David Eddings – The Seeress of Kell

Captain Kresca came forward with the rolling walk of a man who spends little time ashore. “That’s it, good masters,” he told them. “That’s the reef.”

Garion stared out at the Place Which Is No More, his thoughts and emotions stumbling over each other.

And then the albatross gave a strange cry, a cry that seemed almost triumphant. The great pearly-white bird dipped its pinions once, then continued toward Korim on seemingly motionless wings.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Oskatat the Seneschal moved with a certain deliberate speed through the corridors of the Drojim Palace toward the throne room of Urgit, high King of Cthol Murgos. Oskatat’s scarred face was bleak, and his mind was troubled. He stopped before the closely guarded door to the throne room. “I will speak with his Majesty,” he declared.

The guards hastily opened the door for him. Although by mutual agreement between himself and King Urgit, Oskatat still bore only the title of Seneschal, the guards, like everyone else in the palace, recognized the fact that he was second only to the king himself in authority in Cthol Murgos.

He found his rat-faced monarch in light conversation with Queen Praia and Queen Mother Tamazin, Oskatat’s own wife. “Ah, there you are, Oskatat,” Urgit said. “Now my little family is complete. We’ve been discussing some extensive remodeling of the Drojim Palace. All these jewels and the tons of gold

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on the ceilings are in terribly bad taste, wouldn’t you say? Besides, I need the money I’ll be able to get for all that trash for the war effort.”

“Something important has come up, Urgit,” Oskatat told his king. By royal command, Oskatat always called his king by his first name in private conversations.

“That’s depressing,” Urgit said, sprawling deeper into the cushions on his throne. Taur Urgas, Urgit’s supposed father, had scornfully rejected such comforts as cushions, preferring to set an example of Murgo hardihood by sitting for hours on cold stone. About all that brainless gesture had gained the mad king had been a fistula, which had added quite noticeably in the later years of his life to his irritability.

“Sit up straight, Urgit,” Lady Tamazin, the king’s mother, said absently.

“Yes, mother,” Urgit replied, straightening slightly on his throne. “Go ahead, Oskatat,” he said, “but please drop it on me gently. Lately IVe noticed that ‘important things’ usually turn out to be disasters.”

“IVe been in contact with Jaharb, Chief Elder of the Da-gashi,” Oskatat reported. “At my request, he’s been trying to pinpoint the location of Agachak the Hierarch. We’ve finally found him—or at least found the port he sailed from when he left Cthol Murgos.”

“Astonishing,” Urgit said with a broad grin. “For once you’ve actually brought me some good news. So Agachak has left Cthol Murgos. We can hope that it’s his intention’to sail off the edge of the world. I’m glad you told me about this, Oskatat. I’ll sleep much better now that that walking corpse no longer contaminates what’s left of my kingdom. Were Jaharb’s spies able to find out his intended destination?”

“He’s bound for Mallorea, Urgit. Judging from his actions, he appears to believe that the Sardion is there. He went to Thull Mardu and pressured King Nathel into accompanying him.”

Urgit suddenly laughed uproariously. “He actually did it!” he exclaimed with delight.

“I don’t quite follow you.”

“I suggested to him once that he take Nathel instead of me when he went after the Sardion. Now he’s saddled himself with that cretin. I’d give a great deal to listen to some of their conversations. If he happens to succeed, he’ll make Nathel Over-king of Angarak, and Nathel can’t even tie his own shoes.”

“You don’t actually think Agachak will succeed, do you?”

Queen Praia said, a slight frown creasing her flawless brow. Queen Praia was several months gone with child, and she’d taken flHvorrying about things lately.

“Win?” Urgit snorted. “He hasn’t got a chance. He has to get past Belgarion first—not to mention Belgarath and Polgara. They’ll incinerate him.” He smiled sardonically. “It’s so nice to have powerful friends.” He stopped, frowning slightly. “We really ought to warn Belgarion, though—and Kheldar,” he added. He sprawled down into his cushions again. ‘ ‘The last we heard, Belgarion and his friends had left Rak Hagga with Kal Zakath. Our best guess was that they were going to Mal Zeth, either as guests or as prisoners.” He pulled at his long, pointed nose. “I know Belgarion well enough to know that he’s not the sort to stay a prisoner for very long, though. Zakath probably knows where he is, however. Oskatat, is there any way we can get a Dagashi to Mal Zeth?”

‘ ‘We could try, Urgit, but our chances of success wouldn’t be too good, and a Dagashi might have some difficulty getting in to see the Emperor, Zakath’s got a civil war on his hands, so he’s likely to be a bit preoccupied.”

“That’s true, isn’t it?” Urgit tapped his fingers on the arm of his throne. “He’s still keeping abreast of what’s happening here in Cthol Murgos, though, wouldn’t you say?”

“Undoubtedly.”

‘ ‘Why not let him be our messenger to Belgarion then?”

“You’re moving a little fast for me, Urgit,” Oskatat confessed.

“What’s the nearest town occupied by the Malloreans?”

“They still have a reduced garrison at Rak Cthaka. We could overwhelm them in a few hours, but we haven’t wanted to give Zakath any reason to return to Cthol Murgos in force.”

Urgit shuddered. “I’m very strongly inclined toward that line of thinking myself,” he admitted, “but I owe Belgarion several favors, and I want to protect my brother as much as I can. I’ll tell you what you do, Oskatat. Take about three army corps and run on down to Rak Cthaka. Malloreans out in the countryside will run off to Rak Hagga to pass the word on to Kal Zakath that we’re beginning to attack his cities. That should get his attention. Mill around outside the city for a while, then surround the place. Ask for a parlay with the garrison commander. Explain the situation to him. I’ll compose a letter to Kal Zakath pointing out a certain community of interest in this affair. I’m sure he doesn’t want Agachak in Mallorea any more than I want the old

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magician here in Cthol Murgos. I’ll suggest in the strongest terms that he pass the word on to Belgarion. The word he’ll have already received about our hostile actions will guarantee that he’ll at least look at my letter. He’ll get in touch with Belgarion, and then we can both sit back and watch the Godslayer solve our problem for us.” He grinned suddenly. “Who knows? This might even be the first step toward a reconciliation between his Imperial Implacableness and me. I really think it’s time for An-garaks to stop killing each other.”

‘ ‘Can’t you squeeze any more speed out of her?” King Anheg demanded of Captain Greldik.

“Of course, Anheg,” Greldik growled. “I could crowd on more sail, and we’ll be as swift as an arrow—for about five minutes. Then the masts will break, and we’ll go back to rowing. Which shift should I put you down for?”

“Greldik, have you ever heard the term ‘l£se-majest£’?”

“YouVe mentioned it frequently, Anheg, but you should take a look at maritime law sometime. When we’re on board this ship and at sea, I have even more absolute authority than you’ve got in Val Alorn. If I tell you to row, you’ll row—or swim.”

Anheg walked away, muttering curses under his breath.

“Any luck?” Emperor Varana asked as the Alorn king approached the bow.

“He told me to mind my own business,” Anheg grunted. “Then he offered to let me man an oar if I was in such a hurry.”

“Have you ever manned an oar before? ”

“Once. Chereks are a seagoing people, and my father thought it would be educational for me to make a voyage as a deckhand. I didn’t mind the rowing so much. It was the flogging that irritated me.”

“They actually flogged the crown prince?” Varana asked incredulously.

“It’s very hard to see an oarsman’s lace when you’re coming up behind him.” Anheg shrugged. ”The oarsmaster was trying to get more speed out of us. We were pursuing a Tolnedran merchantman at the time, and we didn’t want her to reach the safety of Tblnedran territorial waters.”

“Anheg!” Varana exclaimed.

“That was years ago, Varana. I’ve given orders now that Tblnedran vessels are not to be molested—at least not in the sight of witnesses. The whole point of this is that Greldik’s

probably right. If he puts on all sail, the wind will uproot his masts, and you and I’ll both wind up rowing.”

“We don’t have much chance of catching up with Barak, then, do we?”

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