Demon Lord of Karanda

back and forth.
    Otherwise, you do an awful lot of unnecessary walking."
    "All right," Zakath said briskly, looking at his generals, "which one of you has the biggest mouth?"
    A red-faced officer with a big paunch and snowy white hair grinned suddenly. "In my youth, I could be heard all the way across a parade ground, your Majesty," he said.
    "Good. Go see if you can still do it. Get hold of some colonel with a glimmer of intelligence. Tell him to abandon any district that's already burning and to tear down enough houses around the perimeter to keep the fire from spreading. Tell him that there's a generalcy in it for him if he saves at least half of Mal Zeth."
    "Provided that he doesn't get the plague and die," one of the other generals muttered.
    "That's what soldiers get paid for, gentlemen -taking risks. When the trumpet blows, you're supposed to attack, and I'm blowing the trumpet -right now."
    "Yes, your Majesty," they all replied in unison, turned smartly, and marched out.
    "That was a clever idea, Garion," Zakath said gratefully. "Thank you." He sprawled wearily in a chair.
    "Just common sense." Garion shrugged, also sitting down.
    "Kings and Emperors aren't supposed to have common sense. It's too common."
    "You're going to have to get some sleep, Zakath," Garion told him seriously. "You look like a man on his last legs."
    "Gods," Zakath replied, "I'd give half of Karanda right now for a few hours' sleep -of course, I don't have half of Karanda anymore."
    "Go to bed, then."
    "I can't. There's too much to do."
    "How much can you do if you collapse from exhaustion? Your generals can take care of things until you wake up. That's what generals are for, isn't it?"
    "Maybe." Zakath slumped lower in his chair. He looked across at Garion. "Was there something on your mind?" he asked. "I'm sure this isn't just a social visit."
    "Well," Garion said, trying to make it sound only incidental, "Durnik's worried about our horses," he said.
    "We've talked with Aunt PoI -Lady Polgara- and she's not really sure whether horses can catch plague or not.
    Durnik wanted me to ask you if it would be all right if we took our animals out of the main stables and picketed them someplace near the east wing where he can keep an eye on them."
    "Horses?" Zakath said incredulously. "He's worried about horses at a time like this?"
    "You sort of have to understand Durnik," Garion replied. "He's a man who takes his responsibilities very seriously. He looks on it as a duty, and I think we can both appreciate that."
    Zakath laughed a tried laugh. "The legendary Sendarian virtues," he said, "duty, rectitude and practicality." He shrugged. "Why not?" he said. "If it makes Goodman Durnik happy, he can stable your horses in the corridors of the east wing if he wants."
    "Oh, I don't think he'd want to do that," Garion replied after a moment's thought. "One of the Sendarian virtues you neglected to mention was propriety. Horses don't belong inside the house. Besides," he added, "the marble floors might bruise their hooves."
    Zakath smiled weakly. "You're a delight, Garion," he said. "Sometimes you're so serious about the littlest things."
    "Big things are made up of little things, Zakath," Garion replied sententiously. He looked at the exhausted man across the table, feeling a peculiar regret at being forced to deceive somebody he genuinely liked. "Are you going to be all right?" he asked.
    "I'll survive, I expect," Zakath said. "You see, Garion, one of the big secrets about this world is that the people who desperately cling to life are usually the ones who die. Since I don't really care one way or the other, I'll probably live to be a hundred."
    "I wouldn't base any plans on that kind of superstition," Garion told him. Then a thought came to him. "Would it upset you if we locked the doors of the east wing from the inside until this all blows over?" he asked. "I'm not particularly timid about getting sick myself, but I'm sort of concerned about Ce'Nedra and Liselle and Eriond. None of them are really terribly robust, and Aunt Pol said that stamina was one of the things that help people survive the plague."
    Zakath nodded. "That's a reasonable request," he agreed, "and really a very good idea. Let's protect the ladies and the boy, if at all possible."
    Garion stood up. "You've got to get some sleep," he said.
    "I don't think I can sleep. There are so many things on my mind just now."
    "I'll have someone send Andel to you," Garion suggested. "If she's