The Omen Machine. Terry Goodkind

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      “Where does she live?”

      “I can’t recall.” Ludwig ran his fingers over his upturned collar. “I’m not sure.”

      “I was told that she lives in Kharga Trace. Kharga Trace is in Fajin Province, isn’t it?”

      “Kharga Trace? Yes, yes it is.” His tongue darted out to wet his lips. “Now that you mention it, I believe that I do recall that she lives in Kharga Trace.”

      Richard watched Ludwig’s gaze wander off. “Tell me about her. About this woman, Jit.”

      The abbot looked back at Richard. “I don’t know much about her, Lord Rahl.”

      “Does she provide predictions for you?”

      Ludwig shook his head, eager to discourage the notion. “No, no she doesn’t do that sort of thing.”

      “Then what sort of things does she do?”

      The man gestured with his hat. “Well, she lives in a very inhospitable place. She provides cures to some of the people in the more remote areas. Simple things, I believe. Potions and concoctions, I think. But not many people live in Kharga Trace. Like I said, it’s a harsh and forbidding place.”

      “But people travel there from other places in the Dark Lands to see her for these cures?” Richard asked.

      Ludwig worked his hat around and around in his fingers. “I wouldn’t really know, Lord Rahl. I don’t have any dealings with her. I can’t say for certain. But people are superstitious. I guess that some believe in the things she offers.”

      “But she doesn’t offer prophecy.”

      “No, not prophecy. At least, not that I know of, anyway. Like I say, I don’t know much about her.” He gestured to the windows. “Not like you, Lord Rahl. Your prediction proved true. That’s quite a blizzard coming up on us. As you predicted, I don’t think anyone will be venturing out across the Azrith Plain for a few days at least.”

      Richard glanced to the windows. They shook as gales of wind rattled snow and sleet against the glass. It was going to be a cold, black night.

      He looked back at the abbot. “You leave prophecy to those of us here at the palace. Do you understand?”

      The man paused a moment to consider his words. “Lord Rahl, I am not visited by predictions of the future. I have no ability. I only report what I hear from those who do. I suppose that you could silence me if you wished to do so, but that will not silence visions of the future. The future will be upon us whether we are willing or not.

      “There will always be omens of future events. Those who have visions of it will reveal those visions whether we want to hear them or not.”

      Richard let out a deep breath. “I guess you’re right about that, Abbot Dreier.”

      CHAPTER 15

      Out in the corridor, as Ludwig was leaving, Richard spotted Nicci coming their way. With her black dress and long blond hair flowing out behind her she looked like nothing so much as a vengeful spirit come among them to vent her wrath. She glanced at the abbot as he hurried past her. Ludwig deliberately didn’t look at the sorceress on his way by, as if fearing that if he did she might bring lightning down on him. Such a thing wasn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility.

      Richard thought that there were few things as dangerous-looking as a stunningly beautiful woman who was angry, and Nicci looked very angry. He wondered why.

      “What’s the matter?” he asked as she came to a halt.

      She clenched her jaw a moment before she spoke.

      “I’ve been dealing with fools.”

      “What do you mean?” Kahlan asked.

      Nicci aimed a thumb back the way she had come. “All they want to hear about is prophecy. They want know what the future holds, what prophecy says. They think we’re privy to the secrets of the future and we’re withholding those secrets from them.”

      Kahlan glanced over at Richard as she asked, “Who, exactly, are you talking about?”

      Nicci pulled thick locks of blond hair back over her shoulder. “Those people.” She flicked a hand back the way she’d come. “You know, the representatives from the different lands. After the reception nearly all of them sought me out wanting to know what I knew about prophecy and what it had to say about their future. They wanted to know about the omen that caused the woman to kill her children.

      “They think we know all about the prophecy behind the vision the woman had and that we’re keeping that information from them. They want to know what other dire omens we’re withholding from them.”

      Kahlan nodded. “I know what you mean. They were all of a mind to hear prophecy from us as well.”

      Richard raked his fingers back through his hair. “As much as I don’t like it, and as angry as it makes me, I guess that it’s to be expected from people who have just heard that a woman killed her children to spare them what she says she saw in a vision.”

      Zedd pushed his hands up the opposite sleeves of his robes. “People can’t help fearing such grim warnings. They fear to believe that they’re true, fear what it will mean in their lives, and so, in the grip of that fear, they believe such things. We can try to reason with people— Richard and Kahlan both did so— but overcoming fear is hard to do, especially after hearing of a vision so fearsome that it would cause a woman to murder her children because of it.”

      “I suppose,” Nicci said. Her blue eyes flashed anger again. “But that doesn’t mean I have to like it. All because of what a crazy woman says.”

      “I didn’t see you at the reception,” Richard said. “Where did you hear about her killing her children?”

      Nicci frowned up at him. “Hear about it? I was there.”

      “There? What do you mean you were there?”

      Nicci folded her arms and stared at him as if he were the one who was crazy. “I was there. I was down in the market helping to get people organized and hurrying them along to move into the passages in the plateau and out of what is shaping up to be a monstrous storm. They need to move into shelter. Those tents aren’t going to protect them.”

      “That’s true enough.”

      Nicci sighed as she shook her head. “So, I was down there in the market when the first one hit.”

      The creases in Richard’s brow deepened. “What do you mean, when the first one hit? First what?”

      “Richard, aren’t you listening? I was there when the first child hit the ground.”

      Richard’s jaw dropped. “What?”

      “It was a girl, not ten years old. She came down on a log wagon, on one of the upright stake poles. That pole was bigger than my leg. She came down face-first, shrieking all the way. It went right through her chest. People were screaming and running around in СКАЧАТЬ