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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.
* The account in Belgarath the Sorcerer differs. The pack ice of winter offered
an alternative
to that 'land bridge'.
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
THE RIVAN CODEX
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 drove 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