Don't get me wrong - not all of Belgarath's stories are gibberish. He described our first encounter
rather exactly. I'll never forget the foolish expression on his face when I
translocated the rocks he wanted me to carry to his tower. I like it very much
to do this to Belgarath.
He gave a fairly accurate report on how we built my tower, but he made of it a story so sentimental
that I simply can't read it without vomitting. The facts are in place, I'll admit.
It was Belmakor who made the first draft. The final version was Belsambar's work,
however. The man was an artist. He was one of the Angaraks worth living in the world
(there are just a few of them - Torak was their curse, but not their fault). If
Belsambar
survived, he would be the first disciple of Eriond, naturally. But he is dead, he
was too gentle for this evil world. I will grieve for him until time ends.
I'd like to show you that tower of mine he created, though I don't know how. You say
it's easy with the Will and the Word? Don't speak about things you can't understand.
Yes, I could make an illusion of my tower, though I'm not so good at it as Belsambar
was. Please, tell me how to convert this illusion into a GIF, if you are so clever!
However, it is possible to translate illusions into pictures. Look at this
graphic of an artist of another world. It should be very interesting to live in
such a building. I wonder how this guy - his name is Escher - could see and draw
this without being a Sorcerer? If he was, it's not much of a trick, naturally. My
one-ended stick is made in a similar way.
Some of the remarks of my ancient brother are really funny. Take that one: "Just
in passing, I'd like to let you know that over the centuries I've spent much more
time holding tankards than I have drinking from them." When I read this
I found myself lying on the floor helplessly laughing. I've seen some of the
hang-overs he had from this "holding tankards" of his...
There is another very
strange story about his shabby vagabond outfit. He claimes it was made by one of the
finest tailors in Tol Honeth. If it's true, there were no holes under the patches,
and the fraying was woven into the cloth of his tunic. I can't be absolutely positive,
since Pol confirms it in her book. But I doubt it nevertheless. I think I know him
better. And it simply wouldn't make any sense. Every first year student of the academy
in Boktor could see that it's a disguise. He could as well stand up in the middle
of the market place and shout "I'm Belgarath the Sorcerer, please, don't recognize me!"
I suspect that in this place they remembered writing a book for the instruction
of the young (Geran and his many sisters). You know Pol's peculiar ideas concerning
neatness...
That's ridiculous, of course. Polgara was not always so fond of bathing
as she is now. I know this, I've raised her. Belgarath knows it as well, and you can
find it in his book. Once he compared her look with "an abandoned bird's nest",
this comes near to the truth. Later she explained that look to Anrak with a disguise,
too. Riva's brother was Alorn enough to answer "It was a very good disguise, Lady
Polgara. You were an absolute mess."
I can't comment the entire book, of course. You should have some general idea now where he is right and where not. If you've read it, read it once more and find out what is most probably wrong. If not, you should read it. You will know more after that (not about the facts - but about how he'd like to see them). Don't make the mistake to trust him, though. He's a liar, and when you are 19000 years old, you have problems with your memory.