Enchanters' End Game

There was a purpose to Garion's search for his Asturian friend. As a result of one of Ce'Nedra's whims, their wedding was going to be followed by a grand ball, and Lelldorin had been teaching Garion how to dance.

The idea of the ball had been greeted with enthusiasm by all the ladies; the men, however, had not been universal in their approval. Barak had been particularly vehement in his objections.

"You want me to get in the middle of the floor and dance?" he had demanded of the princess in an outraged tone of voice. "What's wrong with all of us just getting drunk? That's the normal way to celebrate a wedding."

"You'll be just fine," Ce'Nedra had told him, patting his cheek in that infuriating way of hers. "And you will do it, won't you, Barak - for me?" And she had insincerely fluttered her eyelashes at him.

Barak had stamped away, muttering curses under his breath.

Garion found Lelldorin and Ariana doting on each other across the breakfast table in their rooms.

"Wilt thou take breakfast with us, your Majesty?" Ariana inquired politely.

"Thanks all the same, my Lady," Garion declined, "but I don't seem to have much appetite today."

"Nerves," Lelldorin observed sagely.

"I think I've got most of it," Garion rushed to the core of his problem, "but that crossover baffles me. My feet keep getting all tangled up."

Lelldorin immediately fetched a lute, and with Ariana's help, walked Garion through the complex procedure.

"Thou art becoming most skilled, your Majesty," Ariana complimented him at the end of the lesson.

"All I want to do is get through it without tripping and falling on my face in public."

"The princess would surely support thee, shouldst thou stumble."

"I'm not sure about that. She might enjoy watching me make a fool of myself."

"How little thou knowest of women." Ariana gave Lelldorin an adoring look - a look he fatuously returned.

"Will you two stop that?" Garion demanded irritably. "Can't you wait until you're alone to carry on that way?"

"My heart is too full of love for me to hide it, Garion," Lelldorin said extravagantly.

"So I've noticed," Garion said dryly. "I've got to go see Silk, so I'll leave you two to your amusements."

Ariana blushed, then smiled. "Might we take that as a royal command, your Majesty?" she asked archly.

Garion fled.

Silk had arrived from the east late the previous evening, and Garion was anxious for news. He found the little Drasnian lingering over a breakfast of partridge and hot, spiced wine.

"Isn't that a little heavy for breakfast?" Garion asked him.

"I've never been that partial to gruel first thing in the morning," Silk replied. "Gruel's the sort of thing a man has to work himself up to."

Garion went directly to the point. "What's happening in Cthol Murgos?"

"'Zakath is still laying siege to Rak Goska," Silk reported. "He's transporting in more troops, though. It's pretty obvious that he's going to strike into southern Cthol Murgos as soon as the ground's firm enough to move an army."

"Are the Thulls with him?"

"Only a few. Most of them are concentrating on finding the few Grolims left in their kingdom. I always thought Thulls were a stupid people, but you'd be amazed at how creative they can be when it comes to finding new and interesting ways for Grolims to die."

"We're going to have to keep an eye on 'Zakath," Garion said. "I wouldn't want him to come creeping up on me from the south."

"I think you can count on him not to creep," Silk said. "He sent you a message of congratulations, incidentally."

"He did what?"

"He's a civilized man, Garion - and a politician. He was badly shaken by the fact that you killed Torak. I think he's actually afraid of you, so he wants to stay on your good side - at least until he finishes up in southern Cthol Murgos."

"Who's in command of the Murgos, now that Taur Urgas is dead?"

"Urgit, his third son by his second wife. There was the usual squabble over the succession by the various sons of Taur Urgas's assorted wives. The fatalities were numerous, I understand."

"What kind of man is Urgit?"

"He's a schemer. I don't think he's any match for 'Zakath, but he'll keep the Malloreans busy for ten or twenty years. By then, 'Zakath may be too old and tired of war to give you any problems."

"Let's hope so."

"Oh, I almost forgot. Hettar married your cousin last week."

"Adara? I thought she was ill."

"Not that much, apparently. They're coming to your wedding along with Cho-Hag and Silar."

"Is everybody getting married?"

Silk laughed. "Not me, my young friend. In spite of this universal plunge toward matrimony, I still haven't lost my senses. If worse comes to worst, I still know how to run. The Algars should arrive sometime this morning. They met Korodullin's entourage, and they're all coming together. Their ship was right behind mine when we left Camaar."

"Was Mandorallen with them?"

Silk nodded. "Along with the Baroness of Vo Ebor. The Baron's still much too ill to travel. I think he's hoping that he'll die, to leave the way clear for his wife and Mandorallen."

Garion sighed.

"Don't let it make you unhappy, Garion," Silk advised. "Arends actually enjoy that kind of misery. Mandorallen's perfectly content to suffer nobly."

"That's a rotten thing to say," Garion accused the little man.

Silk shrugged. "I'm a rotten sort of person," he admitted.

"Where are you going after-" Garion left it hanging.

"After I see you safely married?" Silk suggested pleasantly. "As soon as I recover from all the drinking I'll do tonight, I'll be off for Gar og Nadrak. There's a great deal of opportunity in the new situation there. I've been in contact with Yarblek. He and I are going to form a partnership."

"With Yarblek?"

"He's not so bad - if you keep an eye on him - and he's very shrewd. We'll probably do rather well together."

"I can imagine." Garion laughed. "One of you is bad enough all by himself, but with the two of you acting together, no honest merchant's going to escape with his skin."

Silk grinned wickedly. "That was sort of what we had in mind."

"I imagine that you'll get very rich."

"I suppose I could learn to live with that." Silk's eyes took on a distant look. "That's not really what it's all about, though," he noted. "It's a game. The money's just a way of keeping score. It's the game that's important."