be restored and made whole to greet my brothers unmarred.
Great were the enchantments and words of power which I cast at
the obdurate stone, but still its evil fire burned, and its curse was
upon the world by reason of the malice of Aldur.
And Belar, the youngest of my brethren, conspired with Aldur
against me and raised up his uncouth people against me and caused
each of them to curse me and have despite unto even me who had
suffered so greatly that men’s blood not be spilt.
And behold, it came to pass that the evil sorcerer, Belgarath, who
had ever sat at the right hand of Aldur, whispering the fell counsel
of malice and enmity unto him, came with four others as a thief and
bore away CTHRAG-YASKA. And one of them, the youngest, had
been so woven about with spells and enchantments that he took up
CTHRAG-YASKA and was not burned, and they bore it away.
Bravely did my warriors pursue them, and many were slain, and
even I strode with them that we might regain CTHRAG-YASKA and
so prevent the evil which it would bring to the world. But behold,
the young man raised the thing accursed and cast about its evil fire,
and my people were consumed by it, and the thieves escaped,
bearing CTHRAG-YASKA with them. And then was evil loosed in the
world. And pulled I down the city of the Angaraks, and mighty
Cthol Mishrak was laid waste that the enemies of my people not
come upon them and destroy them utterly. And divided I the
Angaraks into five tribes. The Nadraks made I hardy and bold and
set them in the north to guard the ways by which the thieves had
come. And the ThuHs made I enduring and broad of back that they
might bear burdens without tiring, and set them in the middle lands.
And the Murgos made I the fiercest and most numerous and set
them in the south that they might multiply greatly against the evil
that had been unloosed in the world. And the most of my people
kept I with me in Mallorea, which hath no limits, to serve me and to
multiply against the day when war would be raised by the
kingdoms of the west. And lastly made I the Grolims and instructed
them in enchantments and wizardry and raised them as a
priesthood before me and caused them to keep watch over all my people
wheresoever they might be.
And I raised up a mighty people and set them to labor that we
might undo the evil that had beset the world and regain
CTHRAG-YASKA that the malice of Aldur had made and thus hold and keep
the world from the destruction which no man or God might
forestall.
And behold, my brothers feared my wrath in that they had
conspired against me and sent thieves to steal CTHRAG-YASKA.
And they did flee from me – yea, and departed from the world and
remained but in spirit each with his own people.
And for a thousand years and yet another thousand and three
hundred more* did I send Nadraks and Murgos against the savage
and barbarian Alorns with Thulls to bear their burdens and Grolims
to guide them in my service.
* The chronology was revised.
And it availed not, for the sons of the
great thief Cherek, aided by the wicked sorcery of Belgarath, chief
disciple of Aldur, did fall upon my people and destroy them.
In the west did the sons of Algar bestride strange beasts, swift and
cruel, and harried my people back even unto the black mountains.
And to the north did the sons of Dras the thick-witted, eldest son of
Cherek, the thief, lie in wait and savagely ambush the brave
i
Nadraks I had sent and foully destroyed them – yea, so utterly that a
thousand years passed ere their numbers were restored. And call the
Angaraks this battle the Battle of the Grief-Place, and each year
upon the day of the Battle of the Grief-Place are a thousand ‘Thullish
maidens sacrificed and a thousand Thullish young men also. And
also are sacrificed a hundred Murgo maidens and a hundred Murgo
warriors and ten Nadrak maidens and ten Nadrak champions and a
Grolim priestess and a new-born Grolim man-child, borne in her
arms. And this is done that my people not forget the Battle of the
Grief-Place and it will be so until CTHRAG-YASKA be returned
unto me or until the end of days.
And it came to pass that my brother Issa slept, and I knew of this
by reason of the counsel of Zedar,* a wise and just man who had
abjured the malice of Aldur and the evil dominion of the wicked
sorcerer Belgarath and had come unto me with offer of service and
respect.
* This passage establishes the apostasy of Belzedar. In actuality, Zedar is a tragic hero.
When he originally went to Mallorea, he thought he was clever enough to deceive Torak.
He was wrong, and, like Urvon and Ctuchik, he is more a slave than a disciple.
Now Zedar had been a Disciple of Aldur and was well-taught
in enchantments and sorceries, and after the fashion of sorcerers had
his name been called Belzedar. But he had abjured this unseemly
name upon the day when he had come into my service. And he
brought forth a vision, and behold, my brother Issa, ever sluggish
and indolent, had fallen into a deep slumber which had endured for
a hundred years, and his priests could not rouse him nor the queen
of his people either. And sent I Zedar unto the land of the snake
people who worship my brother Issa, and he spake unto their queen
and offered unto her wealth and power and Dominion over many
lands if she would fall down and worship me and do my bidding.
And behold, she consented to it, and in secret sent she her emissaries
unto a certain place and did break the power of CTHRAG-YASKA
which had by reason of the malice of Aldur and the sorceries of
Belgarath raised a barrier against me. And once the sons of Riva,
youngest son of Cherek, were no more, the enchantment was
broken, and then might I come against the kingdoms of the west and
demand the return of CTHRAG-YASKA that I might undo its evil
sorceries.
And now are my people made ready, and will we now come
against the kingdoms of the west which have hearkened unto the
counsel and beguilements of wicked Gods and evil sorcerers and
have sought to deny me that which is mine. And I will smite them
THE HOLY BOOKS
with my wrath and harry them and multiply their sufferings
enormously. And behold, I will cause them all to fall down and worship
me, forasmuch as my brothers have all fled, I only remain, and I
only am God in the world. And all men shall worship me and raise
the sweet odor of sacrifice to me and I shall have Lordship and
Dominion over all things, and the world shall be mine
(The copy of the manuscript breaks off here.)
NOTE
THE HOLY BOOKS
TESTAMENT OF THE
SNAKE PEOPLE
This strange fragment was discovered in the ruins of a Nyissan temple
during an exploratory expedition by the twenty-third Imperial legion
into northern Nyissa following the Alorn invasion of the land of the
Snake People during the early forty-first century. The antiquity of the
fragment and the general condition of the ruins of the temple in which
it was found indicate that both more probably date back to the time of
the invasion of the Marags rather than the more recent Alorn incursion.
lived we in caves,
beside still brooks
and in mossy dells,
and
ISSA
was with
(dull-eyed ISSA with cold skin)
– Praise the glory of ISSKs name
were we to bask in sun
on warm rocl,.
and to slither at night
into dens cool and dry
beneath the rocks,
moved among us
the movements,
sinuous and subtle)
our scent from
and touched our faces
and lapped
and
ISSA
with dry cold hand,
flickering
with
out of air
tongue
– Praise the glory of ISSMs name
3. Solitary
4. Coiled
we with our
brothers,
venom
from
watched we
the turn
of-seasons,
ISSA
the serpents,
years, light as dust
and wise).
and kissed
the
sweet
their lipless sn-tiles
while,
ISSA
watched
and guarded
our
childlike play
Praise the watchfulness of mighty ISSA
5. But
lay upon us,
uncaring we wa
and ISSA
Instructed us
(sibilant the
voice
of beloved
– Glory to the wisdom of ISSA
Other Gods made war, and we knew not why.
Some trifle
THE RIVAN CODEX
that had no use or value was the cause of their contention.
Still lay we in timeless drowse, basking in sun’s
Warmth and the glory of ISSMs gaze
– Adore the beauty of the scaled face of ISSA