The Seeress of Kell

came into the room once again wearing his iridescent silk robe.
    "Colorful," Garion observed. For the past several months, the eunuch had been wearing a tunic, hose, and Sendarian half-boots.
    Sadi shrugged. "For some reason I feel homesick this morning." He sighed. "I think I could live out my life in perfect contentment if I never saw another mountain. What are you doing, Goodman Durnik? Still examining the construction?"
    "No. I'm trying to track down the source of that noise."
    "What noise?"
    "Surely you can hear it."
    Sadi cocked his head to one side. "I hear some birds just outside the window," he said, "and there's a stream somewhere nearby, but that's about all."
    Garion and Durnik exchanged a long, speculative look. "Silk couldn't hear it yesterday either," Durnik recalled.
    "Why don't we get everybody up?" Garion suggested.
    "That might make some of them a little unhappy, Garion."
    "They'll get over it. I think this might be important."
    There were some surly looks directed at Garion as the others filed in.
    "What's this all about, Garion?" Belgarath asked in exasperation.
    "It's what you might call an experiment, Grandfather."
    "Do your experiments on your own time."
    "My, aren't we cross this morning?" Ce'Nedra said to the old man.
    "I didn't sleep very well."
    "That's strange. I slept like a baby."
    "Durnik," Garion said, "would you stand over there, please?" He pointed to one side of the room. "And Sadi, you over there." He pointed to the other side. "This will only take a few minutes,'' he told them all. "I’m going to whisper a question to each of you, and I want you to answer yes or no."
    "Aren't you being just a bit exotic?" Belgarath asked sourly.
    "I don't want to contaminate the experiment by giving all of you the chance to talk it over."
    "It's a sound scientific principle," Beldin approved. "Let's humor him. He's stirred up my curiosity."
    Garion went from person to person, whispering a single question: "Can you heart hat murmuring sound?" Depending on the answer, he asked each of them to join either Sadi or Durnik. It did not take long, and the result confirmed Garion's suspicions. Standing with Durnik were Belgarath, Polgara, Beldin, and— somewhat surprisingly—Eriond. Standing with Sadi were Silk, Velvet, Ce'Nedra, and Zakath.
    "Now do you suppose you could explain all this rigmarole?" Belgarath asked.
    "I asked everybody the same question, Grandfather. The people standing with you can hear that sound. The people over there can't."
    "Of course they can. It kept me awake half the night."
    "Maybe that's why you're so dense this morning." Beldin grunted. "Good experiment, Garion. Now, why don't you explain it to our fuzzy-headed friend?"
    "It's not difficult, Grandfather," Garion said deprecatingly. "It's probably so simple that you're overlooking it. The only people who can hear the sound are those with what you used to call 'talent.' Ordinary people can't."
    "I'll be honest, Belgarath," Silk said. "I can't hear a sound."
    "And I've been hearing it ever since we first caught sight of Kell," Durnik added.
    "Now isn't that interesting?" Beldin said to Belgarath. "Shall we take it a few steps further, or did you want to go back to bed?"
    "Don't be absurd," Belgarath replied absently.
    "All right, then," Beldin continued, "we've got a sound that ordinary people can't hear, but that we can. I can think of another right offhand, as well, can't you?"
    Belgarath nodded. "The sound of someone using sorcery."
    "This is not a natural sound, then," Durnik mused. He suddenly laughed. "I'm glad you worked this out, Garion. I was right on the verge of tearing up the floor."
    "What on earth for?" Polgara asked him.
    "I thought the noise was coming from a water pipe somewhere."
    "This isn't sorcery, though," Belgarath said. "It doesn't sound the same and it doesn't feel the same."
    Beldin was scratching thoughtfully at his matted beard. "How does this idea strike you?" he said to Belgarath. "The people here have enough concentrated power to deal with any Grolim or group of Grolims who might come along, so why go to the trouble of laying down that curse of theirs?''
    "I don't quite follow you."
    "A large proportion of Grolims are sorcerers, right? So they 'd be able to hear this sound. What if that enchantment is there to keep the Grolims far enough away so that they won't hear it?''
    "Aren't you getting a little exotic, Beldin?" Zakath asked skeptically.
    "Not really. Actually, I'm simplifying. A curse