Theyre speaking twin, Polgara explained. Its not uncommon. Each set of twins develops its own private language. Beldaran and I spoke to each other in twin until we were about five. It used to drive poor uncle Beldin wild.
CeNedra looked around. Where are Garion and Durnik?
Durniks made some more improvements, Polgara replied. Id imagine hes showing them off. Hes added several rooms at the back of the cottage, so at least you and Garion wont have to sleep in the loft. She carefully wiped the chin of one of the twins. Messy person, she chided gently. The child giggled. Now then, whats this all about, CeNedra? Why did you make this trip in the dead of winter?
Have you read Belgaraths story yet? CeNedra asked.
Yes. It was characteristically long-winded, I thought.
You wont get any argument from me about that. How could he possibly have written that much down in under a year?
Father has certain advantages, CeNedra. If hed actually had to write it, itd probably have taken him much, much longer.
Maybe thats why he left so many things out.
I dont exactly follow you, dear. Polgara gently wiped the face of the second twin and then set them both down on the floor.
For someone who pretends to be a professional storyteller, he certainly did a third-rate job.
He more or less covered everything that happened, I thought.
There are some awfully large gaps in that story, Aunt Pol.
Father is seven thousand years old, CeNedra. In that long a time there were bound to be periods when nothing was happening.
He didnt go into anything that happened to you, though. He didnt say very much about those years you spent at Vo Wacune or what you did in Gar og Nadrak or any of those other places. I want to know what you did.
What on earth for?
I want the whole story, Aunt Pol. He left so much out.
Youre as bad as Garion was. He always used to badger my father for more details every time the Old Wolf told him a story. Polgara broke off abruptly. Away from the fireplace! she said sharply to the twins.
They giggled, but they did as they were told. CeNedra gathered that it was a game of sorts. Anyway, she picked up the thread of her thought, Belgarath sent some letters when he had those last few chapters delivered to Riva. The letter he sent to me is what gave me the idea of coming here to talk with you. First he accused us all of getting together and bullying him into writing the history. He said that he knew there were gaps in the story, but he suggested that you could fill them in.
How typical, Polgara murmured. My fathers an expert at starting things and then tricking others into finishing them for him. Well, this time hes out of luck. Forget it, CeNedra. I dont pretend to be a storyteller, and Ive got better things to do with my time.
But
No buts, dear. Now, go call Garion and Durnik in for supper.
CeNedra was shrewd enough not to raise the issue again, but a way around Polgaras refusal had already begun to form in her devious little mind.
Garion, dear, she said when she and her husband were in bed later that night in the warm and comfortable darkness.
Yes, CeNedra?
You can reach out and talk to your grandfather, cant you?
I suppose so. Why?
Wouldnt you like to see him and your grandmother? I mean, were this close anyway, and its not really very far from Belgaraths tower to the cottage here, and theyd be terribly disappointed if we let this opportunity for a visit slip by, wouldnt they?
What are you up to, CeNedra?
Why must I always be up to something?
You usually are.
Thats not very nice, Garion. Isnt it just possible that all I want is a family reunion?
Im sorry. Maybe I misjudged you.
Well actually, your Aunt Pols being a little stubborn about this. Im going to need some help convincing her to write her story.
Grandfather wont help you. He already told you that in his letter.
Im not talking about help from him. I want to talk to Poledra. Aunt Pol will listen to her mother. Please, Garion. She said it in her most winsome and appealing tone.
All right. Ill talk it over with Durnik and see what he thinks.
Why dont you let me talk with Durnik? Im sure I can persuade him that its a good idea. She nuzzled at her husbands neck affectionately. Im nice and warm now, Garion, she said invitingly.
Yes, I noticed that.
Are you really very sleepy?
Not that sleepy, dear, and he turned to embrace her.
This wouldnt be terribly difficult, CeNedra decided. She was an expert at getting her own way, and she was confident that she could get Garion and Durnik to agree with her plan. Poledra, on the other hand, might take a little more work.
Garion, as he usually did, slipped quietly out of bed before it was even light. The Rivan King had grown up on a farm, and farmers habitually rise early. CeNedra decided that it might not be a bad idea to keep track of him for the next couple of days. A chance conversation between her husband and Durnik might disrupt her plan CeNedra deliberately avoided the word scheme. So she touched the fingertips of her right hand to Beldarans amulet and searched with her mind for Garion.
Oh, hush. It was Durniks voice, and it was peculiarly gentle. Its only me. Go back to sleep. Ill feed you later.
There was a muttering, some soft, grumbling sounds birds of some kind, CeNedra judged. Then they clucked a bit and settled back down again.
Do you always talk to them that way? It was Garions voice.
It keeps them from getting excited and flying off in the dark and hurting themselves, Durnik replied. They insist on roosting in that tree right here in the dooryard, and I have to pass that tree every morning. They know me now, so I can usually persuade them to settle down again. Birds pick these things up fairly quickly. The deer take a little longer, and the rabbits are timid and very flighty.
You feed them all, dont you, Durnik?
They live here, too, Garion, and this farm produces more food than Pol and I and the babies can possibly eat. Besides, thats one of the reasons were here, isnt it? The birds and the deer and the rabbits can look out for themselves in the summer, but winters a lean time, so I help them out a bit.
He was such a good man! CeNedras eyes almost filled with tears. Polgara was the pre-eminent woman in all the world, and she could have chosen any king or emperor for a husband and lived in a palace. Shed chosen a simple country blacksmith instead and lived on this remote farmstead. Now CeNedra knew why.
As it turned out, Durnik was fairly easy to manipulate. CeNedras suggestion of a little family reunion, since were all here anyway, brought him over to her side almost immediately. Durnik was too innocent to suspect ulterior motives in others. It was so easy that CeNedra was almost ashamed of herself.