tg.wizardfirstrule-第8章

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past　and　not　to　the　future！　Too　long　we　have　chased　old　ghosts　and　been　blind　to　new　callings！　Too　long　we　have　listened　to　those　who　would　seek　to　drag　us　into　war　and　ignored　those　who　would　guide　us　on　a　path　to　peace！〃　。
　
　The　crowd　went　wild。　Richard　was　dumbfounded。　What　was　Michael　talking　about？　What　war？　There　was　no　one　to　have　a　war　with！
　
　Michael　held　up　his　hands　again　and；　not　waiting　for　quiet　this　time；　went　on。　〃I　will　not　stand　by　while　the　Westland　is　put　into　peril　by　these　traitors！〃　His　face　was　red　and　angry。　The　crowd　roared　again；　this　time　with　fists　jabbing　the　air。　They　chanted　Michael's　name。　Richard　and　Kahlan　looked　at　each　other。
　
　〃Concerned　citizens　have　e　forward　to　identify　these　cowards；　these　traitors。　At　this　very　moment；　as　we　join　our　hearts　here　today　in　a　mon　goal；　the　boundary　wardens　protect　us　while　the　army　is　rounding　up　these　conspirators　who　plot　against　the　government。　They　are　not　the　mon　criminals　you　might　think；　but　respected　men　in　high　authority！〃
　
　Murmurs　swept　across　the　assembly。　Richard　was　stunned。　Could　it　be　true？　A　conspiracy？　His　brother　hadn't　gotten　where　he　was　by　not　knowing　what　was　going　on。　Men　in　high　authority。　That　would　certainly　explain　why　Chase　didn't　know　anything　about　it。
　
　Michael　stood　in　the　shaft　of　sunlight；　waiting　for　the　whispering　to　die　down。　When　he　began　again　his　voice　was　low　and　warm。
　
　〃But　that　is　past　history。　Today　we　look　to　our　new　course。　One　reason　I　was　chosen　as　First　Councilor　is　because　being　a　Hartlander；　I　have　lived　my　life　in　the　shadow　of　the　boundary；　a　shadow　that　has　shaded　all　our　lives。　But　that　is　looking　to　the　past。　The　light　of　a　new　day　always　chases　the　shadows　of　the　night　away；　and　shows　us　that　the　shape　of　our　fears　is　only　the　ghost　of　our　own　minds。
　
　〃We　must　look　forward　to　a　day　when　the　boundary　will　no　longer　be　there；　for　nothing　lasts　forever；　does　it？　And　when　that　day　es　we　must　be　ready　to　extend　a　hand　of　friendship　and　not　a　sword；　as　some　would　have　us　do。　That　only　leads　to　the　futility　of　war　and　needless　dying。
　
　〃Should　we　be　wasting　our　resources；　preparing　to　do　battle　with　a　people　we　have　been　long　separated　from；　a　people　who　were　the　ancestors　to　many　of　us　here？　Should　we　be　ready　to　do　violence　to　our　brothers　and　sisters　simply　because　we　don't　know　them？　What　a　waste！　Our　resources　should　be　spent　eliminating　the　real　suffering　around　us。　When　the　time　es；　maybe　not　in　our　lifetime；　but　it　will　e；　we　should　be　ready　to　wele　our　long…separated　brothers　and　sisters。　We　must　not　join　only　the　two　lands；　but　all　three！　For　someday；　just　as　the　boundary　between　Westland　and　the　Midlands　will　fade　away；　so　too　will　the　second　boundary　between　the　Midlands　and　D'　Hara；　and　all　three　lands　shall　be　one！　We　can　look　to　a　day　when　we　can　share　the　joy　of　reunion；　if　we　have　the　heart！　And　that　joy　will　spread　from　here；　today；　in　Hartland！
　
　〃This　is　why　I　have　moved　to　stop　those　who　would　plunge　us　into　war　with　our　brothers　and　sisters　merely　because　someday　the　boundaries　will　fade　away。　This　does　not　mean　we　don't　need　the　army；　for　we　can　never　know　what　real　threats　lie　in　our　path　to　peace；　but　we　know　there　is　no　need　to　invent　them！〃
　
　Michael　swept　his　hand　out　over　the　crowd。　〃We　in　this　room　are　the　future。　It　is　your　responsibility　as　councilors　of　Westland　to　carry　the　word　throughout　the　country！　Take　our　message　of　peace　to　the　good　people。　They　will　see　the　truth　in　your　hearts。　Please　help　me。　I　want　our　children　and　our　grandchildren　to　be　the　beneficiaries　of　what　we　lay　down　here　today。　I　want　us　to　set　a　course　for　peace　to　carry　us　into　the　future；　so　when　the　time　es；　future　generations　will　benefit　and　thank　us。〃
　
　Michael　stood　with　his　head　bowed　and　both　his　fists　held　tightly　to　his　chest。　The　sunlight　glowed　about　him。　The　audience　was　so　moved　that　they　stood　in　absolute　silence。　Richard　saw　men　in　tears；　and　women　weeping　openly。　All　eyes　were　on　Michael；　who　stood　still　as　stone。
　
　Richard　was　stunned。　He　had　never　heard　his　brother　speak　with　such　conviction　or　eloquence。　It　all　seemed　to　make　such　sense。　After　all；　here　he　stood　with　a　woman　from　across　the　boundary；　from　the　Midlands；　and　she　was　already　his　friend。
　
　But　then；　four　others　had　tried　to　kill　him。　No；　not　exactly；　he　thought；　they　wanted　to　kill　her；　he　was　just　in　the　way。　They　had　offered　to　let　him　go；　and　it　was　his　decision　to　stand　and　fight。　He　had　always　been　fearful　of　those　from　across　the　boundary；　but　now　he　was　friends　with　one；　just　as　Michael　said。
　
　He　was　starting　to　see　his　bother　in　a　new　light。　People　had　been　moved　by　Michael's　words　in　a　way　Richard　had　never　witnessed。　Michael　was　pleading　for　peace　and　friendship　with　other　peoples。　What　could　be　wrong　with　that？
　
　Why　did　he　feel　so　uneasy？
　
　〃And　now；　to　the　other　part；〃　Michael　continued；　〃to　the　real　suffering　around　us。　While　we　have　worried　about　the　boundaries　that　have　not　harmed　a　single　one　of　us；　many　of　our　families；　friends；　and　neighbors　have　suffered；　and　died。　Tragic　and　needless　deaths；　in　accidents　with　fire。　Yes；　that　is　what　I　said。　Fire。〃
　
　People　mumbled　in　confusion。　Michael　was　starting　to　lose　his　bond　with　the　crowd。　He　seemed　to　expect　it；　he　looked　from　face　to　face；　letting　the　confusion　build；　and　then　dramatically　he　thrust　his　hand　out；　his　finger　pointing。
　
　At　Richard。
　
　　〃There！〃　he　screamed。　Everyone　turned　as　one。　Hundreds　of　yes　looked　at　Richard。　〃There　stands　my　beloved　brother！〃　Richard　tried　to　shrink。　〃My　beloved　brother　who　shares　with　me〃…he　pounded　a　fist　to　his　chest　〃the　tragedy　of　losing　our　own　mother　to　fire！　Fire　took　our　mother　from　us　when　we　were　young；　and　left　us　to　grow　up　alone；　without　her　love　and　care；　without　her　guidance。　It　was　not　some　imagined　enemy　from　across　a　boundary　that　took　her；　but　an　enemy　of　fire！　She　couldn't　be　there　to　fort　us　when　we　hurt；　when　we　cried　in　the　night。　And　the　thing　that　wounds　the　most　is　that　it　didn't　have　to　be。〃
　
　Tears；　glistening　in　the　sunlight；　ran　down　Michael's　cheeks。　〃I　am　sorry；　friends；　please　forgive　me。〃　He　wiped　the　tears　with　a　handkerchief　he　had　handy。　〃It's　just　that　only　this　morning　I　heard　of　another　fire　that　took　a　fine　young　mother　and　father；　and　left　their　daughter　an　orphan。　It　brought　my　own　pain　back　to　me　and　I　couldn't　remain　silent。〃　Everyone　was　now　solidly　back　with　him。　Their　tears　flowed　freely。　A　woman　put　her　arm　around　Richard's　shoulder　as　he　stood　numb。　She　whispered　how　sorry　she　was。
　
　〃I　wonder　how　many　of　you　have　shared　the　pain　my　brother　and　I　live　with　every　day。　Please；　those　of　you　who　have　a　loved　one；　or　a　friend；　who　has　been　hurt；　or　even　killed；　by　fire；　please；　hold　up　your　hands。〃　Quite　a　few　hands　went　up；　and　there　was　wailing　from　some　in　the　crowd
　
　〃There；　my　friends；〃　he　said　hoarsely；　spreading　his　arms　wide；　〃there　is　the　suffering　among　us。　We　need　look　no　further　than　this　room。〃
　
　Richard　tried　to　swallow　the　lump　in　his　throat　as　the　memory　of　that　horror　came　back　to　him。　A　man　who　had　imagined　their　father　had　cheated　him　lost　his　temper　and　knocked　a　lamp　off　the　table　as　Richard　and　his　brother　slept　in　the　back　bedroom。　While　the　man　dragged　his　father　outside；　beating　him；　his　mother　pulled　Richard　and　his　brother　from　the　burning　house；　then　ran　back　inside　to　save　something；　they　never　knew　what；　and　was　burned　alive。　Her　screams　brought　the　man　to　his　senses；　and　he　and　their　father　tried　to　save　her；　but　couldn't。　Filled　with　guilt　and　revulsion　at　what　he　had　caused；　the　man　ran　off　crying　and　yelling　that　he　was　sorry。
　
　That；　his　father　had　told　them　a　thousand　times；　was　the　result　of　a　man　losing　his　temper。　Michael　shrugged　it　off；　Richard　took　it　to　heart。　It　had　instilled　in　him　a　dread　of　his　own　anger；　and　whenever　it　threatened　to　e　out；　he　choked　it　off。
　
　Michael　was　wrong。　Fire　had　not　killed　their　mother；　anger　had。
　
　Arms　hanging　limply　at　his　side；　head　bowed；　Michael　spoke　softly　again。　〃What　can　we　do　about　the　danger　to　our　families　from　fire？〃　He　shook　his　head　sadly。　〃I　do　not　know；　my　friends。
　
　〃But；　I　am　forming　a　mission　on　the　problem；　and　I　urge　any　concerned　citizen　to　e　forward　with　suggestions。　My　door　always　stands　open。　Together　we　can　do　something。　Together　we　will　do　something。
　
　〃And　now　my　friends；　please　excuse　me；　and　allow　me　to　go　fort　my　brother；　as　I　am　afraid　bringing　out　our　personal　tragedy　was　a　surprise　to　him；　and　I　must　ask　his　forgiveness。〃
　
　He　hopped　down　off　the　stand；　the　crowd　parting　to　let　him　through。　A　few　hands　reached　out　to　touch　him　as　he　passed。　He　ignored　them。
　
　Richard　stood　and　glared　as　his　brother　strode　to　him。　The　crowd　moved　away。　Only　Kahlan　stayed　at　his　side；　her　fingers　lightly　touching　his　arm。　People　went　back　to　the　food　and　began　talking　excitedly　among　themselves；　about　themselves；　and　forgot　him。　Richard　stood　tall　and　choked　off　his　anger
　
　Smiling；　Michael　slapped　Richard　on　the　shoulder。　〃Great　speech！〃　he　congratulated　himself。　〃What　did　you　think？〃
　
　Richard　looked　down　at　the　patterns　on　the　m