Page 91 (1/2)

They rode out, slowly at first until they saw that the sled ran smoothly on the damp earth of the road, and then theya"There's a fair-sized town just up ahead," he told Belgarath, "I think we could use some up-to-date information about now, don't you?"

"Why is it that you absolutely have to go into every toe pass?" Belgarath asked hiarath," the little y if I can't walk on cobblestones every so often Besides, we need supplies Garion's wolf eats a great deal Why don't the rest of you go out in a wide circle around the place, and we'll catch up with you on the other side?"

"We?" Garion asked hiuess so," he said "You always seeo off alone"

"Trouble?" Silk said innocently "Me?"

Zakath rubbed at his stubbled chin "I'll come, too," he said "I don't look that arath "How can you stand this?" he de is about to drive arath told hiht if my face didn't itch"

The place appeared to be a market town that had at some time in the past been fortified It crouched atop a hill and it was surrounded by a thick stone atchtowers at each corner The pervading overcast that seeray and disuarded, and Silk, Garion, and Zakath clattered on through into what appeared to be a deserted street "Let's see if we can find somebody," Silk said "If not, we can at least ransack a few shops for the food we'll need"

"Don't you ever pay for anything, Kheldar?" Zakath asked with some asperity

"Not if I don't have to No honest merchant ever passes up an opportunity to steal Let's push on, shall we?"

"This is a very corrupt little man; do you know that?" Zakath said to Garion

"We’ve noticed that froroup of on under the direction of a sweating fat man

Silk reined in his horse "Where are all the people, friend?" he called to the fat man

"Gone Fled to either Gandahar or Dalasia"

"Fled? What for?"

"Where have you been, "

"Really? I hadn't heard that"

"Everybody in Darshiva knows it"

"Zandramas will stop him," Silk said confidently