branches, the main distinction being whether the magician uses his powers for
good or evil.
‘And it isn’t always easy to tell what is good and what is evil. If a mage makes
a mistake, and his use turns out to be for evil, even if he sincerely thought it
was for good, then there is a … backlash. And the mage’s character becomes
changed for the worse in proportion to the amount of magical energy used.’
He stopped walking.
‘We’re opposite the isle now.’
It wasn’t visible from the road. The plain sloped upwards from the road,
becoming a high ridge near the river. The tall spreading blackish hukharran bush
grew on top of it. They walked the horses up the ridge, where they hobbled them
near a pool of rainwater. The beasts began cropping the long brownish grass that
grew among the bushes.
The isle was in the centre of the lake and seemed to be composed mostly of a
purplish rock. It sloped gently from the shore until near the middle, where a
series of peculiar formations formed a spine. The highest prominence was a
monolith perforated near its top as if a tunnel had been carved through it.
‘The camel’s eye Benna spoke of,’ Smhee said. ‘Over there is the formation known
as the ape’s head, and at the other end is that which the natives call the
dragon’s tail.’
On the edge of the isle grew some trees, and in the waters by it were the
ubiquitous 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 hear