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ck of dry wood； and spoke a word to it。 And lo！ it blossomed。 And he spoke another word； and lo！ it bore red apples。 And he spoke one word more； and stick； blossoms； apples； and all vanished； and with them the sorcerer。 With one word he had gone as a rainbow goes； like a wink； without a trace； and they never found him on that isle。 Was that mere jugglery？〃
〃It's easy to fool fools；〃 Kossil said。
Thar said no more； avoiding argument but Arha was loath to have the subject dropped。 〃What do the wizard…folk look like；〃 she asked； 〃are they truly black all over； with white eyes？〃
〃They are black and vile。 I have never seen one；〃 Kossil said with satisfaction； shifting her heavy bulk on the low stool and spreading her hands to the fire。
〃May the Twin Gods keep them afar；〃 Thar muttered。
〃They will never e here again；〃 said Kossil。 And the fire sputtered； and the rain spattered on the roof； and outside the gloomy doorway Manan cried shrilly； 〃Aha！ A half for me； a half！〃
Light Under the Hill
As the year was rounding again towards winter； Thar died。 In the summer a wasting disease had e upon her； she who had been thin grew skeletal； she who had been grim now did not speak at all。 Only to Arha would she talk； sometimes； when they were alone together； then even that ceased； and she went silently into the dark。 When she was gone； Arha missed her sorely。 If Thar had been stern； she had never been cruel。 It was pride she had taught to Arha； not fear。
Now there was only Kossil。
A new High Priestess for the Temple of the Twin Gods would e in spring from Awabath； until then； Arha and Kossil between them were the rulers of the Place。 The woman called the girl 〃mistress；〃 and should obey her if manded。 But Arha learned not to mand Kossil。 She had the right to do so； but not the strength； it would take very great strength to stand up against Kossil's jealousy of a higher status than her own； her hatred of anything she herself did not control。
Since Arha had learned （from gentle Penthe） of the existence of unfaith； and had accepted it as a reality even though it frightened her； she had been able to look at Kossil much more steadily； and to understand her。 Kossil had no true worship in her heart of the Nameless Ones or of the gods。 She held nothing sacred but power。 The Emperor of the Kargad Lands now held the power； and therefore he was indeed a godking in her eyes； and she would serve him well。 But to her the temples were mere show； the Tombstones were rocks； the Tombs of Atuan were dark holes in the ground； terrible but empty。 She would do away with the worship of the Empty Throne； if she could。 She would do away with the First Priestess； if she dared。
Arha had e to face even this last fact quite steadily。 Perhaps Thar had helped her to see it； though she had never said anything directly。 In the first stages of her illness； before the silence came upon her； she had asked Arha to e to her every few days； and had talked to her； telling her much about the doings of the Godking and his predecessor； and the ways of Awabath … matters which she should as an important priestess know； but which were not often flattering to the Godking and his court。 And she had spoken of her own life； and described what the Arha of the previous life had looked like and done； and sometimes； not often； she had mentioned what might be the difficulties and dangers of Arha's present life。 Not once did she mention Kossil by name。 But Arha had been Thar's pupil for eleven years； and needed no more than a hint or a tone to understand； and to remember。
After the gloomy motion of the Rites of Mourning was over； Arha took to avoiding Kossil。 When the long works and rituals of the day were done； she went to her solitary dwelling； and whenever there was time； she went to the room behind the Throne； and opened the trapdoor； and went down into the dark。 In daytime and nighttime； for it made no difference there； she pursued a systematic exploration of her domain。 The Undertomb； with its great weight of sacredness； was utterly forbidden to any but priestesses and their most trusted eunuchs。 Any other； man or woman； who ventured there would certainly be struck dead by the wrath of the Nameless Ones。 But among all the rules she had learned； there was no rule forbidding entry to the Labyrinth。 There was no need。 It could be entered only from the Undertomb； and anyway； do flies need rules to tell them not to enter in a spider's web？
So she took Manan often into the nearer regions of the Labyrinth； that he might learn the ways。 He was not at all eager to go there； but as always he obeyed her。 She made sure that Duby and Uahto； Kossil's eunuchs； knew the way to the Room of Chains and the way out of the Undertomb； but no more； she never took them into the Labyrinth。 She wanted no one but Manan； utterly faithful to her； to know those secret ways。 For they were hers； hers alone； forever。 She had begun her full exploration with the Labyrinth。 All the autumn she spent many days walking those endless corridors； and still there were regions of them she had never e to。 There was a weariness in that tracing of the vast； meaningless web of ways； the legs got tired and the mind got bored； forever reckoning up the turnings and the passages behind and to e。 It was wonderful； laid out in the solid rock underground like the streets of a great city； but it had been made to weary and confuse the mortal walking in it； and even its priestess must feel it to be nothing； in the end； but a great trap。
So； more and more as winter deepened； she turned her thorough exploration to the Hall itself； the altars； the alcoves behind and beneath the altars； the rooms of chests and boxes； the contents of the chests and boxes； the passages and attics； the dusty hollow under the dome where hundreds of bats nested； the basements and underbasements that were the anterooms of the corridors of darkness。
Her hands and sleeves perfumed with the dry sweetness of a musk that had fallen to powder lying for eight centuries in an iron chest； her brow smeared with the clinging black of cobweb； she would kneel for an hour to study the carvings on a beautiful； time…ruined coffer of cedar wood； the gift of some king ages since to the Nameless Powers of the Tombs。 There was the king； a tiny stiff figure with a big nose； and there was the Hall of the Throne with its flat dome and porch columns； carved in delicate relief on the wood by some artist who had been dust for how many hundred years。 There was the One Priestess； breathing in the drug…fumes from the trays of bronze and prophesying or advising the king； whose nose was broken off in this frame； the face of the Priestess was too small to have clear features； yet Arha would imagine that the face was her own face。 She wondered what she had told the king with the big nose； and whether he had been grateful。
She had favorite places in the Hall of the Throne； as one might have favorite spots to sit in a sunny house。 She often went to a little half…loft over one of the robing rooms in the hinder part of the Hall。 There ancient gowns and costumes were kept； left from the days when great kings and lords came to worship at the Place