daggett. No one here knows you by that name, Lindie."
Her mother leaned toward Sebastian. Je
"It may no longer be our name, a name we used only far to the north, but he had that name written down, and he was here, mere miles from where we are now. That means he has somehow co
Sebastian broke her gaze and took a thoughtful breath. "I see what you mean." He went back to eating the piece of fish skewered on the point of his knife.
"That dead soldier would have others with him," her mother said. "By burying him, you bought us time. They won't know what happened to him. We have that much luck. We are still a few steps ahead of them. We must use our advantage to get away before they tighten the noose. We will have to leave in the morning."
"Are you sure?" He gestured around with his knife. "You have a life here. Your lives are remote, hidden-I would never have found you had I not seen Je
"'Life' is the word that matters in all that you said. I know the man who hunts us. He has thousands of years of bloody heritage as guidance in hunting us. He will not rest. If we stay, sooner or later he will find us here. We must escape while we can."
She pulled from her belt the exquisite knife Je
"This letter 'R' on the hilt stands for the House of Rahl. Our hunter. He would only have presented a weapon this fine to a very special soldier. I don't want a weapon which has been presented by that evil man."
Sebastian glanced down at the knife tendered, but didn't take it. He gave them both a look that unexpectedly chilled Je
"Where I come from, we believe in using what is closest to an enemy, or what comes from him, as a weapon against him."
Je
"Do you choose to use what he has inadvertently given you, and turn it against him? Or do you choose instead to be a victim?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why don't you kill him?"
Je
Sebastian was not moved by her plea. "He won't stop until he kills you." He lifted the piece of paper, watching her eyes take it in. "This proves it. He will never stop. Why don't you kill him before he kills you-kills your daughter? Or will you choose to be corpses he has yet to collect?"
Her mother's voice heated. "And how do you propose we kill the Lord Rahl?"
Sebastian stabbed another piece of fish. "For starters, you should keep the knife. It's a weapon superior to the one you carry. Use what is his to fight him. Your sentimental objection to taking it only serves him, not you-or Je
Her mother sat still as stone. Je
"I must admit that what you say makes sense," her mother said. Her voice came softly and laced with pain, or perhaps regret. "You have opened my eyes. A little, anyway. I don't agree with you that we should try to kill him, for I know him all too well. Such an attempt would be simple suicide at best, or accomplish his goal, at worst. But I will keep the knife and use it to defend myself and my daughter. Thank you, Sebastian, for speaking sense when I didn't want to hear it."
"I'm glad you're keeping the knife, at least." Sebastian pulled the bite of fish off his own knife. "I hope it can help you." With the back of his hand, he wiped the sweat from his brow. "If you don't want to try to kill him in order to save yourself, then what do you propose to do? Keep ru
"You say the barriers are down. I propose to leave D'Hara. We will try to make it to another land, where Darken Rahl ca
Sebastian looked up as he stabbed another piece of fish. "Darken Rahl? Darken Rahl is dead."
Je
"Darken Rahl. . dead?. . It can't be," Je
Sebastian nodded. "It's true. About two years ago, from what I heard."
Je
"Darken Rahl's son is Lord Rahl, now," Sebastian said.
"His son?" Jermsen felt her hope being eclipsed by that dark dread.
"The Lord Rahl hunts us," her mother said, her voice, calm and enduring, betraying no evidence of even a moment of exalted hope. "The Lord Rahl is the Lord Rahl. It is now, as it has always been. As it will always be."
As immortal as evil itself.
"Richard Rahl," Sebastian put in. "He's the Lord Rahl, now."
Richard Rahl. So, now Jermsen knew her hunter's new name.
A terrifying thought washed over her. She had never before heard the voice say anything more than "Surrender," and her name, and occasionally those strange foreign words she didn't understand. Now it demanded she surrender her flesh, her very will. If it was the voice of the one who hunted her, as her mother said, then this new Lord Rahl must be even more terrifyingly powerful than his wicked father. Fleeting salvation had left behind grim despair.
"This man, Richard Rahl," her mother said, searching for understanding amid all the startling news, "he ascended to rule as the Lord Rahl of D'Hara when his father died, then?"
Sebastian leaned forward, a cloaked rage unexpectedly surfacing in his blue eyes. "Richard Rahl became the Lord Rahl of D'Hara when he murdered his father and seized rule. And if you are next going to suggest that perhaps the son is less of a threat than his father, then let me set you straight.
"Richard Rahl is the one who brought down the barriers."
At that, Je