Naked Empire (Sword of Truth 8)

Even though this was the way Richard often disarmed people when he questioned them, in this case it struck Kahlan that such a manner was precisely what Owen would be most accustomed to, most comfortable with. This gentle manner was pulling answers from the man and filling in a lot of information Kahlan had never thought of trying to get.

She had already learned that she was the cause of what had befallen these people.

“We both know, Owen, that, try as we might, such efforts to change people’s ways don’t always work. Some people won’t change. There are times when people do evil things. Even among civilized people, there are some who will not behave in a civil manner despite all your best efforts. What’s worse is that, if allowed to continue, these few jeopardize the whole community.

“After all, if you have a rapist among you, you can’t allow him to continue to prey on women. If a man committed murder, you couldn’t allow such a man to threaten the empire with his ways, now could you? An advanced culture, especially, can’t be faulted for wanting to stop such dangers to enlightened people.

“But you’ve shunned all forms of violence, so you can hardly punish such a man physically—you couldn’t put a murderer to death—not if you’ve truly rejected violence unconditionally. What do you do with such men? How does an enlightened people handle grave problems, such as murder?”

Owen was sweating. It seemed not to have occurred to him to deny the existence of murderers—Richard had already led him past that, had already established the existence of such men. Before Owen could think to object, Richard was already beyond, to the next step.

“Well,” Owen said, swallowing, “as you say, we are an enlightened people. If someone does something to harm another, they are given…a denunciation.”

“A denunciation. You mean, you condemn their actions, but not the man. You give him a second chance.”

“Yes, that’s right.” Owen wiped sweat from his brow as he glanced up at Richard. “We work very hard to reform people who make such mistakes and are given a denunciation. We recognize that their actions are a cry for help, so we counsel them in the ways of enlightenment in order to help them to see that they are hurting all our people when they hurt one, and that since they are one of our beloved people, they are only hurting themselves when they hurt another. We show such people compassion and understanding.”

Kahlan caught Cara’s arm, and with a stern look convinced her to remain silent.

Richard paced slowly before Owen, nodding as if he thought that sounded reasonable. “I understand. You put a great deal of effort into making them see that they can never do such a thing again.”

Owen nodded, relieved that Richard understood.

“But then there are times when one of those who has received a denunciation, and has been counseled to the very best of your ability, goes out and does the same crime again—or one even worse.

“It’s clear, then, that he refuses to be reformed and that he’s a threat to public order, safety, and confidence. Left to his own devises, such a person, by himself, will bring the very thing you unconditionally reject—violence—to stalk among your people and win others to his ways.”

A light mist had begun to fall. Owen sat on the crate, trembling, frightened, alone. Only a short time ago he had been reluctant to answer even the most basic question in a meaningful way; now Richard had him speaking openly.

Friedrich stroked the jaw of one of the horses as he quietly watched. Jennsen sat on a rock, Betty lying at her feet. Tom stood behind Jennsen, a hand resting gently on her shoulder, but keeping an eye on the man Kahlan had touched with her power. That man sat off to the side, listening dispassionately as he waited to be commanded. Cara stood beside Kahlan, ever watchful for trouble, but obviously caught up in the unfolding story of Owen’s homeland, even if she was having a hard time holding her tongue.

For her part, Kahlan, while she could sympathize with Cara’s difficulty in holding her tongue, was transfixed by the tale of a mysterious empire that Richard casually, effortlessly, drew from this man who had poisoned him. She couldn’t imagine where Richard was going with his matter-of-fact questions. What did this empire’s forms of punishment have to do with Richard being poisoned? It was clear to her, though, that Richard knew where he was headed, and that the path he was following was wide and sunlit.

Richard paused before Owen. “What do you do in those instances?—when you can’t reform someone who has become a danger to everyone. What do an enlightened people do with that kind of person?”

Owen spoke in a soft voice that carried clearly in the misty early-morning hush. “We banish them.”

“Banish them. You mean, you send them into the boundary?”

Owen nodded.

“But you said that going into the boundary is death. You couldn’t simply send them into the boundary or you would be executing them. You must have a place to send them through. A special place. A place where you can banish them, without killing them, but a place where you know they can never return to harm your people.”

Owen nodded again. “Yes. There is such a place. The pass that is blocked by the boundary is steep and treacherous. But there is a path that leads down into the boundary. Those ancient ones who protected us by placing that boundary placed the path as well. The path is said to allow passage out. Because of the way the mountain descends, it is a difficult path, but it can be followed.”

“And just because of how difficult it is, it’s not possible to climb back up? To enter the Bandakaran Empire?”

Owen chewed his lower lip. “It goes down through a terrible place, a narrow passageway through the boundary, a lifeless land, where it is said that death itself lies to each side. The person banished is given no water or food. He must find his own, on the other side, or perish. We place watchers at the entrance of the path, where they wait to be sure that the one banished has gone through and is not lingering in the boundary only to return. The watchers wait and watch for several weeks to be sure that the one banished has gone beyond in search of water and food, in search of his new life away from his people.

“Once beyond, the forest is a terrible place, a frightening place, with roots that descend over the edge like a land of snakes. The path takes you down under that cascade of roots and running water. Then, even lower, you find yourself in a strange land where the trees are far above, reaching for the distant light, but you see only their roots twisting and stretching down into the darkness toward the ground. It is said that once you see that forest of roots towering all around you, you have made it through the boundary and the pass through the mountains.

“There is said to be no way to enter our land from that other side—to use the pass to return to our empire.

“Once banished, there is no redemption.”

Richard moved up close beside Owen and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“What did you do to be banished, Owen?”

Owen sank forward, putting his face in his hands as he finally broke down sobbing.

Chapter 24

Richard left his hand on Owen’s shoulder as he spoke in a compassionate tone. “Tell me what happened, Owen. Tell me in your own way.”

Kahlan was startled to hear, after all Owen had said, that he had become one of the banished. She saw Jennsen’s jaw fall open. Cara lifted an eyebrow.

Kahlan could see that Richard’s hand on Owen’s shoulder was an emotional lifeline for the man. He finally sat up, sniffling back the tears. He wiped his nose on his sleeve.

He looked up at Richard. “Should I tell you the whole story? All of it?”

“Yes. I’d

like to hear it all, from the beginning.”

Kahlan was struck at how much Richard reminded her, at that moment, of his grandfather, Zedd, and the way Zedd always wanted to hear the whole story.

“Well, I was happy among my people, with them all around me. They held me to their breast when I was young. I was always safe in their welcoming arms. While I knew of other children who became unruly and were put out as punishment, I never did anything to be put out. I hungered to learn to be like my people. They taught me the ways of enlightenment. For a time I served my people as the Wise One.

“Later, my people were pleased with how enlightened I was, how I embraced them all, and so they made me the speaker of our town. I traveled to nearby towns to speak the words of what the people of my town all believed as one. I went to our great cities for the same reason. I was always happiest, though, when I was home with my closest people.

“I fell in love with a woman from my town. Her name is Marilee.”

Owen stared off into his memories. Richard didn’t rush him, but waited patiently until he began again at his own pace.

“It was spring, a little more than two years ago, when we fell joyfully in love. Marilee and I spent time talking, holding hands, and, when we could, sitting together while among all the others. Among all the others, though, I only had eyes for Marilee. She only had eyes for me.

“When we were with others, it felt like we were alone in the world, Marilee and I, and the world belonged to us alone, that only we had the eyes to see all its hidden beauty. It is wrong to feel this way, to be so alone in our hearts is to be selfish and to think our eyes can see so clearly is sinful pride, but we could not help ourselves. The trees blossomed just for us. The water in the streams burbled their music just for us. The moon rose for us alone.” Owen slowly shook his head. “You could not understand how it was…how we felt.”

“I understand quite well how it was,” Richard assured him in a quiet voice.