'All I know,' she said, 'is that they say that the mage came here about tenyears ago. He came with some hired servants, and many boxes, some small, somelarge. No one knew what his native land was, and he didn't stay long in town.One day he disappeared with the servants and the boxes. It was some time beforepeople found out that he'd moved into the caves of the Isle of Shugthee. Nobodyhad ever gone there because it was said that it was haunted by the ghosts of theShugthee. They were a little hairy people who inhabited this land long beforethe first city of the ancients was built here.'
'How do you know he's a mage?' Smhee said.
'I don't, but everybody says he is. Isn't he?'
'He is,' Smhee said, looking grim.
'Anyway, he sent his servants in now and then to buy cattle, goats, pigs,chickens, horses, vegetables, and animal feed and fruit. These were men andwomen from some distant land. Not from his, though. And then one day they ceasedcoming in. Instead, the Raggah came. From that day on, no one has seen theservants who came with the mage.'
'He probably got rid of them,' Smhee said. 'He may have found some reason todistrust them. Or no reason at all.'
'The fur trappers and hunters who've gone by the isle say they've seen somestrange things. Hairy beast-faced dwarfs. Giant spiders.' She shuddered.
'Benna died of spider bites,' Smhee said. The fat little man reached into hisbelt-bag and brought out a metal jar. He said, 'Before we leave in the boattonight we'll rub the ointment in this on us. It will repel some of the spidersbut not, unfortunately, all.'
'How do you know that?'