Temple 31

Chapter 31
Richard & Co. return to the palace under the threat of organized and hostile weather: "murky clouds scudded by, messengers delivering a vow of a storm. A few errant snowflakes flitted past on the wind, scouting for the horde to come." Kahlan thinks about how upset Richard must be, and how she has to stay strong for him.
Kahlan then spends some time trying to convince us that Drefan is an arrogant bastard, thinking that he viewed "those who fell sick with contempt." Note that we have seen him be nothing but selfless, brave, humble and helpful.
There's a pointless aside about a man who killed himself by eating rich sauces that made him sick, and an even more pointless aside about "a small place called Langden where lived a very superstitious and backward people." I'm taking a drink for that. \~/
More about how much Kahlan dislikes Nadine, and how she "knew Nadine's apology hadn't been sincere." Because we must never be allowed to forget, even for a minute, that Nadine is utterly despicable. \~/
Richard is very tired. Richard sends the Aryan Boys off to collect his generals and officers, and then runs into Tristan Bashkar. Richard, being Richard, immediately demands to know if Bashkar has decided to surrender, then threatens him, stating that "You risk your people seeing swords, instead of stars."
Bashkar says that he's heard there's plague in Aydindril, which rumor Richard confirms. When Bashkar very reasonably asks how much danger there is, Richard grabs the hilt of his sword and says "If you join with the Order, minister, you will wish it was the plague on you, instead of me."
Diplomacy! \~/ And no, I cut no slack for Richard being sleep-deprived, since the narrative clearly expects the reader to automatically side with Richard.
Kahlan thinks to herself that Richard is not in the mood "to be challenged by a noble such as Tristan inquiring after his own hide." Wait; when did Bashkar challenge Richard? He's been nothing but polite, even in the face of Richard's macho posturing. \~/ He's also trapped - by Richard's decree - in a city in which he's just learned there is plague; some concern is eminently understandable. What suggests that he's "inquiring after his own hide?" \~/
Kahlan randomly reminds us that "Jara had also been on the council that had condemned [her] to death. Although it wasn't Tristan who had voted to behead her, it had been a councilor from his land."
So what? So Bashkar is evil because he comes from the same country as a councilor who voted for Kahlan's execution? Is every American evil because of Jeffery Dahmer? Are all British people murderers because of Jack the Ripper? This makes no sense even by Goodkind standards. \~/\~/
Also, how about fucking Zedd, the man who personally condemned Kahlan to death, who quite literally threw her at the council's nonexistent mercy? How about we send some hate his way? \~/
"Richard had killed that Jarian councilor."
Yes, I'm sure we all remember Richard slaughtering a room full of unnamed, unarmed civilians who had ordered the execution of a brutal tyrant, on his authority as a man with a sword. Not sure what that has to do with anything here and now, but we all remember it. \~/
"Kahlan didn't know why Tristan took such an instant dislike to Richard, except that for the fact that this was the man who had demanded Jaria's surrender."
One: Yeah, I can kind of see how that would sour one's relationship. People tend not to appreciate being ordered to surrender their national identity and submit to a tyrant simply because he feels justified. Every tyrant ever has felt justified; that doesn't make their actions any less reprehensible. \~/
Two: When did we see Bashkar take a dislike to Richard? He has been nothing but polite. He greeted Richard cordially, asked about the plague rumors, and mentioned that Kahlan had allowed him two weeks before a final decision. In response, Richard grabbed the hilt of his sword and threatened him. Simply asserting something does not make it so, Terry. If you want the reader to see Bashkar behaving poorly, you have to make him behave poorly. \~/
Drefan steps in between them in an attempt to defuse the situation (by which I mean, keep Richard from physically assaulting Bashkar for no reason) and offers some advice on avoiding the plague. Bashkar, as an unreasonable jerkass who has taken an immediate dislike to Richard, listens "earnestly," thanks Richard courteously for his honesty and his time, and takes his leave.
That bastard.
Berdine wander up, mumbling to herself as she reads Kolo's journal, and says she needs to talk to Richard. Richard complains of a headache, for which Nadine offers some herbs, while Drefan suggests sleep. Berdine says she's figured out where the Temple of the Winds is: atop the Mountain of the Four Winds. A page of chatter narrows this down to Mount Kymermosst - which does not appear on the map, I'll note - but Kahlan says she's been there, and there's nothing there but some ruins of old outbuildings, not even a main structure. The road terminates in a sheer cliff, and from the layout of the outbuildings, that's where the rest of whatever was up there used to be.
Richard says this must be what Kolo was talking about, that the Ancient Wizards magically tore off the Temple and buried it under an avalanche. Berdine promises to keep studying.
The chapter ends with the dramatic declaration that . . . wait for it . . . Kahlan and Richard won't be marrying now!
At least, not immediately. The plague being more important, you know.
That probably didn't have the effect Terry Goodkind was hoping for, but at least he gets in one more slam on Nadine, as Kahlan notes that "Nadine's instantly blank face spoke more than if she had grinned." Because, despite being repeatedly rebuffed and even physically manhandled by Richard, she still nurses hopes of marrying him. This is looking less and less like infatuation and more like some sort of crippling psychological disorder. And no, it still doesn't make me hate her; Nadine is so stupid and so obviously exists to tongue-wash Richard's reputation as a paragon of virtue that all I can do is pity her. She's not a character; she's a prop, a dartboard with a woman's face pinned to it. \~/
Drinks: 12
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