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"One froirl with the dimples--the one they call Velvet The snake didn't send anything--you kno snakes are Now, if you'll excuse ood" He lurched to the door and went out

"That is theman in the world," Porenn declared

"He does it on purpose" Vella shrugged "He thinks it's funny"

"Yarblek said that you have soes for me, too," the queen said "I suppose I should read theet all the shocks over with at one tiot one, Porenn," Vella replied, "and it isn't in writing Liselle--the one they call Velvet--asked ht," Porenn said, putting down Belgarath's letter

"I'm not sure how they found out about this," Vella said, "but it seeas"

"What are you saying, Vella?"

"Urgit isn't even related to that frothing lunatic It seeo, a certain Drasnian businessas' second wife becahtly raised "Very friendly I've always had that suspicion about Murgo woit was the result of that friendship"

A terrible suspicion began to dawn on Queen Porenn Vella grinned impishly at her "We all knew that Silk had royal connections," she said "We just didn't kno asped

Vella laughed "Oh, yes Liselle confronted Urgit's irl's face grew serious "The whole point of Liselle's e is that Silk doesn't want that bony fellow, Javelin, to find out about it Liselle felt that she had to report it to souess you're supposed to decide whether to tell Javelin or not"

"How very kind of her," Porenn said drily "Now they want ence service"

Vella's eyes twinkled "Liselle's in a kind of difficult situation, Porenn," she said "I know that I drink too much and I swear a lot That makes people think that I'm stupid, but I'ood eyes I didn't actually catch theet when Yarblek sellscompany"

"Vella!"

"I couldn't prove it, Porenn, but I knohat I saw" The Nadrak girl sniffed at her leather vest and made a sour face "If it's not too much trouble, I would really like to take a bath I've been in the saddle for weeks Horses are nice enough animals, I suppose, but I really don't want to s very fast now; to give herself tiirl "Have you ever worn satin, Vella?" she asked "A gown, perhaps?"

"Satin? Me?" Vella laughed coarsely "Nadraks never wear satin,"

"Then you ht be the very first" Queen Porenn reached out her small white hands and lifted Vella's wealth of blue-black hair into a tuive my soul for hair like that," she murmured

"I'll trade you," Vella offered "Do you knohat price I could bring if I were blond?"

"Hush, Vetla," Porenn said absently "I'irl's hair loosely about her hands, startled at how alive it felt Then she reached out, lifted Vella's chin, and looked into her huge eyes So seemed to reach out and touch the Queen of Drasnia, and she suddenly knew the destiny of this half-wild child before her "Oh,future you have in store for you You'll touch the sky, Vella, the very sky"