GOODKIND VI: THE PHANTOM MENACING

[Hark]

The man rose up, and declared "Lo, your mercy to me displays your weakness!" His naked chest did heave manfully, as he dispatched the peace-loving do-gooder with a single blow."

Oh man! Well done!

[Moshe Goldberg Rubinshteyn]

Ah but she's not dead. Only commoners and communists die in his books, which makes it relatively stress-free, as you know where you stand.

Oh sorry, must have missed it. Still, it's a weird expression to use in that context, I think.

I always figured:

Westland - The United States. Pure and unspoiled.

Midlands - Western Europe. A bunch of bitchy mediocre powers.

D'Hara - Nazi Germany/Eastern Europe. Nasty bunch of racial purists and conquerors.

The Old World - Soviet Union. Huge powerful nation devoted to a rediculous ideology.

And of course its an American Westlander who comes to show them all the way. His way.

Please remind me (I've only read WFR), What's the 'Old world'? I vaguely remember Westlands (where Richard grew up), Midlands (that's the mud people among others isn't it?) and D'Hara (Darken Rahl, I think). What's the Old world again?

[Perin Stone]

Oh sorry, must have missed it. Still, it's a weird expression to use in that context, I think.

Please remind me (I've only read WFR), What's the 'Old world'? I vaguely remember Westlands (where Richard grew up), Midlands (that's the mud people among others isn't it?) and D'Hara (Darken Rahl, I think). What's the Old world again?

It wasn't really until the 2nd book that the Old World was mentioned. It is SouthEast of the Midland. It was separated by the Berlin Wall, I mean a magic barrier, until Richard destroyed it.

[MinDonner]

Ah, Mr Goodkind, with this subtlety you're really spoiling us.

[Voland]

aah, fine work. I almost fell asleep reading that. Luckily you cut it short, I dread the nightmares that that quote would inevitably have followed.

“People of the Midlands,†she said, lifting an introductory arm to the empty air above the desk, What's this introductory arm...some sort of ceremonial tool? Thank Go(o)d(kind) the air was empty. Would have been kinda embarassing if, say, Gratch would have been standing on the table and ended up with the introductory arm up his ass.

[Enguerrand]

I feel kind of bad for all that stuff the Mad Mouse had to type out so I like to take my own stab at it.

The sword was not there for decoration; it was a weapon. He looked to be a man who had made a great many desperate decisions of late, and had lived through them all. Hmm...Now if he had died from his desperate decisions he couldn't very well be there right?

Already, many of the women in the room had recovered their composure and were beginning to flash him private smiles as they batted their lashes, falling into their well-practiced habits of ingratiating themselves with those wielding power. Even if the man were not ruggedly handsome, they would have done the same, but perhaps with less sincerity. Lord Rahl either didn't notice their warming demeanor, or chose not to. Women, they can't help it. They always go for the Alpha male. It's a good thing Richard posess such vast amount of moral clarity.

Though he was young and ill at ease being the center of all eyes, this was a man who would fight with a vengeance. Tobias had seen eyes like this before. This was a man who would jump headlong over a cliff to come after you. Tobias has great presence of mind. If I jumped over a cliff and someone jumped after me I doubt I would spare the time to check out his eyes.

"They will not be halted by borders or by reason. Men with the blood of babes on their blades have no ethics. Don't you dare stand there and try to tell me otherwise;

This awesome rhetorics puts the crowd in trance. but...

"And who were these troops?" Someone else asked. "Many were D'Haran, by your own admission. You lead the D'Harans, by your own admission. When the boundary came down last spring, the D'Harans swept in and committed atrocities much the same as you recount. [...] Now you ask us to believe you? Yeah that is a good question. Why are all Richard’s buddies war criminals?

"I stand against everything Darken Rahl stood for. He would stop at no evil act to have his way.

I do not lust to rule. I take up the sword only because I have the ability to help oppose oppression."I take up this challenge only because the sword has been thrust into my hand. I ask that you not judge me by who my father was, but by what I do. I do not slaughter innocent, defenseless people. That nasty little girl was apparently not innocent. The Imperial Order does. Until I violate the trust of honest people, I have the right to be granted honest judgment. Hmm.. honest people.

"All we want is peace," someone shouted.

Lord Rahl nodded. "I, too, wish nothing more than that there were peace, and I could go home to my beloved woods and lead a simple life, but I can't, any more than we can go back to the simple innocence of our childhood. This is so poignant, I hope Terry stops before I start crying. Responsibility has been thrust upon me. Sniff.

[...]"It is too late for that. You have had your chance. The Mother Confessor suffered your bickering and intractability." Lord Rahl slammed his sword back into its scabbard. "I will not."

"What are you talking about?"

"The Midlands is not your toy!"

[...]"I am here to dictate the terms of your surrender."

Richard calls forth the local obergruppenfuhrer that tells the eurocommies that resistance is futile.

"You had a chance at unity, and you squandered it. That chance has passed into history. You now have but two choices. Your first is to choose to side with the Imperial Order. They will rule with an iron fist. You will have no say, and no rights. If you live, your lives will be a dark struggle without the spark of hope for freedom. .You will be their slaves. sounds bad.

"Your other choice is to surrender to D'Hara. You will follow the law of D'Hara. Once you are one with us, you will have a say in those laws. We have no desire to extinguish the diversity that is the Midlands. You will have the right to the fruits of your labor and the right to trade and flourish, as long as you work within the larger context of law and the rights of others. Magic will be protected, and your children will be born into a world of freedom, where anything is possible. sounds good.

"And once the Imperial Order is exterminated, there will be peace. True peace. The eurocommies saw white froth covering Richard's lips.

"There will be a price: your sovereignty. While you will be allowed to maintain your own lands and cultures, you will not be allowed to have standing armies.

"Much as you all paid a tribute to Aydindril, no land, no people, will bear all the burden of freedom; all lands, all people, will pay a tax sufficient to see to the common defense, and no more.

The room erupted with protests, with most claiming it would be robbery of what was theirs. Lord Rahl silenced them with nothing more than his glare. Really, why are people so difficult. Becoming protectorates under the former Nazi-Germany with their new benelovent leader( He says so.) who wants peace (When all his enemies are exterminated.) That sounds like an easy choice to me.

[…] All will participate in attaining freedom and peace, if not with service under arms, then at minimum with a tax to support our troops.

"All, no matter their means, must have an investment in their freedom, and will pay their part. This principle is law, and inviolate. But werent the protectorates about to have say in those laws? Or is it just those laws the master of D'hara can't be bothered with?

"You are free to choose: with us, or against us. If you are with us, then you will help us. Think carefully before you decide to leave, for if you leave, and decide later that you would rather not suffer the Order any longer, then you will pay double the tax for a period of ten years in order to earn your way back."

Heavy taxes, the greatest indignity known in the American Westlands.

The crowd in the balconies gasped. A woman on the floor, near the front, spoke up in a distraught voice.

"What if we choose neither? It is against our principles to fight. We want to be left alone to go about our lives. What if we choose not to fight, to simply go about our business?"

Shut up, you pesky Swedes and Swiss with your coco clocks!

"Do you arrogantly believe that we want to fight because we would stop the slaughter, and you are somehow better because you wish not to? Or that we will carry the load by ourselves so that you, too, may enjoy the freedom to live by your principles? You tell them Richard, mouthing off when you are delivering your dictates, arrogance indeed.

[...]"You can contribute in other ways without taking up a sword, but contribute you must. You will pay the tax, the same as everyone else. There will be no bystanders.

"If you choose not to surrender, you will stand alone. The Order intends to conquer all people and lands. Because there is no other way to stop them, I can intend no less. Hmm may I ask why not? Werent you the nice guy? Sooner or later, you will be ruled by one of us. "Those lands that choose not to surrender to us will be placed under blockade and isolated until we have time to invade and conquer you, or the Order does.

"You can't get away with this," an anonymous voice in the crowd called out. "We'll stop you."

"The Midlands is fragmented, and cannot be made whole again, or I would instead join with you. What is past, is past, and cannot be returned.

Yeah what’s the point of the EU really? They can’t even take a firm stand against terrorism.

[Watcher]

Lifting an imperious hand, she quieted the crowd at her back. “The Blood of the Fold preaches that magic is created by the Keeper himself, and thereby can only be evil incarnate.â€

“In that case,†Lord Rahl said, “to believe that magic springs from the Keeper is blasphemy. Could the Keeper created a newborn child? To ascribe the power to create, which is the sole domain of the Creator, to the Keeper, is to grant to the Keeper that which is chaste, and only the Creator’s. The Keeper cannot create. To hold such a profane belief could only be heresy.â€

Does anyone else think that TG spends a good percentage of his advance for these books on straw?

“The Galean army defended the city to the last man. The wizard used his power to rent the city walls and the Imperial Order poured in. Once the greatly outnumbered Galean defenders had been eliminated, the Imperial Order did not occupy the city, but instead went through it like a pack of howling animals – raping, torturing, and butchering helpless people.â€

Q. What’s the difference between Richard and these people?

A. Richard has never raped someone (that I know of at least)

“Then you’re the same as he.â€

Lord Rahl shook his head. “No, I am not. I do not lust to rule. I take up the sword only because I have the ability to help oppose oppression.â€

Richard did learn something from “how to be a dictator 101â€

“The Midlands will not tolerate this interference in our business,†another voice called out.

“I am not here to discuss the governing of the Midlands. I have just told you, the Midlands is dissolved.†Lord Rahl regarded the crowd with a glare of such deadly commitment that Tobias had to remind himself to take another breath. “I am here to dictate the terms of your surrender.â€

Yep, got an “A†in Dictatorship 101 and looks like he even passed the 300 level classes.

[Lord Melkor]

So why are the Imperial Order armies led by wizard if they hate magic so much?

[The Wolf Maid]

So far I've posted about half of his speech.

That's only half of it? Seriously? I couldn't bear to read it all, took me just a couple of sentences before I started cringing. I don't understand why this speech was necessary for plot or characterization (except to show everyone what a benvolent dictator Richard was), TG could have just snipped it to the meaty parts and that would have been fine. Even Eddings didn't write the full of Ce'Nedra speeches. *foams at the mouth at the inanity of it all*

“The Midlands will not tolerate this interference in our business,†another voice called out.

“I am not here to discuss the governing of the Midlands. I have just told you, the Midlands is dissolved.†Lord Rahl regarded the crowd with a glare of such deadly commitment that Tobias had to remind himself to take another breath. “I am here to dictate the terms of your surrender.â€

Beware Tobias! Richard's thing is rising! Run, run, ruuuuuuuun!

Where does Richard learn this kind of diplomacy? From Kahlan? From Zedd? More likely Darken Rahl. Where's the freedom of will in this? It amazes me how Richard is supposed to be a 'good guy', but what he does is trying to implacably shove his brand of freedom and order to other people, and woe to those who oppose him.

This sort of speech is similar the Japanese would give out in pamplets during WWII, how the the Japanese offer true freedom from the American oppresors, so join their Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it strange that the language Richard uses in his speech doesn't seem to go with his 'backwoods' background?

I do not slaughter innocent, defenseless people.

[Vercint]

To show what hypocrites they are, I'd imagine. Just like USSR was led by pampered old men just like those the Revolution deposed. Also Richard needs evil magicians to destroy, doesn't he? I mean, no work of fantasy speculative fiction is complete without the hero doing battle against the evil magicians in a flurry of flashes and lightning bolts.

[Lord Melkor]

Hmm, in other circumstances I would say Richard is a kind of "grey hero", and you can`t expect the Middle Ages-like era rulers to conform to modern values.

But apparently, Richard speaks about modern values like freedom etc., at the same time being the one who acts hypocrytically and falls to maintain moral clarity. And Goodkind presents him as the ultimate paragon of virtue and pinnacle of heroism.

Is it true that he abandomed his armies because they weren`t maintaining Objectivist ideas and worthy of his leadership? I would love to read this quote.

And who else would love to read about Kellhus( from Prince of Nothing trilogy)- Richard Rahl encounter?

[niamh]

I always figured:

Westland - The United States. Pure and unspoiled.

Midlands - Western Europe. A bunch of bitchy mediocre powers.

D'Hara - Nazi Germany/Eastern Europe. Nasty bunch of racial purists and conquerors.

The Old World - Soviet Union. Huge powerful nation devoted to a rediculous ideology.

And of course its an American Westlander who comes to show them all the way. His way.

Yep.

And for all these obvious efforts it managed to completely pass me by at first

Now to break down the midlands in individual countries ........I'm sure one of the vile ones is France (Anderith no doubt and its famed Maginot line bells), and the neutral one that gets raped badly has to be Switzerland.

Though I take the mud people to be native americans, even though they are in the Midlands, and imagine TG is pretty much against sovereignty and all that independentist nonsense. Nothing beats a roof that doesn't leak, anyway, fool savages not to see this.

There one thing I'll give to to TG without grudge: he really likes horses. One brownie point freely given

[Watcher]

You can read the entire passage of why Richard abandoned his realm here. Tor has posted the first three chapters of Faith of the Fallen. About three-quarters down Richard states his reasons for running away. They are all fairly lame. He also states a couple of Wizard Rule “what exists, exists; what is, is†and reason must rule. He goes on a bit about a vision he’s had too.

The lamest excuse he uses is

"I have been a leader too soon. It is not I who must prove myself to the people, but the people who must now prove themselves to me. Until then, I must not lead them, or all hope is lost."

Because now we learn that it’s not Richard who’s a bad leader. It’s his subjects that aren’t worthy of his moral clarity and vision.

[Werthead]

"It is not I who must prove myself to the people, but the people who must now prove themselves to me."

Holy crap. This is nearly word for word identical to something that Adolf Hitler once said

[niamh]

To be honest he's a little bit too fascinated with perfect blondes and the like so as to be suspicious. But such a sentence is generic, and would be a gift to any half decent wannabe dictator.

[niamh]

You know, I've just been thinking: Nobody disagrees with Richard and lives. What a scary thought; and what kind of freedom is this?

I dread to think of what would happen to the Shire or Bree if it had met with Richard Rahl. He would make them regret Saruman I wager...and probably shot Gandalf for high treason.

I think I'll stick the with the outdated lord of the rings for outdated philosophical ideas like "power corrupts" and "nobody, wise though they might be, has the right to rule anybody against their will"

God, I'm such a treehugger

[Larry.]

And who else would love to read about Kellhus( from Prince of Nothing trilogy)- Richard Rahl encounter?

Pluh-eze! We all know that Kellhus would convince Richard that it was his duty to screw Betty the noble goat.

[Merentha]

I don't know, Richard's thing is a powerful force for irrationality. Besides, how could Kellhus manipulate Rahl when Kellhus hates (and lacks) moral clarity?

Absurdität über alle

[Larry.]

But he could pretend to it, while shattering a few juvenile jaws. That would surely fool Richard, right? But really, to understand the goatscrewing that comes after, we must first grasp that which comes before Richard's thing arising.

[diabloblanco18]

we must first grasp that which comes before Richard's thing arising.

Because grasping the thing itself would just be dirty.