Blood 16

**Chapter 16**

Back to Richard, who has finished his letter to Kahlan and is using the Sword of the Homicidal Hobo as a signet ring when he seals it. There's some Random Pointless Blather about the Dominatrices and the Aryan Boys, and then an entire poorly-phrased paragraph is wasted on Richard hoping Gratch isn't tired.

Richard walks to the balcony with Gratch, and Terry Goodkind wastes some more page on the mechanics of the window. Seriously. I'm beginning to think he has some sort of vendetta against Ents, what with all the wasted paper.

Richard gives Gratch the letter and the lock of Kahlan's hair, and explains that since only he and Gratch can see the Misters, he wants Gratch to find Kahlan and protect her. Why he thinks the Misters will be coming after her, I don't know, but I'm not going to quibble with Richard wanting to protect someone he loves, even against an unlikely threat. Gratch once again demonstrates an almost-perfect comprehension of the English language, and Terry Goodkind once again manages to write a Gratch-and-Richard scene that pretty much works. It's no Sam and Frodo, but I don't hate Gratch, and Richard actually demonstrates some degree of caring for him. This may be the one relationship in this series that genuinely seems to work.

Gratch flies away to find Kahlan and Zedd, and we get some dialogue between Richard and Raina, one of the Dominatrices. Raina wants Richard to head back to D'Hara, where he will be protected by all of the Lord Rahl's considerable resources. Richard insists on remaining in Aydindril, because . . . the plot demands it, I guess? Here, I'll quote his explanation:

*“I've already told you, I must remain here. The Imperial Order wants to conquer the world. I'm a wizard, and must stand against that.”*

Am I wrong, or are those three sentences unrelated, not just to Raina's point, but to each other? \~/

Richard tells the Dominatrices about Europe, and is quite condescending when they are skeptical. We get a one-pages synopsis of the Valley of the Lost and Found, the Towers of Perdition, and Richard admitting that he destroyed the towers. Raina points out that *“what you are saying is that you have caused this war. You made it possible,”* which is a damn good point.

Richard says that's not so: *“Even before the barrier was down they were gaining allies here and had started their war. Ebinissia was destroyed before the barrier came down.”*

Um . . . how? The “barrier” was built up in the last book as being impenetrable except by spellcasters of a certain very specific power band. The only people who traversed it regularly were the Nuns, and sailing around it just plain didn't work (except for the couple of times it did). \~/ How, exactly, does one pursue a war from behind a Giant Wall of Magic Death than one can only slip a tiny handful of agents through? Equally important: **why** would one do such a thing? Especially with the view that magic is evil, wouldn't it make more sense to figure out a way to dismantle the Giant Wall of Magic Death *before* you start kicking anthills on the other side?

Ulic states that D'Hara will crush the Imperial Order, tho which Richard retorts that, until he came along, D'Hara was working *with* the Order. Cara reasons that, when Darken Rahl died, the bond was broken, and some D'Harans joined up with the Order simply for something to belong to, which makes a certain amount of sense. Raina, who is apparently the logical one, says that this makes it even more imperative that Richard head back to D'Hara: if he dies, the bond shatters again, whereas if he lives, the D'Harans have something to hold onto that isn't the Order.

Richard talks about how horrible the Order is, and how they Must Be Stopped . . . fair enough, but why can't he direct the war effort from D'Hara? If he's worried about an invasion from Europe, D'Hara is one hell of a lot closer to Europe than the Midlands are.

Bah, logic. It has no place here. Anyway, Cara angsts that the Dominatrices don't want to lose Richard, since they finally have the freedom to just behave like normal people (which I will grant). Richard says, in essence, that if he personally does not conquer the world, the Order will rule it in unending misery for all time. That's one heck of an ego there, Richard.

Out of nowhere, Cara tells Richard that she won't take care of his baby. This triggers a flashback which takes about two pages, but which I shall summarize thusly: Richard helps Zedd deliver a baby. \~/

Richard tells Cara that she'll care for his baby if he has to order her to do so, blah blah blah, magic of life, hope for the future, yadda yadda. And the chapter just sort of . . . trails off. It doesn't so much end as it just stops happening.

Huh.

That was bland.

Drinks: 3

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