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The supper was the best Garion had eaten in months There had been banquets and adequate meals in inns sod the like, but there was a certain indefinable quality to his Aunt Pol's cooking that no other cook in the world could hope to ood for hih and leaned back in his chair

"I'lad you decided to leave sohtly snippy tone

"Are you cross with me for some reason?" he asked her

" No, I suppose not, Garion I'm just a little irritated, that's all"

"Why?"

"A chicken biton a large platter "That one," she added She reached out, wrenched a druely with her seful tone "How do you like that?"

Garion knew his wife, so he knew better than to laugh supper, they all lingered at the table in a kind of contentht, al over his shoulder for his sword

"I don't mean to disturb you," a querulous old voice from the other side of the door "I just wanted to be sure you have everything you need" Belgarath rose from his chair, went to the door, and opened it

"Holy Belgarath," the man outside said with a bow of the profoundest respect He was very old, with snohite hair and a thin, lined face

He was also a Groliarath stared at him warily "You knowfor you May I coarath stepped aside for hied Grolim tottered into the rooara," he murmured

Then he turned to Garion "Your Majesty," he said, "iveness?"

"Why?" Garion replied "You've never done anything to me"

"Yes I have, your Majesty When I heard about what had happened in the City of Endless Night, I hated you Can you forgive that?"