"At least you have someone to sleep with."

"Two someones, actually, counting the puppy. Puppies take an unwholesome interest in toes, I’ve noticed."

Zakath laughed.

"Grandfather," Garion said, "up until now, the king has blithely gone along with anything Naradas suggested. Did you tamper with him at all?"

"I made a couple of suggestions," Belgarath admitted. "I don't usually like to do that, but the situation was a bit unusual.”

It was in the corridor outside that Naradas caught up with them. "You haven't won yet, Belgarath," he hissed.

"No, probably not," Belgarath admitted with aplomb, "but then, neither have you, Naradas, and I imagine Zandramas- you’ve heard the name before, I trust will be a bit cross with you when she finds out how miserably you've failed here. Maybe, if you start running right now, you can get away from her for a while, at least."

"This isn't the end of this, Belgarath."

"Never thought it was, old boy." Belgarath reached out and insultingly patted Naradas on the cheek. "Run along now, Grolim," he advised, "while you still have your health." He paused. "Unless, of course, you'd like to challenge me. Considering your limited talents, I don't advise it, but that's entirely up to you."

After one startled look at the Eternal Man, Naradas fled.

"I enjoy doing that to his kind," Belgarath gloated.

"You are a dreadful old man, aren't you?" Zakath said.

"Never pretended not to be, Zakath." Belgarath grinned. "Let's go talk with Sadi. Naradas is starting to become an inconvenience. I think it's high time he left us."

"You'll do anything, won't you?" Zakath asked as they continued down the corridor.

"To get the job done? Of course.”

"And when I interfered with you back in Rak Hagga, you could have blown me into nothingness, couldn't you?"

"Probably, yes."

"But you didn't. Why not?"

"Because I thought I might need you, and I saw more in you than others did."

"More than Emperor of half the world?"

"That's trash, Zakath," Belgarath said scornfully. "Your friend here is Overlord of the West, and he still has trouble getting his boots on the right feet."

"I do not!" Garion objected vehemently.

"That's probably because you’ve got Ce'Nedra to help you figure it out. That's what you really need, Zakath a wife, someone to keep you looking reasonably presentable."

"I'm afraid that's quite out of the question, Belgarath." Zakath sighed.

"We'll see," the Eternal Man said.

The greetings they received in their quarters in the royal palace at Dal Perivor were not cordial.

"You old fool!" Polgara began, speaking to her father. Things deteriorated quite rapidly from there.

"You idiot!" Ce'Nedra shrieked at Garion.

"Please, Ce'Nedra," Polgara said patiently, "let me finish first."

"Oh, of course, Lady Polgara," the Rivan Queen agreed politely. "Sorry. You have many more years of aggravation than I do. Besides, I can get this one alone in bed and give him a piece of my mind."