5 - Soul of the Fire by Terry Goodkind

Author:Terry Goodkind
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2011-08-25T01:32:46+00:00

CHAPTER 41

TERESA SMILED. "YES, PLEASE."

Dalton lifted two dilled veal balls from the platter held out by the squire. The Haken boy genuflected, spun with a light step, and glided past. Dalton set the meat on the 451

charger he shared with Teresa as she nibbled on her favorite of suckling rabbit.

Dalton was tired and bored with the lengthy feast. He had work of importance that needed tending.

Certainly his first responsibility was tending the Minister, but that goal would be better served handling matters behind the curtain of governance than on stage nodding and laughing at the Minister's witticisms.

Bertrand was waving a sausage as he told a joke to several wealthy merchants at the far end of the head table. By the merchants' guttural laughter, and the way Bertrand wielded the sausage, Dalton knew what sort of joke it was. Stein particularly enjoyed the bawdy story.

As soon as the laughter died down, Bertrand graciously apologized to his wife and asked that she forgive his joke. She let out a titter and dismissed it with an airy wave of a hand, adding that he was Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

incorrigible. The merchants chuckled at her good-natured indulgence of her husband.

Teresa gently elbowed Dalton and whispered, "What was that joke the Minister told? I couldn't hear it."

"You should thank the Creator he didn't bless you with better hearing. It was one of Bertrand's jokes, if you follow."

"Well," she said with a grin, "will you tell me when we get home?"

Dalton smiled. "When we get home, Tess, I'll demonstrate it."

She let out a throaty laugh. Dalton picked up one of the veal balls and dragged it through a wine-and-ginger sauce. He let her have a bite and lick some of the sauce off his finger before putting the rest in his mouth.

As he chewed, he turned his attention to three of the Directors across the room engaged in what looked to be a serious conversation. They gestured expansively while leaning in, frowning, shaking their heads, and holding up fingers to make their point. Dalton knew what the conversation concerned. Nearly every conversation around the room involved

452

a similar topic: the murder of Claudine Winthrop.

The Minister, wearing a purple-and-rust-striped close-fitting sleeveless jerkin over a golden-wheat-patterned sleeved doublet, draped his arm over Dalton's shoulders as he leaned close. The white raffs at the Minister's wrist were stained with red wine, making him look as if he were bleeding from under the tight sleeve.

"Everyone is still quite upset over Claudine's murder," said Bertrand.

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

"And rightly so." Dalton dipped a mutton cube in mint jelly. "It was a terrible tragedy."

"Yes, it has made us all realize how frail is the grip we have on the ideals of civilized behavior we so cherish. It has shown us how much work yet lies before us in order to bring Hakens and Anders together in a peaceful society."

"With your wise leadership," Teresa said with genuine enthusiasm as Dalton ate the mutton cube, "we will succeed."

"Thank you for your support, my dear.

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