"Well, as I said, if it were up to me and-"

"What is the problem?" Richard's tone was deadly, deep breath or not.

He was already considering his troops, less than a mile away. The guards at the estate would present little opposition for such elite D'Haran soldiers. It was not an option he wished to fall back on, but he might be forced to it. They couldn't let the Minister-inadvertently or otherwise- interfere with stopping Jagang.

The Minister cleared his throat. Everyone else at the table was rigid, almost afraid to move, as if they could read Richard's thoughts in his eyes.

"This affects everyone in our land. You are asking us to forsake our culture, as is the Imperial Order-although with you it would be less of a change and we would be able to retain some of our ways.

"This is not something I can impose on our people. It must be up to them."

Richard's brow twitched. "What? What do you mean?"

"I can't dictate such a thing to our people. They will have to decide for themselves what to do."

Richard lifted a hand. He let it fall back to the table. "But, how can they do that?"

The Minister wet his lips. 'They will all decide what shall be the fate of all by their vote."

"Their what?" Kahlan asked.

"Their vote. They must each be given the opportunity to state their wishes in this."

"No," Kahlan said flatly.

The Minister spread his hands. "But, Mother Confessor, you say this is about the freedom of our people. How can you insist I impose such a thing on them without their say?"

"No," Kahlan repeated.

Everyone else at the table seemed in shock. Lady Chanboor's eyes looked as if they might pop from her head at her husband's suggestion. Dalton Campbell sat stiffly, his mouth hanging open a bit. Teresa's brows were arched in shock. Clearly, none of them had known Minister Chanboor's intention, nor did they look to believe it wise, but they remained silent, nonetheless.

"No," Kahlan said again.

"And how can you expect our people to believe your sincerity in the cause of freedom, if you refuse to allow them to choose their own fate? If what you offer is truly freedom, then why would you fear the people exercising freedom in choosing it? If what you offer is so fair and good, and the Imperial Order so brutal and unfair, then why would you not allow our people to freely choose to join with you? Is there something in it so vile you would not allow them to see their fate and choose it willingly?"

Richard glanced back at Kahlan. "He has a point-"

"No," Kahlan snapped.

Still no one else moved, so intent were they on the future of their land, hanging in the balance.

Richard took Kahlan's arm. He turned briefly to the Minister. "If you will excuse us for a moment, there are a few matters we must discuss."

Richard pulled Kahlan away from the table, back near the curtains behind the service table. He glanced out the window to make sure no one was nearby, listening. People at the head table, rather than watching, sat back in silence and looked out at the dining room full of people eating, talking, and laughing, not realizing the drama taking place at the head table.

"Kahlan, I don't see why-"

"No. No, Richard, no. What part of 'no' don't you understand?"

"The part that has your reason in it."

She heaved an impatient sigh. "Look, Richard, I just don't think it's a good idea. No, that isn't correct. I think it's a terrible idea."

"All right. Kahlan, you know I depend on your opinion in things like this-"

"Then take it. No."

In frustration, Richard raked his fingers back through his hair. He glanced around again. They were being ignored.

"What I was about to say is, I'd like to know your reason. The man has a point. If we're offering people a chance to join us in our fight for the freedom of everyone, then why would we deny them a chance to freely choose to join our side? Freedom shouldn't be something imposed on unwilling people."

Kahlan squeezed his arm. "I can't give you a reason, Richard. Yes, it sounds right. Yes, I understand the reasoning behind it. Yes, it would only be fair."

Her hand on his arm tightened. "But my gut instinct is screaming 'no. I must trust my instinct in this, Richard, and so must you. It's strong and it's insistent. Don't you do this."

Richard wiped a hand across his face. He tried to come up with a reason they should oppose such a thing. He was only beginning to come up with more reasons it would make sense-and for more than the simple need of Anderith siding against the Order.

"Kahlan, I trust you, I really do. You're the Mother Confessor, and have had a lifetime of learning and experience in ruling people. I'm just a woods guide. But I'd like a little more reason than, 'Your gut says "no." »

"I can't give you more. I know these people, and I know they are arrogant and devious. I don't believe Bertrand Chanboor cares at all about what the people want. He and his wife care only about themselves, from what I know of them. Something about this just isn't right."

Richard ran a finger down her temple. "Kahlan, I love you. I trust you. But this is these people's lives. Bertrand Chanboor will not be the one deciding-that's the whole point. If what we have to offer is right, then why shouldn't the Anderith people be able to say yes to it themselves? Don't you think they would then have more invested in the cause than if their leaders choose for them?

"Do you think it fair we demand their culture be so altered, and tell them it's the right thing to do, and yet refuse to offer them the freedom to join willingly? Why can only the leader choose for all his people? What if the Minister wished to join with Jagang? Would you not then want the people to have the chance to overthrow the leader and choose freedom instead?”

She ran her fingers back into her hair, seeming unable to express her reservations and frustrations. "Richard, you're making it sound… right, but I just… I don't know, I just feel it's a mistake. What if they cheat? What if they intimidate people-threaten them. How would we know? Who is to watch people say what they want? Who is to watch the fairness of the count?"

Richard ran a thumb along the silken sleeve of her white Mother Confessor's dress. "Well then, what if we put conditions on it? Conditions to make sure we are in control, and not they."

"Such as?"

"We have a thousand men here. We could use them to go to all the cities and towns in Anderith and watch the people vote. Everyone could put a mark on a piece of paper… say, either a circle to join us, or an X not to. Then our men could guard the papers and watch them counted. They would make sure it was fair."

"And how would people really know what it means, either way?"

"We would have to tell them. Anderith isn't that big. We could go to each place and explain to the people there why they must join us-why it's so important to them and how they would suffer if the Imperial Order instead takes them. If truth really is on our side, it won't be that difficult to make most people see it."

She chewed her lip as she considered. "How long? The scouts report the Order will be within striking distance in less than six weeks."

"Then we say four. Four weeks and the people vote. That would give us more than enough time to go around and talk to people, tell them how important this is. Then, after they vote to join us, we would have plenty of time to bring our army down and use the Dominie Dirtch to stop Jagang."

Kahlan pressed a hand to her stomach. "I don't like it, Richard."

He shrugged. "All right, then. General Reibisch's army is on the way. They'll be here before Jagang can reach Anderith. We told him to stay north, out of sight, but we could take our men, capture the Dominie Dirtch, and overthrow the government here.