Goodkind, Terry - Sword of Truth 10 - Phantom by Goodkind Terry

Author:Goodkind, Terry [Goodkind, Terry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy - Epic, Epic, Fiction - Fantasy, Fiction, Fantasy, Media Tie-In - General, General, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Media Tie-In
ISBN: 9780765315540
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates
Published: 2006-07-18T11:15:58+00:00

Chapter 29

Inside, three tall windows that made up most of the far wall lit the room with the gloomy late-afternoon light. Rain pattered against the glass and ran down in snaking rivulets. The walls of the small room were lined with bookshelves made of golden oak. There was only enough space in the center of the room for one simple oak table that was in turn only large enough for the four wooden chairs, one on each side. In the center of the table sat an unusual four-lobed lamp, offering each empty chair its own light from a silvered reflector.

With a sweep of her arm, Nicci sent a spark of her gift into the four wicks. The flames swelled, lending golden warmth to the small room. Richard noticed that, despite the way the palace spell diminished the power of any but a Rahl, she seemed to have had no trouble lighting the lamps.

Berdine went to the shelves to the right of the door. “Near the part of Kolo’s journal where he mentioned the book that wasn’t supposed to be copied, I think he might have been implying that the men who didn’t trust Baraccus were the ones who made the copies. I think that’s who he meant, anyway, but I’m not sure; he refers to them as ‘the half-wits from Yanklee’s Yarns.’“

Nicci spun around to Berdine. “Yanklee’s Yarns!”

Richard looked from Nicci’s astounded expression to Berdine’s. “What’s Yanklee’s Yarns?” he asked.

“A book,” Berdine said.

Richard turned a questioning look on Nicci.

Nicci huffed in exasperation. “It’s more than just a book, Richard. Yanklee’s Yarns is a book of prophecy. A very, very peculiar book of prophecy. It predates the great war by seven centuries. The vaults at the Palace of the Prophets had an early copy of it. It was a curiosity that every Sister studied in the course of her education about prophecy.”

Richard peered around at the books lining the shelves. “What was so peculiar about it?”

“It’s a book of prophecy that is nothing but gossip and hearsay.”

Richard turned back to her. “I don’t get it.”

“Well,” Nicci said, pausing to find the right words, “it wasn’t believed to be prophecy about future events… exactly. It’s, it’s, well, it’s actually believed to be prophecy about future gossip, so to speak.”

Richard rubbed his tired eyes as he sighed. He looked up at Nicci again. “You mean to say that this Yanklee fellow wrote predictions about gossip?” When Nicci nodded, all he could do was ask, “Why?”

Nicci leaned in a little. “That’s the very question to which everyone wanted an answer.”

Richard shook his head, as if to clear the cobwebs.

“You see, there are many things that are secret”—Nicci gestured toward Berdine—”like this business with the book that wasn’t supposed to be copied. Those kinds of secrets often remain secret because people go to their graves without ever revealing them. That’s why when we study historical records we sometimes are not able to solve mysteries—there just isn’t any information to be had.

“But, sometimes, there are little

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