Part 30 (1/2)

Anheg winced.

”He's a Grolim,” Silk said. ”They probably won't find him, but they'll take the kingdom apart looking. Your gold is safe, your warriors get a bit of exercise, you get a reputation for generosity, and, with every man in Cherek looking for him with an axe, Asharak's going to be much to busy hiding to stir up any more mischief. A man whose head is more valuable to others than it is to himself has little time for foolishness.”

”Prince Kheldar,” Anheg said gravely, ”you are a devious man.”

”I try, King Anheg,” Silk said with an ironic bow.

”I don't suppose you'd care to come to work for me?” the King of Cherek offered.

”Anheg!” Rhodar protested.

Silk sighed. ”Blood, King Anheg,” he said. ”I'm committed to my uncle by our bonds of kins.h.i.+p. I'd be interested to hear your offer, though. It might help in future negotiations about compensation for my services.”

Queen Porenn's laughter was like a small silver bell, and King Rhodar's face became tragic. ”You see,” he said. ”I'm absolutely surrounded by traitors. What's a poor fat old man to do?”

A grim-looking warrior entered the hall and marched up to Anheg. ”It's done, King,” he said. ”Do you want to look at his head?”

”No,” Anheg said shortly.

”Should we put it on a pole near the harbor?” The warrior asked.

”No,” Anheg said. ”Jarvik was a brave man once and my kinsman by marriage. Have him delivered to his wife for proper burial.”

The warrior bowed and left the hall.

”This problem of the Grolim, Asharak, interests me,” Queen Islena said to Aunt Pol. ”Might we not between us, Lady Polgara, devise a way to locate him?” Her expression had a certain quality of self-importance to it.

Mister Wolf spoke quickly before Aunt Pol could answer. ”Bravely spoken, Islena,” he said. ”But we couldn't allow the Queen of Cherek to take such a risk. I'm sure your skills are formidable, but such a search opens the mind completely. If Asharak felt you looking for him he'd retaliate instantly. Polgara wouldn't be in any danger, but I'm afraid your mind could be blown out like a candle. It would be a great shame to have the Queen of Cherek live out the rest of her life as a raving lunatic.”

Islena turned suddenly very pale and did not see the sly wink Mister Wolf directed at Anheg.

”I couldn't permit it.,” Anheg said firmly. ”My Queen is far too precious for me to allow her to take such a terrible risk.”

”I must accede to the will of my Lord,” Islena said in a relieved tone. ”By his command I withdraw my suggestion.”

”The courage of my Queen honors me,” Anheg said with an absolutely straight face.

Islena bowed and backed away rather quickly. Aunt Pol looked at Mister Wolf with one raised eyebrow, but let it pa.s.s.

Wolf's expression became more serious as he rose from the chair in which he had been sitting. ”I think the time has come to make some decisions,” he said. ”Things are beginning to move too fast for any more delay.” He looked at Anheg. ”Is there some place where we can speak without risk of being overheard?”

”There's a chamber in one of the towers,” Anheg said. ”I thought about it before our first meeting but-” He paused and looked at Cho-Hag.

”You shouldn't let it concern you,” Cho-Hag said. ”I can manage stairs if I have to, and it would have been better for me to have been a little inconvenienced than to have Jarvik's spy overhear us.”

”I'll stay with Garion,” Durnik said to Aunt Pol.

Aunt Pol shook her head firmly. ”No,” she said. ”As long as Asharak is on the loose in Cherek, I don't want him out of my sight.”

”Shall we go then?” Mister Wolf said. ”It's getting late, and I want to leave first thing in the morning. The trail I was following is getting colder.”

Queen Islena, still looking shaken stood to one side with Porenn and Silar and made no effort to follow as King Anheg led the way from the throne room.

I'll let you know what happens, King Rhodar signalled to his queen.

Of course, Porenn gestured back. Her face was placid, but the snap of her fingers betrayed her irritability.

Calmly, child, Rhodar's fingers told her. We're guests here and have to obey local customs.

Whatever my Lord commands, she replied with a tilt of her hands that spoke whole volumes of sarcasm.

With Hettar's help, King Cho-Hag managed the stairs although his progress was painfully slow. ”I apologize for this,” he puffed, stopping halfway to catch his breath. ”It's as tiresome for me as it is for you.”

King Anheg posted guards at the foot of the stairs, then came up and closed the heavy door behind him. ”Light the fire, cousin,” he said to Barak. ”We might as well be comfortable.”

Barak nodded and put a torch to the wood in the fireplace.

The chamber was round and not too s.p.a.cious, but there was adequate room for them all and chairs and benches to sit on.

Mister Wolf stood at one of the windows, looking down at the twinkling lights of Val Alorn below. ”I've always been fond of towers,” he said, almost to himself. ”My Master lived in one like this, and I enjoyed the time I spent there.”

”I'd give my life to have known Aldur,” Cho-Hag said softly. ”Was he really surrounded by light as some say?”

”He seemed quite ordinary to me,” Mister Wolf said. ”I lived with him for five years before I even knew who he was.”

”Was he really as wise as we're told?” Anheg asked.

”Probably wiser,” Wolf said. ”I was a wild and errant boy when he found me dying in a snowstorm outside his tower. He managed to tame me - though it took him several hundred years to do it.” He turned from the window with a deep sigh. ”To work then,” he said.

”Where will you go to take up the search?” King Fulrach asked.

”Camaar,” Wolf said. ”I found the trail there, I think it led down into Arendia.”

”We'll send warriors with you,” Anheg said. ”After what happened here, it looks like the Grolims may try to stop you.”

”No, Wolf said firmly. ”Warriors are useless in dealing with the Grolims. I can't move with an army underfoot, and I won't have time to explain to the King of Arendia why I'm invading his kingdom with a horde of troops at my back. It takes even longer to explain things to Arends than it does to Alorns - impossible as that sounds.”

”Don't be uncivil, Father,” Aunt Pol said. ”It's their world too, and they're concerned.”

”you wouldn't necessarily need an army, Belgarath,” King Rhodar said, ”but wouldn't it be prudent to take along a few good men?”

There's very little that Polgara and I can't deal with by ourselves,” Wolf said, ”and Silk, Barak and Durnik are along to deal with the more mundane problems. The smaller our group, the less attention we'll attract.” He turned to Cho-Hag. ”As long as we're on the subject, though, I'd like to have your son with us. We're likely to need his rather specialized talents.”

”Impossible,” Hettar said flatly. ”I have to remain with my father.”

”No, Hettar,” Cho-Hag said. ”I don't intend for you to live out your life as a cripple's legs.”