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Her mind guided by a mother she will not see again for centuries, Polgara beings life in the Vale, growing up in her uncle's Beldin's tower and in the prehistoric Tree that is the heart of that magical place.

There she first learns the reaches of her powers and assumes the bird shapes that will serve her on her far-flung travels. As her adventures carry her far from the safety of the Vale, her spellbinding fate unfolds. For Polgara is destined to be guardian of the world's last, best hope: the heir to the Rivan throne.

By David and Leigh Eddings

The Prequel to the Belgariad: Belgarath the Sorcerer

POLCARA

THE SORCERESS

David and Leigh Eddings

HarperCollinsPubli'shers

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters

and inci~lents portrayed in it are the work of the authors' imagination.

Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities

is entirely coincidental.

Voyager

An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

7 7 - 85 Fulham Palace Road,

Hammersmith, London W6 8JB

The Voyager World Wide Web site address is

Published by Voyager 1997

1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2

Copyright (0 David and Leigh Eddings 1997

The Authors assert the moral right to

be identified as the authors of this work

A catalogue record for this book

is available from the British Library

ISBN 0 246 13844 0

Set in Postscript Palatino by

Rowland Phototypesetting Ltd,

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Printed and bound in Australia by

Griffin Press, Adelaide

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may he

reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted,

in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,

photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior

permission of the publishers.

DEDICATION

And finally, after fifteen years, this book is dedicated to our

readers. It's been a long journey, hasn't it? It's been quite a

project for us, and your patience and enthusiasm have

helped us more than you can imagine. Thank you for your

fortitude, and we hope that what we've done pleases you.

Warmly,

David & Leigh Eddings

PROLOGUE

KAIL, THE RIVAN WARDER, objected strenuously when King

Belgarion told him that he and his queen planned to make the

journey to the northern end of the Vale of Aldur unattended, but

Garion uncharacteristically put his foot down. 'It's a family

gathering, Kail. Ce'Nedra and I don't need a cluster of servants underfoot.

They'd just be in the way. '