Temple 4

**Chapter 4**

Leaving Captain Picard in the Rape Pit of Rapiness, Kahlan decides there should be at least a hundred men guarding it at all times, because that's a good and valuable use of manpower. We wouldn't want to risk only having *fifty* men guard the prisoner, would we? \~/

We randomly learn that the Dominatrices' powers somehow come from Darken Rahl, which segues into a conversation about magic and whether you have to know how you're doing something in order for it to work properly. This leads Cara to refer to when Richard declared that childbirth was magic (no, it's still not) and tell a story about a naïve teenage girl whom Darken Rahl knocked up. The gist of it being that she *“did magic, created a son, and without knowing how she had really done it.”*

That's . . . not really the same thing. At all. That's the unconscious workings of biology.

Kahlan mentions how all of Richard's family is dead, including his brother Michael whom she takes the opportunity to demonize some more. *“After Richard defeated Darken Rahl,Richard forgave Michael for what he had done to him, but ordered him executed because his treachery had knowingly caused the torture and death of countless people.”*

Yeah, still didn't happen like that, no matter how many times you try to insist it did, Goodkind.

*“I know how much family means to Richard.”*

Ahaha, no. You can't do that, Terry ol' boy, You can't have your protagonist callously murder his own blood kin with nary a shred of remorse, show absolutely no interest in family ties for two entire books, and then expect the reader to accept that he cares deeply about family. It doesn't work that way, and shame on you for trying. \~/\~/

But anyway, Cara reveals that the girl and her son are dead, since Darken Rahl became angry when *“ungifted offspring came to his attention,”* and he usually killed them. Because he was evil. He was evil, you know. Are you starting to get that he was evil?

Our Heroines head back through the common area, where all the scum commoners once again bow before Kahlan's awesomeness. Now we meet a little blonde kid named Yonick, whom I hereby rename Yorick. Yorick has come to beg for help from Richard, because his wee little brother Kip is sick and Yorick's family is too poor to afford *“herbs”* to make him better. Always with the herbs. Anyway, Yorick thought that maybe the bloodthirsty warmongering wizard tyrant could help heal his brother.

Kahlan . . . guilts a nearby guard into giving Yorick some silver. Because that's fair. Yorick takes his silver coin and flees.

Cara and Kahlan head on to the room where Nadine is waiting, and Kahlan informs the guards that if Nadine leaves ahead of them, they are to shoot her without warning. I admit, this precaution makes a lot more sense now that they have reason to suspect Nadine of being a Bad Nun. They enter the room, which gets a paragraph of description, and which I shall sum up thusly: **red**.

Kahlan and Nadine begin talking, whereupon Cara threatens Nadine and physically attacks her. Remember, Cara is one of the *good guys.* Nadine grabs a chair to defend herself, making me like her at least a little. Kahlan finally decides to step in, explaining that they've captured one assassin and have reason to believe Nadine is the second. Nadine says that she's here looking for her fiance, Richard. Richard Cypher.

Kahlan is naturally surprised, and asks Nadine *“What do you mean, you're to wed him?”* Nadine explains that *“Well, he was courting me . . . it was understood . . . but then he disappeared. A woman came and told me that we're to be married. She said the sky had spoken to her.”* Said woman, it turns out, is Shota the witch.

Cara and Kahlan leave Nadine, Kahlan still in shock as she explains that Richard's stepfather's name was Cypher.

Drinks: 3

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