Sorceress of Darshiva

in mind?" Silk asked him.
    "I'm going to stay on the trail," Garion replied.
    "Why? All it's going to do is run down to that cove the lady mentioned and then go out to sea again."
    Garion looked at him helplessly.
    "I'd say that the best thing for us to do right now is get back to Melcena as quickly as possible. I have a lot of people working for me there. I'll saturate those commercial wharves with men—the same way we did in Jarot. Naradas won't be hard to follow."
    "Why don't I just take the Orb and go down to the wharves myself?" Garion protested.
    "Because all you'll find out that way is which wharf she sailed from. We need more than that." Silk looked sympathetically at his friend. "I know you're impatient, Garion—we all are—but my way's going to be faster, actually. My people can find out when Zandramas sailed and where she was going. That's the thing we really have to know."
    "All right, then," Belgarath said, "let's ride." They mounted quickly and rode at a canter back up the drive to the road. Then they went south toward Melcena at a gallop.
    It was about noon when they reached the north gate and not long after that when they dismounted in front of Silk's house. They went inside and on up the stairs to the sitting room. "Would you ask Vetter to come up?" the little man asked a passing servant as they entered the room.
    "At once, your Highness."
    "I'd say we'd better pack again," Silk suggested, removing his businessman's robe.
    "As soon as we find out where Zandramas is going, I think we'll be leaving again."
    Sadi smiled faintly. "Poor Zith," he murmured. "She's getting very tired of traveling."
    "She's not the only one," Velvet said a bit ruefully. "When this is all over, I don't think I'll ever want even to look at another horse."
    There was a polite knock at the door, and Vetter opened it. "You wanted to see me, your Highness?" he asked.
    "Yes, Vetter. Come in, please." Silk was pacing up and down, his eyes deep in thought. "We've been looking for some people," he said.
    "I surmised as much, your Highness."
    "Good. We know that these people came to Melcena not too long back. Then they left again about three days ago. We need to know where they went."
    "Very well, your Highness. Can you give me a description?"
    "I was just getting to that. There were two men, a woman, and a small boy. One of the men was the Archduke Otrath. Do you know him?"
    Vetter nodded. "I can give our people an accurate description of him, yes."
    "Very good, Vetter. The other man is named Naradas."
    "I've heard the name, your Highness, but I don't think I've ever seen him."
    "You wouldn't have forgotten him. His eyes are totally white."
    "He's a blind man?"
    "No, but his eyes have no color to them."
    "That should make things simpler."
    "I thought it might. The woman's been going to some trouble to keep her face covered, but she willl be with the archduke and Naradas. We've picked up the information that they may have sailed from one of the commercial wharves to the south of the city. Start out by concentrating the search there. Send every man you can put your hands on down there. Have them talk with everybody on those wharves. We need information and we need it fast. Spread money around if you have to. I want to know when they left, on which ship, and where they were going. If the ship happens to be back in port, bring me one of the sailors—or even better yet, the captain. Speed is essential, Vetter."
    "I'll see to it at once, your Highness. I'll have several hundred men on those wharves within the hour and I'll keep you posted about the progress of the search. Will there be anything else?"
    Silk frowned. "Yes," he decided. "We came to Melcena aboard one of our own ships. It should still be down in the harbor. Send someone to the captain and tell him to make ready to sail again. We'll be leaving as soon as we get the information."
    "I'll attend to it." Vetter bowed and quietly left the room.
    "He seems like a good man," Beldin noted.
    "One of the best," Silk agreed. "He gets things done and he never gets excited." The little man smiled. "I've heard that Bradors been trying to lure him back, but I've got more money than Brador has."
    Beldin grunted and looked at Belgarath. "We've got some things to sort out," he said. "Why is Zandramas saddling herself with this archduke? This whole side trip of hers didn't make any sense at all."
    "Of course it did."
    "I'm sure you'll explain mat to me—sometime in the next week or