"What exactly are you going to do?" Silk asked her.

"It might be unwise of me to tell thee in advance, Prince Kheldar. Canst thou, however, discover the location of the remains of Naradas for me?"

"I should be able to do that," he replied. "I'll go ask around a bit." Then he left the room.

"And when Prince Kheldar returns with the location of dead Naradas, thou, King of Riva, and thou, Emperor of Mallorea, go even unto the king and prevail upon him in the strongest of terms to accompany you at midnight to that place, for certain truths shall be revealed to him there which may lessen his grief."

"Cyradis," Beldin sighed, "why must you always complicate things?"

She smiled almost shyly. “It is one of my few delights, gentle Beldin. To speak obscurely doth cause others to ponder my words more carefully. The dawning of understanding in them causes me a certain satisfaction."

"Not to mention the fact that it's very irritating."

"That perhaps is also a part of the delight," she agreed impishly.

"You know," Beldin said to Belgarath, "I think she's a human being after all."

It was about ten minutes later when Silk returned. "Found him," he said a bit smugly. "They've got him laid out on a bier in the chapel of Chaldan on the main floor of the palace. I looked in on him. He's really much, much more attractive with his eyes closed. The funeral's scheduled for tomorrow. It's summer, and he probably won't keep."

"What would be thine estimate of the hour, Goodman?" Cyradis asked Durnik.

The smith went to the window and looked up at the stars. "I make it about an hour before midnight," he replied.

"Go then now, Belgarion and Zakath. Use all the powers of persuasion at your command. It is absolutely essential that the king be in that chapel at midnight."

"We'll bring him, Holy Seeress," Zakath promised her.

"Even if we have to drag him," Garion added.

"I wish I knew what she was up to," Zakath said as he and Garion walked down the hall outside. "It might make the king a bit easier to persuade if we could tell him what to expect.”

"It might also make him skeptical," Garion disagreed. "I think Cyradis is planning something fairly exotic, and some people have difficulty accepting that sort of thing."

"Oh my, yes." Zakath grinned.

"His Majesty does not wish to be disturbed," one of the guards at the king's door said when they asked admission.

"Tell him, please, that it is a matter of extreme urgency," Garion said.

"I'll try, Sir Knight," the guard said dubiously, "but he is much distraught at the death of his friend."

The guard returned a few moments later. "His Majesty consents to see thee and thy companion, Sir Knight, but prithee, be brief. His suffering is extreme."

"Of course," Garion murmured.