“You have exceeded your father’s deepest hopes, Master Rahl.”

Rahl smiled his slight smile. He took another look through the slit as he went on. “In my studies, I found where the Book of Counted Shadows lay hidden. It was in the Midlands, on the other side of the boundary, but I was not yet able to travel the underworld, to go there and retrieve it. So I sent a guard beast, to watch over it for me, until the day when I could go myself and liberate it.”

He stood up straight, turning back to Demmin, a dark look on his face. “Before I could get the book, a man named George Cypher killed the guard beast, and stole the book. My book. He took a tooth from the beast as a trophy. A very stupid thing to do, as the beast was sent by magic, my magic”—he lifted an eyebrow—“and I can find my magic.”

Rahl licked his fingers, stroking them over his lips, staring off absently. “After I put the boxes of Orden in play, I went to get the book. That’s when I found it had been stolen. It took time, but I found the man who stole it. Unfortunately, he no longer had the book, and would not tell me where it was.” Rahl smiled up at Demmin. “I made him suffer for not helping me.” Demmin smiled back. “But I did learn that he had given the tooth to his son.”

“So that is how you know the Cypher boy has the book.”

“Yes, Richard Cypher has the Book of Counted Shadows. And he also wears the tooth. That’s how I hooked the tracer cloud to him, by hooking it to the tooth his father gave him, the tooth with my magic. I would have recovered the book before now, but I have had many matters to attend to. I only hooked the cloud to him to help me keep track of him in the meantime. It was a mere convenience. But the matter is as good as settled—I can get the book at any time of my choosing. The cloud is of little importance. I can find him by the tooth.”

Rahl picked up the bowl of gruel, handing it to Demmin. “Taste this, see if it is cool enough.” He arched an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t want to hurt the boy.”

Demmin sniffed the bowl, his nose turning up in distaste. He handed it to one of the guards, who took it without objection and put a spoon of gruel to his lips. He gave a nod.

“Cypher could lose the tooth, or simply throw it away. Then you would not be able to find him, or the book.” Demmin gave a submissive bow of his head as he spoke. “Please forgive me for saying so, Master Rahl but it would seem to rite you leave a lot to chance.”

“Sometimes, Demmin, I leave things to fate, but never to chance. I have other ways of finding Richard Cypher.”

Demmin took a deep breath, relaxing as he thought about Rahl’s words. “I can see now why you haven’t been worried. I didn’t know all this.”

Rahl frowned up at his loyal commander. “We have scarcely stroked the fur of what you do not know, Demmin. That is why you serve me, and not me you.” His expression softened. “You have been a good friend, Demmin, since we were boys, so I will ease your mind on this subject. I have many pressing matters that require my time, matters of magic that cannot wait. Like this.” His arm went out, indicating the boy. “I know where the book is, and I know my own talents. I can get the book at a time of my convenience. For now, I look upon it as if Richard Cypher is simply keeping it safe for me.” Rahl leaned closer. “Satisfied?”

Demmin diverted his eyes to the ground: “Yes, Master Rahl.” He looked back up. “Please know that I only bring my concerns to you because I want success for you. You are rightfully the master of all the lands. We all need you to guide us. I wish only to be part of delivering you victory. I fear nothing but that I should fail you.”

Darken Rahl put his arm around Demmin’s big shoulders, looking up at the pockmarked face, the streak of black hair through the blond. “That I had more like you, my friend.” He took his arm away and picked up the bowl. “Go now and tell Queen Milena of our alliance. Don’t forget to summon the dragon.” His hint of a smile came back. “And don’t let your little diversions make you late in returning.”

Demmin bowed his head. “Thank you, Master Rahl, for the honor of serving you.” the big man left through a backdoor as Rahl went out the one into the garden. The guards stayed in the small, hot, forge room.

Picking up the feeding horn, Rahl went over to the boy. The feeding horn was a long brass tube, small at the mouthpiece, large at the other end. The big end was held up to shoulder height by two legs, so the gruel would slide down. Rahl set it down so the mouthpiece was in front of Carl.

“What’s this thing?” Carl asked, squinting up at it. “A horn?”

“Yes, that’s right. Very good, Carl. It’s a feeding horn. It’s a part of the ceremony you will be in. The other young men who have helped the people in the past have thought it a most fun way to eat. You put your mouth over the end there, and I serve you by pouring the food in the top.”

Carl was skeptical. “Really?”

“Yes.” Rahl smiled reassuringly. “And guess what, I got you a fresh blueberry pie, still warm out of the oven.”

Carl’s eyes lit up. “Great!” He eagerly put his mouth over the end of the horn.

Rahl passed his hand in a circle over the bowl three times to change the taste, then looked down at Carl. “I had to mash it up so it will go through the feeding horn, I hope that’s all right.”

“I always mash it up with my fork,” Carl said with a grin, then put his mouth back over the horn.

Rahl poured a little gruel into the end of the horn. When it reached Carl’s mouth, he ate it eagerly.

“It’s great! The best I ever had!”

“I’m so pleased,” Rahl said with a shy smile. “It’s my own recipe. I feared it wouldn’t be as good as your mother’s.”

“It’s better. Can I have more?”

“Of course, my son. With Father Rahl, there is always more.”

Chapter 21

Wearily, Richard searched the ground where the trail resumed at the end of the slide, his hopes fading. Dark clouds scudded low overhead, occasionally bringing a few fat drops of cold rain to splatter on the back of his head as he hunted. It had occurred to him that maybe Kahlan had made it through the Narrows, that she had only become separated for him, and had continued on. She was wearing the bone Adie had given her, and it should have kept her safe. She should have been able to make it through. But he was wearing the tooth, and Adie had said he couldn’t be seen either, yet the shadows had come from them anyway. It seemed odd—the shadows hadn’t moved until it was dark, at the split rock. Why didn’t they come for them before?

There were no tracks. Nothing had been through the Narrows for a long time. Fatigue and despair enveloped him again as fits of icy wind flapped his forest cloak around him, seeming to urge him on, away from the Narrows. All hope gone, he turned once more to the path, toward the Midlands.

He had taken only a few steps when a thought brought him to a sudden halt.

If Kahlan had become separated from him, if she thought the underworld had taken him, if she thought she had lost him and was alone—would she have continued on, to the Midlands? Alone?

No.

He turned to the Narrows. No. She would have gone back. Back to the wizard.

It would be no use for her to go to the Midlands alone. She needed help, that’s why she had come to Westland in the first place. Without the Seeker, the only help was the wizard.

Richard dared not put too much faith in the thought, but it wasn’t that far back to the place where he had fought the shadows, where he had lost her. He couldn’t go on without checking, without knowing for sure. Fatigue forgotten, he plunged back into the Narrows.

Green light welcomed his return. Following his tracks back, in a short time he found the place where he had fought the shadows. His footprints wandered all about in the mud of the slide, telling the tale of his battle. He was surprised at how much ground he had covered in the fight. He didn’t remember all the circling, the back and forth. But then he didn’t remember much of the fight, until the last part.