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Garion slipped out of the shed and trotted cautiously fro the handle with his jaws The place in ht hi since put behind hie rooms were all almost the same as at Faldor's The smithy was so like Durnik's that Garion could al of his friend's hammer on the anvil He was quite certain that he could close his eyes and pad unerringly across the yard to the kitchen

Methodically, he entered each room around the lower floor of the farallery with his toenails scratching at the wooden steps

All was deserted

He returned to the yard and poked an inquiring nose into the barn The coled in panic, and Garion backed out through the door to avoid causing her further distress

"Aunt Pol," he sent his thought out

"Yes, dear?"

"There's nobody here, and it's a perfect place"

"Perfect is an extravagant word, Garion"

"Wait until you see it"

A few ateway, sniffed, looked around, and blurred into his own forht soin "It's about a league to the river," he said even as he changed "If we , we can arath said "The river banksaround in the dark if we don't have to"

The hunchback shrugged "It's up to you"

Then Polgara, as pale and silent as a ghost, drifted over the wall, settled on the tailgate of a theeled cart in the center of the yard, and resu down and looking around "You were right, Garion It is perfect" She folded her cloak across her arm and crossed the yard to the kitchen door About five minutes later, Durnik led the others into the yard He also looked around, then suddenly laughed "You'd almost expect Faldor himself to come out that door," he said "How's it possible for two places so far apart to look so n for a fararath told hioing to arrive at it Can you do soet ht away" The smith slid down froarath looked after hi hiara?" Silk asked, looking around as he helped Velvet down froarath pointed toward the kitchen " Getting her out of thereDurnik out of the shtly dreaiven her the previous night had not yet entirely worn off, and Garion surid control "Very nice," she said, leaning involuntarily toward Silk "Sort of homey"

Silk's expression ary, like that of a , sitting around a long table in the bea the roo back fro on the wall The rooh the stored outside, filling the night with thunder and wind and driving rain Garion felt oddly at peace, a peace he had not known for ratefully, knowing that it would strengthen hioodness!" Sadi exclai, the eunuch had taken his red case to the far end of the kitchen and had been trying to coax Zith from her little home with a saucer of fresh, war to shake off the effects of the drug and Polgara's insistence that she remain calm

"Zith had a little surprise for us," Sadi replied in a delighted tone "Several little surprises, in fact"