David and Leigh Eddings – Belgarath the Sorcerer

convinced Ctuchik that posting sentries wouldn’t be a bad idea, so

getting through the city unnoticed might have been a little tricky. It

was with a certain distaste that I finally came to the conclusion that

I didn’t really have to go through the city. I knew where Ctuchik’s

turret was, after all, and it did have windows.

It was late at night, so there wasn’t any warm air rising up off the

black sand. This meant that I literally had to claw my way up through

the air as I circled the peak up and up. About the only good thing

about it was the fact that after I was about fifty feet up, I couldn’t

see the ground any more.

As luck had it, Ctuchik had fallen asleep over his worktable, and he

had his head down on his folded arms when I flapped in through his

window. I shed all those vulture feathers and shook him awake. The

years hadn’t improved his appearance. He still looked like a walking

dead man.

He half rose with a startled exclamation, and then he got control of

himself.

“Good to see you again, old boy,” he lied.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it. You’d better get word to your Nadraks.

Tell them to call off this invasion. The Alorns know they’re

coming.”

His eyes went flat.

“Someday you’re going to irritate me, Belgarath.”

“I certainly hope so. God knows you’ve irritated me enough lately.”

“How did you find out about the Nadraks?”

“I’ve got eyes everywhere, Ctuchik. You can’t hide what you’re doing

from me. Didn’t what happened to your scheme in Arendia convince you

of that?”

“I’d sort of wondered why that fell apart.”

“Now you know.” I wasn’t actually trying to steal Pol’s credit, I just

thought it might be a good idea to keep her part in that little coup a

secret from Ctuchik for a while longer. Pol was good, but I wasn’t

sure if she was ready for a confrontation with Ctuchik. Besides, I

didn’t really want him to know about her just yet. You might say that

I was holding her in reserve.

“I’m awfully sorry, old chap,” he said with a faint sneer.

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to help you with the Nadraks. It’s not

really my idea. I’m just following orders from Ashaba.”

“Don’t try to be clever, Ctuchik. I know you can talk with Torak any

time you need to. You’d better do that right now. You weren’t around

when we invaded the country around Korim. Believe me, Torak gets very

upset when large numbers of Angaraks get killed, and what’s right on

the verge of happening on the Drasnian border is very likely to

exterminate the Nadraks entirely. I’ve seen the way Alorns make war.

It’s entirely up to you, of course; I’m not the one who’s going to have

to answer to Torak.” Then, just to twist the knife a bit and add to

his confusion, I smirked at him.

“You really need a copy of the Ashabine Oracles, old boy,” I told him

spitefully.

“The Mrin Codex is giving me very good instructions. I knew all about

this little game of yours a couple hundred years ago, so I’ve had lots

of time to get ready for you.” Then I smiled beatifically at him.

“Always nice talking with you, Ctuchik.” Then I stepped to the window

and jumped.

That little exercise in gross theatricality almost got me killed. I

was no more than a hundred feet above the desert floor when I finally

got all my feathers in place. Changing form while you’re falling is

very difficult.

For some reason, it’s hard to concentrate when the ground’s coming up

at you that fast.

Aside from the opportunity it gave me to add to Ctuchik’s confusion,

however, my visit to Rak Cthol was largely a waste of time. I should

have known that Torak would never back away from something once he’d

set it in motion, no matter how many things got in his way. His ego

simply would not permit it. The Nadraks came howling across the

Drasnian border before I even got back from Rak Cthol, and, quite

predictably, the Alorns met them head-on and soundly defeated them. A

few of them did manage to escape, but it was centuries before there

were enough Nadraks again even to worry about.

Torak evidently juggled things around in his mind sufficiently that it

wasn’t his fault for ignoring my warning. In commemoration of the

event, he ordered his Grolims to quadruple the number of sacrifices.

Over the centuries, his Grolims have killed more Angaraks than the

Alorns ever have.

After the survivors of that debacle limped back to Gar og Nadrak and

hid out in the forest, I went to Arendia to see what Pol was up to. I

finally located her in Vo Wacune, living in a splendid house not far

from the ducal palace. Like all the rest of Vo Wacune, her house had

been constructed of marble, and it positively gleamed. It was quite a

large house, and it had wings to it that partially enclosed a

well-tended flower garden with paved walks, neatly trimmed hedges, and

manicured lawns.

“What’s all this?” I asked her when her servants finally ushered me

into her presence.

She was sitting in an ornate chair by a rose quartz fireplace that

glowed pink, wearing a truly stunning blue gown.

“I’m moving up in the world, father.”

“You found a gold mine somewhere?”

“Something better, actually. My estate is quite large, and the land’s

very fertile.”

“Your estate?”

“It’s just to the north of Lake Medalia–over on the other side of the

River Camaar. I even have a manor house up there. You have the

distinct honor to be addressing her Grace, the duchess of Erat.”

“Be serious, Pol.”

“I am serious, father. The old duke was very grateful for the

information I gave him about Ctuchik’s scheme, so I’ve always been

welcome at the Ducal Palace.”

I gave her a hard look.

“He gave you a title just for following the Master’s instructions? And

you accepted it? Tacky, Pol, very tacky. We aren’t supposed to take

rewards for obeying orders.”

“It went a little further, Old Wolf. You know the situation here in

Arendia?”

“Last I heard, the Wacites and the Mimbrates were allied against the

Asturians. That alliance seems to be lasting longer than most of the

others.”

“It’s still in effect, father. Anyway, after the old duke died, his

son Alleran took the ducal throne. He and I were quite close, since

I’d helped his mother raise him. We married Alleran off–I even

persuaded his mother not to let him marry his cousin–and in due time,

his wife presented him with a son. The duke of Vo Astur saw a chance

to muddy the waters here in Arendia when that happened, and he sent a

group of his underlings to abduct the little boy. The current duke of

Vo Astur is a crude sort of fellow, and the note his hirelings left was

very direct. He told Alleran that he’d kill his son unless Wacune

abrogated the treaty with Mimbre and stayed strictly neutral. I went

to Vo Astur and rescued the little boy. I also gave the Asturian duke

a lesson in good manners.”

“What did you do to him?” I asked the question a bit apprehensively.

There are certain rules concerning the use of our gift.

“You didn’t kill him, did you?”

“Of course not, father. I know better than that. The duke of Vo Astur

has an open sore on the lining of his stomach now. It provides him

with all sorts of entertainment, and it keeps him out of mischief. That

was five years ago, and there hasn’t been a major battle in Arendia

since I visited Vo Astur.”

“You’ve made peace in Arendia?” I was stunned.

“A temporary peace, father,” she corrected.

“It’s probably too early to tell if it’s permanent. I’ll ulcerate

stomachs from one end of Arendia to the other if I have to in order to

put an end to this foolishness, though.

Duke Alleran was very grateful, and that’s why I’m the duchess of Erat

now.”

“Why didn’t I think of that?” I exclaimed.

“It’s so simple. You ended the Arendish civil wars with a bellyache.”

I bowed to her.

“I’m proud of you, your Grace.”

“Why, thank you, father.” She beamed. Then she pursed her lips

thoughtfully.

“The congratulations might be a little premature, though.

As soon as there’s a new duke in either Vo Mimbre or Vo Astur,

hostilities might break out again. I think I’d better stay here in Vo

Wacune.

These Wacites are the least aggressive of the Arends, and I have a

certain amount of authority here because of my friendship with the

duke’s family.

Possibly I can guide them in the right direction. Somebody in Arendia

is going to have to take the role of peacemaker. Give me a little time

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