Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind

Author:Terry Goodkind
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, azw3, pdf
ISBN: 1593353006
Publisher: Tor Books
Published: 2008-12-22T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 33

“You must cut off my arm.”

Zedd drew the sleeve of the sky blue, satin robe down her arm, covering the wound that wouldn’t heal, and the faint green glow of her flesh.

“I’m not cutting off your arm, Adie. How many times do I have to tell you?”

He set the cut-glass lamp back on a side table inlaid with silver worked in floral patterns, next to the tray of brown bread and half-eaten lamb stew, and strolled across the carpets to draw the heavy, embroidered curtains back a bit with a thin finger. He peered, without seeing, out the frost-laced window, at the dark street. The glow from the fire in the outer room cast a warm, dim light through the open double doors. The rooms were fairly quiet, considering the size of the crowd down in the dining room.

The Ram’s Horn did a bustling business despite it being the dead of winter, or perhaps because of it. The open road was no place to sleep in this cold and snow, and trade couldn’t stop simply because of the season. Merchants, drivers, and travelers of every sort filled this inn, as well as all the others in Penverro.

He and Adie had been lucky to find lodging. Or perhaps the innkeeper had been the lucky one, lucky that someone would come along who was willing to pay the outrageous price he asked for his finest rooms.

But the price of the rooms did not concern Zedd; producing the required price in gold was no problem for a wizard of the First Order. He had real problems, though. The gash where the skrin had cut Adie with its claw wasn’t healing. In fact, it was getting worse. And it would do no good trying to use more magic to cure the wound; magic was the trouble.

“Listen to me, old man.” Adie levered herself up in the bed, onto one elbow. “It be the only way to stop it. You have tried, and I do not fault your efforts. But if we don’t stop it, I will die. What be one arm, compared to my life? If you do not have the courage, then give me a knife. I can do the work myself.”

He scowled over his shoulder. “Of that, dear lady, I have no doubt. But it would do no good, I’m afraid.”

“What do you mean?” she asked in a low rasp.

He plucked a cold chunk of lamb from the gold-rimmed bowl and popped it in his mouth before he hiked his lavish robes up a bit and sat on the edge of the bed. He took up her good hand as he chewed. It seemed thin and frail, but he knew her to be more the stuff of iron.

“Adie, do you know anyone with knowledge of this sort of taint?”

She ignored his question. “Why do you say it will do no good?”

Zedd patted her hand. “Answer the question. Do you know anyone who would know anything about this?”

“I would have to think on it some, but I do not think there be anyone still alive who would have such knowledge.

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