and nothing anyone says, including myself, will convince them otherwise.
‘However, all their frantic activity will result in one great benefit. . We’ll
be rid of the rats for a while.’
He paused, frowning, then said, ‘It would seem, however, that this fellow Benna
might have been foolish enough to steal something from the purple mage. I would
think that that is the only reason he’d be pursued by the Raggah. But then there
might be another reason. In any event, if there is a jewel, then the finder is
going to be in great peril. The mage isn’t going to let whoever finds it keep
it.
‘Or at least I believe so. Actually, I know very little about the mage, and from
what I’ve heard about him, I have no desire to meet him.’
Masha thought of asking him why he didn’t send his soldiers out to the isle and
summon the mage. But she kept silent. The reason was obvious. No one, not even
the governor, wanted to provoke the wrath of a mage. And as long as the mage did
nothing to force the governor into action, he would be left strictly alone to
conduct his business – whatever that was.
At the end of the questioning, the governor told his treasurer to give a gold
shaboozh to Masha.
‘That should more than take care of any business you’ve lost by being here,’ the
governor said.
Thanking him profusely, Masha bowed as she stepped back, and then walked swiftly
homewards.
The following week was the great cat hunt. It was also featured, for Masha
anyway, by a break-in into her apartment. While she was off helping deliver a