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"This is most excellent news, my Lady," Mandorallen praised her "Since we know of the weakness of the north fortifications, we can concentrate our efforts there If Good of the foundations of the north wall should bring it down ar?" Barak asked the girl

"I only saw him briefly at a distance He spends most of his time inside his house, and only his closest cohorts are allowed near hih, just before he sent his forces to attack you He speaks very passionately and he had the crowd absolutely under his control I can tell you one thing about hih He's not an Alorn"

"He's not?" Barak looked duive away his nationality, but his speech is not that of an Alorn"

"Why would the cult accept an outsider as their leader?" Garion demanded

"They aren't aware of the fact that he is an outsider He mispronounces a feords -just a couple, actually, and only a trained ear would catch theht have been able to steer hiins I'rip on the cult?" Javelin asked

"It's absolute," she replied "They'll do anything he tells the very akin to a God"

"We're going to have to take hirimly "I have to have some answers"

"That ravely "It's widely believed in Rheon that he's a sorcerer I didn't actually see any evidence of it myself, but I talked with a number of people who have, or at least who claireat service for us, Margravine," Queen Porenn said gratefully "It shall not be forgotten"

"Thank you, your Majesty," Liselle replied simply, with a formal little curtsy Then she turned back to Garion "What inforly that the cult forces within the walls are not nearly so formidable as ere led to believe Their nu boys and oldrather desperately on a force that'stoward the city under the command of a hidden cult-mes us right back to the absolute necessity of getting inside those walls," Javelin told theoing to take for the ground under the north wall to soften enough to topple the structure?"

Durnik sat back, staring thoughtfully at the ceiling of the tent "We want to take them by surprise," he said, "so I don't think ant the water to coe would be far less noticeable It's going to take a while to saturate the ground"

"And we're going to have to be very careful," Garion added "If this Ulfgar really is a sorcerer, he'll hear us if we make too much noise"

"There'll be plenty of noise when the wall comes down," Barak said "Why don't you just blow it apart the way you did the back wall of Jarviksholm?"

Garion shook his head "There are a couple of moments after you unleash your hen you're absolutely vulnerable to attack by anybody who has the same kind of talent I'd sort of like to be alive and sane when I find round under the wall?" Javelin asked

Durnik scratched at his cheek "Tonight," he replied, "and all day toht to be sufficiently undermined Then, just before we Garion and I can speed up the floater and wash outto be very wet and soft already, and a good streaht out from under the wall If we lob stones at it fro hooks into it, we should be able to pull it down in short order"

"You ines," Yarblek said to Mandorallen "Give the out of the sky That way they won't pay any attention when you start pounding on their walls toht," Garion said firmly

Javelin looked at his niece "Do you have the layout of the north quarter of the city fairly well in mind?" he asked

She nodded