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The door opened again, and a nondescript man ca to Javelin The man's face, Errand noticed, was pale, and his hands were treave no other outward sign of emotion, however He rose to his feet and came around the table "Your Majesty" he said formally to Prince Kheva, "I believe that you should return to the palace ied form of address and looked sharply at the Chief of Drasnian Intelligence

"I believe that we should all acco back to the palace," Javelin said sadly "We must offer our condolences to his rief"

The King of Drasnia looked at his intelligence chief, his eyes very wide and his lip treently took the little boy's hand in his "We'd better go, Kheva," he said "Your ht now"

CHAPTER EIGHT

The Kings of Aloria gathered in Boktor for the funeral of King Rhodar and the subsequent coronation of his son, Kheva Such a gathering, of course, was traditional Though the nations of the north had diverged somewhat over the centuries, the Alorns nonetheless had never forgotten their origins in the single kingdo Cherek Bear-shoulders five thousand years in the diether at such ti Rhodar had been beloved and respected by other nations as well, Anheg of Cherek, Cho-Hag of Algaria, and Belgarion of Riva were joined by Fulrach of Sendaria, Korodullin of Arendia, and even by the erratic Drosta lek Thun of Gar og Nadrak In addition, General Varana was present as the representative of Emperor Ran Borune XXIII of Tolnedra, and Sadi, Chief Eunuch of the palace of Queen Salmissra of Nyissa, was also in attendanceThe burial of an Alorn King was a serious matter, and it involved certain ceremonies at which only the other Alorn h-ranking functionaries, however, could ever be entirely ceremonial Inevitably, politics were of major concern in the quiet discussions which took place in the somberly draped corridors of the palace

Errand, soberly dressed and quiet, drifted fro the funeral

The Kings all knew him, but they seemed for some reason to take little note of his presence, and so he heard ht perhaps not have heard had they stopped to consider the fact that he was no longer the little boy they had known during the caarion in his usual blue doublet and hose, and the brutish-looking Anheg in his ru in silver and black -stood together in a sable-draped embrasure in one of the broad hallways of the palace

"Porenn is going to have to serve as regent," Garion said "Kheva is only six, and soh to take charge hioing to have that argu asked ," Garion said in hisat the prospect of a boy king on the throne of Drasnia His troops will be biting off chunks of the borderlands before the rest of us get hoe here"

"But Porenn is so tiny," Anheg objected irrationally, "and so pretty How can she possibly run a kingdoht carefully on his crippled legs "Rhodar confided in her co, after all"

"About the only other person in Drasnia corave Khendon," Garion told the King of Cherek "The one they call Javelin Do you want the Chief of Drasnian Intelligence sitting behind the throne giving orders?"

Anheg shuddered "That's a ghastly thought What about Prince Kheldar?"

Garion stared at hi," he said incredulously "Silk? As regent?"

"You ht "He is just a little unreliable, isn't he?"

"A little?" Garion laughed