Wizard's First Rule (Sword of Truth 1)

Zedd reached into his robes, pulling out a small pouch. “Seal the opening to the tomb with white stone from the quarry of the prophets.”

“Seal it shut?” he gasped.

“Yes. Seal it shut. Or the entire palace will melt.” He handed the man the pouch. “Mix this magic dust with the mortar. It must be done before the sun sets, understand? Sealed shut before the sun sets.”

The man nodded, snatched the pouch from Zedd’s hand, and ran back up the steps as fast as his short legs would take him. Another man, taller, with his hands in the opposite sleeves of his gold-trimmed white robes, passed him as he came down. Chase glared at Zedd, poking a big finger at the wizard’s chest.

“Panis Rahl, Master Rahl’s grandfather?”

Zedd cleared his throat. “Yes, well, we will have to have a talk.”

The man in the white robes approached. “Wizard Zorander, is Master Rahl about? There are matters to be discussed.”

Zedd peered up at the dragon disappearing in the sky. “Master Rahl will be away for a time.”

“But he will return?”

“Yes.” Zedd looked back to the man’s waiting face. “Yes, he will return. You will just have to carry on until then.”

The man shrugged. “We are used to that, here at the People’s Palace—waiting for the Master to return.” He turned and started off, but stopped when Zedd called him back.

“I’m hungry. Is there anywhere to get something to eat around here?”

The man smiled and held his arm out to the palace entrance. “Of course, Wizard Zorander. Allow me show you to a dining hall.”

“How about it, Chase? Care for some lunch before I’m on my way?”

The boundary warden looked down at Rachel. “Lunch?” She grinned and nodded in earnest. “All right, Zedd. And where is it you’re going?”

Zedd shifted his robes. “To see Adie.”

Chase lifted an eyebrow. “A little rest and relaxation?” He grinned.

Zedd couldn’t help smiling a little. “That, and I must take her to Aydindril, to the Wizard’s Keep. We have a lot of reading to do.”

“Why would you want to take Adie to Aydindril, to the Wizard’s Keep, to read?”

Zedd gave the boundary warden a sidelong glance. “Because she knows more about the underworld than anyone alive.”

~

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Acknowledgements

About Terry Goodkind

About the Sword of Truth series

An invitation from the publisher

Preview

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“The greatest harm can result from the best intentions.” Richard Cypher and Kahlan Amnell ignore Wizard’s Second Rule at their peril.

Richard Cypher’s battle with Darken Rahl has torn the veil that separates the world of the living from the Underworld, freeing the Keeper’s minions to stalk the land. To repair the veil, Richard will be forced to confront the true and deadly nature of his inheritance and Kahlan will be forced to betray the man she loves.

Alone with the terrible truth of what she has done, Kahlan must forge an army and battle a new threat that is even now scouring the land, determined to eradicate the corrupting taint of magic once and for all. But even that may be easier than winning back the heart of the man she loves.

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1

Rachel clutched her doll tighter to her chest and stared at the dark thing watching her from the bushes. At least she thought it was watching her. It was hard to tell because the eyes were as dark as the rest of it, except when the light caught them just right, then they gleamed a golden color.

She had seen animals in the woods before, rabbits and raccoons and squirrels and such, but this was bigger. It was as big as her, maybe bigger. Bears were dark. She wondered if it could be a bear.

But this wasn’t exactly the woods, since it was indoors. She had never been in an indoor woods before. She wondered if indoor woods had animals like the outdoor woods did.

She might have been afraid if Chase wasn’t there with her. She knew she was safe with him. Chase was the bravest man she ever saw. Still, she was a little afraid. Chase had told her she was the bravest little girl he knew. She didn’t want him to think she was afraid of some big rabbit.

Maybe that’s all it was, some big rabbit, sitting on a rock or something. But rabbits had long ears. Maybe it really was a bear. She put her doll’s foot in her mouth.

She turned and looked down the path, across the pretty flowers and short walls covered with vines, and across the grass to where Chase was talking to Zedd, the wizard. They were standing by a stone table, looking at the boxes, and talking about what to do with them. Rachel was glad that that mean Darken Rahl didn’t get them and that he wasn’t ever going to be able to hurt anyone again.

Rachel turned back to make sure the dark thing wasn’t coming any closer to her. It was gone. She looked around, but didn’t see it anywhere.

“Sara, where do you think it could have gone?” she whispered.

Her doll didn’t have an answer. Rachel bit down on Sara’s foot and started walking to Chase. Her feet wanted to run, but she didn’t want Chase to think she wasn’t brave. He had said she was brave, and that made her feel good. She looked over her shoulder as she walked, checking, but she didn’t see the dark thing anywhere. Maybe it lived in a hole, and it had gone there. Her feet still wanted to run, but she didn’t let them.

When she reached Chase, she pushed up against him and hugged his leg. He and Zedd were talking, and she knew it was impolite to interrupt, so she sucked on Sara’s foot while she waited.

“So what could happen if you just shut the lid?” Chase was asking the wizard.

“Anything!” Zedd stuck his skinny arms up in the air. His wavy white hair was smoothed down but it still stuck out in places. “How should I know? Just because I know what the boxes of Orden are doesn’t mean I know what to do with them now that Darken Rahl has opened one. The magic of Orden killed him for opening it. It could have destroyed the world. It could kill me for closing it. Or worse.”

Chase sighed. “Well we can’t just leave them sitting around, can we? Don’t we ha

ve to do something?”

The wizard frowned and looked at the boxes while he was thinking. When it was quiet for a minute, Rachel tugged on Chase’s sleeve. He looked down at her.

“Chase...”

“Chase? I told you the rules.” He put his hands on his hips and twisted his face up trying to make it look mean, until she giggled and hugged his leg tighter. “You’ve only been my daughter for a few weeks, and already you’re breaking the rules. I told you before, you are to call me ‘Father’. None of my children are allowed to call me Chase. Understand?”

Rachel grinned and nodded. “Yes Ch... Father.”

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. Then he mussed her hair. “What is it?”

“There’s some big animal in the trees. I think it might be a bear, or worse. I think you might need to take out your sword and go have a look.”

He laughed. “A bear! In here?” He laughed again. “This is an indoor garden, Rachel. There aren’t any bears in an indoor garden. Maybe it was a shadow. The light does odd things in here.”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so, Ch... Father. It was watching me.”

He smiled and mussed her hair again and put his big hand on the side of her face and hugged her head to his leg. “Then you just stay by me and it won’t bother you.”

She sucked Sara’s foot and nodded as he held her head to his leg. She didn’t feel so afraid now that he had his hand on her, and so looked over to the trees again.

The dark thing, mostly hidden by one of the vine covered walls, darted closer. Rachel bit down harder on Sara’s foot and let out a little whimper as she looked up at Chase. He was pointing at the boxes.

“And just what is that thing, that stone, or jewel or whatever it is? Did it come out of the box?”

Zedd nodded. “It did. But I don’t want to say what I think it is until I’m sure. At least not out loud.”