Temple of the Winds by Terry Goodkind Page B

the guards at the intended victim’s door. That will only get your assassin killed, instead. Maybe Jagang had this man do something before he came to the palace, and then once the task was done, he wanted Marlin to come here so we would kill him and eliminate any chance we would find out what’s going on before this Sister carried out the true plot. Jagang certainly wouldn’t care if we killed one of his pawns—he has plenty more, and he doesn’t value human life.”
    Kahlan twisted her fingers together behind her back. She was feeling decidedly foolish. Richard’s furrowed brow over his piercing, gray eyes wasn’t helping.
    “ Richard, we knew that there was a woman up here who was asking to see you, just as Marlin did. We didn’t know who Nadine was. Marlin didn’t know the Sister’s name, but he gave us a description: young, pretty, and with long brown hair. We were worried that Nadine might be the Sister, right here among us, and so we left Marlin down there and came up here at once to see about Nadine. That was our priority: stopping a Sister of the Dark if she was in the palace. We’ll ask Marlin all those questions later. He’s not going anywhere.”
    Richard’s raptor gaze softened as he took a contemplative breath. He finally nodded. “You did the right thing. You’re right about the questions being less important. I’m sorry; I should have realized you would do what was best.” He lifted a cautionary finger. “Leave this Marlin fellow to me.”
    Richard turned the raptor gaze on Cara. “I don’t want you and Kahlan down there with him. Understand? Something could happen.”
    Cara would offer her life without question to protect his, but by her glare she was apparently beginning to resent having her ability questioned. “And how dangerous was a big strong man at the end of Denna’s leash as she walked him with impunity among the public at the People’s Palace in D’Hara? Did she have to do more than tuck the end of her pet’s thin chain under her belt to demonstrate her complete control? Did he ever once so much as dare to let tension come to that leash?”
    The man at the end of that leash had been Richard.
    Cara’s blue eyes flashed with indignation, like sudden lightning from a clear blue sky. Kahlan almost would have expected Richard to draw his sword in rage. Instead, he watched her, as if listening dispassionately to her opinion, and waiting to see if she had anything to add. Kahlan wondered if Mord-Sith feared being struck dead, or welcomed it.
    “ Lord Rahl, I have his power. Nothing can happen.”
    “ I’m sure you do. I don’t doubt your abilities Cara, but I don’t want Kahlan put at risk, no matter how inconceivable the risk, when it isn’t necessary. You and I will go question Marlin when I get back. I trust you with my life, but I just don’t want to trust Kahlan’s to an ugly twist of fate.
    “ Jagang overlooked the ability of the Mord-Sith, probably because he doesn’t know enough about the New World to know what a Mord-Sith is. He’s made a mistake. I simply want to make sure we don’t make a mistake, too. All right? When I get back we’ll question Marlin and find out what’s really going on.”
    As quickly as it had come, the storm in Cara’s eyes passed. Richard’s calm demeanor had quelled it, and in seconds it seemed as if nothing had happened. Kahlan almost wasn’t sure Cara had actually said the savage things she had heard. Almost.
    Kahlan wished she could have thought through the matter of Marlin when she had had the chance. Richard made it all seem so simple to her. She guessed that she was so worried for him that she just wasn’t thinking clearly. That was a mistake. she knew she shouldn’t allow her concern to cloud her thinking, lest she cause the harm she feared.
    Richard held the back of Kahlan’s neck as he kissed her brow. “I’m relieved that you weren’t hurt. You frighten me the way you get it in your head to put your life before