King of the Murgos

  Garion nodded, took out a soft, tight-fitting leather sleeve and pulled it down over the hilt of Iron-grip’s sword.

  The shaven-headed Nyissan who awaited them was dressed in shabby, stained clothing and he had a long scar running from forehead to chin across an empty eye socket. ‘We thought you’d get here earlier,’ he said laconically as they all reined in. ‘What kept you?’

  Garion looked at the one-eyed man closely. ‘Don’t I know you?’ he asked. ‘Isn’t your name Issus?’

  Issus grunted. ‘I’m surprised you remember. Your head wasn’t too clear the last time we met.’

  ‘It wasn’t the sort of thing I’d be likely to forget.’

  ‘Somebody in the city wants to see you,’ Issus said.

  ‘I’m sorry, friend,’ Belgarath told him, ‘but we’re pressed for time. I don’t think there’s anybody in Sthiss Tor that we need to talk with.’

  Issus shrugged. ‘That’s up to you. I was paid to meet you and give you the message.’ He turned and started back through the slanting, late-afternoon sunlight toward the rank growth along the river bank. Then he stopped. ‘Oh. I almost forgot. The man who sent me said to tell you that he has some information about somebody named Zandramas, if that means anything to you.’

  ‘Zandramas?’ Ce’Nedra said sharply.

  ‘Whoever that is,’ Issus replied. ‘If you’re interested, I’ve got a boat. I can take some of you across to the city if you want.’

  ‘Give us a minute or two to talk it over,’ Belgarath said to him.

  ‘Take as long as you want. We can’t cross until after dark anyway. I’ll wait in the boat while you decide.’ He went on down through the bushes toward the river bank.

  ‘Who is he?’ Silk asked Garion.

  ‘His name is Issus. He’s for hire. Last time I saw him, he was working for Sadi—the Chief Eunuch in Salmissra’s palace—but I get the feeling that he’ll work for anybody as long as he gets paid.’ He turned to Belgarath. ‘What do you think, Grandfather?’

  The old man tugged at one ear lobe. ‘It could be some kind of ruse,’ he said, ‘but somebody over there knows enough about what we’re doing to realize that we’re interested in Zandramas. I think I’d like to find out who this well-informed citizen is.’

  ‘You won’t get anything out of Issus,’ Silk told him. ‘I’ve already tried.’

  Belgarath pondered a moment. ‘Go see how big this boat of his is.’

  Silk went over to the edge of the road and peered down through the bushes. ‘We can’t all go,’ he reported. ‘Maybe four of us.’

  Belgarath scratched his chin. ‘You, me, Pol, and Garion,’ he decided. He turned to Durnik. ‘Take the others—and the horses—and go back into the jungle a ways. This might take us a while. Don’t build up any fires that can be seen from the city.’

  ‘I’ll take care of things, Belgarath.’

  The boat Issus had rowed across from the city was painted a dull black, and it was moored to a half-sunken log, and screened by overhanging tree limbs. The one-eyed man looked critically at Garion. ‘Do you have to take that big sword?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes,’ Garion replied.

  Issus shrugged. ‘Suit yourself.’

  As twilight settled on the river, a mist of tiny gnats rose from the surrounding bushes and swarmed about them as they sat in the boat waiting for darkness. Silk absently slapped at his neck.

  ‘Don’t jiggle the boat,’ Issus warned. ‘The leeches are hungry this time of year, so it’s not a good time for swimming.’

  They sat huddled in the small boat enduring the biting of the gnats as the light gradually faded. After about a half-hour of discomfort, Issus peered out through the concealing branches. ‘It’s dark enough,’ he said shortly. He untied the boat and pushed it out from the bank with one oar. Then he settled himself and started to row toward the lights of Sthiss Tor on the far side. After about twenty minutes, he swung his boat into the deep shadows beneath the wharf jutting out into the water from the Drasnian enclave, that commercial zone on the river front where northern merchants were permitted to conduct business. A tar-smeared rope was slung under the wharf, and Issus pulled them hand over hand beneath the protecting structure until they reached a ladder. ‘We go up here,’ he said, tying his boat to a piling beside the ladder. ‘Try not to make too much noise.’

  ‘Exactly where are you taking us?’ Polgara asked him.

  ‘It’s not far,’ he replied and quietly went up the ladder.

  ‘Keep your eyes open,’ Belgarath muttered. ‘I don’t altogether trust that fellow.’

  The streets of Sthiss Tor were dark, since all the ground-level windows were thickly shuttered. Issus moved on catlike feet, keeping to the shadows, although Garion could not be sure if his stealth was out of necessity or merely from habit. As they passed a narrow alleyway, Garion heard a skittering noise coming from somewhere in the darkness, and his hand flew to his sword hilt. ‘What’s that?’ he asked.

  ‘Rats.’ Issus shrugged. ‘They come up from the river at night to feed on garbage—and then the snakes crawl in out of the jungle to eat the rats.’ He held up one hand. ‘Wait here a moment.’ He moved on ahead to peer cautiously up and down a broad street lying just ahead of them. ‘It’s clear,’ he said. ‘Come ahead. The house we want is just across the street.’

  ‘That’s Droblek’s house, isn’t it?’ Polgara asked as they joined the furtive Nyissan, ‘the Drasnian Port Authority?’

  ‘You’ve been here before, I see. Let’s go. They’re expecting us.’

  Droblek himself opened the door of his house in response to Issus’s light tap. The Drasnian port official wore a loose-fitting brown robe and was, if anything, more grossly fat than he had been when Garion had last seen him. As he opened the door, he looked nervously out into the street, peering this way and then that in the gloom. ‘Quickly,’ he whispered, ‘Inside—all of you.’ Once he had closed the door behind them and secured it with a stout lock, he seemed to relax a bit. ‘My Lady,’ he wheezed to Polgara with a portly bow, ‘my house is honored.’

  ‘Thank you, Droblek. Are you the one who sent for us?’

  ‘No, my Lady. I helped to make the arrangements, though.’

  ‘You seem a bit nervous, Droblek,’ Silk said to him.

  ‘I’m concealing something in my house that I’d rather not have here, Prince Kheldar. I could get into a lot a trouble if anyone found out about it. The Tolnedran Ambassador always has people watching my house, and he’d delight in embarrassing me.’

  ‘Where’s the man we’re supposed to meet?’ Belgarath asked brusquely.

  Droblek’s face was awed as he replied. ‘I have a hidden chamber at the back of the house, Ancient One. He’s waiting there.’

  ‘Let’s go see him, then.’

  ‘At once, Eternal Belgarath.’ Waddling and puffing noticeably, the Drasnian official led them down a dimly lighted hallway. At its far end, he ran his hand down the wall and touched one of its stones. With a loud click, an irregularly shaped section of the wall came unlatched to protrude slightly from the rest.

  ‘Exotic,’ Silk murmured.

  ‘Who’s there?’ a shrill voice came from the other side of that hidden door.

  ‘It’s me—Droblek,’ the fat man answered. ‘The people you wanted to see have arrived.’ He pulled the stone-slab covered door open. ‘I’ll go keep watch,’ he said to them.

  Beyond the door was a small, dank, hidden chamber lighted by a single candle. Sadi the eunuch stood fearfully beside a battered wooden table. His shaven head was stubbled and his scarlet silk robe tattered. There was a hunted look about his eyes. ‘At last,’ he said with relief.

  ‘What on earth are you doing here, Sadi?’ Polgara asked him.

  ‘Hiding,’ he said. ‘Come in, please, all of you, and close the door. I don’t want anybody to find out accidentally where I am.’

  They stepped into the small room, and Droblek pushed the door shut behind them.

  ‘Why
is the Chief Eunuch of Salmissra’s palace hiding in the house of the Drasnian Port Authority?’ Silk asked curiously.

  ‘There’s been a slight misunderstanding at the palace, Prince Kheldar,’ Sadi replied, sinking into a chair by the wooden table. ‘I’m not Chief Eunuch any more. As a matter of fact, there’s a price on my head—a fairly large one, I’m told. Droblek owed me a favor, so he let me hide here—not very willingly, but—’ He shrugged.

  ‘Since we’re talking about prices, I’ll take my money now,’ Issus said.

  ‘I have one more little job for you, Issus,’ the eunuch said in his oddly contralto voice. ‘Do you think that you could get into the palace?’

  ‘If I need to.’

  ‘There’s a red leather case in my quarters—under the bed. It has brass hinges. I need it.’

  ‘Did you want to discuss the price?’

  ‘I’ll pay whatever you think is fair.’

  ‘All right. Let’s say double what you already owe me.’

  ‘Double?’

  ‘The palace is very dangerous just now.’

  ‘You’re taking advantage of the situation, Issus.’

  ‘Go fetch it yourself then.’

  Sadi looked at him helplessly. ‘All right,’ he surrendered, ‘double.’

  ‘It’s always a pleasure doing business with you, Sadi,’ Issus said flatly. Then he went to the door and slipped out.

  ‘What happened here?’ Silk asked the nervous eunuch.

  Sadi sighed. ‘Certain accusations were made against me,’ he said in a pained voice. ‘I wasn’t entirely prepared to defend myself against them, so I thought it might be wiser to take an extended leave from my duties. I’ve been working too hard lately anyway.’

  ‘Were the accusations unfounded?’

  Sadi ran one long-fingered hand over his stubbled scalp. ‘Well—not entirely,’ he admitted, ‘but the matter was blown all out of proportion.’

  ‘Who took your place at the palace?’

  ‘Sariss.’ Sadi almost spat the name. ‘He’s a third-rate schemer with no real sense of style at all. Someday I’m going to take a great deal of pleasure in cutting out several things he needs rather badly—with a dull knife.’

  ‘Issus told us that you had some information about someone called Zandramas,’ Belgarath said.

  ‘I do indeed,’ Sadi replied. He rose from his chair and went to the narrow, unmade bed standing against one wall. He rummaged around under the dirty brown blanket, took out a small silver flask, and opened it. ‘Excuse me,’ he said, taking a small sip. He grimaced. ‘I wish it didn’t taste so bad.’

  Polgara gave him a cool look. ‘Do you suppose you could tell us what you know about Zandramas—before you start seeing the butterflies?’

  Sadi looked at her innocently. ‘Oh, no. This isn’t one of those, Lady Polgara,’ he assured her, shaking the flask. ‘It just has a certain calming effect. My nerves have been absolutely destroyed by what’s happened in the past few months.’

  ‘Why don’t we get down to business?’ Belgarath suggested.

  ‘Very well. I have something you want, and you have something I want. I think a trade is in order.’

  ‘Why don’t we discuss that?’ Silk said, his eyes suddenly brightening and his long nose twitching.

  ‘I’m very much aware of your reputation, Prince Kheldar.’ Sadi smiled. ‘I’m not foolish enough to try to bargain with you.’

  ‘All right, just what is this thing you want from us, Sadi?’ Belgarath asked the dead-eyed eunuch.

  ‘You’re on your way out of Nyissa. I want you to take me with you. In exchange, I’ll tell you everything I’ve learned about Zandramas.’

  ‘Totally out of the question.’

  ‘I think you’re speaking in haste, Ancient One. Hear me out first.’

  ‘I don’t trust you, Sadi,’ Belgarath said bluntly.

  ‘That’s quite understandable. I’m not the sort of man who should be trusted.’

  ‘Then why should I saddle myself with you?’

  ‘Because I know why you’re following Zandramas—and more importantly, I know where Zandramas is going. It’s a very dangerous place for you, but I can arrange a way for us to move around freely once we get there. Now, why don’t we put aside all this childishness about trusting each other and get down to business?’

  ‘We’re just wasting time here,’ Belgarath said to the rest of them.

  ‘I can be very useful to you, Ancient One,’ Sadi told him.

  ‘Or to anyone who might want to know where we are,’ Silk added.

  ‘That wouldn’t be in my own best interests, Kheldar.’

  ‘Which brings up an interesting point,’ Silk said. ‘I have a splendid opportunity here to turn a quick profit. You mentioned the fact that there’s a large price on your head. If you don’t want to be co-operative, I might just decide to collect that price. How much did you say it was?’

  ‘You won’t do that, Kheldar,’ Sadi replied placidly. ‘You’re in a hurry to catch up with Zandramas, and there are always a hundred administrative details involved in collecting a reward. It would probably be a month before you saw any of the money, and Zandramas would be that much farther ahead of you by then.’

  ‘That’s probably true,’ Silk admitted. He reached for one of his daggers with a regretful expression. ‘There’s this other alternative, however—messy, but usually fairly effective.’

  Sadi backed away from him. ‘Belgarath,’ he said in a faintly alarmed voice.

  ‘That won’t be necessary, Silk,’ the old man said. He turned to Polgara. ‘See what you can do, Pol,’ he suggested.

  ‘All right, father.’ She turned to the eunuch. ‘Sit down, Sadi,’ she told him. ‘I want you to look at something.’

  ‘Off course, Lady Polgara,’ he agreed amiably, seating himself in a chair by the table.

  ‘Look closely,’ she said, making a curious gesture in front of his eyes.

  The eunuch continued to smile. ‘How charming,’ he murmured, looking at something which seemed to have appeared before his eyes. ‘Can you make it do any other tricks, too?’

  She bent forward and looked closely into his eyes. ‘I see. You’re more clever than I thought, Sadi.’ She turned back to the rest of them. ‘He’s drugged,’ she said. ‘Probably what he drank out of that flask. Right now there’s absolutely nothing I can do with him.’

  ‘That takes us back to the other alternative, doesn’t it?’ Silk said, reaching for his dagger again.

  Polgara shook her head. ‘Right now, he wouldn’t even feel it.’

  ‘Oh,’ Sadi said in a disappointed voice, ‘you made it go away—and I rather liked it.’

  ‘The drug won’t last forever.’ Silk shrugged. ‘And by the time it wears off, we should be far enough from the city to be able to carve some answers out of him without the screams attracting any attention.’ His hand strayed again to the hilt of his dagger.

  ‘Alorns,’ the dry voice in Garion’s mind said disgustedly. ‘Why is it that your solution to every problem comes out of a scabbard?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Tell the little thief to put away his knife.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘Don’t argue with me, Garion. You have to have Sadi’s information about Zandramas, and I can’t give it to you.’

  ‘You’re not suggesting that we take him along?’ Garion was profoundly shocked at the idea.

  ‘I’m not suggesting anything, Garion. I’m telling you. Sadi goes along. You can’t do what you have to do without him. Now tell your grandfather.’

  ‘He’s not going to like it.’

  ‘I can face that prospect with enormous fortitude.’ Then the voice was gone.

  ‘Grandfather,’ Garion said in a sick tone.

  ‘What?’ The old man’s tone was testy.

  ‘This isn’t my idea, Grandfather, but—’ Garion looked at the dreamy-faced eunuch with distaste and then lifted his hands helplessly.

  ‘You?
??re not serious!’ Belgarath exclaimed after a moment.

  ‘I’m afraid so.’

  ‘Am I missing something?’ Sadi asked curiously.

  ‘Shut up!’ Belgarath snapped. Then he turned back to Garion. ‘Are you absolutely sure?’

  Garion nodded dejectedly.

  ‘This is sheer idiocy!’ The old man turned and glared at Sadi. Then he reached across the table and took the front of the eunuch’s iridescent robe in his fist. ‘Listen to me very carefully, Sadi,’ he said from between clenched teeth. ‘You’re going with us, but keep your nose out of that flask. Do you understand me?’

  ‘Of course, Ancient One,’ the eunuch replied in that same dreamy voice.

  ‘I don’t think you fully grasp what I’m talking about,’ Belgarath continued in a dreadfully quiet voice. ‘If I catch you with your brains full of dandelion fluff just once, I’ll make you wish that Kheldar had gotten to you with his knife first. Do you follow me?’

  Sadi’s eyes grew wide, and his face blanched. ‘Y—yes, Belgarath,’ he stammered fearfully.

  ‘Good. Now start talking. Just exactly what do you know about Zandramas?’

  Chapter Eight

  ‘It all started last year,’ Sadi began, still eyeing Belgarath apprehensively. ‘A Mallorean posing as a jewel merchant came to Sthiss Tor and sought out my chief rival at the palace—a petty schemer named Sariss. It was rather general knowledge that Sariss had long coveted my position, but I hadn’t gotten around to having him killed yet.’ He made a face. ‘A grave oversight, as it turned out. Anyway, Sariss and the Mallorean negotiated for a bit, and the bargain they struck had nothing to do with gemstones. This so-called jeweler needed something that only someone in a position of authority could provide, so he gave Sariss certain information that Sariss was able to use to discredit me and usurp my position.’

  ‘I just love politics, don’t you?’ Silk said to no one in particular.

  Sadi grimaced again. ‘The details of my fall from the queen’s favor are tedious,’ he continued, ‘and I really don’t want to bore you with them. At any rate, Sariss supplanted me as Chief Eunuch, and I barely escaped from the palace with my life. Once Sariss had consolidated his position, he was able to keep his part of the bargain he had reached with his Mallorean friend.’