tg.wizardfirstrule-第104部分

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w　me　in；　even　though　they　do　not　often　let　other　outsiders　in。　Not　allowing　a　Confessor　access　would　raise　questions　and　suspicions。　A　leader　involved　in　any　sort　of　plot　would　gladly　grant　a　Confessor　free　access；　to　try　to　hide　their　involvement　in　any　subversion。
　
　〃In　those　times；　there　were　some　among　the　Confessors　who　were　more　than　willing　to　use　their　power　as　they　wanted；　to　root　out　wrongdoing；　as　they　saw　it。　The　wizards　exerted　their　influence　to　bring　this　under　control；　but　the　Confessors'　zeal　showed　the　people　what　a　Confessor　was　capable　of。　But　these　were　different　times。〃
　
　Taking　a　ruler　from　power。　Different　times　or　not；　Richard　found　all　this　hard　to　take；　to　justify。　〃What　gave　these　Confessors　the　right？〃
　
　She　shook　her　head　slowly。　〃What　we　are　doing　now；　you　and　1；　is　it　much　different　from　what　has　been　done　in　the　past？　Taking　a　ruler　from　power？　We　all　do　what　we　think　we　must；　what　we　think　is　right。〃
　
　He　shifted　his　weight　unfortably。　〃I　see　your　point；〃　he　admitted。　〃Have　you　done　this　before？　Removing　a　ruler？〃
　
　She　shook　her　head。　〃Still；　the　leaders　of　the　lands　are　all　keen　to　avoid　my　attention。　It　is　much　the　same　way　with　the　Seeker。　At　least；　it　used　to　be；　before　you　and　I　were　born。　Then；　Seekers　were　more　feared　and　respected　than　Confessors。〃　She　gave　him　a　meaningful　look。　〃They；　too；　have　dethroned　kings。　Now；　though；　because　the　Old　One　was　ignored；　and　the　sword　had　bee　a　political　favor；　they　are　seen　as　less；　little　more　than　pawns；　thieves。〃
　
　〃I'm　not　sure　that　has　changed；〃　Richard　said；　more　to　himself　than　to　her。　〃Much　of　the　time；　I　feel　as　if　I　am　nothing　more　than　a　pawn；　being　moved　by　others。　Even　by　Zedd；　and　。　。　。〃
　
　He　shut　his　mouth　and　didn't　finish；　she　did　it　for　him。
　
　〃And　by　me。〃
　
　〃I　don't　mean　it　that　way。　It's　just　that；　sometimes；　I　wish　I　had　never　heard　of　the　Sword　of　Truth。　But　at　the　same　time；　I　can't　allow　Rahl　to　win；　so　I'm　stuck　with　my　duty。　I　guess　I　have　no　choice；　and　that's　what　I　hate。〃
　
　Kahlan　smiled　sadly　as　she　folded　her　legs　under　her。　〃Richard；　as　you　e　to　understand　what　I　am；　I　hope　you　can　remember　it's　the　same　with　me。　I；　too；　have　no　choice。　But　with　me；　it's　worse；　because　I　was　born　with　my　power。　At　least　when　this　is　all　done；　you　can　give　the　sword　back　if　you　want。　I　am　a　Confessor　。for　as　long　as　I　live。〃　She　paused；　then　added；　〃Since　I　have　e　to　know　you；　I　would　pay　any　price　to　be　able　to　give　it　up；　and　just　be　a　normal　woman。〃
　
　Richard　didn't　know　what　to　do　with　his　hands；　so　he　picked　up　a　stick　and　started　drawing　lines　in　the　dirt。　〃I　still　don't　understand；　why　are　you　called　‘Confessors'？　What　does　‘Confessor'　mean？〃　He　was　。able　to　look　up　at　her　only　with　great　difficulty。
　
　Kahlan　took　on　an　expression　of　pain　that　made　him　feel　sorry　for　her。　〃It　is　what　we　do。　We　are　the　final　arbiters　of　truth。　It　is　the　reason　the　wizards　gave　us　the　power；　back　in　times　long　forgotten。　It　is　how　we　serve　the　people。〃
　
　〃Final　arbiter　of　truth；〃　he　repeated　with　a　frown。　〃Something　like　a　Seeker。〃
　
　She　nodded。　〃Seekers　and　Confessors　are　linked　in　purpose。　In　a　way；　we　are　the　opposite　ends　of　the　same　magic。　The　wizards　of　long　ago　were　almost　like　rulers；　and　they　became　frustrated　by　the　corruption　about　them。　They　hated　the　lies　and　deception。　They　wanted　a　way　to　prevent　corrupt　leaders　from　using　their　power　to　deceive　and　subvert　the　people。　You　see；　these　unscrupulous　leaders　would　simply　accuse　their　political　enemies　of　a　crime；　and　have　them　executed　for　it；　at　once　dishonoring　them　and　eliminating　them。
　
　〃The　wizards　wanted　a　way　to　put　a　stop　to　this。　They　needed　a　way　that　left　no　room　for　doubt。　So　they　created　a　magic；　and　gave　it　a　life　of　its　own。　They　created　the　Confessors　from　a　select　group　of　women。　They　picked　the　women　carefully；　because　once　brought　to　life　in　these　women；　the　power　had　a　life　of　its　own；　and　would　pass　to　their　offspring…forever。〃　She　looked　down　at　the　stick；　idly　watching　him　draw　lines。　〃We　use　our　power　to　find　the　truth；　when　the　truth　is　important　enough。　Mostly；　now；　it　is　used　to　make　sure　a　person　sentenced　to　death　is　really　guilty。　When　a　person　is　condemned　to　death；　we　touch　them；　and　then；　once。　they　are　ours；　we　have　them　confess。〃
　
　Richard　found　himself　leaning　over；　the　stick　frozen　in　place。　He　forced　himself　to　move　it　as　she　went　on。
　
　〃Once　touched；　even　the　most　vile　of　murderers　will　do　as　we　mand；　and　will　confess　his　crimes。　Occasionally；　the　courts　are　not　sure　they　have　the　_　right　man；　and　so　a　Confessor　is　called　in　to　find　the　truth。　In　most　lands；　the　law　states　that　none　can　be　put　to　death　without　first　giving　a　confession；　so　all　can　be　sure　they　are　putting　the　right　man　to　death；　and　not　letting　the　guilty　escape；　and　that　it's　not　an　act　of　political　revenge。
　
　〃Some　peoples　of　the　Midlands　won't　use　a　Confessor；　the　Mud　People；　for　example。　They　don't　want　what　they　see　as　outside　interference。　But　they　still　fear　us；　because　they　know　what　we　can　do。　We　respect　the　wishes　of　these　people；　there　is　no　law　forcing　them　to　use　our　services。　But　still；　we　would　force　it　on　them　if　we　suspected　there　was　deception　involved。　Most　lands；　though；　do　use　us。　They　find　it　expedient。
　
　〃The　Confessors　were　the　ones　who　first　uncovered　the　plotting　and　subversion　taking　place　on　behalf　of　Darken　Rahl。　Discovering　important　truths；　such　as　this；　is　the　very　reason　wizards　created　Confessors；　and　Seekers；　in　the　first　place。　Darken　Rahl　was　not　happy　we　discovered　his　scheming。
　
　〃In　rare　cases；　someone　who　is　to　be　put…to　death　without　the　use　of　a　Confessor　will　call　for　a　Confessor　to　be　brought　in；　so　that　he　may　give　a　true　confession；　and　thus　prove　his　innocence。　In　all　of　the　Midlands；　this　is　the　right　of　the　condemned。〃
　
　Her　voice　became　softer；　weaker。　〃I　hate　that　the　most。　No　one　who　is　guilty　would　call　for　a　Confessor；　it　would　only　prove　them　to　be　guilty。　Even　before　I　touch　these　men；　I　know　they　are　innocent；　but　I　must　do　it　anyway。　If　you　ever　saw　the　look　in　their　eyes　when　I　touch　them　。　。　。　you　would　understand。　So　when　we　are　called；　and　even　though　these　men　are　innocent；　they　are　left　。　。　。〃
　
　Richard　swallowed。　〃How　many　confessions　have　you　。　。　。　taken。〃
　
　She　shook　her　head　slowly。　〃Too　many　to　count。　I　have　spent　half　my　life　in　prisons　and　dungeons；　with　the　most　vicious　and　loathsome　animals　you　could　imagine；　yet　most　look　to　be　nothing　more　than　a　kindly　shopkeeper；　or　brother；　or　father；　or　neighbor。　After　I　touch　them；　I　have　heard　them　all　tell　me　the　things　they　have　done。　For　a　long　time；　in　the　beginning；　it　gave　me　such　nightmares　I　feared　sleeping。　The　stories　of　the　things　they　had　done　。　。　。　you　can't　even　imagine　。　。　。〃
　
　Richard　tossed　the　stick　aside　and　took　her　hand　in　his；　squeezing　it　tightly。　She　was　starting　to　cry。　〃Kahlan；　you　don't；　have　to　。　。　。
　
　〃I　remember　the　first　man　I　killed。〃　Her　lip　quivered。　〃I　still　have　dreams　about　him。　He　confessed　to　me　the　things　he　had　done　to　his　neighbor's　three　daughters　。　。　。　the　oldest　was　only　five　。　。　。　he　looked　up　at　me　with　wide　eyes　after　he。　told　me　the　most　ghastly　things　you　could　imagine　。　。　。　and　he　said；　‘What　is　your　wish；　my　mistress'　。　。　。　and　without　thinking；　I　said；　‘My　wish　is　for　you　to　die。'　〃　She　wiped　some。　of　the　tears　off　her　cheek　with　trembling　fingers。　〃He　dropped　dead　on　the　spot。〃　〃What　did　the　people　there　say？〃
　
　〃What　would　they　dare　to　say　to　a　Confessor　who　has　just　made　a　man　drop　dead　in　front　of　their　eyes　simply　by　her　mand？　They　all　just　backed　up　and　got　out　of　our　way　when　we　left。　It　is　not　something　every　Confessor　can　do。　It　even　scared　my　wizard　speechless。〃
　
　Richard　frowned。　〃Your　wizard？〃
　
　She　nodded　as　she　finished　wiping　the　tears　away。　〃Wizards　see　it　as　their　duty　to　protect　us；　as　we　are　universally　feared　and　hated。　Confessors　almost　always　travel　with　the　protection　of　a　wizard。　One　is　。　。　。　well；　one　was；　assigned　to　each　of　us　when　we　were　called　to　take　a　confession。　Rahl　managed　to　separate　us　from　our　wizards；　and　now　they　are　dead　too。　Except　Zedd；　and　Giller。〃
　
　Richard　picked　up　the　rabbit。　It　was　getting　cold。　He　cut　off　another　piece　and　handed　it　to　her；　then　tore　off　a　piece　for　himself。　〃Why　would　the　Confessors　be　feared　and　hated？〃
　
　〃The　relatives　and　friends　of　the　man　to　be　executed　hate　us　because　they　often　don't　believe　their　loved　one　would　do　the　things　they　confess　to。　They　would　rather　believe　we　somehow　trick　them　in　to　confessing。〃　She　picked　at　the　meat；　pulling　off　little　pieces　and　chewing。　them　slowly。　〃I　have　found　that　people　do　not　often　want　to　believe　the　truth。　It　is　of　little　value　to　them。　Some　have　tried　to　kill　me。　This　is　one　of　the　reasons　a　wizard　was　always　with　us；　to　protect　us　until　our　power　is　recovered。〃
　
　Richard　swallowed　his　mouthful。　〃That　doesn't　sound　like　enough　reason　to　me。〃
　
　〃It　is　more　than　simply　what　we　do。　This　must　all　sound　very　strange　to　someone　who　has　not　lived　with　it。　The　ways　of　the　Midlands；　of　magic；　must　seem　very　odd　to　you。〃
　
　Odd　was　not　the　right　word；　he　thought。　Frightening　was　more　like　it。
　
　〃Confessors　are　independent；　people　resent　that。　Men　resent　that　none　of　them　can　rule　us；　or　even　tell　us　what　to　do。　Women　resent　that　we　do　not　live　the　kind　of　life　they　do；　that　we　do　not　live　in　the　traditional　role　of　women；　we　do　not　take　care　of　a　man；　or　submit　to　one。　We　are　seen　as　privileged。　Our　hair　is　long；　a　symbol　of　our　authority；　they　are　made　to　keep　their　hair　short；　as　a　sign　of　submission　to　their　man　and　every　other　per…　son　of　higher　status　than　they。　It　may　seem　a　small　matter　to　you；　but　to　our　people；　no　matter　having　to　do　with　power　is　small。　A　woman　who　allows　her　hair　to　grow　beyond　the　length　appropriate　to　her　status　is　forced　to　forfeit　some　of　that　status　in　punishment。　In　the　Midlands；　long　hair　on　a　woman　is　a　sign　of　authority；　bordering　on　defiance。　It　is　a　sign　that　we　have　the　power　to　do　as　we　wish；　and　that　none　may　mand　us；　that　we　are　a　threat　to　all。　Much　as　your　sword　tells　people　the　same　thing。　No　Confessor　would　w