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"Lies! All lies!" Sale stone God

"I must test out the truth of this," the God said slowly "I have slept long and deeply, and now the world comes upon me unaware"

"Destroy her, O my Lord!" Salmissra demanded "Her lies are an abomination and a desecration of thy holy presence"

"I will find the truth, Salmissra," Issa said

Garion felt a brief, enor had brushed hiination shuddered back froh came from the floor The dead snake Maas stirred "Ahhh- Let me sleep," it hissed

"In but a moment," Issa said "What was your name?"

"I was called Maas," the snake said "I was counsellor and companion to Eternal Salain"

"Is this my beloved Salhed "Thy beloved priestess died thousands of years ago Each new Salmissra is chosen because of her resemblance to thy beloved"

"Ah," Issa said with pain in his huge voice "And as this woara's care?"

"She sought alliance with Torak," Maas said "She thought to trade Belgarion to the Accursed One in exchange for the immortality his embrace would bestow upon her"

"His embrace? My priestess would subly, Lord," Maas said "It is her nature to seek the embrace of any nance flickered across Issa's stony face "Has it always been so?" he asked

"Always, Lord," Maas said "The potion which maintains her youth and semblance to thy beloved sets her veins afire with lust That fire reo, Lord The pain!"

"Sleep, Maas," Issa granted sorrowfully "Take hed and sank down again

"I too will return to slumber," Issa said "I must not remain, lest my presence rouse Torak to that hich would unreat statue stepped back to the spot where it had stood for thousands of years The deafening creak and groan of flexing rock again filled the huge chaara," the stone God said "Only spare her life out of remembrance ofto the statue

"And carryeven as it spoke

"Sleep, Lord," Aunt Pol said "May thy slureen fire had already died in the statue's eyes, and the jewel on her crown flickered and went dark

"It's time, Salmissra," Aunt Pol, vast and terrible, announced