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Zandra across a desolate valley where shattered villages sray sky The eyes of the Child of Dark were hooded, and she looked unseeing at the devastation spread before her A lusty wail caether "Feed him," she said shortly

"As you command, mistress," thetone

"Don't patronizeto think"

It had been a long ti out so very carefully Now she had come half around the world, and, despite her best efforts, the Godslayer with his dreadful sas but a few days behind her The sword The flahtht terrified her even more "How does he stay so close behind?" she exploded "Will nothing slow him?"

She thrust her hands out in front of her and turned theht seelittering like a constellation ofwould it be until those constellations invaded her entire body and she ceased even to be hu until the dreadful spirit of the Child of Dark possessed her utterly? The child wailed again

"I told you to shut him up!" she half shouted

"At once, mistress," Naradas said

The Child of Dark went back to the contemplation of the starry universe enclosed in her flesh

Eriond and Horse rode out at the first light before the others had awakened, cantering across a ood to ride alone, to feel the surge and flow of Horse's ainst his face without the distraction of talk

He reined in atop a knoll to watch the sun rise, and that was good, too He looked out over the sun-touchedin the beauty and solitude, then gazed at the fair sight of the bright green fields and forests Life was good here The world was filled with loveliness and with people he loved

How could Aldur have forced Himself to leave all this? Aldur had been the God who s, since He had refused to take a people to worship Him, but had chosen to spend His time alone to study this fair world And now He could only visit occasionally in spiritual forhed, feeling that perhaps no sacrifice could be truly unbearable if it were made out of love Eriond took coain and slowly rode back toward the little lake and the cluster of tents where the others slept

CHAPTER TWO

They rose late thatThe turht up with Garion, and, even though he could tell by the light streah the front of the tent that the sun was already high, he was reluctant toutensils and the et up soon anyway He considered trying to doze of to catch a last few ainst itHeCe'Nedra as he slid out froently kissed her hair, then he pulled on his rust-colored tunic, picked up his boots and sword, and ducked out of the tent

Polgara, in her gray traveling dress, was by her cook-fire As usual, she hu quietly nearby Silk had, for soray doublet which arath, of course, still wore his rust-colored tunic, patched hose, andthe blue surface of the little lea chestnut coat of his stallion The rest of their friends had apparently not arisen yet

"We thought you were going to sleep all day," Belgarath said as Garion sat on a log to pull on his boots