'The camel's eye Benna spoke of,' Smhee said. 'Over there is the formation knownas the ape's head, and at the other end is that which the natives call thedragon's tail.'

On the edge of the isle grew some trees, and in the waters by it were theubiquitous tall reeds.

There was no sight or sound of life on it. Even the birds seemed to shun it.

'But I floated down past it at night several times,' he said, 'and I could hearthe lowing of some cattle and the braying of a donkey. Also, I heard a weirdcall, but I don't know if it was from a bird or an animal. And I heard apeculiar grunting sound, but it wasn't from pigs.'

'That camel's eye looks like a good place for a sentry,' she said. 'I got theimpression from Benna that that is where he entered the caves. It must've been avery dangerous climb, especially during the dark.'

'Benna was a good man,' Smhee said. 'But he wasn't prepared enough. There areeyes watching now. Probably through holes in the rocks. From what I heard, themage had his servants buy a number of excavating tools. He would have used themto enlarge the caves and to make tunnels to connect the caves.' She took a finallook in the sunlight at the sinister purple mass and turned away.

9

Night had come. The winds had died down. The sky was cloudy, but the coveringwas thin. The full moon glowed through some of these, and now and then brokethrough. The nightbirds made crazy startling sounds. The mosquitoes hummedaround them in dense masses, and if it hadn't been for Smhee's ointment wouldhave driven them out of the trees within a few minutes. Frogs croaked in vastchorus; things plopped into the water.

They shoved the boat out to the edge of the reeds and climbed in. They woretheir cloaks now but would take them off when they got to the isle. Masha's