‘I’ve got very good eyes, Barak, and I can tell the difference between a man and a woman.’
‘So can I, but not when they’re all wrapped up in cloaks like that.’
‘Look at her elbows the next time she raises her arms. Women’s elbows are hinged differently from ours. Adara says it has to do with carrying babies.’
‘Did you fear to come alone, Agachak?’ the woman atop the little hill demanded with contempt. Then she flicked another fireball, and another Grolim crumpled to the ground.
‘I fear nothing, Zandramas,’ a hollow voice came from the trees at the edge of the field.
‘Now we know who they are,’ Hettar said. ‘But why are they fighting?’
‘Zandramas is a woman?’ Lelldorin asked in amazement.
Hettar nodded. ‘Queen Porenn found out about it some time back. She sent word to the Alorn kings, and Cho-Hag told me.’
Zandramas almost casually felled the three remaining Grolims. ‘Well, Agachak,’ she said then, ‘will you come out of hiding now? Or must I come and find you?’
A tall, cadaverous-looking Grolim stepped out of the trees. ‘Your fire will have no effect on me, Zandramas,’ he said, advancing toward the hooded woman.
‘I wasn’t thinking of fire, Agachak,’ she almost purred. ‘This will be your fate.’ She suddenly seemed to blur and shimmer, and then standing in the place she had occupied was an enormous, hideous beast. It had a long, snake like neck and huge bat wings.
‘Belar!’ Barak swore. ‘She just turned into a dragon!’
The dragon spread her wings and flapped into the air. The cadaverous Grolim shrank back, then raised both arms. There was a shocking sound, and the dragon was suddenly encased in a sheet of green fire. The voice that came thundering from the dragon’s mouth was still the voice of Zandramas. ‘You should have paid more attention to your studies, Agachak. If you had, you’d know that Torak made dragons immune to sorcery.’ The dragon hovered over the now-terrified Grolim. ‘Incidentally, Agachak,’ she said, ‘you’ll be happy to know that Urvon is dead. Give him my regards when you see him.’ And then she struck, sinking her talons into Agachak’s chest. He shrieked once before a sudden billow of sooty fire burst from the dragon’s mouth and engulfed his face. And then the dragon bit his head off.
Lelldorin made a retching sound. ‘Great Chamdar!’ he gasped in a revolted voice. ‘She’s eating him!’
There was a horrid crunching sound as the dragon continued her ghastly feast. Then at last with a shrill scream of triumph, she spread her huge wings and flew off to the east.
‘Is it safe to come out now?’ a shaking voice asked from nearby.
‘You’d better,’ Barak said ominously, drawing his sword.
It was a Thull. He was young, with muddy-colored hair and a slack-lipped mouth.
‘What’s a Thull doing in Mallorea?’ Lelldorin asked the stranger.
‘Agachak brought me,’ the Thull replied, trembling violently.
‘What’s your name?’ Relg asked him.
‘I’m Nathel, King of Mishrak ac Thull. Agachak said he’d make me Overking of Angarak if I’d help him with something he had to do here. Please, don’t leave me alone.’ Tears were streaming down his face.
Barak looked at his companions. They all had expressions of pity on their faces. ‘Oh, all right,’ he said grudgingly. ‘Come along, I guess.’
CHAPTER TEN
‘WHAT’S THE MATTER with her, Aunt Pol?’ Garion was looking at Ce’Nedra, who sat crooning over her blanket-wrapped bundle of rags.
‘That’s what I need to find out,’ Polgara said. ‘Sadi, I need some Oret.’
‘Is that really wise, Lady Polgara?’ the eunuch asked. ‘In her present condition—’ He spread his thin-fingered hands suggestively.
‘If there’s any danger, Aunt Pol—’ Garion began.
‘Oret is relatively harmless,’ she cut him off. ‘It stimulates the heart a bit, but Ce’Nedra’s heart is strong. I can hear it beating half a continent away. We need to know what happened right now, and Oret is the fastest way.’
Sadi had opened his red leather case and he handed Polgara one of his little vials. She judiciously tapped three drops of the yellow liquid into a cup and then filled the cup with water. ‘Ce’Nedra, dear,’ she said to the little queen, ‘you must be thirsty. This might help.’ She handed the cup to the red-haired girl.
‘Why, thank you, Lady Polgara.’ Ce’Nedra drank deeply. ‘As a matter of fact, I was just about to ask someone for a drink of water.’
‘Very smooth, Pol,’ Beldin whispered.
‘Rudimentary, uncle.’
‘Do you have any idea of what they’re talking about?’ Zakath asked Garion.
‘Aunt Pol implanted the notion of thirst into Ce ’Nedra’s mind.’
‘You people can actually do that?’
‘As she said, it’s rudimentary.’
‘Can you do it?’
‘I don’t know. I’ve never tried.’ Garion’s attention was, however, firmly fixed on his blissfully smiling little wife.
Polgara calmly waited.
‘I think you can begin now, Lady Polgara,’ Sadi said after a few minutes.
‘Sadi,’ she said absently, ‘we know each other well enough by now to skip the formalities. I’m not going to choke over “your Excellency,” so why should you strangle on “my Lady”?’
‘Why, thank you, Polgara.’
‘Now, Ce ’Nedra,’ Polgara said.
‘Yes, Aunt Pol?’ the tiny queen said, her eyes slightly unfocused.
‘There’s a first,’ Silk said to Beldin.
‘She’s been living with Garion for quite a while now,’ the dwarf replied. ‘Things do rub off after a bit.’
‘I wonder what Polgara’d do if I called her by that name?’
‘I don’t recommend experimentation,’ Beldin told him. ‘It’s up to you, though, and you’d make a very interesting-looking radish.’
‘Ce’Nedra,’ Polgara said, ‘why don’t you tell me exactly how you got you baby back?’
‘Arell found him for me,’ Ce’Nedra smiled. ‘Now I have even more reason to love Arell.’
‘We all love Arell.’
‘Isn’t he beautiful?’ Ce’Nedra turned back the blanket to reveal her rags.