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with clouds so that men might not find them to despoil them for
their love of me.
Then labored I for a thousand years and yet another thousand to
raise the curse which Aldur in his malice had laid on the stone,
CTHRAG-YASKA. Well I knew that in the day of the lifting of the
curse would men and Gods be rejoined in brotherhood and
fellowship, and the malice of Aldur unto me would be broken, and I would
be restored and made whole to greet my brothers unmarred.
Great were the enchantments and words of power which I cast at
the obdurate stone, but still its evil fire burned, and its curse was
upon the world by reason of the malice of Aldur.
And Belar, the youngest of my brethren, conspired with Aldur
against me and raised up his uncouth people against me and caused
each of them to curse me and have despite unto even me who had
suffered so greatly that men's blood not be spilt.
And behold, it came to pass that the evil sorcerer, Belgarath, who
had ever sat at the right hand of Aldur, whispering the fell counsel
of malice and enmity unto him, came with four others as a thief and
bore away CTHRAG-YASKA. And one of them, the youngest, had
been so woven about with spells and enchantments that he took up
CTHRAG-YASKA and was not burned, and they bore it away.
Bravely did my warriors pursue them, and many were slain, and
even I strode with them that we might regain CTHRAG-YASKA and
so prevent the evil which it would bring to the world. But behold,
the young man raised the thing accursed and cast about its evil fire,
and my people were consumed by it, and the thieves escaped,
bearing CTHRAG-YASKA with them. And then was evil loosed in the
world. And pulled I down the city of the Angaraks, and mighty
Cthol Mishrak was laid waste that the enemies of my people not
come upon them and destroy them utterly. And divided I the
Angaraks into five tribes. The Nadraks made I hardy and bold and
set them in the north to guard the ways by which the thieves had
come. And the ThuHs made I enduring and broad of back that they
might bear burdens without tiring, and set them in the middle lands.
And the Murgos made I the fiercest and most numerous and set
them in the south that they might multiply greatly against the evil
that had been unloosed in the world. And the most of my people
kept I with me in Mallorea, which hath no limits, to serve me and to
multiply against the day when war would be raised by the
kingdoms of the west. And lastly made I the Grolims and instructed
them in enchantments and wizardry and raised them as a
priesthood before me and caused them to keep watch over all my people
wheresoever they might be.
And I raised up a mighty people and set them to labor that we
might undo the evil that had beset the world and regain
CTHRAG-YASKA that the malice of Aldur had made and thus hold and keep
the world from the destruction which no man or God might
forestall.
And behold, my brothers feared my wrath in that they had
conspired against me and sent thieves to steal CTHRAG-YASKA.
And they did flee from me - yea, and departed from the world and
remained but in spirit each with his own people.
And for a thousand years and yet another thousand and three
hundred more* did I send Nadraks and Murgos against the savage
and barbarian Alorns with Thulls to bear their burdens and Grolims
to guide them in my service.
* The chronology was revised.
And it availed not, for the sons of the
great thief Cherek, aided by the wicked sorcery of Belgarath, chief