Sorceress of Darshiva

all, and the whole business could hinge on that."
    "All right," Belgarath said. "We go to Darshiva then. We’ve dodged demons before. The main thing right now is to get across the river before Zakath gets here."
    "We're going to need a boat," Durnik said.
    "I'll go see if I can find one," Beldin said, crouching and spreading his arms.
    "You don't have to be too selective," Belgarath said. "Anything that floats should do it."
    "I'll keep that in mind," Beldin replied and soared away.

Part Three – DARSHIVA



CHAPTER SIXTEEN
    It was not really a boat. In point of fact, it was a river barge, and its long, trailing rope gave evidence that it had broken its moorings somewhere upriver and had drifted downstream with the current. It would serve, however. The only real drawback Garion could see was the fact that it was lying in about eight feet of water with its starboard bow staved in.
    "What do you think, Belgarath?" Beldin asked.
    "A boat that's already been sunk once doesn't inspire much confidence,'‘ the old man said.
    "How would you like to try swimming? There's not even a raft for ten miles in either direction."
    Durnik stood squinting down into the cloudy water of the river. "It might be all right," he said.
    "Durnik," Silk objected, "it's got a big hole in the front of it."
    "I can fix that—provided it hasn't been down there long enough to start rotting." He pulled off his rust-colored tunic and his boots. "Well," he said, "there's one way to find out." He waded out into the river, sank beneath the surface, and swam down to the wreck. He went hand over hand down one side, stopping every few feet to dig at the wood with his knife. After what seemed an eternity, he came up for air.
    "Well?" Belgarath called to him.
    "That side seems all right," Durnik replied. "Let me check the other.'' He dove down again through the greenish water and went up along the other side. He came up briefly, then went back down to look over the interior of the barge. Then he inspected the gaping hole in the bow. He was breathing hard when he came back up.
    "It's sound," he reported as he came dripping out of the river, "and whatever it ran into didn't damage anything major. I think I can fix it well enough to get us across the river. We'll have to unload it first, though."
    "Oh?" Silk's nose twitched with curiosity. "What kind of cargo was it carrying?"
    "Beans," Durnik replied, "bags of them. Most of the bags burst when the beans swelled up, though."
    Silk groaned.
    "Maybe they belonged to someone else, Kheldar," Velvet said consolingly.
    "Are you trying to be funny?"
    "I'll help you, Durnik," Garion offered, starting to pull off his plain tunic.
    "Ah . . ." Durnik hesitated. "Thanks all the same, Garion, but I've seen you swim. You'd better stay on the bank. Toth and I can manage."
    "How do you plan to get it out of the water?" Sadi asked.
    "We have all these horses." Durnik shrugged. "Once we swing it around, they should be able to pull it up on the bank."
    "Why swing it around?"
    "Because the hole's in the bow. We want the water to drain out as we pull it up onto the beach. A whole herd of horses couldn't move it if we left it full of water."
    "Oh. I guess I didn't think of that."
    Toth laid aside his staff, pulled off the blanket he wore across one shoulder, and waded out into the river.
    Eriond started to remove his tunic.
    "Where do you think you're going, young man?" Polgara asked him.
    "I'm going to help unload the boat, Polgara," he replied earnestly. "I swim very well. I’ve had lots of practice, remember?" Then he, too, waded out into the water.
    "I'm not sure I caught the significance of that," Velvet admitted.
    Polgara sighed ruefully. "When he was a little boy, he lived with Durnik and me in the Vale. There was a river nearby, and he used to fall into it regularly."
    "Oh. That explains it, I guess."
    "All right," Belgarath said crisply. "They're going to need lumber to patch that hole. We passed a shed about a half mile upstream. Let's go back and tear it apart."
    It was well after sundown by the time Durnik got the foundered barge up onto the beach. For once, nature cooperated, and there was no hailstorm that evening. They built a fire on the beach to provide light, and the smith, Toth, and Eriond got down to work.
    Silk walked mournfully around the barge. "It's mine, all right," he sighed.
    "You keep well-equipped barges, Silk," Durnik said, carefully measuring a board.
    "This one had everything I need right in the