‘We have indeed, my friend. According to Cyradis, it’s all been part of a game being played by the friend Garion’s got inside his head and the other one, who’s probably inside Zandramas’ head.’

‘I hate games.’

‘I don’t mind them.’

‘That’s becouse you’re Drasnian.’

‘That could be part of it, I suppose.’

‘It’s in the approximate location where the mountains of Korim were, Belgarath,’ Beldin said, measuring off distances with his fingers. ‘They were probably moved a bit when Torak cracked the world.’

‘A lot of things were moved that day, as I recall.’

‘Oh, yes,’ Beldin agreed fervently. ‘I had trouble standing up, and I’m built closer to the ground than you are.’

‘You know something? I’ve noticed that myself. Your Majesty,’ the old man addressed the king, ‘could you be a bit more specific about the reef? Trying to land on the side of a rock pinnacle from a boat that’s pitching around in the surf would be difficult and dangerous.’

‘If memory doth serve me, Ancient Belgarath, I do seem to recall a few rocky beaches, built up, doubtless, from shards and boulders tumbled from the sides of the peaks and then pounded to bits by the restless sea. When the tide is low, this rubble, accumulated over the eons, doth rise above the surface of the sea, providing means whereby one may move freely from one pinnacle to the next.’

‘Sort of like that land bridge from Morindland to Mallorea,’ Silk recalled sourly. ‘That wasn’t a very pleasant trip.’

‘Are there any landmarks of any kind?’ Belgarath pressed. ‘That reef goes on for quite a ways. It could take a lot of wading to find the exact place we need to reach.’

‘I cannot attest to this from mine own true knowledge,’ the king said cautiously, ‘but certain seafarers have asserted that there appears to be a cave mouth on the north side of the highest pinnacle. On occasion, more adventurous ones have sought to go ashore to explore its depths, for, as is widely known, remote caves ofttimes serve as repositories for the ill-gotten gains of free-booters and pirates. The pinnacle, however, hath ever repulsed their most valiant efforts. Each time one of these brave souls attempts landing there, the sea becomes angry, and sudden storms do appear from a cloudless sky.’

‘That’s it, Belgarath,’ Beldin chortled exultantly. ‘Something’s been going out of its way to keep casual explorers out of that cave.’

‘Two somethings, I gather,’ Belgarath agreed. ‘You’re right, though. We’ve finally located the exact place of the meeting. It’s in that cave.’

Silk groaned.

‘Art thou ill, Prince Kheldar?’ the king inquired.

‘Not yet, your Majesty, but I think I’m going to be.’

‘Our Prince Kheldar has difficulties with caves, your Majesty,’ Velvet explained, smiling.

‘There’s nothing difficult about it at all, Liselle,’ the rat-faced little man disagreed. ‘It’s really very simple. Every time I see a cave, I go into an absolute panic.’

‘I have heard of this malady,’ the king said. ‘One wonders what may be its mysterious source.’

‘There’s nothing mysterious about the source of mine, your Majesty,’ Silk said drily. ‘I know exactly where it came from.’

‘If it is thine intent to dare the perilous reef, Ancient Belgarath,’ the king said then, ‘I will provide thee and thy companions with a stout ship to convey thee thither. I will give orders that the ship be ready to sail with the morning tide.’

‘Your Majesty is very kind.’

‘It is but small payment for the service thou hast rendered to me this night.’ The king paused, his face reflective. ‘It may be even as the spirit of foul Naradas proclaimed,’ he mused. ‘I may indeed be a vain and foolish man, but I am not immune to the promptings of gratitude. You all have preparations to make,’ he said then. ‘I will not delay you more. We shall meet again on the morrow ’ere you depart.’

‘We thank you, your Majesty,’ Garion said, his armor creaking as he bowed. Then he led the others from the chamber. He was not at all surprised to see the she-wolf sitting just outside the door.

‘The time is exactly right, isn’t it, Cyradis,’ Polgara said to the Seeress once they were all out in the corridor. ‘At Ashaba, you said it would be nine months until the meeting. As I make it, the exact time will be the day after tomorrow.’

‘Thy calculations are correct, Polgara.’

‘It works out precisely then. It should take us one full day to reach the reef, and we’ll go to the cave on the following morning.’ Polgara smiled a bit wryly. ‘All this time we’ve been fretting about arriving late, and now we get there precisely on time.’ She laughed. ‘What a waste of all that perfectly good worrying.’

‘Well, now we know where and when,’ Durnik said. ‘All that’s left to do is to go there and get on with it.’

‘That sums it up, I’d say,’ Silk agreed.

Eriond sighed, and Garion felt a chill suspicion that was not quite a certainty. ‘Is it going to be he?’ he asked the dry voice. ‘Is Eriond going to be the one who dies?’

But the voice would not answer.

They entered their quarters with the wolf close behind them.

‘It’s been a long time getting here,’ Belgarath said wearily. ‘I’m getting a little old for these extended journeys.’

‘Old?’ Beldin snorted. ‘You were born old. I still think you’ve got a few miles left in you, though.’

‘I think that when we get home, I’ll spend a century or so in my tower.’

‘That’s an idea. It should take you about that long to get it cleaned up – oh, one other thing, Belgarath. Why don’t you fix that loose step?’

‘I’ll get around to it.’

‘Aren’t we all assuming that we’re going to win?’ Silk said. ‘I think that making plans for the future at this point might be a bit premature – unless the Holy Seeress might see fit to let slip a hint or two about the outcome?’ He looked at Cyradis.

‘I would not be permitted to do that, Prince Kheldar – even if I knew the answer.’

‘You mean you don’t know?’ he asked incredulously.