tg.stone of tears-第215章

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would　still　be　easy　to　miss　him　if　he　stood　still。
　
　Movement　would　distort　the　plicated　images；　as　the　cape　changed　to　acmodate　new　conditions；　though　it　still　fooled　the　eye　into　missing　him；　but　if　he　stood　still；　he　virtually　vanished　in　front　of　anything。　The　effect；　at　times；　could　be　dizzying　to　watch。　When　he　stopped　concentrating；’　the　cape　would　return　to　black。
　
　This；　he　thought　as　he　looked　at　himself　in　the　mirror　standing　in　a　simple　black　cape；　was　going　to　be　useful。
　
　
　CHAPTER　56
　
　As　the　weeks　passed；　Richard　was　constantly　busy。
　
　He　remembered　that　Kahlan　and　Zedd　had　told　him　that　there　were　no　wizards　with　the　gift　left　in　the　Midlands。　Small　wonder；　they　seemed　to　all　be　at　the　Palace　of　the　Prophets。　There　were　well　over　a　hundred　boys　and　young　men　at　the　palace。　From　what　Richard　could　discover；　a　goodly　number　of　the　older　ones；　at　least；　were　from　the　Midlands；　with　some　even　from　D’Hara。
　
　Killing　a　mriswith　had　earned　Richard　celebrity　status　among　the　younger　boys。　Two　of　them；　Kipp　and　Hersh；　were　the　most　persistent。　They　followed　him　around；　begging　to　hear　stories　of　his　adventures。　At　times　they　exhibited　the　maturity；　almost　wisdom；　of　old　men。　At　other　times　they；　like　all　boys；　seemed　interested　in　nothing　more　than　mischief。
　
　The　object　of　this　mischief　was　usually　a　Sister。　The　boys　never　seemed　to　tire　of　thinking　up　new　tricks　to　pull　on　them。　Most　of　the　pranks　appeared　to　involve　either　water；　mud；　or　reptiles。　The　Sisters　only　occasionally　erupted　in　anger　when　caught　up　in　the　boys’　antics；　and　even　then；　they　quickly　forgave　them。　As　far　as　Richard　could　tell；　the　boys　never　earned　more　than　a　stern　lecture。
　
　In　the　beginning；　the　young　boys　thought　to　number　Richard　among　their　targets。　Richard　had　things　to　do；　and　had　no　time　or　patience　for　it。　When　the　boys　learned　that　Richard　was　neither　shy　nor　slow　with　discipline；　they　quickly　moved　on　to　other　targets　with　their　buckets　of　water。
　
　The　fact　that　Richard　set　limits　made　Kipp　and　Hersh　like　him　all　the　more。　They　seemed　starved　for　older　male　panionship。　Richard　rewarded　them　with　adventure　stories；　or　sometimes；　when　he　was　going　from　one　place　to　another；　and　their　presence　wouldn’t　impede　his　progress；　he　taught　them　about　the　woods；　tracking；　and　animals。
　
　They　coveted　staying　in　Richard’s　gbod　graces；　so　when　he　wanted　or　needed　to　be　alone；　and　signaled　with　a　finger　or　a　nod；　they　vanished。　Richard　let　them　be　around　often　when　he　was　with　Pasha；　since　he　couldn’t　do　more　important　tasks　then　anyway。　Frustrated；　because　she　couldn’t　seem　to　find　time　alone　with　him；　Pasha　was　somewhat　mollified　when　Richard　got　her　excluded　from　the　boys’　list　of　targets。　She　appreciated　not　having　her　fine　dresses　drenched　or　having　to　worry　about　discovering　a　snake　in　her　shawl。
　
　Richard　occasionally　asked　Kipp　and　Hersh　to　preform　little　errands；　just　to　test　them。　He　had　plans　for　their　talents。
　
　The　other　young　men　in　collars　wanted　to　show　Richard　the　city。　Two；　Perry　and　Isaac；　who　lived　in　Gillaume　Hall　with　him；　took　him　into　the　city　and　showed　him　the　tavern　where　many　of　the　guards　drank；　and　he　soon　after　bought　Swordsman　Kevin　Andellmere　the　ale　he　had　promised　him。
　
　Richard　discovered　that　most　of　the　young　men　spent　their　nights　away　from　the　palace；　staying　in　various　fine　inns　around　the　city。　It　didn’t　take　Richard　long　to　figure　out　why。　They　were　provided　money；　the　same　as　he；　and　they　were　practiced　at　spending　it。　They　bought　themselves　fancy　clothes；　dressing　like　princes；　and　on　their　overnight　stays　they　picked　the　finest　acmodations。
　
　There　was　no　shortage　of　women　wanting　to　share　those　acmodations。　Astonishingly　beautiful　women。
　
　When　Perry　and　Isaac　took　him　to　the　city；　they　were　always　quickly　surrounded　by　attractive　women。　Richard　had　never　seen　women　this　brazen。　Every　evening；　the　two　men　would　each　select　a　woman；　sometimes　several；　and　buy　them　presents；　maybe　a　dress　or　a　bauble；　and　then　depart　for　their　rooms。
　
　The　two　told　him　that　if　he　didn’t　want　to　bother　with　spending　time　buying　gifts；　he　could　simply　go　to　any　of　the　houses　of　prostitution；　but　they　assured　him　that　those　women　were　not　as　young；　or　nearly　as　pretty；　as　the　ones　who　approached　them　on　the　streets。　They　admitted；　though；　that　they　went　to　prostitutes　sometimes　when　they　didn’t　feel　like　wasting　time　being　sociable　for　no　more　than　a　simple　coupling。
　
　When　he　was　spotted　with　a　collar；　Richard　drew　women　the　same　as　Perry　and　Isaac　did。　Richard　was　beginning　to　see　in　a　new　light　what　Sister　Verna　meant　about　him　soon　finding　another　pair　of　pretty　legs。　The　other　two　men　thought　Richard　was　mad　to　turn　down　all　the　offers。　Sometimes；　Richard　wondered　if　they　might　not　be　right。
　
　Richard　asked　Perry　and　Isaac　if　they　weren’t　afraid　of　a　woman’s　father　cracking　their　skulls。　They　laughed　and　said　that　fathers　sometimes　brought　their　daughters　to　them。　Richard　threw　his　arms　up　and　asked　if　they　weren’t　concerned　about　getting　some　woman　they　didn’t　even　know　pregnant。　They　explained　that　if　a　woman　‘got　herself’　pregnant；　the　palace　would　provide　for　her　and　the　child；　even　her　whole　family。
　
　When　Richard　had　asked　Pasha　what　was　behind　such　a　bizarre　convention；　she　folded　her　arms　across　her　breasts　and　presented　her　back　to　him　while　she　explained　that　men　had　uncontrollable　urges；　and　those　urges　would　be　a　distraction　to　learning　to　use　their　Han；　so　the　Sisters　encouraged　the　men　to　satisfy　their　needs。　That　was　why　she　didn’t　go　to　the　city　with　him　at　night。　She　was　restricted　from　interfering　with　his　。。。　needs。
　
　She　had　turned　back　to　him　and　begged　him　to　e　to　her　with　his　needs；　saying　she　would　see　to　it　that　he　had　no　desire　to　go　to　other　women；　or　if　he　did　go　to　the　city；　to　at　least　allow　her　to　be　one　of　the　women　he　slept　with。　She　told　him　that　she　could　satisfy　him　better　than　any　other　woman；　and　offered　to　prove　it。
　
　Richard　was　dumbfounded　by　such　talk；　to　say　nothing　of　the　behavior。　He　told　Pasha　that　he　only　went　to　the　city　to　see　the　sights。　Having　grown　up　in　the　woods；　he　had　never　roamed　around　in　a　city　before。　He　told　her　that　where　he　came　from　it　wasn’t　right　to　treat　women　in　such　a　way。
　
　He　promised　that　if　he　was　ever　overe　with　need；　he　would　e　to　her　first。　She　was　so　happy　to　hear　this　that　she　didn’t　mind　when　he　reminded　her　that　he　wasn’t　ready　yet。　She　had　no　idea　that　there　were　times　when　he　felt　so　lonely　that　he　was　sorely　tempted　to　give　in　to　her。　She　was　unquestionably　alluring；　and　it　was　sometimes　difficult　for　him　to　make　himself　keep　her　at　arm’s　length。
　
　Richard　had　Pasha　show　him　everything　she　could　of　the　palace。　He　had　her　show　him　some　of　the　city；　and　take　him　on　a　tour　of　the　docks；　to　see　the　big　boats。　She　said　they　were　called　ships；　because　they　went　to　sea。　Richard　had　never　seen　anything　that　large　afloat。　She　told　him　that　they　brought　trade　from　cities　of　the　Old　World　farther　down　the　coast。
　
　Pasha　went　with　him　to　the　sea；　and　they　sat　for　hours；　watching　the　waves；　or　explored　the　tide　pools。　Richard　was　astounded　to　learn　that　the　sea　went　up　and　down；　with　tides；　all　by　itself。　She　assured　him　that　it　was　not　the　magic　of　the　palace；　but　did　such　a　thing　everywhere。　Richard　was　spellbound　by　the　ocean。　Pasha　was　content　to　simply　sit　with　him。　But　Richard　couldn’t　afford　to　sit　and　watch　the　ocean　too　often。　He　had　things　to　do。
　
　Pasha　wasn’t　permitted　to　go　with　him　to　the　city　in　the　evening；　in　case　he　chose　to　be　with　a　woman。　He　had　to　constantly　reassure　her　that　that　was　not　why　he　went　out　at　night。　Since　it　was　the　truth　that　he　wasn’t　sleeping　with　any　of　the　women；　he　had　no　difficulty　being　sincere　and　convincing　her。　He　did　not　tell　her　the　truth；　however；　about　what　he　really　was　doing。
　
　Richard　decided　that　as　long　as　the　palace　wanted　to　provide　him　with　money；　he　was　going　to　allow　them　to　finance　their　own　undoing。　He　spent　the　palace’s　money　wherever　it　would　help　him。　He　became　a　regular　at　the　taverns　and　inns　the　palace　guards　frequented。　Whenever　he