By the time I reached Vo Wacune, I’d more or less shaken off the lingering after-effects of my years in Camaar, and I was starting to think coherently again. The first order of business was to find some decent clothing to replace the rags I was wearing and a bit of money to get me by. I suppose I could have stolen what I needed, but my Master might not have cared for that, so I decided to behave myself. The solution to my little problem lay no further away than the nearest temple of Chaldan, Bull-God of the Arends. I was something of a celebrity in those days, after all.

I can’t say that I really blame the priests of Chaldan for not believing me when I announced my name to them. In their eyes I was probably just another ragged beggar. Their lofty, disdainful attitude irritated me, though, and without even thinking about it, I gave them a small demonstration of the sort of things I was capable of, just to prove that I was really who I’d told them I was. Actually, I was almost as surprised as they were when it really worked, but neither my madness nor the years of concentrated dissipation in Camaar had eroded my talent.

The priests fell all over themselves apologizing, and they pressed new clothing and a well-filled purse on me by way of recompense for their failure to take me at my word. I accepted their gifts graciously, though I realized that I didn’t really need them now that I knew that my ‘talent’ hadn’t deserted me. I could have spun clothes out of air and turned pebbles into coins if I’d really wanted to. I bathed, trimmed my shaggy beard, and put on my new clothes. I felt much better, actually.

What I needed more than clothes or money or tidying up was information. I’d been sorely out of touch with things during my stay in Camaar, and I was hungry for news. I was surprised to find that our little adventure in Mallorea was now common knowledge here in Arendia, and the priests of the Bull-God assured me that the story was well-known in Tolnedra, and had even penetrated into Nyissa and Maragor. I probably shouldn’t have been surprised, now that I think about it. My Master had met with his brothers in their cave, and their decision to leave had been largely based on our recovery of the Orb. Since this was undoubtedly the most stupendous event since the cracking of the world, the other Gods would certainly have passed it on to their priests before they departed.

The story had been greatly embellished, of course. Any time there’s a miracle involved, you can trust a priest to get creative. Since their enhancement of the bare bones of the story elevated me to near-Godhood, I decided not to correct them. A reputation of that kind can be useful now and then. The white robe the priests had given me to replace the dirty rags I’d been wearing gave me a dramatic appearance, and I cut myself a long staff to fill out the characterization. I didn’t plan to stay in Vo Wacune, and if I wanted the cooperation of the priesthood in the various towns I’d pass through, I was going to have to dress the part of a mighty sorcerer. It was pure charlatanism, of course, but it avoided arguments and long explanations.

I spent a month or so in the temple of Chaldan in Vo Wacune, and then I hiked to Vo Astur to see what the Asturians were up to - no good, as it turned out, but this was Arendia, after all. The Asturians held the balance of power during the long, mournful years of the Arendish civil wars, and they’d change sides at the drop of a hat.

Frankly, the Arendish civil wars bored me. I wasn’t interested in the spurious grievances the Arends were constantly inventing to justify atrocities they were going to commit anyway. I went to Asturia because Asturia had a sea-coast and Wacune didn’t. The last thing I’d done before I left Cherek and his sons had been to break the Kingdom of Aloria all to pieces, and I was moderately curious about how it was working out.

Vo Astur was situated on the south bank of the Astur River, and Alorn ships frequently sailed up-river to call there. I stopped by the temple, and the priests directed me to several riverfront taverns where I might reasonably expect to find Alorn sailors. I wasn’t happy about the prospect of testing my will-power in a tavern, but there was no help for it. If you want to talk to an Alorn, you’re going to have to go where the beer is.

As luck had it, I came across a burly Alorn sea-captain in the second tavern I visited. His name was Haknar, and he’d sailed down to Arendia from Val Alorn. I introduced myself, and the white robe and staff helped to convince him that I was telling the truth. He offered to buy me a tankard or six of Arendish ale, but I politely declined. I didn’t want to get started on that again. ‘How are the boats working out?’ I asked him.

‘Ships,’ he corrected. Sailors always make that distinction. ‘They’re fast,’ he conceded, ‘but you have to pay close attention to what you’re doing when the wind comes up. King Cherek told me that you designed them.’

‘I had a little help,’ I replied modestly. ‘Aldur gave me the basic plan. How is Cherek?’

‘A little mournful, really. I think he misses his sons.’

‘It couldn’t be helped. We had to protect the Orb. How are the boys doing in their new kingdoms?’

‘They’re getting by, I guess. I think you rushed them, Belgarath. They were a little young when you sent them off into the wilderness like that. Dras calls his kingdom Drasnia, and he’s starting to build a city at a place he calls Boktor. I think he misses Val Alorn. Algar calls his kingdom Algaria, and he isn’t building cities. He’s got his people rounding up horses and cattle instead.’

I nodded. Algar probably wouldn’t have been interested in cities. ‘What’s Riva doing?’ I asked.

‘He’s definitely building a city. The word “fort” would probably come closer, though. Have you ever been to the Isle of the Winds?’

‘Once,’ I said.

‘Then you know where the beach is. That valley that runs down out of the mountains sort of stair-steps its way down to the beach. Riva had his people build stone walls across the front of each step. Now he’s got them building their houses up against the backs of those walls. If somebody tried to attack the place, he’d have to fight his way over a dozen of those walls. That could get very expensive. I stopped by the Isle on my way here. They’re making good progress.’

‘Has Riva started building his citadel yet?’

‘He’s got it laid out, but he wants to get his houses built first. You know how Riva is. He’s awfully young, but he does look out for his people.’

‘He’ll make a good king, then.’

‘Probably so. His subjects are a little worried, though. They really want him to get married, but he keeps putting them off. He seems to have somebody special in mind.’

‘He does. He dreamed about her once.’

‘You can’t marry a dream, Belgarath. The Rivan throne has to have an heir, and that’s something a man can’t do all by himself.’

‘He’s still young, Haknar. Sooner or later some girl’s going to take his eye. If it starts to look like it’s going to be a problem, I’ll go to the Isle and have a talk with him. Is Cherek still calling what’s left of his kingdom Aloria?’

‘No. Aloria’s gone now. That took a lot of the heart out of Bear-shoulders. He hasn’t even gotten around to putting a name to that peninsula you left him. The rest of us just call it “Cherek” and let it go at that. That’s whenever he lets us come home. We spend a lot of time at sea patrolling the Sea of the Winds. Cherek’s very free with titles of nobility, but there’s a large fishhook attached to them. I was about half-drunk when he made me Baron Haknar. It wasn’t until I sobered up that I realized that I’d volunteered to spend three months out of every year for the rest of my life sailing around in circles up in the Sea of the Winds. It’s really unpleasant up there, Belgarath - particularly in the winter. I get ice a half-foot thick on my sails every night. My deck-hands talk about the “Haknar jig”. That’s when the morning breeze shakes the ice off the sails and drops it down on the deck. My sailors have to dance out of the way or get brained. Are you sure I can’t offer you something to drink?’

‘Thanks all the same, Haknar, but I think I’d better be moving on. Vo Astur depresses me. You can’t get an Asturian to talk about anything but politics.’

‘Politics?’ Haknar laughed. ‘The only thing I’ve ever heard an Asturian talk about is who he’s going to go to war with next week.’

‘That’s what passes for politics here in Asturia,’ I told him, rising to my feet. ‘Give my best to Cherek the next time you see him. Tell him that I’m still keeping an eye on things.’

‘I’m sure that’ll make him sleep better at night. Are you coming to Val Alorn for the wedding?’

‘What wedding?’

‘Cherek’s. His wife died while he was off in Mallorea. Since you stole all his sons, he’s going to need a new heir. His bride-to-be is a real beauty - about fifteen or so. She’s pretty, but she’s not really very bright. If you say “good morning” to her, it takes her ten minutes to think up an answer.’

I felt a sudden wrench. I wasn’t the only one who’d lost a wife. ‘Give him my apologies,’ I told Haknar shortly. ‘I don’t think I’ll be able to make it. I’d better be going now. Thanks for the information.’