A wordless agreement seemed to pass between them and each blurred back into her natural form. Their eyes flashing with implacable hatred, Zandramas and Poledra faced each other as two women.
"I've warned you about this, Zandramas," Poledra said a deadly voice. "Each time you try to thwart the purpose of the Destiny which controls us all, I will block you."
"And I have told thee, Poledra, that I do not fear thee," the sorceress retorted.
"Fine, then," Poledra almost purred. "Let us summon the seeress of Kell and let her make the choice here and now and based upon the outcome of this meeting."
"Thou art not the Child of Light, Poledra. Thou hast no part in the ordained meeting."
"I can stand in Belgarion's stead, if need be," Poledra replied, "for the meeting between you and him is not the meeting upon which the fate of creation hinges. In that last meeting you will no longer be the Child of Dark, and he will no longer be the Child of Light. Others are destined to take up those burdens, so let the meeting between you and me come now and in this place."
"Thou wilt turn all to chaos, Poledra," Zandramas screamed.
"Not all, I think. You have far more to lose than I. Belgarion is the Child of Light and he will go from here to the Place Which Is No More. You are the Child of Dark, but if we have our meeting here and now, and if you are the one to fall, who will assume your burden? Urvon, perhaps, or Agachak? Or some other? You, however, will not be the exalted one, and I think that thought might be more than you can bear. Consider it, Zandramas, and then choose."
The two stood facing each other with the last flickers of lightning from the evening's storm playing luridly among the clouds to the west, bathing their faces in an eerie light.
"Well, Zandramas?"
"We will surely meet, Poledra, and all shall be decided— but not here. This is not the place of my choosing." Then the Child of Dark shimmered and vanished, and Garion heard and felt the rushing surge of her translocation.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
She walked toward him with a stately, unhurried step, golden eyes a mystery. "Put your sword away, Garion," she told him. "There's no need for it now.""Yes, Grandmother." He reached back over his shoulder and inserted the tip of his blade into the sheath and let it slide home of its own weight.
"You heard, I suppose?"
"Yes, Grandmother."
"Then you understand?"
"Not entirely, no."
"I'm sure you will in time. Let's go inside. I need to talk with my husband and my daughter."
"All right." Garion was not entirely sure about the proprieties and he was just a bit unsure of what his reaction might be should he attempt to assist her, only to discover that she had no substance. Good manners, however, dictated that a gentleman help a lady across uneven ground, and so he set his teeth, reached out, and took her elbow.
She was as solid as he was. That made him feel better.
"Thank you, Garion." She smiled a bit whimsically at him. "Did you really think your hand would pass right through me?"
He flushed. "You knew what I was thinking."
"Of course." She laughed a low, warm laugh. "It's not really all that miraculous, Garion. You're a wolf in your other form, and wolves are very open about their thoughts. You were speaking them out loud in a hundred little moves and gestures you weren't even aware you were making."
"I didn't know that."
"There's a great deal of charm about it. Puppies do it all the time."
"Thanks," he said drily as the two of them passed through the gateway into the yard of the farmstead.
Durnik and Toth were extinguishing the last flickers of flame from the scorched wall of a first-floor shed with buckets full of water carried to them by Silk, Eriond, and Sadi. The dragon had not had enough time to ignite the structures fully with her searing breath, and so none of the fires were very serious.
Polgara crossed the yard gravely with Ce'Nedra and Velvet close behind her.
"Mother," she said simply.
"You're looking well, Polgara," the tawny-haired woman replied as if they had spoken together only last week. "Married life agrees with you."
"I rather like it." Polgara smiled.
"I rather thought you might. Is he around? I need to talk with him as well as with you."
"He's in one of the upstairs rooms. You know how he feels about these meetings."
"Would you fetch him for me, Garion? I have only so much time, and there are things he has to know. He's going to have to put his feelings aside this time."
"Right away, Grandmother." He turned and went quickly up the wooden steps to the second floor gallery and the door Aunt Pol had indicated.
Belgarath sat on a rumpled cot. His elbows were on his knees, and his face was buried in his hands.
"Grandfather," Garion said gently.
"What?"
"She wants to talk with you." Belgarath lifted his face. His expression was one of mute suffering.
"I'm sorry, Grandfather, but she says it's very important."
Belgarath set his jaw, then sighed in resignation. "All right," he said, rising to his feet. "Let's go, then."
As the two of them started down the steps, they saw Durnik bowing a bit awkwardly to Poledra. "Ma'am," the was saying. Garion suddenly realized that this was probably the first time the two had been formally introduced.
"So stiff and proper, Durnik?" she replied. She reached and lightly touched his face with one hand. Then she embraced him. "You've made my daughter very happy, Durnik," she told him. "Thank you." Then she turned and looked directly at Belgarath. "Well?" she said. There was Challenge in her voice.
"You haven't changed a bit," he said in a voice thick emotion.
"Oh, I've changed all right," she replied wryly, "in ways not even you could imagine."
"It doesn't show."
"It's nice of you to say so. Did you hear the little exchange between the witch and me?"
He nodded. "You were taking chances, Poledra. What if she had taken up your challenge?"
"Wolves enjoy taking chances." She shrugged. "It adds certain zest to their lives. It really wasn't all that risky, though. Zandramas is the Child of Dark, and the Dark Spirit is gradually taking over her body as well as her soul; it's not going to gamble at this particular time. It takes too long to train replacements, and there's not that much time left before the final meeting. All right, let's get down to business. Zandramas has her Angarak king now."