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‘Why are you calling me that？’ Richard whispered。
Shota studied his pale face。 ‘Because that is who you are。’
‘I am Richard Cypher。 George Cypher was my father。’
‘You were raised by a man named Cypher。 You were sired by one named Darken Rahl。 He raped your mother。’
Richard’s face turned whiter。 Kahlan ached for him。 She understood now； knew it was true。 This was what she had seen in him； she had seen the face of his father； Darken Rahl。 She tried desperately to free herself； to go to him； but couldn’t。
Richard shook his head。 ‘No。 That’s not true。 It just isn’t possible。’
‘True；’ Shota snapped。 ‘Your father was Darken Rahl。 Your grandfather is Zeddicus Zu’l Zorander。’
‘Zedd？’ he whispered。 ‘Zedd is my grandfather？’ He straightened。 ‘Darken Rahl 。。。 No； he can’t be。 It’s not true。’
He turned and looked up at Kahlan。 He saw it in her face； saw that she knew it was。 He turned back to Shota。 ‘Zedd would have told me。 He would have。 I don’t believe you。’
‘I don’t care；’ she said in a flat tone。 ‘I don’t care what you believe。 I know the truth。’ Her emotion came back。 ‘And the truth is you are the bastard son of a bastard son of a bastard son！ And each one of those bastard sons； all the way back； had the gift。 Worse； Zedd has the gift。 You have the gift； but it is from two bloodlines of wizards。’ She glared at his wide eyes。 ‘You are a very dangerous person； Richard Rahl。’ Richard looked like he might fall down。 ‘You have the gift。 In this case； I would be more inclined to call it a curse。’
‘I would agree with you about that；’ Richard whispered。
‘You know you have the gift？ We are going to have no argument about that？’ Richard could only nod。 ‘The rest of it I could not care less about。 You are the son of Darken Rahl； and on the other side； the grandson of Zeddicus Zu’l Zorander。 He is the father of your mother。 If you choose to ignore the truth of that； I don’t care。 Believe as you will。 Delude yourself as you will。 I am not here to argue your ancestry。’
Richard leaned back until the wall stopped him。 He ran his fingers through his hair。 ‘Go away； Shota。 Please； go away。’ His voice sounded as if all life had gone out of him。 ‘I don’t want to hear anything else you have to say。 Just go away。 Leave me alone。’
‘I am disappointed in you； Richard。’
‘I don’t care。’
‘I didn’t know you were this stupid。’
‘I don’t care。’
‘I thought George Cypher meant something to you。 I thought you had some kind of honor。’
His head came up。 ‘What do you mean？’
‘George Cypher raised you。 Gave you his time； his love。 He taught you； cared for you； provided for you。 Shaped you。 And you would throw that away because someone else raped your mother？ That is what is important to you？’
Richard’s eyes lit with fire。 His hands started ing up。 Kahlan thought he was going to try to strangle Shota； but then his hands sank back to his sides。 ‘But 。。。 if Darken Rahl is my father 。。。’
Shota threw her arms up in the air。 ‘What？ You are suddenly going to start acting like him？ You are going to spontaneously start doing vile things because you now know？ You fear you will go out and kill innocent people because you learned your real father is Darken Rahl？ You will ignore the things you learned from George Cypher because you find your name is Rahl？ And you call yourself the Seeker。 I am disappointed in you； Richard。 I thought you were your own man。 Not the reflection of others’ impressions of your ancestors。’
Richard hung his head as Shota frowned angrily and watched him in silence。 At last he took a deep breath。 ‘I’m sorry； Shota。 Thank you for not letting me be any more stupid than I already am。’ His eyes were wet as he turned to Kahlan。 ‘Please； Shota； let her down。’
Kahlan felt the pressure lift； and she slid down the wall； her boots thumping against the ground。 The glare Shota gave her made her stay where she was； even though she wanted to go to Richard。 He stared at his boots。
Shota put her fingers under his chin and lifted his head。 ‘You should be happy； your father was not ugly。 Some of his looks are the only thing of his you have。 That； and a bit of his temper。 And the gift。’
Richard pulled his chin away from her fingers。 The gift。 I don’t want the gift。 I don’t want anything to do with it。 I wouldn’t call anything I got from Darken Rahl a gift。 I hate it！ I hate magic！’
‘It es from Zedd； too；’ Shota said with surprising passion。 ‘From both sides。 That is the way you get the gift； it is passed down； sometimes skipping one； or even many generations。 Sometimes not。 You received it from both sides。 In you； it is more than a single dimension。 It is a very dangerous mix。’
‘Passed down。 Like any other deformity。’
With a sneer； Shota gripped his face in her long fingers。 ‘Remember that before you lie with her。 From Kahlan； the boy would be a Confessor。 From you … he would have the gift。 Can you even fathom the danger of that？ Can you conceive of a Confessor with the gift？ A male Confessor？ I doubt you can。 You should have killed her when I told you to； you ignorant child； before you found a way to be with her。 You should have killed her。’
Richard glared at her。 ‘I’ve heard enough of that talk。 I intend to hear no more of it。 I told you before； it is through Kahlan I defeated Darken Rahl。 Had I killed her； he would have won。 I hope you didn’t waste your journey here just to repeat this nonsense。’
‘No；’ Shota said quietly。 ‘None of these things matter。 That is not why I am here。 I came because of what you have done； not because of what you might do someday。 What you have already done； Richard； is worse than anything you could ever do with this woman。 No monster you conceive with her could equal the monster you have already created。’
Richard frowned。 ‘I stopped Darken Rahl from ruling the world。 I killed him。 I created no monster。’
She shook her head slowly。 The Magic of Orden killed him。 I told you； he mustn’t open a box。 You didn’t kill him； you let him open one of the boxes of Orden。 The Magic of Orden killed him。 You were supposed to kill him before he opened one of the boxes。’
‘I couldn’t！ That was the only way！ There was no other way to kill him！ And what difference does it make anyway？ He’s dead！’
‘It would have been better if you had let him win than let him open the wrong box。’
‘You’re crazy！ What could be worse than Darken Rahl gaining the Magic of Orden and ruling the world unchallenged！’
Her eyebrows lifted。 The Keeper；’ she whispered。 ‘It would have been better to let Darken Rahl rule us； or behead us； or even torture us to death； than what you have allowed to happen。’
‘What are you talking about？’
The Keeper of the underworld is kept in his place； kept from the world of the living； by the veil。 The veil holds him and his minions back。 Holds the underworld back。 It keeps the dead from the living。 What you have done has torn that veil。 Already； some of the Keeper’s assassins have been loosed。’
The screelings 。。。’ Richard whispered。
Shota nodded。 ‘Yes。 By freeing the Magic of Orden； you have allowed its magic to somehow tear the veil to the underworld。 If it tears enough； the Keeper will be freed。 You can’t even conceive of what that means。’ Shota lifted the Agiel at his neck。 ‘It will make what was done to you with this seem like a lover’s kiss pared to what he will do。 To everyone。 It would have been better to have let Darken Rahl win； than to have let this happen。 You have condemned everyone to a fate beyond horror。’
She gripped the Agiel in her fist。 ‘I should kill you for what you have done。 I should make you suffer unspeakably。 Do you have any idea how much the Keeper would like to settle his gaze upon one with the gift？ Do you have any idea how much he wants those with the gift？ Or how much he wants witch women？’
Kahlan saw tears run down Shota’s cheeks。 With a flush of understanding that sent an icy ripple of panic through her； Kahlan realized Shota wasn’t angry。 She was afraid。
That was why she was here： not because she was angry at Kahlan being alive； or at them having a child。 She was here because she was terrified。 The idea of Shota； a witch woman； being afraid was worse than anything her own mind could conjure。
Richard stared at her； his eyes wide。 ‘But 。。。 there must be something we can do； some way to stop it。’
‘We？’ she screamed； jabbing her finger at his chest。 ‘You！ Only you； Richard Rahl！ Only you！ Only you can fix it！’
‘Me！ Why me？’
‘I don’t know；’ she cried through gritted teeth。 ‘But you are the only one with the power。’ She pounded her fist against his chest。 ‘You！’ She kept hitting his chest as he just stood there。 ‘You are the only one who has a chance！ I don’t know why； but only you can fix it。 Only you can repair the tear in the veil。’ Shota was sobbing now。 ‘Only you； you stupid； foolish child。’
Kahlan was dazed by the magnitude of what was happening。 The idea of