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For an instant Garion di at when he had warned about the danger of becoe, but he pushed the notion out of his mind If Hettar could live with it, so could he He felt a sudden fierce admiration for this lonely hunter in black leather

Mister Wolf was deep in conversation with Mandorallen, and the two of theht up with theether

"It is our nature," the knight in his glea in a melancholy voice "We are over-proud, and it is our pride that dooms our poor Arendia to internecine war"

"That can be cured," Mister Wolf said

"How?" Mandorallen asked "It is in our blood I myself am the most peaceful of men, but even I am subject to our national disease Moreover, our divisions are too great, too buried in our history and our souls to be purged away The peace will not last,in the forests, seeking Miets, and Mies War is inevitable, I fear"

"No," Wolf disagreed, "it's not"

"How may it be prevented?" Mandorallen demanded "Who can cure our insanity?"

"I will, if I have to," Wolf told hiray hood

Mandorallen sarath, but that is i is actually impossible, Mandorallen," Wolf answered in a matter-of fact voice "Most of the time I prefer not to interfere with other people's a up in flames just now If I have to, I'll step in and put a stop to any more foolishness"

"Hast thou in truth such power?" Mandorallen asked so himself to believe it

"Yes," Wolf replied prosaically, scratching at his short white beard, "as a rew troubled, even a bit awed at the old randfather's declaration profoundly disturbing If Wolf could actually stop a war single-handedly, he'd have no difficulty at all thwarting Garion's own plans for revenge It was so else to worry about

Then Silk rode back toward them "The Great Fair's just ahead," the rat-faced o around it

"We , and we need some supplies"

"The horses could use so to co back at the pack train

"They're not really in bad shape yet," Hettar infor to feel sorry for the of course, but a little rest wouldn't hurt the?" Silk sounded shocked "You don't mean to say that horses can actually lie, do you?"

Hettar shrugged "Of course They lie all the tiood at it"

For a ht, and then he suddenly laughed "Somehow that restores my faith in the order of the universe," he declared

Wolf looked pained "Silk," he said pointedly, "you're a very evil man Did you know that?"

"One does one's best," Silk replied ly

The Arendish Fair lay at the intersection of the Great West Road and the oland It was a vast collection of blue, red and yellow tents and broad-striped pavilions stretching for a league or htly hued city in the midst of the dun-colored plain, and its brilliant pennons snapped bravely in the endless wind under a lowering sky