Stone 52

**Chapter 52**

Richard is still chillin' in the Grove Woods in late afternoon, when Pasha and Maren show up. Maren is riding a horse, and she mentions that the EBIL spade bits have all disappeared. So, it looks like either Richard or Verna has been doing a little random burglary, which of course is totally justified and not at all illegal, immoral, or unethical.

Richard orders Maren to restore Verna to full Nun status. and Maren agrees instantly. With *"the trifling matters...dispensed with,"* Maren wants to see the *"bear"* that Pahsa says Richard killed. She doesn't believe it was actually a Mister, stating that Pasha *"wouldn't know a rabbit from an ox."* Because clearly, a bear looks almost exactly like a clothes-wearing black-scaled lizard-person.

Upon seeing the Mister, Maren apologizes to Pasha and declares that she has to study the dead beastie. We learn that Richard has already cleaned and hidden the cape after finding out *"the astonishing thing the cape could do."* Maren asks about the cape and Richard claims it as his prize of battle, just so we understand that it's important. Foreshadowing, lawlz!

Maren is intent on srtudying the Mister corpse *"before the animals get to it."* Why she doesn't haul it back to the Big Stone Witch House and examine it in comfort, I don't know. Maybe because they only have the one horse...and it's not like anyone there is a sorceress or anything, and could levitate it along with magic. \~/

Richard claims to have twisted his ankle and takes the horse, hauling Pasha up behind him and abandoning Maren in the notoriously EBIL and DEADLY Grove Woods. We're specifically told how Pasha's *"firm breasts"* are squished against Richard's back. \~/ Richard's twisted ankle is, of course, a lie; he made it up so he could take Maren's horse, in order to punish Maren for punishing Pasha by making her walk. This man wields the Sword of "**Truth**," I remind you. \~/

Pasha chastises him for lying, so he explains that he wanted to punish Maren (who, remember, apologized to Pasha for disbelieving her and did exactly what Richard asked demanded). \~/ Pasha's response? *"That was very nice of you. I think we're going to become good friends."* \~/

Richard and Pasha go through another iteration of Richard's *I-have-no-friends-and-I'll-kill-anyone-who-won't-help-me*, which I'm taking a drink for. \~/ Richard's aggressive stupidity is becoming wearisome, and apparently Pasha thinks so too since she refuses to take him seriously.

Pasha tries to be nice and asks Richard about his past: if he had a profession, if he's in love with anyone. Richard retorts that he has a wife, then spends a page recapping his adventures with Rapegirl and the Majendie. He then tells Pasha how he killed his father as well as Denna.

Richard's unending torrent of hateful and violent talk finally breaks Pasha, and she runs off crying. Richard pursues her, Pasha spends nearly two pages telling Richard how hateful he's been acting, how she and the rest of the Nuns only want to help him and he's responded by threatening to murder them all.

Yes! Go, Pasha! Tell him! I'm actually starting to like you, Pasha; you act like an actual human being.

**Sympathetic Characters in the Sword of Truth Series:**

* Rachel
* Chandelier
* Gratch
* Pasha Maes

Richard finally decides to try feigning that "shame" thing he's heard about, and is actually nice to Pasha. He doesn't apologize, mind you, but he stops threatening her for a while. Pasha, now with a serious case of Stockholm syndrome, interpret's Richard's lack of abuse as kindness.

I feel slightly ill.

While chatting with Richard, Pasha *"[runs] her finger down the Agiel hanging from his neck."* A couple of sentences later, she *"lifted the Agiel."* Now, I seem to recall the +5 Riding Crop of Pain delivering unholy searing agony upon whoever touched it, including the wielder. I also seem to recall it transmitting said pain to Kahlan when she merely touched Richard while he was touching it. I believe I ranted about that at the time. **So what in the name of Sauron's infected cornea is happening here??!!** \~/\~/

End chapter.

Drinks: 8

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