tg.stone of tears-第238章

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to　free　the　Keeper。　Those　with　only　the　gift　for　Additive　can　cause　harm；　tear　the　veil　more；　but　not　free　him　with　it。
　
　‘I　think；’　Warren　said　with　a　twinkle；　‘that　we’re　safe　with　that　black　stone　in　this　world　as　long　as　we’re　careful。’
　
　‘It’s　not　black。　I　never　told　you　it　was　black。　I　just　described　the　shape　and　size。’
　
　Warren　touched　a　finger　to　his　lower　lip。　‘Not　black？　Then　what　color　is　it？’
　
　‘Amber。’
　
　Warren　slapped　his　hands　to　his　chest　with　a　groan　of　relief。　Thank　the　Creator。’　He　let　out　an　uncharacteristic　whoop。　‘That’s　the　best　news　I’ve　heard　all　year！　Amber　means　it　was　touched　by　a　wizard’s　tears。　That　repulses　the　Keeper。　It’s　like　rotten；　festering　meat　would　be　to　us。　His　agents　won’t　touch　it！’
　
　Richard’s　grin　widened。　It　had　to　be　Zedd　who　had　done　it。　That　was　why　he　felt　Zedd’s　pull　from　the　stone。　This；　on　top　of　his　discovery　about　Kahlan；　was　just　too　much。　He　couldn’t　keep　the　happiness　to　himself。　‘Warren；　I　have　other　good　news。　I’m　in　love。　I’m　going　to　be　wed。’
　
　Warren　gave　another　whoop；　but　then　his　smile　wilted。　‘It’s　not　Pasha；　is　it？　If　it　is；　that’s　all　right；　I　will　understand。　You　two　will　make　a　handsome　。。。’
　
　Richard　lightly　touched　Warren’s　shoulder。　‘No；　it’s　not　Pasha。　I’ll　tell　you　about　her　some　other　time。　She’s　the　Mother　Confessor。　I　didn’t　mean　to　interrupt　you。　What　about　the　other　things？’
　
　‘Well。’　He　pulled　another　book　across　the　table。　‘There　are　precious　few　references　to　the　round　bone　you　spoke　of；　and　the　skrin。　One　of　them　is　in　a　forked　prophecy　having　to　do　with　the　winter　solstice　ing　up　in　a　couple　of　weeks。　It’s　a　plicated　juncture　of　forks　and　crossovers。　We’ve　only　recently　learned　that　the　prophecy　about　that　woman　and　her　people　is　the　descendent　of　a　true　fork。　。。。’
　
　Whenever　Warren　went　off　on　his　talk　of　forks　and　junctures；　Richard　always　started　getting　lost。　About　the　only　thing　he　understood　was　winter　solstice。
　
　‘What　does　the　winter　solstice　have　to　do　with　anything？’
　
　Warren　looked　up。　‘Winter　solstice。　The　shortest　day　of　the　year。　Shortest　day；　longest　night。　See　what　I　mean？’
　
　‘No。　What　does　that　have　to　do　with　the　skrin？’
　
　The　longest　night　of　the　year。　Longest　night；　most　darkness。　You　see；　the　Keeper　has　certain　times　when　he　can　exert　greater　or　lesser　influence　in　this　world。　His　is　the　world　of　darkness；　and　when　we　are　in　the　period　of　the　longest　darkness；　the　veil　is　at　its　weakest。　That’s　when　he　is　able　to　do　the　most　harm。’
　
　Then　we’re　in　danger　in　a　few　weeks；　at　winter　solstice。’
　
　Warren’s　eyebrows　lifted　in　delight。　‘Yes。　But　you’ve　given　me　the　information　to　solve　an　uping　prophecy；　along　with　what　we　now　know　to　be　the　true　fork　involved　along　with　it。　You　see；　with　this　winter　solstice；　there　is　a　prophecy　about　the　danger　to　the　world　of　the　living。
　
　The　Keeper　has　to　have　a　number　of　elements　in　place　for　it　to　be　a　true　fork；　such　as　an　open　gateway；　but　he　needs　an　agent　in　this　world　…　‘　Warren　leaned　forward　in　delight。
　
　‘　…　and　he　in　turn　needs　the　skrin。　If　he　has　the　skrin　bone　you　told　me　of；　he　can　invoke　the　guardian；　and　destroy　it。　If　the　guardian　is　destroyed；　the　Keeper　can　e　through　the　gateway。’
　
　‘Warren；　that　sounds　pretty　frightening　to　me。’
　
　Warren　lifted　his　hand　with　a　dismissive　wave。　‘No；　no。　Many　prophecies　sound　ominous；　like　this　one。　But　the　elements　are　rarely　all　in　place；　so　they　turn　out　to　be　false　forks；　as　most　do。　The　books　are　clogged　with　false　forks；　because　…’
　
　‘Warren；　get　to　the　point。’
　
　‘Oh；　yes。　Well；　you　see；　you　told　me　that　your　friend　has　the　bone　that　can　invoke　the　skrin。　And　the　Keeper　would　need　an　agent；　but　he　doesn’t　have　one。　Without　the　skrin　bone；　and　with　the　uping　fork　which　we　know　must　be　passed　correctly；　and　we　think　it　will；　this　is　just　another　false　fork；　so　we’re　safe！’
　
　Richard　felt　a　distant　tingling　of　apprehension；　but　Warren’s　bubbly　confidence　overwhelmed　it。　He　was　caught　up　in　Warren’s　enthusiasm。　He　gave　the　young　man　a　clap　on　the　back。
　
　‘Good　work；　Warren。　Now　I　can　concentrate　on　learning　to　use　my　Han。’
　
　Warren　beamed。　Thank　you；　Richard。　I’m　so　glad　you’ve　been　able　to　help　me。　I’ve　made　more　progress　than　I　ever　thought　I　would　before　I　met　you。’
　
　Still　grinning；　Richard　shook　his　head　in　wonder。　‘Warren；　I’ve　never　met　anyone　that　was　so　smart；　yet　so　young。’
　
　Warren　laughed　as　if　that　was　the　funniest　thing　he　had　ever　heard。
　
　‘What’s　so　funny？’
　
　‘Your　joke；’　Warren　said；　wiping　tears　from　his　eyes。
　
　‘What　joke？’
　
　Warren’s　laughter　slowed　to　a　frowning　chuckle。　‘About　me　being　young。　It　was　funny。’
　
　Richard　held　his　polite　smile。　‘Warren；　why　is　that　funny？’
　
　Warren’s　chuckle　died　down　to　a　grin。　‘Because　I’m　one　hundred　and　fifty…seven　years　old。’
　
　Richard’s　flesh　prickled。　‘Now　you’re　making　a　joke。　That’s　a　joke。　It　is　a　joke；　Warren；　isn’t　it？’
　
　Warren’s　good　humor　evaporated。　He　blinked。　‘Richard　。。。　you　do　know；　don’t　you。　They　must　have　told　you。　I　was　sure　they　would　have　told　you　by　now。　。。。’
　
　Richard’s　arm　swept　the　books　aside。　He　scooted　his　chair　closer。　Told　me　what？　Warren；　don’t　you　say　something　like　that　and　then　go　silent　on　me。　You’re　my　friend；　you　tell　me。’
　
　Warren　cleared　his　throat　and　then　wet　his　lips　with　his　tongue。　He　leaned　in　a　little。　‘Richard；　I’m　sorry。　I　thought　you　knew；　or　I　would　have　told　you　myself　a　long　time　ago。　I　would　have。’
　
　‘Told　me　what！’
　
　‘The　magic。　The　magic　of　the　Palace　of　the　Prophets。　It　has　Additive　and　Subtractive　elements　to　it　that　are　tied　to　the　other　worlds。　That　makes　time　move　differently　here。’
　
　‘Warren；’　Richard　said　hoarsely；　‘do　you　mean　it　affects　all　of　us？　All　those　wearing　the　collar？’
　
　‘No　。。。　everyone　at　the　palace。　The　Sisters；　too。　This　place　is　spelled。　As　long　as　the　Sisters　live　at　the　palace；　they　age　the　same　as　we　do。　The　spell　makes　us　age　more　slowly；　makes　time　seem　different　to　us。’
　
　‘What　do　you　mean；　‘different’？’
　
　The　spell　slows　our　aging　process。　For　every　year　we　age；　those　outside　age　between　ten　and　fifteen　years。’
　
　Richard’s　head　was　spinning。　‘Warren；　that　can’t　be　true。　It　can’t。’　He　tried　desperately　to　think　of　proof。　‘Pasha。　Pasha　could　only　be　。。。’
　
　‘Richard；　I’ve　known　Pasha　for　over　a　hundred　years。’
　
　Richard　slid　the　chair　back　and　stood。　He　raked　his　fingers　through　his　hair。　That　doesn’t　make　any　sense。　It　has　to　be　some　kind　of　。。。　Why　would　it　work　like　that？’
　
　Warren　took　Richard’s　arm　and　sat　him　down。　He　pulled　his　own　chair　close。　He　spoke　in　a　soft；　concerned　voice；　as　one　would　when　breaking　calamitous　news　to　a　someone。
　
　‘It　takes　a　long　time　to　train　a　wizard。　Outside；　in　the　rest　of　the　world；　over　twenty　years　had　gone　by　before　I　was　even　able　to　touch　my　Han。　But　because　I　live　here；　I　had　aged　less　than　two　years。　Twenty　years　had　passed　here；　too；　but　I　aged　only　two。　If　the　palace　did　not　slow　our　aging；　we　would　all　die　of　old　age　before　we　could　even　light　a　lamp　with　our　Han。
　
　‘I　have　never　heard　of　it　taking　less　than　two　hundred　years　to　train　a　wizard。　monly；　it　takes　near　to　three　hundred；　and　sometimes　even　as　much　as　four　hundred。
　
　‘The　wizards　who　created　this　place　knew　that；　and　so　they　tied　the　magic　here　to　the　worlds　beyond；　where　time　is　meaningless。　I　don’t　know　how　it　works；　just　that　it　does。’
　
　Richard’s　hands　shook。　‘But　。。。　I　have　to　get　this　collar　off。　I　have　to　get　to　Kahlan。　I　can’t　wait　that　long。　Warren；　help　me。　I　can’t　wait　that　long。’
　
　Warren　glanced　to　the　floor。　‘I’m　sorry；　Richard。　I　don’t　know　how　to　get　our　collars　off；　and　I　don’t　know　how　to　get　by　the　barrier　that　keeps　us　here。　I　know　how　you　feel；　though。　It　drove　me　into　the　vaults　for　the　last　fifty　years。　Some　of　the　others　don’t　seem　to　care；　and　say　that　it　just　gives　them　more　time　with　women。’
　
　Richard　slowly　rose。　‘I　can’t　believe　it。’
　
　Warren　turne