The Sword of the Truth, Book 12 - The Omen Machine by Terry Goodkind Read Free Book Online

you mean. I’ve run into a number of those people on my own….”
    Kahlan thought that Richard was often a little too patient with people. She thought that he let them take up too much of his time, divert him from more important matters, but that was just the way Richard was. He was simply, innocently, interested in everything, including people’s lives and concerns. In that, she could see some of Zedd in him. It was also part of what she loved about him, even if from time to time it tried her patience.
    “So, what did Sabella, the blind woman, tell you?”
    Richard gazed off into a distant corner of the library for a moment before looking back at the prophet. “That the roof is going to fall in.”
    Nathan stared, unblinking, for an even longer moment. “That kind of foretelling is too specific. It’s beyond her ability.”
    “Well, that’s what she said.” Richard appraised the ashen look on Nathan’s face. “Are you sure it’s beyond her ability?”
    “Afraid so.”
    “Do you know what the prophecy means?”
    Kahlan thought that Nathan might not answer, but finally he did. “No, can’t say that I do.”
    “If you don’t know what it means, then why do you have that look on your face and how do you know that it’s beyond Sabella’s ability? How do you even know that it’s a real omen and not simply an empty warning she made up in exchange for a coin?”
    Nathan took the stack of papers from Berdine. “Most of the books in this library are rather common,” he said as he thumbed through the pages. “I’ve been reading books of prophecy my whole life. I’d venture to say I know just about every one that exists. Most of these books here, including the books of prophecy, are copies that can be found in libraries in any number of other places.”
    Nathan finally found the sheet he was looking for and pulled it out. “Except this one. This one is a rather curious volume.”
    “What’s so unusual about it?” Richard asked.
    The tall prophet handed the sheet to Richard. “Not a lot until today. That’s why I haven’t studied it much.”
    Richard scanned the page. “ End Notes . Strange title. What does it mean?”
    “No one is really sure. This is a particularly ancient work. Some think it’s merely a compilation of random bits of longer prophecies that have been lost over the ages. Others have believed that it means exactly what it implies, that it contains notes about the end.”
    Richard frowned up at Nathan. “The end? The end of what?”
    Nathan arched an eyebrow. “The end of time.”
    “The end of time,” Richard repeated. “And what do you think?”
    “That’s the odd thing about it,” the prophet said. “I don’t know what to think. Having the gift, as I read prophecy I often have visions of their true meaning. But this book is different. I’ve looked at it a number of times throughout my life. When I read it I have no visions.
    “What’s more, I’m not the only one. Part of the reason that no one is sure of the meaning of the title is that other prophets have had the same difficulty with this book that I have. They, too, had no visions from the prophecies in it.”
    “Doesn’t seem so hard to figure out why,” Cara said. “It sounds to me like that simply shows that what’s written in the book aren’t real prophecies. You’re a prophet. If they were real prophecies you would know it. You would have the visions.”
    A sly smile overcame Nathan’s face. “For someone who knows nothing about magic, you have managed to arrive at the heart of the issue. That has been the contention of many who say they are random snippets and therefore too incomplete to be viable, or that the book is a fraud.” The smile ghosted away. “There is only one problem with that theory.”
    “And what would that be?” Richard asked before Cara could.
    “Let me show you.”
    Nathan marched off down the center aisle with Richard, Kahlan, Zedd, Cara, Benjamin, and Berdine in tow. Rikka