"Terry Goodkind - Sword of Truth 3 - Blood of the Fold" - читать интересную книгу автора (Goodkind Terry)

bidding. Why has he done ihis? I have not failed him."
"Had we failed him," Ulicia said, "we would be there, with Sister Liliana."
Armina started. "You saw her, too? She wasтАФ"
"I saw her," Ulicia said, masking her own horror with an even tone.
Sister Nicci drew a twisted skein of sodden blond hair back off her face.
Gathering composure smoothed her voice. "Sister Liliana failed the Master."
Sister Merissa, the glaze in her eyes ebbing, flashed a look of cool disdain.
"She is paying the price of failure." The crisp edge in her own tone thickened
like winter's frost on a window. "Forever." Merissa almost never let emotion
touch
her smooth features, but it touched her face now as her brows drew together in a
murderous scowl, тАЬShe countermanded your orders, Sister Ulicia, and the
Keeper's. She ruined our plans. This is her fault."
Liliana had indeed failed the Keeper. They wouldn't all be on this cursed ship
if it weren't for Sister Liliana. Ulicia's face heated at the thought of that
woman's arrogance. Liliana had thought to have the glory to herself. She had
gotten what she deserved. Even so, Ulicia swallowed at the memory of having seen
Liliana's torment, and didn't even notice the pain of her raw throat this time.
"But what of us?" Cecilia asked. Her smile returned, apologetic, rather than
merry. "Must we do as this . . . man says?"
Ulicia wiped a hand across her face. They had no time to hesitate, if this was
real, if what she had seen had really happened. It must be nothing more than a
simple nightmare; no one but the Keeper had ever before come to her in the dream
that was not a dream. Yes, it had to be just a nightmare. Ulicia watched a roach
crawl into the chamber pot. Her gaze suddenly rose.
"This man? You did not see the Keeper? You saw a man?"
Cecilia quailed. "Jagang."
Tovi raised her hand toward her lips to kiss her ring fingerтАФan ancient gesture
beseeching the Creator's protection. It was an old habit, begun the first
morning of a novice's training. Each of them had learned to do it every morning,
without fail, upon arising, and in times of tribulation. Tovi had probably done
it by rote countless thousands of times, as had they all. A Sister of the Light
was symbolically betrothed to the Creator, and His will. Kissing the ring finger
was a ritual renewal of that betrothal.
There was no telling what the act of kissing that finger would do, now, in view
of their betrayal. Superstition had it that it was death for one who had pledged
her soul to the KeeperтАФa Sister of the DarkтАФto kiss that finger. While it was
unclear whether it truly would invoke the Creator's wrath, there was no doubt it
would invoke the Keeper's. When her hand was halfway to her lips, Tovi realized
what she was about to do and snatched it away.
"You all saw Jagang?" Ulicia regarded each in turn, and each nodded. A small
name of hope still flickered in her. "So you saw the emperor. That means
nothing." She leaned toward Tovi. "Did you hear him say anything?"
Tovi drew the coverlet up to her chin. "We were all there, as we always are when
the Keeper seeks us. We sat in the semicircle, naked, as we always do. But it
was Jagang who came, not the Master."
A soft sob came from Armina in the bunk above. "Silence!" Ulicia returned her
attention to the shivering Tovi. "But what did he say? What were his words?"
Tovi's gaze sought the floor. "He said our souls were his now. He said we were
his now, and we lived only at his whim. He said we must come to him at once, or