The Seeress of Kell

them things like that."
    "I'd imagine so, yes."
    "Good. Yarblek and I can ship goods to Cthol Murgos by sea and turn Rak Urga into the largest commercial center on the southern half of the continent.”
    "Why would you want to? Cthol Murgos is bankrupt."
    "The bottomless mines are still there, aren't they?"
    "Of course, but they're all in territories controlled by the Malloreans."
    "But if you conclude a peace treaty with Zakath, the Malloreans will be leaving, won't they? We'll have to move fast on this, Urgit. As soon as the Malloreans withdraw, you'll have to move in, not only with troops, but also with miners."
    "What do I get out of it?"
    "Taxes, brother mine, taxes. You can tax the gold miners, you can tax me, and you can tax my customers. You'll be rolling in money in just a few years."
    "And the Tolnedrans will swindle me out of all of it in just a few weeks."
    "Not too likely." Silk smirked. "Varana's the only Tolnedran in the world who knows about this, and he's on Barak's ship out in the harbor right now. He won't get back to Tol Honeth for several weeks.”
    "What difference does that make? Nobody can make a move of any kind until I conclude a peace treaty with Zakath, can they?"
    "That’s not entirely true, Urgit. You and I can draw up an agreement guaranteeing me exclusive access to the Murgo market. I'll pay you handsomely for it, of course, and the agreement will be perfectly legal and ironclad. I’ve drawn up enough trade agreements to be able to see to that. We can hammer out the details later, but the important thing right now is to get something down in writing with both our names on it. And then, when peace breaks out, the Tolnedrans will swarm down here. You can show them the document and send them all home again. If I’ve got exclusive access, we'll make millions. Millions, Urgit, millions!"
    Both of their noses were twitching violently now.
    "What sort of provisions would we want to put in this agreement of exclusivity?" Urgit asked cautiously.
    Silk grinned broadly at him and reached inside his doublet again. “I’ve taken the liberty of drawing up an interim document," he said, pulling out another parchment, "just to save time, of course."
    Sthiss Tor was still a very unattractive city, Garion noticed as Barak's sailors moored Seabird to the familiar wharf in the Drasnian trade enclave. The hawsers were no sooner tied off than Silk leaped across to the wharf and hurried up the street. “Is he likely to have any trouble?" Garion asked Sadi.
    "Not too likely," Sadi, who was crouched down behind a longboat, replied. "Salmissra knows who he is, and I know my queen. Her face doesn't show any emotion, but her curiosity is very strong. I’ve spent the last three days composing that letter. She'll see me. I can practically guarantee that. Could we go below, Garion? I'd really rather not have anybody see me."
    It was perhaps two hours later when Silk returned accompanied by a platoon of Nyissan soldiers. The platoon leader was familiar.
    "Is that you, Issus?" Sadi called out through the porthole of the cabin in which he was hiding. "I thought you'd be dead by now."
    "Hardly," the one-eyed assassin said.
    "You're working at the palace now?"
    "Yes."
    "For the queen?"
    "Among others. I take on a few odd jobs for Javelin now and then."
    "Does the queen know about that?"
    "Of course. All right, Sadi. The queen's agreed to a two-hour amnesty for you. We'd better hurry. I'm sure you'll want to be gone from here before those two hours run out. The queen's fangs start to itch every time she hears your name, so let's go unless you'd like to reconsider and start running right now."
    "No," Sadi said. "I'll be right up. I'm bringing Polgara and Belgarion with me, if that's all right."
    "That's up to you," Issus said with an indifferent shrug.
    The palace was still infested with snakes and with dreamy-eyed eunuchs. A pimply-faced official with broad hips and a grotesquely made-up face met them at the palace door. "Well, Sadi," he said in a piping soprano voice, "I see you’ve returned."
    "And I see you’ve managed to stay alive, Y'sth," Sadi replied coldly. "That's a shame, really."
    Y'sth's eyes narrowed with undisguised hatred. "I'd be a little careful about what I say, Sadi," he squeaked. "You're not Chief Eunuch anymore. As a matter of fact, I may soon hold that position myself."
    "May the heavens defend poor Nyissa then," Sadi murmured,
    "You've heard of the queen's command that Sadi be given safe