The Third Kingdom

“While what you say makes some sense, there’s more to it.”

“More to it? From what Naja is saying, one way or another, the future, time, and therefore life itself are soon going to end. It seems to me pretty clear that we’ve all run out of time. What more can there be to it?”

“Well, for one thing, this is tied into prophecy and prophecy rarely turns out to be anything at all like it seems when you read it. I’ve seen the most dire predictions turn out to be insignificant events that only sounded important. On the other hand, I’ve see harmless-sounding prophecy take us all to the brink of destruction.

“Some of the most troubling prophecy of all time have turned out to exist on false forks, with the critical event creating the fork safely passed centuries before without anyone knowing it. It turned out in those cases that a great many people, many of them gifted, had worried their entire lives over something that was actually a long-dead fork in prophecy. This could be one of those. In the past, while people worried about such dire-sounding warnings, prophecy that didn’t sound like any cause for concern in fact turned out to be the real trouble.”

“How does that help us, here, now?”

“What I’m trying to explain is that it’s a mistake to base your fears and decisions on prophecy. Naja is talking about a prophecy. Prophecy almost never turns out to be anything at all like it sounds.”

“How can that be? It sounds so clear.”

“Well, for example, what if a prophecy said that if you go out tomorrow you will get wet. Does that sound profoundly dangerous. Would you worry about it?”

Samantha shrugged. “No, not really.”

“What if it turns out that the true meaning is if you go out, someone will cut your throat and your clothes will get wet because they will get soaked with your own blood?”

Her hands reflexively went to her throat. “Oh. I see what you mean.”

“People commonly believe that written prophecy is the prophecy, but it’s not.”

“It’s not? I thought prophecy was prophecy.”

“Prophecy is intended for future prophets to grasp through visions triggered by the words. The written words are not the actual prophecy. They are a kind of catalyst intended for other prophets. Frequently, the words deliberately veil the truth behind a prophecy. Because prophets aren’t common anymore, a true understanding of prophecy has for the most part been lost.”

Samantha let out a deep sigh. “I never knew it was so complicated. I guess I kind of see what you mean, but I don’t see how we’re not supposed to worry about the bringer of death ending prophecy. That sounds pretty clear to me.”

“Just because it sounds clear, doesn’t mean it really is. I’ve learned not to be guided by prophecy or the fear of it. It’s better to make rational choices and prophecy is just one of many things that has to be taken into consideration. People not schooled in prophecy often fall into the trap of thinking it’s perfectly clear so they let it guide them. Your mother was right to teach you not to pay a great deal of attention to it.”

“But it must be important sometimes.” She gestured to the wall. “After all, Naja went to all the trouble to warn us about the barrier and what was beyond it. They apparently placed Stroyza here for us to be sentinels to watch the barrier. Her warnings all come down to this prophecy—and they had plenty of prophets back in her time. The prophets back then must have known it was important or they wouldn’t stake so much on putting this message here about ending prophecy.”

Richard glanced over at the expanse of writing again. “You may have a point, but it could also mean something entirely different that we don’t yet understand. After all, the prophecy itself is not here, only a fragment of it.”

Samantha’s mouth twisted. “I don’t know, Lord Rahl. This sounds like it means for us—for you—to do something about what is beyond the barrier that is now breached.”

Richard stood, facing the wall as he rested the palm of his left hand on the pommel of his sword. His gaze swept over the ancient symbols carefully incised in the stone of the wall.

“That’s true enough. That much of it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with prophecy, but with the threat.”

“But you said yourself that prophecy named you the bringer of death.” Samantha flung her arms up in frustration. “I’m sorry, Lord Rahl, but I don’t understand. The whole thing doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.”

Richard nodded. “I know. But often the truth is complicated. That’s why so many people get in trouble with both the truth and with prophecy.”