"No. He brought those ancient protective barriers down so he could extend his tyrannical rule to the lands that were beyond the reach of even his father." Sebastian thumped his chest once with a tight fist. "My land he wants! Lord Rahl is a madman. D'Hara is not enough for him to rule. He lusts to dominate the entire world."

Jennsen's mother stared off into the flames, looking dispirited. "I always thought-hoped, I guess-that if Darken Rahl were dead, then maybe we might have a chance. The piece of paper Jennsen found today with her name on it now tells me that the son is even more dangerous than his father, and that I was only deluding myself. Even Darken Rahl never got this close to us."

Jennsen felt numb after having been rocked by a turbulent swing of emotions, only to be left more terrified and hopeless than before. But seeing such despair on her mother's face wounded her heart.

"I will keep the knife." Her mother's decision said how much she feared the new Lord Rahl, and how frightful was their plight.

"Good."

Dim light coming from the house reflected off the swollen pools of water standing beyond the cave entrance, but the droning rain churned the light into thousands of sparkles, like the tears of the good spirits themselves. In a day or two, the collection of ponds would be ice. Traveling would be easier in that cold than in cold rain.

"Sebastian," Jennsen asked, "do you think, well, do you think we could escape D'Hara? Maybe go to your homeland… escape the reach of this monster?"

Sebastian shrugged. "Maybe. But, until this madman is killed, will there be anywhere beyond his ravenous reach?"

Her mother tucked the exquisite knife behind her belt and then folded her fingers together around one bent knee. "Thank you, Sebastian. You've helped us. Being in hiding has, regrettably, kept us in the dark. You've at least brought us a bit of light."

"Sorry it wasn't better news."

"The truth is the truth. It helps us know what to do." Her mother smiled at her. "Jennsen always was one who sought to know the truth of things. I've never kept it from her. Truth is the only means of survival; it's as simple as that."

"If you don't want to try to kill him in order to eliminate the threat, maybe you can think of some way to make the new Lord Rahl lose interest in you-in Jennsen."

Jennsen's mother shook her head. "There are more things involved than we can tell you tonight-things you are in the dark about. Because of them, he will never rest, never stop. You don't understand the lengths to which the Lord Rahl-any Lord Rahl-will go in order to kill Jennsen."

"If that's so, then perhaps you're right. Maybe the two of you should run."

"And would you help us-help her-to get away from D'Hara?"

He looked from one of them to the other. "If I can, I guess I could try. But I'm telling you, there is no place to hide. If you ever want to be free, you'll have to kill him."

"I'm no assassin," Jennsen said, not so much out of protest as out of acceptance of her own frailty in the face of such brutal strength. "I want to live, but I just don't have the nature to be an assassin. I will defend myself, but I don't think I could effectively set out to kill someone. The sad fact is, I just wouldn't be any good at it. He's a killer by birth. I'm not.»

Sebastian met her gaze with an icy look. His white hair cast red by the firelight framed cold blue eyes. "You'd be surprised what a person can do, if they have the proper motivation."

Her mother lifted a hand to halt such talk. She was a practical woman, not given to wasting valuable time on wild schemes. "Right now, the important thing is for us to get away. Lord Rahl's minions are too close. That's the simple truth of it. From the description, and this knife, the dead man you found today was probably part of a quad."

Sebastian looked up with a frown. "A what?"

"A team of four assassins. On occasion, several quads will work together-if the target has proven particularly elusive or is of inestimable worth. Jennsen is both."

Sebastian rested an arm over his knee. "For someone on the run and in hiding all these years, you seem to know a lot about these quads. Are you sure you're right?"

Firelight danced in her mother's eyes. Her voice turned more distant. "When I was young, I used to live at the People's Palace. I used to see those men, the quads. Darken Rahl used them to hunt people. They are ruthless beyond anything you could imagine."

Sebastian looked uneasy. "Well, I guess you would know better than I. In the morning, then, we leave." He yawned as he stretched. "Your herbs are already working, and this fever has exhausted me. After a good night's sleep I'll help you both get away from here, away from D'Hara, and on your way to the Old World, if that's your wish."

"It is." Her mother stood. "You two eat the rest of the fish." As she moved past, her loving fingers trailed along the back of Jennsen's head. "I'm going to go collect some of our things, get together what we can carry.»

"I'll be right in," Jennsen said. "Soon as I bank the fire."