LITMIR.BIZ

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      And at last came they even unto the City of Night wherein dwelt Kal-Torak and his people, the Angaraks, and the wolf Belgarath slunk low to the ground and sought out the way and led them even into the dark city and yet unto the foot of the iron tower.

      Then climbed they in crafty silence with muffled feet the rusted iron steps which had known no foot of man or God for twenty centuries. And Cherek of the broad shoulders, more like the Bear than the Bear-God himself, mounted first, and behind him Algar the fleet-footed and Riva the steadfast, and guarding the rear were Dras the bull-necked and the wolf Belgarath.

      And mounted they the smoldering darkness of the tower and came even unto the iron-bound chamber of the maimed God where slept in pain-hunted slumber the titan Torak.

      And he had caused his face to be bound up with iron to hide from men and Gods the melted flesh and burned eye which the Orb had wrought upon him.

      And as they passed through the chamber of the maimed God, stirred he in his sleep and opened behind the iron binding the eye which the Orb had burned. And such was the power of the maimed God that the eye which was not glowed red, and the iron tower glowed likewise a smoldering and sooty red.

      And passed they through in dreadful fear of the maimed and sleeping God who stirred ever in his sleep as the pain with which the Orb had touched him seared him.

      And in the chamber beyond lay the Iron Cask in which had rested for a thousand years and yet for another thousand years the Orb of Aldur. And in fear looked they upon the Cask, knowing the power of the Orb.

      And Cherek Bear-shoulders, King of the Alorns, spake unto Belgarath the Sorcerer, saying, ‘Take thou the Orb and return it unto thy Master, its rightful owner.’

      And Belgarath, Disciple of Aldur, spake, saying, ‘Nay, King of the Alorns. I may not touch it, neither may I look upon it, lest it destroy me. None may touch the Orb now unless he be without ill intent. Only him who would not use it may touch it now. Thus doth the Orb protect itself and the Gods and men and the very world – for behold, once was it used to crack open the earth and will not be used so again. If any here be without ill intent – if one of you be pure enough to take up the Orb and convey it at peril of his life and surrender it at the end of our journey with no thought of gain or of power or of dominion, let him stretch forth his hand now and take up the Orb of Aldur.’

      And Cherek Bear-shoulders was troubled, and he spake, saying, ‘What man is without ill intent in the deepest silences of his soul?’ And he put forth his hand and as that hand came nigh unto the Iron Cask felt he even in his heart the great heat of the Orb that lay within and knew then his unworthiness. And bitter was that knowledge to him. And he turned away.

      And Dras Bull-neck, his eldest son, came forward and stretched forth both his hands and put them upon the Cask. And then he withdrew them and turned his head and wept.

      And Algar Fleet-foot came forward and stretched forth his hand. And he too withdrew his hand and turned away.

      But Riva Iron-grip went even unto the Cask and opened it and did reach within and took up the Orb. And behold, the fire of the Orb shone through his fingers – yea, even through the flesh of his hand – and he was not burned.

      ‘Behold,’ spake Belgarath the Sorcerer unto Cherek Bear-shoulders, ‘thy youngest son is pure and without ill intent. And his doom and the doom of all who follow after him shall be to bear the Orb and to protect it from evil.’

      ‘So be it,’ spake Cherek, King of the Alorns, ‘and I and his brothers will sustain and protect him while this doom is upon him – even though it be until the end of days.’

      And Riva muffled the Orb of Aldur in his cloak and hid it in his bosom, and the companions passed quickly out through the dreadful chamber wherein slept the maimed God, ever stirring and restless in his pain. And the eye that was not watched them. And Kal-Torak cried out in his sleep, but woke not.

      And down they hurried even unto the foot of the tower. And then went they quickly unto the gates of the City of Darkness which was Cthol Mishrak and into the wasteland beyond.

      And it came to pass when they had gone but three leagues did the maimed God awaken from his slumber and found the Iron Cask open and the Orb that he had so dearly purchased gone.

      And horrible was the wrath of Kal-Torak. And girt he himself in black iron and took he up his great sword and his spear likewise, and went he then down from the iron tower and turned and smote it – and behold, the iron tower which had endured a thousand years and yet a thousand years more was cast down, and great was the ruin thereof.

      And the maimed God spake unto the Angaraks in a great voice, saying, ‘Because ye have permitted this thing to come to pass, shall ye dwell no more in cities. Because you have become unwatchful and indolent and have allowed a thief to steal that which I have purchased at such great cost, I will break your city and cast it down and drive you forth from this place, and ye shall be wanderers in the earth until ye return to me that which was stolen.’ And he raised up his arms and broke the city and cast it down in ruin and drove forth the Angaraks into the wilderness, and Cthol Mishrak was no more.

      And in the wasteland to the north^* the companions heard the outcry from the city, and the Angaraks pursued them. And once the Angaraks came upon them, and Cherek Bear-shoulders and his sons Dras Bull-neck and Algar Fleet-foot did turn and withstand them, and the Angaraks fled. And again the Angaraks came upon them, and again did Cherek and his sons withstand them, though their numbers were greater.

      And yet a third time did the Angaraks come upon them and with them strode Kal-Torak himself and the great hosts of the Angaraks.

      And Riva Iron-grip saw that his father and his brothers were weary even unto death and that their wounds bled. And the bearer of the Orb did turn and did reach into his bosom and withdrew the Orb and held it forth that the maimed God and his hosts might behold it.

      And great was the confusion of the host by reason of the Orb, and Kal-Torak cried out a great cry and did turn away, but drove he the Angaraks back again and commanded them to regain the Orb.

      But Riva did raise again the Orb of Aldur, and it shone brighter even than before, and the eyes of the Angaraks were dazzled, and they turned away again, but the maimed God raised his hand against them and drave them yet once more against the companions.

      And yet a third time did Riva raise the Orb, and the sky was lit by its fire, and behold, the front ranks of the host were consumed by it. And then did the hosts of the Angaraks flee from the Orb, and in no way could Kal-Torak drive them back again.

      And so passed the companions again unto the north and returned they unto the west. And the spies of Torak did follow them, but Belgarath the Sorcerer assumed again the form of the wolf and waylaid the spies of Torak, and they followed no more.

      And behold, the Gods of the west did hold council, and Aldur advised them. And he spake unto them, saying, ‘It may not be that we ourselves make war upon our brother Torak, for in the warfare of Gods shall the world itself not be destroyed? Must we then absent ourselves from the world that our brother Torak not find us and make war upon us and thus destroy the world.’

      And the other Gods were silent, each loath to leave the people he loved, but all knew that Aldur spoke truth, and that if they remained, would the world be destroyed.

      And Belar, the youngest of the Gods, wept, for he loved deeply the Alorn people, and Aldur relented. And he spake unto them, saying, ‘In spirit might each remain with his people, and guide them and protect them, but in no wise may Gods themselves remain, lest Torak find us and make war upon us and the world be unmade and our people perish utterly.’

      ‘And wilt thou, my brother, bear away the Orb which is thy chiefest delight?’ quoth Chaldan, God of the Arends.

      ‘Nay, my brother,’ quoth Aldur, and sad was his heart in the speaking. ‘The Orb must remain, for only in the Orb lies that which will prevent our brother Torak from lordship of the world. So long as the Orb remains, Torak shall not

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