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"It's a clever ruse," the Emperor said "You look the part, and so does she, but I'o"

"That's a pity I'd guess that your life's been a little earden with the servants and fountains and the uard posted unobtrusively here and there a the flowerbeds "Even with all this, Ran Borune, a life without any wonder left in it is flat and stale" His voice was a little sad "I think that perhaps you gave up too much"

"Morin," Ran Borune demanded peremptorily, "send for Zereel We'll settle this ihness," Morin said and beckoned to one of the servants

"May I have my canary back?" the Emperor asked Aunt Pol rather plaintively

"Of course" Sheslowly to avoid startling the trilling little bird

"So," Ran Borune said

"Right now he's telling me about the day he learned to fly," Aunt Pol said "That's a very important day for a bird" She reached out her hand, and the canary hopped onto the Eht eye cocked toward Ran Borune's face

"That's an a out at the sunlight sparkling on the water in one of the fountains "But I'ht now the whole nation is holding its breath in anticipation ofI can do for Tolnedra is to die ione to the trouble of trying to help rounds just last week The Borunes,h people left to run the palace, much less the Empire Ah, here comes Zereel"

A lean, bushy-browed man in a red mantle covered with mystic symbols scurried across the lawn and bowed deeply to the ehness?"

"I aara the Sorceress," the Eood fellow, Zereel, and have a look into their credentials"

"Belgarath and Polgara?" the bushy-browed hness isn't serious The naical No such people exist"

"You see," the Emperor said to Aunt Pol "You don't exist I have it on the very best authority Zereel's a wizard himself, you know"

"Really?"

"One of the very best," he assured her "Of course ht of hand, since sorcery's only a sham, but he amuses me and he takes himself very seriously You may proceed, Zereel, but try not to raise an awful stink, as you usually do"

"That won't be necessary, your Highness," Zereel said flatly "If they izards of any kind, I'd have recognized the, you know"

Aunt Pol looked at the wizard with one eyebrow slightly raised "I think that you should look a bit closer, Zereel," she suggested "Soesture, and Garion seemed to hear a faint rush of sound

The wizard stared, his eyes fixed on open air directly in front of hie, and his face turned deathly pale As if his legs had been cut froara," he croaked, groveling

"That's supposed to impress me, I assume," the Emperor said "I've seen men's minds overwhel to begin with"