‘It’s in the bookcase on the south wall,’ Poledra supplied, ‘behind that rat-chewed copy of the Darine Codex.’
‘Really?’ Belgarath said. ‘How did you know about that?’
‘Remember what Cyradis called me at Rheon?’
‘The woman who watches?’
‘Does that answer your question?’
‘Would you lend it to me?’ Beldin asked his brother. ‘I suppose “give” would be a better word. I doubt that I’ll ever be in a position to repay you.’
‘Certainly, Beldin,’ Belgarath said. ‘I wasn’t really using it anyway.’
‘Could you get it for me?’
Belgarath nodded, and then he concentrated, holding out his hand.
The diamond that suddenly appeared in his hand was almost like a chunk of ice, except that it had a definite pinkish cast to it.
It was also somewhat larger than an apple.
‘Torak’s teeth and toenails!’ Yarblek exclaimed.
‘An’ would th’ two of ye, consumed with greed though ye may be, consider this triflin’ thing a suitable price fer this beguilin’ wench yer both so set on sellin’?’ Beldin said, lapsing into Feldegast’s brogue and pointing at the stone resting on Belgarath’s hand.
‘That’s worth a hundred times more than has ever been paid for any woman since time began,’ Yarblek said in an awed tone.
‘Then that ought to be about the right price,’ Vella said triumphantly. ‘Yarblek, when you get back to Gar og Nadrak, I want you to spread that word around. I want every woman in the kingdom for the next hundred years to cry herself to sleep every night just thinking about the price I brought.’
‘You’re a cruel woman, Vella,’ Yarblek grinned.
‘It’s a question of pride,’ she said, tossing her blue-black hair. ‘There, now, that didn’t take too long at all, did it?’ She rose to her feet and dusted off her hands. ‘Yarblek,’ she said, ‘have you got my ownership papers?’
‘Yes.’
‘Get them and sign me over to my new owner.’
‘We have to divide up the price first, Vella.’ He looked mournfully at the pink stone. ‘It’s really going to be a shame to split that beauty,’ he said.
‘Keep it,’ she said indifferently. ‘I don’t need it.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘It’s yours. Get those papers, Yarblek.’
‘Are you really sure about all this, Vella?’ he asked her again.
‘I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.’
‘But he’s so ugly – sorry, Beldin, but it’s the truth. Vella, what could possibly have made you choose him?’
‘Only one thing,’ she said.
‘What’s that?’
‘He can fly.’ Her tone was filled with a kind of wonder.
Yarblek shook his head and went to his saddlebag. He brought back the ownership papers and signed them over to Beldin.
‘An’ what would I be wantin’ with these?’ Beldin asked. The brogue, Garion realized, was a way to hide emotions so deep that the hunchback was almost afraid of them.
‘Keep them or throw them away,’ Vella shrugged. ‘They don’t have any meaning for me any more.’
‘Very well then, me darlin’,’ he said. He crumpled the papers up into a ball and held the ball out on the palm of his hand. The wad of paper burst into flame and burned down to ashes. ‘There,’ he said, blowing the ashes away. ‘Now they won’t be troublin’ us any more. Is that it? Is that all there is to it?’
‘Not quite,’ she said. She bent and removed the two daggers from her boot-tops. Then she took the other from her belt. ‘Here,’ she said, her eyes now very soft, ‘I won’t be needing these anymore.’ She handed the daggers to her new owner.
‘Oh,’ Polgara said, her eyes filling with tears.
‘What is it, Pol?’ Durnik asked, his face filled with concern.
‘That’s the most sacred thing a Nadrak woman can do,’ Polgara answered, touching at her eyes with the hem of her apron. ‘She just totally surrendered herself to Beldin. That’s just beautiful.’
‘An’ what would I be needin’ knives fer?’ Beldin asked with a gentle smile. One by one he tossed the daggers into the air, where they vanished in little puffs of smoke. He turned. ‘Goodbye, Belgarath,’ he said to the old sorcerer. ‘We’ve had some fun, haven’t we?’
‘I’ve enjoyed it.’ Belgarath had tears in his eyes.
‘And Durnik,’ Beldin said, ‘it looks as if you’re here to replace me.’
‘You talk like a man about to die,’ Durnik said.
‘Oh, no, Durnik, I’m not going to die. I’m just going to change a bit. You two say goodbye to the twins for me. Explain things to them. Enjoy your good fortune, Yarblek, but I still think I got the better of that bargain. Garion, try to keep the world running.’
‘Eriond’s supposed to take care of that.’
‘I know, but keep an eye on him. Don’t let Him get into trouble.’
Beldin didn’t say anything to Ce’Nedra. He simply kissed her rather noisily. Then he also kissed Poledra. She regarded him fondly, her golden eyes filled with love.
‘Goodbye, old cow,’ he said at last to Polgara, slapping her familiarly on the bottom. He looked meaningfully at her waist. ‘I told you that you were going to get fat if you kept eating all those sweets.’
She kissed him then with tears in her eyes.
‘An’ now, me darlin’,’ he said to Vella, ‘let’s be walkin’ a bit apart. There’s much t’ be said before we leave.’ Then the two of them walked hand in hand up toward the top of the hill. When they reached it, they stopped and spoke together for a while. Then they embraced and exchanged a long, fervent kiss, and then, while they were still locked in each others’ arms, they shimmered and seemed almost to dissolve.
The one hawk was very familiar. The bands on his wings were electric blue. The other hawk, however, had lavender bands on her wings. Together, they thrust themselves into the air and rose in an effortless spiral up and up through the glowing air. Higher and higher they spun in that formal wedding dance until they were no more than a pair of specks winging up and out over the Vale.
And then they were gone, never again to return.