Wizard 46

Chapter 46
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Richard and Red fly around looking for Zedd, Kahlan and Chase. They don't find them the first day, and Richard angsts about how he may be forced to help Rahl. It's sad. There are only four days left before the first of winter, when Rahl will open a magic box and get the toy surprise inside.
The next day, Richard and Red find the Idiots Three. Richard is happy, until Zedd throws wizard's fire at him. Richard stands and stares at the fire, which races toward him for what feels like an absurdly long time before blocking it with the sword as he did to protect Shota. He goes through the usual why-don't-you-recognize-me bit, and apparently his friends hear him speaking High D'Haran (which none of them understand). Richard finally remembers the “enemy web” Rahl put on him.
Like an idiot, he doesn't bother to write his name in the dirt, or raise his hands in surrender, or any such logical thing. Instead he continues yelling (knowing his friends can't understand him), shoves Zedd down, and puts the sword to Kahlan's throat. You know, because he loves her. \~/ He also turns it white, for some reason...I guess he forgives her for...existing? Not believing him? Amazingly, this fails to establish his identity.
Red tries talking to Richard's Friends, but they apparently can't hear her. She mentions that the enemy web must be keyed to humans, since it doesn't affect her, so that's a plot hole dodged (although I find it odd that the enemy web on Richard would affect Red's actions). Richard decides to go find his brother Michael...because since he couldn't prove his identity to Zedd, Kahlan and Chase, the most logical thing to do is put himself in the middle of a potentially hostile army. \~/
Man's a genius, I say.
They find the army, and Richard wants to land somewhere inconspicuous. Red replies, “I'm a red dragon. I could land us in the middle of them, and they wouldn't see me, if I didn't want them to.”
This is a very interesting statement, since it indicates that Red can turn invisible, presumably through magic. One wonders why she didn't do this earlier, to rescue her egg from all the Fish. Not dramatic enough, I suppose.
So Red sets Richard down ahead of the army and promises to come back for him in the morning. Richard hides in a shrubbery, and decides how to prove to Michael that it's him: he will give him the loser's salute. Apparently when they were kids playing at swords (so that's why Richard is Awesome McBadass with a sword!), whenever Michael won, he would make Richard drop to one knee and salute him. Richard never could beat Michael, blah blah blah. So Richard will do the Loser's Salute, because only he would know the maneuver.
A troop of fifty horsemen ride by, and Richard sees that they're Michael's personal guard. Obviously, Michael couldn't stand to wait and is riding ahead to...get captured? Sure, whatever. Richard waits until they make camp, then sneaks into Michael's tent using his l33t ninja skillz.
Michael sees Richard before he can do the Loser's Salute but, gasp, recognizes him! Which can only mean that Michael is the traitor, since the enemy web makes him see Richard as his worst enemy, and he sees Richard as he truly is! Horrors! This is shocking; shocking, I say! Or at least it might be if Michael hadn't been the Straw Liberal and Designated Traitor from the first chapter. It's less of a Gotcha! moment and more of a Yeah, I thought so.
Michael acts friendly, although for a silver-tongued politician, he stumbles over his words more than Porky Pig. Richard plays along and asks where the magic box is; Michael says Zedd has it. Michael insists that Richard stay with the army, but Richard talks him out of it. Then Michael orders his men to capture Richard anyway, “for his own protection.” Richard runs away.
And the chapter ends.
Drinks: 2
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