Faith of the Fallen (Sword of Truth 6)

Richard smiled and bowed his head. “I’ll do that, sir.”

Nicci knew that Richard remembered Ishaq’s name, but he was playing like he didn’t for the sake of the driver, whom Richard didn’t trust, after the man had abandoned his fellow the night before. What Richard didn’t understand was that the driver had only done what he was supposed to do. It was not permitted for one man to take the work that belonged to others. That was stealing. The load was the responsibility of the load man, not the driver.

“You go enlist first in the load workers’ group,” Ishaq told Richard. “Pay your dues. They have an office in the same building. Then you go put your name on the list for the job. I’m in the citizen workers’ group that goes before the review assembly to consider new applicants. You just sit tight and wait outside. When we meet, later on, I’ll vouch for you.”

The driver leaned out and spat over the far side of the wagon. “Why you want to go and do that, Ishaq? You don’t even know this fellow.”

Ishaq scowled up at the driver. “Did you see anyone at the hall who was as big as this fellow? We need another loader for the warehouse. We just lost a man and need a replacement. You want me to get stuck with some skinny old man so as I’ll have to do all the work?”

The driver chuckled. “Suppose not.”

Ishaq gestured toward Nicci. “Besides, look at his young wife. She needs some meat on her bones, don’t you think? Looks like a nice young couple.”

The driver spat over the side of the wagon again. “I suppose.”

Ishaq casually flicked a hand at Richard on his way to unlock the door to the warehouse. “You be there.”

“I’ll be there.”

Ishaq paused and turned back. “Almost forgot—what’s your name?”

“Richard Cypher.”

Ishaq gave him a nod and turned back to the door. “I’m Ishaq. See you tonight, Richard Cypher. Don’t you let me down—you hear? You turn out to be lazy and let me down, and I’ll throw your sorry hide in the river with an iron bar tied around your neck.”

“I won’t let you down, Ishaq.” Richard smiled. “I’m a good swimmer, but not that good.”

As they trudged though the muddy streets on their way to find some food before they went to the offices to get on the list for work, Richard asked, “What’s wrong?”

Nicci shook her head in disgust. “Ordinary people don’t have your luck, Richard. Ordinary people suffer and struggle while your luck gets you into a job.”

“If it was luck,” Richard asked, “then how come my back hurts from lugging that load of iron bars into the warehouse?”

Chapter 46

When Richard had finished unloading the last wagon of iron, he leaned forward and placed his hands on the pile, hanging his head as he panted. The muscles in his arms and shoulders throbbed. It was always easier having two men to handle the bars, one in the wagon, and one on the ground, but the man who was supposed to help with the load had quit several days back, saying he hadn’t been treated properly. Richard didn’t really miss him all that much; even when the man got up off his backside, his assistance was more trouble than it was worth.

The light coming in the high windows was fading, leaving the sky in the west a deep purple. Sweat ran down his neck, making trails through the black iron dust. He wished he could jump in a cool mountain lake. That thought, in and of itself, was refreshing. He let his mind go there as he caught his breath.

Ishaq came down the aisle with the lantern. “You work too hard, Richard.”

“I thought I was hired to work.”

Ishaq peered at Richard for a moment, one eye catching the harsh yellow light of the lantern he was holding. “Take my advice. You work too hard, it’s only going to get you into trouble.”

Richard had been working at the warehouse for three weeks, unloading wagons and loading others. He’d come to know a number of the other men. He had a good idea of what Ishaq meant.

“But I’m still worried about trying to swim with an iron bar wrapped around my neck.”

Ishaq gave up on his scowl and grunted a laugh. “I was just spouting for Jori’s sake, that day.”

Jori was the driver who had refused to help unload the wagon when it broke down. Richard yawned. “I know, Ishaq.”

“This isn’t no farm, like where you came from. This is different, living under the ways of the Order. You got to take the needs of others in mind if you hope to get along. It’s just the way the world is.”

Richard caught the thread of caution in Ishaq’s voice, and the meaning of the gentle warning.

“You’re right, Ishaq. Thanks. I’ll try to remember.”

Ishaq gestured with his lantern toward the door. “Workers’ group meeting tonight. Best be on your way.”

Richard groaned. “I don’t know. It’s late and I’m tired. I’d really rather—”

“You don’t want your name to start going around. You don’t want people to start talking that you’re not civic-minded.”

Richard smirked. “I thought the meetings were voluntary.”

Ishaq barked a laugh again. Richard collected his pack from a shelf in the back corner and then ran to the door so Ishaq could lock it.

Outside, in the gathering darkness, Richard could just make out Nicci’s curvaceous form sitting on the wall at the warehouse entrance. Her curves often put him in mind of nothing so much as a snake. They had no room, yet, so she often came by the warehouse after she’d spent much of the day waiting in lines to buy bread and other necessities. They would walk together back to their shelter in a quiet alley about a mile away. Richard had paid a small price to some of the boys there to guard their place and make sure no one else took it. The boys were young enough to be thankful for the small price and old enough to be diligent about their job.

“Get any bread?” Richard asked as he approached.

Nicci hopped down off the wall. “No bread today—they were out. But I got us some cabbage. I’ll make us a soup.”

Richard’s stomach was growling. He’d been hoping for bread so he could eat a piece right then. Soup would take time.

“Where’s your pack? And if you bought cabbage, where is it?”

She smiled and produced something small. She held it out before them as they walked so as to silhouette it against the deep violet of dusk. It was a key.

“A room? We got a place?”

“I checked the lodging office this afternoon. Our name finally came up. They assigned a room to us. Mr. and Mrs. Cypher. We can sleep inside tonight. Good thing, too; it looks like it will rain tonight. I already put my things in our room.”

Richard rubbed his sore shoulders. He felt a wave of revulsion at the sham she was putting him through…putting Kahlan through. There were times when he felt a hint of something profoundly important about her and what she was doing, but most of the time he was merely overwhelmed by the lunacy of it all.

“Where is this room?” He was hoping it wasn’t clear over on the other side of the city.

“It’s one we were at before—not too far from here. The one with the stain on the wall just inside the door.”

“Nicci, they all had stains on the walls.”

“The stain that looked like a horse’s rear end with its tail flicked up. You’ll see it soon.”

Richard was starving. “I have to go to a workers’ group meeting again tonight.”

“Oh,” Nicci said. “Workers’ group meetings are important. They help keep a person’s mind on what’s proper and on everyone’s duty to his fellow man.”