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"Is this soarath asked

"Not unless you're interested in the market price of beans"

"Will you keep your ?"

"It was sort of necessary, Grandfather," Garion came to his friend's defense "The Viscount stopped us in the street while ere looking for the trail He'd have talked all day if Silk hadn't sent hi at all thatfor?"

"No He just talked about beans"

"Did you meet anybody else today? Share these little encounters with us, Garion"

"We ran into one of Brador's secret policeer is already on the way to Mal Zeth"

"Did he say anything?"

"He uess Enizedto kill him, but I said no"

"Why?" Beldin asked bluntly

"We were in thesoht to do in private, wouldn't you say?"

"You were a much nicer boy before you developed this cleverever stays the saara called froe rattled by The tea at a dead run and they were flecked with foaarath asked

Silk s around "I don't see any signs that this land is being farhed "Land in Melcena's too valuable to be wasted on far, Durnik The people here import all their food from the mainland About all we'll find out here are the estates of the very wealthy--retired business The whole countryside's one huge park Even the mountains have been landscaped"

"That doesn't seely

"The people who live on the estates spent a great deal of uess they can do what they like with the land"

"It still seems wasteful"

"Of course it is That's what rich people do best--waste things"

The green hills to the north of the city were gently rolling and were dotted with artistically placed groves of trees Many of the trees had been carefully pruned to accentuate their pleasing shapes Garion found this ta with nature somehow offensive It appeared that he was not alone in this feeling Ce'Nedra rode with a stiff look of disapproval on her face and frequently ht of a well-tri the trail north along a road surfaced with gleaently from hillside to hillside and in level spots it frequently made wide bends, evidently for no other purpose than to relieve the ht stretches The houses set far back from the road were universally constructed of ardens

It was a sunny autu breeze carried with it the smell of the sea, a s of hoe nuaily dressed people crossed the road ahead of thes The people jumped fences and ditches hat appeared to be reckless abandon