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

beyond doubt the evil of the Order, yet people everywhere passionately
side with them despite the ghastly truth of everything the Imperial Order
stands for."

"Richard," Kahlan whispered, trying not to lose what was left of
her voice, "I led those young Galean recruits against an army of
experienced Order soldiers who greatly outnumbered us, and we prevailed."

"Exactly. They had just seen their home city after the Order had
been there. Everyone they loved had been murdered, everything they knew
had been destroyed. Those men fought with an understanding of what they
were doing and why. They were going to throw themselves at the enemy with
or without you commanding them. But they were the only ones, and even
though they succeeded, most of them were killed in the struggle."

Kahlan was incredulous. "So you are going to let the Order do the
same elsewhere so as to give people a reason to fight? You are going to
stand aside and let the Order slaughter hundreds of thousands of innocent
people?

"You want to quit because I was hurt. Dear spirits, I love you
Richard, but don't do this to me. I'm the Mother Confessor; I'm
responsible for the lives of the people of the Midlands. Don't do this
because of what happened to me."

Richard snapped on his leather-padded silver wristbands. "I'm not
doing this because of what happened to you. I'm helping save those lives
in the only way that has a chance. I'm doing the only thing I can do."

24

"You are doing the easy thing," Cara said.

Richard met her challenge with quiet sincerity. "Cara, I'm doing
the hardest thing I have ever had to do."

Kahlan was sure now that their rejection by the Anderith people
had hit him harder than she had realized. She caught two of his fingers
and squeezed sympathetically. He had put his heart into sparing those
people from enslavement by the Order. He had tried to show them the value
of freedom by allowing them the freedom to choose their own destiny. He
had put his faith in their hands.

In a crushing defeat, an enormous majority had spurned all he had
offered, and in so doing devastated that faith.

Kahlan thought that perhaps with some time to heal, the same as
with her, the pain would fade for him, too. "You can't hold yourself to
blame for the fall of Anderith, Richard. You did your best. It wasn't your
fault."