Richard knew that in the past the People’s Palace could have been a dangerous place for any gifted to live, but its power also drew them.
Mr. Burkett mumbled to himself as he tallied his list. He finally tapped his paper. “There are not quite two dozen gifted living here, Lord Rahl, and one gifted visitor. A gifted woman and her ungifted daughter.”
“Good. I need to speak with all of them right away. Could you see to it, please?”
“I have assistants”—the man gestured to the side—“in nearby offices. The palace is quite large, as you know. I can get them right now and we can divide up the task. That way it will help get it done without delay.”
“Good. Have them gather at the library here on the top floor.” Richard pointed out the doorway, past the Mord-Sith all leaning in watching and listening, to a spot across on the other side of the main corridor. “The one over there, down at the end of that passageway by the white marble column. It’s the library with the opaque glass on the doors and windows. There are rather ugly orange-striped chairs just outside, in the sitting area.”
Mr. Burkett cocked his head. “You mean the library that is also a containment field?”
Richard was a bit surprised that the man knew what the place was, but then again, he supposed it was his job to know such things.
“Yes, that’s the one. Considering the size of the palace I imagine some of the gifted will be quite a distance away, so tell them to meet me there following the afternoon devotion. That should give them time to get there. Tell them I said not to stop for the devotion, but instead get there by the time it’s over. It’s important that I talk with all of them as soon as possible.”
The man bowed, revealing the shiny, bald top of his head with a rather unfortunate liver spot the shape of a daisy.
“Of course, Lord Rahl. It will be done.” He hesitated, putting a finger to his lower lip. “Will you be sending soldiers with my men?”
“Soldiers?” Richard was a little puzzled. “No, why?”
“Well, it’s just that in the past …” the man hesitated for a moment, then cleared his throat, “… when the Lord Rahl wanted the gifted rounded up, it often meant bad things, so the soldiers were necessary to make sure they heeded the call.”
Richard nodded his understanding. Being brought to meet Darken Rahl in person was usually cause to be terrified. He knew that from personal experience.
Richard smiled. “Nothing sinister is going to happen to them.”
“And if they still don’t want to be collected to come meet with you?”
“Tell them that I need their help, that’s all.”
“And if they still won’t come along?”
Richard sighed that the terror Darken Rahl had struck into the gifted still lingered. “Well, I guess if they don’t come back here with your assistants, then you will need to have the First File escort them back.”
9
As they all emptied out of the cramped office, Mr. Burkett turned toward the offices of his assistants. Richard watched the man hurrying away. He had a hitch to his step that looked like his knees were getting old and ached.
As Richard turned back, he saw a red-faced soldier running along the balcony toward them. He was a big man, with a barrel chest and powerful-looking arms. Richard could see his rank marked on a leather shoulder pad. He came to a stop a little farther away than he had intended when the Mord-Sith closed ranks in front of Richard and Kahlan.
“Lord Rahl, I need to speak with you.”
“What’s your name, Sergeant?”
He clapped a fist to the leather armor over his heart as he panted, catching his breath. “Sorry. I’m Sergeant Barclay, Lord Rahl. I was in the devotion square when you spoke to the officers. There is trouble and I had wanted to talk to you back there, but then Lieutenant Dolan led you away and you looked like it was important, so I decided to wait until you were finished with Mr. Burkett. I was just checking on my men while you were busy, and then I came back here right away to see if you had finished so I could have a word with you. Lord Rahl, this is important, or I would never think to approach you like this.”
“I welcome men of the First File to always feel free come talk to me with important matters, so be at ease, Sergeant. What’s the problem?”
He licked his lips nervously. “Well, I’m afraid that we found something. Something you need to see.”
Richard frowned. “What did you find?”
“It’s down there, Lord Rahl,” the sergeant said as he turned and gestured vaguely down over the side of the balcony. He turned back. “I think it would be best if you came to see it for yourself, Lord Rahl.”
Richard had important things he needed to do, but this man was clearly quite agitated about something. “All right, but I hope it won’t take long.”
Sergeant Barclay dipped a quick bow and started leading them all to the grand staircase. Once they were down on the main floor, he took them to a nearby set of plain-looking closed metal double doors. Two soldiers stood to either side, each holding a pike with the butt end planted on the ground. They all wore swords as well. They saluted as one with a fist to their hearts before two of them pulled open the doors for Richard and his group.
Beyond the doors was a service area closed to the general public. Simple hallways led off in each direction, from there to branch off to specific areas. Not far inside the main area was a flight of stairs with a utilitarian iron railing. They all followed as the man hurried down the stairs, two at a time in places. The sound of all their boots in the stairwell reverberated with a hollow echo.
Torches were placed at intervals in iron brackets to the side, creating wavering shadows. At each landing there was a door, presumably to passageways in each of the lower levels. There were two guards posted at each door, at each level, as they descended. The sergeant didn’t pause to speak to them as he continued down stairs to ever lower hidden reaches of the palace interior.
Finally, at one of the small landings, the sergeant brought them to a stop. He motioned one of the men standing guard to open the door.
With a concerned look, the sergeant took in the anxious group watching him. “I just wanted you to see this first, so you can get your bearings and know where we are, and what we are near.”
Beyond the door they emerged onto a landing in a section of the great inner staircase up to the palace. This inner shaft was how visitors to the palace got up into the palace proper—through the great door at the bottom and then up the interior stairs. The stairs up that interior shaft weren’t continuous. The pathway with flights of stairs at intervals meandered along and around the contours and odd shapes of the near vertical walls. There were long flat walkways for stretches in areas. Some of those broad level areas had benches where people could stop and rest.
It was relatively dark in the area where they were standing, but Richard could see silhouettes of people not far off, going up on their way into the palace or going down on their way out. Since the audience in the great hall was over, a great many more people were leaving than arriving.
Much of the interior, being so vast and difficult to light, was dimly lit. There were torches and lamps along the climb to relieve some of the perpetual darkness of the interior underground, but there were also areas, such as the place they stood, where shadowed darkness prevailed. Many people carried simple, inexpensive candle lamps with them that they could buy from vendors along the way. Many did not, and simply skimmed a hand along the metal railing as they made their way across the dark areas.
It was such a long climb up from the Azrith Plain far below that there were shops along the way, carved out of the rock of the plateau in the more expansive level spots. Those shops sold many of the same things as the shops above. Many visitors became discouraged by the arduous climb and would stop at these shops for something to eat, to take a rest, or to buy a souvenir and then go back down.