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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
THE RIVAN CODEX
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 W 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. '
I.7
THE HOLY BOOKS
'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.