frost-touched wolf.
And his second daughter Beldaran was called, because the mark
of the Sorcerers was not upon her. And fair was she, and her hair
was like gold. And dearly was she beloved by her father and equally
by her dark-haired sister. And they contended one with the other for
her affection. But it came to pass that when his daughters had
reached their sixteenth year did Belgarath fall into a deep sleep, and
in a dream did the spirit of Aldur come unto him and spake, saying.
‘My beloved disciple, I would have thy house joined with the house
of the guardian of the Orb. Choose thou, therefore, which of thy
daughters wilt thou give to the Rivan King to wife, for in the joining
of thy house with the house of Riva shall a line invincible be forged
that will join my will with the will of my brother Belar, and Torak
himself may not prevail against us.’
And in the deep silences of his soul was Belgarath tempted. Thus
might he rid himself of his spiteful daughter whose tongue seared
like acid and whose white lock was ever a rebuke unto him. But,
knowing the burden upon the Rivan King, sent he instead Beldaran,
his fair daughter to be the mother of the Rivan line – and wept when
she was gone.
And Polgara wept also with the departure of her sister, knowing
in her soul that the beloved Beldaran would fade and that her love
for Riva would age her and that like a flower would she wither and
drop away. But in time Polgara dried her tears and went even unto
her father.
And she spake unto her father, saying, ‘Behold, Old Grey Wolf,
thus are we alone, and now mayest thou reveal unto me the secrets
of our line that I may succeed thee and care for thee in thy dotage.’
And then was Belgarath mightily provoked and raised up his
hand against his spiteful daughter, but she smiled upon him sweetly,
and his hand faltered, and he turned and fled from her.
And she called after him, saying, ‘Father, still hast thou not
instructed me in our art.’
And Belgarath fled. And, laughing, did his daughter, Polgara,
pursue him.
* An abbreviated version of this became the prologue for Book One of the Belgariad, Pawn
of Prophecy, and Belgarath repeated it at Faldor’s farm to give Garion a reference point. It
also recurs in Belgarath the Sorcerer.
THE HOLY BOOKS
THE BOOK OF TORAK
.,NOTE
The Book of Torak is forbidden in all the kingdoms of the west.
Possession of a copy of this work is punishable by death in all the
civilized world. ]he reading of this work is also punishable by death. This
notice constitutes a legal warning under the statutes of The Empire of
Tolnedra, the Kingdom of Arendia, the Kingdom.of Sendaria, Holy
Ulgo, the Kingdom of Cherek, the Wardership of Riva, the Kingdom
of Drasnia, the Kingdom of Algaria, and is also valid in the Vale of
Aldur and the District of the Marags. Negotiations are currently
pending with Her Majesty Eternal Salmissra, Queen of Nyissa, to extend
this ban to the land of the Snake People.
*The University of Tol Honeth has its origins in this headnote: a group who were
meticulous about details, but who had no idea what was really going on.
BEHOLD, ght else
I am Torak, King of Kings, Lord of Lords. I was before all
was. I will be when all that has been made is unmade, ye?., even
beyond the end of days. I was when the world was englobed and the
vast seas contained and the mountains heaved up out of reeking
slime to claw at the vault of heaven. I will be when the mountains
crumble into sand and are carried away as dust on the endless wind
and the seas dwindle down into stagnant pools and the rounded
world shrivels and is no more.
Seven were we, and joined our hands and made all that is made.
And separated we the sea from the land and set the moon and the
sun in their courses and covered the world with forests and grasses.
Beasts we made and fowls, and lastly Man, to be the servant and the
instrument of our will. And we divided the men we had made into
peoples, and each of us took unto himself a people to mold and
shape to his own purposes – all save Aldur, who was ever contrary
and discontented in that we would not grant him dominion over all
the world and lordship over us as well. And he withdrew himself
from us and sought to entice our servants away from us with his
enchantments.
And the people who were mine called themselves Angarak, and
offered they burnt sacrifice and worship unto me. And I blessed them,
and they prospered and grew numerous. And in their gratitude
raised they up an altar unto me in the high places of Korim which are
no more. And to test and prove their love of me, I required at certain
seasons the sacrifice of a score of their fairest maidens and another
score of their bravest youths. And it was done gladly, so great was
their love of me, and was it deemed honor to be chosen for the knife
and the altar-fire. And I was well-pleased and blessed them even
more, and they prospered above all men and multiplied exceedingly.
And it came to pass that my brother, Aldur, who had despite unto
me in that I had a numerous people who loved and worshiped me,
conspired in the secret places of his soul and created in my despite a
thing with which he might thwart my purposes, and a thing
whereby he might gain Lordship and Dominion.
Went I then unto Aldur and besought him that he give up this
thing and return to the fellowship of the Gods. But he had despite
unto me and spake slightingly to me in a manner unfit, and I saw
that this thing which he had made had such power over him that it
twisted his soul and raised enmity between him and his brothers.
And so it was that to save my brother took I the burden of the ‘g
itself upon me.
But Aldur was wroth and went unto our brothers and beguiled
them into enmity toward me, and each of them came to me and
spake slightingly unto me, commanding me to return to Aldur the
thing that had twisted his soul and which I had taken that he might
be freed of the enchantment of it. But I resisted them, and would in
no wise do it.
Then girded they for war, and the sky was made black with the
stinking smoke of their forges as their people beat out weapons with
which to rend and maim my people.
But I would not permit it – that the blood of men be spilt and the
Gods make war upon each other, and raised I the cursed thing
which Aldur had made and with it divided I the land that the seas
might come in and separate the peoples one from the other that they
might not come upon each other and their blood be spilt.
But such was the malice which Aldur had wrought into the thing
accursed that in the day that I raised it to divide the world that
men’s blood not be spilt did it smite me with fire. Even as I spake
the commands unto it did it sear my flesh. And the malice of Aldur
consumed the hand with which I held the thing accurs6d and
blinded the eye with which I beheld it and marred one half of my
face with its burning.
And I caused it to be bound up in a cask of iron that it might
injure none other, and named it CTHRAG-YASKA, the burning
stone, that men and Gods might be wary of it and its evil never
again be unleashed to destroy flesh with the malice of Aldur. And
it
upon myself I took the burden of guarding CTHRAG-YASKA that I
be bound in iron until the end of days and all its mischief with it.
And I bore my people away to the east in Mallorea, and on a
sheltered plain did they build a great city and called its name Cthol
Mishrak in remembrance of my suffering. And I concealed their city
with clouds so that men might not find them to despoil them for
their love of me.
Then labored I for a thousand years and yet another thousand to
raise the curse which Aldur in his malice had laid on the stone,
CTHRAG-YASKA. Well I knew that in the day of the lifting of the
curse would men and Gods be rejoined in brotherhood and
fellowship, and the malice of Aldur unto me would be broken, and I would