"Perhaps," Polgara said, "but I've seen this happen too many times before. It's always the same. There always has to be a fire. I don't believe I care to watch any more of this." She turned her back on the burning city and walked slowly away from the riverbank.

The night was interminable. Toward dawn, as the stars began to fade from the paling sky, the Princess Ce'Nedra, drawn with fatigue, stood atop a grassy bank near the cove, watching with a kind of sick fascination as the city of Thull Mardu died. Entire districts seemed to be in flames, and great fountains of orange sparks belched toward the sky as roofs caved in and buildings collapsed. What had seemed so stirring, so glorious in her anticipation had turned out to be something quite different in reality, and she was sick at what she had done. She still, nonetheless, brought her fingertips up to touch the amulet at her throat. She had to know what was happening. No matter how horrible the events were in the city, not knowing what was happening was even worse.

"Sort of a nice little fight," she heard King Anheg say. The King of Cherek seemed to be someplace very high - atop the walls of the city perhaps.

"Pretty routine," Barak, Earl of Trellheim, replied. "The Murgo garrison fought pretty well, but the Thulls kept falling all over themselves trying to surrender."

"What did you do with all of them?" King Cho-Hag asked.

"We herded them into the central square," Barak answered. "They've been amusing themselves by killing the Grolims we flushed out of the temple."

Anheg suddenly chuckled, an evil sort of sound. "How's Grodeg?" he asked.

"It looks like he's going to live," Barak said.

"That's a shame. When I saw that axe sticking out of his back, I thought somebody's solved one of my problems for me."

"It was too low," Barak said rather mournfully. "It broke his spine, but it didn't hit anything else significant. He won't be walking any more, but he's still breathing."

"You can't depend on a Murgo to do anything right," Anheg said in disgust.

"They did thin out the Bear-cult pretty thoroughly," Barak noted cheerfully. "I don't think there are more than two dozen of them left. They fought pretty well, though."

"That's what they were here for. How long do you think it will be before daylight?"

"Half an hour, maybe."

"Where's Rhodar?"

"He and Fulrach are sacking the warehouses," King Cho-Hag replied. "The Murgos had some supply dumps here. Fulrach wants to confiscate them."

"He would," Anheg said. "Maybe we'd better send somebody for them. It's getting on toward the time when we'll want to think about pulling out of here. As soon as it gets light, all this smoke's going to announce what we've done to anyone within twenty leagues. It's about time to start the fleet moving, and it's a long march back to the forts on top of the escarpment."