Wizard 39

**Chapter 39**

Richard, Kahlan and Zedd reach Tamarang, which I will be calling Tamarind because it amuses me. Tamarind is crammed with people seeking protection from the Evil Westlanders. There's a description of all the merchants and their wares, including *“people who had paper and wanted to draw your face.”* Caricature artists? Really? That seems kind of...bizarre, given that paper or parchment was rather expensive at the time. Expensive enough that parchment (which is treated animal skins) was routinely scraped after use so it could be used again. And how many peasants really have the coin – or interest – to get a sketch portrait? \~/ Especially refugees?

Despite this being, essentially, a refugee camp, *“the people seemed in a festive mood.”* Richard suspects this has to do with *“The imagined protection and ample supply of drink.”* Umm...why “imagined” protection? Is Rahl going to wipe out a capital city and try to blame the Westland? I would think that being in a large city allied with Rahl would, in fact, offer some protection from being slaughtered by his soldiers. And where is this ample supply of drink coming from? Even assuming the refugees (who, we're told, far exceed the city's capacity) have the cash to buy drinks, there has to be a finite quantity of alcohol in Tamarind.

*“Richard didn't see a single woman with hair past her jawline.”* This is important, I guess...although I don't know why any noblewomen would be out mingling with refugees. And it's still sexist, since there's no corresponding system for men. \~/

There are banners everywhere, red with a black wolf's head. There are also patrols of soldiers roaming the streets. But, we're told, *“none of the people moved out of the way of the soldiers they way they moved out of the way for Kahlan. People backed away from the Mother Confessor the way a pack of dogs backs away from a porcupine.”* So...they barked and snapped at her, and circled around her? That's not really a good metaphor.

Our Heroes march up to the city gates and bluff their way in, and Richard ogles Kahlan. Yes, really. *“Though he knew he had no right, the shape of [Kahlan] in that dress was making Richard sweat.”* \~/

They get into the castle itself, with the mere commoners bowing and scraping before Kahlan. They meet Queen Milena, and Kahlan makes her bow as well – actually kneel and kiss Kahlan's hand, and recite the phrase *“Fidelity sworn to the Confessors, on my crown, on my land, on my life.”* We meet the members of the court, none of whom are important except James, the court artist, who *“[keeps] his lecherous eyes on Kahlan.”* Yes, the universally-feared woman who can mindrape you with a touch. James is a horndog's horndog. James is missing his right hand and has an *“oily smile,”* which reinforces the fact that he is important and the other (undescribed) courtiers aren't. Conspicuous by his absence is Giller.

Queen Milena proceeds to insult Richard, calling him *“Pretty pathetic protection for the Mother Confessor.”* Kahlan implies that she keeps him around for his sword-arm, not his brain.

Princess Violet makes an appearance and says to Kahlan, *“Your hair is too long. Perhaps we should cut it for you.”* While this is a pretty egregious breach of etiquette, Richard's reaction is what catches my attention. He draws the Sword of Truth, summons up the magic (which is pure rage, remember) and threatens to murder PV unless she bows to Kahlan. Yes, the “hero” threatens to murder a child. \~/\~/ Furthermore, based on his past behavior, I honestly believe he would do it. Heck, he'd have no choice if PV refused to bow. Is this really something the **HERO** of the story should be doing? Threatening to murder children?

I'm beginning to wonder if Terry Goodkind has something against children in general.

Kahlan declares that she is here to inspect the dungeons. Zedd gets Richard aside and warns him to beware of James, he of the lecherous eyes and oily grin, because he might draw a spell on Richard. I shall quote Zedd's explanation here:

*“...there are many different languages in the Midlands, though the main one is the same as is spoken in Westland. To be spelled, you have to be able to understand it. If you can't speak the language, you can't put a spell on them. But everyone can understand a drawing. He can draw a spell on almost anyone, not Kahlan or me, but he can on you. Stay away from him.”*

So many questions...such as, why does the spellcaster have to speak the same language as the target? This has never been hinted at before in any of the discussions of magic or language. Does this mean Darken Rahl and Zedd can speak the language of clouds? They both cast spells on clouds. And Zedd cast spells on a Fish; does this mean he speaks the language of Fish? Can you resist a spell by plugging your ears or singing real loud to drown out the spellcaster? Also, why can't he cast a spell on Kahlan? Nothing about her power hints at magical protection. Zedd, I assume, has wizardly protections. And finally, what hint is there than James can cast spells? I thought all the wizards but Zedd and Giller got killed?

\~/\~/\~/\~/\~/

They get to the dungeon, which is guarded by *“a squat man in a filthy uniform,”* who bows to Kahlan but *“look[s] to be annoyed by it.”* Just once, I'd like to see a jailor who is clean, competent, and pleasant. Just once.

There are a lot of prisoners, and all of them are sentenced to die. Naturally, they all insist that they've done nothing wrong, and some even ask to be mindraped to prove their innocence. Also imprisoned is none other than Siddin, the Damp Soil People boy that Rahl kidnapped. Now, this should be a humongous red flag that Rahl himself is in, or at least has been in the city, but no one seems to notice this. \~/

Anyway, Kahlan declares all the imprisoned men to be innocent and orders them freed. This despite not having mindraped any of them, and despite the fact that we've heard nothing about Confessors acting as judges. I guess it falls under the heading of “We don't have to obey your laws.” \~/ She also takes personal custody of Siddin and asks why he was imprisoned. The queen says something about him stealing, and being held until his parents could be found.

Again, this child was last seen being kidnapped by Darken Rahl. Am I the only one who remembers this or finds it significant?

Kahlan demands to see Giller. Queen Milena hems and haws and finally says Okay...he's upstairs. They go upstairs, and find Giller's corpse in a tower, hanging upside-down from one of the ceiling beams. The room has been destroyed, the roof blasted out, and Giller is quite ripe.

Zedd finds two blast shadows on the wall, including the melted gold that was once their spiked armbands (the remains of the guards). Zedd deduces that Giller put his life energy into the blast, generating Wizard's Life Fire instead of Wizard's Fire (look, a poet he's not). Zedd tastes the soot/grit that makes up the blast shadows \~/ and insists that Richard do the same. The carbonized human remains is sweet, which means that Giller died to save another; if he had died to save himself, the carbonized human remains!! would have been bitter. I'm not sure what “salty” and “sour” would have indicated.

CARBONIZED HUMAN REMAINS!!! \~/

(ahem)

We learn that Rahl was trying to use Giller for anthropomancy, cutting out his guts and reading the answer to a question therein. Giller's heroic suicide apparently prevented this. Also, Giller has a smile frozen on his face, which Zedd claims is a message that Rahl didn't get what he wanted.

Anyway, Our Heroes leave Tamarind without any further trouble. And A Rider Approaches!

Drinks: 14

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