"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."
"Of 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 gem stones. 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."
"And what exactly did the Mallorean want?" Silk asked.
"This, Prince Kheldar," Sadi said, rising and going to his rumpled cot. He drew a carefully folded parchment from beneath the mattress and handed it to the little man.
Silk read it quickly and then whistled.
"Well?" Belgarath said.