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laughter, patting his paunch. "The same old Baldonius! Made ye that verse but now?"
     
                  Eudoric made a deprecatory motion. "I am a mere poetaster; but, had not the higher wisdom claimed my allegiance, I might have made some small mark in poesy."
     
                  "What befell your poor eye?"
     
                  "My own carelessness in leaving open a corner of a pentacle. The demon got in a swipe of's claws ere I could banish him. But now, good Raspiudus, I have a matter to discuss, whereof I told you in my note—"
     
                  "Yea, yea, time enow for that. Be ye weary from the road? Need ye baths? Aliment? Drink?"
     
                  "Not yet, old friend. We have but now come from Velitchovo's best hostelry."
     
                  "Then let me show you my house and grounds. Your lady—?"
     
                  "She'll stay with me. She speaks nought but Locanian and fears being separated from me amongst strangers. A mere swineherd's chick, but a faithful creature. At my age, that is of more moment than a pretty face."
     
                  Presently, Eudoric was looking at his and Jillo's palfreys and their sumpter mule in Raspiudus' stables. Eudoric made a few hesitant efforts, as if he were Baldonius seeking his young friends, to inquire after their disappearance. Each time, Raspiudus smoothly turned the question aside, promising enlightenment later.
     
                  An hour later, Raspiudus was showing off his magical sanctum. With obvious interest, Eudoric examined a number of squares of dragon hide spread out on a workbench. He asked:
     
                  "Be this the integument of one of those Pathenian dragons, whereof I have heard?"
     
                  "Certes, good Baldonius. Are they extinct in your part of the world?"
     
                  "Aye. 'Twas for that reason that I sent my friend and former pupil to fetch me some of this hide for use in my work. How doth one cure this hide?"
     
                  "With salt and— unh!"
     
                  Raspiudus collapsed, Eudoric having struck him on the head with a short bludgeon that he whisked out of his voluminous sleeves.
     
                  "Bind and gag him and roll him behind the bench!" said Eudoric.
     
                  "Were it not better to cut his throat, sir?" asked Jillo.
     
                  "Nay. The jailer told us that they have ingenious ways of punishing homicide, and I have no wish to prove them by experiment."
     
                  While Jillo bound the unconscious Raspiudus with a length of rope from beneath his dress, Eudoric chose two pieces of dragon hide, each about a yard square. He rolled them into a bundle and lashed them with another length of rope. As an afterthought, he helped himself to the contents of Raspiudus' bulging purse. Then he hoisted the roll of hide to his shoulder and issued from the laboratory, calling to the nearest stable boy.
     
                  "Doctor Raspiudus," he said, "asks that ye saddle up those two nags." He pointed. "Good saddles, mind ye! Are the animals well shod?"
     
                  "Hasten, sir," muttered Jillo. "Every instant we hang about here ... "
     
                  "Hold thy peace! The appearance of haste were the surest way to arouse suspicion." Eudoric raised his voice. "Another heave on the girth, fellow! I am not minded to have mine aged bones shattered by a tumble into the roadway."
     
                  Jillo whispered: "Can't we recover the mule and your armor to boot?"
     
                  Eudoric shook his head. "Too risky," he murmured. "Be glad if we get away with skins intact."
     
                  When the horses had been saddled to his satisfaction, he said: "Lend me some of your strength in