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"I'm always careful, Aunt Pol"

"Really? I seeo"

"I was a child then"

"Soe, I'hed "Oh, my Garion," she said, "I've missed you in the past few years, do you know that?"

"I've ing

"That we could have just stayed at Faldor's farm?"

"It really wasn't such a bad place, was it?"

"No It was a very good place -for a child But you're gro Would you really have been content there? Life was quite placid at Faldor's"

"If we hadn't left, I'd never have knohat it was like to live any other way"

"But if we hadn't left, you never would have ht about that"

"Let's go below, shall we?" she suggested "That breeze is really rather brisk"

They encountered King Anheg and Barak in a narrow companionway just outside theacidly, "you're getting to be worse than an old wo," the red-bearded Barak growled "You're not going to take the Seabird up that inlet until all those catapults have been cleared I didn't spend that much money on her to have somebody drop boulders on her decks from those cliffs My boat, my rules"

The lean-faced Javelin approached from down the companionway "Is there so down a few rules for Anheg here," Barak replied "He's going to be in charge ofso with Garion when he mounts his attack on the city

"As you think best,to take to reach the ed at his luxuriant red beard "Those Rivan ships carrying Garion's troops aren't quite as fast as our warships," he ree, Anheg?"

"About that, yes"

"That should put us there toht," Barak said, "and that's when the fun starts"

Aunt Pol sighed "Alorns!"

After a few shouted conferences from ship to ship, the co breeze and beat northward along the rugged west coast of the Cherek peninsula toward Jarvikshol, Garion went up on deck with Barak and Hettar to watch the sun come up above the forested and snow-capped peaks of Cherek The shadows back in the wooded valleys were a kind of misty blue, and the sun sparkled on the waves

Aa rope, turned froer directly at Garion's unprotected back as the King stood at the rail

The attack ht well have proved fatal had Durnik not shouted a quick warning Garion half-turned in ti across the deck At the same time, he heard a startled exclamation and a splash He wheeled about to see a desperately clutching hand sink beneath the waves about thirty yards to port He looked questioningly at Polgara, but she shook her head

"I forgot about the etically, "It's sort of hard to sith one of those on, isn't it?"