Sunday - August 28, 2011

What’s Christopher reading?

Actually, I read David Eddings books several years ago. But I’m now listening to the audiobooks. It’s amazing the little things you miss while reading that are hilarious if you actually hear them.

The audiobook is the Seeress of Kell. The fifth book of the Mallorean series. I just listened to this exchange in the audiobook and had to pull up my copy of the ebook to verify. They read it right:

And then, almost as if his memory had summoned her, the blindfolded Seeress of Kell emerged from the room in which the ladies had been conferring with their dressmakers. Immediately behind her came Ce’Nedra, clad only in a very short chemise. “It’s a perfectly suitable gown, Cyradis,” she was protesting.

“Suitable for thee perhaps, Queen of Riva,” the Seeress replied, “but such finery is not for me.”

“Ce’Nedra!” Garion exclaimed in a shocked gasp. “You’re not dressed!”

“Oh, bother that!” she snapped. “Everyone here has seen undressed women before. I’m just trying to reason with my mystical young friend here. Cyradis, if you don’t put on the gown, I’ll be very cross with you–and we really need to do something with your hair.”

The Seeress unerringly took the tiny queen in her arms and embraced her fondly. “Dear, dear Ce’Nedra,” she said gently, “thy heart is larger than thyself, and thy concern doth fill mine as well. I am content, however, in this simple garb. Mayhap in time my tastes will change, and then will I gladly submit to thy gentle ministrations.”

“There’s absolutely no talking to her,” Ce’Nedra said, throwing her arms in the air. Then, with a charming flirt of the hem of her chemise, she stormed back into the room from which the two of them had emerged.

“You ought to feed her more,” Beldin told Garion. “She’s really very skinny, you know.”

“I sort of like her the way she is,” Garion replied. He looked at Cyradis. “Will you sit, Holy Seeress?”

“If I may.”

“Of course.” He waved off Toth’s almost instinctive move to aid his mistress and guided the girl to a comfortable chair.

“I thank thee, Belgarion,” she said. “Thou art as kind as thou art brave.” She smiled, and it was like the sun coming up. She touched one hand to her hair. “Doth this really look so ugly?” she asked.

“It’s just fine, Cyradis,” he told her. “Ce’Nedra sometimes exaggerates, and she has an absolute passion for making people over–me, usually.”

“And dost thou mind her efforts, Belgarion?”

“I suppose not. I’d probably miss them if she didn’t try, at least.”

“Thou art caught in the snare of love, King Belgarion. Thou art a mighty sorcerer, but methinks thy little queen hath a more powerful sorcery yet, for she holds thee in the palm of that tiny hand.”

“That’s true, I suppose, but I don’t really mind all that much.”

“If this gets any more cloying, I think I’ll throw up,” Beldin said gruffly.

Beldin the Sorcerer is really funny, because at the end of the book, things get very cloying for Beldin.

A short intro to Nadrak society. If you buy a Nadrak woman, you just own her. Period. She got half of the sale price. You did NOT get any conjugal rights. Nadrak women carry at least four knives, which they are adept at using if you get too amorous. Now if you buy her, with the option to marry, she first will check you out. Then, if she agrees, at some point after you buy her she will surrender her knives to you. That’s her marriage vow.

So Beldin the Sorcerer buys Vella, and has to borrow money from Belgarath the Sorcerer. In full view of everybody, Vella immediately surrenders her knives to him. While all of the ladies present are crying, Beldin juggles her knives and makes them disappear. “I don’t need these.” he says. Then he leads Vella to a nearby hilltop, teaches her how to turn into a blue-banded hawk, and they both fly away, never to be seen again.

Posted by Christopher     on 08/28/2011 at 08:41 PM   
Filed Under: • Literature •  
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