Chainfire pg 438-510

We learn where the Deep Nothing is in the next chapter, and what is happening there. It is a small village of people surviving in an inhospitable area with ruins. The ruins possess some information about the powerful group of people that use to live there, but have not been there in a long time. The Imperial Order has just discovered the place and has begun to take over, but they have had a prophecy that says that Richard Rahl will come after hordes of evil men come to overthrow them. A girl named Jillian was named priestess of the bones, and is to wait for Richard to come.

Richard reached the Wizard's Keep the same time as Nicci did. Nicci told Richard that the people at Althur'rang were successful in defending against the Imperial Order. Richard went to see if Zed could shed some light on the recent clues or events. Zed like the others did not remember Kahlan and Richard tried to prove it by showing Zed the grave of Kahlan, the Mother Confessor, was empty and she was not dead, but they was a body there. The body did not have any recognizable features but its presence destroyed Richard faith. Zed gave the Wizard's Ninth Rule: A contradiction can not exist in part or in reality.

Richard went into depression believing that Kahlan might very well be only in his imagination. Nicci, knowing that this state was worst than the delusion she believed he had prior, encouraged him to see how he was giving up and that she did not believe Kahlan was real but he needed to remain steadfast in his conviction or accept reality. Richard gained back his determination, and approached the visitors arriving at the Keep, Nathan and Ann.

The Deep Nothing must be a central location with book like the one found by Nathan in the beginning of the book. Chainfire must be there among the bones, and the priestess of the bones will be there to help Richard. The Wizard's Ninth Rule must be true like all of the wizard's rules, so the contradiction cause by the spell cast that erased Kahlan is causing a contradiction, so this must be the source of one of the problems. It also means that there can only be one truth when one excludes the other. We must be firm in the correct conviction because if it is true it will not be contradicted. Nicci showed the qualities of a good friend that we have been seeing. She helped Richard back to the place he needed to be even though she did not want him to be there. She did what she had to for him and was there for him when he needed her the most. The depression also shows the waste of time Richard spent feeling a loss of motivation. He ended in the same place he began with just a bunch of wasted time. Constructive thought to solve problems is necessary not sulking.