"You've been here before, I see. Let's go. They're expecting us."
Droblek himself opened the door of his house in response to Issus' light tap. The Drasnian port official wore a loose-fitting brown robe and was, if anything, more grossly fat than he had been when Garion had last seen him. As he opened the door, he looked nervously out into the street, peering this way and then that in the gloom. "Quickly," he whispered, "Inside—all of you." Once he had closed the door behind them and secured it with a stout lock, he seemed to relax a bit. "My Lady," he wheezed to Polgara with a portly bow, "my house is honored."
"Thank you, Droblek. Are you the one who sent for us?"
"No, my Lady. I helped to make the arrangements, though."
"You seem a bit nervous, Droblek," Silk said to him.
"I'm concealing something in my house that I'd rather not have here, Prince Kheldar. I could get into a lot of trouble if anyone found out about it. The Tolnedran Ambassador always has people watching my house, and he'd delight in embarrassing me."
"Where's the man we're supposed to meet?" Belgarath asked brusquely.
Droblek's face was awed as he replied. "I have a hidden chamber at the back of the house, Ancient One. He's waiting there."
"Let's go see him, then."
"At once, Eternal Belgarath." Waddling and puffing noticeably, the Drasnian official led them down a dimly lighted hallway. At its far end, he ran his hand down the wall and touched one of its stones. With a loud click, an irregularly shaped section of the wall came unlatched to protrude slightly from the rest.
"Exotic," Silk murmured.
"Who's there?" a shrill voice came from the other side 'of that hidden door.
"It's me—Droblek," the fat man answered. "The people you wanted to see have arrived." He pulled the stone-slab covered door open. "I'll go keep watch," he said to them.
Beyond the door was a small, dank, hidden chamber lighted by a single candle. Sadi the eunuch stood fearfully beside a battered wooden table. His shaven head was stub-bled and his scarlet silk robe tattered. There was a hunted look about his eyes. "At last," he said with relief.
"What on earth are you doing here, Sadi?" Polgara asked him.
"Hiding," he said. "Come in, please, all of you, and close the door. I don't want anybody to find out accidentally where I am."
They stepped into the small room, and Droblek pushed the door shut behind them.
"Why is the Chief Eunuch of Salmissra's palace hiding in the house of the Drasnian Port Authority?" Silk asked curiously.
"There's been a slight misunderstanding at the palace, Prince Kheldar," Sadi replied, sinking into a chair by the wooden table. "I'm not Chief Eunuch any more. As a matter of fact, there's a price on my head—a fairly large one, I'm told. Droblek owed me a favor, so he let me hide here—not very willingly, but—" He shrugged.
"Since we're talking about prices, I'll take my money now," Issus said.
"I have one more little job for you, Issus," the eunuch said in his oddly contralto voice. "Do you think that you could get into the palace?"
"If I need to."
"There's a red leather case in my quarters—under the bed. It has brass hinges. I need it."
"Did you want to discuss the price?"
"I'll pay you whatever you think is fair."
"All right. Let's say double what you already owe me."
"Double?"
"The palace is very dangerous right now."
"You're taking advantage of the situation, Issus."
"Go fetch it yourself then."
Sadi looked at him helplessly. "All right," he surrendered, "double."
"It's always a pleasure doing business with you, Sadi," Issus said flatly. Then he went to the door and slipped out.
"What happened here?" Silk asked the nervous eunuch.
Sadi sighed. "Certain accusations were made against me," he said in a pained voice. "I wasn't entirely prepared to defend myself against them, so I thought it might be wiser to take an extended leave from my duties. I've been working too hard lately anyway."
"Were the accusations unfounded?"
Sadi ran one long-fingered hand over his stubbled scalp. "Well—not entirely," he admitted, "but the matter was blown all out of proportion."
"Who took your place at the palace?"
"Sariss." Sadi almost spat the name. "He's a third-rate schemer with no real sense of style at all. Someday I'm going to take a great deal of pleasure in cutting out several things he needs rather badly—with a dull knife."
"Issus told us that you had some information about someone called Zandramas," Belgarath said.
"I do indeed," Sadi replied. He rose from his chair and went to the narrow, unmade bed standing against one wall. He rummaged around under the dirty brown blanket, took out a small silver flask, and opened it. "Excuse me," he said, taking a small sip. He grimaced. "I wish it didn't taste so bad."
Polgara gave him a cool look. "Do you suppose you could tell us what you know about Zandramas—before you start seeing the butterflies?"
Sadi looked at her innocently. "Oh, no. This isn't one of those, Lady Polgara," he assured her, shaking the flask. "It just has a certain calming effect. My nerves have been absolutely destroyed by what's happening in the past few months."
"Why don't we get down to business?" Belgarath suggested.
"Very well. I have something you want, and you have something I want. I think a trade is in order.''
"Why don't we discuss that?" Silk said, his eyes suddenly brightening and his long nose twitching.
"I'm very much aware of your reputation, Prince Kheldar." Sadi smiled. "I'm not foolish enough to try to bargain with you."
"All right, just what is this thing you want from us, Sadi?" Belgarath asked the dead-eyed eunuch.
"You're on your way out of Nyissa. I want you to take me with you. In exchange, I'll tell you everything I've learned about Zandramas."
"Totally out of the question."
"I think you're speaking in haste, Ancient One. Hear me out first."
"I don't trust you, Sadi," Belgarath said bluntly.
"That's quite understandable. I'm not the sort of man who should be trusted."
"Then why should I saddle myself with you?"