tg.stone of tears-第173部分

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ose　who　don’t　join　us　are　against　us；　and　will　be　crushed。　We　fight　to　bring　order。
　
　‘Under　the　Imperial　Order；　all　who　join　us　will　find　protection；　and　in　turn　they　will　help　protect　all。　All　the　lands　will　join　with　us；　or　they　will　be　swept　aside。　It　is　a　new　order　for　which　we　struggle。　The　Imperial　Order。　They　mand　all　the　lands；　and　I　mand　them。’
　
　Kahlan　frowned；　trying　to　make　sense　of　what　she　was　hearing。　‘I　am　the　Mother　Confessor；　and　I　mand　the　Midlands；　not　you。’
　
　‘Mother　Confessor！’　He　clapped　the　wizard　on　the　back。　‘You　didn’t　tell　me　she　was　the　Mother　Confessor！　Well；　you　don’t　look　like　any　mother　I’ve　seen。　But　after　tonight；　you’ll　be　a　mother　sure　enough。　You　have　my　word　on　that！’　He　roared　with　laughter。
　
　‘Darken　Rahl　is　dead。’　That　brought　the　laughter　to　an　end。　‘The　new　Lord　Rahl　has　declared　the　war　ended　and　called　all　the　D’Haran　troops　home。’
　
　General　Riggs　rose　to　his　feet。　‘Darken　Rahl　was　a　man　of　limited　foresight；　a　man　too　much　concerned　with　his　ancient　magic　and　too　little　concerned　with　order。　He　was　too　preoccupied　with　his　own　quests；　his　old　religions。　Magic；　until　it　is　eradicated；　is　a　tool　of　men；　not　a　master　of　them。
　
　‘Darken　Rahl　failed　to　use　the　opportunity　he　had。　We　will　not　fail。　Darken　Rahl　himself；　in　the　underworld；　knows　this；　and　repents。　He　is　allied　to　our　struggle；　now。　The　good　spirits　have　declared　it！　We　no　longer　bow　to　the　house　of　Rahl；　but　they；　as　all　houses；　districts；　and　kingdoms；　to　us。　The　new　Lord　Rahl　will　join　us；　too；　or　we’ll　crush　him　and　any　heathen　dogs　who　follow　him。　We　will　crush　all　the　heathen　dogs！’
　
　‘In　other　words；　General；　you　fight　for　no　one　other　than　yourself。　Your　purpose　is　simply　to　murder　people。’
　
　‘I　do　not　fight　for　myself！　This　is　a　larger　purpose　than　one　man。　We　offer　all　the　opportunity　to　join　with　us。　If　they　don’t　join　with　us；　it’s　because　they’re　aligned　with　our　enemies；　and　we　must　kill　them！’　He　threw　his　hands　up。　‘It’s　useless　trying　to　explain　such　matters　of　state　and　canon　to　a　woman。　Women　have　no　intellect　for　rule。’
　
　‘Men　have　no　exclusive　talent　to　rule；　General。’
　
　‘It’s　profanity　for　men　to　bow　down　to　a　woman　for　protection！　Right　men　concern　themselves　only　with　getting　under　a　woman’s　skirts；　not　with　hiding　behind　them！　Women　rule　from　their　nipples；　offering　only　their　sympathetic　pap。　Men　rule　from　their　fist。　They　make　and　enforce　the　law。　They　provide　and　protect。
　
　‘Every　king　and　patrician　will　be　offered　the　chance　to　join　with　us；　to　bring　his　land　and　his　people　under　our　protection。　All　queens　will　be　offered　the　chance　to　ply　their　wares　in　a　brothel；　or　perhaps　to　be　the　humble　wives　of　an　indentured　farmer；　but　either　way　make　a　proper　use　of　themselves。’
　
　He　swept　his　mug　up　from　the　table　and　took　a　few　gulps。　‘Can’t　you　see；　woman？　Are　you　that　stupid；　even　for　a　woman？　What　has　your　Midland’s　alliance　acplished　under　the　rule　of　women？’
　
　Acplished？　The　alliance　is　to　acplish　nothing　but　to　let　all　the　lands　live　in　peace；　to　leave　their　neighbors’　lands　to　their　neighbors；　and　know　that　their　own　is　safe　from　covetous　hands；　and　that　all　will　stand　to　protect　each；　even　the　weak　and　defenseless；　so　none　will　stand　alone　and　naked。’
　
　He　smiled　in　triumph　as　he　looked　to　his　rades。　‘Truly　spoken　from　the　teat！’
　
　He　gestured　with　disgust。　‘You　provide　no　leadership；　no　law；　each　land　proscribes　and　pronounces　as　they　see　fit。　What　in　one　place　is　a　crime；　in　another　is　virtue。　Your　alliance　shies　from　bringing　order　to　all。　You’re　nothing　but　fragmented　tribes；　each　jealously　guarding　what’s　his；　with　no　thought　to　the　union　other　than　fits　their　own　greed；　and　in　so　doing　lets　all　be　vincible。’
　
　‘You　are　wrong；　that　is　exactly　what　the　Central　Council　in　Aydindril　is　for；　to　bring　all　lands　together　for　the　mon　defense。　The　mon　defense　against　murderers　like　you。　It　is　not　a　feeble　union；　as　you　seem　to　think；　but　one　with　teeth。’
　
　A　noble　ideal。　One；　in　fact；　which　I　share；　but　one　you　only　give　pap　to。　You　bring　them　together　only　timidly；　not　under　mon　canon。’　He　held　his　hand　out　to　her；　closing　it　into　a　fist　as　he　sneered　at　her。　‘In　so　doing；　you　leave　all　lands　ripe　for　the　squeezing。　You　are　lost　souls　in　search　of　true　leadership　and　in　desperate　need　of　protection。
　
　As　soon　as　the　boundaries　fell；　you　were　ravaged　by　Darken　Rahl；　and　he　was　only　halfhearted　about　it；　seeking　only　his　magic！　Had　he　let　the　generals　run　as　they　would；　there　wouldn’t　be　even　a　shell　of　this　play　alliance　of　yours　left。’
　
　And　who　is　it　we　all　need　protection　from？’
　
　He　stared　off；　whispering；　almost　to　himself。　‘From　the　horde　who　will　e。’
　
　‘What　horde？’
　
　He　looked　up；　as　if　he　had　just　awakened。　The　horde　spoken　of　in　the　prophecies。’　He　frowned　at　her　as　if　she　were　hopelessly　thick；　and　then　held　his　hand　out　to　the　wizard。　‘The　good　wizard　here　has　counseled　us　on　the　prophecies。　You　are　one　who　spent　your　life　with　wizards；　and　you　never　sought　their　knowledge？’
　
　‘Your　eloquent　claim　to　want　to　join　people　in　peace　and　law　are　high…minded　words；　General　Riggs。　But　your　atrocities　in　Ebinissia　put　the　lie　to　them。　For　all　time；　Ebinissia　will　bear　mute　but　irrefutable　testimony　to　your　true　cause。　You；　and　your　Imperial　Order；　are　the　horde。’　Kahlan　glowered　to　the　wizard。　‘What’s　your　part　in　this；　Wizard　Slagle？’
　
　He　shrugged。　‘Why；　to　assist　and　facilitate　the　joining　of　all　people　under　the　rule　of　mon　law。’
　
　‘Whose　law？’
　
　‘The　law　of　the　victors。’　He　smiled。　‘That　would　be　us。　The　Imperial　Order。’
　
　‘You　have　responsibilities　as　a　wizard。　Those　responsibilities　are　to　serve；　not　to　rule。　You　will　report　at　once　to　Aydindril；　to　take　your　place　in　that　service；　or　you　will　answer　to　me。’
　
　‘You？’　he　said　with　a　derisive　sneer。　‘You　demand　that　good　and　decent　men　whimper　and　snivel　before　you；　and　at　the　same　time　you　blindly　let　banelings　have　a　free　run　of　the　land。’
　
　‘Banelings？’　She　glowered　at　Riggs。　‘I　suppose　you　would　be　foolish　enough　to　seek　council　from　the　Blood　of　the　Fold。’
　
　‘They’ve　already　joined　with　us；’　General　Riggs　said；　offhandedly。　‘Our　cause　is　theirs；　and　theirs　ours。　They　know　how　to　expunge　those　who　would　serve　the　Keeper　and　thus　our　enemies。　We　will　cleanse　the　land　of　all　who　serve　the　Keeper。　Goodness　must　triumph。’
　
　‘You　mean　your　cause。　It　is　you　who　would　rule。’
　
　‘Are　you　blind；　Confessor？　I　rule　here；　now；　but　this　is　not　about　me；　it’s　about　the　future。　I　simply　fill　the　post　for　now；　furrow　the　field　so　it　may　produce。　It’s　not　I　who　is　the　focus。
　
　‘We　offer　everyone　the　chance　to　serve　with　us；　and　every　man　with　me　has　taken　that　offer。　Others　have　joined　our　troops　in　our　battle。　We　are　no　longer　D’Haran　troops。　They　are　no　longer　troops　of　their　homeland。　We　are　all　the　Imperial　Order。　Any　of　right　mind　can　lead　us。　If　I　fall　in　our　noble　struggle；　another　will　rise　up　to　take　my　place；　until　all　the　lands　are　joined　under　united　rule；　and　the　Imperial　Order　ca