| Chapter 19: Ridjeck Thome |
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He was trapped between mortal inadequacy and irrefusable need; he had long ago lost the capacity to count costs, measure chances.
He braced his hands on the stone, breathed deeply for a moment. Before he could move, something crashed into him, slamming him down. He struggled, but a grip as hard as iron locked his arms behind his back. Weight pinned his legs. In fury and fear, he tried to yell. A hand clamped over his face. He was helpless. His attacker could have broken his back with one swift wrench. But the hands only held him still--asserting their mastery over him, waiting for him to relax, submit. With an effort, he forced his muscles to unclench. The hand did not uncover his mouth, but he was suddenly flipped onto his back. He found himself looking up into the warm, clean face of Saltheart Foamfollower. The Giant made a silencing gesture, then released him. At once, Covenant flung his arms around Foamfollower's neck, hugged him, clung to his strong neck like a child. A joy like sunrise washed the darkness out of him, lifted him up into hope as if it were the pure, clear dawn of a new day. Foamfollower returned the embrace for a moment, then disentangled it and moved stealthily away. Covenant followed, though his eyes were so full of tears that he could hardly see where he was going. |