Guardians of the West

quest from time to time, Belgarion," she continued, "but those I have named must be with thee at that final meeting."
    "What about us?" Barak demanded, "Hettar and Mandorallen and Lelldorin and me?"
    "The tasks of each of you are complete, most Dreadful Bear, and the responsibility for them hath descended to your sons. Shouldst thou or the Bowman or the Horse Lord or the Knight Protector seek to join with Belgarion in this quest, thy presence will cause him to fail."
    "Ridiculous!" the big man sputtered. "I'm certainly not staying behind."
    "That choice is not thine to make." She turned back to Garion, laying her hand on the massive arm of her mute protector. "This is Toth," she said, slumping as if a great weariness were about to overcome her. "He hath guided my faltering steps since the day that other sight came upon me and I bound up mine eyes that I might better see. Though it doth rend my soul, he and I must now part for a little while. I have instructed him to aid thee in thy search. In the stars, he is called the Silent Man, and it is his destiny to be one of thy companions." She began to tremble as if in exhaustion. "One last word for thee, Belgarion," she said in a quavering voice. "Thy quest will be fraught with great peril, and one of thy companions shall lose his life in the course of it. Prepare thine heart therefore, for when this mischance occurs, thou must not falter, but must press on to the completion of the task which hath been laid upon thee."
    "Who?" he said quickly. "Which one of them is going to die?"
    "That hath not been revealed to me," she said. And then with an obvious effort, she straightened. "Remember me," she said, "for we shall meet anon." With that she vanished.
    "Where did she go?" General Brendig exclaimed.
    "She was never really here," Errand replied.
    "It was a projection, Brendig," Belgarath said. "But the man -Toth- is solid. Now how did they work that? Do you know, Errand?"
    Errand shrugged. "I can't tell, Belgarath. But it took the combined power of all the Seers at Kell."
    "What absolute nonsense!" Barak burst out angrily, pounding one huge fist on the table. "Nothing in this world could make me stay behind!"
    "Mandorallen, Hettar, and Lelldorin vehemently nodded their agreement.
    Garion looked at Polgara. "Could she possibly have been lying?" he asked.
    "Cyradis? No. A seeress isn't capable of lying. She may have concealed a few things, but she could never have lied. What she told us was what she saw in the stars."
    "How can she see the stars with that blindfold over her eyes?" Lelldorin objected.
    Polgara spread her hands. "I don't know. The seers perceive things in ways we don't entirely understand."
    "Maybe she read them wrong," Hettar suggested.
    "The Seers at Kell are usually right," Beldin growled, "so I wouldn't necessarily want to bet my life on that."
    "That brings us right to the point," Garion said. "I'm going to have to go alone."
    "Alone?" Ce'Nedra gasped.
    "You heard what she said. Somebody who goes with me is going to get killed."
    "That hath ever been a possibility, Garion," Mandorallen said soberly.
    "But never a certainty."
    "I won't let you go by yourself," Barak declared.
    Garion felt a peculiar wrench, almost as if he had been rudely pushed aside. He was powerless as a voice which was not his came from his lips. "Will you people stop all this babbling?" it demanded. "You've been given your instructions. Now follow them."
    They all stared at Garion in amazement. He spread his hands helplessly, trying to let them know that he had no control over the words coming from his mouth.
    Belgarath blinked. "This must be important, if it can make you take a hand directly," he said to the awareness that had suddenly usurped Garion's voice.
    "You don't have time to sit around debating the issue, Belgarath. You have a very long way to go and only so much time."
    "Then what Cyradis said was true?" Polgara asked.
    "As far as it went. She's still not taking sides, though."
    "Then why did she come at all?" Beldin asked.
    "She has her own task, and this was part of that. She must also give instructions to Zandramas."
    "I don't suppose you could give us a hint or two about this place we're supposed to find?" Belgarath asked hopefully.
    "Belgarath, don't do that. You know better. You have to stop at Prolgu on your way south."
    "Prolgu?"
    "Something that has to occur is going to happen there. Time is running out on you, Belgarath, so stop wasting it."
    You keep talking about