"Terry Goodkind. Faith of the Fallen (англ.)" - читать интересную книгу автора

forces against the army of the Order."

He turned to pulling his black, open-sided tunic on over his head.
Kahlan struggled to give force to her voice, to the magnitude of her
concern.

23

"But what about all those who are prepared to fight-all the armies
already in the field? There are good men, able men, ready to go against
Jagang and stop his Imperial Order and drive them back to the Old World.
Who will lead our men?"

"Lead them to what? Death? They can't win."

Kahlan was horrified. She reached up and snatched his shirtsleeve
before he could lean down to retrieve his broad over-belt. "Richard,
you're only saying this, walking away from the struggle, because of what
happened to me."

"No. I had already decided it that same night, before you were
attacked. When I went out alone for a walk, after the vote, I did a lot of
thinking. I came to this realization and made up my mind. What happened to
you made no difference except to prove the point that I'm right and should
have figured it out sooner. If I had, you would never have been hurt."

"But if the Mother Confessor had not been hurt, you would have
felt better by morning and changed your mind."

Light coming through the doorway behind him lit in a blaze of gold
the ancient symbols coiled along the squared edges of his tunic. "Cara,
what would happen if I'd been attacked with her, and we had both been
killed? What would you all do then?"

"I don't know."

"That is why I withdraw. You are all following me, not
participating in a struggle for your own future. Your answer should have
been that you would all fight on for yourselves, for your freedom. I have
come to understand the mistake I've made in this, and to see that we
cannot win in this way. The Order is too large an opponent."

Kahlan's father, King Wyborn, had taught her about fighting
against such odds, and she had practical experience at it. "Their army may
outnumber ours, but that doesn't make it impossible. We just have to
outthink them. I will be there to help you, Richard. We have seasoned
officers. We can do it. We must."

"Look how the Order's cause spreads on words that sound
good"-Richard swept out an arm-"even to distant places like this. We know