David Eddings – The Seeress of Kell

Garion decided at that point to tell her. “You did have a task, Ce’Nedra,” he told her, “and you did it very well.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You wouldn’t remember it. After we left Kell, you were very drowsy for several days.”

“Yes, I remember that.”

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“It wasn’t because you were sleepy. Zandramas was tampering with your mind. She’s done it before. You remember that you got sick on your way to Rak Hagga?”

“Yes.”

“It was a different kind of sickness, but it was Zandramas again. She’s been trying to take control of you for more than a year now.”

Ce’Nedra stared at him.

“Anyway, after we left Kell, she managed to put your mind to sleep. You wandered off and, out there in the forest, you thought you met Arell.”

“Arell? She’s dead.”

“I know, but you thought you met her all the same, and she gave you what you thought was our baby. Then this supposed Arell asked you some questions, and you answered them.”

“What kind of questions?”

“Zandramas had to find out where the meeting was supposed to take place, and she couldn’t go to Kell. She posed as Arell so she could ask you those questions. You told her about Perivor, about the map, and about Korim. That was your task.”

“I betrayed you?” Her look was stricken.

“No. You saved the universe. Zandramas absolutely has to be at Korim at the right time. Somebody had to tell her where to go, and that was your task.”

“I don’t remember any of this.”

‘ ‘Of course not. Aunt Pol erased the memory of it from your mind. It wasn’t really your fault, and you’d have been overcome with remorse if you’d been able to remember what happened.”

“I still betrayed you.”

“You did what had to be done, Ce’Nedra.” Garion smiled a bit wistfully. “You know, both sides in this have been trying to do the same thing. We—and Zandramas, of course—have been trying to find Korim and to keep the other side from finding out where it is so that we can win by default. It was never going to happen that way, though. The meeting absolutely has to take place before Cyradis can choose. The prophecies weren’t going to let it happen any other way. Both sides have wasted a great deal of effort trying to do something that simply could not be done. We should have all realized that from the very beginning. We could have saved ourselves a lot of trouble. About the only consolation I have is that Zandramas wasted a lot more effort than we did.

“I’m still certain that it’s going to be me.”

“Nonsense.”

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“I just hope they let me hold my baby before I die,” she said sadly.

“You’re not going to die, Ce’Nedra.”

She ignored him. “I want you to take care of yourself, Gar-ion,” she said firmly. “Be sure that you eat right, dress warmly in winter, and make sure that our son doesn’t forget me.”

“Ce’Nedra, will you stop this?”

“One last thing, Garion,” she plowed on relentlessly. “After I’ve been gone for a while, I want you to marry again. I don’t want you moping around the way Belgarath has for the last three thousand years.”

“Absolutely not. Besides, nothing’s going to happen to you.”

“We’ll see. Promise, Garion. You weren’t meant to be alone, and you need somebody to take care of you.”

“Have you almost finished with this?” It was Poledra. She stepped out from behind the foremast in a businesslike way. “It’s all very pretty and sweetly melancholy, I’m sure, but isn’t it just a trifle overdramatic? Garion’s right, Ce’Nedra. Nothing’s going to happen to you, so why don’t you fold up all this nobility and put it away in a closet someplace?”

“I know what I know, Poledra,” Ce’Nedra said stubbornly.

“I hope you won’t be too disappointed when you wake up the day after tomorrow and find that you’re in perfect health.”

“Who’s it going to be, then?”

“Me,” Poledra said simply. “IVe known about it for over three thousand years now, so IVe had time to get used to it. At least I have this day with the ones I love before I have to leave for good. Ce’Nedra, that wind is very chilly. Let’s go below before you catch cold.” ,

“She’s just like your Aunt Pol, isn’t she?” Ce’Nedra said over her shoulder as Poledra firmly led her toward the stair leading belowdecks.

“Naturally,” Garion called back.

“It’s started, I see,” Silk said from not far away.

“What’s started?”

“The gushy farewells. Just about everybody’s convinced that he’s the one who won’t see the sun go down tomorrow. I’d imagine that they’ll all come up here one by one to say good-bye to you. I thought I’d be first—sort of to get it out of the way—but Ce’Nedra beat me to it.”

“You? Nothing could kill you, Silk. You’re too lucky.”

“IVe made my own luck, Garion. It’s not that hard to tamper with dice.” The little man’s face grew reflective. “WeVe really

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had some good times, haven’t we? I think they outweigh the bad ones, and that’s about ali a man can hope for.”

“You’re as maudlin as Ce’Nedra and my grandmother were.”

“It does sort of seem that way, doesn’t it? And that’s very unbecoming. Don’t be too sad about it, Garion. If I do happen to be the one, it should spare me the discomfort of making a very unpleasant decision.”

“Oh? What decision is that?”

“You know my views on marriage, don’t you?”

“Oh, yes. YouVe spoken on the subject many, many times.”

Silk sighed. “All that to the contrary, I think I’m going to have to make up my mind about Liselle.”

“I wondered how long that would take you.”

“You knew?” Silk looked surprised.

“Everybody knew, Silk. She set out to get you, and she did exactly that.”

“That’s depressing—to get trapped finally when I’m in my dotage.”

“I’d hardly say you’re that far gone.”

“I must be even to be considering something like this,” Silk said moodily. “Liselle and I could continue to go on the way we have been, I suppose, but sneaking down hallways to her bedroom in the middle of the night seems a little disrespectful for some reason, and I’m too fond of her for that.”

“Fond?”

“All right then,” Silk snapped. “I’m in love with her. Does it make you feel better to have me come right out and say it?”

“I just wanted to get it clear, that’s all. Is this the first time youVe admitted it—even to yourself?”

“IVe been trying to avoid that. Do you suppose we could talk about something else?” He looked around. “I wish he’d go find another piece of air to fly in,” he said in a grouchy tone of voice.

“Who?”

“That blasted albatross. He’s back again.” Silk pointed. Gar-ion, turned and saw the white seabird with its enormous wings Oil station once more just ahead of the bowsprit. The cloud bank to the west had grown more and more purpie as the morning had progressed, and against that backdrop the snowy bird .seemed almost to glow with an unearthly incandescence.

“That’s very strange,” Garion said.

*’I just wish I knew what he was up to,” Silk said. “I’m going below. I don’t want to look at him anymore.” He took

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Garionls hand in his. “WeVe had fun,” he said gruffly. “Take care of yourself.”

“You don’t have to leave.”

“I have to make room for all the others waiting in line to see you, your Majesty.” Silk grinned. “I think you’re in fora depressing day. I ‘m going to go find out if Beldin’s found an ale barrel yet.” With a jaunty wave, the little man turned and went to the stairway leading below.

Silk’s prediction proved to be all too accurate. One by one, Garion’s friends came up on deck to take leave of him, each firmly convinced that he would be the one to die. Alt in all, it was a very gloomy day.

It was almost twilight when the last of the self-composed epitaphs had been completed. Garion leaned on the rail, looking back at the phosphorescent wake glowing behind their ship.

“Bad day, I take it?” It was Silk again.

“Dreadful. Did Beldin find any ale?”

“I don’t recommend any of that for you. You’ll need your wits about you tomorrow. I just came up to make sure that all the gloom your friends have been piling on you doesn’t make you start thinking about drowning yourself.” Silk frowned. “What’s that?” he asked.

“What’s what?”

“That booming noise.” He looked toward the bow. “There it is,” he said tensely.

The purple sky had turned almost black with the onset of evening, a black pierced here and there with patches of angry red, the light of the setting sun glowing through tfie clouds. There was a rusty-colored blur low on the horizon, a blur that seemed to be wearing a white necklace of frothy surf.

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