The Rivan Codex: Ancient Texts of THE BELGARIAD and THE MALLOREON (The Belgariad / The Malloreon)

by Eddings, Leigh;Eddings, David

  And Behold, there arose yet another generation of Seers to consider the Prophecies and to speak of their meaning. And these were the Generations of the unknown Seeress, whom men called the Speakers. And we carried to the Speakers both Prophecy and the ravings of the demented, for we determined that no possible word of either Fate should escape us. And the Speakers who were of the Generations of the unknown Seeress went down to

  the city of Kell, where the priests of the God of Angarak feared to come, and there they received what we had gathered. And we beheld there a wonder, for the documents which reported our gatherings were delivered into the hands of the mutes who guarded the Seers, and the mutes read the documents. And if the Seer spake not, the document was known to be false, and the mute who had read it committed it immediately to the fire. But if the document was truly Prophecy—of either of the two Fates—the Seer would begin to speak almost as soon as the mute began to read. And we perceived from this that the Seers communed with the minds of their silent guides, and despite the binding of their eyes, they were not blind, but saw rather through the eyes of their mute protectors.

  Now from all that we gathered, but little was truly Prophecy, and the Prophecies all spake the same story—that one day the Child of Light and the Child of Dark would meet and that in their meeting would be decided the Fate of all creation. And this was bitter to us, for we had known of it before, having read the self-same words in the Book of the Heavens. But the aged Seer Encoron of the Generations of the unknown Seeress spake in his last days, and at last we understood the meaning of what was taking place and had been since the beginning of time.

  ‘Variations,’ quoth Encoron. ‘Each EVENT is but a variation of the same EVENT which hath repeated itself innumerable times down through all the ages. The Child of Light and the Child of Dark will meet—as they have met times beyond counting before. And they will continue to meet in these endless

  variations of this same EVENT until at one meeting a choice is made between them.’

  ‘What is the choice, Master?’ we urged him, ‘and who must make it?’

  But he spake not, and his mute guardian sighed and gently laid his master in a posture of repose. Then he also laid himself upon the earth beside his master and he also died.

  And at the beginning of the Fourth Age the Seeress Onatel came, and she also spake of the choice. And the Seers of the Generations of Onatel probed with their minds toward the very center of Prophecy and of the Destiny which was at the core of Prophecy. But the visions came darkly and seemed without meaning. We saw the whirling of stars and entire worlds suddenly touched into fire, but none knew what such visions meant. And at last came Dallan, a Seer of the Generations of Onatel, and he spake the great truth unto us, saying:

  ‘Behold what I have seen. The life of man is but the winking of an eye, and the life of a star is but a breath in length. The contention between the two Fates hath endured throughout eternity, and the outcome will encompass EVENTS so vast that thine imagining cannot grasp them. Should the Fate which is EVIL triumph over the other Fate, the result will not so much rebound upon the lives of men, but rather shall be seen among the stars. And if the stars perish, all will perish.’

  And then at last we understood. The choice between GOOD and EVIL was a choice between existence and destruction for all of creation, and GOOD and EVIL were but human terms, and had no meaning among the stars. That which might be foulest evil in the eyes of men might well be that which would save creation from destruction. And as we considered this, we grew afraid, for Behold, it was our stern duty to protect creation— even should our choice enslave or even destroy mankind.

  we must

  move the

  figures on

  the board

  of time

  ourselves

  And thus it was when we saw in the Book of the Heavens that the time was drawing nigh for the meeting between the Child of Light and the Child of Dark, sent we five Seers of the Generations of Onatel to Cthol Mishrak, the City of Night, to make the choice.

  But the moment for the choice came and passed—for lo, we had believed that the EVENT was to be the meeting between Belgarion and Torak, but it was not. The EVENT which slipped so swiftly past us was the spurning of Torak by Belgarath’s daughter, Polgara.

  And, sorrowing that they had failed in their task, the five Seers of the Generations of Onatel returned to Kell, and the Fifth Age had already begun.

  And the Fifth Age was the Age of the Generations of Gazad, the stern Seer who berated us that we had failed in our task. And the Generations of Gazad were to be known as the Choosers, and they moved into the affairs of this world as none of us had done before. The necessity for choice now lay heavily upon us, and the time of indifferent contemplation of EVENTS had passed. Now is the time to act, to shape EVENTS rather than to be shaped by them. We must move the figures on the board of time ourselves and place them in such fashion that the final meeting will take place at a

  time and place of our choosing. For Behold, should this meeting pass without our choosing, all that was, is and shall be must surely perish.

  BOOK 5

  THE BOOK OF VISIONS

  Now These are the Five Visions:

  BEHOLD! A GREAT LIGHT came into mine eyes, and I was dazzled by it and could not see; but in time, as mine eyes grew accustomed to the brilliance, I saw a great table lain with fine cloth and dishes of gold. And I saw the seven guests at the feast and the empty seat for the beloved one who had not yet come. And the seven guests ate that which pleased them and looked about often for the one who had not yet arrived. And I looked upon this in puzzlement, for I knew not why it should be shown to me.78

  And I became aware of a robed and hooded figure standing by my left hand and another upon my right, and both figures insisted with imperious gesture that I continue to watch the feast. And in time, the seven guests rose from the table, having eaten their fill, and lo, much of the feast remained, and still was I filled with wonder and puzzlement.

  and I

  will make

  this

  choice

  for all of

  creation

  And then the figure upon my right spake unto me, saying: ‘This is the Feast of Life, and the seven guests are the seven Gods, who have chosen that which pleased them.’

  And the figure upon my left spake also unto me, saying: ‘One guest hath not yet arrived at the feast, and that guest is also a God. And when he cometh, he will choose all that the other guests have not taken.’

  And still I perceived not the meaning of their words, yet felt I the enmity which stood between them. And each strove to some great end but failed in its accomplishment because of the other. And then they turned their shadowed faces to me and spake unto me in one voice, saying: ‘The choice is upon thee, for two guests shall come to the Feast of Life, and thou shalt bid one stay and the other go, and it shall be as thou shalt decide. And thy choice shall be for all that was, all that is and all that is yet to be.’

  And I was bowed down by the weight of the burden they had placed upon me, for now at last I understood the vision and why it had been sent. The figure upon my right and the figure upon my left were the Destinies which had striven the one against the other a’down all the endless corridors of time, and each was as strong as the other, and they remained locked, each in the grip of the other. And all that was, all that is, and all that is yet to be is divided equally between them. So equal is this division that the weight of my choice between them will tip the

  balance, and I will make this choice for all of creation. And I turned to the figures in anguish to protest the burden, that I was not wise enough to decide, and they replied, saying: ‘No man nor God nor spirit is wise enough for this choice. Thy selection for this task was at the whim of random chance. We care not how the choice is made, only that it be made. The division strains the very fabric of creation, and if the division doth not soon end, all of creation will perish. Choose wisely; choose ill; choose
by whim alone—but choose!’

  And at these words I fell into a swoon and saw no more.

  All as in a dream I wandered across a barren heath under a lowering sky. And by the tokens which tell of such things I knew that a great storm was approaching and that I must seek shelter. And behold, the thought had scarcely entered my mind when I saw at the farthest edge of that heath a great house, and I hastened toward it to take shelter therein from the gathering storm. But as I approached the house I found that less and less I liked its aspect. Grim and bleak it crouched at the very edge of the precipice which marked the end of the heath. The storm which pursued me, however, gave me no choice, and I reached the door of the house but scant seconds before the deluge.

  The servant who admitted me was civil enough, though impatient. He led me through the gloomy corridors of the grim house to a great dining hall with a huge table upon which sat a single plate, and he bade me sit at the table and brought me meat and drink. And as I ate, I questioned him closely concerning the house and its owner, and he replied most strangely, saying:

  venture

  not near

  the

  window

  lest the

  void be-

  yond it

  destroy

  thy mind

  ‘The house hath been here since before the beginning of time, and it hath two owners—the same two who caused it to be built.’

  His words amazed me, and I protested that no house can endure so long and that certainly no mortal hath lived since before the beginning of time. But he received my protests in silence as if they were unworthy of reply, and he bade me make haste at my meal since I was to be taken immediately to the owners of the house.

  When I had finished, he led me once again through the dim corridors and brought me at last to a strange room. Behold, a great window formed one wall of the room and overlooked the void upon which the house sat, and by that window stood a table, and at the table sat two robed and hooded figures. And on the table was laid a game of enormous complexity.

  Now the servant cautioned me in whispered tones, saying: ‘Speak not, lest ye disturb the game which these two have played for all eternity, and venture not near the window lest the void beyond it destroy thy mind.’

  I replied with some asperity, stating that I had viewed chasms before and that my mind was therefore in little danger. And the servant looked at me in amazement and said, ‘Knowest thou not to what house thou hast come? This is the house which stands at the very edge of creation. Beyond that window lies no mere chasm, but absolute nothing-ness. I know not why thou hast been brought unto this lonely house. I know only that thou art to observe the game until the storm which brought thee here abates, and then thou art to go thy way.’

  when

  one piece

  is moved,

  all other

  pieces

  also

  move

  And so it was that throughout the long night I watched the two faceless players at the game which I could not begin to comprehend. And the moves which they made had no meaning to me. If the one moved a king, the other countered by moving a comet or a sun or a grain of sand. And there were beggars and thieves and harlots on the board as well as kings and knights and queens. And sometimes the players moved rapidly and sometimes they pondered long between moves. And I watched their play and spake not throughout the long night.

  And when morning came, the servant returned and led me down the gloomy halls of the house which stands at the edge of creation. And when he opened the door I saw that the storm had passed. And I turned to the servant and I said, ‘What is the game they play?’

  And he answered, saying, ‘It is the game of the two Fates. All the pieces contain two possibilities and all are interconnected. When one piece is moved, all other pieces also move. The two players no longer even strive to win the game, but merely attempt to maintain the balance between them.’

  ‘Why do they continue to play then?’

  ‘Because they must. The game must be played to its conclusion, though it last until the end of days. Thou wert brought to this place because it may be that thou or one who might come after thee will one day make some move in this eternal game. I know not, and I care not. My care is to tend the house, and I have done so since it was built. Now go thy way.’ And so saying, he closed the door, leaving me standing alone upon the doorstep.

  Now the morning was bright, and the birds sang sweetly, and I strode across the heath at a goodly pace, and by midafternoon I found the path which led me back to my own country.

  79At a certain time I found myself weary and alone in a dusky wood, having strayed, it seems, from the true path. Yet I knew not why I was there nor whither I had been bound when I lost my way. As night descended upon that gloomy wood, I despaired of finding the path again ere it grew dark, and as best I could I composed myself for sleep, wrapped in my cloak and with my back resting against the bole of a great tree.

  If I slept or no, I shall never know, for it seemed that I came awake of a sudden in the broad street of a

  populous city, and excited crowds were all hurrying toward the central square, and I, perforce, was borne along with them, so great was the press. Turning to the man pushing along beside me, I asked as politely as possible what event had so moved this multitude of people that they should strive all at once to gather in the square.

  ‘She comes,’ he replied in ardent tones.

  I confessed to him that I was a stranger in his city and that I knew not to whom he referred.

  ‘Why, she, of course,’ quoth he, ‘– the paramount Lady of all the world. Men say she is a thousand years old, and wise beyond belief.’

  ‘Is it wise of us, then,’ I said to him, ‘to intrude ourselves upon her in such numbers? For if it be true that she is so deeply sunk in eld, she will surely be frail and infirm, and will not welcome the noise and confusion of so great a multitude.’

  My companion, however, was swept from my side by the press of the crowd, and I heard not his reply.

  At length I reached the great square, whither all in that city had been hastening, and to my disappointment, I found that the venerated lady had not yet arrived. And I concluded that my informant may have spoken in jest, for as I had leisure to consider his words, I realized that what he had told me was an absurdity, for no man or woman, however noble or powerful, could endure the weight of a thousand years. And almost I laughed that I had for a single instant considered it possible.

  And then from out an azure sky there came on silent wings the form of a great snowy owl, and to my surprise she descended from aloft into the very center of the populous square. And at the last moment she flared her great pinions, and at the same time a strange shimmering seemed to engulf her— not unlike the disturbance of air above heated rock. Now when that peculiar shimmering had passed, I beheld with astonishment that the owl had vanished and that in its place stood the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Gowned all in blue, she swept the square with imperious gaze, and all present bowed and abased themselves before her. I alone, struck dumb and motionless by her beauty, bowed not nor acknowledged her with any display of respect. Seeing this, she approached me, her expression quizzical and the faintest trace of a smile hovering about her lips. And as she came nearer, I saw that her raven hair was touched at the brow by a single lock of snowiest white. Her glorious eyes fell full upon me, and I confess that my heart stopped within me.

  And then she spake unto me, saying, ‘Why art thou pale, youth? Hast thou never before seen such simple sorcery?’

  ‘My lady,’ I stammered, ‘forgive me. It is not thy sorcery which hath robbed my limbs of their ability to move, it is thy beauty.’

  And she smiled at me and said, ‘Thou art a well-spoken youth.’

  Emboldened by her encouragement, I blurted, ‘Truly, my Lady, thou art the most beautiful of all women.’

  I

  beheld

  upon the

  coverlet
/>
  of my

  bed a

  single

  soft

  white

  feather

  And a secret little glow of pleasure touched her eyes at my words, and she reached forth and gently touched my cheek, and she replied, saying, ‘Yes, fond youth, I know.’

  And then she looked at me gravely, and she spake further, saying, ‘Thou art a stranger here, and thou knowest not how or why thou camest to this place. It will not be long ere thou awaken.’

  ‘Ah,’ I said, my heart wrenching within me. ‘Is this then but a dream?’

  ‘Nay, dear youth,’ she replied, ‘this is more real than the world from which thou hast come. Return to thy people and tell them what thou hast seen, and tell them that they may know that the time for the Choice hath arrived when they see me abroad in their lands. For I shall not come into the lands of thy people until it is time for them to choose, and they may take my coming as a sign.’ And so saying, she touched my cheek again, turned and vanished. And so great was my emotion that I fell down in a swoon.