Silence rang through the still room. Kahlan's face was white. "What's the rest of it? Jagang said it was a bound fork prophecy. What's the rest of it"-her voice broke-"the other fork? You tell me, Richard. Don't you lie to me. We're in this together. If you love me, then you tell me."

Dear spirits, let her hear the words, and not my dread. Let me at least spare her that.

His left hand clutched the hilt of his sword. The raised letters of the word TRUTH bit into his flesh. He blinked his vision clear. Show no fear.

" 'To quench the inferno, he must seek the remedy in the wind. Lightning will find him on that path, for the one in white, his true beloved, will betray him in her blood. »

CHAPTER 16

Kahlan could feel tears falling down her cheeks.

"Richard." She sucked back a sob. 'Richard, you know I would never. . You don't believe I could ever. . I swear on my life. I would never. . You have to believe me…"

He swept her into his arms as she lost control over a wail of anguish. "Richard," she sobbed against his chest, "I would never betray you. Not for anything in this world. Not to spare myself eternal torment in the underworld at the Keeper's hands."

"I know. Of course I know that. You know as well as I that you can't understand a prophecy by its words. Don't let it hurt you. That's what Jagang wants. He doesn't even know what it means; he just put it down there because the words sounded like what he wanted to hear." "But…I…" She couldn't halt her weeping. "Shhhh." His big hand held her head against him.

The terror of the night before, and the worse terror of the prophecy, came out in uncontrollable tears. She had never cried in the face of battle, but in the safety of his arms she couldn't control herself She was swept away by a flood of tears no less powerful than the torrent in the drainage tunnel. "Kahlan, don't let yourself believe it. Please don't." "But it says…I will. ."

"Listen to me. Didn't I tell you not to go down there to question Marlin? Didn't I tell you that I would do it when I got back, and that it was dangerous and I didn't want you down there?"

"Yes, but I was afraid for you and I just wanted-"

"You went against my wishes. No matter your reasons, you went against my wishes, didn't you?" She nodded against him. "That could be the betrayal in the prophecy. You were wounded, you were bleeding. You betrayed me, and you had blood on you. Your blood."

"I wouldn't call what I did a betrayal. I was doing it for you, because I love you and I was afraid for you."

"But don't you see? The words of prophecy don't always work the way they sound. At the Palace of the Prophets, in the Old World, both Warren and Nathan warned me that prophecies aren't meant to be understood by the words. The words are only obliquely connected to the prophecy." "But I don't see how-"

"I'm just saying that it could be something as simple as that. You can't let a prophecy gain control of your fears. Don't let it."

"Zedd told me that, too. He said that there were prophecies about me that he wouldn't tell me because the words weren't to be trusted. He said you were right to ignore the words of prophecy. But this is different, Richard. This says I will betray you."

"I already told you how it could be something simple." "Lightning isn't simple. Being struck by lightning is a symbol for being killed, if not an outright declaration of the manner of your death. The prophecy says I will betray you, and because of that, you will die."

"I don't believe it. Kahlan, I love you. I know it isn't possible. You wouldn't betray me and bring me harm. You wouldn't."

Kahlan clutched his shirt as she gasped a sob. "That's why Shota sent Nadine. She wants you to marry someone else because she knows I will be the death of you. Shota is trying to save you-from me."

"She thought that once before, and she turned out to be wrong. Remember? If Shota had had her way, we wouldn't have been able to stop Darken Rahl. He would rule us all right now, if we had given in to her reading of the future. Prophecy is no different." Richard gripped her shoulders and held her at arm's length so that he could look into her eyes. "Do you love me?"

His grip on her wounded shoulder made it sing with pain, but she refused to pull away from his touch. "More than life itself."

"Then trust in me. I won't let it destroy us. I promise. It will all fall into place for the best in the end. You'll see. We can't think of the solution if we're focused on the problem."

She wiped at her eyes. He sounded so sure of himself. His confidence calmed her and bolstered her spirits. "You're right. I'm sorry." "Do you want to marry me?"

"Of course, but I don't see how we can leave our responsibility for such a long time to travel-" "The sliph." She blinked. "What?"

"The sliph, up in the Wizard's Keep. I've been thinking about it; we traveled all the way to the Old World and back in her, with her magic, and it took less than a day each way. I can wake the sliph, and we can travel in her."

"But she would take us to the Old World, to the city of Tanimura. Jagang is somewhere near Tanimura."

"That's still a lot closer to the Mud People than Aydindril is. Besides, I think the sliph can go other places, too. She asked me where I wished to travel. That means she can go other places. Maybe she can get us a lot closer than Tanimura."

Kahlan, her tears forgotten at the prospect of their wedding being possible, glanced up at the Keep. "We might be able to go to the Mud People, be married, and be back in a matter of a few days. We could be gone that long, surely." Richard smiled as his arms circled her from behind. "Surely." Kahlan wiped the last of the tears away as she turned in his arms. "How do you always manage to figure things out?"

He nodded toward her bed. "I had a great deal of motivation." Kahlan, a grin spreading on her face, was just about to reward him with something positively indecent, when there was a knock at the door. It immediately opened without benefit of an answer. Nancy stuck her head in.

"Are you all right, Mother Confessor?" She glanced meaningfully to Richard. "Yes. What is it?" "Lady Nadine is asking if she could change the poultice."

"Is she now?" Kahlan said in a dark tone.

"Yes, Mother Confessor. But if you are. . indisposed, I could ask her to wait until-"

"Send her in. then," Richard said.

Nancy hesitated. "We will have to take the top of your dress down. Mother Confessor. To get at the bandage."

"It's all right," Richard whispered in Kahlan's ear. "I have to go talk to Berdine. I have some work for her." "I hope it doesn't involve horse manure." Richard smiled. "No. I want her to work on Kolo's journal." "Why?"

He kissed the top of her head. "Knowledge is a weapon. I intend to be formidably armed." He glanced to Nancy. "Need me to help with her dress?" Nancy managed to scowl and turn red at the same time. "I guess that means you will manage. ' At the door, he turned back to Kahlan. "I'll wait until Nadine's finished with you, and then we better go see this Drefan fellow. I have a task for him. I'd. . like you to be with me."

When he had closed the door, Nancy brushed back her short brown hair and moved around behind Kahlan to help with her dress. "Your Mother Confessor's dress, the one you were wearing yesterday, was ruined beyond repair."

"I expected as much." Confessors had a collection of dresses, all the same. Confessors all wore black dresses; only the Mother Confessor wore white. She thought about the blue wedding dress she would wear. "Nancy, do you remember when your husband was courting you?" Nancy paused. "Yes, Mother Confessor."

"Then you must know how it would have made you feel if someone were to keep popping in on you when you were alone with him."