Part 33 (1/2)

”I'm getting to that,” Wolf said. One of the enemies of your family had been looking for your people for a long time.”

”How long?”

”Hundreds of years, actually.”

”That means he was a sorcerer, too, doesn't it?” Garion asked. ”I mean, only sorcerers live for that long, don't they?”

”He has certain capabilities along those linesm” Wolf admitted. ”Sorcerer is a misleading term, though. It's not the sort of thing we actually call ourselves. Other people do, but we don't exactly think of it that way. It's a convenient term for people who don't really understand what it's all about. Anyway, your Aunt and I happened to be away when this enemy finally tracked down Geran and Ildera. He came to their house very early one morning while they were still sleeping and he sealed up the doors and windows. And then he set it on fire.”

”I thought you said the house was made of stone.”

”It was,” Wolf said, ”but you can make stone burn if you really want to. The fire just has to be hotter, that's all. Geran and Ildera knew there was no way they could get out of the burning building, but Geran managed to knock one of the stones out of the wall, and Ildera pushed you out through the hole. The one who started the fire was waiting for that. He picked you up and started out of the village. We could never be sure exactly what he had in mind - either he was going to kill you, or maybe he was going to keep you for some reason of his own. At any rate, that's when I got there. I put out the fire, but Geran and Ildera were already dead. Then I went after the one who'd stolen you.”

”Did you kill him?” Garion demanded fiercely.

”I try not to do that more than I have to,” Wolf said. ”It disrupts the natural course of events too much. I had some other ideas at the time - much more unpleasant than killing.” His eyes were icy. ”As it turned out though, I never got the chance. He threw you at me - you were only a baby - and I had to try to catch you. It gave him time to get away. I left you with Polgara and then I went looking for your enemy. I haven't been able to find him yet, though.”

”I'm glad you haven't,” Garion said.

Wolf looked a little suprised at that.

”When I get older, I'm going to find him,” Garion said, ”I think I ought to be the one who pays him back for what he did, don't you?”

Wolf looked at him gravely. ”It could be dangerous,” he said.

”I don't care. What's his name?”

”I think that maybe I better wait a while before I tell you that,” Wolf said. ”I don't want you jumping into something before you're ready.”

”But you will tell me?”

”When the time comes.”

”It's very important, Grandfather”

”Yes,” Wolf said. ”I can see that.”

”Do you promise?”

”If you insist. And if I don't, I'm sure your Aunt will. She feels the same way you do.”

”Don't you?”