Blood 41

**Chapter 41**

Zedd wakes up, to find Nathan staring at him, and we get this rather interesting description of Nathan:

*“The penetrating blue eyes, beneath an intimidating raptor's brow, smiled along with the rest of his face. It was a mixed visage Zedd found unsettling.”*

So . . . Nathan has feathered wings for eyebrows? And his eyes can smile independently of the rest of his face? I'd find that unsettling as well.

Zedd almost instantly deduces that Nathan is a Rahl, based in part on the fact that he is muscular and the texture of his hair. He looks like Richard, because two people separated by *over thirty generations* can be identified as relatives at a glance. \~/

Nathan informs Zedd that he's wearing a collar, and that Hypocrite is responsible. Zedd demands to be released, and when Hypocrite refuses, he proceeds to throw lightning around, which Hypocrite doesn't bother to stop. This lightning storm is not destructive; rather, it allows Zedd to read Nathan, Hypocrite and Creepy Girl-Bot's magical abilities.

Hypocrite shuts Zedd down and they waste a page with Zedd insisting she free him at once, and Hypocrite retorting that it's necessary that he come with her. Zedd notes that he's *“truly lost control of his temper, and worse, his reason”* a handful of times, but it looks like #6 is coming up fast. He's apparently on the verge of violating Wizard's Third Rule, which rule we lowly readers are not told just yet.

Hypocrite notes that she collared Richard as well. This pisses Zedd off even more, as he notes that she has violated the terms of *“the truce,”* and thus condemned any Nun in America to death without mercy.

Zedd asks Nathan how he feels about the situations, and I simply have to quote the next bit:

*“ 'And are you happy about being held in slavery?' ”
“**Ann laughed aloud.** Nathan didn't; his eyes betrayed the composed, simmering, deadly fury of a Rahl. 'I assure you, sir, it is not by my choice. I've been railing against it most of my life.' ”* [my bold]

Hypocrite thinks it's *funny.* She thinks holding a man in slavery for nine centuries is *funny.* There was no qualifier, like “she laughed mirthlessly” or “bitterly,” so I can only assume she **honestly thinks this is funny.**

I don't think I can actually hate her any more, but I'll try. \~/\~/

Zedd threatens to *“lay waste to the Palace of the Prophets”* if Hypocrite insists on keeping him collared, and she more or less calls his bluff.

We return to Verna, who wakes up in a cell. She's wearing a collar, the cell is magically shielded, and it's very sad. Also, they've taken her Popette ring. They haven't, however, taken her IM book, which is hidden in *“the secret pocket”* of her belt. Yes, her belt has a “secret pocket” big enough to hold a book, and her captors – who stripped her naked in order to ensure she had no hidden weapons – didn't find it.

And left her her clothes.

Sure. Fine.

That was pointless.

Speaking of pointless, Richard is rushing to Wizard's Keep. Someone saw a light in the window, but nobody was brave enough to wake the Lord Rahl until morning, so now he's investigating and thinking how it serves his bodyguards right to be left behind. He makes his way in and finds a room full of Misters, all dead in various horrible ways. Following the blood trails, he finds a rampart where more Misters apparently went over. He is also able to determine that not all the blood is Mister blood, since Richard is now a forensics investigator.

That's it. No, really.

Drinks: 3

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