Yarblek pushed the door open, and he and Vella entered. Porenn sighed. During the course of her visit to Gar og Nadrak, Vella had reverted. She had shed the shallow veneer of gentility Porenn had labored so long to create, and her garb indicated that she had once again become the wild, untamable creature as she had always been before.

“What's all the rush, Porenn?" Yarblek said gruffly, dumping his shabby felt coat and shaggy hat in the corner. "Your messenger almost killed his horse getting to me."

"Something urgent has come up," the Queen of Drasnia replied. "I think it concerns us all. I want you to keep it in strictest confidence, however."

"Confidence." Yarblek laughed derisively. "You know there aren't any secrets in your palace, Porenn."

"There is this time," Porenn said a bit smugly. "This morning I ordered Javelin to clear all the spies out of this wing of the palace."

Yarblek grinned. "How did he take it?"

"Badly, I'm afraid."

"Good. He's been getting just a little too sure of himself lately. All right, let's get down to business. What's this problem?"

“In a moment. Did you find out what Drosta's been up to?"

"Of course. He's trying to make peace with Zakath. He's been dealing at a distance with the Mallorean who's in charge of their Bureau of Internal Affairs; Brador, I think his name is. Anyway, Drosta's been letting Mallorean agents run all through Gar og Nadrak to infiltrate the west.”

It was Yarblek's tone of voice more than anything that warned Porenn that there was more. "All of it, Yarblek. You're holding things back.”

Yarblek sighed. "I hate dealing with a clever woman," he complained. "It seems so unnatural for some reason." Then he prudently skipped out of the range of Vella's daggers. "All right.” He gave up. “Zakath needs money and lots of it to deal with the wars he's got on two different fronts. Drosta's cut the import duties on Mallorean carpets at least to the merchants who pay taxes to Mal Zeth. Those Malloreans have been scalping Silk and me in the Arendish markets."

"I assume you took advantage of that information?"

"Naturally." He thought a moment. "Here's your chance to make a tidy profit, Porenn," he suggested. "Drosta's cut the import duties to the Malloreans by fifteen percent. You could raise your duties by the same amount. You'll make money, and Silk and I can stay competitive."

"I think you're trying to swindle me, Yarblek," Porenn said suspiciously.

"Me?"

"We'll talk about it later. Now, listen very carefully. This is the reason I sent for you. Barak, Mandorallen, Hettar, Lelldorin, and Relg are sailing to Mallorea. We're not entirely positive, but we think they plan to intrude themselves in Belgarion's quest. You were there at Rheon, and you know what that Dalasian Seeress told us. Those hotheads absolutely have to stay out of it."

"I'll certainly agree about that."