Kahlan had rarely seen the likes of such men. Each was a huge specimen. They all looked like statues, as if they had been smelted from the same iron ore and forged from ingots of white-hot steel.
As Jagang moved out in front, going to the edge of the field to see what was happening, Nicci, seeing the grim men Kahlan was looking at, leaned closer. “Jagang’s team,” she said under her breath.
Kahlan understood, then, what they were doing. The winner of this match would play the emperor’s team. These men were not merely there to watch the tactics of the team they would face. They were there to intimidate the men before them, the men who would win the chance to play them. It was an open threat of pain to come.
Commander Karg spotted the newly arrived emperor and squeezed his way through the wall of guards. Kahlan had come to recognize the man by his unique pattern of snake-scale tattoos. He and Jagang exchanged pleasantries as cheers of encouragement went up for another play on the field.
“Your team seems to be faring well,” Jagang said when the cheering died down a little.
Commander Karg glanced back over his shoulder at Nicci like a snake considering its prey. Her glare was already on the man. His knowing gaze swept over the length of her before his attention returned to Jagang.
“Well, Excellency, despite how good my team is, I’m well aware that your team is not merely good, but unbeaten. They are the best, of course.”
The back of Jagang’s shaved head and bull neck creased as he nodded. “Your team is unbeaten as well, but not truly
tested against real competition. My men will easily defeat them. There is no doubt in my mind.”
Commander Karg folded his arms, watching the play for a time. The crowd screamed with excitement as a cluster of men raced past, only to moan with disappointment as they apparently failed to make the score. Karg turned once more to the emperor.
“But if they do win against your team—”
“If they do,” Jagang interrupted.
Karg smiled as he bowed his head. “If they do, then it would be a great accomplishment for a humble challenger, such as myself.”
Jagang viewed his commander with good-natured suspicion. “A great accomplishment worthy of a great reward?”
Karg gestured out at the men on the field. “Well, Excellency, if my team were to win each of them would have a reward. Each would have the woman of his choice.” He clasped his hands behind his back as he shrugged. “It seems only right that as the one who handpicked each player and runs such an accomplished team I would have a similar reward.”
Jagang’s deep chuckle was so lewd that it gave Kahlan a shiver.
“I suppose you’re right,” Jagang said. “Name her, then, and if you win, she is yours.”
Karg rocked on his heels a moment, as if considering his choices.
“Excellency, if my team wins”—Commander Karg turned a sly smile back over his shoulder—“I would like to have Nicci in my bed.”
Nicci’s cold glare could have cut steel.
His amusement dying out, Jagang glanced back over his shoulder at the woman who had had his recent undivided attention.
“Nicci is not available.”
The commander nodded as he went back to watching the game for a time. After the cheering for another play out on the field died down, he regarded Jagang with a sidelong glance.
“Since you are sure to win, Excellency, it’s really only an insignificant promise of a reward, an idle bet. If you really believe that your team will certainly triumph, then I wouldn’t have the pleasure of ever collecting such a reward.”
“Then there would be no point in such a bet.”
Karg gestured out at the Ja’La field. “You are sure of your team’s success, aren’t you, Excellency? Or are you having doubts?”
“All right, Karg,” Jagang said at last, “if you win, she is yours for a time. But only for a time.”
Commander Karg bowed his head again. “Of course, Excellency. But, as we all know, you have no need to actually fear your team losing.”
“No, I don’t.” Jagang’s black eyes turned to Nicci. “You don’t mind my little wager, do you, darlin?” His grin returned. “After all, it’s only hypothetical, since my team does not lose.”
Nicci arched an eyebrow. “As I told you when I first arrived, it doesn’t really matter what I want, now, does it?”
Jagang’s smile remained as he watched her for a moment. It was a smile that looked like it covered thoughts of bloody murder at her public insolence.
As the intensity of the play on the field built, the crowd all around started pushing forward, trying to get a better view. Jagang’s guards reacted by driving men back, giving the emperor even more room. They wanted to be sure that they had the space they needed to protect him. The spectators, seeing the guards’ ill humor, reluctantly moved back.
As Jagang and Commander Karg watched the game, be
coming completely absorbed by the action of the field, Kahlan checked on her special guards and saw that they, too, were getting caught up in the game. They kept moving up, a little at a time, craning their necks, trying to get a better view. Kahlan edged closer to Nicci. As the royal guards put muscle in their effort and moved the spectators back, it gave Kahlan and Nicci a wider angle of view so that they could see more of both the field and the players.
“The team with the red paint is run by the man I told you about,” Kahlan whispered. “I think he painted himself and all his men with the red paint so that no one would recognize him.”
As players ran past they got their first clear view of the wild designs painted on all the men of the red team.
When Nicci saw those designs, she looked startled. “Dear spirits…”
She took a step forward to get a better look. Kahlan, concerned by Nicci’s abrupt change in demeanor and obvious alarm, went with her.
That was when Kahlan spotted the man everyone called Ruben. He was running up from the left with the broc tucked tightly in against his chest as he dodged men diving for him.
Kahlan leaned closer to Nicci and gestured to the left, drawing her attention to the man called Ruben.
“That’s him,” Kahlan said.
Nicci leaned out a little to look where Kahlan pointed. When she saw him, the blood drained from her face. Kahlan had never seen anyone go so ashen so fast.
“Richard…”
The instant Kahlan heard the name she knew it was right. The name fit the man. She didn’t know why, but it just fit him.
There was no doubt in her mind that Nicci was right. His name was not Ruben, it was Richard. She felt a strange
sense of relief just to know his name, to know his real name.
Kahlan, fearing that Nicci might faint, put a supporting hand to the small of the woman’s back. Beneath that hand she could feel Nicci’s whole body trembling.
Dodging men as he ran headlong up the field, his wing men to each side, the man she now knew was named Richard saw Jagang out of the corner of his eye. As he ran, his gaze swept behind the emperor and met Kahlan’s gaze. The connection, that recognition in his eyes, lifted her heart.
When Richard spotted Nicci standing next to her, he missed a step.
That instant of hesitation gave the men chasing him their chance. They smashed into him, slamming him to the ground. The impact was so violent that the broc went flying.
Richard’s right wing man dropped his shoulder, plowing into the rivals, sending them sprawling.
Richard lay facedown, unmoving.
Kahlan’s heart felt as if it rose up into her throat.
Just in time, the other wing man used an elbow to the head of a man about to crash down on top of Richard. As the opponent tumbled down to the side, Richard finally began to move. Seeing men flying past above him, he rolled away from the battle as he caught his breath.
In a moment he was on his feet, if somewhat wobbly at first.
It was the first mistake Kahlan had ever seen the man make.
Nicci’s lower lip trembled as she stood frozen, staring at Richard. Tears had welled up in her blue eyes.
Kahlan suddenly wondered if it could be.
She discounted the possibility.
It simply wasn’t possible.
As he sat in the fading light, knees pulled up to his chest, listening to the ceaseless sounds of the enemy encampment out beyond the ring of wagons and guards, Richard heaved a despondent sigh. He ran the fingers of one hand back through his hair. He could hardly believe that Jagang had somehow captured Nicci. He couldn’t imagine how such a thing could have happened. Seeing her with a Rada’Han around her neck made him sick.
It felt to Richard like the whole world was coming apart.
As much as he dreaded even considering the thought, it seemed like the Imperial Order was unstoppable. Those who wanted to decide for themselves how they would live their own lives were being methodically subjugated by the Order’s uncountable followers, followers fanatically devoted to depressingly deluded beliefs, followers eager to enforce their faith on everyone else. Such a concept violated the very nature of faith, but that didn’t matter to the true believers; all men had to bow and believe as they did, or die.
The believers in the teachings of the Order went where they wanted, when they wanted, slaughtering anyone in their way. They now controlled most of the New World as
well as all of the Old World. They had even infiltrated far off Westland, the place where he had grown up.
It felt to Richard like the whole world had gone mad.
Worse yet, Jagang also had at least two of the boxes of Orden. He always seemed to have everything well in hand.
Now he had Nicci.
But if it broke Richard’s heart to see Nicci with the gold ring of a slave through her lower lip, once again the captive of a man who had abused her so terribly in the past, it made his blood boil to see Kahlan also a captive of that same man.
Richard was also deeply dispirited to know that Kahlan didn’t remember him. She mattered to him more than anything else in the world—she was his world. But now she didn’t even remember his name.
Her strength and courage, her compassion, her intelligence, her wit, her special smile that she showed no one but him, were always in his thoughts and in his heart and would be until the day he died. He remembered the day they were married, remembered how much she loved him and how happy she had been just to be in his arms. But now she didn’t remember any of it.
He would do anything to save her, to return her to who she really was, to give her back her life—to have her back in his. But who she was, was no longer there, within her. Chainfire had taken everything from them both.
It didn’t really matter how much he wanted to live his own life with Kahlan, or how much he wanted other people to be able to live their own lives. The people of the Imperial Order had their own designs for mankind.
Right then, Richard could see only a bleak future.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Johnrock scooting toward him. The heavy chain clattered as the big man pulled it across the hard, rocky ground.
“Ruben, you need to eat.”
“I did eat.”
Johnrock gestured to the half-eaten piece of ham balancing on Richard’s knee. “Only half. You need your strength for tomorrow’s game. You should eat.”
Thinking about what was going to happen the next day only further served to tighten Richard’s stomach with anxiety.
He picked up the thick piece of ham and held it out, offering it to Johnrock.
“I’ve had all I want. If you want it you can have the rest.”
Johnrock grinned at his unexpected luck. His hand paused, his grin faltering. He looked up into Richard’s eyes.
“You sure, Ruben?”
Richard nodded. Johnrock finally took the ham and tore off a big bite in his teeth. After he swallowed, he nudged Richard with an elbow.
“Are you all right, Ruben?”
Richard sighed. “I’m a prisoner, Johnrock. How could I be fine?”
Johnrock grinned, thinking Richard was just being funny. When Richard didn’t smile, Johnrock turned serious.
“You got knocked in the head pretty good today.” He leaned a little closer, lifting an eyebrow at Richard. “Not too smart of you.”
Richard glanced over at the man. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“We nearly lost today.”
“Nearly doesn’t count. There are no ties on Ja’La. You either win or you lose. We won. That’s what matters.”
Johnrock backed away a little at Richard’s tone. “If you say so, Ruben. But if you don’t mind my asking, what happened?”
“I made a mistake.”
Richard picked at a small stone half buried in the hard, dry ground. Johnrock chewed while he thought it over.
“I never saw you make a mistake like that before.”
“It happens.” Richard was angry at himself for making such a mistake—for letting his focus slip like that. He should have known better. He should have done better. “Hopefully, I won’t make a mistake tomorrow. Tomorrow is the important day, the day that counts. I hope not to make a mistake tomorrow.”
“I hope so, too. We’ve come a long way.” Johnrock shook the stubby piece of ham at Richard to add emphasis to his point. “We’re not just winning games but winning fans at the games. A lot of men root for us now. One more win and we will be champions. Then the whole crowd will cheer for us.”
Richard glanced over at his wing man. “Did you see the size of those men on Jagang’s team?”
“You don’t need to be afraid.” Johnrock flashed a crooked smile. “I’m big, too. I will protect you, Ruben.”
Richard couldn’t help smiling with his big wing man. “Thanks, Johnrock. I know you will. You always do.”
“Bruce will, too.”
Richard suspected he very well might. The man was an Imperial Order soldier, but he was also a member of a powerful team with a reputation—Ruben’s team, as most of his men called it. They didn’t call it that in front of Commander Karg, though. The spectators called them the red team, and Commander Karg called it his team, but among themselves the players called it “Ruben’s team.” He was their point man. They had come to trust him. Bruce, like some of the other soldiers on the team, had at first been reluctant to wear the symbols in red paint, but now he wore them proudly. Other soldiers cheered him when he came out onto the field.
“Tomorrow’s game is going to be…dangerous, Johnrock.”
Johnrock nodded knowingly. “I intend to make it so.”
Richard smiled again. “You watch yourself, will you?”
“My job is to watch you.”
Richard rolled the small stone he’d pried up from the ground around in his loose fist as he chose his words carefully.
“A time comes when a man has to watch out for himself. There are times when—”
“Snake-face is coming.”
Richard cut off his words at the low warning. He looked up and saw Commander Karg marching through the line of guards. The man did not look happy.
Richard tossed the stone away and leaned back on his hands as Commander Karg came to a halt right above him. Dust rose around the man’s boots. He glared down at Richard as he planted his fists on his hips.
“What was that all about today, Ruben?”
Richard peered up at the tattoos of snake scales that were just still visible in the fading light. “You didn’t appreciate that we won?”
Instead of answering, the commander turned the glare on Johnrock. Johnrock got the message and scooted away, back past the opposite end of the wagon, until he reached the end of his chain tether and could go no farther. The commander squatted down in front of Richard. The tattoos of scales moved in a way that looked to Richard like real snake skin.
“You know what I mean. What was that foolishness all about?”
“I got clobbered. It’s what the other team is always trying to do. It’s bound to happen occasionally.”
“I’ve seen you try your best and come up just a little short and not be able to make a score, or make every effort to evade a charge of blockers and not quite make it clear, but I’ve never seen you make a foolish mistake.”
“Sorry,” Richard said. He couldn’t see the point in arguing about it.
“I want to know why.”
Richard shrugged. “Like you said, it was a foolish mistake.” Richard was more angry with himself than the commander could ever understand. He couldn’t afford a mistake like that tomorrow. “We won, though, so that means we will play the emperor’s team. That’s what I promised you—that I would get your team to a match with the emperor’s team.”
The commander’s eyes turned up, gazing at the first stars of the night for a moment, before speaking. “You do remember being captured, don’t you?”
“I remember.”
His eyes turned back down to fix a stare on Richard. “Then you remember that by all rights you should have been killed that day. I let you live on the condition that you do your best to win my team this championship. Today, that was not your best. You nearly threw away my team’s chance to win with a stupid move.”
Richard didn’t shy away from the man’s gaze. “Don’t worry, Commander. Tomorrow I will do my best. I promise.”
“Good.” Snake-face finally smiled, though it was a cold curve of his mouth. “Good. You win tomorrow, Ruben, and you get your woman.”
“I know.”
The smile turned sly. “You win tomorrow and I get my woman.”
Richard wasn’t really interested. “Is that right?”
Commander Karg nodded. “If we win, that shapely blonde with Emperor Jagang will be mine.”
Richard looked up with a dark frown of his own. “What are you talking about? Jagang isn’t going to let you have someone like that, a woman marked as his.”
“It’s a little wager with the emperor. He’s so confident that his team will win that I got him to bet his most prized woman on the outcome. Her name is Nicci. He calls her his slave queen. Jagang doesn’t want to lose her to me, she’s
rather…an obsession of his. But I think you can win her for me.” His eyes focused into his own distant, lustful thoughts. “I would like that very much—as much as Jagang wouldn’t like it, I expect.” He returned to the matter at hand and shook a finger at Richard’s face. “You had better win for your own sake as well.”
“So that I can have my choice of a woman?”
“So that you can live. You lose tomorrow and you will have the death you should have had after you killed all of those men of mine.” Commander Karg’s sly smile returned. “But if you win, you will have your choice of a woman, as promised.”
Richard met the man’s gaze with a glare. “I already promised that I would do my best tomorrow. I always keep my promises.”
The commander nodded. “Good. You win tomorrow, Ruben, and we’ll all be happy.” He chuckled. “Well, Jagang won’t be happy—not one bit. Come to think of it, I don’t think Nicci will be any too happy, either, but then that’s not really my concern.”
“And the emperor? Don’t you think he will care?”
“Oh he will care, all right.” Karg chuckled. “Jagang will go crazy when he has to let me have Nicci for my bed. I have a few scores to settle with that woman. I intend to enjoy it.”
Richard managed to remain silent and look composed, despite the fact that he wanted to whip the chain around the man’s neck and strangle him.
Commander Karg rose up. “You win that game, Ruben.”
Richard glared at the man’s back as he watched him striding away.
After he was sure that the commander was gone, Johnrock held a length of chain slack to keep it from pulling on the collar around his neck, and scooted back close to Richard.
“What did he say, Ruben?”
“He wants us to win.”
Johnrock snorted a laugh. “I bet he does. As the owner of a champion team he can have what ever he wants.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“What?”
“Get some rest, Johnrock. Tomorrow is going to be an eventful day.”