Page 74 (1/2)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

They waited on board Atesca's ship while the soldiers went ashore and began to build the enclave The Mallorean troops were quite nearly as efficient as the legions of Imperial Tolnedra, and in a very short period of tiround and erected a neat, orderly city of tents It was surrounded on the inland side by breastworks, catapults, and a deep ditch bristling with sharpened stakes A palisade of sharpened poles lined the river's edge, and a nu docks extended out into the water It was mid afternoon when Garion and the others diseuarded pavilion in the center of the enclave and politely, but firmly, asked to remain inside"Have you been able to contact Beldin?" Silk asked Belgarath in a whisper

The old "

"I hope he doesn't take too long," the little ets here, he'll decide that we need slightlystout walls and locked doors" He made a sour face "I hate jails"

"Don't you think you're exaggerating, Prince Kheldar?" Ce'Nedra asked "Zakath's always behaved like a perfect gentleman"

"Oh, of course," he replied with heavy sarcasos he crucified on the plains of Hagga? He can be polite when it doesn't inconvenience hione by the tiets here, I expect he'll show us just how irritated he really is"

"You're wrong, Prince Kheldar," Eriond said gravely "He just doesn't knohat he's supposed to do yet, that's all"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Back in Cthol Murgos, Cyradis told hi to come to a crossroads in his life This is it, I think Once he ain"

"Just like that?"

"More or less, yes"

"Polgara, would you please make him stop that?"

The tent was familiar It was a Mallorean officer's pavilion with the usual red carpeting, and furniture which could be easily disassembled They had been housed in this same kind of pavilion many times in the past Garion looked around without much interest, then he sprawled on a bench

"What's theover to sit beside him

"Isn't it obvious? Why don't they just leave us alone?"

"I think you worry too much," she told him She reached out and touched his forehead with one little finger "Your friend in there isn't going to let anything happen that's not supposed to happen, so stop brooding about this We're supposed to go to Kell, and Zakath couldn't stop us, even if he brought his whole aros and piled the this all awfully calmly"

"I have to believe, Garion," she replied with a little sigh "If I didn't, I'd go insane" She leaned forward and kissed hi to look exactly like Belgarath"

"Of course I arandfather, after all"

"The resemblance shouldn't start to show up for several thousand years yet, though," she said tartly

Two soldiers brought the of standard military rations Silk opened one of the hed "I was afraid of that"

"What's the trouble, Kheldar?" Sadi asked hiht you liked beans"

"Not to eat, I don't"

Because they had not slept the previous night, they retired early Garion tossed restlessly for a while and then finally dropped off The following ed from the curtained-off co up and down restlessly