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"No," Garion shook his head

"Why not?"

"It makes too much noise Not the sort of noise ordinary people can hear--but we can hear it, and so can the Grolims If we tried to do it that e'd have every Grolim in this part of Darshiva down our necks Sorcery's an overrated thing, Zakath I'll grant you we can do things that other people can't, but there are so many restrictions on us that sometimes it's not worth the trouble--unless you're in a hurry' ‘

"I didn't know that," Zakath ad as they say they are?"

"Probably even bigger," Silk replied "They're about the size of small horses"

"You're a droll fellow, Kheldar," Zakath said, "so I think I'd have to see that to believe it"

"You'd better hope that you don't get that close"

Belgarath looked narrowly at the Mallorean "You don't believe in very ed "I've had most of the belief washed out of me over the years"

"That could prove to be a probleht co in a hurry and on't have tiaping in astonishood tis"

"I'll listen to you," Zakath said "I don't proh Go ahead"

"I'll let Garion do it I want to keep in touch with Pol Why don't you two go back to the edge of the woods and keep watch? Garion can fill you in there Try not to be skeptical just on principle"

"We'll see," Zakath replied

During the next hour, as Garion and Zakath crouched behind a fallen tree at the edge of the woods, the Emperor of Mallorea had his credulity stretched to the limits Garion spoke in a half whisper even as he kept his eyes and ears alert He began by briefly sketching in the Book of Alorn, went on to a few salient points from the Mrin Codex Then, so far as he knew it, he described the early life of Belgarath the sorcerer And then he got down to business He explained the possibilities and the li such e, and so on He covered the mysterious sound that accompanies the use of what common people call sorcery, the exhaustion that cole absolute prohibition-- that of un "That's what happened to Ctuchik," he concluded "He was so afraid of ould happen if I gotover the line when he tried to destroy it" Out in the darkness, the Hound howled again, and there was an answering howl fro closer," Garion whispered "I hope Aunt Pol hurries"

Zakath, however, was stillto tell arath?" he whispered

"No It wasn't the Orb It was the universe Do you really to get into theology?"

"I'm evenyou can't afford, Zakath," Garion seriously "You have to believe Otherwise, we'll fail and if we fail, the world fails-- forever " The Hound howled again, even closer this time "Keep your voice down," Garion warned in a tense whisper "The Hounds have very sharp ears"