King of The Murgos

called Zandramas," Belgarath said.
    "I do indeed," Sadi replied. He rose from his chair and went to the narrow, unmade bed standing against one wall. He rummaged around under the dirty brown blanket, took out a small silver flask, and opened it. "Excuse me," he said, taking a small sip. He grimaced. "I wish it didn't taste so bad."
    Polgara gave him a cool look. "Do you suppose you could tell us what you know about Zandramas—before you start seeing the butterflies?"
    Sadi looked at her innocently. "Oh, no. This isn't one of those, Lady Polgara," he assured her, shaking the flask. "It just has a certain calming effect. My nerves have been absolutely destroyed by what's happening in the past few months."
    "Why don't we get down to business?" Belgarath suggested.
    "Very well. I have something you want, and you have something I want. I think a trade is in order.''
    "Why don't we discuss that?" Silk said, his eyes suddenly brightening and his long nose twitching.
    "I'm very much aware of your reputation, Prince Kheldar." Sadi smiled. "I'm not foolish enough to try to bargain with you."
    "All right, just what is this thing you want from us, Sadi?" Belgarath asked the dead-eyed eunuch.
    "You're on your way out of Nyissa. I want you to take me with you. In exchange, I'll tell you everything I've learned about Zandramas."
    "Totally out of the question."
    "I think you're speaking in haste, Ancient One. Hear me out first."
    "I don't trust you, Sadi," Belgarath said bluntly.
    "That's quite understandable. I'm not the sort of man who should be trusted."
    "Then why should I saddle myself with you?"
    "Because I know why you're following Zandramas—and more importantly, I know where Zandramas is going. It's a very dangerous place for you, but I can arrange a way for us to move around freely once we get there. Now, why don't we put aside all this childishness about trusting each other and get down to business?"
    "We're just wasting time here," Belgarath said to the rest of them.
    "I can be very useful to you, Ancient One," Sadi told him.
    "Or to anyone who might want to know where we are," Silk added.
    "That wouldn't be in my own best interests, Kheldar."
    "Which brings up an interesting point," Silk said. "I have a splendid opportunity here to turn a quick profit. You mentioned the fact that there's a large price on your head. If you don't want to be co-operative, I might just decide to collect that price. How much did you say it was?"
    "You won't do that, Kheldar," Sadi replied placidly. "You're in a hurry to catch up with Zandramas, and there are always a hundred administrative details involved in collecting a reward. It would probably be a month before you saw any of the money, and Zandramas would be that much farther ahead of you by then."
    "That's probably true," Silk admitted. He reached for one of his daggers with a regretful expression. "There's this other alternative, however—messy, but usually fairly effective."
    Sadi backed away from him. "Belgarath," he said in a faintly alarmed voice.
    "That won't be necessary, Silk," the old man said. He turned to Polgara. "See what you can do, Pol," he suggested.
    "All right, father." She turned to the eunuch. "Sit down, Sadi," she told him. "I want you to look at something."
    "Of course, Lady Polgara," he agreed amiably, seating himself in a chair by the table.
    "Look closely," she said, making a curious gesture in front of his eyes.
    The eunuch continued to smile. "How charming," he murmured, looking at something which seemed to have appeared before his eyes. "Can you make it do any other tricks, too?"
    She bent forward and looked closely into his eyes. "I see. You're more clever than I thought, Sadi." She turned back to the rest of them. "He's drugged," she said. "Probably what he drank out of that flask. Right now there's absolutely nothing I can do with him."
    "That takes us back to the other alternative, doesn't it?" Silk said, reaching for his dagger again.
    Polgara shook her head. "Right now, he wouldn't even feel it."
    "Oh," Sadi said in a disappointed voice, "you made it go away—and I rather liked it."
    "The drug won't last forever." Silk shrugged. "And by the time it wears off, we should be far enough from the city to be able to carve some answers out of him without the screams attracting any attention." His hand strayed again to the hilt of his dagger.
    "Alorns," the dry voice in Garion's mind said disgustedly. "Why is it that your solution to every problem comes