Stone of Tears

“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 coming up in a couple of weeks. It’s a complicated 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 upcoming 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 come 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 upcoming 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.”