Temple 13

Chapter 13
The Mysterious Cloaked Figure turns out to be the “Raug'Moss.” Since he does not offer his name, we'll call him Mossy. Mossy starts looking Cara over and asking Kahlan what's going on. She says that she and Cara came down to question Jagcard, and Mossy replies “To torture him.” Yep, pretty much exactly.
Kahlan denies it, but then sort of confirms it in the very next sentence.
Mossy criticizes Kahlan, then dismisses Nadine's herbs, saying “You're not a healer. You're an herb woman.” He explains that the treatment she was going to use, “tincture of maypop,” would likely have killed Cara since her heart rate is weak and maypop is a sedative. Turns out Nadine didn't even bother to check Cara's pulse.
I think that pretty much clinches it. Nadine's narrative purpose is to be so stupid she makes slime mold look brilliant, and therefore make Kahlan look smarter by comparison. Here's the thing, though, Goodkind: introducing a blithering moron who can't remember her own name from day to day doesn't make me like your other characters more. It just makes me like her less. You don't choke down food you hate to make food you like taste better. You don't listen to screeching cats fighting on a blackboard to enhance your appreciation of Mozart. And Kahlan ain't no Mozart; she's more like a drunken soccer mom singing Firework on karaoke, badly. \~/
We learn Mossy's name, which is Drefan. He continues to examine Cara, including “gripp[ing] her breasts in his big hands.” \~/ Because boobs. Turns out Cara's left breast is hot, as if she's fevered, and her right is ice cold.
Continuing his theme, Drefan then . . . um . . . fingers Cara. \~/ Kahlan is rightfully outraged and punches him in the arm, or rather “on the nerve in the side of the upper arm,” and demands that Drefan explain himself. He claims he was checking “her auras, her energy flows” and needed to see if she was in a state of continual orgasm. Because this is an absolutely necessary and vital thing to have in this fantasy novel book about important human ideas. A man sticking his fingers up a helpless woman's vagina. Yes indeedy, I can see why Goodkind is so vastly superior to those fantasy authors, who never include such scenes.
You and me both, Pinkie.
Drefan says he's learned what he needs to know, and starts directing Kahlan and Nadine to clear Cara's chakras, or some darn thing. The phrase “Depress the third anterior axis of the dorsin meridian” is used, and a quick Google search of the phrase “dorsin meridian” returns only references to this very book. So, it's meaningless gibberish, then.
Drefan and the women pinch Cara's ankles a bit, but nothing seems to happen. Kahlan wants to know what's up, and Drafon dismisses her with “If I wish you to bother me, woman, I will ask.” So he's a misogynist, which makes him a Bad Person, and we all know that Bad People are 100% evil with no redeeming features.
Nadine stands up for Kahlan and chews Drefan out for most of a page, which is surely more important than, y'know, saving Cara's life. Drefan, as soon as he learns that Kahlan is Richard's fiance, grovels for mercy. Because everything must revolve around Richard. EVERYTHING.
Kahlan insists that Drefan go on with the healing. Nadine says that Cara is suffering “a paroxysm. It must be ended, not prayed over.” This inspires Drefan to say something interesting stupid.
“I am the Raug'Moss High Priest. I am not given to praying for my healings.”
Terry . . . you do know what a priest is, don't you? Religion, prayer, that sort of thing? I mean, I know you think you're too good for such things, but you are aware of them, yes? \~/
There's an unimportant bit where he mocks Nadine, and then he continues correcting Cara's “meridian lines: the flow of her force, her life, her aura.” Drefan insists this is not magic, just training. Anyway, Cara stops convulsing and regains awareness and all is well.
Cara sees Drefan and says “Lord Rahl?” At this, Drefan reveals that his is Richard's half-brother, another son of Darken Rahl. Kahlan realizes that he looks very much like both men, although he looks more like Darken than Richard does.
I gotta say, the shock of the reveal is lessened by the three paragraphs of Kahlan's inner monologue that follows it.
Drinks: 4
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