tg.wizardfirstrule- 第21节

　
　Zedd　stood　in　silence；　searching　Richard's　eyes。　He　nodded。　〃Trouble　indeed。〃
　
　〃Zedd；　we　need　your　help。　Please？〃　Kahlan　came　and　stood　next　to　him。　〃We　don't　have　much　time。〃　Zedd　didn't　look　inclined　to　be　any　part　of　it；　but　Richard　went　on　anyway；　watching　Zedd's　eyes。　〃Yesterday；　after　I　found　her；　she　was　attacked　by　a　quad　Another　will　e　soon。〃　He　saw　what　he　was　looking　for；　a　quick　flash　of　hatred；　softening　into　empathy。
　
　Zedd　looked　to　Kahlan　as　if　seeing　her　for　the　first　time。　They　faced　each　other　for　a　long　while。　At　the　mention　of　the　quad　the　look　on　Kahlan's　face　became　one　of　torment。　Zedd　came　forward　and　put　his　spindly　arms　around　her　protectively；　holding　her　head　to　his　shoulder。　She　reached　around　and　embraced　him　gratefully；　burying　her　face　in　his　robes　to　conceal　her　tears。　〃It's　all　right；　dear　one；　you　are　safe　here；〃　he　said　softly。　〃Let's　go　down　to　the　house　and　you　can　tell　me　of　this　trouble；　and　then　we　must　tend　to　Richard's　fever。〃　She　nodded　against　his　shoulder。
　
　Kahlan　parted　from　him。　〃Zeddicus　Zu'1　Zorander。　I　have　never　heard　such　a　name。〃
　
　He　smiled　proudly；　his　thin　lips　pushing　back　his　cheeks　into　deep　wrinkles。　〃I'm　sure　you　haven't；　dear　one；　I'm　sure　you　haven't。　By　the　way；　can　you　cook？〃　He　put　his　arm　around　her　shoulder；　holding　her　tight　as　he　started　walking　her　down　the　hill。　〃I'm　hungry　and　haven't　had　a　suitably　cooked　meal　in　years。〃　He　glanced　back。　〃e　along；　Richard；　while　you　still　can。〃
　
　〃If　you　help　Richard's　fever；　I　will　make　you　a　big　pot　of　spice　soup；〃　she　offered。
　
　〃Spice　soup！〃　Zedd　swooned。　〃I　haven't　had　a　proper　spice　soup　in　years。　Richard　is　lousy　at　making　it。〃
　
　Richard　trudged　behind；　the　emotional　strain　having　taken　much　of　his　remaining　strength。　The　casual　way　Zedd　was　handling　the　fever　scared　him。　He　knew　this　was　his　old　friend's　way　of　trying　not　to　frighten　him　about　the　seriousness　of　the　matter。　He　could　feel　his　pulse　in　his　sore　hand。
　
　Since　Zedd　was　from　the　Midlands；　Richard　had　thought　he　could　gain　his　passion　with　the　mention　of　the　quad。　Richard　was　relieved；　if　somewhat　surprised；　at　how　the　two　of　them　were　suddenly　so　amiable。　He　reached…up　as　he　walked；　touching　the　tooth　for　reassurance。
　
　He　was；　however；　quite　disturbed　by　what　he　now　knew。
　
　Near　a　back　corner　of　the　house　sat　a　table　where　Zedd　liked　to　take　his　meals　in　good　weather。　It　afforded　him　the　opportunity　to　keep　an　eye　to　the　clouds　while　he　ate。　Zedd　sat　them　down　together　on　a　bench　while　he　went　inside　and　brought　out　carrots；　berries；　cheese；　and　apple　juice；　putting　them　on　the　wooden　tabletop　worn　smooth　with　years　of　use；　then　sat　himself　on　the　bench　opposite　them。　He　gave　Richard　a　mug　of　something　brown　and　thick　that　smelled　of　almonds　and　told　him　to　drink　it　slowly。
　
　His　eyes　came　to　Richard。　〃Tell　me　of　the　trouble。〃　Richard　related　how　he　was　bitten　by　a　vine；　and　told　Zedd　about　seeing　the　thing　in　the　sky；　seeing　Kahlan　at　Trunt　Lake；　and　being　followed　by　the　four　men。　He　told　the　whole　story　with　every　detail　he　could　remember。　He　knew　Zedd　liked　to　have　every　detail；　no　matter　how　unimportant。　Occasionally　Richard　stopped　to　take　a　sip　from　the　mug。　Kahlan　ate　some　carrots　and　berries；　and　drank　the　apple　juice；　but　she　pushed　away　the　plate　with　the　cheese。　She　nodded　or　offered　help　when　he　couldn't　remember　a　particular　point。　The　only　thing　he　left　out　was　the　story　Kahlan　had　told　him　of　the　history　of　the　three　lands　and　about　Darken　Rahl　taking　over　the　Midlands。　He　thought　it　better　that　she　tell　it　in　her　own　words。　At　the　end；　Zedd　made　him　go　back　to　the　beginning；　wanting　to　know　what　Richard　had　been　doing　in　the　high　Ven　in　the　first　place。
　
　〃When　I　went　to　my　father's　house　after　the　murder；　I　looked　in　the　message　jar。　It　was　about　the　only　thing　not　broken。　Inside　was　a　piece　of　vine。　For　the　last　three　weeks；　I've　been　looking　for　the　vine；　trying　to　find　out　what　my　father's　last　message　meant。　And　when　I　found　it；　well；　that's　the　thing　that　bit　me。〃　He　was　glad　to　be　finished；　his　tongue　felt　thick。
　
　Zedd　bit　off　a　chunk　of　carrot　while　thinking。　〃What　did　the　vine　look　like？〃
　
　〃It　was　。　。　。　Wait；　I　still　have　it　in　my　pocket。〃　He　took　out　the　sprig　and　plunked　it　down　on　the　table。
　
　〃Bags！〃　Zedd　whispered。　〃That's　a　snake　vine！〃
　
　Richard　felt　a　shock　of　icy　cold　sweep　through　him。　He　knew　the　name　from　the　secret　book。　He　hoped　against　hope　it　did　not　mean　what　he　feared　it　did。
　
　Zedd　sat　back。　〃Well；　the　good　part　is　now　I　know　the　root　to　use　to　cure　the　fever。　The　bad　part　is　I　have　to　find　it。〃　Zedd　asked　Kahlan　to　tell　her　part　but；　to　make　it　short；　as　there　were　things　he　must　do　and　not　much　time。　Richard　thought　about　the　story　she　had　told　in　the　wayward　pine　the　night　before；　and　wondered　how　she　could　possibly　make　it　shorter。
　
　〃Darken　Rahl；　son　of　Panis　Rahl；　has　put　the　three　boxes　of　Orden　in　play；〃　Kahlan　said　simply。　〃I　have　e　in　search　of　the　great　wizard。〃
　
　Richard　was　thunderstruck
　
　From　the　secret　book；　the　Book　of　Counted　Shadows；　the　book　his　father　had　had　him　mit　to　memory　before　they　destroyed　it；　the　line　jumped　into　his　mind：　And　when　the　three　boxes　of　Orden　are　put　into　play；　the　snake　vine　shall　grow。　Richard's　worst　nightmares…everyone's　worst　nightmares…were　ing　to　pass
　
　CHAPTER　7
　PAIN　AND　DIZZINESS　FROM　the　fever　made　Richard　only　dimly　aware　that　his　head　had　sunk　to　the　table。　He　groaned　while　his　mind　spun　with　the　implications　of　what　Kahlan　had　told　Zedd；　of　the　prophecy　of　the　secret　Book　of　Counted　Shadows　e　to　life。　Then　Zedd　was　at　his　side；　lifting　him；　telling　Kahlan　to　help　get　him　into　the　house。　As　he　walked　with　their　help；　the　ground　slipped　this　way　and　that；　making　it　difficult　to　catch　it　with　his　feet。　Then　they　were　laying　him　down　on　a　bed；　covering　him　up。　He　knew　they　were　talking；　but　he　couldn't　make　sense　of　the　words；　which　slurred　in　his　mind。
　
　Darkness　sucked　his　mind　in；　then　there　was　light。　He　seemed　to　float　back　up；　only　to　spiral　down　again。　He　wondered　who　he　was　and　what　was　happening。　Time　passed　as　the　room　spun　and　rolled　and　tilted。　He　gripped　the　bed　to　keep　from　being　flung　off。　Sometimes　he　knew　where　he　was；　and　tried　desperately　to　hold　on　to　what　he　knew　。　。　。　only　to　slip　away　again　into　blackness。
　
　He　became　aware　again；　realizing　that　time　had　passed；　though　he　didn't　have　any　idea　how　much。　Was　it　dark？　Maybe　it　was　just　that　the　curtains　were　pulled。　Someone；　he　realized；　was　putting　a　cool；　wet　cloth　on　his　forehead。　His　mother　smoothed　back　his　hair。　Her　touch　felt　forting；　soothing。　He　could　almost　make　out　her　face。　She　was　so　good；　she　always　took　such　good　care　of　him。
　
　Until　she　died。　He　wanted　to　cry。　She　was　dead。　Still；　she　smoothed　his　hair。　That　couldn't　be；　it　had　to　be　someone　else。　But　who？　Then　he　remembered。　It　was　Kahlan。　He　spoke　her　name。
　
　Kahlan　was　smoothing　his　hair。　〃I　am　here。〃
　
　It　came　back　to　him；　rushing　back　in　a　torrent：　the　murder　of　his　father；　the　vine　that　bit　him；　Kahlan；　the　four　men　on　the　cliff；　his　brother's　speech；　someone　waiting　for　him　at　his　house；　the　gar；　the　night　wisp　telling　him　to　seek　the　answer　or　die；　what　Kahlan　said；　that　the　three　boxes　of　Orden　were　in　play；　and　his　secret；　the　Book　of　Counted　Shadows　。。。。
　
　He　remembered　how　his　father　had　taken　him　to　the　secret　place　in　the　woods；　and　had　told　him　how　he　had　saved　the　Book　of　Counted　Shadows　from　the　peril　it　was　in　from　the　beast　that　guarded　it　until　its　master　could　e。　How　he　had　brought　it　with　him　to　Westland　to　keep　it　from　those　covetous　hands；　hands　that　the　keeper　of　the　book　didn't　know　threatened。　His　father　had　told　him　how　there　was　danger　as　long　as　the　book　existed；　but　he　couldn't　destroy　the　knowledge　in　it；　he　had　no　right。　It　belonged　to　the　keeper　of　the　book；　and　it　must　be　kept　safe　until　it　could　be　returned。　The　only　way　to　do　that　was　to　mit　the　book　to　memory；　and　then　burn　it。　Only　in　that　way　could　the　knowledge　be　preserved；　but　not　stolen；　as　it　otherwise　surely　would　be。
　
　His　father　chose　Richard。　That　it　was　to　be　Richard　and　not