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"Why did you do that to me?"

"To keep you You must have ive you, and you arion,shrieks came from just outside the door

The Serpent Queen looked up, startled, then she turned to the huge statue behind her, bowed down in a strange cereh the air in a series of intricate gestures She started to pronounce an involved fore filled with guttural hissings and strange cadences

The heavy door exploded inward, blasted into splinters, and Aunt Pol stood in the shattered doorway, her white lock ablaze and her eyes dreadful The great bear at her side roared, his teeth dripping blood and with tatters of flesh still hanging from his claws

"I've warned you, Salmissra" Aunt Pol spoke in a deadly voice

"Stop where you are, Polgara," the queen ordered She did not turn around, and her fingers continued their sinuous weaving in the air "The boy is dying," she said "Nothing can save him if you attack me"

Aunt Pol stopped "What have you done?" she demanded

"Look at him," Salmissra said "He has drunk athal and kaldiss Even now their fire is in his veins He will need more very soon" Her hands still moved in the air, and her face was fixed in extreuttural hissing

"Is it true?" Aunt Pol's voice echoed in Garion's mind

"It sees, and he seems different now "

Aunt Pol's eyes widened "Who are you?"

"I've always been here, Polgara Didn't you know that?"

"Did Garion know?"

"He knows that I'm here He doesn't knohat it means"

"We can talk about that later, " she decided "Watch very closely This is what you have to do " A confused blur of ies welled up in Garion's mind "Do you understand?"

"Of course I'll show hiara, " the dry voice said "The power is his, not mine Don't worry He and I understand each other "

Garion felt strangely alone as the two voices spoke together in his mind

"Garion " The dry voice spoke quietly "I want you to think about your blood"

"My blood?"

"We're going to change it for a ave you Now concentrate on your blood "

Garion did

"You want it to be like this " An ie of yellow came into Garion's mind "Do you understand?"

"Yes "