‘You didn’t poison it, did you?’
‘Of course not. It’s very hard to get information out of somebody who’s squirming on the ground clutching at his belly. One or two good drinks from that flagon, though, and the carter will be seized by an uncontrollable urge to talk—about anything at all and to anybody who asks him a question in a friendly fashion. Go be friendly to the poor man, Kheldar. He looks dreadfully lonesome.’
Silk grinned, then turned and trotted his horse toward the oncoming cart, swaying in his saddle and singing loudly and very much off-key.
‘He’s very good,’ Velvet murmured to Ce’Nedra, ‘but he always overacts his part. When we get back to Boktor, I think I’ll send him to a good drama coach.’
Ce’Nedra laughed.
By the time they reached the cart, the seedy-looking man in a rust-red smock had pulled his vehicle off to the side of the road, and he and Silk had joined in song—a rather bawdy one.
‘Ah, there you are,’ Silk said, squinting owlishly at Sadi. ‘I wondered how long it was going to take you to catch up. Here—’ He thrust the flagon at the eunuch. ‘Have a drink.’
Sadi feigned taking a long drink from the flagon. Then he sighed lustily, wiped his mouth on his sleeve, and handed the flagon back.
Silk passed it to the carter. ‘Your turn, friend.’
The carter took a drink and then grinned foolishly. ‘I haven’t felt this good in weeks,’ he said.
‘We’re riding toward the east,’ Sadi told him.
‘I saw that right off,’ the carter said. ‘That’s unless you’ve taught your horses to run backward.’ He laughed uproariously at that, slapping his knee in glee.
‘How droll,’ the eunuch murmured. ‘Do you come from that village just up ahead?’
‘Lived there all my life,’ the carter replied, ‘and my father before me—and his father before him—and his father’s father before that and—’
‘Have you seen a dark-cloaked woman with a babe in her arms go past here within the last week?’ Sadi interrupted him. ‘She probably would have been in the company of a fairly large party of Grolims.’
The carter made the sign to ward off the evil eye at the mention of the word ‘Grolim.’ ‘Oh, yes. She came by all right,’ he said, ‘and she went into the local Temple here—if you can really call it a Temple. It’s no bigger than my own house and it’s only got three Grolims in it—two young ones and an old one. Anyway, this woman with the babe in her arms, she goes into the Temple, and we can hear her talking, and pretty soon she comes out with our three Grolims—only the old one was trying to talk the two young ones into staying, and then she says something to the young ones and they pull out their knives and start stabbing the old one, and he yells and falls down on the ground dead as mutton, and the woman takes our two young Grolims back out to the road, and they join in with the others and they all go off, leaving us only that old dead one lying on his face in the mud and—’
‘How many Grolims would you say she had with her?’ Sadi asked.
‘Counting our two, I’d say maybe thirty or forty—or it could be as many as fifty. I’ve never been very good at quick guesses like that. I can tell the difference between three and four, but after that I get confused, and—’
‘Could you give us any idea of exactly how long ago all that was?’
‘Let’s see.’ The carter squinted at the sky, counting on his fingers. ‘It couldn’t have been yesterday, because yesterday I took that load of barrels over to Toad-face’s farm. Do you know Toad-face? Ugliest man I ever saw, but his daughter’s a real beauty. I could tell you stories about her, let me tell you.’
‘So it wasn’t yesterday?’
‘No. It definitely wasn’t yesterday. I spent most of yesterday under a haystack with Toad-face’s daughter. And I know it wasn’t the day before, because I got drunk that day and I don’t remember a thing that happened after mid-morning.’ He took another drink from the flagon.
‘How about the day before that?’
‘It could have been,’ the carter said, ‘or the day before that.’
‘Or even before?’
The carter shook his head. ‘No, that was the day our pig farrowed, and I know that the woman came by after that. It had to have been the day before the day before yesterday or the day before that.’
‘Three or four days ago, then?’
‘If that’s the way it works out,’ the carter shrugged, drinking again.
‘Thanks for the information, friend,’ Sadi said. He looked at Silk. ‘We should be moving on, I suppose,’ he said.
‘Did you want your jar back?’ the carter asked.
‘Go ahead and keep it, friend,’ Silk said. ‘I think I’ve had enough anyway.’
‘Thanks for the ale—and the talk,’ the carter called after them as they rode away. Garion glanced back and saw that the fellow had climbed down from his cart and was engaging in an animated conversation with his horse.
‘Three days!’ Ce’Nedra exclaimed happily.
‘Or at the most, four,’ Sadi said.
‘We’re gaining on her!’ Ce’Nedra said, suddenly leaning over and throwing her arms about the eunuch’s neck.
‘So it appears, your Majesty,’ Sadi agreed, looking slightly embarrassed.
They camped off the road again that night and started out again early the following morning. The sun was just coming up when the large, blue-banded hawk came spiraling in, flared, and shimmered into the form of Beldin at the instant its talons touched the road. ‘You’ve got company waiting for you just ahead,’ he told them, pointing at the first line of foothills of the Mountains of Zamad lying perhaps a mile in front of them.
‘Oh?’ Belgarath said, reining in his horse.
‘About a dozen Grolims,’ Beldin said. ‘They’re hiding in the bushes on either side of the road.’
Belgarath swore.
‘Have you been doing things to annoy the Grolims?’ the hunchback asked.
Belgarath shook his head. ‘Zandramas has been gathering them as she goes along. She’s got quite a few of them with her now. She probably left that group behind to head off pursuit. She knows that we’re right behind her.’
‘What are we going to do, Belgarath?’ Ce’Nedra asked. ‘We’re so close. We can’t stop now.’
The old man looked at his brother sorcerer. ‘Well?’ he said.
Beldin scowled at him. ‘All right,’ he said. ‘I’ll do it, but don’t forget that you owe me, Belgarath.’
‘Write it down with all the other things. We’ll settle up when this is all over.’
‘Don’t think I won’t.’
‘Did you find out where Nahaz took Urvon?’
‘Would you believe they went back to Mal Yaska?’ Beldin sounded disgusted.
‘They’ll come out eventually,’ Belgarath assured him. ‘Are you going to need any help with the Grolims? I could send Pol along if you like.’
‘Are you trying to be funny?’
‘No. I was just asking. Don’t make too much noise.’
Beldin made a vulgar sound, changed again, and swooped away.
‘Where’s he going?’ Silk asked.
‘He’s going to draw off the Grolims.’
‘Oh? How?’
‘I didn’t ask him.’ Belgarath shrugged. ‘We’ll give him a little while and then we should be able to ride straight on through.’
‘He’s very good, isn’t he?’
‘Beldin? Oh, yes, very, very good. There he goes now.’
Silk looked around. ‘Where?’
‘I didn’t see him—I heard him. He’s flying low a mile or so to the north of where the Grolims are hiding, and he’s kicking up just enough noise to make it sound as if the whole group of us are trying to slip around them without being seen.’ He glanced at his daughter. ‘Pol, would you take a look and see if it’s working?’
‘All right, father.’ She concentrated, and Garion could feel her mind reaching out, probing. ‘They’ve
taken the bait,’ she reported. ‘They all ran off after Beldin.’
‘That was accommodating of them, wasn’t it? Let’s move on.’
They pushed their horses into a gallop and covered the distance to the first foothills of the Mountains of Zamad in a short period of time. They followed the road up a steep slope and through a shallow notch. Beyond that the terrain grew more rugged, and the dark green forest rose steeply up the flanks of the peaks.
Garion began to sense conflicting signals from the Orb as he rode. At first he had only felt its eagerness to follow the trail of Zandramas and Geran, but now he began to feel a sullen undertone, a sound of ageless, implacable hatred, and at his back where the sword was sheathed, he began to feel an increasing heat.
‘Why is it burning red?’ Ce’Nedra asked from behind him.
‘What’s burning red?’
‘The Orb, I think. I can see it glowing right through the leather covering you have over it.’
‘Let’s stop awhile,’ Belgarath told them, reining in his horse.
‘What is it, Grandfather?’
‘I’m not sure. Take the sword out and slip off the sleeve. Let’s see what’s happening.’
Garion drew the sword from its sheath. It seemed heavier than usual for some reason, and when he peeled off the soft leather covering, they were all able to see that instead of its usual azure blue, the Orb of Aldur was glowing a dark, sooty red.
‘What is it, father?’ Polgara asked.
‘It feels the Sardion,’ Eriond said in a calm voice.
‘Are we that close?’ Garion demanded. ‘Is this the Place Which Is No More?’
‘I don’t think so, Belgarion,’ the young man replied. ‘It’s something else.’
‘What is it, then?’
‘I’m not sure, but the Orb is responding to the other stone in some way. They talk to each other in a fashion I can’t understand.’
They rode on, and some time later the blue-banded hawk came swirling in, blurred into Beldin’s shape, and stood in front of them. The gnarled dwarf had a slightly self-satisfied look on his face.
‘You look like a cat that just got into the cream,’ Belgarath said.
‘Naturally. I just sent a dozen or so Grolims off in the general direction of the polar icecap. They’ll have a wonderful time when the panice starts to break up and they get to float around up there for the rest of the summer.’
‘Are you going to scout on ahead?’ Belgarath asked him.
‘I suppose so,’ Beldin replied. He held out his arms, blurred into feathers, and drove himself into the air.
They rode more cautiously now, climbing deeper and deeper into the Mountains of Zamad. The surrounding country grew more broken. The reddish-hued peaks were jagged, and their lower flanks were covered with dark firs and pines. Rushing streams boiled over rocks and dropped in frothy waterfalls over steep cliffs. The road, which had been straight and flat on the plains of Gansesis, began to twist and turn as it crawled up the steep slopes.
It was nearly noon when Beldin returned again. ‘The main party of Grolims turned south,’ he reported. ‘There are about forty of them.’
‘Was Zandramas with them?’ Garion asked quickly.
‘No. I don’t think so—at least I didn’t pick up the sense of anyone unusual in the group.’
‘We haven’t lost her, have we?’ Ce’Nedra asked in alarm.
‘No,’ Garion replied. ‘The Orb still has her trail.’ He glanced over his shoulder. The stone on the hilt of his sword was still burning a sullen red.
‘About all we can do is follow her,’ Belgarath said. ‘It’s Zandramas we’re interested in, not a party of stray Grolims. Can you pinpoint exactly where we are?’ he asked Beldin.
‘Mallorea.’
‘Very funny.’
‘We’ve crossed into Zamad. This road goes on down into Voresebo, though. Where’s my mule?’
‘Back with the pack horses,’ Durnik told him.
As they moved on, Garion could feel Polgara probing on ahead with her mind.
‘Are you getting anything, Pol?’ Belgarath asked her.
‘Nothing specific, father,’ she replied. ‘I can sense the fact that Zandramas is close, but she’s shielding, so I can’t pinpoint her.’
They rode on, moving at a cautious walk now. Then, as the road passed through a narrow gap and descended on the far side, they saw a figure in a gleaming white robe standing in the road ahead. As they drew closer, Garion saw that it was Cyradis.
‘Move with great care in this place,’ she cautioned, and there was a note of anger in her voice. ‘The Child of Dark seeks to circumvent the ordered course of events and hath laid a trap for ye.’
‘There’s nothing new or surprising about that,’ Beldin growled. ‘What does she hope to accomplish?’
‘It is her thought to slay one of the companions of the Child of Light and thereby prevent the completion of one of the tasks which must be accomplished ere the final meeting. Should she succeed, all that hath gone before shall come to naught. Follow me, and I will guide you safely to the next task.’
Toth stepped down from his horse and quickly led it to the side of his slender mistress. She smiled at him, her face radiant, and laid a slim hand on his huge arm. With no apparent effort, the huge man lifted her into the saddle of his horse and then took the reins in his hand.
‘Aunt Pol,’ Garion whispered, ‘is it my imagination, or is she really here this time?’
Polgara looked intently at the blindfolded Seeress. ‘It’s not a projection,’ she said. ‘It’s much more substantial. I couldn’t begin to guess how she got here, but I think you’re right, Garion. She’s really here.’
They followed the Seeress and her mute guide down the steeply descending road into a grassy basin surrounded on all sides by towering firs. In the center of the basin was a small mountain lake sparkling in the sunlight.
Polgara suddenly drew in her breath sharply. ‘We’re being watched,’ she said.
‘Who is it, Pol?’ Belgarath asked.
‘The mind is hidden, father. All I can get is the sense of watching—and anger.’ A smile touched her lips. ‘I’m sure it’s Zandramas. She’s shielding, so I can’t reach her mind, but she can’t shield out my sense of being watched, and she can’t control her anger enough to keep me from picking up the edges of it.’
‘Who’s she so angry with?’
‘Cyradis, I think. She went to a great deal of trouble to lay a trap for us, and Cyradis came along and spoiled it. She still might try something, so I think we’d all better be on our guard.’
He nodded bleakly. ‘Right,’ he agreed.
Toth led the horse his mistress was riding out into the basin and stopped at the edge of the lake. When the rest of them reached her, she pointed down through the crystal water. ‘The task lies there,’ she said. ‘Below lies a submerged grot. One of ye must enter that grot and then return. Much shall be revealed there.’
Belgarath looked hopefully at Beldin.
‘Not this time, old man,’ the dwarf said, shaking his head. ‘I’m a hawk, not a fish, and I don’t like cold water any more than you do.’
‘Pol?’ Belgarath said rather plaintively.
‘I don’t think so, father,’ she replied. ‘I think it’s your turn this time. Besides, I need to concentrate on Zandramas.’
He bent over and dipped his hand into the sparkling water. Then he shuddered. ‘This is cruel,’ he said.
Silk was grinning at him.
‘Don’t say it, Prince Kheldar.’ Belgarath scowled, starting to remove his clothing. ‘Just keep your mouth shut.’
They were perhaps all a bit surprised at how sleekly muscular the old man was. Despite his fondness for rich food and good brown ale, his stomach was as flat as a board; though he was as lean as a rail, his shoulders and chest rippled when he moved.
‘My, my,’ Velvet murmured appreciatively, eyeing the loincloth-clad old man.
He suddenly grinned
at her impishly. ‘Would you care for another frolic in a pool, Liselle?’ he invited with a wicked look in his bright blue eyes.
She suddenly blushed a rosy red, glancing guiltily at Silk.
Belgarath laughed, arched himself forward, and split the water of the lake as cleanly as the blade of a knife. Several yards out, he broached, leaping high into the air with the sun gleaming on his silvery scales and his broad, forked tail flapping and shaking droplets like jewels across the sparkling surface of the lake. Then his dark, heavy body drove down and down into the depths of the crystal lake.
‘Oh, my,’ Durnik breathed, his hands twitching.
‘Never mind, dear.’ Polgara laughed. ‘He wouldn’t like it at all if you stuck a fishhook in his jaw.’
The great, silver-sided salmon swirled down and disappeared into an irregularly shaped opening near the bottom of the lake.
They waited, and Garion found himself unconsciously holding his breath.
After what seemed an eternity, the great fish shot from the mouth of the submerged cave, drove himself far out into the lake, and then returned, skipping across the surface of the water on his tail, shaking his head and almost seeming to balance himself with his fins. Then he plunged forward into the water near the shore, and Belgarath emerged dripping and shivering. ‘Invigorating,’ he observed, climbing back up onto the bank. ‘Have you got a blanket handy, Pol?’ he asked, stripping the water from his arms and legs with his hands.
‘Show-off,’ Beldin grunted.
‘What was down there?’ Garion asked.
‘It looks like an old temple of some kind,’ the old man answered, vigorously drying himself with the blanket Polgara had handed him. ‘Somebody took a natural cave and walled up the sides to give it some kind of shape. There was an altar there with a special kind of niche in it—empty, naturally—but the place was filled with an overpowering presence, and all the rocks glowed red.’
‘The Sardion?’ Beldin demanded intently.
‘Not any more,’ Belgarath replied, drying his hair. ‘It was there, though, for a long, long time—and it had built a barrier of some kind to keep anybody from finding it. It’s gone now, but I’ll recognize the signs of it the next time I get close.’