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A noble ideal。 One； in fact； which I share； but one you only give pap to。 You bring them together only timidly； not under mon canon。’ He held his hand out to her； closing it into a fist as he sneered at her。 ‘In so doing； you leave all lands ripe for the squeezing。 You are lost souls in search of true leadership and in desperate need of protection。
As soon as the boundaries fell； you were ravaged by Darken Rahl； and he was only halfhearted about it； seeking only his magic！ Had he let the generals run as they would； there wouldn’t be even a shell of this play alliance of yours left。’
And who is it we all need protection from？’
He stared off； whispering； almost to himself。 ‘From the horde who will e。’
‘What horde？’
He looked up； as if he had just awakened。 The horde spoken of in the prophecies。’ He frowned at her as if she were hopelessly thick； and then held his hand out to the wizard。 ‘The good wizard here has counseled us on the prophecies。 You are one who spent your life with wizards； and you never sought their knowledge？’
‘Your eloquent claim to want to join people in peace and law are high…minded words； General Riggs。 But your atrocities in Ebinissia put the lie to them。 For all time； Ebinissia will bear mute but irrefutable testimony to your true cause。 You； and your Imperial Order； are the horde。’ Kahlan glowered to the wizard。 ‘What’s your part in this； Wizard Slagle？’
He shrugged。 ‘Why； to assist and facilitate the joining of all people under the rule of mon law。’
‘Whose law？’
‘The law of the victors。’ He smiled。 ‘That would be us。 The Imperial Order。’
‘You have responsibilities as a wizard。 Those responsibilities are to serve； not to rule。 You will report at once to Aydindril； to take your place in that service； or you will answer to me。’
‘You？’ he said with a derisive sneer。 ‘You demand that good and decent men whimper and snivel before you； and at the same time you blindly let banelings have a free run of the land。’
‘Banelings？’ She glowered at Riggs。 ‘I suppose you would be foolish enough to seek council from the Blood of the Fold。’
‘They’ve already joined with us；’ General Riggs said； offhandedly。 ‘Our cause is theirs； and theirs ours。 They know how to expunge those who would serve the Keeper and thus our enemies。 We will cleanse the land of all who serve the Keeper。 Goodness must triumph。’
‘You mean your cause。 It is you who would rule。’
‘Are you blind； Confessor？ I rule here； now； but this is not about me； it’s about the future。 I simply fill the post for now； furrow the field so it may produce。 It’s not I who is the focus。
‘We offer everyone the chance to serve with us； and every man with me has taken that offer。 Others have joined our troops in our battle。 We are no longer D’Haran troops。 They are no longer troops of their homeland。 We are all the Imperial Order。 Any of right mind can lead us。 If I fall in our noble struggle； another will rise up to take my place； until all the lands are joined under united rule； and the Imperial Order can flower。’
Either the man was too drunk to know what he was saying； or he was mad。 She glanced about at the dancing； drunken； singing men at campfires all about。 Mad as the Bantak。 Mad as the Jocopo。
‘General Riggs。’ He had been muttering angrily under his breath； but stopped and looked up at her。 ‘I am the Mother Confessor。 Like it or not； I represent the Midlands。 In the name of the Midlands I call upon you to to halt this war immediately and either return to D’Hara； or e to the council with your grievances。 You may petition the Central Council with any dispute you have； and it will be heard； but you may not visit war upon my people。 You will not like the consequence if you choose not to heed my orders。’
He sneered up at her。 ‘We make no promises。 We’ll annihilate all who don’t join us。 We fight to stop the killing； to stop the murdering； as the good spirits have called upon us to do。 We fight for peace！ Until we win peace； we will have war！’
She frowned。 ‘Who told you this？ Who told you that you must fight？’
He blinked at her。 ‘It’s self…evident； you stupid bitch！’
‘You cannot possibly be so stupid as to think the good spirits tell you to wage war。 The good spirits do not act in such overt ways。’
‘Ah； well then； we have a disagreement。 That is the purpose of war； is it not？ To settle such matters？ The good spirits know us to be in the right； else they would easily join against us。 Our victory will prove they side with us or we could not win in our struggle。 The Creator Himself wishes to see us triumph； and our victory will be proof of that。’
The man was a lunatic。 She redirected her attention to the Keltish mander。 ‘Karsh 。。。’
‘General Karsh。’
‘You demean the rank； General。 Why did you slaughter the people of Ebinissia？’
‘Ebinissia was given the opportunity to join us； as will all be given the opportunity。 Ebinissia chose to fight。 We had to make an example of her heathen people； to show others what awaits them if they fail to join us in peace。 It cost us nearly half our men； but it was a goal worth the cost。 Even now； those lost are being replaced by others joining with us； and we will swell in rank to take in all the known lands。’
This； you call leadership？ Extortion and murder？’
General Karsh slammed his mug down on the table。 His eyes were fire。 ‘We visit upon them what they visit upon our people！ They raid our farms； our border towns。 They kill Keltans as if we were bugs to be stepped on！
‘Yet we offered them peace。 It is they who chose to shun our mercy。 They were offered a chance at peace； a chance to join us； they chose war。 In that way； they chose to aid us； they’ve made an example for others of the folly of fighting us。’
‘And what have you done with Queen Cyrilla？ Did you slaughter her； too； or is she back there in your whores’ tents？’
They all laughed。 ‘She would be；’ Riggs put in； ‘if we’d found her。’ Kahlan almost sighed aloud with relief。
She looked back to Karsh； who was taking another swig。 ‘What has Prince Fyren to say of this？’
‘Fyren’s in Aydindril！ I’m here！’
So； perhaps the Crown wasn’t a part of this。 Perhaps this was little more than a band of murdering outlaws who fancied themselves as more。
Kahlan knew Prince Fyren； knew him to be a reasonable man。 Of the Keltish diplomats assigned to Aydindril； he was the one who had done the most to bring Kelton forward into the alliance of the Midlands through the Central Council。 He cajoled and persuaded his mother； the queen； to go the route of peace rather than conflict。 Prince Fyren was a gentleman； in every sense of the word。
‘Besides being a murderer； General Karsh； you are also a traitor to your own land and Crown。 To your own queen。’
He hammered his pewter mug down on the table。 ‘I’m a patriot！ A protector of my people！’
She leaned the slightest bit forward。 ‘You’re a treasonous bastard and an outlaw cutthroat without conscience。 I leave to Prince Fyren the honor of condemning you to death。 It will； of course； be a posthumous sentence。’
Karsh pounded his fist。 ‘The good spirits know of your treachery against the people of the Midlands！ This proves their words true！ They’ve told us we cannot be free as long as you live！ They’ve called upon us to kill all those like you！ All those who blaspheme！ The good spirits will not abandon us in our struggle。 We shall defeat all who do the Keeper’s bidding。’
‘No real officer；’ she said； contemptuously； ‘would listen to the babbling of the Blood。’
The wizard had made an angry…looking ball of liquid fire； and was slowly juggling it back and forth between his hands while he watched her。 The flames spit and hissed； dropping little sparks。 General Riggs belched and then put his knuckles on the table as he leaned toward her。
‘Enough talking。 Get down here； you little wench； so we can start the party。 Us brave freedom fighters need a little fun。’
General Karsh at