Guardians of the West

behind him."
    "I find that I can bear the misfortunes of the Murgos with great fortitude," Belgarath replied piously.
    "I think you'd better take a more realistic look at things, Belgarath," the hunchback growled. "We could probably match Murgo numbers if we really had to, but people don't talk about the uncountable hordes of boundless Mallorea for nothing. 'Zakath has a very big army, and he commands most of the seaports on the east coast, so he can ship in as many more troops as he wants. If he succeeds in obliterating the Murgos, he's going to be camped on our southern doorstep with a lot of bored soldiers on his hands. Certain ideas are bound to occur to him at about that time."
    Belgarath grunted. "I'll worry about that when the time comes."
    "Oh, by the way," Beldin said suddenly with an ironic grin, "I found out what that apostrophe is doing in his name."
    "Whose name?"
    "'Zakath's..would you believe that it indicates the word 'Kal'?"
    "Kal Zakath?" Belgarath stared at him incredulously.
    "Isn't that outrageous?" Beldin chortled. "I guess that the Mallorean emperors have been secretly yearning to take that title since just after the battle of Vo Mimbre, but they were always afraid that Torak might wake up and take offense at their presumption. Now that he's dead, a fair number of Malloreans have begun to call their ruler 'Kal Zakath' -the ones who want to keep their heads do, at any rate."
    "What does 'Kal' mean?" Errand asked.
    "It's an Angarak word that means King and God," Belgarath explained. "Five hundred years ago, Torak set aside the Mallorean emperor and personally led his hordes against the west. The Angaraks -all of them: Murgos, Nedraks, and Thulls, as well as the Malloreans -called him Kal Torak."
    "What happened?" Errand asked curiously. "When Kal Torak invaded the West, I mean?"
    Belgarath shrugged. "It's a very old story."
    "Not until you've heard it," Errand told him.
    Beldin gave Belgarath a sharp look. "He is quick, isn't he?"
    Belgarath looked at Errand thoughtfully. "All right," he said. "Putting it very briefly, Kal Torak smashed Drasnia, laid siege to the Algarian Stronghold for eight years, and then crossed Ulgoland to the plains of Arendia. The Kingdoms of the West met him at Vo Mimbre, and he was struck down in a duel with the Rivan Warder."
    "But not killed."
    "No. Not killed. The Rivan Warder struck him straight through the head with his sword, but Torak wasn't killed. He was only bound in slumber until a king sat once again on the throne of Riva."
    "Belgarion," Errand said.
    "Right. You know what happened then. You were there, after all."
    Errand sighed. "Yes," he said sadly.
    Belgarath turned back to Beldin. "All right," he said, "what's going on in Mallorea?"
    "Things are about the same as always," Beldin replied, taking a drink of ale and belching thunderously. "The bureaucracy is still the glue that holds everything together. There are still plots and intrigues in Melcene and Mal Zeth. Karanda and Darshiva and Gandahar are on the verge of open rebellion, and the Grolims are still afraid to go near Kell."
    "The Mallorean Grolims are still a functioning church then?" Belgarath seemed a little surprised. "I thought that the citizenry might have taken steps -the way they did in Mishrak ac Thull. I understand that the Thulls started building bonfires with Grolims."
    "Kal Zakath sent a few orders back to Mal Zeth," Beldin told him, "and the army stepped in to stop the slaughter. After all, if you plan to be King and God, you're going to need yourself a church. Zakath seems to think that it might be easier to use one that's already established."
    "What does Urvon think of that idea?"
    "He' s not making much of an issue of it right now. Before the army moved in, the people of Mallorea were finding a great deal of entertainment in hanging Grolims up on iron hooks. Urvon is staying in Mal Yaska and keeping very quiet. I think he believes that the fact that he's still alive might just be an oversight on the part of his exalted Majesty, Kal Zakath. Urvon is a slimy snake, but he's no fool."
    "I've never met him."
    "You haven't missed a thing," Beldin said sourly. He held out his tankard. "You want to fill this?"
    "You're drinking up all of my ale, Beldin."
    "You can always steal more. The twins never lock their doors. Anyway, Urvon was a disciple of Torak, the same as Ctuchik and Zedar. He doesn't have any of their good qualities, however."
    "They didn't have any good qualities," Belgarath