Page 58 (1/2)

‘What?’ Khwaj roared

‘It was our thought that you wished it so,’ Ulath said, feigning surprise ‘Did you not coe and to walk for many sleeps across the ice-which-never-round with his ape-like fists, raising a cloud of dust and sround

‘When did this coross slobbering, demanded

‘Two full turns of the seasons, Ghnomb,’ Ulath answered the question of the God of Eat ‘It was our thought that you knew Blue Rose called you forth that we ht ask why you have done this Our Gods wish to knohy you have broken the coen asked after Sephrenia had translated

‘It’s an agreement,’ Flute explained ‘We didn’t really want to exterminate the Trolls, so we told the Troll-Gods that we’d leave their children alone if they’d stay in the Thalesian mountains’

‘When did this happen?’

‘Twenty-five thousand years ago – or so’

Stragen sed hard

‘Why are your children obeying Cyrgon if you did not coures stretched out an abnored into a kind of e as it went in, almost as a stick seems to vanish when poked into a forest pool When the hand re-e Troll The enore was clearly Trollish, snarling and roaring

‘Now that’s interesting,’ Ulath ed over the years’

‘What’s he saying?’ Sparhawk asked

‘I can’t entirely make it out,’ Ulath replied ‘It’s so archaic that I can’t understand h’

‘Zoka?’

‘The God of Mating’ Ulath listened intently

‘The Troll’s confused,’ he reported ‘He says that they all thought they were obeying their Gods Cyrgon’s disguise must have been nearly perfect The Trolls are very close to their Gods, and they’d probably recognize any ordinary atte Troll back into emptiness

‘Anakha!’ another of the vast Gods bellowed

‘Which one is that?’ Sparhawk ,’ Ulath replied quietly, ‘the God of Kill Be a little careful with hi,’ Sparhawk responded to that vast brute

‘Release us froo Wefros of the God of Kill Sparhawk didn’t want to think about whose blood it ht be

‘Let me,’ Ulath murmured He raised his voice ‘That is beyond Anakha’s power, Ghworg,’ he replied ‘The spell which i It is a Trollish spell, and Anakha is untaught in such’

‘We will teach hi aside her pretense of‘These are my children I will not per you, Child Goddess! Set us free! Our children stray froree Your children look upon our children as food If Anakha frees you, your children will devour ours It cannot be’

‘Ghnoe face of the God of Eat twisted in agony ‘I cannot!’ It was almost a wail ‘It would lessen me! Our children must eat All that lives ree!’ The grass around the feet of the God of Fire began to smoke

‘I think I see a toe-hold here,’ Ulath said in Elenic He spoke again in Trollish There is justice in Ghnomb’s words,’ he told the Gods ‘Why should he alone lessen hi Ghnomb will not accept less’

‘It speaks truly!’ Ghnomb howled ‘I will not be lessened unless all are lessened!’

The four other Troll-Gods squirony that had marked Ghnomb’s

‘What will satisfy you?’ It was the voice of the God that had not yet spoken There were blizzards in that voice

‘The God of Ice,’ Ulath identified the speaker, ‘Schlee’

‘Lessen yourselves!’ Ghnomb demanded stubbornly ‘I will not if you will not!’

‘Trolls,’ Aphrael sighed, rolling her eyes ‘Will you accept my mediation in this?’ she demanded of the monstrous deities

‘We will hear your words, Aphrael,’ Ghworg replied doubtfully

‘Our purposes are the saroaned

‘What’s wrong?’ Ulath asked quickly

‘She’s going to make a speech – now of all times’

‘Shut up, Sparhawk!’ the Child Goddess snapped ‘I knohat I’on deceived your children,’ she began ‘He brought them across the ice-which-never-on reement

‘Will you join with on for what he has done?’

‘We will cause hurt to hi snarled

‘And how many of your children will die if you do? My children can pursue the children of Cyrgon into the lands of the sun, where your children die Should we not join then that Cyrgon will suffer more?’

‘There is wisdom in her words,’ Schlee said to his fellows The breath of the God of Ice stealittering snowflakes appeared out of nowhere to settle on his ree that your children will no longer eat mine,’ Aphrael bored in ‘If he does not, Anakha will not free you froroaned

‘Ghnomb must do this,’ she insisted ‘If he does not, I will not peron will keep your children Ghnoree to this if each of you will not accept equal lessening Ghworg! Youraised both huge arms and howled

‘Khwaj!’ she continued inexorably ‘You h the forests of Thalesia each year when the sun returns to the lands of the north’

Khwaj stifled a sob

‘Schlee!’ Aphrael barked ‘You must hold back the rivers of ice which cran the sides of the mountains Let them melt when they reach the valleys’

‘No!’ Schlee wailed

‘Then you have lost all your children Hold back the ice or you eep alone in the wastes of the north Zoka! Nocan issue from each she-Troll’

‘Never!’ Zoka bellowed ‘My children on’s Will you aid Cyrgon’s increase?’ She paused, her eyes narrowing ‘One last agreement will I have from you all, or I will not let Anakha free you’