Blood 19

Chapter 19
This chapter is largely pointless.
We return to Richard, who is angry (so, nothing new here). He and two hundred soldiers are returning from a fruitless chase, having spent the last four days trying to track . . . someone. It's eventually revealed to be Brogan, Lunetta, and Galtero, but Terry Goodkind plays coy with this information for a page or two, for no real reason.
As Richard heads back into the Mindrapists' Palace, Richard runs into Berdine, who first demands to know where he's been, then informs him that “You will not wander off again without telling me where you are going. Do you understand?”
Richard takes this as a joke and tries to laugh it off, but Berdine points her +5 Riding Crop of Pain at him and says “I asked you a question. I expect an answer. Don't make me ask again.”
Richard thinks that “This time there was no excusing her tone or her actions,” which I heartily agree with. The Dominatrices are predators, and Richard – if he intends to retain his authority – needs to make it clear that, while he won't be cruel to them, he also won't tolerate insubordination. So he . . . does what she wants. He explains where he went and why, and Berdine stalks off.
Richard goes to his study and broods over how he was wrong about the Dominatrices. Cara and Rain come in, and Richard snaps at them, so they leave. A bit later, General Rei comes in and Richard tells him how they failed to find the Nicobaritalians. Rei comments that “We questioned the ones they left behind at their palace. None knew where Brogan went.” Richard says they could be lying, to which Rei responds: “Take my word, they didn't know where they went.”
Glad to see Richard, Paragon of Justice and Mercy, condones torturing people for information, especially people who aren't even necessarily his enemies. And lest you think I'm reading in a subtext where it doesn't exist, here's the next line: “Richard didn't want to know the details of what had been done on his behalf.”
Plausible deniability; ain't it great? \~/
Rei wonders why Richard didn't just track Brogan with magic, prompting Richard to think about how the D'Harans expect him to be their master wizard, while he knows virtually nothing about magic. Naturally, Richard (who considers riddles a form of “intellectual dishonesty,” whatever that means) decides to sidestep the issue by implying that he could have tracked Brogan magically, except for excuse excuse excuse.
We learn that General Rei and the D'Harans have literally confiscated all the swords in the city, which just seems bizarre. I hope they took all the axes, spears, polearms, bows, crossbows, clubs and pointy sticks as well. We also learn that there have been no more Mister attacks, but that about three hundred people were killed the first night, including eighty men “on the road up by the Wizard's Keep.” Richard ponders whether the Misters were trying to break into the Keep.
Sandy brings in Richard's dinner, and there's some utterly useless blather on who's sleeping where and what's for dinner, and the chapter ends.
Told you it was pointless.
Drinks: 1
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