Into Darkness

51

Richard’s brow tightened. “Into darkness?”

Sang nodded again. “I am afraid that it is the only way.”

“I don’t understand. What do you mean we have to go into darkness?”

Sang stared off again with a haunted look. He seemed to be looking again into that place that obviously frightened him.

“That is the only way I can say it for you,” he finally told them as he looked first at Vika and then at Richard. “There is no way I can explain such a thing in a way that would make you truly understand. The only way I can say it is that we must go into darkness. It is what happens when we use the device. Once you have done it, you will understand. You will know what those words mean. If you have not done it, then there is no way for me to make you understand.”

“Into darkness,” Richard said as he stared at Sang.

Sang nodded. “Into darkness. That is really the only way I can begin to describe it, yet the words are so hollow. Into darkness is something such as you have never experienced before. It seems to consume you. It is falling into darkness, and it is … terrifying. You think that it will never end, that it never could end. Each time I go into darkness, I fear that this is the time it will not end, and I will forever be in that place of darkness.”

Richard wondered if it was anything like the underworld.

“So,” Richard finally asked, “is there a risk that we would be lost there, in that darkness? Especially since we aren’t attached to the device by this lifeline?”

The Glee bowed. “To find what you seek, you must sometimes go into the darkness, even though there is always the risk that you will become lost.”

Richard thought that was a pretty vague philosophical answer. It didn’t really tell him anything. He shared a look with Vika. He had of course been to the world of the dead. For that matter, he had actually been dead and then managed to return. In a way, he had been pulled back by his connection to those still living. That was a place of eternal darkness. A lifeline of sorts had pulled him back.

He couldn’t imagine any place or experience that could be darker than that, but he got the impression from what Sang said that this place might be darker even than the world of the dead. Although he didn’t think that Sang had ever been to the underworld to judge the difference.

Vika had been to the cusp of that world. She had looked into the dark world of the dead. He could see by the haunted look in her eyes that she was remembering that experience.

“The longer you think about it,” Sang said, “the greater the risk grows that the others will go to the device in order to come here before they can be stopped. If we delay too long, we risk arriving as they come up to the device, and then you would have to battle them when you are disoriented from having just come out of darkness and into my world. That would not be good. All three of us could be killed before we are able even to run.”

Richard knew Sang was right. To have the element of surprise, they needed to get there and meet with those who were on his side first to come up with a plan. The longer he considered, the greater the risk grew that the goddess and her horde would arrive in Aydindril first.

Plus, he had no idea how confused he would be upon arriving in that world. He knew that when he came back to the world of life after being in the underworld, it was difficult to again get his bearings. Light and colors and sounds were all overwhelming at first.

But this sounded somehow worse. He found himself immobilized with fear. Not with fear of going into darkness, although if he knew exactly what that meant maybe he would fear it more, but with fear of leaving everyone he loved forever.

It was fear of never again being with Kahlan.

He just didn’t know if he could do such a thing.

It would be a living suicide.

“If you say no,” Sang said, “I would not blame you. I don’t know that I could come here to your world and never be able to go home. But if you are willing to do this to have a chance to save the people of your world, then the time is now upon us when we must act.”

Richard steeled himself. He hooked his bow over one shoulder and his pack over the other. Vika hoisted her pack up over one shoulder.

Finally, Richard reached out with his left hand and put it firmly on Sang’s right shoulder. His skin was cool, soft, and moist, more like the skin of a salamander than that of a person. He looked over at Vika. When their eyes met, each of them placed a hand on the other’s shoulder; then she put her right hand on Sang’s left shoulder.

Sang reached up and laid a claw over each of their shoulders. Once he had, they were all locked together into a circle of three—an important component of the Law of Nines, Richard reminded himself. He hoped that added bit of magic would help him and Vika survive going into darkness.

“Do it,” Richard said. “Call your lifeline.”