"Richard Cypher, you are the true Seeker." "It's holding steady at north-northeast." "It should bring us within a league of Winterhaven by noon." " We could stop there for a hot meal." " I thought the compass was supposed to point the way to the Stone of Tears, not the nearest tavern." "To reach the Stone of Tears, we need all the sustenance we can get." "Zedd." "Look." "Somebody's favorite fruit." "Persimmon is far more than my favorite fruit, it's the pinnacle of creation." "One doesn't often see such a perfect specimen this late in the season." "I hope none of you are expecting a slice of the last persimmon of the year." "I wouldn't think of it." "That's very generous of you." "Mm." "Any persimmon you can eat without getting juice on your chin, isn't worth eating in the first place." "Can I have a, um, drink of?" "Ahh." "Water?" " Yes, water." "Thank you, Kahlan." " My name is Cara." " I know that." "You called me Kahlan." " I absolutely did not." " Zedd, you did." "I did?" " Are you all right?" " No, I'm not all right." "It's not indignity enough that I have more aches in my joints than joints in my body, that I stumble to the privy six times a night, now I'm forgetting the word for water and calling people by the wrong name." "I must be older than I thought." "You, old?" "Zedd, I'd be lucky to be half as sharp as you are when I'm your age." "Where's Tarralyn?" "Tarralyn?" "Yes, Tarralyn, my daughter." "Where is she?" "Zedd, Tarralyn isn't with us anymore." "She died last summer." "My daughter's dead?" "How can that be?" "You've known about Tarralyn for a long time." "This is not like you." "You have the best memory of anybody I've ever met." "Zedd, something is happening to you." "Happening." "Yes." "Something's happening." " The persimmon." " Zedd's the only one who ate it." "Maybe it was poisoned." "Not poisoned." "Spelled." "A spell of forgetting." "Is there a way to undo it?" "Yes." " A potion." " A potion of what?" "Elderberry blossoms, mandragora and the ground dust of a Shadrin's horn." "We'll find them." "Zedd, who would have done this to you?" "There's only one person powerful enough to spell a Wizard of the First Order, who knows exactly what fruit I wouldn't be able to resist." "Who?" "Zedd, who?" "Shota." " Why would Shota want to do this to you?" " Why would who wanna do what?" " Why would Shota take your memory?" " Let go of me." "Zedd." "Why are you all looking at me like that?" "Who are you people?" "Find elderberry blossoms." "I'll get the mandragora." "For the Shadrin, we'll have to go into those caves we passed." "Keep Zedd calm." "Zedd." "Zedd, it's all right." " Get away from me." " Don't let him get away." " No!" "No!" "No!" "Richard." "Richard, are you all right?" "Where's Zedd?" " He ran off." "You and I will go up into the caves and try to find a Shadrin." "You follow Zedd." "He can't use his magic against you." " When you find him, bring him back here." " He's a very big Wizard." " I may have to do it my way." " Just don't kill him." "Go." "You think I like having to come down here personally, Ogilby?" "Third week running, we've only gotten four gold pieces from you." "Didn't we agree your fair share of maintaining the beauty of our great city was eight?" " Stop that." "Oh, please." "You're hurting him." "What are you gonna do about it, old man?" "Excuse me." "Yes?" "You're very beautiful." "So I've heard." "Come on." " Payment up-front." " Payment?" "You didn't think you could partake of my wares for free, did you?" "Coins, old man." "Those little round, shiny things you keep in that purse on your belt." "Purse?" "Yes." "I'm afraid you'll need ten of those." "The price has gone up now that half of every farthing I earn goes to Drago." "I wish I had ten." "Do that again." "I'll try." "Girls, take this gentleman upstairs and see that he has the best night of his life." "What about her?" "Well, that would be up to Salindra, and Salindra's very choosy." "But if you ask her nicely, she might go upstairs with you." "Salindra." "Will you come upstairs with me?" "Sorry, you remind me too much of my grandfather." "Come along, handsome." "Who needs her when you've got us?" "Why is it that when I'm hunting down a man, I never have to look further than the first brothel past the city gates?" "Keep away from me." "Sorry, your little adventure is over." "I'm taking you back to Richard and Kahlan." "I'm not going anywhere with you." "I think you'll reconsider." "Thank the Spirits you're safe." "Who are you?" "How did I get here?" "I'm Shota." "I brought you here." "I'm your friend." "If you're my friend, then send me back to where I was." "I can't." "That woman in red would have killed you." "I saved your life." "I'm not gonna hurt you." "I love you." "I don't even know you." "Have the years taken that much from you, Zeddicus?" "Have you forgotten even me?" "Zeddicus?" "Oh, my love." "You don't know that you are Zeddicus Z'ul Zorander, the greatest and most powerful Wizard the world has known in 3,000 years." " I am?" " Yes." "There is so much to say, but we don't have very much time." "The world is in terrible trouble and only we can help." "A rift has been torn in the veil between the Underworld and the land of the living." "If the Seeker of Truth does not find the Stone of Tears, the Keeper will put an end to all life." "The Seeker of Truth?" "Who is that?" "A great hero, one that can only be named by a Wizard of the First Order." "And you, you are the only Wizard of the First Order alive." " The only one?" " Yes." "But as you got older and began to lose your memories, you made a mistake." "You named the wrong Seeker." "A Seeker prophesied to fail." "That's terrible." "Yes, but fortunately, I've found a new one, a young man of great courage." "And once you name him and he is able to fulfill his quest, then not only will the world be saved, but then you and I will be free to live together, as we did long ago." "In bliss." "And with our combined powers, Zeddicus, we will master the world and protect it from evil." "But how can I help?" "An old man who doesn't remember his own name." "I can restore what you have lost." "Your youth, and the mastery of all the spells and magic that were yours in the golden time long ago, back when you were at the height of your powers." "Come." "You are the great love of my life, Zeddicus." "I'm not surprised." "The Keeper isn't resting and neither can we." "In order to name a new Seeker and send him off on his quest, we need two things." "First, the Sword of Truth." "I know them." " Yes." "The man you wrongly named the Seeker, and the misguided Confessor who protects him." " They tried to attack me." " Of course they did." "To prevent you from naming the new Seeker." "Shadrin." "Halt and drop your weapons." "Poaching on the personal reserve of Drago, high lord and master of Winterhaven, is a crime punishable by death." "We didn't know we were on anyone's personal reserve." "Lord Drago was a great friend of Lord Rahl's." "He'll be more than happy to see the Seeker and the Confessor hanging from his gallows." "Take them, but don't let her touch you." "She's deadlier than a poisoned dart." "For what I'm going to do, I need to join my magic with yours." "Now, give me your hand." "Think, Zeddicus." "You know the words to the Spell of Taking." "I've restored them to you." "Yes." " Yes, I remember them." " Say them with me." "Astounding." "Not for us, Zeddicus." "For us, it's barely more than a parlor trick." "Richard." "The new Seeker needs one more thing to complete his quest." "What's this?" "Witchcraft?" "The Sword and the compass are gone." "What is it?" " A compass." "In the hands of the Seeker named by a Wizard of the First Order, it will illuminate and light the way to the Stone of Tears and the salvation of the world." "But the province where we will find the new Seeker is many leagues from here." "We must leave immediately." "Leave?" "Yes." "Right now." "I don't wanna leave." "I like it here." "Is it Winterhaven that you like, or one of the harlots who lives there?" "I should've known that by giving you a beautiful face, it wouldn't make you less of an old fool." "Fool, am I?" "Many thanks for the beautiful young face and the wonderful spells, but I'm not going anywhere with you." "Hello, Salindra." "Do I know you?" "Well, I guess I don't look like your grandfather anymore." "Oh, it's you." "Well, you certainly have a lot of tricks up your sleeve." "What are you wasting your time on a mouse like this for?" "Oh, he is hardly a mouse." "Are you trying to impress me?" "What is it?" "Why are you looking at me that way?" "When I first saw you," "I thought you might be the princess I was looking for." "But I don't know, dressed like that." "And what self-respecting princess goes around without a footman?" "And ladies in waiting?" "Oh, so pretty." "The real question is, what kind of princess goes around without a prince?" "Do you like the view?" "Very much." "Then allow me to welcome you to your new palace." "I don't see a palace." "Not yet." "Girls?" "Half a dozen of them hanging all over him, and then he disappeared." "I've been searching for him all night." "Look." " Guess we know where Zedd is." " Let's go." "Does this meet with Your Majesty's approval?" "I think it will do." "Once we get there, how do we get Zedd to drink the potion?" "You won't be able to get near him." "Shota." "He thinks you're his enemies." "He'll obliterate you." "I don't know what you did to him, or why, but I'm gonna stop him before he hurts somebody or himself." "Just because you have flowers and roots and a Shadrin's horn, that doesn't mean you can reverse my spell." " What I have done, only I can undo." " Then undo it." "Oh." "I will." "After he has named a new Seeker." " What?" " Oh." "He hasn't told you about the Prophecy." "What prophecy?" "A month ago, I told him that it was written in the Halls of Prophecy that Richard Cypher will fail in his quest to defeat the Keeper." "Fail how?" "What do you mean?" "I don't care about prophecy and I don't have time" " for your riddles and tricks." " Wait." "None of my prophecies have ever proved false." "I begged Zedd to name a new Seeker, but he was too blinded by his sentimental attachment to his grandson." "I hoped that if I stripped him of his memories," "I might convince him to do what had to be done." "Richard is the Seeker." "Of course you'd say that about the man who you love." "But I didn't come here expecting your help." "I came hoping for yours." "Why would I help you?" "Because you don't care who bears the name of Seeker, you only care about protecting Richard Rahl." "But if he continues on this doomed quest, the Keeper will win and he will die along with everyone else in the world." "Now, Zedd can't use his magic against you." "If you subdue him, then I can force him to do what must be done." "Funny how people always curse the Mord-Sith until they need one." "Do you want Richard to live, or don't you?" "You're right." "Wizards can't use their magic against a Mord-Sith." "And neither can witches." "There's only one way to stop that from happening again." "Undo the spell you put on Zedd." "No matter how much we give them, Great Wizard, Drago always wants more." "I swear to you, sir, and to all citizens of Winterhaven, such cruelty will never again be tolerated in this city." "They've destroyed all my wares, my children will go hungry." "If there's something you can do to help..." "Thank you." "Thank you, Great Wizard." "Ah, Monica, will you accept this trifle, in thanks for befriending me when I was a ragged old man with no castle to my name?" "It's very beautiful, Great Wizard." "But there's trouble in Winterhaven that all the jewels of Athanasia can't fix." "The dead coming back to life, murdering people in their homes." "The Keeper's work, people say." "Same for the cracks in the ground, opening up all over." "A tear in the veil between the Underworld and the land of the living." " There's a rift outside the walls of the city." " A monster crawled out of it last week, slaughtered two of my best customers on their way back to their village." " You have to help us." "Please." "To help seal the rift and defeat the Keeper, we need to find the Stone of Tears." "And to find the Stone of Tears, we need a Seeker." "Yes, Richard Cypher." "I'm afraid we can't rely on Richard Cypher." "There's a prophecy that says he's destined to fail." "Don't worry, we'll have a new Seeker." "Only a Wizard of the First Order can name one, and fortunately, I am such a Wizard." " Who will you name?" "Is he serious?" "As Wizard of the First Order," "I hereby name as Seeker of Truth and bearer of the Sword," "Zeddicus Z'ul Zorander!" "That's crazy." "What is that?" "Yes." "The compass points the Seeker's way." "My princess and I will depart at once on the quest for the Stone of Tears." "Secure horses and provisions for all those who wish to accompany us." "Yes, My Lord." "What sorcerer dares to raise a castle in my city?" "I'm no sorcerer." "I'm Zeddicus, greatest of all Wizards, Seeker of Truth, and high lord and master of Winterhaven." "This man will die." "And let it be known that any friend of his is an enemy of mine." "Oh, Drago, you always were a man who overestimated what he had in his quiver." "I'm afraid this time, you've met more than your match." "Kill her first." "The choice is yours." "You can join me on my quest or you can suffer the same fate." "Which is it going to be?" "A wise choice." "Drago." " My Lord." "You're alive." "No, and neither are you." " Then this place...?" " The Underworld." "You served me well in life, Drago." "I did my best, Lord Rahl." "And I will reward you with an offer from the Keeper." "Kill and live." "My Lord?" "One more day of life for every soul you deliver to the Keeper." "I gratefully accept, Lord Rahl." "And I'll begin by ripping out the heart of Zeddicus Z'ul Zorander and feeding it to my dogs." "Zorander the Wizard?" "Yes, Wizard, and now Seeker of Truth." " Seeker of Truth?" " Yes, My Lord." "He named himself." "The former Seeker and the Mother Confessor, are they with him?" "Not that I saw." "But when I send the Wizard to the Keeper, you can ask him yourself." "Unfortunately, a Wizard of the First Order is not so easy to kill, as you yourself discovered." "But don't worry, your death will be avenged." "Halt." "So this is a rift between the Underworld and the land of the living?" "Yes, Wizard." "One of many, all over the countryside." "Do you hear me, Keeper?" "Your plans will come to nothing, for I, Zeddicus, greatest of all Wizards, high lord and master of Winterhaven," "Seeker of the Truth and sealer of the rift, will lock you in your prison for all eternity!" "Is she okay?" "Is she alive?" "She's dead." "My love, I will bring you back." "Salindra." "Salindra." "Don't be frightened." "It's much too late for fear to do you any good." " What are you going to do to me?" " Well, that would be up to you." "If you like, I could give you a second life." "At what price?" "Only a small one." "Simply deliver the Wizard to the Underworld, along with the Sword of Truth and the compass." "What do you need them for?" "Haven't you heard?" "The Keeper is fighting a war to conquer the world of the living." "And he needs your help." "Can he count on you?" "Isn't there some other price I could pay?" "Don't tell me you've fallen in love with him." "He's a nice fellow." "He's been kind to me." "They're all nice fellows to you." "As long as they have a little gold in their pocket." "On the other hand, you're welcome to stay here with us in the Underworld." "The Keeper maintains a very special chamber of torments for those who traffic in love." "Ask yourself, "What is the life of one Wizard?"" "Come, Salindra." "You're a practical girl." "She's getting cold." "She's not coming back." "There are some things nobody can do." " Not even you, Great Wizard." " No." "There's nothing I can't do." "My beauty, I brought you back." "Zeddicus." " What am I doing here?" "I said no." " What do you mean?" "Darken Rahl told me I could come back to life if I turned against you, but I refused." "He was about to throw me in the pit." "You can't imagine how horrible it was." "Then suddenly, I was looking up at you." "You brought me back." "Yes." "And I'll never let you go again." "Behold, I am Zeddicus, greatest of all Wizards, high lord and master of Winterhaven, sealer of the rift, Seeker of Truth, defeater of death and restorer of life!" "That's Zedd?" "Yes, that's Zedd." "He's named himself the Seeker?" "This is a catastrophe." "When I have found the Stone of Tears, I will banish death from this world." " Undo the spell." " No, it's too dangerous." "His magic's too powerful." "I'm not going out there until you subdue him." "And leave you here to do whatever it is you please with Richard and Kahlan the second my back is turned?" " The age of justice and harmony..." " I don't think so." " Then we have a problem." "If you don't start moving, you're going to have a bigger problem." "No." "We need to do this without putting anybody in danger." " How?" "as I, Zeddicus..." "When Shota took away his memories, he lost everything he learned in life." "Wisdom, judgment, knowing about consequences." "Don't forget about humility." "Of which he had precious little to start with." "He thinks he's more powerful than the Keeper." "He's turned himself into a king." "He's even found himself a queen." "If he sees us coming, he'll think we're trying to take everything away from him." " Shota's right, he could obliterate us." " So, what do we do?" "With his powers, he could actually succeed in finding the Stone." " Tyrants and the despots..." "But he's not the true Seeker, you are." "It doesn't matter who has the title or who gets the glory, as long as the Stone is found and the rift is sealed." "He's lost his mind." "There's no way we can count on him." "You're right." "Long ago, men lived in ignorance..." "But we don't wanna make him feel threatened." "Not now." "Whatever he's forgotten, he's still Zedd." "If I can get close to him, talk to him, gain his confidence, maybe I can make him see what he's doing, and what the cost could be." "I'm so frightened for you." "About what?" "Do you promise you won't do anything crazy and reckless?" "Salindra, tell me." "When I was in the Underworld, in that awful, terrible place," "I heard Darken Rahl talking to the Keeper." "They're happy that you've taken up the Seeker's quest." "They think that while you're chasing after the Stone of Tears, they will have time to destroy us all." "But there's one thing they're terrified of." "What?" "They're terrified that you are going to march into the rift and battle the Keeper with the Sword of Truth." "Because they know you would win." "Oh, Zeddicus, I'm so afraid you will try something like that." "Sir, this man wanted to see you." "He said it's extremely important." "We searched him head to foot." "He isn't armed." " I know him." " You remember me?" "Yes, you're the false Seeker." "You and your friends tried to attack me when I was still an old man." "We weren't trying to attack you, we were worried about you." "Do you remember anything before yesterday?" "No." "But why would I need to?" "Nothing of any importance happened to me before yesterday." "Something terrible did happen." "While you and I were walking through the forest, you ate a persimmon that was spelled by a witch and you suddenly lost your memory." "You were scared, confused." "We tried to calm you down, but you ran away." "Who are you exactly?" "I'm your grandson." " Grandson?" " Yes." "And a man never had a better grandfather." "You risked your life for me hundreds of times." "Without you, the most evil despot who ever lived would still be on his throne." " Would he?" " Yes." "You saved the world." "Many times." "Well, Grandson, I look forward to knowing you better, but right now I have a pressing engagement with the Keeper." "Zeddicus, no." "Yes, Salindra." "I'm marching into the rift alone to do battle with the Keeper." "You can't go into the rift." " But I can." "Zedd, no." "Don't worry, you won't lose your grandfather." "I'll come back with the blood of death himself on my Sword." "No one goes into the Underworld and comes out alive." "No one except me." "You'll be killed and the Keeper will have the Sword of Truth and the compass." "The Keeper fears me." "What makes you think that?" "I was told by somebody who heard it with her own ears." "She's lying to you." "She's trying to lead you into some kind of trap." "She wouldn't trick me." "She wouldn't lie to me, she loves me." " Stay back." " Zedd, no." "Richard!" "Look out, the Confessor is coming." "Get her." "This isn't farewell, just a brief parting." "May the Spirits be with you, Zeddicus." "They always are." "Get him out." "He went into the rift." "No." " I'm going after him." " Richard, no." "I can't abandon Zedd." "Then I'm coming with you." "If Zedd and I don't come back, someone needs to stay alive to find the Stone." "Kahlan, this quest is bigger than any of us." "Don't follow me." "Zedd!" "Don't go any farther!" "Zedd!" "Zedd." "No, Zedd!" "Youth is fleeting, isn't it, Zeddicus?" "Zedd, get away from him." "Zedd." "For all of us, it would seem." "Including the Seeker." "Zedd, we have to go." " A valiant effort, dear brother, but the Keeper has granted me power over the gates of his dominion." "Richard." "Richard?" "Zedd." "I've failed." "Don't worry, my beauty." "Whatever's wrong, I'll heal you." "You can't." "I didn't deliver my side of the bargain." "The Keeper's calling in the debt." "Debt?" "I tricked you." "Why?" "I'm a practical girl." "Break the spell." "Now." "Richard, Kahlan, what in the name of creation have I done?" "Whatever you did, it's not your fault." " It's Shota's." "No." "I was trying to save everyone and I might have succeeded if I hadn't underestimated your pride and arrogance." "Which are exceeded only by your own." "She's of no use to us now." "Should I kill her?" "No." "We may need her someday." "Apparently, you've gained wisdom in your old age." "When you're ready to name a new Seeker, call on me." "Meanwhile, enjoy the one you've got." "Zedd?" "Can you do anything?" " Something on your mind?" " There's plenty on my mind." "Starting with, "I wonder if Zedd didn't tell me about the Prophecy because he believes it to be true."" "Is that a new power of yours, being able to read people's thoughts?" "I didn't tell you not because I had doubts about your ability to succeed, but because I didn't want you to start having doubts of your own." "What if Shota's right?" "About some young swain of hers she wants me to anoint so she can wield the Sword of the Truth herself by proxy?" "Shota thinks only of Shota." "If any proof were ever needed that not just anybody can be the Seeker, my own behavior today provided it." " Will you have to name me again?" " No." "You were always the Seeker, long before you first held the Sword of Truth." "You faced death for me." "Literally." "What was it like, being young again?" "Oh, Richard." "It's years beyond count since I felt that way." "There was no mountain I couldn't climb, no woman I couldn't win." "You made me young again, couldn't you do that to yourself?" "Yes." "Then why don't you?" "Because one journey down the agonizing gauntlet of youth is enough for any man." "She was very beautiful." "Yes, she was, wasn't she?"