Stone 21

**Chapter 21**

Now we're with Bandit King Chase and his adopted daughter Rachel, one of the few characters left in this series that I don't dislike. Chase is conversing with seven *“fierce-looking men,”* who we soon figure out are the Mud People elders. We also learn that Chase wears boots *“big enough for any of the other men to fit both of their feet into just one.”* So, either Chase is also ginormous, or the Mud people really are pygmies. Or maybe Chase has huge feet, like Clown Shoe Man from the first book.

Chase and the elders (sounds like a bad garage band) are conversing via pictures drawn in the dirt. Actually, it seems that both parties are drawing dirt-pictures while Chase asks questions in English and the Mud People answer him in Mudpeoplese. How the heck does that work? \~/ Somehow it does, and Chase learns that Richard and Kahlan have been gone for three weeks.

Oh, and we also get a description of what must be the Bird Man of Alcatraz, *“with long silver hair falling down around his sun brown face.”* So I guess the Mud People aren't black, just...confusing. Also, *“sun brown face?”* Shouldn't that be “sun-**browned** face?” It sounds like the Bird Man of Alcatraz's face is being compared to the sun...the brown sun.

The Bird Man of Alcatraz pantomimes what happened regarding Richard, Kahlan, the Three Nuns, and Chandelier and his Boyz...which, of course, we already knew. This wastes a page and a half, and Chase is scared because Richard is heading east.

Cut to Zedd, who is riding a horse. We learn that *“Zedd favored riding bareback. If he needed to ride a horse, he preferred to let the animal feel as unencumbered as possible.”* Now, I'm no cowboy, but I'm pretty sure that a saddle's purpose is for both the comfort of the rider *and the comfort of the horse!* A saddle takes pressure off a horse's spine, and spreads the weight of the rider more-or-less evenly. No saddle leads to more strain on the horse. Therefore, Zedd is a bad horseman.

We also get the vaguely disturbing line that *“She gave him more than she ever would have under a saddle, and he had taken everything she had given.”*

We learn that Chase and Rachel have met up with Zedd, and they're all staying at the home of a man named Haff. Zedd thinks about how Haff has large ears, and is amazed that he found a wife. Zedd gave Haff and his family his saddle and tack, *“Not to ride, of course, but to sell.”* However, Zedd muses that the tack *“wouldn't bring its worth, not with hunger spreading like a dark wind before a thunderhead.”*

Chase also gives Haff's four children some coins. While this is nice and all, I can't help but wonder how useful it is. If famine is looming, piles of gold aren't going to be much help to Haff if *there isn't any food.* Medieval peasants didn't have the luxury of going to the grocery store and buying food when they ran out; they either grew it or traded what they grew or made for it. In a famine, not many people are going to trade food for a saddle or some coins.

Oh, wait. Knowing this would require some research, wouldn't it? \~/

Incidentally, Chase *“ate enough for three men.”* Yeah, way to eat up all the farmer's food with famine looming.

Ah, but when Zedd gave Haff the saddle and tack, Haff suspiciously (and logically) wanted to know what Zedd wants in return. Zedd demands that Haff *“swear his undying loyalty to the Mother Confessor and the new Lord Rahl of D'Hara.”* Haff swears, of course, but I find myself feeling very cynical about the whole thing. First, Haff doesn't know the first thing about Richard and Kahlan; they're nobles, and have little or nothing to do with him. He has every reason to go along with what the wizard and bandit king tell him, and no real reason to follow up on it after they're gone. He's probably just hoping they don't murder his children and rape his wife for no reason.

Second, buying loyalty with saddles? That just seems wrong. And stupid. \~/

Ah, but this all happened weeks ago, thus making it...

Thanks, Terry. \~/

*Currently,* Zedd is lurking in the birch woods outside of Adie's house, musing on how beautiful and wonderful the woods are. Adie thrashes around and curses and eventually kicks a gripper – an armored giant pillbug, one of which gnawed off her foot – out of her house. So, there are homicidal giant pillbugs roaming the beautiful, serene woods?

Zedd greets Adie and mentions that he's hungry. \~/ Zedd recaps the events of the previous book to Adie, and we learn that this is the third time a giant armored pillbug has invaded her house. They never used to do this, and Adie doesn't know why they're coming in now. We also learn that Zedd grew back Adie's missing foot, but it's too short. Adie refuses to have him fix it, on the grounds that the first time was so agonizing that she almost died of the pain.

Zedd invites Adie to come to Aydindril with him, but she refuses to leave her home. Zedd eventually tells Adie that the veil is torn. She dismisses his concern, so he tells her that *“The Stone of Tears is in the world.”* This shocks Adie. Zedd insists on knowing why she won't leave, and she agrees to tell him as the chapter ends.

Drinks: 4

<Previous Chapter  -  Next Chapter>