The Shining Ones by David Eddings Read Free Book Online Page A

Bhelliom again. Sparhawk seems to think he might need it. I think he’s underestimating his own abilities, but I’ll go along with him on the issue – if only to keep him from nagging and complaining.’
    ‘I’ve really missed her,’ Kalten laughed. ‘What are you going to do, Flute? Saddle up a herd of whales for us to ride to that coastline where we threw Bhelliom into the sea?’
    Her eyes brightened.
    ‘Never mind,’ Sparhawk told her quite firmly.
    ‘Spoilsport.’
    ‘I’m really disappointed in you, Sparhawk,’ Kalten said. ‘I’ve never ridden a whale before.’
    ‘ Will you shut up about whales?’ Sparhawk snapped at him.
    ‘You don’t have to get so touchy about it. What have you got against whales?’
    ‘It’s a personal thing between Aphrael and me,’ Sparhawk replied in a grating tone. ‘I won’t win many arguments with her, but I am going to win the one about whales.’
    The layover of their ship at Tega was necessarily brief. The tide had already turned, and the captain was quite concerned about the inexorably lowering water-level in the harbor.
    Sparhawk and his friends conferred briefly in the ship’s main salon while Khalad directed the sailors in the unloading of their horses and supplies. ‘Do your very best to make Sarathi understand just how serious the situation here really is, Emban,’ Vanion said. ‘Sometimes he gets a little pig-headed.’
    ‘I’m sure he’ll enjoy knowing how you really feel about him, Vanion,’ the fat churchman grinned.
    ‘Say anything you want, your Grace. I’ll never be going back to Chyrellos anyway, so it doesn’t really matter. Make a special point of letting him know that the name of Cyrgon’s been popping up. You might want to gloss over the fact that we’ve only got Krager’s word for Cyrgon’s involvement, though. We are sure about the Troll-Gods, however, and the notion that we’re facing heathen Gods again might help Sarathi tear his attention away from Rendor.’
    ‘Was there anything else I already know that you’d like to tell me, Vanion?’
    Vanion laughed. ‘Nicely put. I was being a bit of a meddler, wasn’t I?’
    ‘The term is “busy-body”, Vanion. I’ll do everything I can, but you know Dolmant. He’ll make his own assessment and his own decision. He’ll weigh Daresia against Rendor and decide which of them he wants to save.’
    ‘Tell him that I’m here with Sparhawk, Emban,’ Flute instructed. ‘He knows who I am.’
    ‘He does? ’
    ‘You don’t really have to step around Dolmant so carefully. He’s not the fanatic Ortzel is, so he can accept the fact that his theology doesn’t answer all the questions in the universe. The fact that I’m involved might help him to make the right decision. Give him my love. He’s an old stick sometimes, but I’m really fond of him.’
    Emban’s eyes were a little wild. ‘I think I’ll retire when this is all over,’ he said.
    ‘Don’t be silly,’ she smiled. ‘You could no more retire than I could. You’re having too much fun. Besides, we need you.’ She turned to Tynian. ‘Don’t overwork that shoulder,’ she instructed. ‘Give it time to completely heal before you start exercising it.’
    ‘Yes, ma’am,’ he replied, grinning at her authoritarian manner.
    ‘Don’t make fun of me, Tynian,’ she threatened. ‘If you do that, you might just wake up some morning with your feet on backward. Now give me a kiss.’
    ‘Yes, Aphrael.’
    She laughed and swarmed into his arms to collect her kisses.
    They disembarked and stood on the pier as the Tamul vessel made her way slowly out of the harbor.
    ‘They’re sailing at the right time of year anyway,’ Ulath said. ‘It’s a little early for the hurricanes.’
    ‘That’s encouraging,’ Kalten said. ‘Where to now, Flute?’
    ‘There’s a ship waiting for us on the far side of the island,’ she replied. ‘I’ll tell you about it after we get out of town.’
    Vanion handed Norkan the packet of